A Warm Hearted finish

The last heart, almost done!

Ten hearts remained after Friday night's stitching. Ten out of over two hundred. Ten hearts that were randomly scattered, a few clumped together. And now all those hearts are hand-quilted, and I'll wash it tomorrow, then mail it off to a lovely person who adores hearts.

What could be better?

Yet, an English paper-pieced quilt doesn't happen overnight. This particular project began late in 2024, a kit by Jodi Godfrey. I dove into it as, well, as hearts seemed wholly necessary to embrace, as my country fell under an influence absolutely dark and menacing. As I cut fabrics, basted jewel shapes, then stitched them into hearts, my chest muscle was slightly assuaged. And the more I worked on it, amid learning the Kawandi method, the better I felt. Defiant hearts. Strong hearts. Supple hearts. Beating hearts. Wearing my heart on my sleeve hearts.

You get the idea.

June 2025

Then in June of 2025, I finished the top. What a monumental completion! And actually a fairly quick accomplishment for EPP. Yet, I didn't dive into making the rest of the quilt, other projects and a very wonky right shoulder tying my hands. Then late last fall, despite that cranky shoulder, it was time to return to warm hearts. Jewel-toned hearts. Hearts made mostly from a fabric bundle bought for this pattern, but supplemented with prints from my stash. The back is primary-hued patchwork squares for a totally different feel; I wanted this to have two distinct personalities. I basted it according to the hearts, stitched the outer perimeter, then began hand-quilting within each heart. A little tedious, and of course until it's washed tomorrow, I don't know how the crinkles will emerge. Yet it is done, ten hearts a night every other night all summer long. Well, nights we didn't have guests, lol. I required focus to do my best work for a much loved friend.

In sewing this, I changed. Became less fearful for my country. Grew closer to Christ. Still battled a less than stellar right shoulder, but now it's more like managing my aging body so I can keep stitching, but not like previously. Not every night for three hours, or occasionally more. A minutes-restriction, if you will, but that's fine. I can't kneel and weed the garden anymore either so.... So instead I ration the sewing, saving the hand-quilting for the best purposes, like this quilt of hearts. I'm staring at where I draped it over my rocker, finding it dazzling, as well as hard to ponder that it's finished.

Other than washing it, it truly is done. How does that happen, I guess time does keep moving, even when America's leadership is so fraught with....unkindness, selfishness, the willingness to harm and not do good. Much more could be said, but this post is about the better angels of natures, about love mattering more than all the unpleasantness. About putting others before self, lessons so vital at this time not merely in America, but all over the world. Lessons not only from Jesus, but ages old, seemingly forgotten, yet still floating around. Much on this planet has gone to pot, but not everything everywhere.

As long as some continue to love, continue to live humbly, continue to hope, then darkness will not prevail. Beauty and compassion and patience, stability and joy and selflessness, gentleness and goodness and peace will overcome. Don't ask me how, but they will. This I firmly believe, one quilt as tangible proof of a lasting calm that no one can alter.

Such a pretty quilt, hehehe!

I'd LOVE to make another of these, but I have too many other EPP quilts already in the works, lol. Yet now a Warm Hearted cozy can be sent to its new home, and on Tuesday night I'll stitch something different. Maybe the Mandolin autumnal quilt I gave up about this time last year when that unhappy shoulder said NO MORE! Or one of six other English paper piecing projects stored in totes, ahem. Whatever comes next will be sewn with as much love and joy as this quilt brought out of me, also shielding me from those who find love unappealing. Wearisome. Not worth their time. Their lives are so much poorer for the unwillingness to put others first, a notion I do not comprehend. But that's not my battle. My only scuffle is keeping myself to an every other evening stitching schedule. Again gazing at the rocker, that gorgeous cozy shining like a million stars, I'll keep up my part of the bargain, praying for more peace, more love, more healing, both for myself and those in turmoil all over our world.

And that's the end of this Warm Hearted tale, other than a future post of the quilt after it's been washed, haha. In the meantime, have a great week everyone!