Playing

Lately, I have been working on a new quilt inspired from some pretty fabric that a friend sent my way. This new project has sent me several times to the fabric store, frustrated me, I've sewed and then torn apart many many blocks for the quilt, I just start to get something done and then I get interrupted (which is to be expected). And I find myself loving spending time working on what I consider to be a modest mini little work of art, but then I find myself wondering at the same time if I am wasting time and should be doing something else.

Well, there may be a bit of truth in both of those thoughts, especially since I tend to kind of get engulfed in whatever I am doing. But I think back to when I was teaching and I read Josef Pieper's "Leisure: The Basis of Culture" with my junior girls. His main idea is that a person needs time to think and create and in the end, the result of this leisure time is the products which allow culture and society to advance in beauty and new ideas. Well, I have kids to take care of, chores to do, things to clean, food to make and the lists go on. But, at the same time, I think it is okay and healthy for the kids to see me using skills and making things too. I find that I am learning a lot and I was inspired to organize my fabric a bit.

After I'd been working on this quilt for awhile, I realized that it is turning out to be very similar in color and tones to this quilt my Grandma Ruby Lee made for me. It is now on Faustina's bed.

I really am proud of the skill sets in my family. I look around my house and I marvel and my Dad's beautiful handiwork in the crib he made for our kids. It truly was a labor of love and service. He put in so many hours and I am excited to think that he work will get handed on down to my great grandchildren. I can honestly say, when we have new friends over and show them our place, my favorite thing to show off to people is the crib my Dad made - people are stunned. This frame that my brother, Aaron, made is my absolute favorite. He used the natural grooves and curve of the wood to create to create this gorgeous frame.

And then I look around at our main living space and I love how talented my dear husband is at creating a warm beautiful space for us to live in. He is so good at decorating and seeing space.

As I look around and see pretty things people have created, I am reassured that it is worth time (if there is any) to spend time making things. In the fall of '09 I took a quilting class and made this quilt which I really do love. Hopefully this will get passed onto someone else someday to appreciate.