I've spent the last few days' 60 minutes of sewing doing hand work.
There have been a couple of block showers on the About.com quilting forum that I have just completely missed for whatever reason. I sent a few lopsided log cabins off for one of them a few weeks ago, and today finished the hand pieced Dutchman's Puzzle for displaced Vermonter Becky who lives, for the time being, in Florida. She says she moved there, but everyone who moves away from Vermont eventually comes back. They don't know why, they just do. Not being from here, I understand completely. I moved here and immediately felt I was home, and that this is where I will live until I die. I've never felt that anywhere else I ever lived. Becky's mother died recently with Parkinson's Disease I believe, and this block is a very small thing I can do that might help cheer her a little. You'll see the front tomorrow after it's been pressed. This is not the first time Dutchman's Puzzle has come through my life in a helping capacity. A number of years ago, after my dad died, I came across a request for blocks to raise funds for Alzheimer research. Alzheimer's Disease killed my father a long time before his body died, the timing of the request was perfect, and this block was the one I chose to commemorate my Netherlands born father. I pieced it though, with a few missing geese, and called the result "The Dutchman's Missing a Few Pieces of the Puzzle." That's what Alzheimers does - it goes through the 1000 piece jigsaw that is your life and starts hiding pieces before you get it together. Sometimes, the pieces you KNOW you've already placed go missing too. It's an evil disease, and though my father and I didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things, even he didn't deserve to go that way. No one does. So we must do what we can to help researchers find the clues to find those puzzle pieces back.
3 comments:
What a "fitting" tribute to your father, and what a good thing you are doing. Alzheimer's is a terrible thing. I used to think I'd rather have my mind go before my body, but after seeing people with the disease, no way. No matter how painful or twisted your physical being is, it's better if you have some of your marbles left, even if you can't remember where you put them.
This block isn't for Alzheimers, and stupid me never thought to take a picture of the block I *did* do. They were red blue and white, the colours of the Dutch flag. I'm not sure if I ever told many people at the time about the project - it was a little private grief experience that added a small positive light to a dark situation.
Sewing, esp by hand, is a wonderful way to process some grief.Becky has received some amazing blocks.I cheated and machine pieced mine but at some point when I get more time I'll handpiece one for her.Been appliquing a lot lately on the raffle quilt.Alzheimers is totally horrible,my uncle has it and it's scary wheat it's done to him already.You done good!
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