lap quilting
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The Holidays are a great time of year. People just seem friendlier and nostalgia permeates celebrations everywhere. It is also gift-giving time - an opportunity to show others how much you care and what they mean to you, as a family member or friend.
The decision on what to give is all part of the festivities. You decide on a gift that you will make - whether you knit, quilt, paint, cook, bake, etc. You pull out your very favorite recipes or patterns and think about the recipient of this gift as you work. There is no limit to the time and care you take - the quality of the ingredients (food, material, yarn, thread, paint, etc.). You want it to be your best work - and you want that person to know that you cared enough to create this "gift" because nothing else would do.
You lovingly wrap your gift and when the time is right - you give it. Now, two things can happen.
One, the "getter" is so pleased that tears of gratitude, appreciation, and love brim over and there are hugs, smiles, and heaps of "thanks." It is either proudly used or displayed for everyone to see.
The second thing that could happen is that it is received politely, but with a lukewarm reception.
Never you fear, you did the very best job and you have a right to be proud. There are feelings in every stitch, tuck, and stroke, and "what you see" is just the cover for a whole lot of feelings and emotions. This particular gift is packed - it is filled to the breaking point with care and love.
But - you say - they just didn't seem to like it. You also say - did they think I was cheap or money was a problem? Whether money is a problem or not is not of concern here. Cheap - not in your wildest dreams - this gift is lavish and royal with all the trimmings that really count.
They didn't like it - not correct either. While, yes, some beleagured individuals have become slaves to advertising campaigns and manufacturing giants' every whim and idea. These "wayward souls" are to be treated with concern. They are, as you can see, in need of some therapy, and your gift is that therapy.
If you could be a flower on the wallpaper in the home of where your gift will reside - on that day when everything went wrong - when bad news followed more bad news - or when there was no particular reason to feel blue but you are - that quilt, blanket, afghan, sweater, etc. will be cherished, held, and be the comfort and hug that you can't give personally at that particular moment. That painting or ceramic will be traced with a finger hoping to find answers to present problems, and each line and corner gives glue to a life that is falling apart. That hand-made gift, while not fully appreciated at the time of giving, will be the hand to hold, the smile to grace a face, and the lilt of joy that only precious care can bring.
When guests arrive, your gift may not be in a prominent place, but don't ever doubt that if placed in a drawer, a few heartstrings are there also. If placed on a shelf, the mind holds a very special place for gifts made with care and concern. We are human, and we are all made the same - with, of course, different features and accessories. But, the base, the very core - no matter how hard we try to hide it, disguise it, or pretend it went away, is there - and there when you need it the most - when it really counts - if your gift.
So, don't ever say "I'm sorry" to anything you make. Don't ever feel that others do better, or the chain store items have more glitter and pizzazz. Glitter is cold and pizzazz fades. Your gift is there giving twenty-four/seven to the person you thought enough of to give it to.
This Holiday Season be the Giver with the Best Gift that only love can afford to give -
ENJOY!
©Arleen M. Kaptur 2003 October
About the Author
Arleen Kaptur has written numerous books and articles.
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Author: Arleen M. Kaptur
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Timely help for lap quilting
About Quilting I'm not inserting an image of the Milky Way quilt for a couple of reasons. It's difficult to see the design as a small thumbnail, plus I've included two very different color and color value arrangements within the pattern, and don't have room to display both. Milky Way is one of many quilt blocks based on the traditional Friendship Star design, but Milky Way's unique alternating stars won't emerge when blocks are simply sewn side-by-side. The method used to make them appear is easy though, and it's simple to create all sorts of layouts, from subtle to dramatic. Related Quilt Patterns Milky Way Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 at 13:48:57. Permalink | Comment | Email this Thirties Pinwheel-in-a-Square Block This thirties-era Pinwheel-in-a-Square quilt block finishes at 12" x 12", large enough for the wonderful reproduction fabrics to make a bold statement. Of course, if you aren't into fabrics from this area, simply choose another theme for your quilt blocks. The design works well with any fabrics. Janet Wickell Thirties Pinwheel-in-a-Square Block originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, August 30th, 2010 at 07:00:57. Permalink | Comment | Email this Woven Baskets Quilt & Quilt Block Pattern I've had several emails from readers looking for basket quilt and quilt block patterns. So here's something new, a Woven Basket pattern. Use the pattern to make Woven Baskets quilt blocks. Page 4 of the pattern includes yardages and cutting to help you make a 61" square wallhanging, but you can customize the size and layout to suit your needs. Like other basket blocks, Woven