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.

The Quilt of Pi

Ever since I got into quilting, finding time to read has been difficult.  When I am not working or running errands, I am mostly sewing and by the time I get to bed, I can barely keep my eyes open.  Therefore the discovery of audiobooks has been an absolute joy.  I can listen while I sew!!!

It is a finish

My last audiobook was "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel.  It is a fantastic book and I loved every word of it. Here is my favorite quote from the book.

"Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat-wearing Muslims."

Oh, I wish I could convey how much I love these words.
Whereas we too often focus on our differences and let those difference divide us, this one sentence in a funny, simple, and heart-warming way says that we are all the same in our capacity for love, devotion and surrender to God.

These words make me want to go hug the world and everyone in it.  So, I made a quilt.

Fabric Scraps (from the free table at the guild meeting)

They say that one man's meat is another man's poison. Fabrics scraps abandoned by one quilter are a goldmine for me. Thanks to the free table at the guild meetings.

These turquoise and red scraps (left at the free table) beckoned to me. I added some fabric from my own stash and tried to construct 5" squares and 5" by 2.5" rectangles from the scraps.

Piecing into 5" squares

I used this pattern from Elizabeth Hartmann to make a baby quilt. The dark teal/aqua solid came from my stash.

Finished at 41" by 43"

...and back

The backing is so adorable.  Recently acquired this piece from a friend who is destashing. The wavy lines made for a fast and easy quilting.

Winnie the Pooh as a Fire Chief

Turquoise & Red

Striped Binding is my favorite

The red and white striped binding works beautifully with both the front and the back.

Did I forget the label?

Can you see it?

Do you see it now?

There it is :-)

Love this shot!

And then Paul began to read the post from behind my shoulder.

Paul: Does the book "Life of Pi" have anything to do with this quilt?
Me: Dunno. Maybe Pi could have used a quilt to comfort him.
Paul: Maybe.
Me: Maybe the turquoise blue of the quilt represents the ocean, the pink and the red represent the life (life of Pi and also Richard Parker's) and the cream could represent the boat that carried them both for almost seven months.
Paul: I know that you can quilt, but boy can you spin a yarn!
Me: You can call me a Quilter or a Spinner of Yarn. But I am calling this the Quilt of Pi.

Quilt of Pi

Paul: But what do these words - hairless Christians, bearded Hindus, and hat wearing Muslims - have anything to do with this quilt?
Me: Don't you agree that the overarching themes of the book are survival and belief in God?
Paul: I agree.
Me: So you see my point.
Paul: I don't.
Me: Well, Pi could neither see Jesus or Allah. Yet, he was a believer.
Paul: I still don't get the connection to the quilt.
Me: Well, do you like the quilt?
Paul: It is nice.
Me: Did you like the book - Life of Pi?
Paul: I only saw the movie. 
Me: That is why you don't get it. Aren't you getting late for your game?
Paul: Oh yes. Gotta go.

That was how that discussion ended. But our discussion has just begun. I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas, as always.  I will be linking with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.

Oh Boy!!!

Paul: Hey babe, do you have a quilt?

Me: Yes, I have several.

New Quilt for New Baby

Paul: I need a baby quilt.
Me: For?
Paul: Bella's (not her real name) baby boy
Me: When is the baby shower?
Paul: That was last month.

Blue, Green and Sparkle Grey

Me: So when is the baby due?
Paul: Baby boy Ryan (not his real name) was born on Easter. 
Me: And you are telling me now???
Paul: Just got the email.

Silence.  Sheepish Grin.

Scallop Quilting

Paul: I figured, you'd have a quilt on tap.
Me: Which may not be suitable for a baby, or for a boy.
And even if the baby does not mind hot pink butterflies and polka dots, I am sure his parents will definitely be averse to a girly quilt.

A happy finish

Me: Can you tell me anything about the colors?
Paul: Blue, Green and Gray
Me: Let me check. I have Jack. It is Blue and Green but it also has these beige/gold fabrics.
Paul: Let me see the back.

Paul: Yeah, this works.
I was not so sure. I wanted something more baby-appropriate, in the chosen colors - blue, green and gray.
I wanted to make a new quilt. But it had to be quick.

Alphabet Backing, Blue Binding

Me: Well, since the baby is already here, when are you going to give the quilt.
Paul: Oh, when she comes in next.
Me: That may not be for 3 months.
Paul: No, she will stop by to check on things every couple of weeks.

Labelled

Baby Appropriate

Me: Let me make a new quilt for baby Ryan.
Paul: Oh ok.

Quick & Easy

Rolled up beauty

Animals and Alphabets make it cute

Paul: I got a card. Will you sign it.
Me: Sure.  I made a few burp cloths and put it in this basket to go along with the quilt.
Paul: Oh babe, you are the best.
Me: I know.  But it is so much better when you say it.

Burp Cloths

Card

And here is a picture of the baby boy.

So Cheeky

Oh Boy!!! Wish I could kiss those cheeks.
Such a cute boy, I said.
Such a cute quilt, said Paul.
And we lived happily ever after (or till the next argument.)

What have you been making?  I'd love to hear from you.
I will be linking with all my favorite linky parties, see sidebar.