Tenderoni Quilts

You know what I really love about the "Hidden Wells" quilt technique? When you are sewing those strips together you have an idea about how those blocks are going to
turn out, but once you whack em apart and rearrange them they look different. But still, being smart as you think you are, you imagine what the finished quilt top will look like. It is not until you arrange those blocks, sew them together, sew the rows together and stand back that you really see it.........and what is so terrific, is that it looks nothing like what you thought it was gonna look like.

Life is kinda like that too. Which brings me to my next point. I love quilting because there are so many comparisons you can make between quilting and life. I think that other than what I learn about life from those 12 step meetings, I learn the rest in my sewing room! Quilting is meditative in some ways and for the most part a quiet endeavor (except when those blocks don't exactly all measure the same and bad words happen, but, I digress....).

Which brings me to my gratitude list; today I'm feeling grateful about ~
* learning from the ordinary, instead of always learning from the extra-ordinary....cuts down on drama
* my grandma Grace who was the first quilter I encountered in my family, and my sister Jill, whose example still inspires me
* my godmother Freda who first taught me to sew on her machine and my mom Ginny who encouraged me to learn to sew in the first place

Today, it is cool and crisp and driving through Boone, I was aware of the scent of burning leaves which brought so many memories back. I love the fall. Tomorrow is a big game for ASU, and the town is full of alumni and visitors gearing up......traffic is interesting.....LOL. Glad to be living in the country with mah dawg.

I have been thinking about the little village in Mexico where I've lived for the 6.5 years before moving here to Boone. It is just about the end of the rainy/hurricane season there where it is so hot and humid and wet that generally only the locals stick around and nearly everyone else that can, leaves. I don't miss that, but I do miss some of my friends there and a lot of the people that lived there part time and in the US the rest of the time. I hope I can make a quick trip down there this coming year. Casa Contenta was the name of my casita...see it there on the map?

Living there also changed my quilting. I learned a lot about color from being there, and learned not to fear being bold with color.....you can see it in my Hidden Wells Quilt up there.

Hope your day is shaping up and good memories are visiting you too!