Friends Are Like Quilts

Last summer, my mom drove down to visit with a large black trash bag stuffed into the car. In the plethora of stuff that fills the attic of the old farmhouse, she had found the workings of a patchwork quilt I had pieced together in my early teens.

It wasn't right away, but one day I pulled it out and began to finish adding the unattached squares and straightening the worst of the crooked stitch lines. I groaned at my poor sewing skills, from then and even still now, as I fondly recollected the memories of most all the fabrics used. A summer dress my mom wore, dad's old flannel barn shirts, odd pieces I used to sew doll clothes, the sheets that I'd snuggle into as a little kid on the big king bed when there was a thunderstorm. So many warm, embracing memories.

Finally pieced together, matted and backed with material I already had from another project, this quilt welcomes visitors in the guest bedroom.

Just the other weekend, a dearest friend came to visit. We hadn't spent time together, for 10 years, like we did that weekend. (Oh, what a weekend!)

Showing her to the guest room, having her here in my home, with me,

was like snuggling into that quilt. I felt embraced, wrapped up in cherished memories,

and loved all the way around.

We share a multitude of memories that mimic the variety of fabrics, patterns and textures of that quilt, and though many of them don't match so well, or align just right, as a whole, the quilt is still perfect. As our friendship has gone on through the years, life has treated it in similar fashion: we have sweet memories, rougher ones, odd ones, and incredible ones, and put all together, they form a beautiful and true story of our friendship. 

Our friendship is like my not so perfectly created quilt, pieced together in unexpected ways, but is appreciated and treasured as only a friendship, or handmade quilt, can be. And I wouldn't have the cozy quilt or the dear friendship fashioned in any other way.

Bolstered Bumper Pillows

The littlest lady of the house has moved into a lovely twin bed, but what hasn't been so pretty is that she's fallen and gotten stuck between the bed and bed rails on more than one occasion.

There's nothing else but that sort of cry in the middle of the night to sit me straight up in bed and send me running in two seconds flat!

Mr. G's solution was to borrow her brother's large stuffed animals

and snug them up against the bed rails.

This worked well, but for one thing. There was precious little room left in the bed for my growing toddler! Of course, it doesn't look very good either. Never mind that the bed rails are ugly... I have an idea that I may slipcover those too. Is that crazy?

This fabric was bought for a song at the PA Fabric Outlet,

and despite some variation in the printing, I fell in love with it.

I decided to sew bolster bumper pillows to sit along the bed rails. I measured the width of the twin bed frame and mattress, and decided to make the length of the bolster pillows equal to that width.

My thinking was that the pillows could be used at the head and foot

of the bed when the bed rails are gone.

After sewing the tubes sown the long side, I then stuffed the pillows

and stitched the ends together as tightly as I could.

Our milk is delivered to our door in glass jugs by a great little farm known as Apple Valley Creamery. This seemed a great opportunity to reuse the bottle caps as bolster buttons! I simply cut out material in circles that would wrap around the bottle caps. Then I padded the bottle caps with a piece of old sock, wrapped the material circle around and sewed.

Finished bottle caps turned bolster buttons:

Next, the hard part!! I groaned through this part, and for all my effort it didn't produce the effect I was hoping for. But, I'll show you anyway so you can avoid my mistakes!

Run a long straight something through the pillow. I used a dowel.

With both ends of the dowel sticking out, I taped thread to one end, and knotted the other end of the thread securely to that same end of the bolster pillow. 

Then I pulled the dowel through, with the thread tagging along. Lastly, and most painfully, I pulled the thread as tight as I could so as to make the pillow pucker in on the ends, and sewed and knotted the thread on that end of the bolster pillow.

Then I stitched the buttons on.

Alas, this is where the results left me wanting more.

There was no pucker, no indentation for the buttons to sit in. 

I think part of it was the material I used- it should have been a heavier duty string.

Also, I probably should have attached the string to the buttons and had the buttons pulling against each other. Oh well! I'm not doing that again! Cute enough for me!

So here they are in place with the gorgeous blue bed rails. Ha!

I am not a lover of all things pink, but having a little girl is getting me there! 

The Knit, Crochet and Give Away ministry at church gave this pretty pink blanket to us when she was born. It's the perfect weight for a light cover in summer and layering in winter.

There is something so special about handmade!

When the bed rails are gone, this is how we can put the bolster pillows to work

to cover the gap between the mattress and headboard.

 There was even enough material left over to sew a slipcover

for a little pillow that always seems to be hanging around in her room.

Add this pretty pillow update to her lovely "new" dresser and the under bed diaper storage system I now use, and I feel like this room is coming together!

Sharing my delight with the cutest bolster pillows ever...

Metamorphosis Monday

One Project At A Time Tuesday

Whatever Goes Wednesday

We Did It Wednesday

Delightfully Inspiring Thursday

Flaunt It Friday

My Sister's White Dresser

Under The Bed Diaper Storage

Fall Season Free Printable

I think Fall is really here.

It may still be warming to 80 degrees during the day, but the crisp mornings and cool nights give it away. Summer no longer has the days within its hot grip.

I am a sun lover, but I must admit there is something to the freshness of the autumn season that I fall in love with again and again every year.

Tart apples, chilly mornings, warm sunlight and brightly hued leaves all resonate with my soul. Once again, I am reminded how incredible is the entirety of our Lord's creation, down to the smallest orange leaf.

However, the desire to transition my home to reflect the season has eluded me. Yes, all of our winter wear has been pulled out and organized. Mittens and scarves are ready for that first frost. Yes, home school is in session and plugging along smoothly. Yes, my garden is heavy laden and begging to be harvested, and sealed canning jars are beginning to line my cupboards. 

But, my home is lacking any other decoration for the season. 

After reading Susan's post at Between Naps On The Front Porch, I finally felt like it was Fall. Her wonderful front door basket brought the urge to do something fun for my home.

Here it is, a very simple Fall subway style printable (8x10). Print, trim and frame.
Easy peasy instant Fall fun.

Fall Printable

Enjoy!

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