"So heavy is the long-necked, long-bodied heron, always it is a surprise when her smoke-colored wings
open and she turns from the thick water, from the black sticks
of the summer pond, and slowly rises into the air and is gone.
Then, not for the first or the last time, I take the deep breath of happiness, and I think how unlikely it is
that death is a hole in the ground, how improbable that ascension is not possible, though everything seems so inert, so nailed
back into itself-- the muskrat and his lumpy lodge, the turtle, the fallen gate.
And especially it is wonderful that the summers are long and the ponds so dark and so many, and therefore it isn't a miracle
but the common thing, this decision, this trailing of the long legs in the water, this opening up of the heavy body
into a new life: see how the sudden gray-blue sheets of her wings strive toward the wind; see how the clasp of nothing takes her in.
Heron Rises From The Dark, Summer Pond
by Mary Oliver
2021 Reflections by Michele Savikko Bilyeu:
Oh the absolute joy for those of us who both believe in and protecting the gardens of our lives through love and compassion of our natural world holding faith in those who help our world not seek to harm her and all who abide within her in all ways.
Oh the deep love for family, both immediate and extended. Oh the dark sorrow for those lost or those left in pain and suffering and grief.
I think of and pray for all of you. I hold you in my thoughts and share compassion and empathy with you all.
All things grow and all that lives or causes change will pass. And so shall all of us when our time and our cycle of change is with us.
Take care of one another and feel the warm and radiant love of all there is, and ever will be.
Take care.
Love,
Michele
April 2021
Michele Bilyeu Creates With Heart and Hands as she shares her imaginative, magical, and healing journey from Alaska to Oregon. Creating, designing, sewing, quilting, and wildcrafting... from my heart and with my hands
It's so much fun creating colorful quilts, wall hangings, table toppers, Easter baskets, or creative children crafts to welcome in the hopes of Spring and the season or renewal, hope, peace and freedom.
Making an 'Easter' quilt can be as simple as making some four patches.... and added some bits and pieces ...just from some scraps you might already have....in bunny, chick, or any pretty Easter fabric!
I used some scraps in Beatrix Potter prints, as shown above, and made this cute but easy, baby quilt and included a little soft fabric book for a quick gift! This little baby quilt is in flannel, and these where all the scraps I had in these colors..so no outside borders, and very simple style. But it is soft and special and still so cute! And best of all, the sweet little one who received it and her new parents just loved it!
Create a garland freehand! Easy and cute! This one has other sections with words like 'Birthday" but you could ass Easter, or Anniversary or any words you wanted with just free cut appliqued on letters!
Here, a simple panel, quilted but attractive with quilting stitches around the details of the print to really make them pop! Than a bountifully gathered doubled up ruffle all around. The new grandma loved this so much she had carried in on her travels so others could admire it all the way to visit her first grandchild!
So easy with just simple strips of leftover fabric pieces and a simple no border binding! It made a great gift just before it was needed to give to new parent an their darling baby!
Basket Blocks by Gwen Marston:http://www.gwenmarston.com/freePattern/basket.htm
free basket blocks pattern by Gwen Marston; from her Beaver island Quilt Retreat on Baskets. The pattern is for one of eleven baskets quilts she made for the retreat. The quilt is made with 16 pieced baskets and 15 alternate blocks in redwork. Baskets w. Red work 60" x70"
Bunny Quilt from Quilting Passion http://quiltingpassion.com/MQs/MQ11/
Blocks create a cute bunny shape! The finished size of this project is approximately 30" x 42", without borders and 42" x 54", with borders.
Easter Chicks Decorate and Bunny Luv
Bonnie Sullivan of Salem OR: Check out this darling original wallhanging, wool applique on flannel, 24"x 28" and quilt designed by Bonnie for Fons and Porter, free downloads as of above at: http://www.allthroughthenight.net/All_free.php
Scrap Baskets by Carol Doaks:This quick and easy wall quilt features a 7" basket block that is perfect for those left-over scraps. Click to download the pdf
And don't forget how easy and how much fun making Easter pillowcases can be! Use my magical 'burrito' pillowcase pattern and a yard and maybe a bit more for trim..and you'll have a darling pillowcase in no time at all!
Here's a fun list of photo ideas from some of my own projects files, and from so many other "Easter/Passover/ and Celebrate Spring!"pattern links..not just for quilts, and quilt blocks but a few super cute Easter crafts, too!
Any spring colors, any styles in so many different crafts to choose from! And do come back as these are updated all of the time. Just click on my my master link list up at the top border, or over on the side gadgets to the right!
If you want to make these adorable pop-up Easter cards then print them in black and white (to color in) or print them in color. You will have to cut out the different parts and paste them together.
Passover and Other Special Occasions, Gifts, and Ideas:
An inspirational example of improvisational string quilt at its finest!
Happy and Most Blessed Holi-days to You and Yours! May the days, months and years ahead be easier and may our gratitude only grow from the blessings of all that we have learned from the challenges of the past years!
Hope you have enjoyed this lengthy collection of ideas, patterns, tutorials and links that I have spent the past 15 plus years colleting! Is is quite challenging to continue to blog on a mobile phone but I persevere as others have faced much more than my year of isolated time at home for this past year.
If you appreciate this site and all of my work as a volunteer who has strived to help others, please consider a small donation to my daughter's go fund me page as she has valiantly battled a very aggressive and challenging form of breast cancer for almost 2 years. After 65 chemo sessions, surgery and extensive radiation, she still fights daily to have what so many of us take for granted.
Michele Bilyeu Creates With Heart and Hands as she shares her imaginative, magical, and healing journey from Alaska to Oregon. Creating, designing, sewing, quilting, and wildcrafting... from my heart and with my hands.
Michele Bilyeu Creates With Heart and Hands as she shares her imaginative, magical, and healing journey from Alaska to Oregon. Creating, designing, sewing, quilting, and wildcrafting... from my heart and with my hands
