Spring snippets (including a finished 2 x 4 quilt!)

A week before my oldest left for college last year I pulled a hamstring. It was a doozie and in addition to taking forever to heal, it caused me to compensate and use muscles in different ways.  It caused a ripple affect and made my back all wacky and hurt most days. Why am I sharing this?  Hang in there a second.

This spring my youngest daughter played (again) two varsity sports. Most weeks had two soccer games and a track meet. I spent many days wrapped in warm clothes and quilts on metal bleachers cheering her on. This is where I would normally share photos of her on the field or track. However, several months ago I made the decision that both girls should tell their stories instead of me. Which means I instead share photos of the elk on the side of the road as we left a soccer game. And of the cinnamon rolls I baked because she asked.

Sending our oldest off to college was hard in an emotional sense. I've written about it before. And though she has been many miles away from us, we have seen each other often, talked daily, texted multiple times a day and, really, remained very much part of each other's daily life. I've missed her but I've really handled it quite well.  Better than I would have predicted had you asked me beforehand.

It's no secret that I make a lot of quilts but so far 2018 is a banner year for quilt making around here.  My most recent finish is this 2 x 4 quilt.  It's king sized and made especially for our bed. 

The colors and prints in this quilt are my favorites. It feels vintage and truly makes me smile each and every time I look at it. One print in particular reminds me of my grandmother. I remember running errands with her when I would visit in the summertime. She was always so prepared for any occasion. She had this bag with a hard plastic handle that snapped at the top. This bag was always in the back of her white station wagon ... or was it yellow? I think she must have had both a white car and a yellow car at different times because I remember them both.  Anyway, this bag. It was always in the back of the car and was always there if we needed a way to carry something. The lining of the bag must be a close match to one of the prints in this quilt. It must be because it's acutely familiar and every time I see the print I think instantly of grandma's bag.  Did I mention that the bag also contained an umbrella with the matching print? 

I used Yours Truly and Welsummer fabrics from Cotton & Steel for a majority of this quilt. I used this tutorial from Film in the Fridge to make the 2x4 blocks. 

So, my oldest has been home from college for summer for a few weeks now.

Guess who's back is no longer hurting?

Like an overnight miracle.

I guess I wasn't handling her absence as well as I had convinced myself I was.

-dana