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This month we celebrate CHILDREN’S DAY. We already have a Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and a Grandparents’ Day. Why should we have a Children’s Day? Don’t we give the young ones enough attention in everyday life? We cater to their needs, give up needed sleep and relaxation so we can spend quality time with them. The media exalts their deeds, whether good or bad. They are featured in magazines, books, newspapers, and on television. So why a Children’s Day?
Those of us who are truly blessed with children can attest to the fact that they are never clones of ourselves. Surely, on more than one occasion, we wish they could do some of the things we did as children, or enjoy some of the games, hobbies or interests we had. We even encourage this with gifts of whatever we liked, or the dreams we pursued. Somehow they manage to go on their merry way, and leave us standing in the dust to hope that they will be happy with the lives they have chosen. If you have more than one child, then multiply these feelings by just as many.
The world is run by adults. We make the laws and we enforce them. We create the products and we market them. We decide who does what and when. We tolerate some behavior and condemn others. We judge, decide, and act as adults.
Now enter the world of a child. It is as colorful as a box of crayons, as bright as the sunshine, and as warm as a favorite quilt or blanket. In the heart of a child lives hope, dreams, goals, ambitions, and destinations. These heart-held attributes change with time and sometimes when these children reach adulthood, these hopes and ambitions are totally changed, sometimes by choice and sometimes not.
Look into the eyes of a child and you have a glimpse of the destination of the world. Take them by the hand and you place yourself at the mercy of sweet smiles, bear hugs and moist kisses. They may smudge you with dirty hands yet those fingerprints leave a mark of confidence that the world will continue to turn and there is a chance that it will get better.
Whether you have children of your own or have the opportunity to be friends with the children of other people, don’t miss out on the challenges they freely give and the dreams they will paint your life with. Children use imagination if given the chance, and opportunity if you open the door. They dance with the wind and skip through the raindrops. A child always sees the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, where as adults we may even miss the rainbow. They listen to our tales, and they go on to create their own. The little ones will sit with us by a quiet stream and while we take a much deserved nap, they dream of what will be and how they will make it happen.
A child is a mixture of generations before them and yet they have their own distinct impact on the future. They may be small in statute but they are giants in creativity. They can fly on a magic carpet as easily as we drive a car. They can spin tales of delight, while we lament the past. Children climb the ladder of life and hope to reach their castles in the sky. They are clever, original, and have a vision that they carry in their souls.
Where is the point that we change from being the miracle of a child to the practical, down-to-earth, adult that tolerates no nonsense, is too busy to watch a firefly, and misses the delight of a spider spinning his web? I don’t believe everyone attains this transformation at the same time. Some blame it on life while others point to their parents, environment, or even their heritage. If we find that we can no longer sit down and find humor in a misshaped clay figure, or realize that the crayon marks are not “outside” the lines, but that they are only an expansion of what could possibly be, then take a child by the hand and let them lead you back into a realm where anything is possible and everything is probable. Enter the land where everything lends itself to be transformed into whatever you would like it to be.
So, why do we have a Children’s Day? Could it possibly be because we realize that we are children for such a short time and we are adults for the rest of our lives? Do we feel in our hearts that we have to step back into a world where color, sparkle, and enchantment allows us to reclaim dreams, renew our hopes, and a small hand will help us find ourselves? Are we really celebrating children or does the world need to realign its visions and build better castles in the sky? Isn’t Children’s Day really a day for the whole world to appreciate life and really see what it has to offer? Are we finally beginning to realize that we carry our childhood in our hearts and that when we rekindle our acquaintance with what we were, our steps are a little lighter, our smiles are brighter, and our world resembles a box of crayons.
