Scottish Cross

"When our delightful, worthy, 21-year-old daughter, Georgia, was hospitalized in critical condition following a bike accident, our family said, “It will all work out.” As I flew immediately from our mission in Brazil to Indianapolis to be with her, I clung to our family motto. However, our lovely daughter passed into the spirit world just hours before my plane landed. Following Georgia’s mortal death, our feelings were raw, we struggled, and still today we have moments of great sorrow, but we hold to the understanding that no one ever really dies. Despite our anguish when Georgia’s physical body stopped functioning, we had faith that she went right on living as a spirit, and we believe we will live with her eternally if we adhere to our temple covenants. Faith in our Redeemer and His Resurrection, faith in His priesthood power, and faith in eternal sealings let us state our motto with conviction." - Neill F. Marriott

Four Cotton Reels

On Rhyme

It’s possible that a stitch in time might save as many as 12 or as few as 3,

and I have no trouble remembering that September has 30 days.

So do June, November, and April.

I like a cat wearing a chapeau or a trilby, Little Jack Horner sitting on a sofa,

old men who are not from Nantucket, and how life can seem almost unreal

when you are gently rowing a boat down a stream.

That’s why instead of recalling today that it mostly pours in Spain,

I am going to picture the rain in Portugal, how it falls on the hillside vineyards,

on the surface of the deep harbors

where fishing boats are swaying, and in the narrow alleys of the cities

where three boys in tee shirts are kicking a soccer ball in the rain,

ignoring the window-cries of their mothers. – Billy Collins

Joy's Wedding Sampler

My oldest son and his bride will have been married three years next Monday. They chose lavender and green for their wedding colors, which matched several blocks in my collection. I’d made the first dozen of these the previous year for a Debbie Beaves “Lovely in Lavender” block-of-the-month class, but I liked the prints so much I’d made nearly four dozen more! I chose thirty for this quilt, gave them two-patch cornerstones, sashing and borders, and sent it off to the quilter in time for the big day. Here it is at the reception next to an impressive staircase quilt made by a member of the bride’s family. Somehow in my haste I never took a photo of the finished top. I still have so many lavender/green blocks left. I’d planned to use them in a throw, wall hanging, table topper or sewing machine cover, but I haven’t yet. I really am deadline driven after all. 

Cotton Reel Block

Officer Jody Thompson wasn’t on duty when a child abuse call went out, but he responded in case he could be of assistance. When they arrived at the home near Poteau, Oklahoma, Thompson and his fellow officers found eight-year-old John bound by his hands and feet. “They weren’t feeding him,” Officer Thompson said. “He was covered in bruises from head to toe.” The little boy was taken to the hospital. Officer Thompson stayed by his side while he recovered. Then Officer Thompson and his wife adopted John. Two years later, John is a straight-A student in his school’s gifted and talented program. “He’s the strongest kid I’ve ever met,” says Officer Thompson. “He means the world to us.” But the Thompson’s story doesn’t end there. While they were in the process of adopting John, they learned John’s biological mom had given birth to a baby girl in jail. So they adopted her as well.

Kaiya's Double Nine-Patch

At about the same time my sister’s first grandchild was born, my mother and I snapped up two baby quilt kits on sale at Corn Wagon Quilt Company in Springville. They’d been sitting in a south-facing window too long, so I had to fussy-cut around the faded folds. I think I used some of the greens and most of the blues from both kits to make Michael’s quilt, which somehow I never photographed. (If you make a quilt and no one takes a picture, did it really happen?) I made this quilt for a friends’ granddaughter out of the pinks and greens that were left over. I believe each of the twelve blocks were nine inches, which would make all those little pink or green squares 1” finished. Michael turned eight this spring, so Kaiya  might be ready for kindergarten this autumn. It never ceases to amaze me how fast children grow.  

Trail of Tears

Winston Howes and his wife Janet lived happily together for thirty-five years on a 112-acre farm near Wickwar, South Gloucestershire. Then in 1995 Janet sadly passed away – a victim of heart failure. After the funeral, Winston had an idea for a way to honor and remember her. Together he and his son planted several thousand oak trees. “It was a flash of inspiration,” he says. “Once it was completed we put a seat in the field overlooking the hill near where she used to live.” The field was a family secret until a balloonist discovered it and snapped some pictures. You see, Winston and his son didn’t fill the entire meadow with trees. In the center they left a perfect heart-shaped hole, hidden from the road by the trees. “Sometimes I go there just to sit and think about things,” says Winston. “It’s a lovely and lasting tribute to her which will be here for years.”

