4th Birthday Portrait Quilt

   Traditionally, I make a small quilt birthday card for my grandchildren to go with their gifts. Since David's birthday is near Christmas, I use materials I find on hand since time is crowded.

    I found a sketch I had made of David using a marker. It looks as if I may have traced over a photograph which I had enlarged. I made two copies on my copy machine and scanned them to fit a size 8 1/2' x 11" sheet of paper. Of course I used a printable fabric, not paper, of that size to print the line drawing.

     Next, I ironed Wonder Under to the back so I could laminate the fabric with the drawing onto a background. Mistake #1. I had wanted to embroider the lines with black thread but this is not easy to do once fabric has been laminated. I learned that other people use invisible ink for their embroidery lines. Mistake #2. I had used up the Cars fabric, our theme this year. In a hurry I settled for Batman and numbers. Later I found Cars fragments which I laminated, cut out and stitched around. Mistake #3. You can see through the white fabric, but it shows how colorful David is. Mistake #4. It was late. I forgot to change the thread for the binding. It looked messy so I further messed it up more with puff paints. I was distracted listening to Tom Wolfe's new book Back to Blood. But I think the card is lively and cute. I dried it on the radiator and added a cupcake.

      I love it when David says, "For me, LinLin?" I say, "Yes:" and he adds, "Oh thank you, LinLin! My quilt," and hugs it. Most of the time, to get done all I want to do, I can't worry about "perfect."

Guests Coming/Changing Leaves: a journal quilt

(click to enlarge)

   The leaves are changing and we, ourselves, are turning over. For 41 years in this house we (I should say "I," since my husband is methodical and  does not accumulate) have paid more attention to creating and turning the house into a factory, rather than maintaining tidiness and order. Also, there are the grandchildren and their toys and disorder. So it was with both excitement and horror that I received the news FOUR beloved relatives were driving across the country to view the leaves and to stay with us for a WEEK, right away! Egads. Paths must be made and some upkeep attended to.
    Out came the paintbrushes and hammers. The big toss and reorganization began. Of course there is no way to create the comfort our guests are accustomed to, but I am thrilled to have the motivation to start to straighten every room in the house, reorganize and rediscover, however limited. I am an evening person, but I was up early this morn at 6:30 and made this journal quilt by 8, before breakfast.
    I had the background and was puzzled what to include besides books flying, magazines tossed. I pulled Joe in to look at my stash. At first he asked if I had Munch's Scream in fabric. Then he found the Cars fabric and the skeletons and suggested I add the hammer and paint brush. I wish I had time to sew some beads on the headlights and to the leaves in the trees.