Sue Alvarez
"GRAMMA and the SWEETIE BOYS"
72"h x 72"w.
Mixed fabrics, machine pieced, appliquéd, quilted and hand embellished with buttons, beads and found stuff.
I've been known to tell more of a story than anyone really wanted to hear... confusing and embroidering the parts as I go along... so this time I thought that I'd try to mostly show the pictures and try to keep most of the words to myself...
The year 1998 started out under very gray skies... and I just couldn't seem to get started on this quilt... eventually I challenged myself to start with the month that was the first good one! April... "Gram and the Yellow-haired Boy Do the Happy Dance"... at last Elias was going home to live with his parents, where he should be!!! Soon after, came June... "Count 'em - Three Birthdays"... eating cake and celebrating baby Caleb's birth!!! August... "Gramma gets the Letter L"... I had surgery on my left elbow, leaving a big red "L" of a scar (the surgeon said good thing it's the left... cause "R's" don't heal very fast!) the Sweetie Boys were the best medicine... Jeff died and we were all sad... we waved the "Get Well, Matthew" banner, and he did!!! September... I drove to Charleston and stitched my new daughter-in-law's wedding dress... we sewed on the verandah at my Grandmother's oak table! Things started looking better, and I sneaked back to January... "Gram and the Yellow-haired Boy Wait at the Window for Mommy"... I noticed that this block was very simple in contrast to the ones that were happier toward the end of the year... hmmm... Jeffrey in Florida died and we all cried. September... "The Wedding"... We all traveled to South Carolina, where Anthony and Gina live, for the wedding... Elias was the ring bearer and refused to wear the whole suit! The jacket and shirt would do, only if he could wear his jeans... So that was the dress of the day... Caleb ate grass and sand and enjoyed being hugged by all! We love our new extended family! Jeffrey's Dad, Wayne, died in Vermont, he was so sad. July... "Mississippi and Sparklers"... a full month, as you can see the block is spilling over!!! one year remembrance of Cheyenne's death. February... "It's Hearts and French fries"... March... "Comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb"... a quick and windy month with Elias flying home... November... "Winter Vegetables and Cancun"... Gram (with her "long blonde hair) and Granddad leave the Sweetie Boys at the table and set off for a holiday... December... "Celebration"... the completion of the year that started out pretty bad and ended up full and really, really wonderful!!! Just as, in our dreams, we knew it would!!! Like my Gram always said, "everything always comes out for the best!" ...and so it does...
...be peaceful, and no matter what, keep on stitching!!!
© 1999 Sue Alvarez. 3100 Anne St, Charlotte, NC. 28205. 704-569-1330. novaluna@carolina.rr.com
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