Quilt Parade

Vicki and I had a bunch of fun photographing the Quilts4Hope quilts in her yard before they got packed up for the plane ride to Rwanda. They will be given to 7 children and the widow "auntie" who cares for them in a small orphanage home. Not wanting all those pretty pictures to go to waste, here's one more look at the parade...

Thanks for stopping by and for your kind words about the quilts.

 Its a project very dear to my heart.

First Sunday in February

John 3:16 in Kinyarwanda

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son

That whosoever would believe in Him

Should not perish, but have everlasting life."

For Children By Children

Fifteen grade school and middle school age students each learned how to make a quilt block that was assembled into a wonderful quilt. It will soon be in the hands of a young person about their age in Rwanda. The students are all part of a home school program called Classical Pathways in the Kansas City area. History and geography lessons about Rwanda were studied along side the sewing project.

My sweet friend, Vicki K., whose daughter was part of the class, helped the students with fabric selection and taught them the basics of making a nine-patch block. She later put the blocks all together into this fabulous African themed quilt.

One of the blocks features a Bible verse written in the native language of Rwanda.

Vicki found a fun giraffe print for the backing which coordinates so well with the blocks on the front. Because of the colors, I guess, I visualize a little boy getting this quilt for his bed.

And for a little girl, maybe, Vicki made another quilt in tropical colors and flowers. The design is one that she came up with on her own using fabric donated by her sister-in-law  who wanted to do something to help. Vicki's daughter, Kayla,  also did some of the sewing, so it's a real family project!

I love the brown background theme-fabric which set the tone for the color scheme.

The last quilt going to the orphanage this time is one that I made and showed you a few months ago, Vegetable Soup. As with most of the charity quilts that I make, I used scraps from other quilts as a leader/ender project.

I can't help myself and will post a few more pictures of all 8 quilts together tomorrow.

Robin's Blue Quilts

Robin is one of those quilter's with an awesome eye for color. I admire her work so much. She is also a good friend and a generous person who shows her faith by her works. She has taught many young woman how to quilt in her delightful sewing room as well as at the quilt shop where she spends a lot of time. Robin is always asking me if we are sending more quilts anywhere, anytime soon. These are the three gorgeous creations that she is donating to a small Rwandan orphanage this week. All three have a blue theme and two of them feature Kaffe Fassett fabrics.

I love the fact that the quilts being sent are each special and unique, like the children who will get them. They are thoughtfully made and not just "thrown together". Robin told me that this quilt is the result of a Round Robin Swap that she participated in, so several other quilters helped create it.

The medallion style quilt is heavily quilted in Robin's fun loopy style.

You may recognize this next quilt as a Cherry House design. I've admired the pattern many times. Aren't the colors restful? It's quite a large quilt. Perhaps it will be given to the widow who cares for the seven orphans living together in Kigali, Rwanda, where the quilts are going. Our hope is that each receiver feels the care and love that is sewn into every seam.

Robin's backing is a fun city-scape design. Since I've never been to Kigali, I wonder if the fabric design will seem foreign or familiar in Rwanda.

Shrubs, trees and dry grass are what I think of when I consider Africa. Perhaps the quilts will seem quite at home there just as they do in Kansas on a dry winter day.

Tomorrow, I'll show you the last of the Rwanda quilts. And then a parade! Who doesn't love a parade!

Farmer's Wife Friday--True to Her Higher Ideas

The farmer's wife who wrote today's letter, from Nodaway County, Missouri, thinks highly of   country living, hoping her daughter will marry a farmer as she considers the many new interests of farm life. "The most perfect specimens of womanhood are found on the farm." and "She who is true to her higher ideals will find time for unselfish community service...by which her own life is enriched." Our world would  be a much better place if more people subscribed to this way of living, whether in a city or the country,  don't you agree!

Another reason I like this lady is her mention of having a well-developed sense of humor, which helps her keep a smile on her face as she reads "articles on the monotony of farm life", something she knows to be far from fact!

 Pine Tree #67

 Tulip  #96

This farmer's wife hopes for "my daughter to marry a farmer that they may live where God speaks to them through nature and where their minds may have the ever-present uplift that glorifies toil and adds dignity to the humblest duty."

 It was another unseasonably warm day here in the midwest, so I took the opportunity to spread out all sixty blocks outdoors and snap a picture. I'm more than half way there....

and that makes me happy! I"m anxious to see Cindy's blocks this week and read her comments about this wise farmer's wife.
P.S. I just noticed that the title of this chapter (and thus, my post) includes kind of a funny typo.....Instead of having "higher ideas",  it probably should read "higher ideals".  But, then, both are probably good things to have!

Simply Beautiful!

You may recall that I've adopted "simplify" as my word for the year. Look at this quilt that my good friend, Vicki, made for the orphanage in Rwanda. It's the perfect example of simple and yet, perfect. I love it so!

 The colors. The quilting. The design. It's all simply beautiful! It's hard to see in the picture, but the background is actually a tiny grey check. So wonderful!

I love how she even added a row of blocks on the backside, as well.

I love you, Vicki, and I love your quilty style, my friend! I'll be showing off the rest of the fun quilts going to Rwanda over the next few days, so stay tuned, won't you!

Peach Cobbler

The last stitch of the binding went on this scrappy quilt last night. It's a leader/ender quilt that will be heading to Rwanda in a few days and, hopefully, give hope and comfort to a young orphan there.

 I'm calling the design Peach Cobbler, both for the color as well as the lattice-like strippy look. My mother used to make "to die for" cobblers with her home-canned peaches. My sisters and I would sometimes even eat them right out of the pan when she wasn't looking!

Tomorrow  I'll show you the other seven beautiful quilts, made by the Quilts4Hope quilters, destined for children in Rwanda. My friend, Vicki, and I had so much fun photographing them today in her beautiful country setting. In the meantime, if I've tempted you with the thought of the sweet dessert, here's a favorite Peach Pie recipe for you to whip up for your supper tonight! 
Peaches and Cream Pie
Mix together: 3/4 cup flour
                         1 tsp. baking powder
                         1 small package regular vanilla pudding
                         3 Tbs. margarine
                         1 egg
                         1/2 cup milk
Pour into a pie plate.
Drain 1 large can sliced peaches, saving 3 Tbs. of juice. Place peaches on mixture in pie plate, keeping them one inch from the edge. 
Mix together:  8-oz. pkg. cream cheese (softened)
                          1/2 cup sugar
                          3 Tbs. peach juice. 
Put mixture on top of the peaches in the pie plate.
Mix together: 1 Tbs. sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon. 
Sprinkle on top of cream cheese mixture. 
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees.


Enjoy! Mmmmm...warm and creamy!