Giving

painted birdhouse - Homes of Hope

Giving what I've got. That is what I do these days. I've found amazing satisfaction in creating from my resources to give to people and places that mean something huge to me. While digging out my creative space, I found many pieces of art materials that had lingered too long here, so I decided to donate them to a place made specifically for creating, where people come when they have nowhere else to go. The Art Room at the Triune Mercy Center, Greenville, SC. Nowhere have I ever felt so much energy in an artistic fashion. I know that is saying a lot. I haven't gone there yet to create art, but the people who run it are so full of spirit and creative inspiration, I am so inspired that a place such as this exists. I hope to spend more time with them in the future. I attended an Easter holiday Tea Party there recently that was such a vision of enthusiasm, it was very hard to leave. My next gift to Triune was a painted birdhouse for their contribution to a fundraising auction for Homes of Hope. The Tea Party featured the painted birdhouses as centerpieces, painted by local artists as centerpieces amongst fresh garden flowers and many festive balloons.

For my family, I try to give things from my heart and my hands. I became a quilter at an early age inspired by my grandmother and my mother. For Sarah and Thomas, I created designs for their surroundings appropriate to the times and places where they were born. Thomas' quilt was a four square that included a Tall Pine Tree pattern in honor of North Carolina where his mother hailed from, a Maple Leaf signifying Vermont, where I was living at the time, and a Chinese puzzle to note his birth in Hong Kong. A quilt for Sarah was a medallion of a sailboat that signified her parents' love for sailing, the sea and great adventure.


My most recent handspun piece is another small coverlet directly from and inspired by Claude's Cove. A simple fishing boat, a great blue heron and fish. For all of my days at Claude's Cove, I will never express all the inspiration that comes from this place and what it means to me in regards to my family.

On Saturday we will celebrate my mother's birthday and I will give Charlie his special "Claude's Cove" quilt. I hope he has not already grown up to much too have his baby quilt, but it can go with him throughout his days as a memento to where his family came from.


Love to all.