When I think about all the marvelous colors of life...
The blue of a clear morning sky...
Or that of a robin's egg in spring...
The deep China blue of plates from a faraway land...
Or the soothing blues...
Of ocean waves lapping against the shore...
Signaling to me that all is well...
That life has a fanciful pattern...
Even if we can't picture it all right away...
And when I spy the bright yellow of a daffodil...
Or the varied hues of a sunlit sky...
Reminding me of the countless smiles of friends and strangers alike...
Smiles given freely...
Like shells along the beach...
And when I stop to enjoy a pink cupcake...
Or to admire the green of grass newly sprung...
In a field where birds frolic...
Black birds..
Blue birds...
Singly...
Or together...
And when I consider the joy of flowers...
Given...
And received...
Or simply gathered for one's own pleasure...
I stand in awe...
And pause long enough to piece the images together...
Into a pattern I will always remember...
The bits and bobs forming both the borders and the bounty...
For a quilt of special memories...
Kept close beside me...
For warmth...
For comfort...
For pleasure...
For company...
A cherished reminder that, above all else...
Life is good...
And the simple things like...
A "cuppa" tea...
A favorite book...
A child's laughter...
An animal's eyes...
Or knees bent in prayer...
Are actually the big things when it comes to living!
The beautiful quilt images are taken from my dear friend Wendy Shepherd's blog, IVORY SPRING. (You may access her blog by clicking on her blog name, and I hope you will visit her there!)
Wendy, among other things, is a master quilter and has had her designs and quilts featured in numerous publications across the country. She is very, VERY talented.
Creative, smart (she has a degree in chemical engineering in addition to having talent galore), sweet, and lovely, Wendy is one of my favorite bloggers, and I love to see the many patterns she creates and the quilts she stitches with such care.
And don't you know I loved this one!
Really? How on earth can you tell??? ;-)
In addition to sock monkeys and quilts, Wendy and I also share a love of dishes (we even have some of the same patterns!), history, biographies, the British Royal Family, our faith, and so much more. Among the many things I love about Wendy is that she and her husband have a beautiful little girl, Miss Baby, who is an absolute doll...
Miss Baby enjoys helping her mother in the garden...
And Miss Baby loves to share, especially when it comes to feeding the birds with her very own lollipop! ;-)
Wendy also has a family history from Malayasia. And if you know anything about me, you know I have a deep and abiding love for Asia, its culture, and most of all its peoples.
So can you say friendship made in Heaven? I sure can!
Thank you, Wendy, for being such a loving and faithful friend. xoxoxo
In addition to the gratitude for my friendship with Wendy, I am grateful to our veterans, especially remembering them on Monday for Veterans Day and thanking them for their sacrifices and courage the world over!
I am particularly remembering General George Washington, my favorite American of all time.
The Marquis de Lafayette, my Favorite Frenchman, Honorary American, and American Hero.
And my beloved cousin, John, who is a Lt. Col. in the military.
Here's my quilt-covered table, decked out in honor of our veterans and featuring flag plates from America's very own Ralph Lauren, navy and white plates from the "Country Living" collection at K-Mart, and red chargers in the Gourmet Basics collection from the American company, Mikasa. The tall iced tea goblets are Ella Platinum also from Ralph Lauren and were purchased in honor of my grandfather's sister and for my good friend Linda's granddaughter, both named Ella.
I am joining my friend Sally for Blue Monday at her blog HERE. Hope you'll join us there as well! :-)
Warmly,
Mrs. Magpie (Sheila)
All quilt images with the exception of the single image from me are COPYRIGHTED and are used here with permission from Wendy of the blog IVORY SPRING. As such, you may not copy them without the express permission of Wendy (or me). Thank you!
49 comments:
Such gorgeous quilts Sheila! I really love the one with the yo-yo type flower border! Yep, life is good-enjoy:@)
Oh, what lovely quilts, and the words that go with them!
Sheila,
I am genuinely touched by this sweet and beautiful post! Thank you for enriching my life.
I have to say that each quilt was beautiful - I wanted each and everyone - I'll say she is talented. Such gorgeous quilts.
I too wish the Vets some kudos tomorrow - my husband is one.
Love the dishes.
I really enjoyed Wendy's quilts.
Love, sandie
Mrs. Magpie -
You did it again. Great post w/ pretty quilts.
Adrienne
You know I love those quilts!
Brenda
Oh my, so many beautiful quilts all in one post, followed by a tribute to our amazing veterans. Thank you for this post, Sheila! Excellent!
Hello my friend,
Wendy's quilts are truly amazing! Such intricate work is not easy I know. I know because I have made a few quilts myself.
You are quite the writer, you have a way with words!
Love and hugs, Cindy
Such a lovely post - as always. Your words are so thoughtful.
Wendy's quilts are all gorgeous! She is very talented and sounds like a wonderful blog friend, Sheila!
Sheila,
Wendy's quilts are just amazing. I shall visit her blog and check out the book. The photographs were a wonderful way to start the day.
A wonderful post.
Carol
Gorgeous quilts Sheila. I agree that Wendy is really talented and I enjoyed seeing her quilts.
Happy Veterans Day.
Sam
I love quilts and seeing these was wonderful...so many pretty quilts with exceptional quilting !!! :)
Lovely quilts!I will try to make one someday!:)
What a sweet post! Not only do I love quilts but the analogies are beautifully insightful, Sheila!! =)
xxo
Morning Sheila,
This is such a happy post, and the quilts are super lovely. Wendy is a treasure.
Happy Blue Monday!
