If you read my last post, you will know that I am an Army wife. I face the reality that my husband may be sent to Iraq. I face the knowledge that if he does go, he might not come back. Keep this in mind if you keep reading.
There is an organization out there called "Home of the Brave Quilts" that wishes to honor the dead by presenting a quilt to each of the families of fallen soldiers. Just Google it and you'll find links to many web pages of different states. Each state controls their own quilts. At first, I thought it was a good idea. Now, I'm an Army wife and my perspective has changed completely.
The original idea of the Home of the Brave quilts and the original patterns came from old Civil War quilts. They were quilts, made by loved ones, who were sent to soldiers out fighting. Those quilts honored the LIVING, not the dead. They served as warmth and comfort for soldiers who were far away from home. Many times, these quilts were the only blankets they had. Very few of these quilts have survived because many soldiers were wrapped in them and buried. So why did these people take this idea and turn them into quilts to honor the DEAD? Was it because the soldiers were buried in them?
I DO NOT want one! Why would I not want one? They're really "comfort quilts," but they're not described that way. They specifically state that they are "honoring the fallen." The very idea of taking one of these quilts, if my husband dies, literally gives me the shivers. There's no way I want one. Add in the fact that I find the patterns from most of the states to be hideous, and I can't stand Civil War reproduction fabrics... Well, you have a few problems there. I would much rather have a true comfort quilt from a group of close quilting friends than a quilt put together from a stack of blocks filled with names of people I don't know.
So, on with another idea. Why not honor the LIVING? While just over 4,000 soldiers have died in Iraq to date, over 55,000 have been injured. What is being done for them? Ahh... Glad you asked. There is a lovely project called "Quilts of Valor" that is available. Their goal is to cover every wounded soldier, either physically or mentally injured, with a quilt. What better sign of love and support is there, especially from quilters? Quilts can take hundreds of hours to create depending on the complexity of the pattern. Every time we create one and give it away, we are giving away a little bit of ourselves, our love and the joy of our craft. We should share it with one who will love it and appreciate it, with someone with whom it can bring great comfort during a process of healing. Not with someone who won't even want to look at it because it honors a loved one who is gone.
Needless to say, I couldn't make a single block for a Home of the Brave quilt and that was even before my husband joined the Army. However, I am getting ready to start creating quilts for 'Quilts of Valor.' Those men and women need all the support and love they can get. If they feel loved and appreciated and wanted, then they will heal faster and better. What better gift can you give?
Monday, March 31, 2008
For Love of Country
I mentioned in my other post that I had more to say about our lives. As a matter of fact, this is the largest part of our life right now.
My husband is in the Army, which obviously makes me an Army wife. I now have 3 little boys who refuse to stop playing Army, not that I even attempt to stop them, and one who really wants to follow his father into the service. Again, not something I'm trying to talk him out of. I mean, how could I agree to let my husband join and then tell my children not to? I'm proud of my country. As they say, "It's the land of the free because of the brave."
My husband joined just last year. He was pushing the new age limit the Army imposed, which is 42 if anyone is interested, and fought for a year and a half to get in. Yes, my husband jumped through every single hoop the Army put in front of him, and a few others off to the side, to be allowed to join. It had been his dream since he was younger to serve his country. He tried to do it in other ways, such as being a police officer, but it just wasn't meant to be. When the Army raised the age limit, I agreed that he should try to join. There near the end, I thought it was over and it was never going to happen. Then DH got to talk to a colonel who approved him and then he could join. Nuts, huh?
While I miss my husband dreadfully, and look at Iraq with fear on the chance that he might go there, I am proud of my husband. I am proud to be an Army wife. I am excited to have the opportunity to impress on each of my children how wonderful our country is, our constitution that grants us our freedoms, and show them, first hand, the men and women who make our continuing freedom possible.
It wasn't until my husband left for Basic Combat Training that I realized how much he really did around the house. I finally realized how much I had taken him for granted. There were the big things, like playing with the boys, watching movies with me in the evenings, the long talks, the fact that he'd let me talk quilts with him even though he didn't care just because it made me happy. *smile* Then there were the little things. He'd clear the table after dinner, and sometimes even cook if I didn't want to. He'd help fold the laundry and mop the kitchen floor. The ability to walk by him and just touch him on the arm. Until he left, I didn't know how important all of that was to me. Now I know. I have told him, many times, how much he means to me, and I pray I won't take him for granted anymore.
