Hunter, Archer, Angler and Trooper

Krishna Janmashtami is Lord Krishna's birthday and is a significant festival for the Hindus.
How significant, you may ask?
It is a bank holiday, making it official that it is a day of feasting, temple visits and celebration.
My father was just 53 years old when he passed away. It was the day of Krishna Janmashtami.
For my family, the festival is no longer associated with Lord Krishna. It will always be dad's death anniversary.

A new quilt

Today is February 14 and most of us celebrate it as Valentine's Day but for the families who lost a loved one last year on this day, I believe that it will forever be a day of loss.

Binding in process

Losing a loved one on Valentine's Day must be especially difficult.
Of all the loves in our lives, our love for our children must be the strongest, purest and most selfless.
So the loss of a child must also be the most gut-wrenching of all losses. We love them even before we see them and keep loving them forever.

These muddled thoughts about love, loss and kids swirled in my brain - over and over again. 
So I did what we quilters do - turn to fabric for comfort and meaning. I made baby quilts.

This Lily and Loom charm pack had a campsite, outdoorsy theme with blues, greens and grays. 

Bear Mountain from Lily and Loom

I used fabric from my stash to cut additional 30 squares so that I had enough to make two quilts - each with a distinct personality. The greens went to Hunter and the blues went to Angler.

Here is Hunter.

Hunter - 31" by 31"

Hunter - Added squares from stash

 

Hunter - Dog in a Truck backing

Hunter - Green Pieced Binding

Meet Angler.

Angler - 31" by 31"

Angler - Getting Closer

Angler - Snow covered peaks

Angler - See the binding sliver?

Angler - Backing (same as Hunter's)

Angler - Light Blue Pieced Binding

The other Lily and Loom charm pack had an outer space theme with blues, grays, orange and yellow. 

Space Camp from Lily and Loom

Once again, I split the charm pack into two to make sure that the two quilts looked distinct from each other and added coordinating fabric from my stash to make sure I had 36 squares for each quilt.

Meet Trooper.

Trooper - 31" by 31"

Trooper - Astronaut

Trooper - Added Squares from Stash

Trooper - Pieced Backing

Trooper - Baby Elephant rules

Trooper - Bright Blue Binding

And here is Archer - she is my favorite.

Archer - 31" by 31"

Archer - Quilting Detail

Archer - Stash Squares

Archer - Wavy Stripes Backing

Archer - Bright Blue Binding

Archer - Completed

These four quilts were made for the Stillborn Bereavement Group. Instead of using my professional looking label, I chose a hand-written label sewn by hand. I believe that this deliberate act allows me to dwell upon each life lost as I pull the needle trying my best to conceal the threads.

Hunter - Label

Angler - Label

Trooper - Label

Archer - Label 

Today, as you hug those you love, send a kind thought to those who have lost a child, be it to stillbirth, gun violence, or just plain estrangement.

I will send these quilts to Sue in New York.
Thank you, Sue, for coordinating this effort.

I will be linking with all my favorite linky parties. As usual, a word from you is a world to me.

KISSED!!!

Do you remember your first kiss?  I can close my eyes and not just picture it, I can relive it.
The moment when every fiber of my being was fully focused on the kiss. That was a lifetime ago.

Completed KISS

The KISS (Keep it Simply Strippy) Quilt that started two years ago is finally complete. I know I should have waited till Valentine's Day to share it...but I could not keep my lips compressed any longer :-D

Vibrant Kaffe Fassett

The pattern uses 6" strips

Alphabet Soup BAcking

This simple pattern became popular, in part, due to the Craftsy Blog Hop. Kat Scribner of Scrapbox Quilts also played a part in directing readers to the tutorial, every single time she made a quilt/flimsy with this pattern.

Labelled

I chose a black border and black binding.  Sewing the black binding using back thread really did a number only eyes. I need to get them tested. Maybe I am getting old.

Black Binding+Black Thread

The finished quilt measures 43" by 52". Now that it is finished. I am relieved.

Finished

Kid Appropriate

KISS!!!

It was time to celebrate my first finish of the year.

And celebrate I did with a piece of good news.
The quilt I made for Paul - Paulitiks - was featured in Top 100 Projects on Fave Quilts website.

Paul with his quilt - Paulitiks

And I am on Cloud Nine that Sew Preeti Quilts also made it to the Top 25 Blogs.

I feel giddy, maybe like the newbie actress who is nominated to the Golden Globes along with the likes of Judi Dench and Meryl Streep.



While I could lovingly linger over the KISS, there is another project that I must pursue passionately. It is a quilt for the victims of the Thomas Fire in California. Here is a sneak peek.

Perkiomen Valley Block

The block was designed by Scott Griffin of Ventura Modern Quilt Guild to make as relief quilts for the Thomas Fire Victims.  I have made 27 so far. 15 to go.

Design Wall

42 blocks will be arranged 6 by 7 to make a quilt measuring 72" by 84".
Here is the backing I have chosen. What do you think?

Backing - Amish Village

The goal is to complete it by the end of the month.  I will be linking with all my favorite linky parties, see sidebar. I'd love to hear from you.

Love and Lust

It is Valentine's Day.  I am thinking about Love. And Lust.

So many times, I have heard Love and Lust being mentioned together as if they belong together, as if one leads to another, as if they are similar items grouped together like "table and chair" or "pen and pencil" or "bread and butter"

In my opinion Love and Lust belong together but more like Night and Day.
Yes, they are opposites.

Lust has reasons. Love has none.

When my heart is full of love, my thoughts are focused on the other - the person I love. Selfless.
When I am lustful, I am focused on me. Self-gratification.

Since I am a lark (morning person) and Paul is a night owl, we agreed to have separate bedrooms.

Sometimes, when I see him sleeping, I will watch him for a bit, mouth open, covers askew, arms and legs all over the bed.
Sometimes, I will plant a gentle kiss on his forehead and let him sleep in peace.
Sometimes, I will jump into his bed and be all over him (hoping to get lucky). 

Sometimes I am in Love and sometimes I am in Lust. You know which one is which.

Love embodies patience.
Lust is hurried, impetuous and intolerant.

Love is a cool breeze, while Lust is a scorching volcano.

Fortunately for me (and Paul) Love and Lust are inextricably intertwined.  Just like the dark and light colors are twisted together in this quilt.

Although this blogpost is titled Love and Lust, that would be such an inappropriate name for this baby quilt.

I am going to call it Tropic Frolic, because of the bright colors playing with each other.

The finished quilt measures about 40 inches by 45 inches.

And I am very happy with it.

And one more picture...just because.

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This year, instead of buying a Valentine's Day card, I decided to make one. With fabric.
Chose this bright and spicy hot fabric.

Do you see hearts? Well, I see kissing lips!

I chose Lust over Love. Definitely made him laugh :-D

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Whether you love new patterns or lust for gorgeous fabric, Connecting Threads may just be the ticket.

I will be linking with all my favorite linky parties. I'd love to hear from you. How was your Valentine's Day - Loving or Lustful?  Please do not hold back. I did not :-D

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