Baskets works perfectly with either scrappy or organized fabrics. Janet Wickell Woven Baskets Quilt & Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 at 09:23:02. Permalink | Comment | Email this Improved Four Patch Quilt Block & Quilt Pattern The Improved Four Patch quilt block is made up of a four patch central unit set on point, and then surrounded by triangles. It's an easy patchwork quilt block that's suitable for quilters of every skill level, even beginners. The block finishes at 11-1/4-inches square, and you'll find instructions and fabric requirements for single blocks and for an entire quilt. Improved Four Patch Quilt Block & Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Saturday, August 21st, 2010 at 05:57:31. Permalink | Comment | Email this Navajo Quilt Block Pattern The traditional Navajo patchwork quilt block makes a wonderful scrap quilt. Mix-up its colors, adding anything that reminds you of the western United States (or throw out tradition and choose an entirely different palette). Navajo is a block with a ready-made on-point appearance -- created by sewing corner squares to each patchwork center. Sew the blocks side by side, or put them into columns and separate the columns with colorful strips of fabric. Janet Wickell Navajo Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 at 10:07:32. Permalink | Comment | Email this Write About Machine Quilting for Us I'm excited to finally announce that we're looking for a contributing writer (CW for short) for the Quilting site. CWs are part of a new program at About.com, one that's helping Guides fill-in areas of specialized content, in this case someone to write about Machine Quilting (it's a fantastic method, but I love hand quilting, and have loads of work to do in order to develop that content). So if you love to machine quilt, and have technical writing experience, just follow the link to learn how to apply to be a Contributing Writer for the Quilting site. Write About Machine Quilting for Us originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 10:46:26. Permalink | Comment | Email this Aurora Borealis Quilt Block and Quilt Pattern I've only seen the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) once, from an open field in Iowa. They were beautiful, but had I not known what I was looking at, the constant bends and flashes of color that crossed the night sky would likely have been a frightening experience. I hope to witness the lights again sometime, but it won't happen in my southern state. I wanted the Aurora Borealis quilt to resemble those flashes of light against a night sky. The quilt is created by surrounding color-intense stars (a Friendship Star variation) with a mottled, multicolored fabric backed in black. A plain black background is added next, to make the colorful components stand out. There's not enough space here to show you an image of the Aurora Borealis quilt -- see page 3 of the pattern (and click on the image if you would like a closer look). Janet Wickell Aurora Borealis Quilt Block and Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Friday, August 13th, 2010 at 12:00:13. Permalink | Comment | Email this Ocean Waves Quilt Pattern Ocean Waves is a design that's packed with half square triangle units. The quilt isn't difficult to make, but it does have lots and lots of pieces. I'm only showing the block here, because scaling the quilt down to a size that fits the space makes it pretty much unrecognizable. The pattern is a natural for scrap piecing, but looks great sewn in an orderly fashion, too. If the number of patches the quilt requires seems like more than you want to take on, just assemble a small batch of the units each time you sit down to sew. Accumulate them in a box, keeping track of how many you add each time, and for a true scrap quilt sew the units with fabrics from the day's sewing tasks. The end result is definitely worth the effort. Ocean Waves Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Sunday, August 8th, 2010 at 15:47:01. Permalink | Comment | Email this New Red Light/Green Light, an Easy Quilt Pattern Like other quilts, Red Light/Green Light can be personalized in so many ways. I love florals, and can see it as a 'watercolor' style quilt, where the florals melt into each other. And batiks would be perfect, too. Simply change the fabrics to personalize the pattern. Straight grain pieces help make this an easy quilt pattern, since there are no stretchy bias edges to deal with. It's one of many quilt patterns on the Quilting Web site that are a good choice for beginners who want to practice their rotary cutting and strip piecing skills. If you're a beginning quilter, read a few important tutorials before you make this 59" x 79" quilt: About Fabric Grain New Red Light/Green Light, an Easy Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, August 4th, 2010 at 11:27:03. Permalink | Comment | Email this Color Wheel Basics for Quilters Forget about all the "rules" you've heard about colors that do and do not "match," because you can make any color work with any other color by playing with different versions of it. Choosing colors and fabrics for our quilts becomes easier with each quilt we make. We don't have to use a color wheel to choose fabrics we like, but it does help us understand the relationship between colors, and that makes fabric selection a bit less stressful. Photo © Janet Wickell Color Wheel Basics for Quilters originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Sunday, August 1st, 2010 at 16:00:22. Permalink | Comment | Email this Newsfeed display by CaRP |
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