On your journey...leave tracks.

A girlfriend sent me a birthday card this month that read,

     "On your journey through the sands of time...leave tracks."

As quilters, we are always leaving tracks, aren't we.  Tracks.  Did I say tracks?  I meant threads.  What if it read, 'On your journey, leave threads.'  We leave our tracks on the minds of the people that see our quilts hanging in shows.  We leave our tracks as we wrap our loved ones in our three dimensional creations.  We leave our tracks on the hearts of the people that receive our donation quilts - for auction, for a ride along, for camp, for a chemo treatment chair...we leave our tracks on the hearts and minds of people we touch with our quilts.

Which is why I have posted this shining doorway pic.  Do not be afraid of going through.  Make tracks.  Take the class.  Make the quilt.  Make a mistake.  Make the successful ribbon winner.  But go through.  Because when you are done with the quilt, the mistake, the class, when you have pushed through, you will find on the other side....yet another door.  (now you are wondering why you read this blog, right?)  No, really.  And thank God for that!!  Because if we had only one door to push through, one class to take, only ONE quilt to make...well, you understand now.  Oh.  ONE quilt to make?  What would it be?  I can't pick just one, can you?  Make tracks.

I will, however, give you my list of ONE's here today, tho.  The things you can find at www.beyondthereefpatterns.com .  The things I really do use.  The things I can count on for great projects.  Which is why I carry them - to pass them on to you!!

• Jeana Kimble Needles
• Weeks Dye Works threads
• SOAK soap
• Bamboo Batting
• Amy Butler books
• Denyse Schmidt papers and journals

But just ONE quilt?  No way to make tracks, thank you.

I remember one day my 9 year old friend Kendra came through the garden gate and stood in the doorway of the cottage - just as I was tasting a quilt top.  "Natalie, are you making ANOTHER quilt?!?????," she asked.  And then she smiled.  If I knew Kendra's smile was the glow on the other side of that door, of course I would go through!!! And of course, I AM making ANOTHER quilt.  This time Kendra, it is a series of quilts.  And I am pushing through that doorway on my journey.  Hanalei Bay and Diamond Head.  Then Big Island and Maui.  The same size as the honu quilt (you can find this quilt kit on our website).  18 x 22 ish.  A journey.  Tracks.  

Won't you join me?

be.do.create

2008

Thanks for thinking of

b e y o n d   t h e   r e e f

Natalie.

natalie@beyondthereefpatterns.com

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

www.beyondthereefpatterns.blogspot.com