Met the Challenge

My Friday posts are going to be reflections and other miscellaneous topics that don't fit in the themes for the other days of the week.  Today I want to share with you about a challenge that I recently tackled.

A dear friend and former coworker of mine, Cheryl Tallman, undertook a project to make an angel wall quilt in memory of our friend Donna Schonbachler who died in the spring of 2007 (somebody correct me if I'm wrong).  Donna was a nurse for Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice, a loving wife,  devoted mother and faithful friend.  We all still miss her dearly:(  Anyway, Cheryl asked various quilters to help with the project by making the squares which involved various amounts of applique and embroidery.  I really wanted to be a part of this project so asked for a square to do.  Let me interject at this point that I don't quilt and have never done applique.  What was I thinking?!!!

Fast forward four months of procrastination.  To get the right dimensions for the block I had to rip out three times.  I had been planning to hand applique (love hand work) but discovered some of the pieces were too small to turn under the amount needed to applique so turned to Plan B--machine applique.  Well, let's put it this way, my block will not be the most beautiful block in the quilt but I did it.  Many of the blocks were done by professional quilters and mine was definitely done by an amateur.

What have I learned from this experience? 

• Don't procrastinate--it doesn't get any easier with the passing of time.  
• Don't say you want to do something you know nothing about!
• Take a picture of the finished product--oops!

While working on this project I had time to reflect on my friend, Donna.  First of all, she would have wanted me to make a quilt block.  She would have applauded my efforts regardless of how feeble--I did my best.  She frequently challenged me to be a better person--stretch, grow, learn. 

Cheryl still has to get the quilt put together, get it quilted and then there will be an Embellishment Party where those who choose to will get together and put the final embellishments of the quilt.  Will there be food, Cheryl?!!  The quilt fill hang in the hallway of Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Heppner, OR in memory and tribute to Donna, a true angel:)

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