Last Birthday Quilt

Tonight is the unveiling of this year's last birthday quilt. None of the quilt group has seen it, per the rules of the birthday quilt challenge. Last year, each quilter gave Carol 3 fat quarters of thirties fabrics on her birthday for a total of 27 fat quarters. During the year, we were not to talk about the pattern, block or quilting of our birthday quilt until it is revealed on the birthday this year. It is a huge secret--what suspense! For our quilt group, it truly is difficult because we share and discuss the making of all our quilting ideas. So tonight, it's a little sad to celebrate a quilter's birthday and end our first birthday quilt challenge.

Last year, I requested Amish colored fabric, but tone-on-tone, not solid colors. For my birthday quilt, I made "Birthday Baskets", a wall hanging sized quilt, using each of the 27 different fabrics I received. Look closely--you'll notice a slight variation of colors in the baskets. I chose a black background, also an Amish quilt characteristic. The quilting is done with a variegated thread--not easily done on black fabric! One of the rules is that your quilt has to be completed by your birthday (ok, some of us didn't quite get that) but sometimes life gets in the way of quilting. My quilt was only the second to be revealed this year, even though I have a May birthday.

Tonight's meeting is full of excitement and suspense as we look forward to ending our first quilt group challenge. I think it was quite successful and fun. FYI, this year's quilt birthday challenge is to "pay if forward" and donate a quilt of your own to a charity! Also, not only do you bring your quilt on your birthday, but you get to provide the goodie!

Congrats Dr. Sara!

-->

August 20, 2010

Dear Sara,

I am so proud of you to have finally achieved your goal of completing your doctor’s degree. This moment has been your dream for so long. From when you graduated in the top of your class at Coventry High School, through your biology degree with honors from Milligan College and onto the University of Cincinnati, School of Allied Health Sciences, you have always been driven with a set goal in mind. This is not something that just happened—you went out and made it happen!

“None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Congratulations for listening to your “whisper”, or what I believe to be your God given talent and to achieve his plan for you.

When you informed me that you were accepted as one of only 24 students in the DPT program, I knew that you would arrive at your goal. You have always been driven to accomplish what you set out to do. It reminds me of one day, when you were in Kindergarten. You came home and announced you were going to learn to ride your bike today, without training wheels, all by yourself. And you did. As I watched you from the kitchen window, you fell many times in the driveway, skinned your knees, never complained or gave up, but eventually, you mastered the 2-wheel bike….all by yourself. So I knew, without a doubt, that you would persevere and achieve your goal to be a DPT.

Not many people could handle the demands and pressures of the program as you have: classes, presentations, papers, labs, research, late night and sometimes all-night studying, clinicals, and of course, tests, tests and more tests, in addition to the Cincinnati traffic and the crutches (!). But you survived it all amiably, graciously and with great integrity. We are so proud of you!

Last, but not least, I can’t write this letter without giving kudos to Josh for his love and support through this time. I’m sure it was a struggle for him most days, surviving late dinners, pizza takeouts, mac and cheese or hot dogs, but he was there to give you hugs when you needed it.

Congratulations, Sara, on your doctor of physical therapy degree! What a terrific accomplishment.

Love,

Mom

-->

Bevan Adventure Quilt

I have added a profile picture of myself with one of my quilts in the background. It was used for a display for my quilter/friend, Joyce, at the NQA show in June 2009. Bevan Adventure, so called because of the adventure we had when we bought an ugly house on a beautiful piece of property. The property also housed buildings for my husband's business, which is the reason we decided to purchase it. The hideous house was completely gutted, turned into our dream home and we love living here! After two years of blood, sweat and tears, we have absolutely no regrets!

Back to the quilt: It is paper pieced in a variation of the Hunter's Star pattern. Our house took 2 years to complete; so did this quilt. After we moved into our new home, I finished the quilt to fit our new king sized bed. Using dark blues, light, medium and dark aquas with a touch of lime green for the background blocks, the stars are purple, black and white. The center of the quilt fits the top of the bed and the borders hang down to the bed frame. It really helps when I make the bed (yes, I make the bed most days). I wanted a calming, ocean effect, so Joyce quilted it in a wavy pattern in aqua thread.

Bevan Adventure is for now, one of my quilt masterpieces. It was a lot of work, took a long time to make, but I love this quilt! It is the centerpiece of my room.