Helen Kelley Patchworks

IT’S DONE!  The Canada Post Card quilt is done.

Years ago I planned 24 post card quilts.   Canada was #23.   As you know, I’m a compulsive finisher.  So, I am ready to plunge into #24 right now. 

But, I’m making myself take a one-day holiday, just to clear my head.  Then I will begin on South Dakota.

For straight seams, corners that match, mistakes that don’t show.  For the feel and smell of new fabric and the pleasure of new combinations.  For the connection I feel to quilters and quilts from faraway times and places.  For the blessing of warm hands, warm hearts, warm homes, dear friends, loving family. Thank you.

I’ve promised myself that if I finish quilting all this snow (on my Canadian Postcard quilt) by noon, I shall scrub the kitchen floor. The floor has been tragic for a month, covered with garden soil and fallen leaves stuck down with orange juice. It’s just that snow is more important. Snow gives me a sense of enlightenment. A clean floor will just give me a sense of relief.

I am working with a local public arts organization to hang a small number of my quilts in The Government Center. I am glad to have this opportunity to be part of their efforts to bring art into the center of our daily lives. I feel quite passionate about placing sculpture, paintings, and, yes, quilts in places that inspire us in our ordinary, regular routines. That’s what makes the ordinary into the extra-ordinary.

When I first visualized the sky for my Canadian postcard quilt, it was in great swirls of light – a la VanGogh’s Starry Night.  That was how I remembered northern lights.

Then, this week, we actually saw a fabulous display of northern lights here in Minneapolis.  They didn’t swirl.  They shot!  They streaked!  They shimmered!  My vision has changed.  So has my plan for quilting my sky.

My husband, Bill, is replacing windows in our house. It’s a strenuous and exacting job. I’ve asked him not to do it alone. But, the more I ask, the more he’s determined to prove that he can. Sometimes, when I run into a tough quilting challenge, I refuse to take his advice. I think it’s because he’s a stubborn Norwegian, and I’m just plain stubborn.

I’ll be in Houston at the International Quilt Festival this week, signing books in the Primedia (Quilter’s Newsletter) and the Craftsman’s Touch (booksellers) booths. Though I’ve been here many times, I’m always amazed at the size of the event and the new trends in quiltmaking. And, of course, I love meeting so many old and new friends.

Did you vote? When I voted today, I broke the voting machine. I struggle to improve my relationship with my machines, but never seem to be able to. Only my sewing machine and my microwave have become my close personal friends.