what I am doing this afternoon

I finally pinned these on and started stitching. This is for a friend of mine in our small quilt group...though the colors work for me :-)

There is a two part center that goes on after these petals. I have two of these blocks to do-though another month to finish them up in.

I am not an applique girl...although I do see the charm of doing it-and truly appreciate the gorgeous work done by so many quilters.

Last night I joined a knitting group and worked on a project. It was relaxing and fun. I really enjoy knitting-I learned as a small child from my grandma and always enjoyed doing it off and on growing up. I learned to crochet at the same time-now my grandma could do those complicated crochet thread doilies and bedspreads. I have the double bed size one she made for my mom's wedding gift. Of course, my mom hated it. I thought it quite the treasure though I managed to spill candle wax on it :-( - as a teenager I was careless about stuff like that. My aunt also does wonderful crochet and I have a piece she made-my heirloom as she calls it. She made each of us family members something special a few years ago when she first had cancer. Today she is having surgery to remove a lobe of her lungs as it developed a spot of cancer on it. And, today marks the first birthday of my mom since she passed. It has not been a happy day. The gray skies above pretty much sum up my feelings. So....working on this cheery applique is my antidote to those feelings. I am ok with feeling sad, do not misunderstand...at the same time, I know my mom did not believe in being sad for too long...she was a very upbeat person, joking through her awful parts of chemo and even at the end so sweet with her brother. So, it's happy birthday Mom!