Happiness is...

"Happiness lies in our own backyard, but it's probably well hidden by crabgrass."    Dell

I had to laugh when I read that today...I was looking out at the back yard, a mess of weeds, after weeks of rain.  And I knew that I should really have been out there, weeding and mowing.  But there is a baby quilt I want to get finished!  And that's really pure happiness.  And it's kind of for my own back yard.

Just finishing the hand quilted hearts in the plain blocks, then will have to get the binding on, a quick wash and it's done.  Hopefully by the end of tomorrow morning.  I found the fabric at the Quilters Store last week, I think they're such cheerful fabrics. The big blobby one is a Robert Kaufman 'Celebrate Seuss', the smaller one in the nine patches is called Luna by Gail Fo...rest is cut off!, and the multi is an Andover fabric that I can't see the rest of the name of.  There is a rather nice freehand check in the border - a Lucy Cousins for Andover fabric, covered up though by the Solufleece that's still on it, where I drew the 'egg & dart' quilting pattern.  I saw these happy fabrics and had to have them for just this purpose.... a very quick quilt to say how happy I am about the new baby that's coming. Full of machine quilting mistakes as it's months and months since I've done any, (and I wasn't that great to start with!), to give to my son and his partner for their baby due in December.  Not the quilt that will be the 'special' quilt, I have a lot of applique to get done for that one, but a quick quilt for the floor, the car, for throwing up on, etc!  A little happy quilt to be used.  I've also been making hand bound white flannelette bunny rugs, and white muslin wrappers too.  Much better to do than weeding the crabgrass out of the lawn in the backyard.  :-)

Serenity

"What if happiness were found in the serenity of simple pleasures?"
                                                                                                                - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

And how much more simple a pleasure can hand applique be?  Or a cup of coffee with a friend?  Or the time to sit and read a book?

This week sees the completion of the 85th small basket block - nearly halfway to the 198 I need to get finished.  And sitting hand sewing is such a lovely way to 'do nothing'.   This is the photo from the end of May, but my phone battery is dead and still charging.  21 June 2012

Update: 5 July 
I've now finished just over 100...slowly getting there!

Waiting

Wait for your result..

It is for us to make the effort.
The result is always in God's hands.                               - Mahatma Gandhi

I love this quote that I found today.  It is a sort of confirmation of what I have experienced this past six-plus months.  I have finally finished a quilt top that I was asked to make.  It has been a real  hardship to make, and I am still trying to work out why it was such a hard quilt top to make. I certainly had to  make an effort.  Nothing in this quilt top went together easily.  But after all the effort, it's finished, and I hope Jenny didn't mind the very long wait.  I don't have a picture of it finished, but of it spread out waiting for the final sewing up. So, it's not a Work in Progress, which is what WOW is supposed to be for, but I really felt it was an appropriate one for the day, as it has been a WIP for such a long time!  It was started on a Bernina 440QE, but half the small 4 1/2 square in a square blocks were finished on a Singer Featherweight, and they were far more easily pieced accurately on this lovely little machine.  I ended up piecing them all together for the centre square of the quilt by tacking them all by hand.  Otherwise I just couldn't get the seams to match up.  Then piecing the larger blocks to this I had to tack them by  hand again.  And I pulled out so many of the blocks that ended up not square or inaccurate.  I am so happy to have finally finished this quilt!! The final result will rest with the person Jenny is getting to do the quilting of course...and hopefully God will help make it perfect!