Blessed from above, Made with love

I began quilting about 10 years ago.  I had always heard my Mom tell stories about her grandmother quilting and how she, as a young girl, would be allowed to join in and help the ladies from the Christian Church during the quilting "bees".  She always includes the story of how one time she left her grandmother's to go home.  She had forgotten something and returned and discovered her grandma was removing quilting stitches from the area that she had been working on. 

Quilting just interested me, and I think, is really just part of my DNA.  I learned to sew at about age seven in 4-H.  I made clothes. I made curtains.  I made pillows. I made repairs.  I made alterations.  While my sewing skills were advanced, I needed quite a bit of help with quilting. 

As my quilting skills improved with the help of quilting books and television shows, I learned that a quilt is never complete without a label.  The label should contain important information such as:

Name of the Quilt,

Maker of the Quilt,

and date.

It was on my first label that I started using the phrase "Blessed from above, Made with love".  From there I will usually list the recipient's name, occassion and date. 

But the thing that I want all people who receive or buy one of my quilts is that each stitch is made with not only love, but with prayer.  "I remember you in my prayers night and day (and with every stitch)" ~ 2 Timothy 1:3.  On fb I often refer to my sewing room as my happy place.  Or I refer to my time in my sewing room as "therapy".  I do love my sewing room!  It is a place that I can spend time in prayer and meditation as I make quilted items that can be a blessing to others. 

Aspen Leaves are falling...

Aspen leaves are falling... well, not really.  It is February and the Aspen trees are naked!  But in my sewing room the aspen leaves that I designed on paper were falling and failing!  It really is much easier to draw something out and make it look right that to re-create it with fabric pieces and strips and templates. 

My THIRD attempt, which was the best is still pretty pathetic.  As you can see, I even drew the leaf veins on it trying to make it look better.  Still unacceptable... I searched for a leaf pattern on-line and found a paper pieced pattern already existed.  These look much better - two down and 14 to go.  I know what I will be working on for the week ;)

The Invitation

So... In January I had contacted Quiltmaker Magazine regarding submission guidelines for their 100 Blocks publication.  After learning that it was by invitation only and for professional quilters only, I figured I didn't stand a chance at ever being able to submit an original 12" block pattern.

Just this week I received an invitation!  Quite a compliment, I thought.  I knew exactly which block I would submit - my Pumpkin Patch, log cabin style block.

I made the block, per instructions, signed it and then moved on to the paperwork... I felt completely defeated when I looked at it and realized that I would have to leave most of it blank. :(  I do not have a pattern company or a fabric line, have not been published and do not own my own shop.  I didn't give up.  I simply filled in N/A on most of the lines figuring "Well, you have to start somewhere!"

I then made another block - this one a pieced heart.

I sent them off to the editor yesterday.  I now wait.  According to the information I should hear within two weeks of the deadline (March 1) as to whether or not the blocks are to be included in the Fall 2013 publication.

In the mean time, I will work on the Bears in the Woods quilt that I have been commissioned to make as a wedding gift.  Twelve Log Cabin blocks and 16 pine trees done.  On to the "Aspen Leaves" blocks that I drew up.  Once I figure it out and perfect it, maybe, just maybe, I will have another block to submit to Quiltmaker Magazine.