He is now in training for his job with the Army. He's enjoying his time with the Army even though it can be slow and chaotic sometimes. It's where he was meant to be and he's happy. That is all I wanted for him. I have also discovered that it takes incredible strength to remain home, take care of the family 24/7, and still be strong enough to support my husband. I have grown stronger than I ever imagined I could be.
My husband is in the Army, which obviously makes me an Army wife. I now have 3 little boys who refuse to stop playing Army, not that I even attempt to stop them, and one who really wants to follow his father into the service. Again, not something I'm trying to talk him out of. I mean, how could I agree to let my husband join and then tell my children not to? I'm proud of my country. As they say, "It's the land of the free because of the brave."
My husband joined just last year. He was pushing the new age limit the Army imposed, which is 42 if anyone is interested, and fought for a year and a half to get in. Yes, my husband jumped through every single hoop the Army put in front of him, and a few others off to the side, to be allowed to join. It had been his dream since he was younger to serve his country. He tried to do it in other ways, such as being a police officer, but it just wasn't meant to be. When the Army raised the age limit, I agreed that he should try to join. There near the end, I thought it was over and it was never going to happen. Then DH got to talk to a colonel who approved him and then he could join. Nuts, huh?
While I miss my husband dreadfully, and look at Iraq with fear on the chance that he might go there, I am proud of my husband. I am proud to be an Army wife. I am excited to have the opportunity to impress on each of my children how wonderful our country is, our constitution that grants us our freedoms, and show them, first hand, the men and women who make our continuing freedom possible.
It wasn't until my husband left for Basic Combat Training that I realized how much he really did around the house. I finally realized how much I had taken him for granted. There were the big things, like playing with the boys, watching movies with me in the evenings, the long talks, the fact that he'd let me talk quilts with him even though he didn't care just because it made me happy. *smile* Then there were the little things. He'd clear the table after dinner, and sometimes even cook if I didn't want to. He'd help fold the laundry and mop the kitchen floor. The ability to walk by him and just touch him on the arm. Until he left, I didn't know how important all of that was to me. Now I know. I have told him, many times, how much he means to me, and I pray I won't take him for granted anymore.
He is now in training for his job with the Army. He's enjoying his time with the Army even though it can be slow and chaotic sometimes. It's where he was meant to be and he's happy. That is all I wanted for him. I have also discovered that it takes incredible strength to remain home, take care of the family 24/7, and still be strong enough to support my husband. I have grown stronger than I ever imagined I could be.
My husband is a soldier in the United States Army. I am proud of him and support him 100%.
I am an Army Wife.
I am an Army Wife.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
A Little About Me
I know that most people do this in their profile, but I tend to talk too much so I thought I'd do it in a regular post. *smile*
As of this moment, I'm 31 years old. I have been married now for 6 years, as of yesterday, to the most wonderful man in the world. Well, I think he is anyway. *smile* I also have 3 boys of my own and a step-son. Their ages are 3, 5, 9, and 13. Goodness. It's hard to think of them as being so old. They grow up so quickly. They just all pretty much had their birthdays too. How nice of them to all have been born so close together during the year. LOL I also homeschool my oldest, who's 9. My step-son is the one who's 13. I also have plans to continue homeschooling as long as possible.
When people hear how many kids I have, the fact that they're all boys, and that I homeschool, many ask me, "How do you find time to make such beautiful quilts?" All I can say is, "If it's important to you, you can find the time." Also, while waiting for my son to do his assignments in school, I sit with him (to make sure he stays on task) and I do a lot of handwork.
I prefer to do all of my appliqué by hand. I also know how to hand piece and hand quilt. It helps pass the time. I also know how to knit and do cross stitch. Yes, I do love the needle arts. *smile* There's just something I enjoy about doing it by hand without the aid of a machine. I find it incredibly peaceful and fulfilling.
