jennifer, Author at Hopeful Homemaker

A Lesson in Holes: My Finished Seashell Banner

June 28, 2022 jennifer Musings on Life and Beauty, Quilting and Sewing

A few years ago I began sewing my seashells with holes in them to this linen seashell banner . I’ve written here and here about how I love these simple, ordinary shells. Especially shells with holes. After years of adding one here and there, my banner is covered in beautiful shells found on the beach. Each one of them came from the same 1.5 mile stretch of beach where we spend time every summer, collected over years. So here it is, my finished seashell banner.

The holes were there when I found them. Actually, the holes represent their undoing. The telltale hole is evidence of a drilling predator, which drilled the hole and ate the soft flesh inside, leaving the shell empty. At some point, it washed ashore. Unconsiously, my eyes now spot shells with holes faster than anything else on the beach. That hole was the end of the story; but it’s the hole that makes it useful to me.

I think life is like that. A hard thing comes along, drills into us, eats us up inside. It leaves a mark, a hole, evidence that we’re flawed. But the very thing that appears to be our undoing, can also be our making! I look at these ordinary, flawed objects, and I see beauty, survival, grit. Did you know that the older the shell is, the more white it becomes? I look at these shells and see me, my journey as a mother. I see my undoing and my making.

So I’ve slowly filled all the space with rows of shells, organized by size, color, type. Each one so unique. Look closely and you’ll never find a duplicate. These shells I’ve collected for years are now hanging on my wall next to my study desk. They remind me daily that my holes actually make me more useful, more relatable, more compassionate. They are part of me and it’s ok to have been changed by them. In fact, they’ve made me better, even if I look more flawed. I treasure my finished seashell banner, full of memories and hope.

So many walks along the beach represented here, plus a reminder of my worth. This was a rewarding project. I wonder what I’ll do next with my shells…. time to start brainstorming!

Jennifer

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Ragan’s Soccer t-shirt Quilt

June 23, 2022 jennifer Quilting and Sewing

Have you ever made a t-shirt quilt? I hadn’t, until 2020 when a dear friend asked me to make one for her daughter. I was nervous, but said yes. So here it is: Ragan’s soccer t-shirt quilt, filled with memories and evidence of great accomplishment.

Ragan selected her favorites, and on many of them they pinned a note saying what she liked most about the shirt. This really helped me when cutting the shirts and deciding which parts to use. In addition to t-shirts there are some jerseys and a large mix of fabrics. I chose a few basic measurements and started cutting.

I ironed a stabilizer to the back of each piece so it wouldn’t warp and stretch when sewn together. Mine was really lightweight, perhaps lighter than is ideal. But it was a pandemic and SO hard to find things, so I had to work with what I could get. In the end it turned out ok.

The layout is one I worked out based on all the shirts I had, and I filled in the holes with small strips, patches, or emblems from various shirts. I tried to balance color to some degree, but this is really a gallery quilt. The one inch black sashing ties it all together.

Melissa quilted it for me , and she was so great to accomodate the thick necklines, patches, and other obstacles to her machine. It turned out fantastic. Honestly, I wasn’t a huge fan of t-shirt quilts until I made this. Now, I see their value for preserving memory and history, and I want to make one for each of my kids.

Ragan is more than an exceptional soccer player; she is an outstanding young woman in so many ways. My family and I are blessed to know her and her family. This was a fun way to serve people we love.

Because it was 2020, I included Ragan’s soccer t-shirt quilt in my 20 in 20 project , which I also finished recently. I’ll share it soon!

Happy Sewing, Jennifer

Prairie Sweets Quilt

June 21, 2022 jennifer Quilting and Sewing

I am excited to share my Prairie Sweets Quilt today. When I started it, I was so intimidated by needle turn applique!

The pattern intrigued me but it was definitely a stretch for my skills at the time. Looking back, this quilt started my love of applique.

I made it with Anna Maria Horner’s Pretty Potent collection. The background fabrics are a mixed selection of low volume Swiss dot from various manufacturers. This was the first applique project that I started carrying with me in the car for on-the-go stitching. I still remember my view at several soccer tournaments, stitching circles happily in the car while waiting for the game to begin.

I finished it years ago , and it sat because I had no idea how to quilt it, and no budget for the custom quilting I wanted. When I finally got serious about quilting Prairie Sweets myself, I turned to my sketchbook and started doodling until something came together. Although it’s flawed, and definitely NOT the work of a longarm professional, I am thrilled with how it turned out. It’s one of my best quilting efforts on my little machine.

I had carefully preserved the centers of my rings when making the blocks, so I put them to use. I appliqued them to smaller low volume background squares and used them for the backing. That gorgeous strip of Amy Butler fabric at the top makes it look like a temple, or castle. I framed the whole thing with more AMH fabric to complete the back. It’s one of my favorites to date.

I love the way the quilting looks in the next two photos. I am proud of my work and glad to see progress in my skills. And patience! Courage, too, I suppose. It’s so nice to have this one done so we can enjoy it.

Framing the rings with another ring of small circles let me join the blocks to each other without starting and stopping, and the corners as well.

This Prairie Sweets quilt is a really fun and versatile pattern. It’s a lovely showcase for the beautiful prints. Although it seems like yesterday that I was sewing with them, they’re about eight years old now – but I still love them.

So here we are, a finished quilt 8 years after it’s beginning. I hope to push a lot of older projects across the finish line this summer. It’s fun to bring them back and make them useful.

Happy Sewing!

Jennifer