Creative Women

Meet Debby Hodges.  She comes to my house for classes all the way from Greenville on a pretty regular basis.  During this class she was starting her fourth, yes fourth, wool crazy block.  I have posted pictures of Debby's blocks along the way but what follows are three of the blocks completed.  She couldn't wait to start her fourth block so she could put it all together.  What is so awesome about Debby's blocks is that they chronicle the history of life on her family's farm.  She even has a cemetary in one of the blocks.  As I've watched her pieces come together and the excitement in her voice each time she explains the various parts of a soon to be block, it is inspiration to me and I hope to others, to want to create and achieve such wonderful heirlooms for our families.  During Debby's last visit, as she started her last block, I decided I was going to do a block around my Mammaw's house.  I got just as excited as Debby when I started remembering those summer trips to her house and the surrounding gardens, the smokehouse, the outhouse, the hen house, all those chickens.  So guess what is swirling around in my brain these days.  Planning..........  What fun thing could you create surrounding your family?  Thanks for being so inspiring Debby.  And a big, fat, special thank you to Jo Ann Mullaly for getting us all started on the wool crazy journey.  She put such a fun, creative book together that got us started, but also made us think beyond the pages of the book.  She's a super talented person and I can't wait to see what comes next from her.  Thanks for the inspiration Jo Ann!

Everyone loves the puff of purple smoke from Debby's truck.

I remember when Debby was working on the horse and buggy.  LOVE it!!

This was the block with the cemetary.....Rest in Peace.  Also represented....golden leaf tobacco and the tobacco barn to house the tobacco leaves.  Just so much fun.

Just one more block to fill that hole Debby.  I know you're working hard on this.  Can't wait to see it all together.

Here's another creative lady, Evette, finishing up, FINALLY, a project she started a year or so ago.  She's putting the finishing touches on the top and then she will be able to add her borders.  Can't wait to see this one completed and hanging on her wall.  I know she'll be super excited to get this done.  This was a BOM that Evette participated in.  The pattern was a Maggie Bonanomi design, another talented lady in the industry.  She does wonderfully primitive designs.

All we need now are the borders.

I took a little time for myself on Sunday (yes, a week ago) and worked on my Civil War quilt blocks.  I now have eight more blocks to add to my ever growing pile.  I will have to count them but I think I have forty-something now.  Maybe halfway done.  I tried to use some brighter fabrics this time to lighten things up. 

I hope these pictures will inspire you to get busy and work on something fun.  I think stitching is a wonderful way to not only bring joy to our daily lives, but to hopefully bring joy and remembrance to our families once we are gone. 

Today is my Mom's birthday so maybe that's why I'm being a little melancholy about leaving "treasures" for our families to hold onto once we're no longer here.  I think that's important.  Heaven knows my boys will have lots (probably too much) to remember from me.  That's ok.

So enjoy the day and find some time to do a little stitching.