I will have to admit that I have a tendency to not finish my quilts (or knitting projects or cross stitch pieces)... I have something like 19 quilt tops in various stages of completion. I'll get to them eventually. *grin* If not? Well, someone else can finish them after I die. LOL
Well, with that, I think I'll turn in for the night. There's definitely a lot more to our life than this, but this will do for now. Besides, the other part is fairly interesting and I'd like to leave something for another post!
As of this moment, I'm 31 years old. I have been married now for 6 years, as of yesterday, to the most wonderful man in the world. Well, I think he is anyway. *smile* I also have 3 boys of my own and a step-son. Their ages are 3, 5, 9, and 13. Goodness. It's hard to think of them as being so old. They grow up so quickly. They just all pretty much had their birthdays too. How nice of them to all have been born so close together during the year. LOL I also homeschool my oldest, who's 9. My step-son is the one who's 13. I also have plans to continue homeschooling as long as possible.
When people hear how many kids I have, the fact that they're all boys, and that I homeschool, many ask me, "How do you find time to make such beautiful quilts?" All I can say is, "If it's important to you, you can find the time." Also, while waiting for my son to do his assignments in school, I sit with him (to make sure he stays on task) and I do a lot of handwork.
I prefer to do all of my appliqué by hand. I also know how to hand piece and hand quilt. It helps pass the time. I also know how to knit and do cross stitch. Yes, I do love the needle arts. *smile* There's just something I enjoy about doing it by hand without the aid of a machine. I find it incredibly peaceful and fulfilling.
I will have to admit that I have a tendency to not finish my quilts (or knitting projects or cross stitch pieces)... I have something like 19 quilt tops in various stages of completion. I'll get to them eventually. *grin* If not? Well, someone else can finish them after I die. LOL
Well, with that, I think I'll turn in for the night. There's definitely a lot more to our life than this, but this will do for now. Besides, the other part is fairly interesting and I'd like to leave something for another post!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
New Fabric!
Well, it's the "curse" of the quilter. Did you know we always need new fabric? It doesn't matter how much we already have, we have to have more. You never know if that fabric you've fallen in love with is exactly what you need for your next quilt... or the quilt 2 years from now. With that in mind, you always buy more than you think you'll need, because it always happens that you'll need at least 1/4 yard more than what you did buy. Usually, by then, it's also out of print and you can't get your hands on it unless you're willing to pay someone $35 for a 1/2 yard out on eBay. It's a tough life, being a quilter. It always helps if you have a sympathetic spouse who won't complain that you just bought more fabric even though you have who knows how much stashed around the house as it is.
Speaking of which, I was going through a box in my bedroom the other day to get to a box of quilt tops. I'm a topper... I prefer making tops and not finishing them. *grin* Okay, back to my story. In getting down to the box of tops, I found at least 2-3 yards of fabric in another box on top of it. Hmm.. Now how did that end up there and not in my stash? Beats me! What's really odd is that I have one of those sympathetic spouses who doesn't really understand my fascination with quilting, but doesn't say much about it anyway. Not even when I walk in the house with another yard or 5 of fabric and say, "It was just so pretty, I had to have it." *grin* He's wonderful! So it wasn't in that odd box in my room because I was hiding it. The great thing about it though was the fact that it's practically "new" to me! I'd forgotten that I'd owned it. "New" fabric without spending money. Does it get any better than that?! Now I'll get it washed and pressed because it is time that it took its rightful place in my stash. It can't exactly get used if it's hidden a box somewhere. It might just be the perfect fabric for that quilt 2 years down the road! Boy, I sure hope I can find that extra 1/4 yard!
Speaking of which, I was going through a box in my bedroom the other day to get to a box of quilt tops. I'm a topper... I prefer making tops and not finishing them. *grin* Okay, back to my story. In getting down to the box of tops, I found at least 2-3 yards of fabric in another box on top of it. Hmm.. Now how did that end up there and not in my stash? Beats me! What's really odd is that I have one of those sympathetic spouses who doesn't really understand my fascination with quilting, but doesn't say much about it anyway. Not even when I walk in the house with another yard or 5 of fabric and say, "It was just so pretty, I had to have it." *grin* He's wonderful! So it wasn't in that odd box in my room because I was hiding it. The great thing about it though was the fact that it's practically "new" to me! I'd forgotten that I'd owned it. "New" fabric without spending money. Does it get any better than that?! Now I'll get it washed and pressed because it is time that it took its rightful place in my stash. It can't exactly get used if it's hidden a box somewhere. It might just be the perfect fabric for that quilt 2 years down the road! Boy, I sure hope I can find that extra 1/4 yard!
