Give It Away! #SayWhat!

I am participating in an On-line Bible Study and it has been quite interesting. We are using a book, What Happens When Women Say Yes! by Lysa TerKeurst. This week's lesson talked about Radical Obedience. Listening to the voice of God and actually doing it! No matter how crazy it might seem.

This morning I was headed to my sewing room with the intention of working a couple different layouts for my Pieces of My Heart block that will be included in the Quiltmaker 100 Blocks issue coming out in November. 

Or, I thought, I could make a couple more items for the upcoming Farmer's Market and using the ideas I came up with that I feel would be good "sellers". 

As I started pulling fabric for the projects my mind immediately switched to a different mode when I saw the large bag of fleece that was in my closet that I got from my cousin when she cleaned out some of her dad's stuff. (Yes, her dad quilts, or used to before his health declined.) 

These were not just scraps of fleece, but 1 yard cuts of fleece... large enough to make some blankets. Not the typical project that I usually do, but I thought they would make some nice baby blankets. That's when I thought "I could make them and give them away!" "Say What?!?" As I argued briefly with my myself, I thought, "I sew/quilt items to sell and to help supplement our income." Okay, well, maybe also to support my "problem" - my love of fabric and sewing. But I do sell enough stuff to actually help us afford some of the "extras" in life.  

So, I posted on fb to my friends what I was doing. I quickly had a few requests. Now I need to see how many blankets I can actually get out of the fleece... As silly as it may seem, I believe that by my listening to and following through with the simple idea of giving the fleece blankets away I am actually being radically obedient. 

Want one? Let me know. If I have any left, you are welcome to one.  

#1,2&4 have been claimed... the other three need love too. No strings attached... free! Just give me an address to send then to.

My motto is Blessed from Above, Made with love. Exactly what these blankets will be - Blessed. Blessed because of a lesson in radical obedience. 

... Every Story Can Have a Quilt!

Every Quilt has a story... and Every Story can have a quilt.

Every quilt does have a story... who made it, who it was made for, the occasion, when it was made, etc.

But every story can have a quilt as well! Take for example, Tori. A young gal that just graduated from HS and is beginning College. Her teen years are being compiled into a quilt. As I look at the blocks from her collection of T-shirts on my design wall I know that she was a dancer, participated in lots of drama and youth activities.

Or... one of my favorite children's stories is The Tale of Three Trees, a traditional folktale.  Three trees have hopes and dreams and plans for their own lives.  The moral of the story is that God has a plan for you... If you trust in Him, He will give you great gifts.  Not to give the story away, but each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. 

So, what story would you like to have made into a quilt?  A favorite book? Or you own story of vacation destinations, marathon/running "career", or a past career/job?  Let me know. I am always up to a challenge and/or new ideas.



Every Quilt Has A Story...

Every quilt has a story... 

Since I had posted about the history of quilt blocks and the stories behind them, I thought about many of the quilts that I have made and the stories and inspiration behind them. 

A few I have blogged about, such as Green Pastures and An Oasis in the Desert.  I have lots of others that I haven't told the stories about, like my "Gettysburg trip remembrance quilt,"

and my virtual vacation quilt "Hawaiian Trip"

But I wonder about the story behind some of the old quilts that I have acquired... like the one from my Mother-in-law.  It was nothing fancy, well worn and somewhat tattrered.  I remember when we were cleaning out her place 18 years ago, getting it ready to sell.  One of the sisters said "What about this? It can't be just thrown out out given to some second-hand store."  None of the kids really knew the story of it, but it really did just look like a comfortable blanket that seemed to invite someone needing comfort and warmth.  I took that quilt.  And then one day I found a pattern for the perfect project to repurpose that quilt that still had so much love to give.

Then I found a quilt that my Grandma had.  Her favorite color was yellow and Grandpa's was green. I am sure that is why she had it.  I know that she did not make it herself but I wonder about the story behind it as well.  (Was it a gift from one of her friends?  Who made it?) It too was tattered and worn, but I knew that it still had so much love to give.  The pillows are quite comfortable and look great in our basement sitting room! 

By taking a special keepsake that may have outlived its original purpose, but was just too special to toss I was able to bless several family members with small gifts that serve as a reminder of a loved one.  Blessed from above, made with love... and the story of a loved one gone from this earth can be carried on for another generation.   

Do you have a special keepsake that could be transformed and made new?  I would be more than happy to help!