Hi, I just want to introduce myself to all you quilters, my real name is Marilyn. I'm not a great quilter, maybe not even a new quilter. I joined to get information so my quilts will look better. I have never had a lesson but nearly 6 yrs ago, we lost our youngest chiild to a heart attack. I needed an outlet to keep my mind from going over and over what had happened. The first quilt I did was for my grandson, his Dad was my son Kirk. I bought a kit while I was in harrisville and never knew it but it was for advanced quilters. I did it all by hand, it did look quite nice. he still uses it. then I started making them for my grandkids , I have 7 of them and 3 newbies and 2 great grandchildren. I gave each one a quilt. Now, 3 are married so I got 2 grandaughters and a grandson. I love them all. Thank you for listening.

welcome and enjoy best place to be

thanks, it's always nice to meet new people. :0)

Welcome to the board.

Hi and welcome from the U.P. It sounds like you really jumped in to quilting with both feet! Good for you.

Sorry to hear about your son's untimely passing. What a lovely thing you did for his son and doesn't it make you feel good to see it used? I know when I see one of mine that is loved to pieces, I really feel like it was appreciated. (Not when one is mistreated, but when one is well-used!)

Yes, it does make one feel good to see something you made used by the one you made it for. I just finished another one for my little great grandson, He likes tractors and so do I and my husband, so I made a john deere blanket for him. he was so excited. there's a lot more about me that I will share at another time. It concerns my husband Richard and his fight to live.

A Big welcome from Brighton, Michigan. I too lost a son way too early (21). Quilting does help. It makes you feel like you are making warm hugs for others.

Children should always live longer than their parents, but should doesn't mean the world works that way.

A big Canadian hug to you on your thumb. You're surrounded by friends here.

Welcome from Illinois! I'm so glad you've joined the Board!

isn't much fun is it! do you belong to compassionate friends? I don't know what I'd do without them. I nearly lost my husband last year, he had a very serious cancer disease, it was in his esophagus. out of 100 people with that , only 5 make it. I was so grateful and he had the best doctors. so, quilting has been a great outlet for me. I just don't know the right way to cut the material. that's one thing I'm anxious to learn. Have other things I want to learn too. thank you for the welcome.

thanks barb, so far everyone I've talked with is so friendly.

thanks teacup, I have another friend in the grief chatroom that I'm fond of and her name is teacup too!

Welcome from the southeastern corner of the mitten!! I'm so sorry about your loss. If you are interested, and you celebrate Christmas, I have a wonderful idea for an ornament that I've used several times to remember loved ones. Just PM me, and I'll give you the directions. 8-)

Welcome from Lansing, MI. I lost my Dad last July and it is the hardest thing I have ever gone through...I cannot imagine losing my son....my heart and thoughts go out to you. Quilting is definitely always been my outlet through stressful times and brings me a sense of peace. I am 'addicted' to this group and the people are so sweet and kind....you have come to the right place for friendship, fun and support..... GLAD TO HAVE YOU!!!

thanks for the welcome, and yes we do celebrate christmas. We used to go all out with decorations inside ad out but last year, my husband was fighting cancer. I thank god everyday that he spared him. we are in constant fear that it will return but I can tell you this, a terrible death and a terrible disease will either break you or make you. I feel that it has made me who I am today. I thank god that I found a way to express myself too. I decoratd cakes for years so I think some of that has helped me in my quilting. I never keep them, I give them to friends. I have one I made and have one started that I will use on my bed someday. what's your idea for a bulb?

thank you Kelli, I nearly lost my husband last year, he had esophageal cancer. only 5 out of 100 beat it. We know it will come back some day. He will have to be checked every 3 months and have ct scans and blood draws and exrays every 3 months. he has one more year of that then it will be every o6 months. after 5 years, it will be checked once a year. I'm so sorry that you lost your dad. That's hard to do too. My dad was my buddy, I rode with him in the grader while I was a kid. My dream would be to have one final ride in a grader and work all the gears. When I think of lmy dad, that's one of the things I think about. I'm not the best quilter in the world and have never had a lesson. They are very expensive so I just get clues from reading other folks stories. Someday, I would love to have a long arm but I have no where I can put it. maybe a short one? haha. again, thank you for writing back.

