Hopeful Homemaker

Saturday’s Stash

June 25, 2016 jennifer Saturday's Stash

Yesterday I cut some fabric for a new quilt, and as I cut it, I thought of my sister and remembered that I only bought it because she told me about the sale. I smiled to think that thanks to her, I have this beautiful fabric, and the memory of sharing it with her. After a quick phone call to thank her for sharing this beautiful hobby with me, I decided I’d like to document my fabric stash a little more. So here we go!

The above pieces come from local quilt shops. I bought the last of the Tiger Lily floral on the left along with a couple of pieces of lawn (middle two) from Broadbent’s Quilt Shop in Lehi. They sponsor the Utah County Modern Quilt Group , which I love being a part of. The piece on the right came from Just Sew in Highland. I’ve been drawn more lately to softer pinks, corals and even browns. Usually I prefer cool colors, but these warm prints have been sitting together for a few weeks because I love looking at them. I think a quilt in this color scheme needs to happen soon!

I also owe a huge thank you to Missouri Quilt Company . I searched online to find a source for these Radiant Girl bunny prints by Koko Seki , and was lucky enough to find them there. The Bread ‘n Butter jelly roll was one of their daily deals ( you should always check those out; they’re awesome). I placed my order and watched my email and on the day that my local post office said they delivered the package, nothing arrived. They never located my package and I was disappointed. After a few weeks I sent an email to Missouri Quilt Company and to my total surprise they resent the package, no questions asked, at no charge to me! I was VERY impressed with their customer service. I would not have spent the money twice to order these items, and so am grateful to have them. They’re so pretty! You can bet I’ll order from them again.

Finally, I’ve added three of Kathy Doughty’s quilt books to my library.

Making Quilts , published in 2013, has 21 projects in a wide range of styles. It’s the first quilting book in a while that I think I’d like to make everything in it. It’s fantastic.

Adding Layers is a book I saw when it was newly released and although I didn’t immediately purchase it, it kind of got stuck in my head and was #1 on my wish list. I’ve already started on the Vintage Spin quilt in that book. And Mixing Quilt Elements is the newest release, all about mixing all the techniques and elements you know to find your own voice and create quilts that are uniquely YOU. This resonates deeply with me and is a journey I’m excited to begin.

Taking her class in May was a great experience for me and I saw many of the quilts featured in these books in person. They are so very beautiful. I love the way Kathy uses color and pattern in unexpected ways. I was fortunate to purchase two of the books before the workshop, and she graciously signed them for me.

Home

June 25, 2016 jennifer Musings on Life and Beauty

I spent the first half of my day scrubbing egg off the front of my house, and porch, and garage, etc. Feeling a little bit picked on, wondering why people do things like that, why it is that I get to be the one whose day is hijacked by someone else’s 3 minutes of “fun.” The disgusting smell of egg, stacked on top of three days spent at hospitals and doctor’s offices for injuries and surgery pre-op appointments, broken air conditioning, all causing a week gone haywire, I was managing a pretty decent pity party.

Until I saw this beautiful lily opening up. The bright yellow, the memory of how it came to be planted there, the perfection of it, softened my heart and I remembered what a pleasant thing it is to be outdoors in the mornings. And then the lily made me remember the One who has been cleaning up after me, after all of us, every day of my life. I began to wonder about times when my brief (or not so brief) lapses in judgment and performance cause Him additional pain and effort. Pity fled and gratitude swept in to take it’s place.

We’ve been out of town for a soccer tournament and a family reunion. It’s fun to come home and see what’s changed. The bees are hard at work in my lavender and I love it. Time to begin the harvest. Another blessing.

Small things. Regardless of the annoyances that mortality throws at me, even when it feels like the load is out of balance, I’m happy to be here. Home is such a comforting place.

Slow Down

May 27, 2016 jennifer Musings on Life and Beauty

My children are all off to school for the last day of the 2015-16 school year. I hear lawnmowers and birdsong through my open windows, and this morning I took a tour of my peonies to check on their progress. They are so beautiful at every stage.

I wrote a few weeks ago that spring, more than the other seasons, reminds me to slow down and live in the moment. Last night as our family played games together in the backyard, I looked around and felt so content. We were together, with no urgent to-do list breathing down our necks. It felt SO good. It’s been interesting to watch the end of year stress begin to lift and dissipate, allowing for some unscheduled naps and creative play. It makes me happy. I am so ready for this.

In my mind, they’re walking through the door today to stay. Mine for the summer. Except it really isn’t the case anymore. There will be the flurry of end-of-year parties, followed closely by soccer tryouts and the ongoing soccer and football practices that we’ve planned the summer around. My teenagers will spend much of their time elsewhere with friends, we’ll be off to reunions and vacations and hosting guests when they’re in town. We have a surgery scheduled. Birthdays, holidays, tournaments, and the day to day work of ten people in the house. It’s a different brand of busy, and I want to slow it down.

I want to bottle my six year old in all her first grade, precious stage. I want her voice to stay just as it is, especially when she reads to me. I want to hear my seventeen year old daughter’s daily reports on life forever. I want to memorize all of them as they are right now. Oh, we mothers have so much to keep and ponder in our hearts! I want this summer to nourish and bless each of them in their development. Today it feels like we have an endless supply of golden days stretching out in front of us, but really it will be gone as fast as my lilacs and peonies.

Today I have a growing prayer in my heart for wisdom, strength, and enthusiasm to be the mother they deserve, to navigate the days and weeks purposefully, and especially to slow down and enjoy it. To smell ALL the flowers. Read good books. Play in the sun. Get enough sleep. Be happy. Love.

Happy summer to all of us.