WIP Wed, and Remembering

There's something like a line of gold thread running through a man's words when he talks to his daughter, and gradually over the years it gets to be long enough for you to pick up in your hands and weave into a cloth that feels like love itself.  ~John Gregory Brown, Decorations in a Ruined Cemetery, 1994

Today's a tough day for me and my family, as 3 years ago today we lost my dad suddenly and unexpectedly from a pulmonary embolism.  To see all of the horrific tornado devastation on the news also brings the grief right to the surface yet again.  I feel lucky that my dad was in a hospital, with my mom close by when he passed, as I know so many people in the Midwest weren't as fortunate.  I'm also incredibly lucky to have had such a wonderful dad, as I know so many people don't.


As I work through my grief, I keep trying to think of a way to remember him in a constructive, positive way.  While looking through all of the lovely quilts and projects on Lee's of Freshly Pieced" WIP Wed post, it suddenly came to me.  Instead of crawling under a quilt every May 25th, I hope next year to donate a "charity" quilt on this day in his memory.  My dad was a Presbyterian minister for many years, and helping other less fortunate was something he did his whole life.  I think he'd like this.


My "Japanese Quilt" was my first charity quilt, and initially I thought it was going to be hard to give it away.  I've given numerous quilts to family members, but never to a stranger.  But you know what?  It really wasn't.  Once it was gone, it felt really good to know that it may help someone, or in my case our Japanese sister city of Minamisoma.  I have a few ideas for my dad's charity quilt.  He loved children very much, so I may focus on quilts for kids.


After finishing my Supernova, I decided clean and organize my sewing/quilting space (also our master bedroom closet).  I finally got around to actually counting the number of finished quilt tops that I have which need to be quilted.  The number isn't as bad as I had expected... only 8, and one of those is almost done (Bliss).  I have a few other quilts that are in various stages of cutting and piecing, and more than I could ever count in my head, or written down in my journal as future projects.

I'm almost finished with a new batch of Kindle covers for my Etsy shop.  I may also try to sell them on Amazon if they let me...  Anyone have Amazon experience?  After re-listing several of my covers, I'm beginning to understand why people complain about Etsy fees.  

My new-found fabric postcard addiction has also been very distracting.  I don't want to show you the ones I'm doing for a swap, but here's a few that recently got made and sent to family members for their birthdays!

I have my next quilt all planned out, fabric selected, and I'm itching to start, but the garden and kindle covers are a priority now.  I love the name of the quilt block, taken from my 365 quilt block calendar...

If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading!  I'm linking up with Lee's WIP Wed.  Come over and join us for some really great inspiration.  Thanks Lee, for hosting us!