Other Days

We all need a 'other day' from time to time. It's where we take a break from what we usually do and do something different, something 'other'. Today I had one of those days. I finished a quilt very early (9:30 a.m.) and decided to reorganize my canning jars and pantry in the garage. It's a job that no one really wants to do, anyway, I don't know of anyone who wants to do it who lives here. The feeling of accomplishment when a task like that is completed is wonderful. I finished that job by 11:30. So it was time to do something fun. I sewed a dress for my granddaughter. I bought the fabric way back at the beginning of summer intending to make a sundress for her. Here it is the first day of fall and it's finally made. The good news is that I made it a size big so maybe she'll be able to wear it next summer. The other good news is that it's almost 90 outside. It's perfect attire for today -- I better run it over to her before the weather changes!

Jumpstart Needed

I need a jumpstart for my quilting. I think the events of the last few weeks have taken the wind out of my sails. Losing my precious granddaughter, summer break with all the craziness of the kids being home and now my husband being gone for 9 days. I walk in my studio and I don't know where to begin. I have two quilts I'm currently working on. They lay out on my sewing table and ironing board ready to go. I have a customer quilt on my longarm that is about 3/4's complete. Instead I've been wandering around the house (which is a mess), reading this and that, on the computer way too much and watching some BBC movies. I really need to buckle down and get to quilting. So what did I do this afternoon? I started to paint my bedroom. Well, maybe a new look in there will inspire a new look at my quilting projects and by the end of the week I can see some progress on both fronts. Or maybe what I really need is some time of wandering around the house and putting my mind in neutral with an occasional movie. Hopefully the jumpstart will happen soon!

Memory Quilt for Leah Grace

This last week I made a photo quilt as a memorial for my granddaughter, Leah Grace. Leah Grace passed away on June 27, 2009 at 99 days old. We knew her life would be short, but she was such a fighter, making it far longer than any in the medical community predicted. I'm so glad she was at home for most of her life and so many got to meet and take care of her. She was a very special baby.

I started this quilt the day after her death, picking out 9 photos to put in the quilt. A friend came on Tuesday and we worked most of the day piecing the quilt. By 10:00 that night I had it on my longarm machine. I finished it at 10:00 p.m. on Friday night the day before her memorial service. It was therapeutic to put a lot of effort into making something beautiful to remember Leah Grace by. I will miss her so much.