A very ambitous project for a very worthy person

Sewingsue wrote:

But I think you should consider posting in RCTQ. Yes there are some
incredible quilters there but my impression is that they are very welcoming
to beginners - and you don't sound like a beginner!

The trouble is, I don't know when I am ever going to finish this
(hopefully before she graduates LOL -- she's a first-semester freshman
right now) and I just didn't feel like I wanted to post there because of
that. And I follow here lots more than I look there, so I figured I
would post where I participate.

Melinda wrote:
The trouble is, I don't know when I am ever going to finish this
(hopefully before she graduates LOL -- she's a first-semester
freshman
right now) ...

So, you want us all to create blocks for you, yes?

--Karen M.
thinking about what in my stash would make an appropriate "book spine"

Karen M. wrote:
Melinda wrote:

The trouble is, I don't know when I am ever going to finish this
(hopefully before she graduates LOL -- she's a first-semester
freshman right now) ...

So, you want us all to create blocks for you, yes?

Oh, you are so thoughtful to suggest that, but seriously, I want to do
it myself. After all, I did buy that package of fat quarters for half
the price I could find anywhere else that they are the perfect colors
for her. And not only that, but I think it would mean more to her,
since she is my more precious gem, my one and only daughter who
understands how hectic my life is, if I did it all myself, because she
would appreciate what it took for me to do it myself. (And I am *not*
saying it because this particular child's first sentence was, "do by
self," LOL, but rather because I don't think it would mean as much to
her if a bunch of people she didn't know made the blocks than it will if
her mom made the whole thing.)

Besides, she deserves *my* best. Let me explain -- My [now prodigal]
husband used to come up with original, handmade Valentines every year,
whether it was a drawing -- the first year when we were just friends, it
was a drawing of Yosemite Sam with both guns aiming out and saying, "Be
my Valentine, Melinda, or I'll blast ye!" to one year he made booklet
with a half-dozen crossword/word search/word scrambled/etc. puzzles, and
the year he was taking electronics courses when he made me an electronic
Valentine's schematic with Valentine's expressions that were all
electronics terminology puns, etc., and the year we were about to turn
into a nuclear family explosion, even though he said he was trying to
work on our problems I didn't get an original Valentine, and it wasn't
the fact that it wasn't handmade as much as it was the expression (or
lack of), feeling (or lack of), or whatever you want to call it that it
was given with that spoke volumes. (and it was the first time in 20
years that he hadn't done this)

Anyway, I don't want her to think that now that she is away from school
that I have written her off and she doesn't mean as much to me as she
did when she was here. I hope that makes sense and that you aren't
upset/offended/whatever by my saying, "thanks for the thought, but I
dont' think it will work."

I am going to try to get organized and make myself do at least half of
block a week (the 7 x 12 inch block is divided into one large and two
smaller parts), which I will have plenty of time to do on Sundays
between church services now that I'm not on call on the weekends any
more, and at that rate it will take me (checking on spreadsheet where I
have fabric requirements and such all charted out) and it's going to
take 32 blocks. And if I tell myself I am going to do half a block a
week, it should be easier to do more. The biggest obstacle will be
finding a place to permanently leave the sewing machine out so I can
work on it easily. And maybe I could interest my sons in helping with
some of it at times (they both sew), and to be that would be acceptable,
because it's still coming from her family who knows her, warts and all,
and still loves her. Does that make sense?

Melinda, that makes perfect sense to me, although I had thought you might
ask for help on some of the blocks and had already checked some of my stash,
too.
Emily

CySew wrote:
Melinda, that makes perfect sense to me, although I had thought you might
ask for help on some of the blocks and had already checked some of my stash,
too.

Oh, that is *SOOOO* thoughtful, but like I said, I really do feel like I
need to do this myself.

I wrote:
So, you want us all to create blocks for you, yes?

and Melinda wrote:
Oh, you are so thoughtful to suggest that, but seriously, I want to
do
it myself. ...fat quarters ...it would mean more to her,...
...husband ...Valentines ...
...I don't want her to think that now that she is away from school
that I have written her off and she doesn't mean as much to me as she

did when she was here. I hope that makes sense and that you aren't
upset/offended/whatever ...

Geeze louise! "Just say no!"

I am going to try to get organized ... half of block a week
....Sundays
...church services ...not on call ...it will take me ...32 blocks...
...permanently leave the sewing machine out so I can work on it
easily...maybe I could interest my sons in helping with
some of it at times (they both sew...

You got rid of one big impediment, sounds like, so use DH's former
space for the SM.

I like the idea of brothers helping make it. And having done lots of
deadline-based projects, try picking her b-day or Xmas or Sal Mineo's
b-day later this year or next, and get it done by then. Depending on
your climate, she might not want it for spring break.

Note that major sewing projects for warm stuff tend to take a
vacation in the summertime. Also note that a kid who's just gone off to
college is likely well aware that the family hasn't written her off.

HTH
--Karen M.
who has a woven afghan with a book motif