Wonderful post and gorgeous quilts ~ lots of creative work here ~ for HBM ~ thanks, carol, xxx
I love how you have put words to Wendy's "muse-ic"! She is such a talented quilter and a lovely woman as well. I have been a follower of Wendy's for quite some time and she never ceases to amaze me.
All is truthfully said! I so enjoyed a brief personal meet-up with Wendy a couple of weeks ago and "cemented" our virtual bloggy friendship become reality! I have, also, been blessed to learn from her.....quilting skills but, more importantly, sweet life ideals. Thank you for your beautiful words! Hugs, Doreen
What lovely prose to Wendy's beautiful work.
I love Wendy's quilts and I have made a few of them. I love the small borders she uses too. She is talented! Thanks to Wendy for sharing her talent.
What breathtaking quilts! Wendy's blog is new tome but I will surely be stopping by to see more of her work. Thank you for featuring her:>)
Your sweet posts are always full of so many interesting and beautiful things....these quilts are absolutely works of art. I will visit her soon.
xo bj
p.s. hope your hubby is feeling well.
That was really sweet!
So many beautiful quilts Shelia! Nice post of reflection!
Sherry
Such a beautiful posting, both the words and the quilts. Thank you for sharing the talents of Wendy Sheppard. She is truly a gifted quilter and an inspiration to many of us.
Too many gorgeous quilts to pick a favorite!
So many beautiful quilts; I think of the hours it must take and the patience! I am sure it gives her a real sense of satisfaction.
My hubby and son were touring an old house in Georgetown, SC this week and were told how Lafayette landed on North Island I believe this was were he first set foot on our soil. Here is a little article: http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/history/item/4826-anniversary-of-the-landing-of-lafayette
What a lovely tribute!
a wonderful post so lad I popped over and did not miss it
Oh my, oh my! i've never seen a blog post like this! Absolutely astonishing!
Thank you for showing all those amazing quilts!
Good morning Sheila, We are home from our trip to Florida and it is good to be home. Our Fl Gators sure are struggling with so many injuries and losses of key players on their team. Since two of our grands are in college at the U of F now,our time there was awesome.
Thank you for your faithful visits to my posts. Your comments are a treat to my eyes. I am so happy you are Blogging again. You have so much to offer and share and I have missed you very much.
Your post is beyond beautiful. I too love quilts and the ones you shared are striking. Especially the one so close to your heart with the sock monkeys. I have a miniature sock monkey in my doll house. He is so cute. Your last photo of your tablesetting is lovely. I had to look at your post twice so I wouldn't miss anything. Big happy smile here.
Love you much,
Jeanne
Hi Sheila! Oh, this is a lovely post - your words and the beautiful quilts. Wendy is quite talented in her quilting and Miss Baby is a little doll! God bless all of service folks and our veterans. Feel better!
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
What fabulous quilts...they're all so bright and beautiful.
I've never attempted to make a quilt so I'm always in awe of someone who can be this creative ;D
You've written a lovely thoughtful post today Sheila.
Thank you for sharing ~ Happy Belated Blue Monday :D
Love the White bird in the dark blue sky -real little treasure:) Also the monkey quilt! Can tell that quilts are your passion. The closest I came to making a quilt was a duvet cover for my teen daughter. Now she uses it for her kids.
Thanks for coming to my blog!
What great eye candy! I LOVE the runner with the black birds. Oh, yes!
They all are valuable treasures!
Thanks for sharing those beauties.
Visit u back here.
I saw your post on another bloggers sidebar and came over to see for myself. I'm glad I did because these are really beautiful. Your friend is a talented quilter while you are a talented wordsmith. I enjoyed this immensely. A spot of color in a sometimes bleak world.
My favorite is the children's near the end, although they are all so gorgeous. Your words are lovely also as usual. Noticed Billy Graham photo on your blog, did you see his message to America on the National Geographic channel, I LOVE that he is 95 and wants to share his heart for humanity.
Ann
What a precious post - beautiful quilts and beautiful words.
Judy
Oh, my what gorgeous quilts. Not only is Wendy very talented, she is obviously prolific. Each one is amazingly beautiful, and your words are most poetic. This is a charming post! Big smiles and a happy heart here, Sheila. ~ Sarah
Hi Sheila! Oh, I'm so glad you liked my little felties. I just need to make Christmas felties for Carter and I will have all the seasons down. Hope you're doing well.
be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
I get the sense that i have taken in several lifetimes absorbing the multilayered and faceted stories that the quilts represent and portray. Its like looking at crop circles... where the patterns take you on a journey into other worlds of discovery and intrigue.
Wow oh wow Sheila!
She is truly talented!
Those quilts are just amazing.
And your table is so charming as well.
And that little girl is a doll.
Thanks for sharing, love it!
hugs and happy weekend,
Cindy
What a wonderful post and to say she is a Master Quilter is an understatement....they are works of art...I can't even imagine having the talent to create such beauty....thanks for sharing!! And so good to hear from you over at my blog...I was gone for awhile and I'm trying to get back into the swing of things....Sue in atlanta
My, what amazing images! Thanks for sharing with us!
It was such a delight to see your comment on my blog today. Thanks for stopping by!
xo
Oh the image of the child feeding the budgies is SO ADORABLE, Sheila! And quilts have a significent life meaning,don't they? We all add to this collaborative work that units all the colors and textures, origins and meanings to one. Oh how lovely life can be when we THINK and act.
Thank you for coming to visit! Anita
These are do adorable, Sheila. I live quilts! I admire people who can create them. Wendy is very talented!...Christine
Shelia~I've always been awestruck with those who begin with a single stitch...ending with a quilted masterpiece. A virtual work of art.
Wendy is truly gifted. Thanks for sharing her beautiful quilts!
Sweet wishes,
Sara
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