This Quilt : That Boy

No doubt, if you have been following me long enough, you will have seen this quilt in various stages of completion. From inception, way back when, to updates along the way, through to quilt top finishing, basting and the labourious prospect of hand quilting (the quilt top already being hand sewn. I know). This quilt has a long history - three blogs long, in fact. It seems to have been a constant in my life for a long, long time - the never-ending quilt that sat taunting and mocking me from the WIP pile.

But back in November, with promises of keeping me warm in the afternoons as I worked on it as it draped over my knees, mindful of a nearing deadline, I picked it up again and began to consistently quilt it block by block. Illness, and various other deadlines and meet ups, meant that towards the end of December the pace had slackened again and it was only with a concerted push after the new year, working all spare moments I had that eventually - EVENTUALLY - this project was finally finished. Just in time for the recipient's 12th birthday.






















He was genuinely delighted with the quilt, knowing how long I have been working on it, how much effort I have put into it - seeing it, day after day after day taking up my time and effort. He was so generous in his praise for it, "it's the best thing I've ever had - I love it more than Minecraft", which is high praise indeed, and a sample of what a kind heart this boy of mine has. Because, even if he didn't mean it, he knows the value of this quilt; he knows it's more than just a pile of fabric.

Wrapped at night under it for the first time, he marveled at all the different fabrics, how WARM it was, how orange it was (and delighted to know I picked orange because it's his favourite colour). I told him that any time he was sad, or lonely or needed a hug from his mummy and I wasn't there, that this quilt would be my hug to him. One day when I'm not around and if this quilt is still standing I can still be there to keep him warm and let him know how much I love him.

He hugged it around him and said, "and when I'm a daddy I'll give it to MY son, so that he gets hugs from both of us".

And right then it was all worthwhile. The whole lot of it. The whole five years in the making.

Oh, this boy of mine. Such a good, good heart. Masha'allah.

Quilt

You might think all I do all day is knit and spin, educate and feed and wipe never-ending detritus up. Not so. I also hand sew a quilt too.

This project is soooo old and I'm not digging the links out to prove it, but I have only a little way to go... so so near.... can I do it before another birthday? I don't know. But I'll give it my best shot.

Pesky Wabbit

I don't expect you to understand. This isn't the work of a sad, lonely lady with nothing to fill her days. And no, it isn't the work of someone who wants/needs a baby girl to make her feel complete. Don't read anything into it at all. I'm just enjoying myself.

With my spare time filling up with ever increasing cerebral tasks, as I spend longer in front of the laptop and phone, I'm finding less time for sit down crafting. This is my life now, and so when I find quick crafting with immense rewards I run with it. Maggie is this. She is my hit-n-run craft between emails and phone calls.

So yes, she has a new jumper, two new quilts (hello) and pillow and now a little sister is being considered... once I've decided on colour combinations.

































It's fine, really. I'm in no need for medication just yet. Just enjoy the show with me.

As They Play

I am still working on this quilt, bit by bit. I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think....

A Quilt in Three Blogs

Last week I eventually got around to doing something about a quilt top that has literally been on my WIP pile for years.

I began this quilt in 2008, and I had the silly idea that it would be done in a month. I know. I laugh too. For a couple weeks it's pretty much all I worked on, and I made quite a bit of headway on it.

And then? And then, it got really boring and I took a little break. And a little break took another little break, they got married and had kids and the break turned into... well, a few years.

So last December I put my foot down and got going to finish the quilt top off. And I did. I finished the top off.

And there it sat. Waiting. For me to get off my lard ass and baste it so that I can hand quilt it. Yep. I am insane.

The idea was that this quilt should 100% hand-stitched, as an heirloom piece (I had no idea that the quilt would take so long that I could pass it onto my own damn grandkids myself). And the hand basting part was putting me off. Partly because there is nowhere in the house to lay a quilt out flat to baste, and partly because I didn't want the hand quilting that came after it.

But one sunny afternoon, and a feeling of immense optimism and without another thought, out came the quilt top, the batting, the backing and a million pins and gizmos and before I knew it the quilt was basted. I have actually started the quilting (I'm taking a little break. I know.) and hopefully this quilt will be finished this year. Insha'allah. I have a little boy who has been waiting a long time for this mama-made.

And once that's done? I have a littler boy waiting for his version too... Lord have mercy...