Comfort Quilt #3 ~

What?!? September is passing and I haven't posted here since August 28? ...Oh, yeah, I'm back to school and time is marching on ....


This school year, the door opens to the sweetest bunch of kids than I've had for a long time. Good listeners, mostly getting along well. I'm glad for the calling of working in a place where your coworkers give daily hugs, and want to talk with you, even take the time to draw you art work and let you know that you are the best (teacher) they have ever had in their (short) life. Things like that keep me grinning most of the day, lol!

 

I was waiting for Larry to edit these pictures so I could share the cool pieces in it. This is a Comfort quilt for my friend Jeannette. It is made from her husband's shirts.


I found this quilt a challenge. Nothing I pictured was "jelling" to suit what I hoped for it to come!



 Last year the two girls quilts were completed in time for Christmas, as Jeannette had requested the comfort they could bring for them with Daddy gone that first Christmas.

 ~quilt label written on Daddy's collar~

Jesse was killed last September in a motorcycle accident on his way to his job as a Police Detective for Los Angeles, California. It was such a tragedy, and he left a big hole in our lives and our church family, not to mention his beloved family, with a wife, adult son, 18 year old daughter and a seven year old daughter.








For these 2 quilts, I worked with his shirts and other fabrics to pull the designs off, using colors the the girls liked. 


But, Jeannette expressed the desire for hers to be only shirts, "For me, it's about his shirts," was her statement.

 

 Jesse was an officer that dressed in suits for work and also at church. Most of the ones I was given are dress shirts, solid colors.

 

I tried 3 different ideas: 4 patches from 5 inch blocks, then hst's that became hourglass blocks, 5 1/2 inches...I had set aside the white shirts to use for the background, on the points of the stars...

 I needed to add the pockets*,

 but those squares were 

so big (6 1/2 inches) 

that they looked -blah. 

*"The finish will have a couple of pockets from Daddy's shirts. Daddy's heart was right there under those pockets once, and it's a place she can put her hand to remember that his heart is still with her."


 

 

 My original plan was to make stars, but...I still was struggling, and not really happy with all these odd sized, cut up, solid blocks!




Also, the shirts were cut and there was no more! This is when my designer husband reminded me that as an artist, he is often called on to complete a client's desire, and that it does not always become what he wanted-- but it will be done well. 

 I think the nine patch blocks 

in the center of 3 stars finally 

gave me that patch feel 

I wanted. 

I started laying out the different elements, then worked out the patches to fit. Sewing it together finally brought the smiles and peace I was seeking ~









I was able to use all the various pieced blocks, plus added a few other patches here and there for the "filler' spots~




 



I hope to find time to quilt on this in the coming month. or so...
:-}








Other projects beside school that are going on:

• baby quilt for "Harmony Grace" (don't you love that name?)
• big time mending on 7 pairs of jeans~ most for clients, 2 for Larry
• juicing pomegranates 
• hoping to make pomegranate jelly!
• cutting, sorting and mailing 224 charms for the low volume swap

 

• also, cutting numerous 2 1/2" strips for organization

I am sure there has been more randomness, but that's all this brain is remembering for now. Hope you all will have a great week ahead~

 


"(Let us) hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption." Psalm 130:7