A Softer Side

This year I've resigned myself to slowing down.  Less selling, less focus on making money, more focusing on home.  

This year, it's softer designs.  Hand quilting, fabric coverings, soft chairs, comforts.  I've been working on a "quilt as you go" styled string quilt for Jess (20), made from strips I cut years ago and put in a bin for "someday".  Someday arrived in seeing the tatters of Jess's quilt I made for her nearly 10 years ago.  The binding is torn and worn, fabric strips have torn from the seams and faded with lots of use.  It is good to know she had lots of use of it through the years.  And it's good to know I have more than enough fabric to replace with a new quilt for her room.  

Another project I've been working on is a restoration quilt, made 30 years ago by my aunt for her granddaughter's wedding.  To me this is a work of love, and I've taken a lot of time to make sure it's put back together as close to original as I can get and keep the integrity of it.  It's a 6 pointed star, in pretty blue and brick red calicos that dates to the 80's or early 90's.  Bits of eyelet and muslin also adorn the blocks.  I've take the entire quilt apart, backing and batting included, and been working on each of the 63 individual blocks.  Some had rips and tears, fraying, stains, etc, that needed minor repairs.  These I've done by hand.  Then I've backed these with a light weight interfacing, to secure the seams and give a foundation to the fabric.  I've started hand quilting each block one at a time, with the goal of putting it back together as a "quilt as you go", which will change the size just a tad, but easier for me to work on by hand.  I was a teenager at the wedding this quilt was created for, and the aunt was my favorite one.  She passed away some years ago, she meant a lot to me and showed me what a homemaker was like.  Her daughter was like an adoptive mother to me, and she passed away several years ago as well.  The granddaughter, she led me to the Lord in July of 2003.  This is something I'm glad to be a part of, and hope that my work helps keep the quilt going for another 30+ years, through granddaughter's own grand and great-grand children.  

One quilt I've been working on has been in progress for 10 years.  I started it in September of 2013, as a way to help with anxiety and stress during a very low point in our family life.  It is made of tiny hexagons, with fabrics from my late parents' clothing, my wedding dress and mom's dress skirts backing it, stepdaughter's outgrown little girl clothes mixed in, and pieces from other projects in there.  It's definitely a work of love and memories.  It's in the quilting stage with straight line quilting 1/2" apart to reinforce the many many many seams.  It's a bit tough on the fingers going through all those seams that have varying thicknesses, but the effect is one that makes it look like it's vintage made already before it's ever been washed.  My very first quilt block is in this quilt.  Since I made thousands upon thousands of these hexagons, I have more than enough for another quilt or two.  This quilt has been in several doctors' offices, hospitals, sat through several ballgames at home and in person, and has even been to the lake camping.  Today it sits in the living room near my chair awaiting more quilting as time allows. 

In the coming year I want to get these finished and create pillows and other things for the house, that are soft and comforting.  I definitely have the fabric, just need more time!  

What kind of hobbies do you enjoy?  If you enjoy quilting like I do, what is your favorite pattern?  I'd love to hear from you!!

You have a wonderful day, I'll be praying for you!