Sometimes A Great Notion

If you're a quiltmaker, then the words 'sometimes a great notion' might mean a new design idea, the latest in rotary cutters, or finally finding a Sidewinder for half price. If you're from Oregon, have ever lived in Oregon, grew up during the 60's and 70's or just like to read books from that era, then "Sometimes a Great Notion' means you've read Ken Kesey's best selling book by that name.

However, if you ever lived in Oregon, like to read and are a quiltmaker ...like Finn, from Wisconsin..then "Sometimes a Great Notion" is the name of a quilt you mailed to Michele, who lives in Salem ....likes new design ideas, rotary cutters, wishes for a Sidewinder for half price, spent those decades straddling life in Alaska AND Oregon... and yes, did indeed read Ken Kesey's best selling book.

This great notion was beyond great. Dear Finn, while Paying It Forward, not only created and quilted me a beautiful little comfort quilt (which could also be used as a fabulous wall hanging) but it is SUCH a sweet quilt which also PERFECTLY matches my rustic Christmas colors. AND she sent me other unbelievable finds...a linen table cloth from my home state of Alaska and a vintage 1992 copy of Ladies Circle magazine where the entire issue was devoted to quilts and quilters in......you guessed it.... Alaska! To top it off, she included some lovely plaid fabrics, and instead of 'never giving an inch' sent me wonderfully sized pieces. Fabrics that are perfect for my current craze of making morsbags and giving them away as re-useable shopping bags.

From the Oregon coast, over to Wisconsin, through my heart in Alaska and back down to Salem...the arrows show me the way through the falling timbers and all of the rivers that run so deep. Thanks, Finn! It was indeed a very great notion and I just loved every piece of it!

Show Me Your Hearts

In honor of the month of February, I challenge you to "show me your hearts." The first challenge is to take a photo of a collection of hearts that you have in your home...any object that is heart shaped or has a heart on it qualifies....and your collection can be as small as a couple of items, to as large as anything that you might have and be able to fit into the photo.

The second challenge is to take care of your own heart. Promise, as I am, to do something heart healthy...whether the focus is on healthy eating, exercise, whatever...at least once, each and every day of this month. Doing something you know you should be doing or doing without something you know you should be doing without, in the first place :)

The third challenge is to use your heart by doing something special for someone else that you would never normally do. By this I mean volunteer for a project, make a gift and gift it anonymously, do volunteer work....something outside of your usual routine or one extra thing you didn't plan on making or doing.

To show your intent to join in and "Show Me Your Hearts", post a photo on your blog of your heart shaped item collection (any time this month!) and link back to this blog so I (and others!) can follow the link back to you!

Please include my link in every passed on link, so that I can chart the progress along through the month!

Fun, heart healthy, caring and filled with heart. Please join in the fun and go find those hearts...and yours...now :)

heart shaped hugs from Michele at:
http:with-heart-and-hands.blogspot.com/

String Quilting: Prayer Pocket Pillow

I have had a great deal of fun coming up with a design idea for my Pay It Forward gift. I knew that I wanted to make something either out of a heart or with a heart on it, not only because of my love for that shape and all that it symbolizes, but because I had a special desire to send healing blessings from my heart to theirs.



I also knew that I wanted to incorporate string quilting as it is my belief that each string represents a heart string sent out as a connection of caring. When I sew with 'heartstrings' I am creating a connection...both spiritual and energetic...between myself and the person who will receive the gift. I ended up designing a small, string pieced pillow with a pocket on the back.

The idea is that you place your prayers, blessings, or good thoughts for others, inside of the little pocket...as I did by tucking in the little card . I sewed my prayers into each and every heart string and as I sewed on the buttons and tied the knots in the perle cotton ribbons, I sent positive affirmations, as well.

My wish, for those of you who received any of my gifts, is that you feel the love created, as well as sent, as it went out to you. Whatever challenges you face, know always that there are so many others who care for you. For those of you, who received one of my pieced hearts, know that your willingness to Pay It Forward with me, will be payed forwards and backwards over and over.

