A small memorial

 Hello all. I have bad news today, so if you don't like being brought down, go on ahead and come back another time. I won't be mad. I hate bad news, too, especially this kind.

My mother died this week. She had had a number of health problems over the years, and it all finally came to the point of no return. We're trying to be comforted by the fact that she is now beyond the pain and suffering she endured for years, but it's hard.

As a little, tiny memorial, and because this is a quilt blog, I'm sharing a pre-blogging quilt that I made for her in about 2012 or so:

 

Not a great picture, but taken on the clothesline that she used for years and years. And really, I wasn't focusing on getting good backgrounds or pictures. This was a BOM from Marti Michell whose name I really don't remember. Sweet roses? Wild roses? I don't remember, but I think it came in the mail, on paper. How primitive! I might still have those patterns, too.

I do remember that there were these plastic templates to use that made every piece fit exactly. It all went together perfectly, including the sashing, but it was a bear and a half to cut. No strip cutting or piecing. I had it professionally quilted in pink thread, and it has lived on the bed in the middle bedroom ever since. It even has a marker stain on the backing from a careless grandchild. I didn't photograph that, because I know my mom was frustrated that she couldn't get the stain out.

So there we are. I wish I had something happy and uplifting to say, or at least some kind of happy, quilty picture. I promise to be happier after the funeral on the 22nd. A lot of us have to travel, so that was easier than trying to rush in from all corners of the country in just a couple of days.

 

Hug your moms or your mom-like people, or call them, or at least think about them today, okay? And maybe make them a quilt so that you can wrap up in it after they're gone, shed a few tears, and remember all the love on both sides of the machine. 

Peace to all,

Mari

Bright green wings

 Hi everyone, and happy Saturday! Have your leaves started to turn yet? Though we have a lot of leaves on the ground, there has not yet been a lot of color. I attribute that to all the rain we've had. It rained here for five days straight and the ground is still pretty soggy. The creek behind us and on the property beside us has been quite full, too.

Today I have the last of the birds for this year's RSC quilt to show. I gave them bright green wings and some colorful feathers:

It appears the green birds have an odd friend joning the flock! More about him in a minute, but the green birds look quite cheerful, don't they?

The only bright green birds I know of are parrots and parakeets, but I don't think these look like either one. They aren't green herons or mallards, either. I guess they're just themselves!

Last month's color was light blue, a color I am not particularly fond of, though I do have a lot of it that is years old. I didn't make any light blue birds, but I found I had to make this guy:

There is a great blue heron who frequents the property next to us, which is something of a wetland and is owned by the county. He's a very majestic bird, and if I was going to make a light blue bird, he was going to be it. I even managed to make his neck look fairly proportional, as great blue herons have very long necks. I'm thinking of adjusting the flamingo the same way. He's not a colorful bird, but I like him a lot.

I also put all my birds up on the wall to see what I have and how I might arrange them:

Quite the flock! I love them all. I know for sure I don't want them in rows, and I'm thinking of using a pale green background color to tie them all together. It looks like I might want two more to fill in some spots that are far too open, too. I think this will take some serious playtime to get right. Oh, no. Doesn't that sound awful?

Except for the two others I might need, I think that's it for my flock of birds for this year. It will be fun to see how this turns out. I made my birds using Lynne Tyler's Liberated Birds tutorial, which you can get right HERE. Try them, they're fun!

While we're talking about flight, the hubster and I visited the College Park Aviation Museum not long ago ans had a really nice time there. They have some unusual stuff, but also this display, which is in every aviation museum I've ever seen:

Quite common, but still well done! Enjoy the weekend, everyone!

Sharing at soscrappy for RSC22.