This is What Love Looks Like When Its All Sewn Together

A long, long time ago I convinced a group of my closest friends to undertake a little sewing. And they did, and together we created an amazing baby quilt for the first in our gentle gang to have a baby. We were very proud of ourselves. Then another baby came along and we did it again (Yay for us!!). But, pretty soon more and more babies came along and we got a little behind on our commitment. So, I got a little motivated and sent quilt kits--pre-cut fabric squares with some embellishments and other fun things. And, everyone got excited and organized *crafternoons* and on the same day we all worked on our quilt squares together so-to-speak (evidence below).
And, the quilt squares come trickling in after a bit more fixing and fussing here and there. And, they were LOVELY and incredible and so colorful and full of all the hopes, love, and incredible expectations that we all had for the new babies. Of course, by this time, the babies were growing up...alarmingly fast.

And, those beautiful quilt squares went directly into my plastic to-do case. And, they sat there for a looong time (but those babies kept growing!). Well, I am proud to announce that I finally sat down at the machine a few weeks ago and made THREE, yes I said THREE baby quilts for what are no-longer babies at all but toddlers for sure.

And, truly, truly, truly this is what love looks like when it is all sewn together. It is vivacious and alive with color. It is calm and serene with a slice of whimsy. It is letters and buttons and stars and umbrellas and mermaids and it is as close as you can get to a hug, a squeeze and a kiss when you live hundreds of miles apart.

Thx

Inspired by a friend who went for it and by this blog of the original, I'm giving thanks.

Dear: Farmer's Market--Thanks for giving me fresh raspberries to fill the boy's mouths so that I could take a bite of the world's most delicious cheese and have the time to savour it and purchase more to take home.

Dear: Friend so dear to my heart--Thanks for once saying oh so gently 'turn toward the joy', it really stuck with me and I remember it alot. It helps me shift perspective and step back from the tough stuff and notice the joyful, good stuff. I think about it all the time and it makes me think of you. I could do without the longing for you that also accompanies thinking of you but I understand they are inseparable.
Dear: Other friend so dear to my heart--Thanks for leaving the phone message saying 'you are like a breath of fresh air and I'm so glad I got to breathe you in'. I feel good remembering that message and think about it when I feel stale as day old bread.

Sneak Peek

I've been pretty quiet lately but I have been working on stuff. This is just a sneak peek of some things to come.

Picnic Time

I noticed recently that my wedding gifts tend to be food-centered--table runners, napkins, coasters, etc. I think there is something about new love that is equivalent to indulging in good food. There is certainly alot of romance in good food. Whatever it is, this is the latest addition to my food-centered wedding gift list.


It's a picnic bag with roll-out placemats inside...everything you need for a picnic except the food. I also threw in a neoprene wine bag (though it occurred to me afterwards you could sew in a wine pocket!). As they live in California I hope it gets some use.

I imagine wildy romantic things about newlyweds, actually I do this with most people who don't have children. They must have SO MUCH FUN cooking together--their heads tossing in laughter, soaking up amazing non-toddler music, running carefree through fields to get to the perfect picnic spot on a rock in the middle of the countryside, feeding each other strawberries and wine when things get out of hand...like in the movies. Is that what it is like, I don't remember anymore? Of course, they probably have jobs and bills, too, children didn't invent those things.

The Details

As requested, some details on the baby's baby quilt from my lovely gammas. Ok, all the details that are possible to give. I've been thinking of this as the underwater square, love all the buttons!

The picture doesn't do this one justice. These three little perched birdies on vintage fabric are sumptuous.
This was an 'extra' sewn by my friend's friend, who also pulled the quilt together. (There were seven friends with quilt squares and eight needed to make a rectangular quilt) She apparently grew up in a household with lots of artwork and remembers having a wall quilt with a puffy bit on it so she added a puffy piece (with the D) so my kids could have the same experience...I know. Ahh.
This one is called 'peekaboo' and has little panels that move back and forth. I love thinking about how fun this will be when the baby is old enough to play with it. Love how the balls bounce right out at you.
Don't you love the green on green with this one?! What is hard to see in this one is the delicate hand sewing around each heart. Four hearts for the four members of our family. I'm starting to get choked up over here.
The umbrella. It's for protection she said. *gulp*
And yes, mermaids and fish swim by a sunrise and under the radar of a big wave. It's Heather Ross at her best, I swear. Made, incidentally, by a Heather, go figure.
This one is from the friend that is out everyday fighting for organic, local, and sustainable food both at her local farmer's market and in her entire region. So, a food basket is stunningly appropriate.
And, here they are all coming together in one amazing quilt. It celebrates my son's new little life and mine as well, as a mother of two boys. I am so inspired by the creative and unique ways that others view fabric. None of these women would say "I'm a sewer" and I think that is part of why this quilt is so incredible. It's just a gut level reaction to beautiful fabric with heart leading the way toward beauty. Thank you ladies. I am now officially all mushy inside.

