Comfort Quilt Workshop Today

I love days like today — the camaraderie of a room full of women all sewing and talking while working on projects for others who are less fortunate than we are. Today there were 13 of us — we even bring dishes to share for lunch. We eat, we snack, we sew sew sew. I managed to get a 5×5 fringed flannel block quilt top pieced together and the backing cut to fit, which is saying a lot considering that we take a good half hour to an hour for lunch. But this group of women aren’t slackers by any means. One woman brought in 12 completed quilts — TWELVE — in one month! And she had the audacity to apologize for it not being more, but she had company for part of the month. She must sleep at her machine… well, I’ve dozed off in front of my computer before, but never my sewing machine. And there was discussion about the quilt show that was held this past weekend by our quilt guild, the Tehachapi Mtn. Quilters. From what I overheard, we made quite a bit of money and it is all used for scholarships for local kids. Outstanding!!

Here’s the ‘rag’ quilt top pinned to a blue flannel backing. All that’s left to do is stitch X’s in each of the blocks (starting at the center and working outwards), pressing it and stitching all around the outer edge. Then I’ll trim and clip the outer edge, apply a label, sign my name to the label and voila, one cuddle blanket ready to be cuddled. Or maybe, since it’s primarily masculine flannel fabrics, it’ll go to a veteran who’s wheelchair bound. It would be a perfect cover for someone’s lap and it isn’t so large that it would get caught in the wheels of the chair.

I thought about taking another kit with me but figured I had more than enough on my plate at home. I still want to get working on my mosaic sweatshirt — winter will be here soon enough! And with it, the cold. Speaking of weather, we’re having some really cool weather — monsoon type storms with huge dark clouds, thunder and lightening and pounding rain. Fierce looking is how I’d describe it.

I have to come up with some greeting cards for friends who have lost a parent, and for my family members who are down for the count. I also need to get busy and make another hot/cold pack for a friend’s birthday. I’ll need to have it finished by in the morning when I’ll be giving it to him at our monthly breakfast. Which means, I need to get off of this computer and get to cutting fabric, baking my rice, and in general creating so I can give… it’s what makes me happy!

Be safe, be well and please be happy. Know that you are where you are meant to be — even if you’re in a bad situation right now, you have to look at it as though you are being taught something important. That’s all there is to life — we LEARN to live, to love, to give and to receive. May you all be blessed as I am in this life …