My "I Love You More Quilt"

Happy Thursday!   

Long Time No Blog.......Yes, I confess.. it's been way too long for no blogging.. But, if you read below - you might just understand, when one gets consumed by a  major PROJECT; sometimes, that takes priority.

My project: Learning to Quilt. 

The Reason: A birthday gift for my beloved 91 year old Mom; which I re-named, " I Love You More" Quilt!
 

I become enamored with quilting this past winter after discovering the Missouri Star Quilt Company’s version of  The Love Notes Quilt http://quiltingtutorials.com/all/love-notes-quilt-quick-quilting-project/
 
This is a smaller version of the You've Got Mail Layer Cake Quilt http://quiltingtutorials.com/all/mail-layer-cake-friendly-quilt-project/

I was searching for inspiration to create a 91st birthday gift for my Mom; and this was it! You see, my Mom has written to me every week all my life. This was my own interpretation of my Love Notes to her, which I have named, “ I Love You More Quilt”.  You see, everynight, we close our conversation on the phone, with many I love you's, but she always says, "I love you more. Mom taught me how to sew when I was young; and many MANY years later, I am back at; expanding into Quilting!

I Love You More Quilt

My new Creation, used subtle pastel old roses romantic rosebud materials with soft solids to offset each letter block. The entire quilt speaks of a David Austen Rose Bouquet. 

One of the Materials purchased at a wonderful quilt store in Purceville, VA

WebFabrics.. http://webfabrics.net/

Ask for Carly, the owner! But, truly in fact, ANYONE in the store was magnificently helpful!

This love notes quilt, aka a version of "You’ve Got Mail" Quilt  has taken on new meaning to me. My Mom never used a computer, but wrote numerous hand written letters, notes and card to myself, and her many friends and family all her life. The art of writing letters was her creative spark; utilizing lovely writing papers with creative stamps and stickers; including inspiring calendar quips, notes, prayers and daily inspirations. She kept the post office in business on her own stamp purchases! 

Since she has retired from writing, we have replaced it with numerous phone calls with daily regularity. Each night, she says goodnight with “ I love You More", as only a mother can utter.  So the real love letters that I am returning to her is incorporated with the adventures of this one of a kind “Learning to quilt” for me. The quilt incorporates special embroidery, tiny little hearts and love stampings throughout. 

The Romantic Blues

What has quilting taught me? It is a lesson in creative expressiveness; incorporating as many varieties of glorious fabrics that speak to me. It’s my way of creating a zen-ful garden in a quilt creation. 


Major lesson: It has taught me the new meaning of perfect. Perfect, as is beauty, “Is in the eye of the Beholder”.

Deeper learning: Perfect is the toleration of the “imperfectness” of quilting. Quilting sets you’re perfectionism state free.

How do you deal with your perfectionist state? Are you able to shake it free sometime? What do you do to realize that happiness is the path and reaching perfection; one is already there?  I'd love to hear! 

 Namaste

  

Time To Cultivate

Cultivation

As spring gets closer (at least in the calendar year) it's time to take stock of what you would like to cultivate outside and get that garden planted. Every year I plant more and more perennials so they can become effortless with care. Of course, accent with annuals is just like accessorizing only in the garden.  Each year I vow to plant more rose bushes, the fussy kind, like Tiny Tea Hybrid roses and the BIG Floribundas. Anyone knows that shrub roses can grow almost by themself without tending to... so I want something different, something that requires A-T-T-E-N-T-I-O-N. What I truly long for is an English Garden look, but have to contend with what dictates and will grown in Northern VA. So each year, I try something new... with hopes to share at least a few bloom delights, regardless.  So as many of us decide is it a veggie garden, zen garden, floral garden, green space garden, it's time to cultivate.

My two news choices are here:   

Convallaria majalis Rosea
Lily-of-the-Valley

Source: http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/new-this-spring-season.html

and

Rose Abraham Darby

Source: http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/66657-product.html

With many gardening sources, you can pre-order anything and it will ship at just the right time of the season to plant, and with plenty of sun, watering and TLC,

VOILA – garden magic cultivation happenings.

However, outside garden cultivation isn’t the only garden needing attentions.

Are you Ready? What's happening with the inner cultivation? Our sacred garden?

There is no time like the present. No enrollment fee, monthly charge, no special equipment necessary. No matter how one feels, we have to get up, get dressed and show up for life. Oh yes, and do the right thing.

So, with that in mind, we have what we need at this very moment, each one of us. What is that? Our mind  (most days of course) and ability to have discipline to focus on the challenges that have been tucked away over wintertime. Who doesnt have the excess baggage of weight yes, but- even heavier -  negativeness that seems to be like a stone around our necks. Isn’t it time to do something about it?

Yes, it’s work…and so is belief in the fact of purposeful inner cultivations- our sacred self of sorts. Thinking when we purposely plan to cultivate our inner self, we no longer look in the mirror and ask ourself “What is our purpose in life”? That can lead us down a real long path of self discovery as it should. However, in short- as I like to make it simple- “ Our purpose is to become the best we can become, do the best, be our best and start over as many times as we have to period.” Our cultivation has to begin at the root of our essence and being (and I’m not talking the plant ball root or the grey roots of our hairline).



Source: http://www.gildedimagesofmaine.com/mirrors.html

Are you Ready?



 Our truths of who our mirror image reflects can’t be found in our mirror image looking back at us. We find it as we continually dig and cultivate our inner self, one step at a time, with guidance, love, perseverance, and God’s hand in the mix for CERTAIN.. We easily cultivate our outside gardens with water, sunshine, love and plenty of prunings when necessary… The inner cultivations require just as much attentions and then some.  

Simply start.  Go look in the mirror and ask:  Are you ready?  Go ahead. Get started.. No waiting for the ground to thaw out. Get cultivating - your inner self, even while your planning your new outside gardens... and both may well be ready for the newness of springtime - to smile, bloom and blossom yet once again at the magical time of re-birth. You will be amazed how just starting, creates an ease to your day, a spring in your step and hope in your heart.

Do you find yourself not even bothering to put on the light when you look in the mirror?  I'd love to hear about it.

Namaste