From my other blog:

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QUILTS-- My Return to the Guild

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed!

 

Dear This Quilting Mama Followers,

Please see my new blog post and Daily Reflections on being "Thankful, Grateful, and Blessed."

Check it out!

Thankful, Grateful, and Blessed Blog Post

Once upon a time............

 

Hi Friends,

 Here is my new blog!

All things reflected upon by me. Click on the link here:

Once upon a time

ENJOY!

Thank you,

Lynn

P.S. Images below from first three blog posts. 

Lucille Makrin, Featured Quilter at the Bennington Quiltfest 2022

"An eclectic collection of 48 quilts made by Lucille Makrin over a 30 year period. Lucille has loved fabrics since childhood and has dabbled in all aspects of quilting, fabric art, and mixed media. She has won dozens of ribbons for her traditional and art quilt. Many of her projects are fun and whimsical, incorporating embroidery, threadwork, and embellishing with beads, charms, stamps and unusual items."   Congratulations, Mom Makrin!

(Special thanks to Kristin Makrin for the photos as we were unable to physically attend the show.)

COVID and Family Entertainment

 It was the second week of school and I came down with COVID-19! I had seen my students once. I had no sub plans available and even less prepared to be quarantined at home for a week. 

Like most things, life takes over and it all works out. This week we have watched the international space station fly over the house, our son has learned how to cook for us, I have read books that I meant to finish this summer, found out fun new facts about one of our favorite shows, and my substitute was amazing and completed a bulletin board with my students to share how music makes them feel.

 Life is good! 

We are recovering quickly and hope to be back in the world soon.

Oh Facebook, I think we’re done.

 After 14 years of creative writing and sharing on Facebook, I am now blocked out to the extent that I do not even know why. I cannot get into my account enough to protest this action, nor can I see what the reason for it is. I am angry. I am sad. And most importantly, I am rethinking my entire internet presence. 

Stay tuned as I rekindle this my blog and my creative world here. Peace Faithful Followers, I’ll be back soon,

Lynn

Once upon a time..........

 

Once upon a time...........and now.

The passage of time is a funny thing. 

If we aren't careful, we blink and literal decades have flow by. 

Then add a global pandemic in which time stopped, crept, and then attempted to resume its normal pace. 

Only we became stuck within its time warp. 

We learned or at least felt things we had never felt before. 

We treasured and harbored that which traditionally would have been so very fleeting. 

We came to be different people, different types of parents, different types of learners, different in too many ways to count.

Now, we struggle. 

We struggle to regain our footing on changed and disappearing ground.

We look around and see all that was, is, and has potential to be again. 

We meet the future with new eyes, with new glasses, with a new heart.

How can we make it ALL better?

How can we bring the learning forward?

How can we treasure what has been as "change for the better"?

How can we share our new hearts?

How can we greet our old friend time again and learn to walk hand-in-hand?

From the Archives: The best of This Quilting Mama

https://thisquiltingmama.blogspot.com/2021/01/from-archives-this-quilting-mama-scraps.html

Scraps, Memories, Inspiration

This Christmas my quilting Mother-in-law gave me the book "Cut the Scraps!" by Joan Ford as well as other great quilting related toys. At the Empire Quilt Festival in October 2011, we heard Joan speak and show all the quilts she made from her scraps. The technique of the book begins with the task of cutting up your stash into the following size squares: 2 inches, 3 1/2 inches and 5 inches respectfully. It also involves throwing away smaller sized pieces.

This would be a challenge for me.

Here is what my scraps looked like this morning.
What a mess!  Unfortunately, I'd love to say that this was the only box of such scraps, but that would be a huge lie.

So, I began and what a fascinating trip. As I ironed, cut and sorted the memories off all those quilted projects flew back into my head. I could see the baby's mother as she opened the baby quilt, share the excitement of the siblings with their new I-Spy quilt, enjoy my quilting student's first attempt at machine quilting, and best of all I could experience that same feeling I get when I give away a quilted project today. It was a lovely morning!