Friday, March 14, 2008
The Scrappy Story
I am a quilter. As any quilter knows, it's more than a hobby. It can easily become an obsession and hold you in its grip for years. When you exhaust every possible person in your family to make quilts for, usually several until they ask you to please stop, you have to learn new ways to keep applying your art. In my case, I have a large family and I've only been quilting for 6 years. I'm far from exhausting my supply of people to make quilts for. *grin* However, we still do need to branch out and try new things periodically. Usually, we're attempting to 'find ourselves' in what used to be considered "only a hobby" and is now a dedicated art form. In the quest to create more quilts, we create works of incredible beauty that can be functional at the same time. We do it out of love and the need to express ourselves. We don't necessarily ask for understanding. We just ask for our fabric, needles, and thread. Oh, and please ignore the stack of dishes in the sink, the clothes that need washed, and please always wear shoes in our quilting rooms because we couldn't find that needle we dropped yesterday.
In creating these works of art, we use a lot of fabric. We are also terrible at throwing away the tiniest scrap. What many don't understand is that they're still useful. They might not look like much now, but we can still create art from them. We know that every yard of fabric in our scrap basket still costs the same amount that we paid for a full, uncut piece of fabric.
This is my scrap bag. When I finish cutting fabric for another quilt, I just toss the extra fabric that won't fit properly back into my stash drawers into this bag. It is actually a lot less full than it was a few days ago. I have taken it upon myself to start cutting them up into usable pieces.
These are what I'm coming up with to help store my usable scraps. The drawers hold 2", 2.5", and 3.5" squares and my 'strings'. Strings are used to make the greatest blocks that have no plan other than to just make diagonal strips across another fabric that is the background. They're great. The tubs are my 1.5" squares. One holds my prints and the other holds my 'solids.' I actually have very few true solids. They're more variegated, but they don't have a definite pattern so they count. *smile* So now what do you do with them? Well, I personally use them for leaders/enders patterns. I have the 1.5" squares next to my sewing machine. When I sit down to work on a 'regular' quilt that I planned for, I just put one solid and one print through to sew them together. After awhile, you end up with something that looks like this:
In creating these works of art, we use a lot of fabric. We are also terrible at throwing away the tiniest scrap. What many don't understand is that they're still useful. They might not look like much now, but we can still create art from them. We know that every yard of fabric in our scrap basket still costs the same amount that we paid for a full, uncut piece of fabric.
This is my scrap bag. When I finish cutting fabric for another quilt, I just toss the extra fabric that won't fit properly back into my stash drawers into this bag. It is actually a lot less full than it was a few days ago. I have taken it upon myself to start cutting them up into usable pieces.
These are what I'm coming up with to help store my usable scraps. The drawers hold 2", 2.5", and 3.5" squares and my 'strings'. Strings are used to make the greatest blocks that have no plan other than to just make diagonal strips across another fabric that is the background. They're great. The tubs are my 1.5" squares. One holds my prints and the other holds my 'solids.' I actually have very few true solids. They're more variegated, but they don't have a definite pattern so they count. *smile* So now what do you do with them? Well, I personally use them for leaders/enders patterns. I have the 1.5" squares next to my sewing machine. When I sit down to work on a 'regular' quilt that I planned for, I just put one solid and one print through to sew them together. After awhile, you end up with something that looks like this:
This is a small bin that is on the door of my sewing cabinet that I just toss in my sewn together "stamps" when I'm done with them. They usually just sit there until I feel like pressing them out. However, you can get quite a collection of them just by feeding them through at the beginning and end of your sewing when you're working on something else. I was pressing them today and thought I'd get a photo of them really quick before they were gone. I actually had 2 of these bins earlier. So, what do I do with them after they're pressed open? Why, I toss them into a basket! LOL
Okay, so now they're pressed open and tossed into a basket. Big deal, right? However, they're approaching a very usable size now. Hard to believe considering they're only 1" when fully sewn into something. However, postage stamps, as these are called, can make some really beautiful quilts. A lot of quilters don't like working with such small pieces of fabric. However, I find the small size to be fascinating!
