Thursday, October 22

Flannel - Flannel and more Flannel!



Today I finally got to Steinbach and bought a bunch of baby flannel for a quilt. Not just ANY quilt, but my SECOND labor of love - making a "rag quilt" for my second little grandbaby.... (I know, you are all hoping that I let the cat out of the bag, and say if it is going to be a boy or girl... sorry, it's not going to happen - my lips are sealed!!)

Anyhow - last time I went and got all the fabric at Fabricland. But Leah has introduced me to a place in Steinbach - Tanelle's - owned by a christian couple and she has fallen in love with the fabrics there - so, off we went, and picked out and bought fabric.

Last time, I made the quilt, picking out the fabric with the help of my girlfriend, whom I had let in on the secret that I was buying fabric for my firstborn grandSON.
So, we picked out the corresponding colors... I remember a conversation that Leah and I had at the cottage, as I was working on the rag quilt - I had chosen to cut a piece of material from my grad dress (yep, you heard it, my GRAD dress from 1976!!)
I put in a piece of my grad dress .... just a little piece. Leah told me that she thought the rag quilt would become a favorite that was dragged around everywhere - and I replied that "well, a little piece of Granny would go with him". I remember praying and sewing - thinking of my little Jay - who I knew would be a boy, but didn't know yet his name would be Jay Benjamin. The quilt was a labor of love. A labor of love that was not too big for my little grandson! It was made lovingly and specifically for Jay, and only Jay.

This time - I have another piece of my grad dress - and again a "little piece of Granny" will be sewn into this rag quilt. I also plan to put a piece left over from Jay's quilt into this little one's rag quilt. Two pieces will not match the rest - but will carry love and memories. I can already envision it - even though the meters of flannel are just stacked one on top of the other in the back seat of my car. Guess I will have to wash and dry it tomorrow and get cutting those squares!

And, as I feel the flannel - and cut the squares - and sew them together - and cut and sew and cut and sew - I will pray - and thank God - and I have a feeling there may be a few tears that fall onto the soft flannel - and at the end - I will do the same thing that I did with Jay's. I will write a little note on a piece of fabric - a little note to my grandbaby - with love from this Granny!

Yes, I could buy a quilt - and give it to Josh and Leah for this little one! There are many beautiful quilts out there that I could buy and give - BUT I am choosing to spend time cutting and sewing - so that I can pour love, and prayer, and yes, even some tears into this quilt - and when I see my second little grandbaby hugging it - it will be so worth it. I CAN HARDLY WAIT!!


posted on Thursday, October 22nd.

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