PINK AND BROWN SWAP BLOCKS

Two more blocks are here, J-6, Puss in the Corner, and K-1, Road to Oklahoma.

PINK AND BROWN SWAP

Churn dash in pink/brown and brown/pink are one of the 5 sets of blocks I made for the pink/brown swap on SBS. I love this block. I think it is the second block I learned to make back in the 1970's. It is so simple and so traditional. Love the clean lines.

WOB, RACHEL, DOUBLE CROSS BLOCK

We studied Rachel last week, in my Women of the Bible on-line study. In my block I used the darker blue to represent Jacob's sons. The deep rose represents Rachel and Leah, the struggling sisters. I used the light blue to symbolize the sky, after thinking about the question, what would it be like to go into labor while traveling, especially in those times.

I wonder if women of that time had so very little power that they resorted to trickery to have some small control of their own lives. Then again, the men used trickery too. There's so much deception in this story!

EVERYWHERE A CLUCK, CLUCK!

My mailbox was clucking yesterday! The FatCat's Chicken Swap blocks arrived home to roost. Aren't they wonderful?!?

SIGGY FROM ITALY

This wonderful siggy arrived today from Laura in Italy. That tiny sailboat block is only 1 1/2" square! My goodness! The entire siggy is just 4 1/2" square. What wonderful work!

SIGGY BLOCK

This adorable Sunbonnet Sue siggy came to my house two days after I broke my shoulder. I am finally able to make one to reciprocate to Mary. Usually I keep a few made up ahead, but wouldn't you know, I had used them up just before my trip and fall!

MEMORIAL DAY

I made this block this weekend. It is going into a group comfort quilt project for a mom whose son died in Afghanistan, fighting for our freedom. It feels like such a small contribution to make.

WOB, REBEKAH, WELCOMING HAND BLOCK

This week, in my on-line bible study, we are studying Rebekah. As a young maiden, she said just the right words at the well, so that she would be identified as the appropriate wife for Isaac. For my Welcoming Hand block I chose to use deep blue to represent the water in the well. The tan is for the camels, so many in number, which she offered to water. The green represents the jealousy and rivalry between her sons, Jacob and Esau, as in 'green with envy'. I think sibling rivalry is a normal emotion. However, for the parents to get involved and play favorites, is a whole other issue. Meddling and trying to take matters into one's own hands seems to be a common theme for these Old Testament women, and perhaps for many women of today also. It can be hard to be still and let God's will play out. I also like the way the cross emerges in this block.

DJSP MAY GIFT

My Dear Jane Secret Pal gift arrived this week. She sent me a kit to make a sunflower table runner. Love the fabrics and the pattern! I also received really cute tiny notecards and a wooden hand presser.

It was a real pick-me-up in a dark, rainy week in Central Florida! She really brightened my day.

WOB, LOT'S WIFE, CROSSROADS BLOCK

This week in my on-line study of Women of the Bible, we are studying Lot's Wife. For many this is a familiar story of the woman who was turned to salt, because she looked back. Seems like a huge punishment for a quick glance, doesn't it?

What I am taking away from this study of Lot's Wife is that she was pretty attached to her life. I think her looking back literally would be a natural thing to do. But when it says 'looked back' does it mean perhaps that she longed for the lifestyle she was leaving behind and couldn't let go of? Was it more than a curious glance? I think so. I think she was reluctant to leave her old, comfortable, sinful ways.

I do think when you live with sinful ways around you, they grow on you and you become tolerant of them, and sometimes absorb those views as your own. In our current society tolerance is so often preached. It would be so easy to lose site of your own values under the guise of being tolerant of others, and then having that rub off on you as normal. I think that is one of the greatest dangers our society faces at this time. It is so important to take a stand for values you believe in. It is possible to love the sinner but hate the sin. We don't need to accept the sin as normal, all in the name of tolerance.

From my journal, when I made my block last year:

In pondering the quilt block for Lot's wife, I have several thoughts. What would Sodom look like with burning sulfur raining down? Would it be red and blinding? Would it be white and gray ash, reminiscent of pictures of the towers on 9/11? In the end I decided to make the 'stripes' of increasing urgency to look back dark. Dark represent evil to me. It represents the evils of Sodom that Lot's wife was so reluctant to let go of. I'm combining that with blue, the light. That's a color I associate with heaven.

WOB, HAGAR, WANDERING FOOT BLOCK

This week we are studying Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian slave. This is from my journal:

I used a mottled tan for the background of my Hagar block to represent the desert. Hagar must have been very frightened being alone with Ishmael wandering in the desert, after being cast out by Abraham and Sarah. I have desert camped with full provisions, and with loved ones and friends with me. Still the desert is so vast, so forboding. You'd better have what you need with you, or hope one of the other families has it to survive.

The green is for the occasional scrubby brush or bush in the desert, which is where Hagar put her son down, when they could not go on any longer.

The blue in the center is the life-giving well that Hagar saw when she opened her eyes. Even in the desert there's water.

I used vibrant rose also. Although Hagar was a foreigner, a slave, a woman, a nobody, she was SEEN by God. He saw her struggles. He was there for her. He provided. Not only collectively seen, as in God sees His people, but Hagar, herself, individually was seen. When you look at my block, the first thing you notice is the vibrant rose. It represents that God sees us on an individual personal level.

I think all woman can relate to Hagar at some point in their life. We all feel isolated and alone occasionally.

INKLINGO GIVE AWAY

There's a fun give away going on at Linda Franz' Inklingo blog. Click on the title to this post to check it out. Have fun!

WOB, SARAH'S CHOICE BLOCK

This week we studied Sarah. This is a quote from my journal.

