We are cut from the same cloth (Dream Rocket part 4)

Have you ever met someone and immediately felt as though you have known them your entire life? Kindred spirits cut from the same cloth?

Our Dream Rocket Quilt is all about community. It represents Arlene, Carol, JoJo and myself; four quilters collaborating over the internet.

It represents our families and our future. 

It represents all those people that silently and without recognition do what is needed to make our global community function and flourish.

We felt it important that the focal point be made from a single piece of hand dyed fabric; that we were all literally cut from the same cloth.

 Next week I will share the completed Dream Rocket Quilt.

If you want to see the 3 previous posts about the Dream Rocket project take a look here.

Christmas in July uhh.... August

Not sure why I have thinking about Christmas when it is 100 degrees here in Texas but I would like to challenge everyone this year to make or purchase handmade items for your winter holiday gifts for Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa (please forgive if I left out your favorite holiday).

While this is not always practical (i.e. a 13 year old with needs for electronics), many would welcome a thoughtful gift that was actually made by a human rather than a machine. You would be supporting our creative community as well as the livelihood of an artist.

Beside your own work or that of local artists, you can find handmade items on Etsy, 1000 Markets, etc. If those on your gift list would not like a handmade item what about giving them the gift of creativity? A watercolor set, knitting needles and yarn, or maybe a painting, cooking or quilting lesson.

I would love to have all the readers of my blog leave comments with suggestions of handmade gifts or favorite resources.

I'll go first! My clever nieces came up with the idea of market bags; the ones you carry to the super market and use instead of paper or plastic bags. This would be a great way to use up fabrics that have not found their a way into a quilt and try out new techniques. I've even seen some very clever ones that were made out of recycled plastic bags or dog food bags. With slight variations one basic pattern could become book bags or crayon and coloring book bags.

Okay now it is your turn! What is your idea for a handmade gift?