Catching Up 3

My most recent quilt is again for a high school graduate, my "ex"-nephew, who has decided to study pottery.

It was sad to be sewing this quilt after the divorce was set into motion.

It started with a basic windmill pattern.

I was not familiar with this pattern, but I had picked up some antique windmill blocks and noticed they made an interesting pattern side-by-side (pairs of light squares, alternating horizontal and vertical):

 

I jumped into a purple-and-brown quilt using this scheme, but I did not enjoy sewing so many bias seams together:

Once I started changing my orientation to "on point", I noticed that [duh!] the pattern was simply an alternating one-square and four-square, but a four-square that had been given some more dimension using triangles:

Despite all the extra effort, I like the end product:

And my nephew does, too! He wrote me the nicest note, how he hopes to become as proficient as pottery as I am at quilting. I was so honored.

Catching Up 2

I've told you about my Egyptian exchange daughter, Nadia. After such difficult foster children, she was a dream come true. She lit up our lives, she made our lives as happy and vibrant as could be.

Here is her beautiful face:

Here she is, in an Egyptian costume I sewed for her for Halloween:

Here is the quilt I made her:

Here is the back of the quilt I made her.

The backing fabric worked out quite well. The blue figures almost look like Arabic calligraphy:

She still writes me by Messenger, and last week I got my first phone call from her via Messenger! It was amazing to experience her sweetness again. It was almost too much to bear. 







Catching Up 1

It's been a while since I've been on here.

It's been a busy winter-spring. My husband and I loved everything about our Egyptian exchange daughter: her bright smile, her easy laughter, her optimistic view of life.

And then the week after she left us, in June, we commenced the paperwork for a divorce. It is final now, and I hope to move into my new house in 3 weeks. This quilt was made in May for a young graduate who volunteers at the radio station.

I was able to use some pieces of the young man's toddler and elementary-school clothes in the design. I also used some of my husband's old shirts (made by me).

I hope to make this pattern again.