Here is what I was able to cut up:

Did I get to the bottom of the bin? Not exactly, but I am well on my way.

Adding the 2 inch squares to my previous attempt at organizing, I now have this collection organized by "Kids/ Novelty" and "Christmas" prints. What you don't see are all the other non-specific squares and a myriad of floral prints from my "Watercolor" quilting days.

Finally, the big bin also produced some larger pieces and a few random blocks which I'm sure will become future wonders for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (which has ended) or other projects.

Happy New Year and may you consider this wonderful little book as a resource in the name of that "get organized" new year's resolution which we all make...................and I might actually keep this coming year!!


Link to Joan Ford's website:     Scrap Therapy

2020 GIVE AWAY!

 

Interested in a FREE little quilt pattern?

Here are the only requirements.........comment below which one you like the best by number, and then tell us what projects you are currently working on. On Facebook, you can share a photo too. 

Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/ThisQuiltingMama

I will reach out for your address......the shipping is on me.

Merry Christmas and Happy Quilting in 2021!

Happy New Year!

My goals for myself have changed over the years when it comes to making and trying to keep New Year's Resolutions. 

Eat better! Exercise more! Save money! are constant "friends" (used lightly) who walk with me always, but now I'm more realistic about goals I can keep for more than 10 days. 

This year More Sailing!
I obviously need summer, non-frozen water, and warmer than 35degrees outside to make that happen.

Use Less Plastic!
This one I've prepared most for and am super excited about. We now have nice lunch bags, metal straws, beeswax sandwich wraps, tupperwares for salads, real silverware already in said lunch bag, and lots of travel mugs ready to go. Oh! I also have already put the grocery shopping bags IN the car!!! HA!

Lastly, More Quilting!
It's been awhile, so I decided to start where I always start and try again. Here is the scrap bin......

Yuck!

In December 2011 on this blog, I talked about this and started cutting up my stash. Inspired by Joan Ford's books, I'm ready again to scrap my way to beautiful new quilts. 

The idea is that if you cut your stash into 2", 3 1/2" and 5" squares, plus adding a focus fabric, you have endless possibilities for beautiful projects. My start of this is below......I'd love to show you how much progress I made on the bin, but I'm afraid it wouldn't translate in a photo. ;-)

I also dug into the UFO bin..............WOW! and they are all blue!

 My blue trees.............

 Oh! A new book all about blue and white quilts.........

The table runner I made for my 40th Birthday Quilt Show Extravaganza and Auction. 

Seems I have another one in the stash.

An unfinished pattern test which might make a lovely winter mantel runner.

A Jacob's Ladder table runner................

And finally this beautiful kit to make with our daughter......

I think I will be busy. Remembering that every morning has the power to be a new New Year's Day..... a poem from the public domain to inspire us all.
Happy quilting and happy living, Friends.

*****

New Year’s Morning

Helen Hunt Jackson

Only a night from old to new!
Only a night, and so much wrought!
The Old Year’s heart all weary grew,
But said: “The New Year rest has brought.”
The Old Year’s hopes its heart laid down,
As in a grave; but, trusting, said:
“The blossoms of the New Year’s crown
Bloom from the ashes of the dead.”
The Old Year’s heart was full of greed;
With selfishness it longed and ached,
And cried: “I have not half I need.
My thirst is bitter and unslaked.
But to the New Year’s generous hand
All gifts in plenty shall return;
True love it shall understand;
By all my failures it shall learn.
I have been reckless; it shall be
Quiet and calm and pure of life.
I was a slave; it shall go free,
And find sweet peace where I leave strife.”
Only a night from old to new!
Never a night such changes brought.
The Old Year had its work to do;
No New Year miracles are wrought.

Always a night from old to new!
Night and the healing balm of sleep!
Each morn is New Year’s morn come true,
Morn of a festival to keep.
All nights are sacred nights to make
Confession and resolve and prayer;
All days are sacred days to wake
New gladness in the sunny air.
Only a night from old to new;
Only a sleep from night to morn.
The new is but the old come true; 

Each sunrise sees a new year born.