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Thursday, August 25, 2011

Memory Eye Candy

The weekend is coming! The weekend is coming!! :-)
And it's gonna be a good one!!
I've gotten several things done this week, and I'm as pleased as punch about it! Nothing like actually finishing something (I am, after all, Queen Starts-a-lot) to make me feel that I'm not THE most useless person on the planet right now!

AND! I'm getting company! My friend Jennifer and her boys are coming up for a special Memorial Run for my Sam...more about that in a minute....

Look what I've done!! :-D
This is a "Little Jo" pattern from Jo Morton. I've had it pieced for a while, and finally machine quilted it on my Bernina.  I used the walking foot on the 4-patches, and did some free-motion "L's" and "U's" in the sashing strips and some curly waves in the borders.  I used matching thread, of course! So you can't see my blunders, but I'm thrilled with the finish!


I also managed to complete two t-shirt quilts I had in the works for a friend.  One is bound (yippee!) and the other is at the quilter.









They are for members of the same family, so they are similar, but uniquely their own with their memories represented in those wonderful t-shirts.  The mom asked for quotations on her son's quilt.  It was fun figuring out how to do the letters, and they turned out really cool....

So much so that I used them on Jennifer's quilt -- which is actually finished in time for her visit here this weekend!!  I've called the quilt "The Best of Times" -- and it is representative of the many places we went and memories our families made together.  I wanted the quilt to be a kind of scrap book of our time together.

A dear friend of mine, Mary Greene, made a scrap book for me of Sam...She is such an artist!! Look at some of the pages she created:

The rest of the album is just as beautiful, like memory eye-candy!  My quilt doesn't approach Mary's kind of artistry, but at least it brings to mind many of our adventures together.  We'll reminisce while they are here.

Also this weekend, Cumberland Homeschool Athletic Teams (CHAT :-) is hosting the Sam Casada Trail Blazer Memorial Run.  This is the organization through which Sam and Jennifer's boys got to compete in cross country and basketball.  Jennifer and her boys are coming up to participate in the run and spend some time with us.

A local girl drew a likeness of Sam for the run's t-shirt.

It's gonna be a great weekend!

The book of Proverbs tells us that "The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot."  (Proverbs 10:7 NIV)
Love it!!

At the end of the story of Esther, that brave queen who intervened for her people in the Old Testament, the writer admonishes us, "These days should be remembered and observed in every generation, by every family..." (Esther 9:28 NIV)

How are you making memory eye candy?  Will your memory be a blessing?

Blessings!


18 comments:

Barb said...

what a touching post. The memory quilt is wonderful and the scrap book - it's just lovely!
have fun this weekend and enjoy your friend.

LuAnn said...

What a beautiful memory book of Sam. Your Jo quilt is just gorgeous. I love that sashing.

Janet O. said...

That little quilt is beautiful.
Two t-shirt quilts? Wow, I just finished one earlier this year and they are more work than you think they will be. Good job.
Love the scrapbook pages of Sam. And the gal who drew the picture for the t-shirts did an excellent job!

Teresa Rawson said...

Man. oh man, have YOU ever been busy, girlfriend! LOVE the Jo quilt, majorly impressed with the t-shirt quilts (I've never tackled one of those...), and the quilt for your friend is oh, so special. What an amazing gift the scrapbook is...how wonderful to have someone make such a powerful book of memories for you and your family. And that "local girl" should be famous some day...the drawing is fantastic! Blessings on you and your family and friends this special weekend.

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Leslie said...

We are approaching what would have been my dear son, Stephen's 35th birthday. Thank you for sharing the lovely memories through scrapbooks and quilts that have blessed you and your family. I am now going to go and pull out the wonderful quilt that a friend made for me from Stephen's shirts. It will bring a tear to my eye but it will also bring comfort. May your time with your dear family friends be full of blessings. Praise to our faithful God.

StitchinByTheLake said...

That drawing of Sam is awesome! And I love the Jo quilt - little quilts are just so appealing to me right now. As for the memory of me, I'm sure praying that folks will remember I walked the path even when it was hard. blessings, marlene

Cheri said...

Have a great weekend MaryLou! The little Jo quilt is adorable, and I really like the phrases on the tshirt quilt. The memory book for Sam is just beautiful. What a talented scrap booker your friend is, those pages are so unique. Glad you got the binding done on your car ride last weekend : )
Cheri

Lori said...

Wow, that is going to be an amazing and emotional weekend. Sam was truly loved. The scrapbook will be a treasure for you. Your friend is very talented.

Miss Hillbilly said...

Some weekend this will be! You have an amazing amount of support. What a blessing! And a homeschool sports team? I need to move. I can't even find co-ops anymore.

Michelle said...

Wow...this post is full of so many wonderful things! I love the Jo Morton quilt and you did a great job on the tshirt quilts. But the scrapbook...that is completely incredible! What a precious gift.

The Civil War Quilter said...

What a wonderful thing to have a Memorial Run for Sam! Great quilts! Have a glorious weekend with your very special friend!

antique quilter said...

oh I just love the little quilt you made , the sashing is just perfect ! your quilting is great! don't be so hard on yourself, what a wonderful post...so touching.
t shirt quilts are just a great way to remember a time period in ones life. What a nice gift for your friend
the scrapbook pages are just so special...
The drawing is amazing..what a talented young lady
kathie

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

I am in awe of your friends artistry. What a true gift from her heart to yours, it is beautiful! Praying for a successful run for everyone involved this weekend. I love, love, love your little Jo. The T-shirt quilts are absolutely amazing, too.

Crispy said...

So many wonderful things on your blog this morning, I'm not sure where to start. The scrapbook is just wonderful and the drawing of Sam is AWESOME!! Love the little "Jo" quilt and I bet there aren't that many blunders LOL. I know the t-shirt quilts will be loved and cherished. Most of all, how wonderful that you will be able to spend some special time with your dear friend.


Hugs - Crispy

Me and My Stitches said...

What a wonderful post - everything is just amazing. Love your Little Jo, the T-shirt quilts are lovely, the scrapbook is out of this world - what a wonderful, touching keepsake. Have a great weekend!

Sheila said...

I love your Jo quilt, great job.The tee shirt quilts are great and will be loved by the recipients for sure . The memory quilt is awesome as well as the scrapbook.I hope the run is a huge success !

Maureen said...

It seems that God just keeps on finding ways to shower your family with His love since Sam's homegoing. He is so good!

Reenie said...

Wow...look how busy you have been!!! That drawing for the t-shirts is just breathtaking. Even now, Sam is touching sooo many lives!!