Abiding Faith Quilt

Two years ago D. Todd Christofferson spoke at an Ogden Pioneer Days devotional about that city’s earliest days, when it was home to Latter-day Saints, Utes, Shoshones, trappers, and rail workers from all over the globe. “Ogden City was a socially, culturally, and religiously diverse community. The differences of Church members and their non-Mormon neighbors created a divide until around the turn of the 20th century when the people of Ogden found a way to use civic and national holidays to unite. The Ogden Pioneer Days celebration began in 1934 and has been one way community members have come together in celebration. If my perception is correct that Ogden is a city where, generally speaking, people put differences aside and strive for the common good, I pray that it will ever be so.”

Aidan's Alphabet

Shortly after my second grandson was born I ran across an animal alphabet panel at The Handmaiden in Sandy. I’d made two baby quilts from similar panels – one in pastels and one in bright primary colors – but they were both Hungry Animal Alphabet by J. Wecker Frisch for Quilting Treasures. This panel was bigger, and I thought it would make a good twin-size coverlet for a big brother about to give up his crib. I got the panel home and realized the twelve pictures were more rectangular than square. So I gave them wonky red frames to disguise their un-square-ness. At the time, my grandson was all about the alphabet, reading, and playing I Spy. Now he’s more into Magic School Bus, Captain America, and watching Disney rides on YouTube. He’s nearly worn this quilt to threads, so it may be time to dream up a new one. Maybe when he outgrows chewing the binding.

Chained 9-Patch

The wife of the Vice President of our country is called the Second Lady of the United States. It was Betty Ford’s title as of December 6, 1973 when Richard Nixon became President and Gerald Ford (Betty’s second husband) was V.P. August 9, 1974 Nixon resigned in the wake of the Watergate Scandal, and Betty became First Lady; her title until 1977. The following year her family staged an intervention to force her to confront her addiction to alcohol and to pain killers. “I liked alcohol,” she explained. “It made me feel warm. And I loved pills. They took away my tension and my pain. My makeup wasn’t smeared; I wasn’t disheveled. I behaved politely and I never finished off a bottle. So how could I be alcoholic? ” But she was. After her recovery, she established the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California, for the treatment of chemical dependency.

The Star and Block

Mexican Corn on the Cob

12 ears of corn, with the husks still on

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 to 4 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 cup grated cotija cheese

Juice of 4 limes

Soak the corn – husks and all – in a bucket or sink full of water. Roast ears on grill (or in 350 degree oven) about 40 minutes. Slice the bottom inch off each one, and squeeze the hot ears out from the opposite end. This should remove all the husks and corn silk. Brush each ear liberally with butter and sprinkle on chili powder, cheese and lime juice. Salt to taste. Serve while still warm. Makes twelve servings. 

Grandma's Hopscotch

Quilts Etc. chose this block to represent Eleanor Roosevelt in spite of the fact that she already has a perfectly good quilt block to her name. Mrs. Roosevelt’s Favorite is identical to the block called Joyful Bells that I posted more than six years ago: http://mombowe.blogspot.com/2011/04/joyful-bells.html . Because her husband Franklin served four terms as president, Eleanor was first lady from March of 1933 to April of 1945 – longer than anyone before or since. She was an outspoken advocate for women in the workplace, for the civil rights of African and Asian Americans, and for the rights of refugees. Here are a few of my favorite Eleanor Roosevelt quotes: “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” “A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”

Winged Star

Jeff Reitz began visiting Disneyland New Year’s Day 2012 with his girlfriend Tonya. They were both recently unemployed and had received annual passes for Christmas. At first their daily trips were a way of staying cheerful as they hunted for new jobs. Later when they both found employment, they continued their daily park visits. Eventually Tonya and Jeff parted ways. But Jeff still visits Disneyland every day for a total of more than 2,000 consecutive days. Sometimes he’s alone; sometimes with his new girlfriend Karen. They take pictures, enjoy the shows and rides, and chat with guests and cast members. “I've experienced so much of the magic of Disney,” he says. “It continues to be fun for me.” I find myself hoping someday these two will tie the knot – that one day they’ll bring their kids to meet The Mouse. Because the happiest place on earth is even happier when you share it with a child.

