Saturday, August 22, 2015

Friends of the Heart

You all know of last week's meeting of two like-minded friends of the heart, Julie of Pink Doxies and me.  Today's post is more of the warm, fuzzy, feels good, heart-centred QBL stuff.

A Namaste Hug made by me

QBL?

Helen of Midget Gem Quilts and I have coined that acronym in this social media world that loves acronyms.  Feel free to use it!

Quilting Blogland.

So grab a java, (or maybe a second glass of wine at this time of night that I am posting), perhaps a Kleenex, get comfy and read on.  Wee-ooh, wee-ooh, of the Twilight Zone variety combines with poignancy of The Walton Family variety, and you get this...

I found out that Gillian, a very dear friend and former yoga teacher of mine, had breast cancer near the end of April.  I knew I wanted to send her a quilt, something to bring comfort, sewn with positive healing vibes so she would know I am thinking of her, even though we are now 2000 miles apart.  As quilts are wont to do, it percolated on the back burner of my mind.

Fast forward to June 24.  When I saw Helen's Big Heart, Big Family quilt that she had made for her cousin, also in need of a quilty hug, I just knew that was 'it'.
Big Heart Big Family made by Helen

I asked Helen if she'd mind if I copied her quilt for my friend.  Helen immediately said go for it.  So I did, getting it done quite quickly, so my husband could take it with him when he went back to Alberta to visit our daughter and grandson.  I added in aquas, Gillian's favourite colour, along with her other favourites, these rich tropical colours.  I also slightly changed the layout of Helen's heart without having seen the two quilts that were her source for inspiration.  I hadn't seen them until today when I wrote this post and wanted to give credit to the blogs Helen mentioned.  Here is my post on the finish, dated July 23.  4 weeks plus a day from Helen's post.

One week ago today I received a lovely email from Lynn of My Purple Patch in Australia.  She loved my quilt, and wondered if I'd mind if she copied it for a raffle quilt she wanted to make.  My quilt.  So I told her I had got the inspiration from Helen, and sent her a link to Helen's quilt.  I said no prob on my end, go for it, and that I was sure Helen would be "dead chuffed" (an English expression) that Lynn was going to make one too.

Helen was dead chuffed.  She mused that are there really any original designs?  Everything starts with inspiration from somewhere; she'd got her inspiration for this quilt off the 'net somewhere...

August 20, exactly 4 weeks from the date I posted my heart quilt:  Lynn made hers in record time, even faster than I did mine.  It is going to be raffled off to raise funds for a cause called Villages of Life, where the proceeds of a fancy ball and a silent auction are going to an orphanage in Burundi.
Heart for Burundi made by Lynn
One of the most gratifying parts of this story is seeing that Lynn used my quilting designs on her quilt!  Eeek.  Then there's the thought that this is going to help raise money for orphaned children in Burundi.  That just puts a big old smile on my face and a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart.

Back to Helen.  I sent her the link to Lynn's blog so she could read about the quilt and see the photos of another rendition of her quilt pattern.  Her quilt.

Helen then told me she'd got the idea for her quilt from two places, Just Jude (look at her header; she also has a tutorial for this mini) and also on Sew Me, where there is a heart quilt baby rendition, as well as two throws.  I guarantee you will need the Kleenex reading about Sarah's memory quilts.  Helen's quilt finished around 60" square, mine 50X54".

Eeeep! My first collage in picmonkey!  Now I can jazz up my blog header!

I just love the sharing that goes on in QBL.  As long as you aren't going to pass off someone else's idea as your own, and make money at it, the vast majority of quilters are of the mindset of this heart quilt group of 5, who each said, "Sure go for it!"  And each of us did, putting our own spin on the quilt, whether that meant enlarging, changing the colours, or the background a bit, or a lot in my case, as I eliminated nearly all of the squares.  Both Sarah and Jude have given me permission to post a photo of their quilts.

To come full circle:  I want to make a quilt to keep for myself that is the same as the one I made for Gillian.  However, I have been toying with the idea of making a mini, maybe 2" finished squares?  This was before Helen's email the other day telling me where she got the inspiration for her quilt!  Jude's is a mini!  One of Sarah's is a baby quilt!  These, along with Sarah's Memory Quilts, were the inspiration for Helen's.  Great minds, right?!

How I love this story.  :-)  Linking up with Pet Project Show at Pink Doxies.




12 comments:

  1. Not sure if imitation is the most sincere form of flattery applies or there is nothing original under the sun... Love ALL the heart quilts and the generosity of the quilters that made them and shared them.
    Pugs and kisses,
    Nancy

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  2. Very cool, Sandra. And the best part of all of the great connections? The friendships that are formed. Because as you experienced when meeting Julie in person, it is a real thing... this QBL friendship stuff. :)

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  3. I love how you've all settled on a perfect design for each story. I think there's a lot of generosity out there in QBL and some people are delighted that you like their work so much that it inspires you

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  4. I made my first heart quilt at one of Just Jude's brilliant classes and gifted it to my very dear friend who just needed to wrap herself up in some quilty love for some dark, difficult days. The memory quilts for my husband's nieces were heartbreakingly appropriate in this pattern too. Judith and I have worked together with others on many quilt projects for folks in need of some tender thoughtfulness, and though we know that fabric patches stitched together don't solve the problems, there is definitely something very special about sharing loving thoughts to those who are facing tough times by means of a quilt. I hope that you make your own pixellated heart quilt soon as a reminder of the bond between yourself and your dear friend. Best wishes S.

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  5. Such beautiful quilts and stories! I know the blessings will continue far and wide! Jxo

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  6. So lovely to read and see the stories of our heart quilts. I handed mine over to the Villages of Life ball organizer today and so I look forward to seeing how much is raised next weekend. Thanks so much to those who have gone before, inspiring and cheering us on!

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  7. What a great post Sandra! QBL is alive and well with your sharing of the inspiration and lovely stories behind these beautiful quilts. The stories show that the stitches that bind friends together whether in blogland or real life do exist among all quilters. How heart warming.

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  8. Thanks for sharing that story-how cool is that!! Glad you told what QBL stands for too!!

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  9. Oh such a wonderful post! I must say again how much I adore A Namaste Hug, and with that incredibly soft fabric on the back, it must be irresistible .... which I guess it is, as you will make your own <3

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  10. QBL is in my vocabulary now! Thanks for coining it. I laid awake last night thinking about you and your Minkee adventures, and the tactile experience of cuddling with an ultrasoft quilt. After I petted all that Minkee in Miller's with you, I'm going back to a customer asking if she would reconsider her backing choice.

    These quilts are infused with caring thoughts, and good intentions. Whatever the choice of fabrics, the love is evident in the article. I will never get past the compassion of quilters like you.

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  11. I love how we inspire each other with the quilts we all share. :) I love having little quilts to remind me of larger quilts I have given away. Sounds like a great idea to make a matching mini.

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  12. Absolutely beautiful story. I love that QBL is filled with so many warm and sharing people. And one of my favorite things about making quilts for others is being able to send good vibes with the quilt. I'm a true believer in we attract what we put out there and I definitely try to stay on the positive side.

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