Quilting by check, and remembering Mom

When I pay someone else to do the quilting, it actually gets done.  Here is my finished version of Gay Bomer's Heartfelt. I finished the binding a few days ago.

It fits a queen bed, if you don't need a pillow tuck, which I never use on my own bed. Haven't decided on the destination for this quilt yet. Maybe it is already there.

I just tossed it over my bed for this photo, and I got it a bit crooked. Sorry. It really bothers me to look at it--I want to reach out and straighten it, like I would a picture on someone's wall. I didn't see the "crookedness" until I uploaded the photo to my computer. But I was too lazy to repeat the process to get a photo that wasn't crooked. 

I folded it back a little to get a photo of the backing fabric. Yup, those are bees. On the back of this staid, Civil War repro quilt there is a swarm or two of bees livening things up.

And the day after I had finished the binding on that quilt, I got a call from the quilter that my next one was finished. This had been aging in my storage for over 22 years. I love what she did with it!

Here is a closer view of the quilting.

This was made using the Wyoming Valley Star block pattern, and it was chosen for a very specific reason. Twenty-five years ago our family participated in a re-enactment of the 1847 crossing of the plains from Nebraska to Utah, representing our pioneer ancestors who were part of that experience. Our family spent 4 days and 5 nights with the trek, and we were on that journey through part of the state of Wyoming. Hence the choice of the Wyoming Valley Star block.

For months leading up to our trek experience I had been sewing clothing for the family using patterns that people have drafted from actual clothing of that era. I made 2 dresses for myself and each of our 2 daughters (nothing like making dresses from modern patterns), and after making a shirt each for my husband and our two sons, I hired someone to make the rest of their clothes. I was burned out. It was the scraps from the dresses, aprons, bonnets and shirts that became this Wyoming Valley Star quilt. 

Here we are in all our costumed glory, posing in the surrey (with the fringe on top) which our local dentist used for his family to travel on the trek. We were part of the handcart company, and walked between 14 to 22 miles per day--with a handcart in tow.

Crazy to think the children in this photo are in their 30s and 40s now! 

I wish all mothers a good Mother's Day. It isn't about having been a perfect mother. It is about doing your best to love and nurture. This is my first Mother's Day without my mother. I know I am not alone in that. It is a bit lonely to not be sharing this day with her. She was a good mom, and I know there were happy reunions in heaven when she "graduated".

This was a photo of Mom and me on our shared anniversary three years ago. Hubby brought flowers to each of us while I was helping her that day, and he took this photo of us. I prefer to remember her this way, rather than the frail little thing she had become when she passed. She was quick-witted, very good at word games, an avid quilter, reader, and gardener, an excellent seamstress, and crocheter, and she had beautiful handwriting--but she didn't like to cook. Miss you, Mom!

Until next time, be creative, and be kind.

Janet O.