Four Abiding Faith Blocks

“With a growing understanding of the Lord’s grace and mercy, we will find that our self-willed hearts begin to crack and break in gratitude. Then we reach for Him, yearning to yoke ourselves to the Only Begotten Son of God. In our brokenhearted reaching and yoking, we receive new hope and fresh guidance through the Holy Ghost. I have struggled to banish the mortal desire to have things my way, eventually realizing that my way is oh so lacking, limited, and inferior to the way of Jesus Christ. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. Can we love Jesus Christ and His way more than we love ourselves and our own agenda?” – Neill F. Marriott

Puzzled

I try hard not to be a bad neighbor. I’m tidy, I don’t let my dog bark and I never throw rowdy parties. But being a good neighbor is something else entirely. There are 63 homes in my little subdivision, and I know about a third of the families that live in them. I smile and wave at everyone, but if they don’t attend my church, shop at my grocer, or have kids in music lessons I’ll never know their names. At an HOA meeting five summers ago I met a woman who lived a few doors down. She was an avid quilter who’d earned several state fair ribbons. I looked forward to seeing her again, to comparing work and sharing tips. But it never happened. She passed away very soon after that. Her kids emptied her house and sold it. I don’t know who lives there now. See what I mean? I wish I was a better neighbor.

Graceful Moments Sampler

The twelve blocks in the 2015 Patchwork Party were five-patch blocks using fabric from the Graceful Moments collection by Maywood Studio. I love these prints – lacy florals and pindots in raspberry, pink, green, toast and chocolate. I love the blocks as well, but when it came time to choose from the dozen finishing kits offered, none of them “spoke” to me. So I tucked my twelve blocks away and waited for inspiration to strike. It happened a year later when Mormon Handicraft offered the Saving Grace block-of-the-month class with a dozen four-patch or three-patch blocks using the same line. So here are all twelve Patchwork Party blocks, a handful of the Mormon Handicraft blocks, and about a dozen more that I made last year during Kathryn Kerr’s 365 Challenge. Unless I’ve miscounted, this one will be the eighteenth quilt top I’ve donated to the hospital quilters in six years. 

Lisa's Star

Tomorrow is Bastille Day; the day the French commemorate an angry mob breaking into an eighteenth century prison. In 1789 France was in economic and political crisis. Louis XVI was hopelessly out of touch, and the attack on the Bastille showed he was no longer in control. It was the beginning of the end for the monarchy – a large step toward freedom for the country. The French will celebrate the fourteenth of July much the way we celebrated the fourth: with parades, fireworks and food; lots and lots of food. The biggest difference is instead of burgers and hot dogs, their food might actually be worth eating: croissants, galettes, soufflé, éclairs, clafouti, bouillabaisse, crêpes, bourguignon, or just a fresh baguette and cheese. I’m seriously considering Mimi’s Quiche Lorraine or Florentine for lunch tomorrow. Who’s with me?

Abiding Faith Block

A compound block is what results when you put elements of two or more traditional quilt blocks together to form a completely new and different block. A lot of the blocks Marti Michell designs are like this. She recommends naming the new block after the blocks that were their inspiration. This block looks like a compound to me; a variation of Lucky Clover inside Father’s Choice with a little something else on the edges. If it has a name, it wasn’t included with the block’s directions. None of the other quilters in my class seemed to know what to call it, although one of them said it reminds her of rich chocolate brownies with mint/fudge frosting.  So I’ve tentatively named it after the quilt it’s destined to grace – although I have a feeling every time I see it I’ll get a sudden craving for brownies. 

Square in a Square

“I've learned that no matter what happens or how bad it seems today, life does go on and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned you can tell a lot about people by the way they handle a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them when they're gone. I've learned making a living isn’t the same thing as making a life. I've learned you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back. I've learned whenever I decide something with an open heart I usually make the right decision. I've learned even when I have pains I don't have to be one. I've learned every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug or a friendly pat on the back. I've learned I still have a lot to learn.” – Maya Angelou

Four Father's Choice Blocks

“Making and keeping covenants means choosing to bind ourselves to our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. It is committing to follow the Savior. It is trusting Him and desiring to show our gratitude for the price He paid to set us free through the infinite gift of the Atonement. A covenant is a binding spiritual contract, a solemn promise to God our Father that we will live and think and act in a certain way—the way of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In return, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost promise us the full splendor of eternal life. In that binding contract, the Lord sets the terms and we agree to keep them. Making and keeping our covenants is an expression of our commitment to become like the Savior.” – Linda K. Burton

Bow Tie Quartet

Monday, June 12 was sunny and warm in Polk County, Georgia. Six inmates were on a work detail in a local cemetery. It was 76 in the shade, but the humidity was 100 percent. And no one was working in the shade. Suddenly the deputy charged with watching the men collapsed. At first he didn’t seem to be breathing. “When he started breathing, it was just real fast,” said Greg Williams, one of the inmates. The men removed the deputy’s vest and loosened his shirt to try and cool him off. One of them grabbed the officer’s phone and called 911. “They stepped up in a time of crisis to show they care about my officer,” said Polk County Sheriff Johnny Moats. The deputy’s family agree. They provided the six inmates with lunch and dessert as a small token of their appreciation.

