Friday, April 15, 2011

Anniversary quilt-part deux


Here's a cautionary tale for today boys and girls. Never put off till next year what you could have done ten years ago. Or something like that. This is half of the quilt I started about ten years ago as an anniversary quilt for our 25th. Roger really loved these fabrics and enjoyed buying them for me over the course of our frequent trips to Lancaster and Maine and other places. He teased me from time to time that it probably wouldn't be finished in our life time. Little did we imagine through the joking and laughter how prophetic that would actually be. I can across its other half recently and then last weekend James was in the basement and came across a big bin that held a number of supplies including fabric, blocks, and accessories. I remember at some point telling him to just put the bin in the basement till we were finished with the move to the sewing room last year. The I completely forgot about it. Now and then I have wondered where a certain thing had gotten to like my multiple rotary cutters and box of small safety pins and certain blocks. Talk about too much stuff. I am hanging my head in shame.

Anyway, he came upstairs and reminded me about that bin in the basement. I just looked at him and was sorry to say that I had completely forgotten about it. Into the basement I went to see what was there. Like a kid in a candy shop I opened it and was thrilled to see many things I had forgotten about. Among those things were multiple rows of these blocks all sewn and waiting to be put together. think sometimes about the last few months and feel like I fell into a coma of some kind not really caring about much of anything. All of these wonderful things staring back at me in that bin, like these blocks, was sort of like waking up or coming home.

Needless to say, I put the blocks together and now I need to join the two halves. The only bad part about it is that there are miles of paper to rip off the back. Paper piecing always seems like such a good idea and sometimes it is...but not this time. Today I sat and ripped about half the blocks and in the quiet I thought about Roger and how much I wish I had finished this and given it to him to sleep in peace under.

Moral of the story...don't wait till it's too late. Life will come along and kick your ass.


Have a beautiful weekend-hug it up!! I'm going for a walk and look at the green popping out everywhere.

6 comments:

Joanne S said...

Isn't that the truth. I have been thinking along these lines this month. In conversations with customers (complete strangers) who seem to appear and talk to me. It's like messages are being transmitted to me from the Universe via these strangers. Strangers who are friends at the end of these conversations.

And, now, you Dee, are adding your story to my conversation. Don't wait till it's too late.

My fabric donation to Project Linus never made it to the sale. They kept almost all of the fabric I gave them to make "blankets". They were so happy to get the "good stuff" in bright colors. I hope it makes many children VERY HAPPY!

Mary Johnson said...

I don't spend a lot of time on regrets...maybe this quilt was meant to be finished now with the memories of your trips and your husband and meant to comfort you while you work on it and when it's done.

Gerrie said...

But.. I think Roger would want you to have it. So nice to see you playing with fabric again. And thanks for another reason for not doing paper piecing!!

Debra Dixon said...

I agree! Finish it up and when you snuggle up in it, know that Roger is putting his arms around you.

It's a very mellow and calm quilt--one you will enjoy for a long time.

Libby said...

We never know what life is going to dish up for us. Just think of the happy memories that you will be wrapped in when the quilt is done. Guess it is true that there is a time for everything *s*

Kay said...

It's so good to see you back, Dee. I think Mary has hit the nail on the head about this quilt; just enjoy the beauty of it.