HAND MADE - Photo Challenge

It is an amazing feeling when you finish. All those hours hand-piecing and hand-quilting and you can finally step back and enjoy it on the wall, or on the bed. 
But. . .
you are extremely careful in the beginning. Are your hands shiny clean? Please don't sit ON it. Roll it down very carefully and please don't ever let it touch the floor.

But then life happens, you lighten up and forget about the many hours it took to make and now you just want to enjoy it in each way possible. 


It gets pulled off the wall when there are no more extra blankets for those college-aged quests. It gets wrapped around a body as they run out in the brisk cold to get something out of the car (and I know it got dragged in the snow!) It has even cuddled up kids while they were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while watching a movie. And most recently has been a cozy abode for one of our resident felines.

It's not that I forget how long I worked on it, it just gets put into perspective. It's sort of like labor, when one swears they will never go through that again but within a short amount of time there's talk of more babies.

This quilt holds a special place in my heart because it was the last quilt I worked on with a very special quilt teacher and friend who lost her battle with cancer. 

So there's even more reason to live with this quilt, to touch it, use it, enjoy it and cherish the memories of the hard work along with the multitude of joys.

This week's photo challenge is *HAND MADE* hosted by RAZMATAZ.  
Go take a peek at other hand made photos!


                                   happy day!

LET FREEDOM RING

Happy Independence Day

I wish that every human life might be pure transparent freedom.  

~Simone de Beauvoir

MEMORIAL DAY

Peace to each manly soul that sleepeth;

Rest to each faithful eye that weepeth...

~Thomas Moore

CHANGE IS GOOD

I always feel good when I make some changes to a room or add in a new color or fabric. Change is good. To see things in a new light, or add empty space where there was none, is always refreshing.


I painted the inside back of a tall bookcase purple, or in precise terms *Vintage Claret* ( by  B.M.).

 The vintage claret color flows with a few toss pillows (by Susan Sargent) . . .

a painted dresser in the kitchen, and these *funky* painted island legs which have the same color.

I took down the large quilt on the wall, that we use to cozy up the great room in the colder months,

 and moved the bookcase to that long inside wall, along with a bench and a small wallhanging.  The bookcase blends right into the wall as they are both painted clementine. I told you my house was *funky* and full of color !

I thought of adding one or two more tall bookcases, and attach modeling to the fronts so they have that built-in look, but eventually, there will be a spiral staircase to the loft where the bench and small wallhanging are now.  

To access the loft now, we move the bench out a bit and climb a ladder. The kids do,that is, not me :)

 Everything takes time, and most everything takes money, but there are usually small things we can do and change around our house and property to make ourselves happier. 


I like to think positive and look at what we *have* done and not dwell on all the things we still need to do.  I have always called it our *joyful journey* and it still is.


happy day!