Legacy Quilt, Part I

I've been working on a very special project. It has been tempting to blog its progress, but I wanted its recipient (and my collaborators) to be the first to see it. I've written in this space before about the amazing woman Papa's Grandma Wilson is. Among the many other things she has given in her life are a collection of spectacular quilts commemorating her descendants' weddings and children (the two she has given to my family are shown in this post).

Some of her daughters and granddaughters and I decided to return the favor. For the last several weeks, the women of the Wilson family have been lovingly crafting unique, commemorative quilt squares in Grandma's honor. Meanwhile, using Noni's photographic chronicle of the family, I have been creating log cabin pieced photo squares showing the faces of Grandma's 6 children, 13 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and 1 great great granddaughter.

I made photo squares depicting Grandma and Granddaddy Wilson when they were newly married, and joined them with a simple pieced heart of vinatage fabric.

When all the squares were complete, I pushed our dining room table aside and began piecing the story of this woman's amazing life.

Sometimes, there are greater things at work than we can put a name on. I had been collecting everyone's squares for weeks, without counting them or designing the finished product until I had all squares in my possession. For the photo squares, I created four for each of Grandma's six children and their families, plus two of Grandma with her children and one each of Grandma and Granddaddy--that's 28 squares. When I finally counted the squares everyone had created, I was amazed--but somehow not surprised--to find 28. The quilt designed itself.

We decided to present the quilt top the night before Sunday's family reunion. Noni and I snuck into Grandma's room and spread the quilt out on the bed, then invited Grammy and her sisters to come in. Somehow they all made it in before Grandma did, and when she arrived, she noticed it right away--and I think it began to sink in, as she looked at every face, every square, what a life of love she has led.

The next day, Papa and his cousin hung the quilt high at the family reunion. Dozens of relatives took their time looking at the quilt, appreciating the love this woman's family has for her. I held it together pretty well, despite sleep deprivation and a swell of pride and gratitude--but when I caught Big B telling little b who some of the people were on the quilt, wrapping his arm around his little brother, I almost melted. Without this woman, my children would never know a family of this size, with these traditions, woven with strong love and togetherness through generations. This family has inspired me to begin family reunions on my side of the family tree, the first of which we held earlier this summer. New traditions. Another chapter in her legacy.

Look at these beautiful women! We will all gather together this fall to finish the quilt in the only way Grandma ever has: by hand. Many hands, working together, weaving the story of a family.

It was indeed a true honor to stitch together the story of this woman's life thus far. She has many stories left to tell, I suspect. I am just grateful to be included in her circle so I can hear them.

"I see the wise woman. She carries a blanket of compassion. She wears robes of wisdom. Around her throat flutters a veil of shifting shapes. From her shoulders, a mantle of power flows. A story band encircles her forehead. She stitches a quilt; she spins fibers into yarn; she knits; she sews; she weaves. She ties the threads of our lives together. She forms a web of spiraling threads: our lives invented and shared."

-Susun S. Weed

A Swift, A Wool Winder, and A Merino Blend

Today I experienced a few minutes of unadulterated joy. I wound my first ball of yarn.

Papa gave me this beautiful swift and a wool winder for Christmas. (That, a blues harmonica, and a gift card for my favorite fabric store--I mean seriously, what a man.)

Other than marvel at its simple beauty, I hadn't used the swift before today--I am typically a winter knitter and a summer sewer. But a knee injury has been demanding I sit more, and when I do, my hands start yearning for needles. So after dropping the boys off at Grammy's this morning for their first summer Monday pool date (thank you!), I stopped at a new local yarn haven for a bit of soul comfort. I decided then and there to knit myself a pair of socks. It seems appropriate, as I'll be knitting while propping my feet up--two birds, one stone, taking care of my body and soul.

I splurged for two skeins of this absolutely gorgeous kettle dyed silk-merino blend. This afternoon, as the rainbow maker was in full force and the afternoon sun was sinking low into the sky, I wrapped a skein of it around the swift.

The boys were riveted, and for good reason--the simplicity and gratification of these two tools together are really beautiful. I threaded the winder and got to work. Big B took this next picture, mid-spin.

Little b was anxious to give it a try, cinnamon stick and all. He did a fabulous job.

