Snippets and Flowers for Mom

This wallhanging flimsy was my first attempt using a technique named Snippets. I have not experimented much with fused applique, or for that matter, with quilting patterns that are more artsy. This technique was a bit out of my comfort zone, but after playing a bit, I sort of got the hang of it. I have made a couple of others since this one- This one belongs to the mother of a dear friend to celebrate a special birthday. She loves soft colors and I think that this one suited her very well. She has it hanging in her room against a dark maroon wall and it is quite striking against it. The third snippet was one I made in tribute to Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers- I love his bright colors and Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers. My brother- in law and sister in law are fans also, so I sent it to them as a gift for their 25th Wedding Anniversary. Some day I will make another to hang in my sewing room- maybe it will become a series too LOL.
Tomorrow is Mother's Day across North America and in some other areas around the world. It is a special day set aside to honor and celebrate Motherhood. Many moms will receive flowers as a gift or other expressions of love and appreciation.

My school children were busy this week making cards and handprint magnets to say " I love you". We held a Mother's Day Tea at school complete with real tea cups and cookies. My students had practised some of their favorite songs to sing for their Moms. It was capped off by each one of them presenting their mom with a rose. It is one of my favorite celebrations at school because many of my student's Moms, grandma's and aunties come to celebrate Motherhood.

I hope that my own Moms' have a lovely day tomorrow-
In one of my recent posts I have shared some reflections about my mother.
One of my Mom's greatest gifts, is the way she lives her life with a loving thoughtful heart. She celebrates life and embraces life's joys and challenges equally. My mother's lessons are with me on a regular basis and act as a guide when I am struggling to find my way through the joys and pitfalls of daily life.

When I was a young woman I worked with a woman who knew my mom. Like other young people, I was busy being a social butterfly. This woman didn't think very highly of my choices and said to me" How could a nice woman like your mother have a daughter like you? To say that I was horrified by her opinion, would be an understatement. My loving mother poopoohed the woman's pronouncement. She told me to consider the source. I felt horrible that I might have acted in some way to make this woman think I was not worthy of being my mother's daughter. That life lesson has stuck with me!! To this day, I remember how I felt when I thought I had sullied my mother's name.

I know that I have had the good fortune to be blessed with great loving relationships with both my mother and my mother in law.

My mother in law,Betty has been a wonderful friend and mentor during my married life. In the past couple of years, she has lived in a nursing facility that provides her a loving safe environment. You see, Betty has Alzheimers- a disease that steals away a person by inches. She was a lovely artist and quilter. Mum loved art and was a wonderful bread maker. The disease may have stolen her memory but she remains well loved and a popular lady with the staff that provide her with a loving homey environment.

Their is no way to adequately express the gratitude and love that I have for both these special women. I can only say " Thank You" and " I love You". I guess that it doesn't matter what age you get to be -there are few words better to convey appreciation for the loving care one receives from one's Mother's and Grandmothers.

During this week, I received some emails from On Line Quilt Stores that had some special deals for Mother's Day. I did order from Keepsake Quilting and Sew Sister's from Toronto Canada. Sew Sisters had a special on all their fabric - 25 percent off including batting and clearance fabric. It is always a challenge to balance out the shipping costs and the dollar exchange with US online, with the temptation of the great sale prices. Usually I resist but there were some specialty fabrics that I wanted to add to my collection.
The people at Sew Sisters http://www.sew-sisters.com/
were wonderful and if you hurry today you might still catch the sale (it ends May 9).

I hope that everyone is enjoying a pleasant weekend,
Regards,
Anna