A View from the Bench

New Contest

October 1, 2019 | Leave a Comment

Good morning everyone. It’s so nice to be able to speak with you all this way.

Over on our Facebook Group – Quilting for Kids, we’ve begun a new contest that will run until October 15, 2019.

The entry is easy. As we are trying to grow our little group, each quilter who requests to join Quilting for Kids between now and October 15th will be given one entry to win. Each current Quilting for Kids member who invites a fellow quilter to join our group will also receive one entry. If a current member invites more than one person to join, then they receive multiple entries into the contest.

What is the prize you ask? Here it is!

So, if you are not already a member you can join us here.

If you are a member of Quilting for Kids on Facebook and know someone who would love to join us, invite them by clicking here.

It’s easy and quick. Best of luck everyone.

Kim

The Last Word

August 28, 2019 | Leave a Comment

Originally published in Quilting Arts magazine, December 2017/January 2018 issue

I’m getting to that age in life where I’m so very grateful to be alive. I’ve lost family members and friends and acquaintances who have not been extended the same privilege as I have…to still be here in my sixth decade.

Thoughts turn to…What can I leave behind? What will my legacy be? Is it possible to touch the lives of my children and grandchildren when I’m no longer living? Basically, I wonder….can I leave a piece of my heart behind?

When they were young, my children were the center of my universe; my life revolved around them in a real sense. School, their activities and sports kept me running from one place to the next in a chaotic, frenzied way, never mind that my paid job also had to fit in. Days sped by like vehicles on the highway, turning into a blur month after month. Sometimes, the only way I remember those frantic and hectic days are when I look at all the photos, and thankfully, there are tons of photos.

My solace in those days, came in the evenings when the kids were tucked safely into bed. That’s when I would work on my latest quilting project, often late into the night. I felt such peace and strength and creativity as I sat stitching at my sewing machine, my fingers smoothing out the fabrics as they ran under my needle. Hours flew by, and I had to force myself to stop sewing and head to bed. I felt such joy and a sense of accomplishment when I would finish a quilt and be able to lay it atop one of my children’s beds. It was my way of protecting them, wrapping them safely in my love. But, did my children feel that?

Now, I have grandchildren – the greatest gift and blessing of all. I have quilted and sewn for both of them, many times over. Now, with the luxury of time, things have changed. I no longer have to choose between sleep and stitching; I work on my quilts during daylight hours. Life’s frantic pace has slowed down, and I can breathe and relax and reflect.

But one thing has not changed. I still feel such joy and a sense of accomplishment when I finish a quilt and lay it atop one of my grandchildren’s beds. It’s my way of protecting them, wrapping them safely in my love. But, do my grandchildren feel that?

My stash-cupboard has baskets and crates, filled to the brim with fabrics that tingle the senses; vivid, intoxicating colours of teals and pinks and reds, fabrics that are just waiting for me. The patterns and colours evoke joy and make me feel like a kid again – full of excitement, endless possibilities and wonder. But will those fabrics speak for me?

I have a lot of work to do in the upcoming years. So many quilts to make, so many stories to tell – I pray that I will get time to expand and express myself in all the ways that I wish to. Even at this age, my brain is still overflowing with concepts and plans and ideas for the future; I doubt that will change. As long as I’m able, I want to be creative. Perhaps that is part of my DNA…part of what drives me. More likely though, it’s my veiled attempt at articulating love.

So again, I wonder when I’m gone, will my quilts remain? Will my family truly understand that they are, and always have been, an expression of my love for them? Will they “get” me? Of course, my secret wish is that they do understand. I’m ever hopeful that my quilts will serve as a symbol of unspoken love. I’m ever hopeful that my children and grandchildren will still snuggle under one of my quilts, late at night, and feel protected and cherished and secure. I’m ever hopeful that they will know, with each quilt I’ve stitched, I’ve left behind a teeny tiny piece of my heart.

Playtime Pals

August 21, 2019 | 2 Comments

In 2013, I blogged about a quilt pattern designed by my all-time favourite designer, Mary Engelbreit. It was called “Playtime Pals”. I originally made a quilt from this pattern for my baby daughter, Shawna in 1982. It lay on her single bed once she graduated from her crib. She slept covered by it every single night. It was washed a million times, used to make forts in the living room and became an outdoor picnic blanket when the need arose. After ten years or so, after having been dragged everywhere, it was tattered and torn, reduced to a few pieces of muslin.

The pattern was an iron-on outline of cheery and sweet children clothed in vintage outfits. The quilt-maker did the iron-on’s, then filled in and completed the childish outlines using fabric paints… basically colouring for adults. I ironed all the pattern outlines onto bleached muslin fabric in different sizes, purchased an array of fabric paints and set to work, painting for days on end. (I had never used fabric paints in my life, so there was a bit of a learning curve and some less-than-perfect blocks!) But, I loved every single minute of working on that quilt. It was just so different from anything else I had tackled.

For some unknown reason, once I had completed Shawna’s quilt, I didn’t keep the pattern. (Duh!)

So, in 2009 when our daughter gave birth to our precious granddaughter, Harlow, I thought about Playtime Pals again. I wanted to remake that quilt; this time, though, I’d make a better, more durable version of it. I searched and searched for it on ebay, contacted Mary Engelbreit’s “people” and posted online that I was looking for the pattern. Believe it or not, one glorious day, I found it on ebay! I was pretty ecstatic and a little surprised. It cost next to nothing, was in brand new condition, so I had it mailed to me by the vendor. It was such a find.

