Thursday, December 18, 2008

'Tis the season....

to be wearing red, which is a color I love. It's strange to find myself loving red. I hated it as a child for a good reason. Being blond, my mom felt red was a perfect color for me, and bought many of my clothes and coats with that in mind. It was a happy day when I could finally state my preferance loud and clear, and be heard. Now, in later years, I find that red is absolutely perfect in almost everything! Looking at this clild in red convinces me that my mom was probably right....LOL. Who knew??? Happy Holidays to all you quilter who love red, and those who don't.
 Yesterday I showed a little fence rail quilt I had sewn over the weekend. And this is a doll quilt from last Christmas, same little fence rail blocks, but with a triangle sewn on the sides of the square, it become a "Cracker" block. This works well with those assorted triangles left from other projects. You could recycle almost any size of triangle to fit the 3.5" square, as long as it's not too small. I'm fairly sure 2.5" triangles are too small, but just a tat.
 And since it's been awhile, I'll refresh your memory. This is the black and white polka dotted quilt that I'm currently binding(one side done last evening before Ebby took over my lap).
 Across the years the sounds of Christmases past drift back to me. How many times you could sing Jingle Bells without making Mom crazy, what year did Ruldolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer join us as part of our culture, who sang it first, how many popcorn balls could you make from one batch of syrup, and "is that syrup I see in your hair?". Is it cold enough for your boots to squeak on the snow and did you lose your mittons? All the varied bits and pieces that are part and parcel of our memories. So many beautiful Christmas carols and songs reminding us daily of the season, the holiday and a mixture of "what is" and "what was". Many many seasons have passed since I had a parent to visit during the holidays...10-20-30 years and more. It's not always the same, some years are harder than others, for many reasons. Everything changes, everything has a place where it ends. I can't help but wonder, but am quite sure that I'm not the only one missing someone this time of year...I suspect each of us has an "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams". What wouldn't we give for just one more holiday with our loved ones?
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16 comments:

Anonymous said...

So funny that you were supposed to wear red as a child. I'm a redhead and red was a big donotwear colour when I was a child. And although I look better in blue or green, I like to wear red a lot nowadays.
BTW love the polkadot quilt!

Rosalyn Manesse said...

I love the Cracker block

Anonymous said...

Aaaah, dear Finn, this is the time of the year when nostalgia haunts our hearts....
My beloved grandma passed away 20 years ago, so did my dear mum 14 years ago, and I miss them sooo dearly, especially in these special days....

LOVELY quilts, dear !

Friendly (((HUGS))) & smiles to you

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
NADINE

Suzy said...

Red is my favorite color, too!

And yes, I will miss my mother dearly this Christmas. She passed away at the end of May and it will be our first family Christmas without her. It will be very sad indeed, but the memories of Christmases past will always be with us.

Gypsy Quilter said...

It's a woman's perogative to change her mind. It's a quilter's perogative to change her mind about color, ohhh every 8 seconds or so.

Granny Lyn said...

oh, how my Mom loved red! Red coat, red car, red nails and red lipstick...she loved it in all things.

and (sniff) I will miss her for another Christmas.

Kim said...

I'm a green gal myself :)
during the holidays.I like to be different. Could it be the Irish in me? Nah!

The quilts look wonderful. I'm especially fond of cracker quilts. They make great signature quilt blocks.

You and Ebby enjoy your weekend

Busy Little Quilter said...

What a sweet post. Yes, I would love to have one more holiday with my mom. She died 19 years ago. Her birthday is two days after Christmas. Although she can't be here physically, she's here with me spiritually because she is the reason why I love Christmas like I do, why I understand the meaning of Christmas, and why I have some of the traditions that I do, especially making presents for friends and family.

I love red!

By the way, I completed my New Years Eve Challenge. Go to my blog and see! I'm so excited!

Merry Christmas!

Michele Bilyeu said...

"I'll be home for Christmas..." how I used to love those words and get so sentimental when I heard them sung. Now, here I am on my beloved little island in Alaska and after almost four months of caretaking my parents...I am 'home' for Christmas for the first time in over 36 years!!! My family will be joining all of us soon and it will definitely be "a Christmas to remember". Life takes us on strange journeys sometimes and we end up full circle, after all.

Texan said...

Red :O)... I like Red!!! Hey Ms. Finn :O)

Myra said...

Nice memories Finn! 8-)
Taking out all of our decorations today brought lots of memories back for me... 8-)
Happy Holidays to you!

Cher said...

here I am wishing you a very merry christmas and I too love red-I am always thankful my sister and I were with my mom to make her last Christmas truly special with her girls with her. I'll be home for Christmas is also one of my all time favorite seasonal songs. stay warm and snug and love the little quilts!

julieQ said...

I always enjoy your memories! Thank you for sharing. When I was little, I had really long hair, and my mother always made me wear curlers and wear it in ringlets. I rebelled and went to bed one night without the curlers! When I woke up the next morning, my mother had quietly put them into my hair when I was sleeping! Just a little Christmas memory from me...Merry Christmas Finnie!!

Dionne said...

Those nostalgic memories are a bit bittersweet aren't they! I just love your quilts. When I was a child I thought red was a 'girl' color and blue was a 'boy' color so I always chose red. Kinda funny, don't know why I thought that.
Happy Holidays to you dear Finn!
Cheers,
Dionne

meggie said...

So true about the missing of loved ones at Christmas time. A dearly loved Aunt died this year, & it doesn't seem Christmas without her letters, phone calls & calendars.
I am not a red fan, but have put my Red Square Dance quilt on the blog today if you would like a look.
Hugs Finn.
Great to read Ebby is now so comfortable she sits on your lap!!

ForestJane said...

Your little rail fence is adorable... :)

And isn't it about time for an Ebby picture? Do you deck her out in Christmas garb too?