Noreen, thank you for sharing your experience about your brother's request and the time you spent together--I can imagine it offering a deeply serene moment to anyone who reads it, no matter whether they are living through tumult in their lives or happy in their surroundings. My deepest condolences to you and all those who loved your brother. I have to say that the quilt you pieced and quilted while with him is beautiful and evokes the same peace and serenity that you felt while making it.

Noreen, thank you for sharing the touching story of your last days with your brother. What a dear request he made, and how beautifully you fulfilled it. What a wonderful relationship the two of you must have had. May the Lord continue to bring you and all your family the comfort that you need. Love and prayers, Barb in Illinois

Norene so sorry for your loss.prayers for your family

Sorry..forgot to sign my last post

Noreen Cape Cod MA

Four weeks ago I got a phone call from my brother....the lymphoma that he had been battling for the past two years was raging through his body...he had been given a month to live. He asked that I come to sit on the porch and quilt. I pieced this quilt from Friendship Strips and Scraps by Edyta Sitar with the scraps left over from my reels and packed my bags. I made the trip from Cape Cod to Atlanta to do exactly as he asked...to sit with him and quilt one last time. He passed away on May 16th and I traveled back to Atlanta on May 23rd for the celebration of his life. I decided to post this because I know you, my fellow quilters will understand. Hand quilting gave me a sense of serenity and calm amongst sadness, loss and grief. I thought of giving the completed project to his widow but my quilting group has encouraged me to keep it as a memorial to our time together.

Yeahhhh. Happy dance for you, Maureen. I've had an mail from rosemary and expect mine to be waiting for me when I get home... But I can wait, oh so happily, as it means I'm here in Ireland enjoying the sun - yes you read correctly - it's been sunny and warm - and tomorrow we get to meet up with Rita. Yeahhhhhh. Happy dance for me as well!

Lucky you Maureen! I guess mine will take a couple more days to get across the water..... waiting patiently.....tum te tum..... oh well, at least I have a visit from Lotti tomorrow to look forward to.

Hi everyone

I have just returned home from my quilting group when – guess what I found in my post box – yippee, my beautiful gorgeous reels, such lovely mouth-watering colours and culinary names, wonderful. I am reelly going to enjoy looking through the two bags to see whom they are from and ohh and ahh over them.

It will be a while before I can start sewing them but I will leave them where I can enjoy seeing them.

Thank you everyone and especially Rosemary & Lorna.

Rosemary;

You are sew creative! Love your photo Wish you lived next door to me! I would be at your house every morning for coffee!

Signed,

One of your many fans

Yes I am trying to get them in the mail. I've been back to the states for a conference and work has been overwhelming. I did get a few sent out yesterday.

Congrats on the anniversary! We celebrated ours on Wednesday.

Rosemary, too funny! And that is a great pic. Lotto, glad to see the wonderful weather we are having here is in Ireland also. We're planning a trip there in July when one of our daughters comes to visit.

Lorna

Rosemary, is Lorna sending the ones we sent to her now too?

Margarita In Auburn, California

I feel fortunate that my blocks weren't sent out yet and got blessed by Rosemary! What a great photo, rosemary you look fabulous!
Kathy

A good picture for your label when you get the quilt done, Rosemary.