Initially, I came across this little gem of a pattern in a 1982 issue of Better Homes & Gardens, Christmas Ideas magazine.

Flipping through the pages, Playtime Pals jumped right out of the magazine and hit me in the heart.

So, so beautiful. Charming and whimsical. I absolutely fell in love with this pattern.

It’s now 2019. I have yet to begin my new, remade version of Playtime Pals. It’s still on the back burner, but I will get to it one of these fine days.

Fellow quilter, Judy Borman, contacted me after reading my 2013 blog post. Like me, in 1982 she had been instantly drawn to this pattern. Judy especially loved the style of the artwork and the representation of simple childhood activities. She and her quilting friend, Ann, both decided they simply had to make this pattern together…one for each of their young daughters. Here is Judy’s rendition from 1983, made for daughter, Jenny. You’ll notice unlike mine, Judy’s quilt remains intact!

In 2018, Judy was delighted to discover the old BH&G magazine from 1982 at the bottom of a box she was unpacking for her new sewing room. The photos in the magazine brought back such wonderful memories of quilting and creating with her friend, Ann. In the intervening years, Judy had made a couple of applique quilts, leading her to believe she may be able to turn the graphed patterns provided by the magazine into applique patterns/placement sheets. If she was successful, she wouldn’t require the actual, printed pattern from 1982 that I had discovered on ebay.

Judy made it work! She devised a brilliant plan to work from the magazine itself. After a sample block or two turning out beautifully, she decided to take a crack at remaking Playtime Pals. This time, the quilt was for her colourful, exuberant four year-old granddaughter, Alice.

So, so sweet.

Judy Borman is an example of the type of delightful person one can come across online. Ever since she contacted me after my initial blog post, we have been communicating while she worked on Alice’s quilt. (In addition to being a busy, quilting grandmother, Judy administers an informative website – www.cookingforcents.weebly.com – that you may want to check out).

So, it is now up to me to find the time to remake Playtime Pals. I’m going to use white muslin this time instead of bleached muslin. I’m going to buy myself a brand new set of fabric paints. Sashing and borders will be chosen from my more-than-ample stash. I’m really excited to get started and hope to be able to show you the final result of my work soon.

Thanks so much to Judy Borman. She is my inspiration.

Kim

Healing Powers of Nature

July 21, 2019 | Leave a Comment

Good morning everyone. It’s always so lovely when you drop by.

I’ve noticed that when I’m surrounded by nature, I feel better…instantly. The pine trees, large grassy areas and the lake always, always, always make me take a deep breath and let go of the stress. Lately, though, I’ve been wondering why that is.

I was watching an old TV series on Netflix the other day called Rectify. The main character, Daniel, is a guy who was wrongly accused and spent time in prison. When he gets out into the light of day, he struggles mightily with adjusting to life outside the bars. Daniel is an avid reader and he likes to quote his favourite authors.

In one episode, Daniel states, “Thomas Aquinas said, ‘God shows himself to us in nature’. Now, I’ve searched Thomas Aquinas quotes online for that particular one and could not find it anywhere. But I love it just the same! I think it speaks to why nature is so healing and leaves us feeling serene and calm. If God shows himself to us in nature, then it makes sense that we feel his serenity and his peace.

Male Wild Turkey near Swansea Recreational Area

Two beautiful Grizzlies on the side of the highway

Please take care of yourself this week.

Kim

At Long Last…Finishing a Cherished UFO

May 6, 2019 | 2 Comments

Good day everyone. Thank you ever so much for stopping by.

I was visiting with a friend the other day. She asked me about my recent projects; she wanted to know what I had been working on. It took me a minute, but I was struck by the realization that I haven’t created anything of value since my son died.

It took a question by a friend for me to realize that fact.

A few months back, I began an owl-themed, pieced and machine embroidered quilt for my daughter who is very fond of the furry, flex-necked, night hooters. I used a fabric collection which I liked. It was called Boho Owls.

Feature Fabric of the Boho Owls fabric collection

So…nice fabric, right? Cute, colourful and a little whimsical. I was particularly drawn to the feature fabric…the teal was so pretty and who didn’t love the purple.

I began making her quilt, combining nine-patch squares with appliqued and/or embroidered blocks. As I worked, I thought, hmmm….it looks okay, I guess. I mean, the colours are good together and the my pattern isn’t bad. Surely, I will like it better when it’s finished. So, I kept stitching and piecing and embroidering.

Quilt top done! I laid it out on the floor and stood back to take inventory. Did the colours really mesh together? Was my pattern actually working? Did I use too much of the deep green fabric? Right then and there, I decided…I really do hate it! I couldn’t stand the sight of it. So, believe it or not, after all the work piecing, machine embroidering and appliquing, I threw the quilt top in the garbage. Kinda shocking, eh? I’ve never done that before.

So, instead of diving back into that empty creative well inside my head, perhaps a better way to go was to finish my one and only UFO (unfinished object). My All About Bears quilt top that is.

I really love the basic pattern. I particularly loved the hand work involved. Each appliqued bear or bear part on the block was outlined with a blanket stitch – using black embroidery floss.

Sashing stitched between blocks, rows stitched to each other. Quilt batt sandwiched between quilt top and flannel backing. Let the free motion, machine quilting begin! That I know I can do.

So this quilt is under my needle and is actually almost complete. It’s going to cover my nine year-old granddaughter’s bed at her home. I feel a tremendous satisfaction in actually moving forward to get this quilt finished. Sometimes, it really is prudent to focus on finishing up the past before moving onto the future. My true hope is that soon, I will be able to create again. It’s likely more time has to pass.

Kim