SO close, yet so far away

Hi friends, I'm on quilting quest today. You know the quilt I was supposed to finish on January 26th? Well, it's not done yet. I'm determined to make some progress today in spite of a million and one things keeping me from it.

Last week I decided it looked so much better to "hand-quilt" around the flower appliques... it's going to take awhile, but the results will be worth it.  

Sew like the wind!!!!!

"Garden Flowers" Appliques

 I did it! The flower appliques are on.
I used Wonder Under to fuse the appliques to the quilt.
I'm also going to stitch around the edge of each flower and center.

 The flowers really add to the overall look of the quilt.
Again, I LOVE the colors! 

Now, for the trim. :)

If you're just tuning in, I'm making this quilt for my dear friend, Tawnya.
She is an amazing writer. Her blog is: Drawn to the Flame. You should go check it out!

Two Conversions

How's your Tuesday? I'm pretty good, I guess. I have to speak in church on Sunday and that always makes me SO nervous. It's a good thing for this quilt I'm working on -- all of my nervous energy goes into making it, rather than preparing my talk. Why am I like that?

Anyway, the quilt is coming along nicely. I'm truly amazed. I forgot to mention that I'm converting a lap size quilt pattern into a queen-ish size quilt. It's been a bit of a challenge, but I found this great website that helped me with the measurements and such:

http://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/standard-quilt-sizes.html

Here's the quilt as of Saturday (this is without the flower appliques and trim). I'm so excited! It's very satisfying for me to see a project come together and to look at it and say, "I made that." Tawnya, I hope you LOVE it!

Okay, back to my talk. The topic I was given is "The Parables of the Sower and the Wheat and Tares". I've been a bit overwhelmed by it. I've been studying the last few days and really thinking about what these parables mean. Zeke mentioned how interesting it is that the Lord allows the "wheat" and the "tares" to grow up together. Why? He said we need each other. I think he's right. I also think at any given time we can change our hearts for good or bad. 

We decide if we will be the "wheat" or if we will be one of the "tares". I also think it is our duty to seek out the "tares", to love them and help them, regardless of their beliefs or standing in the Church. I was once a "tare" -- a full-on, nasty WEED! I'm trying to be more like a "wheat" these days, but only because dear friends of mine took me by the hand long ago and loved me and helped me want to change.

Of course we think, "Oh, I will be the wheat. I will be faithful and good. I'm on the Lord's side". But how many times do we find ourselves justifying our poor behavior? Or not standing up for something we know is right? (I'm saying this, because I'm guilty of those things sometimes).

I love this quote:

 The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.  ~Edmund Burke

I found a great talk from Elder Richard G. Scott called, "Full Conversion Brings Happiness"

I'm sharing this with you, because when I read this part, especially the personal questions he poses to us, I literally felt sick to my stomach and my mouth went dry. I'm not sure if I'm truly and fully converted... I hope so, but now I wonder.

“The sower soweth the word. [Some sown] by the way side, … but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.”

Could that happen to you, in the wrong environment, with the wrong friendships?

“[Some] on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when … persecution ariseth … immediately they are offended.”

Have you ever been in a circumstance when someone proposed something inappropriate and you did nothing to resist it?

“[Some] sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world … and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”

Have there been times when you wanted something so badly that you justified an exception to your standards?

“[Some] sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.” ⁸

It's always very ironic to me when I discover the topic I've been given to speak on is the exact thing I need to work on. It's even harder to realize I've been thinking I was more like a "wheat" and that I've been truly converted, but while preparing this talk, it's become painfully apparent that I have a lot of work to do. Such is the blessing of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints -- we are constantly reminded to be better. Serving in the Church is good for me, because I'm always asked to step outside my comfort zone and to stretch and grow. 

I hope by Thursday I can post a picture of the finished quilt AND have my talk ready at least by Saturday...

Balance, Exactness, Focus

January Project: Garden Flowers Quilt

Alright. As part of my "Balance, Exactness, Focus" Mantra for 2013, I'm going to finish up some projects I started last year. I want to finish what I start and I want my mind to be less cluttered (as well as my fabric bins!)

In addition to at least half a dozen other smaller things, I have three quilts I've been working on. Yes, THREE!! A "garden flowers" quilt for my friend, Tawnya, a pinwheel quilt for "someone" (it's a surprise!), and a T-shirt quilt for Gabe.

Here's a sneak peek of the "Garden Flowers" quilt.
I LOVE the colors!!  

(By the way, my phone doesn't have a flash on it... so not the best picture.) 

This is such a fun quilt. I offered to help my friend, Tawnya, make it... oh, I think it was LAST February! Yeah, I have a problem not finishing stuff. I'm sure Tawnya is regretting the day she handed it over to me. Sorry!!! However, in my defense: we moved 6 months ago, I'm currently without a sewing table/space to sew, and I'm actually more than halfway finished.

Anyway, I've made a lot of progress in the last week! I'm kicking myself for not finishing it before we moved, but at first I was a bit intimidated by it. I'm not the most experienced quilter, really. I think I told you that, right? It's been a really good experience for me, though, and so far, I think it's looking great! There was a great little spiritual analogy that came to me while making this quilt. I need to put it down into words so I can share it with you, but today I'm trying my best to focus on the quilt.

I've made a goal to finish it by January 26th! :) 

Balance, Exactness, Focus