Of Birthdays.....and Triangles and Hexies

A lovely welcome to all you lovely lovelies♥ 'Tis Sunday morning....again. The days down here at the bottom of the world seem to meld into each other in a rather unconscious way. Sometimes I know not what day it is, nor indeed the date. Though, I do know the date today as it is my good husband's birthday. Yes indeedy, a very auspicious day, though I fear it's just he and me to celebrate in our humble abode. I had planned a rather wonderful high tea, where all our friends were going to visit and sit and sip tea from pretty fine bone china teacups, and munch on delectable baked concoctions worthy of a special birthday. We were all going to celebrate with my husband, and laugh and think upon all the happy memories and fun times that swirl around their friendship with him, but alas, it is just the two of us. We did get a happy surprise though. On Friday, we arrived home to discover a box of cupcakes had been left on the front porch. My daughter and son-in-law, who live far, far away sent us 'high tea' by courier. Such a fabulously delightful surprise. A high tea just for he and me. My good husband is three score years and ten today. Wow......sounds rather ancient, doesn't it. The funny thing is, though he has  many well deserved aches and pains.......and battle scars, he tells me he still feels like a youngen. I wonder.......how did he and me get soooooo old.  Why, it only seems like yesterday we were both youngens! =) Oh, I might add, the cupcakes are red velvet......so, so, so deliciously delectable!

Auspicious birthdays aside, this last little while I have been playing with triangles and more Sweet Sunday  hexies. Triangles, I hear you query?? Yes..........triangles. In February, when one could go wherever one wanted; you know the days way back when, before the official edict from prime ministers, presidents, kings and queens proclaiming that everyone all over the lands were to remain in one's home......well.......I attended a fun weekend workshop playing with fabrics and wee triangles. It was a Whizz Bang workshop with Rachaeldaisy, of Blue Mountain Daisy fame. Gosh.......that workshop seems a lifetime ago. =)

Have you heard of Rachael?? She is the most delightful of ladies and so very clever. Rachael is an aussie gal and dreams up wonderful creations and shares them with us mere mortals. She entered her Whizz Bang quilt into the Australian Quilt show a couple of years ago and to her amazement her quilt won the Best in Show prize. The rest as they say is history. Since then she travels all around, both here in Australia and the world inspiring and teaching ladies the concepts behind her beautiful quilts. Her book, Whizz Bang is a fabulous one overflowing with oodles of inspiration and instructions on the how to's of all things triangles.....all things burr cone or as some might prefer, prairie point, pretties. Arranging triangles is really playing in the truest sense of the word. One just folds triangles from an assortment of strips of fabrics and then plays, placing triangles around and around in dizzying, gloriously hued circles. At Rachael's workshop I made three whizz bang circles and I must say I had the best time. The thing that struck me at the workshop is how every 'whizz bang' pretty that each lady imagined was so very different, even though all we really did was play with triangles. It is amazing the beautiful assortment of circles everyone conjured up. I fashioned three, and must say I am fairly pleased with my little circles. My fingers are itching to make some more whizz bang pretties and begin another quilt....but not just yet.

These last weeks I have been fashioning more hexies and stitching them to my Sweet Sunday quilt, as well. I felt the quilt needed just a few more pretty prints to play nicely with the others, so I ordered  some more fabric from The Strawberry Thief. Hopefully my letterbox will reveal a package of little Liberty joy this week......then I can enjoy a little more stitching. I can't wait to see this quilt top finished in all it's sweet Liberty glory.

Enough of this lazing around in bed! I had better get up and at it as there is much to be done. I wonder, can one have cupcakes for breakfast?? Why........I don't see why ever not. Life is much too short not to have cake for breakfast, especially if one is of a certain age.  Have a beautiful day, lovely lovelies. I know 'he and me' will♥

Until the next time......................

Linking up this week to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.

A Quilt of Holes

I am not certain who the author of this beautiful poem is; though an American poet, Linda Winchell, wrote one very similar. I happened upon this poem a couple of years ago saving it for 'that' perfect time to weave a post around it. With the world spinning around and around on it's chaotic axis this last little while, today seemed to be that perfect day. I remember at the time being deeply moved by the touching thoughts and words. Even today, this poem brings tears to my eyes as I reflect upon the thoughts therein. Of late this poem has resonated deep within me. Over the last couple of months and with Easter only a matter of days away, I have pondered upon the patchwork pieces of the tapestry of my life. Those pieces being stomped on, becoming dirty, grubby and grimy; hanging by a thread. And, though I might put many a stitch here and there to try to mend and repair a gaping hole or a tiny tear, those pieces are never the same. They are never as they once were. Aah....the tapestry of my life. So, so very thankful for Jesus who takes my hardships; and makes my struggles His struggles, my fears His fears; my worries His worries. Oh....the list goes on and on and on, doesn't it. So, so thankful for Jesus' love. This poem reminds me over and over again of my desire to have Jesus shine through all the weaknesses and frailties; all the imperfections of my life. He makes something beautiful, something good out of all the tattered, threadbare patches of the tapestry of my every day. Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for His love shining through all those messy, imperfectly pieced patches that is the quilt of my life.

As for the quilt dancing around each verse of the poem, it is my pastel hexagonal beauty which I dreamed up and stitched a little while after I finished my Bohemian Purple Rhapsody quilt. It was a quilt that was stitched long before I began my foray into 'The Land of Blog' and has never been showcased in it's entirety. As I am a gal who loves pastel loveliness, this quilt speaks ever-so-softly to my heart. It sings a soft and muted song, a mere whisper of a pianissimo. Oh, I adore bright and vivid colours but it is soft-hued pastels which make my heart smile just that little bit more deeply. Each hexie whispers lovely pastel vintage fabrics, french laces and the touch of my signature embellished lovelies, and of course a glove clasping a few stems of trailing flowers. I desired only a touch of pretty embellishments skipping across the hexies, as I wanted the beautiful vintage fabrics to shine. There is too, my signature basket of flowers, which I carefully snipped from doilies, arranging them into a floralicious arrangement of crochet loveliness. Each hexie is backed with a cream satin and on the back I stitched a two inch wide, satin ribbon covering those sometimes messy seams, all those little  stitching transgressons of mine. I am that gal who loves the back of a quilt to be pretty as well. This hexie pretty is queen size and once again, as with all my QAYG hexies pretties, it is completely hand stitched, which took many months to complete. 

My prayer is that we might all think upon the words of this beautiful poem. My prayer is that today, and during Eastertime the hope of the Easter message; the gift of God's love for you and me might shine brightly through the messiness of  the tapestry of this rather confused and chaotic world.

Until the next time................

Linking up to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.