After a few minutes of heaven, I had a perfectly wound ball of ready-to-knit yarn, and I held it like a newborn babe. So much care has been infused into this little bundle already, from the shearing to the spinning to the dyeing. Now it's my turn.

Kid-made Father's Day T-Shirts

Fabric crayons! Brilliant! I found some, unopened, at a Goodwill and we decided to try them out for a special Father's Day surprise. I helped Big B and little b by outlining a tree and two apples on plain white paper, and they got to work.

When their creations were complete, I placed them face down on our new plain white T's, covered them with paper (and placed paper between the layers of the shirt to avoid color transfer), and pressed each design for about three minutes. We were all so happy with the bright results! I like this method infinitely better than the old iron-on transfer paper.

So this morning, fresh coffee in hand, the boys put on their shirts and presented their hero with his gift, saying together: "The apples don't fall far from the tree!" Nope. They don't. And I'm so glad.

Happy Father's Day!

Summer Beach Quilt, Part One

I am so happy that summer is here I could kiss the sky. It seems my habitual Goodwill thrifting anticipated my giddiness. For many cooler months, each trip to my favorite Goodwill yielded at least one or two vintage pillowcases or sheets. I had been making aprons with them for a little while, but this stack seemed to be growing into something...more.

Enter: Beach Season. Wednesday was the first official Beach Day for our sweet village of friends. We've been coming to this oasis as a tribe now for six summers, sharing wisdom and picnics and watching our growing babes discover this sweet spot anew each June.

Just look at them--they are all so big now. The girls lead the rescue missions and collect their creatures in buckets...

...while the boys, a la Lord of the Flies, climb their mountain of twisting sea grape branches and beach boulders.

And the mamas watch, talk, feed, nourish, occasionally knit, support, learn, and breathe.

To pay homage to this season of our lives, I rather easily decided to transform that stack of vintage linens into a summer beach quilt. This satisfies so many of my summer goals: carving out more time for creativity as a release, making beauty for our family, having a productive home, and spending as much time outside as possible. Using this square as inspiration, I am well on my way.

These colors just sing summer, don't they?

A-Frame Tent, A-Plus Day

Funny, funny universe.

On a weekend laden with best-laid plans, Big B came down with a nasty tummy bug that knocked him out all day Saturday. This morning he woke, bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to make up for lost time. I knew we were going to stay close to home to allow him a day of recovery, and me a day to finish several organizational projects started during his sickness--but he and little b needed some adventure.

During my morning coffee blogroll, I saw Cakie's A-Frame Tent featured in Grosgrain's Free Pattern Month, and fell in love. I made a quick list for the hardware store and sent the boys on a quest so that I could finish up some chores.

When they returned, we got to work drilling, fitting, hemming and attaching. In less than one hour they had their adventure.

Simple though it might be, there was something special about it being made just for them. It was also a powerful lesson for me: they may not enter it properly or treat it gently--but I did, after all, make it just for them. It is theirs to invent, collapse, rebuild, enter, and love as they wish.

I am sensing a major shift in the tides. Perhaps it is the excitement of summer on the horizon. Perhaps it is this new clarity with which I choose my activities and things. But I am seeing a beautiful light ahead.

Beeswax Solstice Candles

Inspired by the beeswax endeavors of Rose and Mama Bird, Big B, little b and I decided to make candles for our family for Christmas this year. We got a gorgeous hunk of sweet smelling wax and wicks from The Night Gardener, scored some little teacups from a thrift store, and set to work on the candles on the Winter Solstice.

Watching the wax melt was strangely gratifying, for all of us.

Big B and little b took turns dipping the wicks into the hot wax and watching them quickly dry.

We then centered the wicks into little metal holders, wrapped the tops around pencils to keep them centered, and poured in the wax.

When we had made enough for our family, we used the rest of the wax to create a special Solstice candle. Big B and little b poured in "snow" and pine and fir needles to capture winter in the wax.

We lit the candle every night from Solstice to Christmas, and said "Happy Birthday Sun!" The kids also reenacted the battle of the Oak King and the Holly King, their favorite Solstice story.

Solstice is a special time in our home, the time we remember a sweet baby joining us beneath the Christmas tree, three years ago. Happy BIRTH day, little b.