Mr. Rogers

This weather makes me feel just like Mr. Rogers. I come into the shop, take off my coat and boots, put on my indoor shoes and pick out a sweater to match my outfit while I wait for the shop to warm up. I leave the heat at 60 degrees overnight and it's take about 30 minutes for it to come up to a temperature where it's really comfortable. I keep three or four cardigans at the shop so I will always have a choice. I don't have any boys and girls to talk to while I am doing this as Mr. Rogers did. I guess I could say "Hello Quilts and Projects!"

As well as quilting the quota of January quilts, I have been working on a blue, brown, and green nursery. Lisa, my younger daughter, is expecting her first child in March, and I am making the curtain valance, crib skirt, a wallhanging, quilts, and drapes for a closet door. She fell in love with some Amy Butler fabric, and because I don't like things to be too matchy, we also bought other fabrics. She didn't want the typical nursery, and I love doing this for her. I was also able to do it for my other grandchildren. Kai's was yellow and blue with hand applique blocks from a spring exchange (Overall Sam, Frogs, and other fun stuff), and Laura put similar designs on his wall. Quinn's was shabby chic with roses and pink and blue everywhere--just the thing for a girl.

In many ways, it's quite a gift -- A gift to the mother and child, of course, as it would be way beyond their finances to pay someone to create such a unique nursery. But also, it's a gift to me that my daughters will let me do this -- To know that my grandchild will grow and develop his first years in a room designed by Grandma is, as the cliche goes, priceless. Mr. Rogers would have understood the joy I feel in doing this.