spring projects

I have dropped the ball terribly in terms of maintaining this blog! so much for my new year's resolution to post something every month - I did say that, didn't I? oh well, I'm nothing if not consistent - this resolution, went the way most of my new year resolutions go - which is why I make a point of not making new year resolutions!

my lack of posting doesn't mean I haven't been completely unproductive. here are some snaps of three projects I completed since the last time I posted.

a baby quilt - an uncomplicated pattern, your basic many trips around the world. I like to make baby quilts that will be used -- which is why I tend prefer quilt designs that don't intimidate. I envision that a magical mouse baby quilt will be used (and abused) for years. all of the baby quilts I make are made with 100% cotton materials and completely machine washable. I love it when I see one of my baby quilts years later and it is ragged and threadbare - then I know it gave love and was loved.

the colors and material chosen for this quilt were chosen to represent the four classical elements - earth, water, air, and fire. encircling the blue border is an adaptation of a native american prayer. the words I have stitched on the border are:

Through the returning seasons may I walk.
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.
With grasshoppers about my feet may I walk.
With dew about my feet may I walk.
In beauty may I walk.

last month our friends randeep and adam were married - to celebrate their union I made one of my tried and true wedding wall-hangings. the symbolism of the wall-hanging is obvious - the colors I choose for the rings represent the couples favorite colors. it is a coincidence that the last two wedding wall-hangings I have done have been for couples which favor red and blue - in fact, this quilt looks very much like the last one - the border fabrics are the same I used in this are the same as I used in that. I had just enough of both the multicolor border fabric for one more wall-hanging - which I think is great as I really like the fabrics.

also this spring I had an interesting project. it actually turned out much better than I anticipated for I had never attempted such a thing before. a friend asked me if I could make "a ham with legs" for him so he could give it to his girlfriend as a gift for mother's day. the back story is the girlfriend has a bulldog which they affectionately refer to as "a ham with legs" - he wanted to surprise his girlfriend with token of his affection for her and her dog.

unfortunately, there is a sad end to this story. the gift was a great sucess - my friend was pleased with how it turned out and his girlfriend, when presented with the gift was tickled and touched. but alas, the relationship did not last - a bit more than a month after he presented the ham to his girl, they broke up. I don't know what has or will happen to the stuffed ham....maybe the canine version of "the ham with legs" will get hold of it the stuffed one.