February 2024 Volume 5, Issue 2

Dear Quilting Friends,

 Have you ever had one of those days when you feel like nothing goes right? Arghhh!!! The kids are out of control. You can’t formulate a single thought that makes sense. People you depend on to help run interference  can’t see what’s making your life so crazy. And, there’s a mountain of a mess to deal with.

 Then, you get a brilliant idea to go out to dinner one night with a few friends for a little fun and relaxation and the whole evening unravels into one disaster after another. The restaurant lets you know that your reservation isn’t until the following weekend. The babysitters (aka the fathers) are helpless without you. One baby gets “misplaced” and his mom resorts to getting biker friends involved to help find him. Oh, and your friends end up in jail! How exciting and unique would that be???

 Of course, I haven’t experienced all those things I mentioned, but that’s the basic outline for a cute movie I watched over the weekend called “Mom’s Night Out.” As I look back over my 40+ years of motherhood, there have been some crazy moments when I thought I would just walk away and never go back. Now when I need it, I just put myself in “time out” and get some serious sewing done. Definitely my kind of therapy.

 I often encounter folks who say they don’t have time for a particular interest (quilting, painting, gardening, etc). I get it. I’d much rather sit for several hours (referring back to my “time out” comment) and make some significant progress on any current project. Of course, there are some things that once you start you have to finish (like canning) but to me quilting isn’t one of them (unless I’ve procrastinated finishing a baby blanket and the kid is now 3 months old).

 Kami can attest to the fact that I have more “on my plate” than humanly possible to finish anytime soon. However, the reality is that I have more snippets of available time than I do consecutive hours in my schedule to sit and focus on just one thing. So, I use what time I can to make progress. For example, this morning before heading to the shop I spent about 30 minutes working on one block of a quilt that’s been in process for several months. Tomorrow I hope to do the same. After many of these quick sessions, I’ll check another quilt off the list.

 Just like putting one foot in front of the other to begin that proverbial journey (you know the one that starts with a single step), if all you can do is sew a couple of seams in a few minutes then give yourself a pat on the back for making even a little progress.

 Finally, I am a fan of artist Kate Lee. Her paintings may be simple in detail, but they also speak volumes of truth in what she paints. For Christmas Tim gave me a framed print of her work titled “I Am Enough”. I think he chose that specific piece because he knows that I sometimes doubt my own abilities and have to remind myself that in God’s eyes I am enough just the way I am.

 As Valentine’s Day approaches, please keep that phrase in mind. Regardless of what anyone else does for you, choose to also treat yourself to something wonderful because you deserve it! And, always remember you are amazing! You are beautiful! You are enough!!!

 As always, we hope you’re healthy, happy, and finding joy in each 1/4” seam.

Happy Quilting!
~ Beth and Kami

P.S. We'll be a the Snow Goose Quilt Show in Delta again this year Feb 22-24th. You can read all the details and register for classes HERE

P.S.S. Our class catalog is live you can view it and "buy" your lesson HERE

P.S.S.S. We're "upping" our social media presence this year! I know I know but it's really good! I promise! Free Patterns! Block Parties! Snippets! Oh my! Plus totally overhauling Pinterest with new boards and pins. Don't judge! It's a mess right now ;) So follow us, like, subscribe, and share with your friends!