Let me show you something you can do with such a small piece of fabric if you just keep sewing them together:
There is "regular" fabric added to it, of course, so you can see what it is. In this case, a cute heart. That heart now measures 8.5" X 8.5" in this unfinished state. Quilters call it "unfinished" because we'll add more to it and it 'sucks up' more of the fabric into the seam. It will take approximately 18 of these hearts to make a quilt for a crib. More, of course, to make a larger quilt.
So, what's so exciting about a scrap quilt and why is it rare that a quilter will give one away? Don't think for a moment it's not because they aren't beautiful. Scrap quilts are great! As we're sewing them together, we are reminded of every single quilt that we have made up to this point. In this one little heart, I can point to several fabrics that went into my mother's quilt. There are some that help make up my son's Monster quilt (still in progress). Another quilt I made as a thank you for my aunt and uncle awhile back. Another son's I-Spy quilt has contributed fabrics, as well as, many of my hand dyes. My husband and I used to hand dye fabric and sell it. When I'd go to square it up, I'd usually be left with just enough to cut a little 1.5" square from it. So each of those provides a memory of the fabric we created together. This little heart is a great symbol for this scrap quilt. It symbolizes the love and the memories that went into each of these other quilts that helped to contribute fabric for this one heart. I can't wait to see what other fabrics make their way into the other hearts.
THAT is why quilters rarely give away a scrap quilt. It's not because it's made out of scraps and is considered unworthy to be given away. It's because they each hold such dear memories of quilts we have usually given away and will probably never see again. Scrap quilts are precious to quilters and will probably always be.
Okay, so now they're pressed open and tossed into a basket. Big deal, right? However, they're approaching a very usable size now. Hard to believe considering they're only 1" when fully sewn into something. However, postage stamps, as these are called, can make some really beautiful quilts. A lot of quilters don't like working with such small pieces of fabric. However, I find the small size to be fascinating!
Let me show you something you can do with such a small piece of fabric if you just keep sewing them together:
There is "regular" fabric added to it, of course, so you can see what it is. In this case, a cute heart. That heart now measures 8.5" X 8.5" in this unfinished state. Quilters call it "unfinished" because we'll add more to it and it 'sucks up' more of the fabric into the seam. It will take approximately 18 of these hearts to make a quilt for a crib. More, of course, to make a larger quilt.
So, what's so exciting about a scrap quilt and why is it rare that a quilter will give one away? Don't think for a moment it's not because they aren't beautiful. Scrap quilts are great! As we're sewing them together, we are reminded of every single quilt that we have made up to this point. In this one little heart, I can point to several fabrics that went into my mother's quilt. There are some that help make up my son's Monster quilt (still in progress). Another quilt I made as a thank you for my aunt and uncle awhile back. Another son's I-Spy quilt has contributed fabrics, as well as, many of my hand dyes. My husband and I used to hand dye fabric and sell it. When I'd go to square it up, I'd usually be left with just enough to cut a little 1.5" square from it. So each of those provides a memory of the fabric we created together. This little heart is a great symbol for this scrap quilt. It symbolizes the love and the memories that went into each of these other quilts that helped to contribute fabric for this one heart. I can't wait to see what other fabrics make their way into the other hearts.
THAT is why quilters rarely give away a scrap quilt. It's not because it's made out of scraps and is considered unworthy to be given away. It's because they each hold such dear memories of quilts we have usually given away and will probably never see again. Scrap quilts are precious to quilters and will probably always be.
Hello!
Let me begin by saying, Hello! I actually have another blog out here somewhere, but my computer crashed awhile back and you know how that is. You tend to lose everything! So I figured I could easily set up a new one and call it good. *grin*
With that, let's begin with a new post which is the real reason why I came out here...
With that, let's begin with a new post which is the real reason why I came out here...
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