While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.
~ Angela Schwindt
I've had another entry in the Par-tay with Attitude! Summer Blog Contest. Wonderfully creative Jill at Life with Nature Girl has written a terrific post about choosing one's attitude. I especially love that she's passing these ideas on to her child, the darling little "nature girl" mentioned in the blog's title. Check out Jill's post, and maybe pick up the book she mentions next time you're in the market for a good children's story. Keep scrolling through until you see some of the photos of that sweet little girl.
I hope you're thinking about what you want to write, so you can enter the contest. I'm working slowly but surely on creating the quilted table runner. Those fruit and veggie fabrics are so much fun to work with! See the details here.
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Well, only one more day until my oldest stepdaughter moves out. Not only out, but away! I mentioned in a previous post that she's moving to San Jose, which is about six hours north of here. Not too bad, I know: at least she'll still be in the same state! I finally finished her quilt, the one I started last year and hoped to complete by her January birthday. HA! I almost made that deadline, all but the binding. When I knew she was moving, I vowed to get it all done so she could take it with her. Here's a photo:
I wish you could see the detail in the fabrics she chose: the purple batik is especially pretty. And no, I didn't do the quilting: I had a long-arm quilter do it.
Now, can anyone give me suggestions on how to take better photos of my quilts?? They're just not an easy thing to photograph!
I guess I'm feeling a little melancholy, now that the last daughter is leaving home. But I have to tell you just what a lucky woman I am. I could never have children of my own, so the good Lord brought into my life a man who had four children, three of whom had lost their mother when they were very young. I've never tried to take their mom's place, but I sure feel fortunate to be able to share with them all the maternal feelings I have inside. Sometimes that includes wanting to strangle them (and I'm sure the feeling is, at times, mutual!) But most often, what I feel for them is love, pure and simple. I consider myself incredibly blessed to be where I am today.
Life is good!
Until next time...
11 comments:
What a wonderful relationship you must have with your children and they with you!
That's a beautiful quilt. I know what you mean about taking photos of such things. My cross-stitch wasn't so large but I still couldn't get it quite right.
Have you thought about hanging it from something perhaps? That would be better than laying flat. Also, include a detail shot along with the large shot.
Have a wonderful weekend!
What a beautiful quilt--that purple is the perfect pop of color!
It's wonderful that you have such a great relationship with your stepchildren.
The quilt is beautiful! What a nice gift for your step daughter. It's like taking a little piece of home with her as she starts her new adventure! How nice!
Thanks for the shout out on my post! I hope that this is a lesson my daughter learns and carries with her in life. It will get her through the bumps in life! It has helped me.
You're such a lovely person.
Lovely post, Pattie. I can see that you have been busy since I have been gone. The quilt looks awesome. Yes, it is tough to photograph them. Maybe draping them over a fence or something outside would be the answer. I'll have to share a site with you when I return that has some awesome quilt photos.
Quilts are really hard to take pictures of because they are so big. The only suggestion I have is to take a picture of the one like you did and also a small one of the details to put along side it.
Sure is hard when they leave the nest. I'm so glad that you got the experience of raising them.
Hi Pattie,
How blessed you and your stepchildren were to have each other. I can remember that feeling when my youngest moved out on her own (18 yrs ago now!)
San Jose is only about an hour from us and such a busy, bustling city.
We had lunch there on our way home from Monterey and Carmel.
Your quilt is lovely..
xo
I agree...try hanging the quilts. either way though - your pics still capture the beauty of your handiwork!
And what lucky kids to have you! We have a similar situation in our household. After my hubby passed away - I married a great guy who never had any kids of his own. My girls adore him and the mush they wrote on his Father's Day cards this year just melted his heart.
Hi Pattie:-)
Thank you so much for coming by my blog and leaving such a delightful comment. As you could tell, I'm quite looking forward to becoming a Nana and I hope it happens in your near future as well:-)
What a beautiful quilt you made for your step daughter...she will love having it with her now that she's moving away. Isn't it a lonesome feeling when they leave the nest? I remember well my both my boys left home...now I can understand what they mean by "empty nest syndrome"! lol
Take good care and please come visit me again anytime:-) xox
Sounds like the kids were very lucky to get you, too!
As for quilt photos, I'm no expert, but I get my best shots when the quilts are hung on a wall (I sometimes clip them up using clothespins) or when someone holds them. That way I can photograph the quilt straight on rather than at an angle. Some people take amazing photos of their quilts in nice settings -- draped over a bench in the park, with a picnic set on it, etc. It depends on whether you want to show the whole quilt or to capture the mood of the quilt.
Quite lovely...
The only quilt I ever made was lost in my parent's divorce... after that, I never seemed to have quite the will to do another one, but I adore looking at yours.
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