Father's Choice

The best part of the New York summer hikes of my youth was wild strawberries. The shrubs were unassuming, tucked among sumac and fiddlehead ferns. The berries themselves were scarcely bigger than peas, but so flavorful. My mouth waters just from the memory. Commercial berries may come the size of hen’s eggs, but they can’t touch the taste of the wild ones. As far as I know, wild strawberries don’t grow in Utah. (I would LOVE to be proven wrong.) So the closest I can come is to grow my own. Last spring I bought a dozen strawberry plants that promised to bear white, pineapple-flavored fruit. They broke that promise, but the plants are still thriving. This year I added a hanging basket full of ever-bearers that’s already producing a good crop. I may harvest a few handfuls today to celebrate National Strawberry Sundae Day. Or I may just stand in the garden and eat as I pick them.

Penny Basket

A friend and I do weekly singalongs at local nursing homes. She chooses about a dozen different songs each month (usually golden oldies she knows her audience will find familiar), makes word charts, and engages and entertains the residents. I sightread at the piano. Among last month’s songs was “The Yellow Rose of Texas.” One of the residents – a bomber pilot from World War II – asked about the origins of the song. Was “Yellow Rose” a real person? Was her name really Rose? I promised to look it up, and almost instantly regretted it. It’s a folk song, meaning its author’s name is lost in time. But it was used in blackface minstrel shows in the early 1800’s. A white entertainer pretending to be a black man would have sung, “No darkie ever knew her” as he longed for his yellow (mulatto) girlfriend back home. Suddenly it’s not the innocent little tune it seemed to be.

Four Lucky Clover Blocks

Joe DiMaggio hit his first grand slam July 5, 1939. A grand slam is when the batter hits a home run with bases loaded. Like most of what happens on the ball field, it sounds more exciting than it is. The ball disappears. Four men trot in a circle while the opposing team stands around looking awkward. I can count the professional baseball games I’ve seen on the fingers of both hands. For at least half of them I was there to sing the national anthem on the pitcher’s mound. (That actually is pretty exciting. Try it sometime.) I don’t think I’ve ever stayed to the bitter end of any game. I used to wonder why the national pastime is so boring. Now I wonder, if it’s so boring, why is it the national pastime? I imagine it has something to do with the food, the foam fingers, the mascots, and the possibility of catching a foul ball. 

Basket of Triangles

Continental Congress met in Philadelphia June 7, 1776, where Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion calling for independence from Great Britain. July second the vote in favor of his motion was nearly unanimous. (New York initially abstained, but eventually went with the crowd). On that day, John Adams wrote his wife Abigail, saying July second would be celebrated for generations to come with “pomp and parade, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations (another word for fireworks) from one end of this continent to the other.” The Declaration of Independence was formally adopted two days later, and July 4 became the official holiday. Adams was irritated beyond reason, and would routinely turn down invitations to celebrate the Fourth of July in protest. He died July 4 1826, presumably as annoyed as ever. Here’s to a happy and safe Independence Day for all of us, even if we are two days late.

Lucky Clover

“Jesus achieved perfect unity with the Father by submitting Himself, both flesh and spirit, to the will of the Father. His ministry was always clearly focused because there was no debilitating or distracting double-mindedness in Him. Surely we will not be one with God and Christ until we make Their will and interest our greatest desire. Such submissiveness is not reached in a day, but through the Holy Spirit, the Lord will tutor us if we are willing until, in process of time, it may accurately be said that He is in us as the Father is in Him. At times I tremble to consider what may be required, but I know that it is only in this perfect union that a fullness of joy can be found. I am grateful beyond expression that I am invited to be one with those holy beings I revere and worship as my Heavenly Father and Redeemer.” - D. Todd Christofferson 

Coronation

Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m a blockhead. That is, I’m a member of the more than 13,000 devoted quilters who are following the free block-of-the-month program called Moda Blockheads. Beginning March 8 this year and continuing each Wednesday for forty-eight weeks, I receive a free pattern download for a 6” block. Most of them involve traditional piecing techniques, but there have been a few that require needle-turn applique. When I’ve completed a block, I can post it on the Blockhead Facebook page and almost immediately receive at least seventy responses. Talk about instant gratification! Just like last year’s 365 Challenge, I’m putting my own twist on the patterns. Mine won’t all be made with the same colors, and they’ll be whatever size suits me. https://www.bearcreekquiltingcompany.com/moda-blockheads-2017/ defines blockhead as “a quilter who likes to make a wide variety of quilt blocks, who has lot of random quilt blocks but still wants to make more.” Yep, that’s me.