at our church we have a great team of ladies
that get together every week
(although often they are more than just a simple square patchwork design)
they are intended for someone who needs a little love
often due to medical reasons but sometimes not
it is a wonderful ministry that reaches far beyond
our direct ABC community
on sunday there were two quilts presented for a couple & their baby girl
i know these guys ...
they now live in India & are working as missionaries in the medical field
the bright fun very colourful half square triangle quilt is for them!
to cheer them & remind them of all the love, care,
interest & prayers that are 'back home'
you can see here all the little ties being knotted
& in the process a thought or prayer said
the gorgeous pink 9 patch one is for their baby girl
she (& her mum) have not yet made it back to India to live ... yet
this baby has had lots of health issues
& so far after many many tests there is still
no real clear understanding of what all these issues add up to mean
& what impact this will have on them as a family
& how best to care for this gorgeous smiley girl!
all this makes me think & praise god for the wonderful people
in our world who walk away from a safe, comfortable life in australia
& elsewhere to embark on a mission of their heart
somewhere else in the world
i've had a very small taste of what this must be like
& i know lots of people who have done this
they are brave & godly & i admire their sense of spirit & adventure
here's another action shot ... hey that lady in green is my mum!
now i'd like to add to this little story about
how the 9 patch quilt came to exist
.... a very good friend of mine, a (blogless) friend ...
who should write a blog as she sews lots of great things & has two gorgeous little girls so plenty to talk about ... so that she can come to SIT
made most of this quilt top a while back
when she was first learning to quilt
... and so she had a go machine quilting
i had no advice for her at the time
about how to perfect the whole machine quilting thing
& now after some more experience i'm not sure what advice i'd give!
but to just keep trying & that whatever the result the fact is
that it is a handmade item
... to love & keep or give no matter
just enJOY the journey i say xxx
anyway she tried the masking tape trick to guide her
... and had some directional issues ...
result was that she stopped
folded the whole quilt away out of sight out of mind
to then a while later
commented to me that she was going to put it in the
rubbish bin!!
no ... ooooooo i cried
where there is a lady who regularly helps out with 'un-picking'
.... yep that is what she likes to do!
so all the little quilting stitches were lovingly un-picked
the quilt washed
... i saw it at this point &
you would hardly have know it had had stitching over part of it
unless you were really really looking for evidence!!
(mental note for the future - a rescue can be performed!!!)
it was then given a new border & backing
lots of colour coordinated ties & ta da!!!
so that's the story
& hopefully in the not too distant future
it will, along with its new proud little owner
wing its way to India
to be with her & her mummy & daddy, all together!!
