Back in the Saddle Again!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Well, I have to say I commend all those ladies who blog often - it is so rewarding and I thoroughly enjoy sitting down at my computer in the morning while I have my breakfast and scrolling through the RSS feeds of my favorites.  It is like visiting friends.  I keep trying to get back to blogging on a regular basis and life keeps throwing a few curves into the mix, but I am determined - soooo, here I go again.   

As some of you know, I had been involved with a charitable Foundation  for the last 7 years where I was making "artbras".  These artbras were used in venues around the country to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness. Photo calendars of the bras were sold each year as well.  And, much to my delight, the "artbras" were exhibited at the Houston International Quilt Show last November - what an honor!
It provided a platform to meet the most wonderful women, hear their stories regarding breast cancer and how it had affected them and their loved ones.   

Well long story short - that Foundation has closed.  Not knowing what the founder's plans were for the pieces I had done since 2004, I requested that any or all of my "artbras" be returned.  I was hoping to still do something positive with them.  I was able to recover 3 of my bras; Positively Pretty in Pink, Now is the Time for a Cure, and Morning Has Broken.  Determined to use them to make a difference, I  spiffied them up a bit and contacted a friend (Jennifer) in the San Antonio area very involved in charitable activities.  She is a team member of the website, Character Cafe, a website dedicated to telling stories of unsung heroes, “Good Samaritans,” volunteers and other positive members of society who might normally go unnoticed. They have a mission to promote and push forth society’s better natures and publish and praise humanitarian efforts undertaken by people every day.   With Jennifer's connections, I was able to donate these three artbras to be auctioned off at the 7th Annual, Women in Medicine and Law for the Cure's ( http://www.wmlc.org ) auction/event in San Antonio benefitting  Susan G. Koman.  I am delighted to report that my bras raised $800 for Susan G. Koman - woohoo!  These dedicated women raised an awesome total of $159,000.  I was not able to attend as I do not live near San Antonio, but I was told that it was Tony Parker's (of the San Antonio Spurs and former husband of Eva Longoria) Mom who purchased the artbra, "Now is the Time the Cure" - how cool is that!

Positively Pretty in Pink

Morning Has Broken

Now is the Time for the Cure

Since I really enjoy being involved in charitable activities with my artwork, I have made a quilt block for the "Hearts and Hands for Sendai" project.  These quilt blocks will be made into quilts that will go to Japan and encourage them as well as raise money to help with rebuilding and helping the people of Sendai.  Here is a snap of my first block.  I am hoping to get a second one done in the next couple of weeks.  I combined both crazy quilting and traditional quilting into this piece.  The Japanese kanji in the upper right says "hope" - the one on the bottom says "pray for Japan".  It is always difficult to decide when a crazy quilting piece is finished - CQers like to embellish and I am no exception.  What do you think?  Finished or does it need a little more embellishment?

I want to encourage you to take a look at the current issue of CQMagOnline if you haven't already.  I have an article this issue on the most beautiful crazy quilt I have ever seen and there are lots of pictures with lots of amazing details.  It is called The Mighty Oak by Mary Huntington.  Here is a small snapshot of the entire quilt.  It provides wonderful inspiration for crazy quilters...there are so many techniques used in this masterpiece.

Glimmers of Faith

I read a small book recently that was totally amazing, encouraging and thought provoking.  It is called Heaven is Real by Todd Burpo about his son, Colton.  Heaven Is for Real is the true story of his then four-year old son, who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn't know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.

Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how "reaaally big" God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit "shoots down power" from heaven to help us.

Colton's recollections are so wonderful and there are so many biblical details he innocently outlines that a child of four would not have known.  Todd Burpo, his father and the author of this book, is also a minister.   He was very careful in receiving Colton's statements and recollections - Todd did not want to lead or color Colton's memories- he wanted to receive the information with an open heart and just as Colton

Til next time,