Helen Kelley Patchworks

It’s funny how variable time is. Sometimes it whizzes by. Sometimes it doesn’t. Last night we stopped at the nearby hospital to take our daughter, Jo, to dinner. She’s been sitting with her husband as he recovers from surgery. I was reminded of how slowly time creeps by when you are waiting in a hospital. I myself bought my little collapsable quilt frame 18 years ago when I was driving to Omaha to sit in my tiny grandson’s hospital room as he recovered from surgery. Over the ensuing years, I have sewn quilt blocks, appliqued pictures, and quilted small quilts in hospital rooms. It’s amazing how a needle makes the eternal waiting endurable.

I just heard about another quilter who has nicked herself badly with her rotary cutter. It is such a wonderful invention. But like kitchen knives, if we let ourselves be distracted or inattentive, we pay a heavy price for the convenience we love. A rotary cutter is just a rolling razor. Please, please be careful.

February, 2005 – The month of March is Women’s History Month.  For those of you who live close to the Twin Cities (Minnesota), the quilt show, “A Quilter’s Stash” will be hung all month at Eagan High School.  This will be their 10th show. Click here to see what they’ve done in previous years.

They are featuring my Post Card Quilts. I’ll do a lecture and book signing there from 6-7 pm on March 9th.

The school is closed on weekends, but all of the quilts can be viewed on weekdays from 9-3.  I am really excited about being chosen as “the featured quilter”.  It so great to see people having as much fun with my post cards as I did when I made them.

February, 2005 – Winter gets really long about this time of year in Minnesota. Do you suppose it’s time to start a new flower quilt? Some time ago I stashed fabrics to make a Love-in-the-Mist quilt. The materials are soft, clear pinks, sweet, bright lavenders and fresh, new-greens, all warm enough to nourish hope in my winter-weary soul.

I’ve looked at this map that shows me all of the exotic places where all of you live. (You can click on the picture for a better view.) Isn’t it wonderful to have this connection.  The world of quilters is now a smaller, friendlier place.  Thank you for visiting.

This week, many of you are finding your way to my web page from my latest Loose Threads article in Quilter’s Newsletter. The article describes how I translated my early, magical memories of New York City into one of my Post Card Quilts. If you’d like to see a picture of the quilt, click here. Or, you can see all but one of my Post Card Quilts (South Dakota isn’t quite ready), by clicking here.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you.

Go wrap something warm around someone you care about.

I couldn’t help myself.  I sewed.  Oh well.

Tomorrow is a no-sew day.  I’ve lots of things I haven’t done and need to tend to.  I think of myself as disciplined if I can go a day without sewing.  But that’s tomorrow.  Today I’m sewing.

January 5, 2005 – Now that the holiday clutter is cleared away, it’s time to focus on finishing my South Dakota postcard quilt.  So, how long does it take to make a quilt?

Step 1 – The vision.  I get a germ of an idea.  It stews and brews in my head for months, maybe years.