I am grateful for all of my wonderful new friends in Blogland. I truly feel that I am getting to know all of you and care about you as the wonderful women that you are!

Note:

For a step by step tutorial on string piecing this prayer pocket pillow, see my post:

Strip Piecing a Heart Strings Pillow
 

For links on making string or strip pieced quilts:

How to make piece the fabric strips for String Quilting
Please check my Free Quilt Patterns link (always available on the right links section of my blog.)

Many different string quilting patterns, directions, and additional string quilting tips can be found under the 'Scrap Quilting" section near the end of that post.

I Am A Wanted Woman

Creating and sending gifts out these past two weeks has been so much fun! I've had some amazing adventures...especially at the Keizer, Oregon Post Office, where I have now discovered it is illegal to put your own stamps on any package weighing 13 ounces or more and simply dropping it in a mail box!

I have a small postage scale and an online postage chart at home, and wanting to use some of my Gees Bend stamps, I simply weighed my package, computed my postage, applied my stamps, found a mail box and dropped it in. The package was re-delivered, the very next day, back to me at my home address.... with an official illegal package warning sticker!

Apparently, this new ruling went into effect the very Monday that I mailed my first package and Homeland Security was hot on my illegal activity trail! Did that deter me? No, it did not! I hot footed it back down there, pleaded guilty and tried mailing it....this time by handing it to a real person.... and not just dropping it in the box.

All they did was re-stamp it and throw into the chute. No declaration or searching of the contents, no checking for flammable liquids or illegal fruit and no drug sniffing dogs. They simply tossed it in....just as I had....only I had stamped them with my own stamps, and not theirs.

Did I let my unfortunate illegal activity and its consequences deter me? I certainly did not! I went home to create more gifts....only these I made sure weighed under 13 ounces and/or I brought them to the Post Official to be mailed "officially."

I mailed one gift as a thank you for a gift that I had received previously (Paula and her Crazy Woman Sox) one just for the fun (Finn and her blogaversary and encouragement for my hopping on board her Orphan Train )and several as part of the Pay It Forward challenge... ...Debi and Terry, thank you so much for joining me!

And if you are wondering what I look like...I should be on a Post Office poster.... near you.... any time soon! :)

Pay It Forward

Pay it forward or paying it forward, refers to repaying the good deeds one has received, by doing good things for other unrelated people.

Most of us assoiciated the phrase "pay it forward" as a moral philosophy originating from Catherine Ryan Hyde's novel, Pay It Forward, which in 2000 was adapted into film by the same name. In actuality it was first used in a book Between Planets by Science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein, in 1951, almost 50 years before Ryan Hyde's novel!

In Catherine Ryan Hyde's book and movie, it is described as an obligation to do three good deeds for others in repayment of one good deed that one receives. In this way, the need to help one another can spread exponentially through society, with the goal of making the world a better place.

In our little quilt blogging world, the concept is now being spread by the request that we make a Pay It Forward post, and ask for 3 people to respond to that post. In return we (me in this case) will send those 3 people (that respond) a gift. I consider it unnecessary to qualify whether it can be store bought or handmade...a gift from the heart can be either.

Because many bloggers are not getting responses to their 'Pay It Forward' posts, I have agreed to play and pay, twice. To limit problems with addresses and such, I am offering this:

*To the first 6 people who e-mail me their name and mailing address, using the email address on my profile page, I shall send each of you a gift, as long as you include in the email, your name and mailing address. The gift I mail may be store bought or handmade, and it will be delivered to you as soon as I have it ready and in the mailbox.

Your 'pay it forward' is to do the same in your blog for 3 more people. Link back, post, create the gift and pay it forward! Email me (use my email address on my profile page) if you want a gift and are willing to give 3 gifts to others, in return. Remember to email both your name and mailing address and we shall all play it forward ;)