Okay then. It looks like I’ll be working on a tutorial for the Roundabout Quilt. In the spirit of full disclosure however I think you should know that I don’t have any secrets about how to piece the curves. I pin pin pin them and when I think there are enough pins, I add some more, and then I pull and stretch the fabric. A lot. But I’ll take photos and document sizes and get you an official pattern-tutorial-post. As soon as I finish this teacher’s gift:
I’ve written before about the program Jake is in at school and how thrilled we are with it. What I may not have mentioned is how wonderful his teacher is. You know how you have one or two teachers who you will always remember? The one who inspired you to write or draw or sparked your lifelong love of astronomy? Well, Jake has one of those teachers now. She is young and enthusiastic and idealistic and has chosen to focus her career teaching kids with special needs. Other people’s children with special needs. ‘Thank you’ doesn’t even come close to cutting it. I couldn’t possibly find the words. So I made something. It’s what I do. It’s how I say ‘thank you’ and how I say ‘you matter to me’ and how I say ‘I love you’. On some level it’s as much for me as for the person I’m making for. The time I spend creating is the real gift. It gives me perspective and gratifies my soul.
Let me leave you with a picture of how I spent my evening. Sean (Jake’s dad and my ex-husband) parked his pickup in our driveway while dropping off items for our annual neighborhood tag/garage/yard/junk sale tomorrow. The sun (which had finally made a brief appearance late this afternoon) was setting. He left the truck windows open and the radio on. Mets versus Yankees. Lawn chairs got dragged out of the garage and seats were taken. Niall for the Yankees. Sean for the Mets. Quinn was buck naked and happily romping in a bucket filled with icy cold hose-water. Jake was riding his scooter around the cul-de-sac while wearing his space-themed-footie-pajamas. Chocolate chip cookies (freshly baked for the purpose of tomorrow’s cookie/lemonade-stand) were being consumed by all. Neighbors stopped by to chat.
Here’s hoping yours was as pleasant.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s what you do, and you do it well.
love your words. what a vision you placed in my head! now I go to lay said "head" on my pillow. gnite amy!
You do it so well! She will love it and all that you have put into it! Love your evening scene
What a beautiful, kind thing you have done. I too have a special needs little man in my life and I know just how important therapists and teachers are…especially goods ones…they are SO hard to find.
She will love this quilt! One of my favorite gifts from my years teaching was a quilt made by one of the moms. I love what Emerson said about gifts: " But our tokens of compliment and love are for the most part barbarous. Rings and other jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only gift is a portion of thyself." Just like you said – it’s the time that is the gift. Thanks for the reminder!
Sounds idyllic to me. What a great thing for Jake that you and his father get along well enough to have evenings like that.
The quilt is wonderful! I’m sure that she’ll love it. How could she not? And the evening outside sounds idyllic to me, too.
It’s official, you are the most successfully divorced person ever. You and Sean should for sure make an appearance on Dr. Phil.
That is the perfect gift for someone who sounds like an amazing teacher. Will Jake have her again next year? And your evening last night–it sounded perfect!
I am with everyone else..that is some relationship you have with your ex…you are both to be commended. What an idyllic evening….especially as it is so cold here at present!
I agree about the quilt…it is how we show we care….we just need to make sure sometimes the ones we gift our affection to is deserving of it…same with quilts as love!
Thank you for adding your blog link to our flickr thread…i foresee myself whiling away many happy hours here
I love the word picture of your evening. Now I want chocolate chip cookies…and to root for the Yankees!
I love that Niall roots for the Yankees while Sean roots for the Mets, that Jake still has footie pajamas, that Quinn finds bliss in ice-cold water from the hose, that you made that beautiful quilt for Jake’s teacher, that she will forever think of your beautiful family when she sees it.
what a wonderful friday! it sounds so peaceful….the quilt is beautiful.
can’t wait for the round about quilt tutorial.
Your evening scene sounds great – my parents divorced when I was 11, my mom remarried a few years later, and my stepdad and dad always got along really well, to the point of considering each other good friends….
Love that quilt top!
That’s gonna be one hell of a teacher gift! My housemate was pleased to get a box of chocolates.
Love the round about quilt, just gorgeous! And what a perfect evening, sounds lovely.
What a wonderful gift, the quilt is going to be just gorgeous. Beautiful colors. Thanks for the picture you have created with words, you had a great evening.
Rita
That is a beautiful, beautiful quilt. The colors are amazing.