Learning....to Quilt (again)

My Quilting Story

Chapter 1 : As a young girl (somewhere between 7 and 10 years old), my mom and I took a quilting class at church. I'm pretty sure that it was only a few sessions and all I remember is sharing something special with my mommy & making a pillow.

Chapter 2: After graduating from college, I worked part-time at a fabric and craft store.  That was the craftiest season of my life.  Somehow, someway I took it upon myself to make a quilt for my mother.  I had just purchased my first sewing machine and was raring to go.  Picked my pattern and fabric and off I went.  What did I get myself into?  My greatest memories are that my machine jammed a lot & that I was not exact enough in my cutting. Not very fond memories and I think I swore off quilting. But, my mom was delighted and loved the quilt.  It graced the back of her couch (and her lap) for 20 years.

Chapter 3: About five years ago, my mom started quilting. She had wanted to hand quilt for many years, but felt that, with working and caring for my grandmother, she didn't have the time. But she finally resigned herself to the fact that machine quilting was good enough and that she needed to get started. She decided to make quilts for all her grandkids and found a couple quilting groups.

In 2010, Mom presented Lara with the first grandchild quilt. 

And while she was visiting, she took Mikayla and Julia to the fabric store to pick fabric for their quilts. However, Mom's health started to deteriorate and she did not have the ability or time to quilt as often as she wanted. Over the next four years, she completed Julia's then Mikayla's quilts.

Chapter 4... February 2014 - One of the hardest months of my life as my parents both passed away just five days apart. Soon after hearing of my mom's death, my thoughts and heart went to the quilts and all the love she put into them. That sad day I wrapped myself up in Mikayla's quilt to feel near to my mommy. And I mourned that two of my girls did not have Grandma quilts. 

I started making arrangements for someone to finish Karissa's quilt which my mom had already planned. And I decided to give Alexa the quilt I made for mom years ago. 

Chapter 5: God had different plans. I am making Alexa's Grandma Ellie quilt. And renewing my quilting story. All I know of mom's plans was that Alexa's quilt would include fabrics from the other girls' quilts, so I'm going scrappy. It was bittersweet going through my mom's stash and finding pieces of her past projects. I came home with a suitcase full of fabrics she had acquired... and touched...and loved...many she had cut and some she had even sewed. 

This story is one about working through my feelings of loss and feeling connected to my mother. My mom has inspired me to try quilting again. I miss her dearly, but knowing that I am carrying on something she started brings me comfort. 

And I am genuinely enjoying it. There are so many more tools and techniques since I swore off quilting 20 years ago. I have been longing for a creative outlet and this can be it. I know that this brings Mom joy.

My quilting story continues.

Learning....to let her experiment

Today my bold, confident, "jump-right-in" daughter (that would be Lara) decided it would be an experiment day. On her agenda....play dough & slime.  She reviewed a few YouTube videos, felt she knew how to do it and then took over the kitchen.

Out came the mixing bowls, measuring cups, food coloring, flour, salt, borax and glue. And into the kitchen came two little sisters. I am proud of  Lara for graciously including them, but seeing all three with sticky homemade-playdough-hands (and clothes after rubbing their hands on their shirts) made me start to cringe.

This is where my learning/growing process comes into play. I admire Lara's confidence. She is not wary of trying new things. She charges forward with ideas and she boldly loves others by including them in her life. But sometimes (ok, lots of times) her confidence emerges as an impetuous, act-without-thinking manner. I'm learning that when Lara puts her mind to try something potentially messy and wasteful, as long as she's not in danger I need to hold back my instinct to thwart - or control - the plan and let her experiment.

So, instead of focusing on the kichen mess, I reminded myself that they are only kids once. And that they only have each learning moment once. So, what did I want the girls to learn? That messes are a reason to get upset and controlling? Or that life is full of messes and mistakes that we need to deal with and "clean up" in a loving way? Did I want them to believe that a clean kitchen is more important than their discovery? Or learn that I believed in them, knowing that they would clean up after themselves?

The greatest lesson learned came after Lara'a slime making. Actually, we need to call it the wad-of-colored-something making. Slime it is not, but not for lack of trying. Lara went through 3 bottles of glue and unknown amounts of Borax trying to get the right consistency.

Lara: "I feel like I wasted everthing"
Me: It was only a few bottles of glue. Let's examine your end product later to see what you did make. What did you learn?
Lara: That I should have followed the directions better.

Aha! Very valuable lesson learned. And I didn't need to control the learning experience for Lara to draw that conclusion.

Reminds me of Isaiah 54:13 (NIV)
           All your children will be taught by the Lord , and great will be their peace.

God is our ultimate teacher and I am thankful that my children discern the wisdom He has for them. And thankful that He loves me enough to remind me that it is important to let my children learn from Him.

Learning...to just start blogging

For years I've considered actually writing posts here in our family blog. But there always seems some reason not to. Among those reasons:

    ”What do I have to say that someone else (lots of someone else's} isn't already writing about?"
    "Who would care what I have to say, so why bother if no one will read it?"
     "I don't have an  especially witty and entertaining 'voice'."
      "I'm typically not consistent, so why even start something that I may not finish?"
      "I don't know all the do's and don'ts of blogging"

I am going to stop making these excuses and turn them into positives.

    "The value will be in the writing, not the reading,  I will be blessed as I record our life experiences to look back on in the years to come."
    "My family will read this, and it will bless them."
    "The more I write, the more likely I will find my voice."
    "I want consistency. I desire consistency, so here is a chance to grow and change."
    "I can learn all i need to know as i go. This will be a great model for my girls and other learners."

And so, my blogging journey begins........ NOW!