Hopeful Homemaker

Three years ago my daughter came home from serving an 18 month mission in Paraguay.  She loved her experience there!  Learning new languages, learning to live in another country on a different continent, with a different climate and culture, all helped her grow dramatically.  Most of all, she learned to love people.  Knowing me and my love of textiles, she brought home some beautiful pieces of Nanduti, which is Paraguayan lace.


They are stiff and highly starched weaving of colored threads in beautiful patterns.  I love looking at them.  There are so many bright colors and designs.


She brought home a large circle for me and one for her grandma.  We framed them both for display.  I mounted them on white fabric with a few stitches to hold them in place and then we put them in frames.  When I examine these pieces of nanduti I can’t help but think about the woman whose hands wove these together.  I wonder what was going on in her life as she made them?  Are these pieces a tribute to trials, or to happiness?  Both?  I always wonder about the life behind the hands who made art I hold.


As I’ve studied them recently, I noticed similarities to many English paper piecing designs.  It’s interesting how different yet similar design elements can be, especially across miles and cultures.  I’m curious about incorporating these designs into a quilt.

She brought home several smaller flowers as well, and gave one to each of her sisters.  I decided to add mine to a quilt.  I don’t think this Paraguayan lace would wash well, so I sewed mine to my I’ll Never Walk Alone quilt .  It feels appropriate to have the nanduti on this quilt, because sending her so far away was a big event in my story, too.

I hope she treasures her life-changing experiences, so it’s nice to have reminders like this in our home.

It’s no secret that I enjoy applique .  I have a long list of patterns to make, all using applique.  But lately I’ve wanted to make more of my own shapes and try an improv, free-form style of sewing with applique.  I guess this little sand dollar applique block is my first effort.  In all our years of wandering on the beach, my kids and I have become really good at spotting sand dollars.  We’ve found them as small as 1/4 inch in diameter, and as large as a few inches across.  They’re the ultimate treasure.

It feels appropriate to have a sand dollar block somewhere in a quilt.  So I cut some fabric and decided to try my hand at this little shape.  I ended up making two sizes.  I’ll likely play with my idea some more before deciding what to do with it, but this was a lot of fun.

It was also fun to tape them to random little spots for photos.

Here’s the thing:  I want to sew my story into my quilts.  I want them to tell the story of our lives, of my family, of my heart.  This feeling has been a guiding principle for a while now in my quilting, and it just keeps growing.  So this cute little sand dollar applique block is a little piece of that story.  And I can’t sew fast enough.  I’m sure I’ll never run out of things I want to say in my quilts.

I am deeply grateful for this form of self-expression.  It’s art I can wrap around my loved ones, and a way of saying things I don’t always have words for.  Creativity is such an essential part of life.  I am happier, more confident, more content when creating has space in my daily life.  Even if it’s stitching a little sand dollar in fabric.

Happy sewing!

Jennifer

Last week I shared my finished seashell banner , and today I have another, smaller version.  This mini seashell banner was a gift for my mom.  She loves that stretch of beach as much, or more than, any of us.  I decided to see how a much smaller collection of shells might look on a tiny linen banner, and I like it.

I selected shells with more variety for hers, including some rich browns and dark blues.  The long skinny one at the top is my favorite.  I loved finding that shell with it’s tiny hole.  Yet my favorite part of this project was sharing pieces of the beach with my mom.  I’ve felt this compelling wish to somehow preserve all of it, the memories, the treasures, the feelings.  And then to share it with my extended family so we can’t forget.  I guess that’s one reason why my favorite word is “remember.”

Making this mini seashell banner also made me want to make one for each of my kids, but several of them have started their own collection of shells with holes.  Maybe I should give them a blank banner for their own arrangement?  I suppose it would be a great craft for kids to make!  Maybe I’ll plan an afternoon activity for making mini seashell banners.  I’ve also wondered what a teeny tiny version of this might look like.  Or perhaps I should think of an entirely new thing to do with my remaining shells with holes.

As I’ve mentioned before, I love the yummy combination of the shells and the linen.  The soft, cool fabric is a perfect backdrop for these little treasures.  It makes me think I should use more linen in my quilts, too.

Anyway, this cute little mini seashell banner has got me smiling.  Summer is flying by, and I’m determined to gather more treasures in the form of memories before it’s over.  I hope you’re doing the same!