My New Adventure

As many of you know, I’m a ballerina as well as a quilter for most of the year. But over the summer, ballet gets out, and I tend to get out of shape. So, we decided to find me another sport.

I’m always a mess afterwards, but a happy, sweaty, hopefully in shape mess. I love my new boxing gloves.

-S.J.

His New Adventure

Some of you may remember a while ago when I asked you to send me quotes to help my struggling friend. He loved his box of letters, and they worked wonders in his life. He cried when he got it, and cried many days afterwards whenever he pulled out a quote or story that perfectly applied to his current struggle for that day.

Well, that friend is currently attending BYU, and will finish out this summer semester and probably the first term of fall before he starts his new adventure.

He’s going on a LDS mission. He opened his call (mission assignment) this past Saturday, and has been called to serve in the Aquas Calientes Mexico mission.  He leaves the end of October to the missionary training center in Mexico City, and will enter the mission field shortly after.

I would ask another favor of you older and wiser souls now. Though he is extremely excited to go on his mission, it will not be easy. He’s going to face many trials, and he’ll be away from home and loved ones for two years. If you would write small notes of encouragement and inspiration, I will be sending him these notes to be opened and read in case of a bleh kind of day. I’m sure they will help just as much as the previous ones.

Many thanks,

S.J.

Sweet 16 and Tears

Well, here I am again. Glory, it has been a while. Anyway, I’m now 16 (as of May), and still quilting away! I’ve mostly been working on my big batik mystery project, and that is coming along oh-so-nicely for me. Honestly, the quilt is a little eclectic and random, but so is the maker so I think it’s alright.

I ought to be around a little more frequently now, haha. I know I say that all the time, but for real now, because I have an excellent reason. At the high school I attend, seniors have a mandatory number of service hours (30 or 40 I think) that must be completed to graduate. Now I suppose you’re saying “But Sparkle isn’t a senior next year, she’s a junior”. That is quite accurate. However, along with the valedictorian of a senior class, my school also has two salutatorians, one for leadership and one for service.

I want to be the service salutatorian for my senior class. There, I’ve gone and said it, it’s an official goal. Of course, I’m sure that this goal doesn’t really tell why I’ll be posting more, but I’m getting to that. All the service done (and you can be assisted by groups you organize) must be fully documented to count in any way. What better way to do this than a blog? I won’t be using this blog of course; I’m making another one just for that purpose, but whenever I’m online posting on my service blog I will also do my best to post on here.

Now, I need to give a huge thank you to my mom and dad, and all the people who donated fabric, love, and time to my big quilt project for 2015. I love and appreciate you all, so much. However, my family deserves an extra big thank you, because they’ve really started my salutatorian project for me.

 

Now, I know this isn’t the best picture, but they went to Shutterfly and made me a book.

Like a real, hard cover, color printed, honest-to-goodness book. It’s absolutely beautiful. The morning of my birthday I went traipsing into the kitchen to find this at my place on the table. Needless to say, I was soon in tears.

I cannot say thank you enough to those who helped me get here.

Thank you!!!

-S.J.

P.S. I’ll post more about my service blog later. Happy quilting!

 

Updates

So I’m finally back! Lot’s of things have been happening, though little has been documented. And apologies about the blurry picture, I blame my phone camera for that, but the quilt itself will be lovely I think.

In the spaces between the grey and black squares there are going to be big gold star blocks. I’ve started the blocks already, but I’ll keep you updated.

-S.J.

I Return!

Here I am once again my dear readers and fellow quilters. Though I have been silent in the cyber world, my sewing machine has still whirred. School and the play have definitely been dominant, but I have gotten things done. 

This is my “secret project” I’m super excited about it actually, I think it’s going to be awesome when it’s all said and done.

Any guesses?

-S.J.

Done In Time

Fifty five. Fifty five was our ending number. It’s absolutely incredible. Somehow, my mom and I managed to make fifty five baby quilts.

Actually, it’s technically fifty seven, there were two afghans that weren’t counted in the official count. So, not only did we make our count, but we beat it by five. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for all the moral support, fabric, and quilt tops sent to us. They were a tremendous help, and we couldn’t have done it without you.

There was really no way to take pictures of all of the quilts at once, even though there’s only 49 still here at the house. The others have already been gifted out. 

It’s amazing to see them all laid out together at last. I’m so glad my mom and I have done this, and I’m so grateful to Primary Children’s for fixing my heart.

Thank you all again, and may we all remember to be truly grateful for what we’re given.

-S.J.

Almost there!!!!

Well, I’m sitting here putting the binding on one of the last few quilts of our 52. Mom and I have been mostly tag-teaming on these last few, each doing a couple different steps so that they’ll get done. Goodness, it feels good to be near the end.

Two quilts for twin girls, done and done. Thanks for all the support that you’ve given!!!

-S.J.