Finding Time

There is a delicate balance between activity and busy-ness.  As things are clearing from my calendar, I am slowly finding the time to do the things I love to do.  I love to be with my kids and experience them.  The time they are in my life is so temporary.  I love to take walks, read, quilt, browse blogs and Pinterest, and cook.  It's amazing that I am finding the time to do those things again.  I started on a quilt that was to be given to my daughter for Christmas 2010 and finally finished it last week.  That should not be.  She should be the priority and that quilt should have been done long before this.  I'm beginning a new quilt for my second daughter.  I am planning to make it a priority and get it done before her birthday in October.  I have another quilt project that I have been working on for years.  That is for my bed and can wait.
The beautiful part is that DD13 loves to sit with me while I am engaging in handicrafts.  She will often help or come along beside me with her own project.  I love that time I get with her.

 This is the quilt I finished last week.  Even though it has a Christmas theme to it, DD14 says she loves it.

Below are fabrics I have chosen for my next project.  It will be a rainbow quilt and I'm hoping to find yellow brick road fabric to use for the trim.

Quilting Handicrafts

I first fell in love with quilting when I was pregnant with my first. I had borrowed some Quilt in a Day videos from the library and was hooked. As with any other skill, I made some mistakes in the beginning, but quickly learned that anything worthwhile doesn't include shortcuts. So even with the Quilt in a Day, it takes me several so that I am sure to do it right. This particular quilt requires 4 different square patterns and I want the quilt to be large enough to cover my king-sized bed when it's finished.

Recently, I have been itching to make a quilt. I had this project in a drawer that I started about 5 years ago, but didn't get past the first stages. I was thrilled to find out that through both of our recent moves, the quilt pieces still lay in a bag in a bottom drawer of an old dresser. It was like finding an old friend.

So I picked up right where I left off. The beautiful part of it is that DD11 sits in the room with me and knits while I quilt. She often reminds me of the book by Beverly Lewis "Just Like Mama" and I love it, savor it, and pray these days last a long, long time.

I also believe this is what Charlotte Mason meant by "masterly inactivity". It's a time during the day that is not structured, but something worthwhile is going on.

Once all the squares are done and put together, I will begin hand quilting the entire project. Yes, it takes a long time, but there is something theraputic about stitching each quilt. It's a time to reflect and a time to pray and a time to be still and know He is God. All the while, we are making useful things - handicrafts - that will become a part of our home.