Showing posts with label Quilt Along. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quilt Along. Show all posts

Sunday, June 26, 2022

Checking in

Paul's Covid recovery has been much slower than we'd like. I noticed that the cough syrup was almost gone.

Me: I can fetch you more Nyquil, babe.
Paul: Nah, I'll just use Dayquil if I need.
Me: Oh Ok.
Paul: Or I'll mix the half dose of Nyquil in the Dayquil.
Me: What? You a pharmacist now?
Paul: Pharmacist? No. Bartender.
I burst out laughing.
Paul: It has alcohol.
Me: Yes, it does.

Picnic with Paul

Staying away from restaurants/enclosed spaces, we decided to go on a picnic. It was a beautiful day.

On the quilty front, there is a lot going on. Too much, actually. But I cannot show it till next year :-( UGH.

Just the Binding 




Hope I can complete 40 out of the 80 blocks.

Blocks in Process


Ready to cut!


But they go so fast that I managed to finish all 80. Yippee! 
Here they are on my design wall, very neatly organized. 80 Twisty Blocks of 20 different fabrics, four in each stack. 

Twisties - 20 times 4 = 80

Doing a happy dance now. 

I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar. 

This brings me to the end of quilty discussion today.  This being my personal blog, I will now share my thoughts on matters that concern me.  If you do not agree with my "politics", please stop reading now. 

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This is a distressing time in our country. The monumental decision to overturn the landmark ruling Roe v. Wade is the most controversial in American history. As most of the developed world moves ahead, America is certainly retrograde.

The partisan nature of the decision is particularly distressing. There is no concern for women's health or popular opinion, or any acknowledgement of changing times. When Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973 it was a 7-2 decision, with several Conservative judges siding with the majority opinion. Not today. The decision was split along party lines. Although the conservative justices could have chosen a less extreme version (decide the current case in favor of Mississippi without overturning Roe v. Wade), they chose the one that would be the most devastating and most consequential - destroy the constitutional freedoms women have enjoyed for 49 years.

According to the dissenting justices "young women today will come of age with fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers." Indeed, they said the court's opinion means that "from the very moment of fertilization, a woman has no rights to speak of. A state can force her to bring a pregnancy to term even at the steepest personal and familial costs." "With sorrow — for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection — we dissent," they wrote.

The following image (from the New Yorker magazine) showing the burden of an unwanted pregnancy that many will be forced to carry in a post-Roe America aptly captures what is difficult to put into words.

From the New Yorker Magazine


New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the decision was "a loss for women everywhere". "Watching the removal of a woman's fundamental right to make decisions over their own body is incredibly upsetting," she said in a statement.

It may take another 50 years to restore women's rights, although hundreds of thousands of lives will be adversely impacted in the process. Now, more than ever before, our lives, our liberties and our livelihoods depend on our vote.


Thursday, April 22, 2021

Positivity Plus

April is almost over. Did I forget my RSC blocks? Of course not. Meet my light/bright blues.

Light/Medium Blues

Bright Blues


Sharing with Angela's Linky Party.

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I am happy to share my newest finish with you. I have named it - "The Positivity Quilt"

Strangers in a Park - Happily Helped Me :-)


Blues to Beat the Blues


Green Grass - Bright Red Binding


Positivity means Affirmative Willingness. Yes, it is so AND I am willing to do something about it.

Lately positivity and positivity rates have been associated with Covid-19 infections. The overwhelming feelings of loss, sadness, helplessness and negativity abound. 

Step 1 - I accept those circumstances and acknowledge those feelings.
Step 2 - I am going to do something about them.


Positivity Quilt - 60" by 80"


What is Life without Whimsy?


Love in Low Volume


On location


As a quilter, I quilt my feelings. (Some of us eat our feelings but that is a separate blogpost.)

The Positivity Quilt is headed west to Bernie for the Mercyful Quilts initiative. 


Walking Foot Quilting


Ballerinas in pink :-)


As I buried the knots and trimmed the threads, I pictured a family receiving a Mercyful quilt. To a dying person and their family a quilt is such a small thing and yet it can mean so much. I was then reminded of the card I received from them earlier this year.





Three brain clicks later, I had an idea - a quilt along to make Mercyful quilts. Bernie completely supported my recklessness :-) Rebecca, Alycia, Cathy, Joy, Cynthia, and Vasudha have egged me on. 
Mari and Joe in PA heartily agreed to join in the QAL.

Fueled by all this positivity, I am announcing the Mercyful Positivity Quilt Along!!!


What is a Mercyful Quilt?
The Palliative Care Unit in the Mercy Hospital gives quilts to their terminally ill patients to bring some measure of comfort to the person and their family as they go through the difficult process of dying. The family then keeps the quilt in the memory of the person who passed away. The need for such quilts is never ending. With a raging pandemic and limited family visits, these quilts have become even more meaningful for a sense of home and peace.
  • Suggested size - 60" by 80"
  • Suggested Colors - Gender Neutral colors (avoid/limit pink)
  • Quilting - Avoid dense quilting
  • Fabrics - 100% Cotton (avoid/limit juvenile fabrics) 

What is the purpose of the QAL?
To make Mercyful Quilts because the need is ongoing. If you have wanted to make a Mercyful Quilt but life got in the way, here is an opportunity to participate and stitch some love, along with others. 

The Beginning of Mercyful Quilts Initiative

Thank you from Mercy Hospital

Mercyful Quilts Update

Wrapped with Kindness (may need tissues)

A Note from Mercy Hospital


What does it cost?
There is no cost to participate. The simple block pattern and layout options are provided free of charge. 

How much fabric do I need? 
For a simple Plus Quilt, you will need 16 strips (2.5" by WOF) of focus fabric and about 4 yards of background fabric (I used low volume scraps). 

What is the QAL schedule?
The QAL will begin on Sunday, May 30, 2021 (Memorial Day Weekend) and will end on Sunday, September 5, 2021 (Labor Day Weekend). 

Questions?
Ask away and I will respond in the comments.

In the next couple of weeks, I will be working on the block instructions, layout options and other logistics for the QAL. Bernie and I are also organizing some prizes for the QAL. 


My Favorite Picture - Greasy Hair and Wrinkled Tee notwithstanding :-D

If you are a pattern-designer or a fabric shop and would like to sponsor a prize for the Mercyful Positivity Quilt Along, please reach out to Bernie or me.

I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties, see full list on the sidebar.  If you have a thought about positivity, do share. If you are burdened by negativity, don't hold it in; let it out. We are in this together.