Friends' handwork

Well, I certainly haven't gotten much done this past week but some of my friends have. I really do want this blog to show the joys of creating beautiful things so I'll rely on my friends' creativeness today to spark up this post.

My friend Kaoru-san is working hard on her Hawaiian Quilt block. Good for her! She just came over one day and with no previous consultation I just told her to pick out some fabric from my stash and I'd get her started on a block. I'm sure she didn't expect to go home with homework that day but she's been plugging away ever since (this must have been over a month ago.)

I pulled Kaoru-san into patchwork and quilting practically by force and had to loan her her first needle and thread. She has done one or two small applique pieces before this but the Hawaiian block is a biggie for her. I just demonstrated a few stitches, sort of explained the needle-turn process and sent her home. Don't you think she's done a great job?! This week I think she's been putting borders on this (she's allergic to sewing machines so she said she'd put the border on by hand. No rotary cutters or mats either!) and then draw some quilting lines. I hope she's been having fun.

On Thursday I made a quick stop at Mrs. Furui's house where friends were gathered to put the final touches on the bazaar quilt. Actually that was well under way when I got there but we got the binding sewn on to the quilt and Mrs. Furui is doing the hand work now. Bazaar is the Saturday after next so we are right on schedule. My part has been minimal since summer vacation.

One of our members has spent the month working on a Prayer and Square quilt and she did a great job of choosing soothing colors that flow into each other. This is her first machine sewn quilt and she was surprised at the ease and speed in which this quilt came together.

I noticed Mrs. Furui's beautiful cross stitch up on her wall as I was leaving. She's been working on this for the past few months and it is a lovely example of the intricate work that she does.

And also there was a very pretty "picture" which I recognized as one of Mrs. Furui's old handmade cushions. She's had this cushion on her sofa for years and years, something she'd crosstitched back before her children were born, but the threads were wearing away and it was becoming bald in places. Don't you think this is a great way to recycle something old and loved? The glass made it difficult to photograph but it protects the fibers a bit more and I'm so glad to see the handwork back on display instead of being tossed or hidden in a drawer. I must remember this for some of my own pieces that are wearing out.

And now I'd better be getting back to my own needle work. It's been awhile!