Category: Quilting

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Creativity, It’s In You

Growing up, I did not feel like I was creative AT ALL.  I sucked at painting, drawing, sewing, woodworking, writing, and the list could go on…  I always admired others creativity and was somewhat jealous that I didn’t have the same gifting.   I believed that you predominantly use either the left or right side of the brain, wherein the left side of the brain is logical, methodical and analytical, whereas the right side of the brain is creative and artistic.  Since I was good at math and science, I thought, well, I guess creativity is out of the picture for me.  Thank God this belief was WRONG!!!

A couple of years after I went through leukemia, I went to Elmira, Ontario for a day trip.  While there, I was in one of the stores where on display was beautiful Mennonite Quilts. I fell in love with them and wanted to buy one (a queen-sized quilt).  The problem was, I didn’t have the money to purchase one (they were around $2,000-$3,000).  I decided right there I would learn how to quilt.

 

So, I went to the book store, bought the book “Quilting for Dummies” by Cheryl Fall, read the whole book and bought some fabric and kits.  The first few quilts were table runners I made from kits and they were relatively simple. I was quite proud of them, and in fact and gave them away as gifts to family.

At some point, I decided I wanted to make my Mom and my Dad each a Memory Quilt. I thought long and hard about what  I would do for each of them.  My Mom loves to read her Bible in the mornings and she and had been going through a difficult time over the past several years. So I decided to purchase an Embroidery/Sewing Machine. I embroidered several verses from Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 on the border area.  Within the quilt, I also placed pictures of family members that I had printed  onto “Printable fabric”.

My Dad loves music and plays the saxophone, clarinet and flute.  So, his quilt included music notes with the faces of his family members used as the notes, as well I used several blocks that had meaning to them that I felt represented my Dad.

This was the first time I had made a quilt with no pattern. I knew the quilts were going to be lap quilts, so I had a basic size in mind and used colours that would compliment their home.  There were points where I had run out of a fabric I was using and could not get more of said fabric, so I used creative ways to incorporate a new fabric into the quilts. This was the first time I felt, well, creative.

I hope my experience will encourage you!  If you feel you are not creative, don’t believe it.  All of us have creativity within us. It’s a matter of reflecting on what you love and thinking about how you can express it creatively.  Look around you, creativity is everywhere from nature to man-made buildings. Read books on things you think are interesting.  Take a class, there are plenty online.  Just do something and explore your creative side.  The process may seem difficult at first, but one day, you will look back, see how far you have come and be quite proud of what you have created.

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Heart Gifts

Several years ago, a friend of mine was diagnosed with Melanoma.  When she told me, we hugged each other and cried together.  I immediately set to work to create a quilt for her. It was my way of tangibly doing something.  I gave her the blanket and was honoured with her words of thanks.  She posted to her own blog the following message…

Heart Gifts

I was an older teenager, perhaps even a young adult when I first read about the concept of “heart gifts.” A heart gift is just what it says – a gift of the heart. It can be anything at all. If you’ve had contact with children, you’ve likely received many a heart gift, be that a picture, even if you can’t make out what it is (so…tell me about your drawing? – safest way to approach the “what is this?” question) or  being honoured with a treasured doll or possession. A heart gift can be anything that someone gives you with you in mind – it might be bought or it might be made. The ones with the most meaning are made or written. One Christmas my family didn’t have much in the way of money so I decided to write out “heart gifts” for my parents and brother. It was quite an eye opener for me to find things to say to each person – I believe I wrote about what I could do for them as a heart gift – doing my brother’s chores for a month, taking out the garbage for my father, doing my mother’s household chores for a month. It was definitely a gift because it involved my putting out energy and being committed to the “gift” for the entire time frame allotted. No backing out, no defaulting to another time. If you give a “heart gift” you have to give it your all.

John and I have been given many “heart gifts” these past few weeks as friends have dropped off food, sent cards of encouragement, phoned me regularly, sent small gifts. They have all meant so much to me.

I received a beautiful “heart gift” yesterday. My friend Jodi made me the most beautiful rag quilt. She has struggled with her own health issues over the past several years so she knows what it’s like. This quilt is special in so many ways. First, it’s a rag quilt – something Jodi and I have talked about as I want to learn how to make one. Secondly, it’s a prayer quilt – certain squares have the praying hands embroidered on them (I love that symbol) – a reminder that prayer is woven throughout my journey. Thirdly (is that even a word???) – Jodi has chosen beautiful earthy colours for this quilt – greens, rusts, golden yellows, browns, creams and a forest scene that is so peaceful to look at – she knows what colours are soothing for me. This is indeed a “heart gift” – it has taken her some time to finish this for me and it reflects the things that I love about nature.

Thank you so much Jodi – this Ragged Prayer quilt will accompany me for the remainder of my hospital treatment visits and will be a constant reminder of your loving heart.

“As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person” Proverbs 27:19

 

Sadly, on March 31, 2017, my friend, Kathryn Pepper, lost her battle with cancer.  It was her words that pushed me towards starting this website and making lap quilts for other friends or acquaintances that have been diagnosed with cancer.  Unfortunately, I didn’t take a picture of the quilt I made her, but I have attached an image of the praying hands that I used on her quilt.

I miss Kathryn and I thank God I had the privilege of knowing her and being part of her life and journey for a time and look forward to seeing her again one day.