"I chose three fabrics that each have lines to their patterns for Sarah for two reasons.

"First is all that moving with Abraham. We have lived many places, but never in a house longer than now, and that is just not quite 6 years yet. Move, move, move. I get it. Some of the lines are straight, some are curvy, but they all just keep going and going. Also, we moved to Saudi Arabia for my husband's job in 1981 and stayed 13 years! That was a culture shock move. I get it.

"Second, the lines literally are there to represent the lineage of the nation started by Sarah and Abraham. Some lines are straight, representing their blood descendants. Some are curvy, representing all the others in their flock.

"The colors are bright and radiant, representing Sarah's great beauty.

"The block isn't perfect, and that is just perfect with me. In hindsight (of course I aimed for a perfect block), the block's imperfections represent that Sarah wasn't perfect either, and neither are we. God loves us and still finds a useful place for us anyway, just as the square will find a place in my WOB quilt."

I love this on-line bible study. If you are interested in joining us (no affiliation), go to my first post on this topic, Eve, and click on the title or see the URL at the end of the post.

H2H SWAP

38 heart blocks arrived from the DJ Alternate group Heart To Heart Swap. They aren't trimmed yet, and many have their maker's tagss tacked on the front, but you get the idea. They will be joining my earlier heart blocks in a quilt top, when I'm able.

APPLIQUE CAFE SECRET SISTER GIFT

In order to get to know each other better, my Applique Cafe group decided to hold a secret sister swap. Pictured is my gift from Sally, which consists of this lovely panel, six fat quarters, milliner large eye needles, and a homemade flower petal tower pin cushion. Not only was it fun, both to give and receive, but we really are getting to know one another better.

WOMEN OF THE BIBLE BLOCKS, GARDEN OF EDEN, EVE

Last year I started the Women of the Bible, on-line bible study and quilt block project with Carol Honderich. Each week we study a different woman from the bible and make a quilt block to represent her. I got part way through, and life interrupted. This past week it just started up again, with Eve, so I've embarked on my second journey through this project. I have the first blocks already made from last year, which is super, because I can't do patchwork just now, until my shoulder mends more.



I chose red for the center of my Garden of Eden block, as for me it represents the strong emotions of childbirth, and Eve being the mother of all humankind. Red also stands for the forbidden fruit. The greens are for the lush foliage in the garden, and yellow represents the light of God shining through. This study has put a new light on Eve for me. I always thought of her as the one who caved in and ate the forbidden fruit. But especially the book "The Lost Women of the Bible" has put a whole new perspective on Eve, and what she must have been going through. She was indeed a strong woman. Our on-line discussion this week has been lively. Even going through the study a second time, there are so many ways to look at things.

This on-line bible study can be found at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WomenoftheBibleQuilt/

or click on the title of this post.

THE LOST QUILTER

I've had plenty of reading time while my arm heals. My favorite author's newest novel just came out this month. It is a page turner, and in my favorite genre, historic fiction.

This book is about Joanna, and what happened to her following her brief stay at Elm Creek, which at that time was a station on the Underground Railroad.

This novel is about the best and worst of human nature. It is a tribute to the human spirit, even in the bleakest of times in history.

I highly recommend it.

HEARTS ARRIVE

My hearts have arrived from the Friendship Block Swap group. I received 10 hearts in the swap from this small group. I love them all.

The DJ Alternate group also had a heart swap with identical rules (block size, color, etc.). My 38 blocks from that swap are in the mail back to me now.

I plan to use all of them in a D9P quilt, with the hearts for the 4 uncut corners. I got the idea from a blog while blog hopping. I have the fabrics all together. Just will wait for my arm to mend so I can rotary cut again.

DJSP GIFT

My secret pal from Dear Jane sent me a quilter's sayings panel this month. I think it would make a really nice tote bag. I plan to cut it apart and alternate the sayings with black and red prints.




She also sent this gift card with the tiny 9-patch and bitty clothes pins. Isn't it cute?

NEW SYLVIA'S BRIDAL SAMPLER BOOK

I had pre-ordered the new SBS book from Amazon, and was thrilled when it arrived. Although I already had the patterns downloaded from when they were available on-line, the book is wonderful. I love the photos of finished quilts, especially those made by quilters I know. Also several of my on-line groups are mentioned. Jennifer Chiaverini really knows how to connect with her readers.

HAPPY EASTER

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL MY PEEPS!

EASTER 'BASKET'

I was so fortunate to receive this Easter 'Basket' from Susan in our swap. I love the little batik purse she made for me. It has neat slots inside for id, credit cards, etc. She also included other small gifties -- decorative tin of pins, scissor leash, stickers, little bunny. Lucky me! This was a very fun Easter swap. Hop, hop...........

MENDING

I'm on the mend this month from breaking my not so humorous humerus! Mending is never fun, but this.................

they can't cast this break (it's way high, just below the ball of this bone), so after a week in just a sling, my brace arrived and is now safely on. it does feel much more secure this way. i guess this will be my fashion statement for about the next 4 weeks. i think i need a large 'i'd rather be quilting' pin for it, don't you?

EASTER SWAP

This is the swap basket I sent for my small group Easter swap. It is a crocheted basket made from fabric strips. I included a 'chocolate' bunny, and a couple sewing notions. I love these little swaps. It makes the holidays so special.

OUCH!

Last Thursday evening, I tripped on a carpet, fell on tile, and broke my not so humerous humerus bone! I'm at the painful beginning of a several month recovery.

My FL grands brought over cards. Bri, 9, made the pop-out puppy kisses, Ali, 6, drew her signature rainbows, Devon,3, did a handprint, as did Cori, 11 months. These wonderful get well cards from my grandchildren have warmed my heart.