©Arleen M. Kaptur 2002 May
(An excerpt from Celebrate a Child by Arleen M. Kaptur)
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Author: Arleen M. Kaptur
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Timely help for quilting free fabric scraps
About Quilting Dutchman's Puzzle is an all-time favorite traditional quilt block. I'm showing an example of a quilt here, rather than the block itself, because this pattern's color value arrangement is split vertically, and deviates from the norm, with a dark background in one half of the block and a light background in the other. The pattern walks you through the construction of two quilt blocks, and although they have the same components, they're sewn together in different ways. Make 35 blocks to assemble a strippy-set quilt like this example (the pattern includes yardages). It's also a very good pattern for scrappy blocks (and a heads-up to Forum Block Party participants -- you might see this again at some point). ©Janet Wickell Dutchman's Puzzle Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 16:28:05. Permalink | Comment | Email this Five Patch Chain Quilt Block Pattern Five Patch Chain is another block that can be used to create dramatic diagonal movement on the face of your quilt. All pieces are cut along the straight grain -- no stretchy bias edges means it's super easy to assemble. The quilt block finishes at 10" square, and I've included a layout example showing 18 Five Patch Chains alternated with Snowballs. ©Janet Wickell Five Patch Chain Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 18:05:31. Permalink | Comment | Email this Double Nine Patch Quilt Block Pattern This colorful version of the Double Nine Patch quilt block is assembled using a slightly different color value layout in the small corner nine patches than is typical of the traditional design. The block finishes at 11-1/4" square, and can be assembled quickly by strip piecing (most) rows. © Janet Wickell Double Nine Patch Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 20:17:40. Permalink | Comment | Email this Lincoln's Platform Quilt Block Pattern Lincoln's Platform is a traditional patchwork quilt block with a central area surrounded by continuous squares -- sort of a block with its own built-in border. This version of the quilt block finishes at 14" x 14", and can be assembled with quick piecing techniques. I've included a layout suggestion, with blocks sewn together in horizontal rows. © Janet Wickell Lincoln's Platform Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 19:36:33. Permalink | Comment | Email this Double Four Patch Blocks in Pink and Orange This Double Four Patch design is the second quilt block pattern for March. Stitched in focal fabrics of pink, rose and orange, it's sure to be an attention-getter. The block finishes at 8" square, and is simple to assemble. It's also the design we're using for this month's Block Party event in the Quilting Forum. Double Four Patch Pattern © Janet Wickell Double Four Patch Blocks in Pink and Orange originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 11:16:29. Permalink | Comment | Email this Kicking Off Block-a-Day March I introduced a new block pattern each day last March, and plan to try it again this year. Now, there might be days I get behind, but I'll end the month with 31 new patterns. Day 1's quilt block is a variation of the design that's often referred to as Broken Dishes. Its center, made from four half square triangles, is the layout that typically comes to mind when we hear that name (although the color value layout shown here differs a bit). The block finishes at 15" square, and would make a fantastic scrap quilt. Kicking Off Block-a-Day March originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 15:07:02. Permalink | Comment | Email this Book Review: The Tsunami Quilt In 1946, coastlines throughout Hawaii were hit by a tsunami generated by a massive earthquake in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. Less than 5 hours later, waves as tall as 55 feet came onshore in Hilo and other parts of Hawaii, killing 159 people and devastating shoreline areas. Hopefully, residents will have plenty of warning to evacuate the coasts ahead of the tsunami expected from the earthquake in Chile. In Laupahoehoe, the focal point of The Tsunami Quilt, schoolchildren ran towards the ocean to pick up fish after one of the waves retreated, unaware that another would follow, and pull them into the ocean. Focusing on the losses at Laupahoehoe, Anthony Fredericks uses a family's history and tradition to explain the events of 1946 to children. Colorful illustration by Tammy Yee tell the story in pictures. Monument at Laupahhoehoe Book Review: The Tsunami Quilt originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at 11:16:35. Permalink | Comment | Email this 5" Fool's Square Quilt Block Pattern Are you ready to go smaller? At 5" square, perhaps this doesn't fit into most definitions of a miniature quilt, but it is half the size of the traditional Fool's Square block. The smaller size is perfect for a wallhanging and also makes a nicely-scaled baby quilt. Sew an alternate block between Fool's Square (a plain square, a Snowball, any five-patch) or sew them side-by-side. You'll find that color-play is best when side-by-side blocks are not identical -- make them scrappy or sew them in a couple of themes for best results. Janet Wickell 5" Fool's Square Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 06:10:03. Permalink | Comment | Email this Make An Easy Pillow Cover I'm not big on sewing zippers -- I've had a mental block about them since about 1963. So I've avoided making pillow covers, because I like covers that can be removed when it's time to wash them, something that's critical when you have a house full of felines like we do. This quick and easy pillow cover method solves the problem by eliminating the zippers and replacing them with a simple, fold-over back. Start looking through your UFO bins for quilt blocks, and then grab some backing fabric. You'll finish this easy throw pillow cover in no time. Photo © Janet Wickell Make An Easy Pillow Cover originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 06:00:45. Permalink | Comment | Email this Thread Tips for Quilters Thread Tips is one of the many references inspired by readers when I asked what type of information everyone would like to see covered on About.com Quilting. Entire books can be written about threads, their content and their uses and the techniques required to sew with them, so treat this as a simple introduction. I hope it will help beginners become more familiar with the massive selection of threads available to quilters. Thread Tips for Quilters originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 17:58:54. Permalink | Comment | Email this Newsfeed display by CaRP |
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