Friday, November 20, 2015

Sunshine and Shadow


Yesterday, while making my bed, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the sun shining brightly across it, highlighting here and there the color and the quilting stitches.  I finished this quilt in 1981.  That's thirty-four years ago.  Seems like only yesterday.  This quilt has been used more than any quilt I have ever made and it's still in pretty good shape....actually, very good shape.  I suppose, like me, it is trying its best to last as long as possible!   I can remember sitting at the quilt frame all those many hours, taking my little 'one stitch at a time" and wondering if I'd ever get it finished.  This was only the second quilt I had made at that time.  But, finish I finally did.  So, yesterday, I stood there and admired it for a little while, thinking all those nostalgic thoughts and realizing that the sunshine and the shadows I was seeing pretty much sum up the last thirty-four years. 


Lots of happy times mixed in with the very sad times....I suppose we would never know one if we didn't experience the other.  How would we?  Anyway, seeing the sun shine on that quilt was a good thing.  A reminder of life, back then and now.


Yes, thousands of stitches, by hand, one stitch at a time.  Reminds me of the hands of a clock and the sound of the ticking somehow, with each stitch marking a second of my life at that particular time. 
I have recently begun to quilt on a top I've had waiting for several years.  I couldn't wrap my head around  stitching it while the old navy man needed me for the last few years, and didn't have the time anyway,  but now...well, I'm determined to get it quilted.  Maybe it, too, will be finished one day and a few years from now, if I'm lucky,  I may be seeing the sunshine and shadow glorify it also. 


 Every stitch a prayer, a hope, or a dream. 


By the way,  my grandson made that heart pillow when he was six years old.  We sponged painted the hearts, then he sat in my lap at the sewing machine to stitch the blocks together, with me making sure he didn't stitch his fingers!   At that time, he called every piece of fabric in my stash a 'quilt.'  Funny, what you remember.


 I do so love the quilting stitch....


 Sigh!

 I found this quote earlier today.  Not only did I think it perfect for this post, but it pretty much sums up the last thirty-four years too! 

"YOU CAN ONLY COME TO THE MORNINGS THROUGH THE SHADOWS."
 J.R.R. Tolkien

From Bird Nest Cottage,

Until next time,
♥♥♥


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

A very beautiful post. Sun and shadows indeed, our lives.
Mary

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

Lovely post. I'm glad posting it brought back a lovely memory for you. It brought one to me too, of how my grandson and I would sit together and he would "help" me make whatever I was doing for the current craft show at the time. Those memories make me sad thinking about his sweet innocence. Time marches on.
xx, Carol

Christy said...

Such a beautiful quilt. I love blue and white. It's always crisp and clean and brightens a room. You do beautiful work, Pat. I'm glad your creations make you happy, as they should. Take care.
botm2@yahoo.com

Julie Fukuda said...

That quilt has held up very well, even in the sun. I have seen how faded many of the quilts my children are using have become and even had to replace a few bits that had deteriorated from the mordants in the dye. You made a good pick of fabric to go along with your careful stitching. It looks so inviting.

A Bit of Heaven

A Bit of Heaven
An original designed wall quilt with my vision of heaven on earth.