MOTHER'S KITCHEN

My cherry tree has been blooming gloriously all week, it's almost Mother's Day; plus it is throwback Thursday and time for a quilt I made in 2004 entitled "Mother's Kitchen".

I made it as a tribute to my Mother, who always worked outside the home beginning when I started to school.  Her kitchen was always cheerfully decorated, and we always spent time together there when she got home from work -- she preparing supper or folding laundry and I was talkative.  Plus, the cherries -- she always made a maraschino cherry and nut cake for my birthday!

You would think I was the tired one by the way
I am lounging; but Mother worked hard and 
always appeared this put together!

The Stats:  "Mother's Kitchen", 2004, 41"x41", Machine pieced, hand appliqued, and hand quilted.  The pattern appears in my book, Traditional Two Block Quilts book, pages 65-70.

I couldn't pass up a photo op with the quilt and a cherry tree blossom.

I was a biological mother before I became an adoptive mom.  At the time, someone told me that CARING not bearing made you a mother.  For all the caring individuals out there, may you celebrate a joyous Mother's Day.

MORE BLOCKS FOR 'DEAR JEANNE' QUILT

Four more 5" blocks completed for my 'Dear Jane aka Dear Jeanne' quilt.

Garden Maze

Mother's Kitchen

Places to Go

I have to redo 'Places to Go' -- I goofed up somewhere -- funny right side!!

Quilting Connection

Here are the twelve blocks that I have done so far in a collage.

Hopefully, I can get to the quilt store (50 miles away) soon to check out ideas for sashing fabric.  I'm also thinking about different setting options.

Thirty-seven more blocks to do, plus one remake.  Slow going --- but that's O.K.!

I'm joining the following:
Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making
Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday
Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday
Sew Fresh Quilts for Let's Bee Social Wednesday
Quilting Readers Garden for WIPS Be Gone Friday
Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday

A 'JUST BECAUSE' Q-BIT

When I was a little girl, my mother was the quintessential housewife of the 1940s - spotless house, a good meal on the table three times a day, she even ironed the cleaning rags so they would look neat in the drawer! I loved her blue and red kitchen all decorated with cafe curtains and a clean, ironed tablecloth every meal. The tablecloths were usually printed with a fruit motif - often cherries. And for my birthday, she always made my favorite Maraschino cherry and walnut cake. I made the above quilt several years ago to celebrate those warm feelings. Since her birth date is approaching; I made a Q-Bit with the recipe for the cake as the background, the cherry motif from the quilt, and a blue and white patchwork border in remembrance. She died way too young, and I miss her everyday.
Below is the back of the Q-Bit.

The quilt measures 41" x 41", and was published in my book, "Traditional Two Block Quilts". The Q-Bit measures 2 1/2" x 3 1/2".