Quilting in the family

Quilting is something that has always been in my family. Growing up I remember visiting my grandma and seeing her sitting at her large quilting frame, hand quilting and watching soaps. She seemed to always be crafting when we visited her - either crocheting or embroidering or sewing. We could see her projects tucked in all corners of the room, and we each had blankets all our own! As she grew older she started divvying up her stash of treasures at family Christmas parties. And for each of our weddings we received a special blanket from her.

Many years ago I made my first quilt which I designed myself. It was a quilt for my parents with the image of a deer with a sunset behind it. It's an image my dad created for their subdivision - a rural development of just seven houses in the middle of a forest of trees. The area is beautiful! But I remember wanting to make this quilt for them as a gift. My grandma helped teach me to layout, hand baste and then hand quilt my creation. It was a really special time getting to share with her one of her greatest passions. I could finally see the time and love she put into each quilt and it was so nice to let her teach me some of her wisdom.

 




Since then I've come back to quilting now and again, but have never really prioritized it in my life.

Until now.

I realize that crafting and sewing is part of what makes me happy. It keeps me grounded and gives me a purpose outside of parenting and homemaking. Being a stay at home mom is an incredible privilege and one I treasure more and more each day - especially as the time for our youngest to enter preschool is knocking on my door! There have been times when the chaos and redundancy of this vocation can wear you down - and even more so I've found if I do not have balance in my life. And I'm finding that in creating my balance or harmony :) by making time for crafting really does make me a better mom and wife.

The last few years I've had a chance to quilt with my cousins and sisters for a weekend retreat - which we've named our own "Quilt-a-palooza" It's such an amazing time - sewing, laughing, binge watching Hallmark movies (I've decided I'm not cut out for the drama of Lifetime movies - much to their dismay! LOL) These weekends always remind me what I love about sewing. Being able to create something beautiful out of simple fabric. I love the camaraderie and stories we have to share, and the encouragement (and razzing!) and also advice we give each other. It's amazing!

Sewing is a part of me. I am hoping with the help of this blog I will not only be able to share with you my projects, but that by having this blog I WILL find more of a place for sewing in my life. I plan to use this as a place to keep track of my progress and in a sense make me accountable to the crafting side of my life :)

Thank you for sharing in my journey!

New Beginnings...

I love spring. I always think of spring as a time for new beginnings. It's a chance to start afresh with our garden, and maybe this year I'll be better at watering and weeding as the summer goes on - and we might actually have an abundant harvest! It's also the time I'm typically most motivated to clean and organize our house. With six people bringing things into this house, and mainly one purging stuff out - we collect a lot of junk! This "junk" can become overwhelming. Spring too is the time we all become excited about the possibilities of outdoor activities with sports starting and the sun calling us out of doors.

With all of these new beginnings I'm finally taking the leap to begin this new endeavor of blogging. It's amazing how easily our every day lives can become the excuse to not try something new. This has been the case for me the last several years. Raising babies, attempting to organize our house, volunteering, whatever the case may be I've let these things keep me from sharing my passions for crafting and sewing on a blog. 

But today I'm starting my blog! Hurray!!! Wish me luck, I can't wait to start sharing with you!