Made by Hand

Hand-quilting a baby quilt

Finished baby quilt -- Yellow Brick Road pattern

“A woman must cultivate the practical arts, and lend to them that satisfaction of beauty, that the soul might flourish, and the hands be remembered past death.”
     — Karen Fisher, A Sudden Country

I find comfort and satisfaction in working with my hands.  When I was in Minnesota, I mentioned to my sister that I needed a small project to fill the hours while I hung out with her at her job in a quilt store, and also to pass the time while I kept my Dad company at the farm.  One of my co-workers is having a baby soon, and I thought I might want to work on a baby quilt.  My sister happened to have a small quilt top pieced from scraps that would work as a baby quilt.  All I had to do was put on the backing, batting, and binding, and then hand-quilt it.

I haven’t done much sewing or quilting this year. When I pick up a project after a long hiatus I immediately feel rewarded, and I wonder how I can have abandoned handwork for so long.  I like the finished quilt, which is wrapped in memories of fall days and family.  I trust that my co-worker loves it, too.