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Welcome to my world - mostly the fabric world that I escape to whenever I have time. Hope you enjoy it and please feel free to comment.....


Sunday, June 10, 2012

Why I love to quilt...

I am sorry, I don't have any sewing to show you although I had planned to.  My night sort of got hyjacked by a video from Egypt closely followed by Skype conversation with a soldier in Egypt!!!  That left me on such a high and it started me thinking about why I love to quilt ....


Earlier in the year a Blogger friend of mine who lives in my old hometown in America confided to me that she had a few challenges ahead of her that wee not going to be fun.   At the time she said to me "Life certainly throws us curve balls, and this one is no exception. I just keep thinking that life will be back to "normal" in the fall."  I knew right then and there I had to do something for her.  I hate to feel helpless and what I do is make quilts but with my commitment to Aussie Heroes and a few other projects I knew I needed some help.  So I emailed some of my bloggie friends and some of the Gumnuts who I thought might have time and asked everyone to make some fall inspired pinwheels.  I told them the basic details and kept the recipient's identity a secret and hoped they would help me out.  I was not disappointed.  One of my wonderful bloggie friends, Joyce,  who also lives in America, offered to put the quilt together for me to save me from having to ship a completed quilt internationally.  That was just so kind of her.  Gradually all the blocks started to arrive at Joyce's house and when the quilt was finally completed Joyce devoted a whole post to pictures of it here - it is gorgeous!  And finally it was shipped off and arrived with its new owner.


I don't think she will mind if I share part of her thankyou message.



I am speechless. I am so touched, that words can not describe my feelings.  I LOVE my quilt. The colors, the design, the quilting . . . all wonderful.  This quilt will have a special place in my heart, and on my bed! To think that a group of women I have never met could make something so beautiful, just for me, is really quite amazing. This blogging world is so much more than the surfing and pictures and stories involved. The friendships that are made miles and miles away are tributes to the great spirit of quilters!



Then I told you about a very Special Quilt that my friend Louise made for our mutual friend Carina's daughter Georgie.  Georgie was born after Carina's lovely Mother in law passed away.  Unlike her siblings Georgie never received a quilt made by her grandmother.  All the grandmother's materials were given to Louise, who is not really a quilter but a wonderful dress maker.  Out of love, Louise made a quilt for Georgie and then rang me for advice on quilting it - I offered to quilt it for her and ended up binding it as well and then last Friday Louise delivered it to Carina.    The next thing I know there was a teary Carina on the phone to me to thank me for my part in the quilt.  Such a little thing for me to do but so important for Carina, her husband John and one day little Georgie (currently only 4 years old).


These are the sorts of reasons that I love to quilt.  I used to do cross stitch but there is something about being able to wrap yourself up in a quilt that just beats all I think.  If you want to see some more reasons why I quilt just pop over to the Aussie Hero Blog and watch the video we were sent from Egypt tonight.  I had a whole evening of Cherry Red sewing planned for tonight but this has somewhat distracted me!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.


More sewing tomorrow night I hope but it the mean time I am just really happy that around 28 years ago (GASP!!!!) I took a night school course in Patchwork!!!


Till next time.....................happy stitching!

9 comments:

  1. JanMaree, you are truly an angel here on earth. Hugs

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  2. Give unto others and that is what you did. When I am working on a personal quilt I mutter to myself I rather be working on a charity quilt because it is so appreciative. Our church just had an assembly and the program was about the quilts that are made for people all over the world, it touched everyone. That is why we to it.

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  3. i am glad to "know" you , you are a sweetie

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  4. what a special video from the troops!! Very touching...makes every minute worthwhile!

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  5. Wow, I now have chills and a big ol' smile! What a wonderful video! No wonder you didn't get any sewing done after all that excitement! You and your Aussie Heroes quilters are truly an inspiraion! Thanks so much for sharing this!

    LaDonna

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  6. Jan-Maree, you are just so a sweetie to do so much for so many.

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  7. Very touching indeed! You are an angel on earth Jan-Maree! oxox

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  8. Jan-Maree you have touched my heart. What a great post.
    Hugs
    donna

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  9. Finally catching up with your posts and I Amin tears early this morning. I have always loved the look of quilting, but have never learned. Space is now a HuGe restriction and I so wish it wasn't

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