Group Projects

The title of this post would be more sentimental if I weren't already on the edge of emotional overload. Had an exceptional weekend this last one. Took a solo trip to Michigan for a friend's wedding, my first solo trip since becoming a parent. And, it wasn't just a friend's wedding it was one of my dear gamma girls' wedding. Gamma being the pretend sorority that formed around like-minded, strong-willed women friends from college. Nothing against real sororities, we just happen to be a fake one. We've a love for each other that spans breakdowns and loose ends, life shattering events and life affirming ones.

And, gammas are pretty big on group projects and rituals, I must say. This being our latest, the collective cookbook. We all pulled together great recipes, decorated the 'snot' out of them (as has been said), slipped them into plastic sleeves and into a three-ring binder that I then created a fabric cover for. We also tucked in some extra sleeves so it can grow as her life as a married woman grows.
(Yes, I stole the decoration from the Joy of Cooking. I used freezer paper for the writing.
And, this apron was thrown in to boot. EVERYONE, except me, immediately saw the vintage apron and went in a naughty direction. (Not sure what that says about me.)) The gifts were given in moments stolen from the wedding reception. And with hands held in a circle we also bestowed wedding blessings. In full, a recipe for soulful living.
And, not just that! I was surprised to find that there was a gift awaiting me! The quilt kits that I sent out had been oh-so-creatively used to perfection. The resulting 8 quilt squares made up a vibrant and positively artistic baby quilt for my youngest son. This pictures doesn't do it justice whatsoever. But, there are birds and peekaboos and umbrellas and puffy letters and sunrises and hearts and as much loving as a sewing machine can stitch up.

A Heart Swoons in a Crafternoon

My most lovely and amazing friends, of the famed fake sorority The Gammas, through an unbelievable feat of technology (skype and cell phones, etc.), took the quilt kits I had sent them and held one simultaneous Crafternoon. It spanned from San Diego to various points in Oregon all the way to Wisconsin! I have to confess I had no hand in organizing this event and its occurence truly makes my heart swoon.

Now this is, no doubt, a beautifully creative group of women---creative with witty, whipping words, with boundary-leaping intelligence to tie you in knots, with universe-wide ideas that leave you spinning and so much more. They write books, television shows, heal the planet, change minds, write music, and read like there is no tomorrow. But, they don't really sew. So, it was with tears in my eyes that I heard of THREE (Yes, THREE!) sewing machines that were dusted off and USED. Why did this incredible event take place? Well, for the babies of course. All this effort will mean lots and lots of quilt squares that will become baby quilts for four new(ish) babies joining the world. Little bundles of warmth and love for the littlest bundles.

This little crafter was one of the first recipients of a quilt herself, and here she is old enough to explore the world of buttons. I have to admit that when I focused on making the quilt kits, I was a bit nervous. Ooh, will they like this fabric? Is this enough to complete a quilt square? I don't want them to have to go the fabric store, that is so annoying. Do I have enough variety? And on an on. In the end, it seems everyone liked their fabric and found inspiration within their packages and with all the things they already had at home. I've even received some completed squares already!

Ever since we started making these quilt squares I've been so impressed with how eagerly everyone jumps in! I mean I would be frozen stiff if one of them said, "Hey, write a book/song/play/legal brief/video game/children's story and send it to me in three weeks." No way.

So, thanks Gammas. You make a crafty Mama happy.

In other tigerlily news, Emily over at The Handmade Experiment include me(!) in her Must See Monday feature this week. I know, how nice. Do check out her blog, she is on a quest to handmake all her gifts this year and is amassing great tips and projects as she goes.

Crafternooning Time

Finally, the quilt kits have all been sent to my fake sorority sisters, the gammas. It truly did take me forever, which is why I say this with a bit of humility...TIME TO GET CRAFTING LADIES!! Oh yes, you know how it goes...13 X 13 inch fabric squares with an 1/2 inch on all sides that will be sewn into the quilt so don't decorate right to the edge. Send me pictures of all crafternooning (thank you Drea for my favorite new term). All quilts intended for J, H, and K are sent to me and you all have to designate someone to receive those meant for me. And, drumroll....they are due by August 21st because that is my birthday and I think it will be really fun to get them then, like a brilliant birthday gift. And, it's not too close to R's wedding and gives me a bit of time before I head back to work. But mostly, and I say this as a mother, because I said so.