Category Archives: Uncategorized

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A Message to My Followers

Will the words fail me? Will the joy fade away? Or will I once again find a path forward?

Despite today being the anniversary of one of the happiest days of my mother’s heart, I awoke with a dread similar to one I have had before. Only this time the dread was deeper and more weighty. It is one thing for the hopeful to follow the path to sorrow when the path is shrouded and obscured. Yet, when the light shines brightly on the path, illuminating the danger signs in glaring clarity, it is a dreaded thing to witness.

I seek joy through creative pursuits, and I seek to share that joy with others. It is my hope that in some small way I can inspire others to seek their own joy.

In my efforts, whether through blog or vlog, I try my best to focus on the universal language of joy. Today, in the light of so much chaos, I finally feel the unshakable need to be clear about something I believe many (or at least those closely following) will have discerned. I use the word joy with great understanding that it is a word intertwined Christ.

I use it as a synonym for Christ, and for love, and for grace.

I view it as an eternal condition – this joy of which I speak, and I see it as being a common language.

I believe it is a condition and a language that supersedes the religions of man. For all of mankind can experience it, and seek it, and receive it regardless of the customs they follow.

I use JOY for this very reason – it bridges the gaps of culture. For while I connect it to Christ, others need not do so if that is their choice. It doesn’t change the eternal and universal nature of it.

Sorrow has gripped me, has made my heart weep, but I will cling to my quest for joy – and in doing so, I will hopefully be able to continue to have something to blog and vlog about.

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A November 2024 Thought

Pilate gave the people the opportunity to set Jesus free – the prophesized savior, a man who taught love.

Yet when given the choice, they instead chose a traitor, one imprisoned for sedition and murder. They chose to condemn unto death the very hope they had been taught to seek, and instead they chose another. (Luke 23)

History shows us, time-and-time again, that people will choose unwisely. Choosing a path of love, charity, and kindness takes work. It also can require us to do what the wealthy young man could not do – follow Christ. (Mathew 19:21-22).

When faced with a choice, people will more often than not choose a snake-oil cure rather than a path to real health.

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What’s in a Word – The Patchwork Quilt

The word quilt can mean simply a blanket. However for some, the word is intertwined with memories of a cherished grandmother who provided warmth and a hug through a patchwork creation of love.

The language of quilting, is both simple and complex. It is a craft developed around a utilitarian skill, but unlike its fiber cousins, weaving and knitting, quilting can mean the entire process as well as the specific skill of sewing together the quilt sandwich.

The word quilting describes the task of sewing together two or more layers of fabric, with the modern quilt usually having two layers of fabric sandwiching a middle layer of fiber called batting or wadding. However, historically, the process often was used to bind together many layers of fabric in order to create a dense fabric structure used for armor.

The term quilting has also become synonymous with the process of making a quilt. Piecing the patches of a patchwork quilt is less often used. It is easier to say, “I am quilting,” and have yourself understood than it is to say, “I am piecing,” or “I am doing patchwork”. Plus, not all quilts are pieced or constitute patchwork. Whole cloth quilts and comforters are examples of quilted items that would not require piecing and would not be called patchwork. Plus there is also a category of quilts that are tied or tufted. These are still considered quilts by many (especially when they are patchwork in nature), but these have no quilting stitches.

So what is in a word – the word quilting? Is is just another English word that causes many to shake their head over the confusion of the English language? Or is it a word that is fluid, adaptable, and timeless? It can mean many things – different things to different people, and also many things to one.

In my dictionary it has many definitions. Including the following one.

Quilting is the process of making a hug.

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This week’s video shares a few more of the quilted items under construction in my home at the moment, as well as a couple finished quilts. I also have another patchwork block to share.

Ayla’s Christmas BlockDownload

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Hexagon Pinwheel – EPP Quilt Block 02

A twist on an old favorite.

Hexagon Pinwheel pdf linkDownload

One of the most iconic quilts of the 20th century is the Granma’s Flower Garden. Made from hexagons combined to create the appearance of flower petals, this design has been created with one unit – the hexagon. The concept and design has also appeared in crochet, with the hexagon replacing the more common Granny Square. Whether sewn or crocheted, the look is memorable and inviting.

Putting a spin on the more common block, the Hexagon Pinwheel adds the twist of piecing together the center hexagon before building the floret. I have added one additional twist and placed the floret into a pieced block. As with other similar designs, it would be easy to simply applique the floret onto a solid background, but I have chosen to challenge myself. It would be perfectly acceptable for others to bypass this challenge. There would be nothing wrong with cutting an 11 inch square of fabric, applying the constructed floret, and then trimming the block to 10.5 inches. Sometimes, one twist in a project is more than enough.

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Bubble Time

Sometimes we live in a bubble. Truthfully, there are times when we need the bubble. Then there are times when we need the bubble to be popped so that we can see more of what is going on than we might be comfortable with on a daily basis.

It is easy to leave the work to others. It is easy to convince ourselves that if we focus on our own backyard, we need not trouble ourselves with the wider world. How often do we recognize the good work others are doing so that we can focus only on our backyard? Do we only notice these globally minded workers when they become embroiled in controversy? When we find ourselves at odds with one aspect of their work, do we condemn all the other good work?

Life is a set of scales, often comparing the positive and negative in our lives. We must evaluate the items tilting the scales in one direction or the other. Even if we need bubble time, we can’t forget that the scales will still need adjusting when the bubble pops. We should never allow our scales to tilt heavily in an unsettling direction due to the weight of unsavory choices made by others but defended due to our own desire to fit in.

Bubble time, the time to recharge and retreat from the fray, is occasionally necessary. Just don’t make that bubble so impenetrable that it won’t pop in time for your life scale to be adjusted before the negative side weighs you completely down.

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Saith Me… Levity

Levity at the expense of another person’s feelings is still bullying. Especially when that levity depreciates the value of those feelings. 

When levity is generated with the full understanding that someone else is hurting, then the levity is grossly inappropriate and unkind. Levity created in a vacuum of unawareness may be less inappropriate and less unkind, but it’s not less hurtful.

We may not always avoid hurting others, but should we not at least try to limit doing harm?

In our imperfect state, we all make mistakes and we all find ourselves guilty of less-than-kind behavior or speech, but we do not need to revel in our imperfection.