Summer's Work Going to Needy Teens

That's largest of six quilts I took this noontime to Grace who is co-chairman of the Bayberry Guild's "quilt bank". Grace's basement has a reputation--it is the repository of hundreds of yards of fabric that has been donated to the guild. Monday and Tuesday they had a give-away day; she said 27 women showed up, descended into her basement and walked out with multiple bags of fabric. And yet, to  me, the basement is FULL of fabric.

I did not go to get fabric I went to donate six quilts I made over the summer (including the one in the photo) to quilt bank which has a list of 60 kids with homeless or out of work parents who need something bright a warm to sleep under NOW as winter approaches. I've written about my Totally Dottie quilts and over the last three or four months other quilts that I've finished. Frankly I wanted them OUT, so I can make more and store them for a bit. The trip to Harwich was to be quick, get there around noon, deliver the quilts and head back home stopping at a fried clam place for lunch.

Quick it was not.  Grace looked at my quilts saying "this is for teen girls, that is for teen boys"... and then showing me others she has been collecting for the teens. The goal is 60 to be distributed in the next month or so. That was in her upstairs guest room where big plastic containers are already full of quilts with destinations. Then she asked if I wanted any fabric and I said, "well, actually yes, because I want to send some to a woman I know who makes quilts to be raffled by her group to raise money for kids who don't have lunch money at school. So down to the basement -- lots of fabric still there.

Grace is a talker, she's 88 and as much into plants as quilts. She told me the story of her family, not all happy -- in fact she was relieved to have become a window 21 years ago this month... She has more energy and interest (we talked talks books and movies too) than most younger people. I finally left about 2:00 and had a late lunch at the clam place.  I wasn't entirely certain how to get from her house to Rte. 28 which I wanted to be on. I came to a road going west but not one I'd been on before but not very busy. I have a keen sense of  direction I wanted to go west. Cape Cod is not very big, I  knew I would recognize something after a few miles. I found a familiar road and that lead to 28 and that lead to lunch. So much for the afteroon when I thought I would do some quilting. But no, it will wait.

Tree Hugger - "Ecology"

Our Uncommon Threads art quillt group proposed the theme "ecology" for this month's challenge.  Also the quilt was to be 12x12.  I pondered about the sea --I recently heard of an oceanographer's plan to feed the world with kelp farms deep in the sea.  "Kelp not kale" a slogan -- I like that! I'm not a kale fan.

However, I could not visualize a kelp farm underwater. I remembered this photograph of great-grandson, Silas, and that I wrote a poem called Tree Hugger. The poem is about childhood, not about ecology, but I love the photo and knew I wanted to use it with this particular fabric. The name of the quilt is "Treasure the Trees". (the less than distinct photo at the bottom right is a fallen tree.  Remember, if you click on the photo it enlarges; I suggest you do that, I have a grandmother's fondness for the the expression on Silas' face.

Here is the poem that was written a couple of years ago:

    Tree Hugger

The big man, with a kind voice,
jabbed a needle into soft baby flesh.
AAAAAAAW!
“It’s okay,” Mommy said, fixing his clothes.
“It’s okay.” She held her little boy
like she did many, many times,
hugging, rocking a little, “It’s okay.”
For a while it was okay.
He fell asleep as the car purred home.

But it wasn't okay. At dinner
he felt ick-ish; he slapped at the food
and whimpered; he wanted something
but not dinner. His brothers didn’t care,
Mommy and Daddy were busy with them.
He blubbered and fussed.
“I know, I know,” Daddy said. Strong arms 
 lifted him. Daddy gave him ice cream,
that was okay … for a while. Daddy held him
and talked to the others, patting his back,
pat, pat, pat. “It’s okay,” he said. “It’s okay.”
The little boy went to sleep, but it wasn’t okay.
He woke up fussing, whimpering, Mommy
held him, both fell asleep in the rocking chair.

It wasn’t okay the next day either. He fussed,
he whimpered, he felt tired and restless.
The brothers said, “It’ll be okay,” but they didn’t
remember their shots and their “Not-okay” days.
When the others went to school, Mommy
held him, but he wiggled free. She got his shoes
and coat and hat and they went for a walk.
He mumbled and stumbled through the leaves.
Then he found the sturdy little piney tree,
cool and rough and still. Tree didn’t say, “It’s okay.”
Tree didn’t hug or rock, but it stood solid and good,
He was okay just hugging the tree..

Copy-cat quilt

A couple of posts ago I put up a picture of a quilt from the Mancusco  International Quilt show and said I was inspired to make a similar quilt.  It's done and it's looks much like the other although I think I can say with confidence that not a single fabric used in mine was used in the other. That's the joy and glory of these "wild" scrap quilts.  Scroll down and compare.  So  much fun and I used up lots of scraps, solids and prints.