TGIF 3.14.25

Hello Gentle Readers. 

On this Friday in mid-March, I am thinking about Spring. Yesterday, I noticed the red maple fringe that precedes the unfurling of leaves. I walk past one yard where I often see a few wild violets. They aren't green but I thought of them when I chose colors for my version of a nine-patch prompt from k3n cloth tales. I played with words in the shape of a grid poem to go with the piece. My sort-of poem is not perfect but it was fun to try. The squares on this piece aren't sewed together like a traditional quilt block but instead stitched down with raw edges next to each other. 

I'm grateful for our son who celebrated his forty-third birthday on Wednesday. When Aaron arrived home from work on the 12th, he called via FaceTime. We had sent texts earlier in the day but it was sweet of him to take time to call us on his birthday. When he was a little guy, he loved dinosaurs so I made him some dinosaur pajamas. I used a scrap of that fabric to stitch his little hand into my journal. 

I am inspired by the activism of my friends making phone calls, brainstorming ideas, and doing what we can do while remaining civil and respectful. This page reflects my belief in both/and and the importance of inclusion rather than exclusion. The technique, another prompt from k3n is inspired by Korean patchwork, pojagi. The raw edges on both back and front are enclosed creating a piece with two right sides. I know this as a dressmaking method for finished or French seams. Under the piece, I wrote Both/And as well as the lyrics by Joni Mitchell, "I've looked at life from both sides now."

I am a little short on fun but I did get a new pair of walking shoes at a nice discount. A local store, The Running Company, runs an annual 20% off every shoe sale during the high school girls and boys basketball tournaments. I opted for a pair that wasn't the latest iteration and so they were even less expensive. I've had them out for a spin and they feel great. The store does good work in the community and supports local runners and races. They also guarantee the fit of every shoe. If your shoes don't fit (even when worn outdoors), they will replace them. I think they give some returned shoes to local charities. Supporting that store is as we say a win/win. 

Happy Friday. May Spring or Fall be just around your corner or even on your doorstep.