According to Grandma's dishtowels, Wednesday is Mending Day. Merriam Webster says - mend - verb: to free from faults or defects as to set right, correct. In today's world, we don't do much in the way of mending. Oh the occasional button is sewn back on, but how many of us would honestly bother to darn a sock? Or even know where to begin when it came to darning a sock? Heck, on most days I don't even wear socks. But I digress, even in the 21st century there are times when mending is THE only answer.
Not too long ago, Hubby came home and told me that his boss (hereafter referred to as Quilt Owner) has a quilt and was wondering if I could repair it. "Yeah, probably," I said with a shrug. Then Hubby gave me the rest of the story.
Quilt Owner's mother was piecing the quilt for him but passed away before it was done. So in stepped his aunt who finished it. And now the quilt has a tear in it that Quilt Owner would like to have repaired. Uh-oh, I'm such a sucker for an heirloom - but do I have what it takes to do the job and do it right? *yikes* So I said, "Sure, I'll at least have a look and see what I can do.'
Some time passed because of a hectic schedule at work and I sort of forgot about it. Then one day I got some email photos of 'the damage.'
One small tear in the middle of the piecing. Okay, I can do that. I asked if any of the leftover fabric was still available thinking if not, I could put out the Blogger Call. But original fabrics were secured and I started thinking about just what to do.
I started out planning to take out stitches and replace the torn piece. But the more I thought about it, the more I just didn't want to disturb the work that Quilt Owner's mom and aunt had done. When the quilt arrived, I just let it sit in the quilting space for about a week while I mulled over my options and skill. Then it came to me: just make a patch!
That is exactly what I would do if it were my own quilt. Now if it were my own quilt, I would probably just haul out some mismatched chunk of fabric, stitch it down, call it primitive and get on with my day. But that is not every one's cuppa.
So I fussy cut an exact match that would cover the tear and not interfere with the quilting.
Tried it on for size and then appliqued it in place.
A beautifully mended quilt, with all the precious stitches still intact. Quilt Owner is pleased and I am relieved.
We are living in a disposable time. Technology moves so rapidly that it is often more beneficial to replace rather than repair an item . . . . most of the time. Every now and again, it's better to look back to Grandma and her dishtowels for the answer.

I have been experiencing something that I'll call 'quilter's exuberance'. It's really sort of a renewed interest in quilting that I haven't felt for quite some time. You know, that urge to just sit at the sewing machine putting pieces through and garnering great excitement from what comes out the other end.
*ta da* A finished top. The design is from Olde Green Cupboard with a couple of changes in the border by me.
And now for the exuberance part. I cut w-a-y too many pieces for the center. What to do? What to do? I woke up early yesterday, put on the coffee and started making up four patches. *hmmmm* What to do? What to do? I had enough four patches to make 16 - 16 patches.
It measures 36" square and could probably use a border or two. I'll think on it a bit. In the meantime,I've pulled out some fabric and I'm working on some 9 patches.

It's as easy as one, two, three . . . .
One patch, two colors, three times the fun!

X Y and Z

X is for Xeriscaping. This is an idea I have been rolling around in my head for our front yard. We live in a desert region and water is always an issue, we are seemingly always in or quite near in a drought situation. There are lots of beautiful plants that are considered native to our area that will make for a beautiful curb appeal. It may well be time to move from dreaming to some planning.

Y is for Yolks.
Hubby's all-time favorite cake is angel food. A yummy cake that is light, tasty and fat-free! But what to do with all of those yolks? Having recently purchased this book, I decided to try my hand at garlic aioli. I was not successful, but not for lack of trying.
First I used the food processor but with a heavy hand, I added the oil too quickly and the sauce 'broke'. Next I tried whisking by hand. This is NOT for the weak of biceps and triceps (which would be ME!) Having a back-up whisker in the house to take over would be a good plan.
I stopped, consulted the Internet for tips and learned that while you cannot repair a 'broken sauce,' it can be incorporated into a new attempt.
Three isn't always a charm. My third attempt went better but in the end just wouldn't hold. So rather than waste more olive oil, I just quit. . . .for the time being - I shall try again someday. But the rest of those yolks would be pressed to better service in a custard.

Z is for Zillow.
A fun website whether you enjoy keeping up with real estate in your area, want to follow the value of your home, or just look up the house you grew up in to see what the yard look like these days. (I know you can do that on Google maps also - but there is so much more information to be had with Zillow.) It is one of my favorite websites.

Now I've shared my ABC's. Thanks for playing along with me.

W is for Weeds.
Which I am hopeful I will not have in abundance.
Instead I hope for more of these -
which will make a lovely bouquet on the table for our Easter brunch.
On the quilting front, I have been making sure to find time for some sewing every day.
This little ditty came from the scraps left over from my last quilted share. Just proves that there is practically nothing too small to be made into a quilt. Viva scraps!