Driving in to work this morning down the wilderness highway from Fox Lake
we pass the first clusters of school children standing in the clear morning light at the ends of long driveways
waiting for the first glimpse of the yellow school bus to appear on the horizon.
Tendrils and wisps of fog rise from the wet chip-sealed highway
making misty the dripping scarlet leaves of fireweed gone cotton
the blown wild roses, the foxtails and cold-stunted aspen.
These fledglings scamper madly amongst the hillocks of wet grasses
lunches packed securely in backpacks of hello kitty pink and batman blue
unaware of the long vista stretching before them
thinking only of this moment
this first day of school
this hallmark of summer’s end.
This is my 6th installment of Just Write, an exercise in free writing your ordinary and extraordinary moments. I am linking up with The Extraordinary Ordinary.
I’m really moving right along with these sibling quilts! Here is quilt number two:
It measures 43″ x 30″ – a nice size for a preschooler. I was digging around in the bottom of my stash and I came up with six 6″ squares of bright cartoon jungle print that my friend Karyne had given me years and years ago and that I had totally forgotten about.
I dug out some jellyroll strips in bright primary colours, cut up a dark blue cotton pillowcase donated by Pam for the background and sewed up six wonky courthouse square blocks.
I hand tied it with red yarn and ran around the outside border with the machine. I’m pretty sure that the machine lines are a lot straighter in person than they look in the picture. And if they aren’t, well, I guess they’re just a lot like me, lol!
Don’t ya just love pictures of quilts all rolled up? I do! Something about the colours against the binding just makes me smile.
I’m linking in with Cat Patches for her New Fabric Object linky party. We’re supposed to show what we started in April. I started the project of making three quilts for three little boys. Two down, one to go!
It seems this year I do not know
if the snow will ever go.
In March it sits here like a brick
(not a brick like “you’re a brick, Dick”),
I mean a brick like bricks and mortar,
the kind used in the Latin Quarter.
Winter hard and cold and cruel
will last until the end of school,
and instead of flying kites,
all the kids will get frostbite.
No more soccer, bikes or bats,
for them it’s mittens, scarves and hats.
Cry and wail and weep away,
it’s in the snow you’re forced to play.
Sleds and skates and hockey pucks,
if you don’t like it, then you’re (ahem) out of luck.
For no matter how you plea,
summer’s just not meant to be.
Be the change you want to see in the world. ~Mahatma Gandhi
What change would I like to see in the world? I would like to see people treasure and take care of each other for no other reason than that we all matter. I also believe that change begins at home. There is so much need in the world, and it is easy to feel helpless to do anything about it. But there is something that we can do. One small act of kindness shows someone else that they matter.
How can I be the change that I would like to see? I have given this a lot of thought, and I have chosen to keep an ongoing charity quilt project. I want to give quilts to kids who need to know that they are important in the world. I’m calling them Because You Matter quilts, and they will be given to kids who are in the child welfare system. These are kids and teens who are having a hard time and who could use the gift of a handmade quilt to wrap up in for the simple reason that they matter.
I struggled with whether or not to put it on the website. I’ve come close to taking it off many times, thinking that it’s better to keep my project private, fearful of mis-understanding, of being judged for bragging. But I keep deciding to leave it up because I want to put the thought into your mind that everyone can do something. Even you! You can donate to your local food bank, you can send a child in a third-world country to school by donating to organizations such as Christian Children’s fund, you can keep granola bars in your pocket to give to that homeless man begging on the corner instead of simply ignoring him and walking by.
If donating materials to this quilting project is something you would like to do, just drop me a line and I’ll let you know if I’m looking for anything specific at the time. Things I am always looking for are backing fabric in 3 m lengths (simple prints on quilting cotton or flannel. solid colours or prints suitable for children through teens), 1-2 metre lengths of solid neutrals for backgrounds (white, sand, grey or black) or solids of any colour for bright backgrounds. A pre-cut such as a jellyroll or layer cake will make an entire quilt top. Maybe you are a quilter and have a stash you’d like to clean out – I’ll give it a good home! If you aren’t sure, just ask!
My first Because You Matter quilt has gone out into the world! It is a crib-sized Sticks & Stones. A terrific “blankie” size for a 2 – 6 year-old. It is hand-quilted.
This is absolutely the most wonderfully fun goofy silliness I’ve seen in a long time. I watched it twice (the 2nd time on my big screen with Apple TV) and I smiled and laughed the entire way through both times. I think they should play this before every World Leaders and other assorted “upper management” meeting.
I found it over at Sean L. Bird’s site, and am compelled to grab the YouTube link and spread the crazy love. Enjoy! And hey, if you want to get up and dance along, don’t let me stop you!