My fiance is a widower and has two grown sons. The boys were 13 and 15 when their mother died from breast cancer. Two Christmases ago I took some curtains she had made for their home and, with Don's blessing, I cut them into narrow strips -- about an inch or so wide. I used pinking shears. There were three different colors of curtains. One one pair of curtains she had used a decorative heart stitch to hem them. I cut it as narrow as I could so as not to loose the stitching. Next, I very tightly braided the strips together then, using a hot glue gun, I attached them to clear glass ornaments. Next, I glued the narrow heart stitch strip around the middle of the ornament. The final touch was to glue on a charm from a bracelet she used to wear. The charms contained photographs of her and the boys together. I selected the charms for the boys' ornaments of her holding them when they were little guys (probbly 2 and 4 years of age). For Don's ornament, I attached a bracelet he had given to her that had her name engraved on a little heart charm. I wrapped the ornaments in tissue paper and tucked them into velvet boxes I bought from a dollar store. I included a little note that read: This ornament was made using fabric from curtains your mother had made to beautify your home. May the love she sewed into them touch your heart now and always. I gave the ornament and a stand to hang it on to each of them. Needless to say, they were quite overwhelmed. Those "tough guys" turned to mush. See how much those ornaments meant to them made me cry, too.

You can use shirts for the fabric. I have shirts that belonged to Don's father that I want to use to make him another ornament. I want to get a shirt from Don's two sons so that the three of them will be braided together -- quite symbolic I think.

Hi and welcome from the sunny state of Florida!!!

Sorry about the loss of your son!

Hello and welcome from the U.P. of mi

nice thought about ornaments, Ihave made things with those before, I'll see if I have anymore of them . I've used potpoutrri in them and silk flowers. I have some of my mothers lace, I could use that I guess. altho I don't think they would have the right feeling behind them. We weren't exactally the best of friends, I loved her but we just couldn't get along. She used to beat me and I can't forget that! and I can't forgive her either.

your quilt is beautiful. my favorite colors!

thank you, I see your quilt, it looks huge. nice colors too.

Welcome to the board from Southern California!!

Hello and welcome from SW Iowa. Glad to have you here.

Welcome!

welcome, waving from Indiana, USA

Marilyn, so glad you joined us! We talk about all kinds of things, not just quilting! To all of you who have lost children my heart goes out to you. And living with illness of a loved one is so hard. Glad to know you are involved in something like quilting to have some sort of balance in a challenging situation. All of us have today, the future is going to be what it is, and certainly not anything we can know yet or control. Every day I TRY to live by that and fill my life with the simple joys that abound.
BIG HUGS to all!!! Sue

Welcome from Southern Illinois. I grew up in Owosso! Nice to see another Michigander here.

Thanks erstan, I get the impression that you are a ER nurse or doctor. you're quilt is just beautiful. Thanks for writing.

thank you Pam, I've lived in Michigan all my life. We moved up here in the thumb area 15 yrs. ago. we retired and moved up here permently. We were originally from Lake Orion, and I lived in a tiny little berg before I married my husband. so, I'm used to small town liviing. we live in a tiny fishing village 5 miles east of Port Austin, I still consider Lake Orion as my home town with Davisburg as my second choice to live. It is very lonely up here in the winter but it's not bad in the summer. I think I've done ok in quilting, but there are some things I don't understand. Thus, this web site. thanks again, Marilyn

, I do have one that I kept. I have a antique iron bed in one of the rooms in my house. That quilt is in there. it's a turning twenty pattern. I have another one that I'm working on once in awhile, I think I might tear some of it down as I'm not satisfyed with it. Quilting is very relaxing isn't it?

Welcome from New Hampshire. I am so sorry to hear about your son. Keep coming to ths site. Everyone is so helpful and you will get lots of good ideas for quilts.

thank you , I love cats too, have 3 of them and 2 dogs. You would be suprised at how many young children have lost their lives, I belong to a grief chat group and visit them on tuesdays. the site is called compassionate friends, and I really don't know if I could have survived this tradgey if it weren't for them. I have always been sarcastic in a funny way and I warm up to people easily. I can tell if I'm going to like this person right from the start. very nice talking to you. hugs, Marilyn, kirksmom

Welcome from Ireland

Welcome from Kentucky. I grew up in the thumb - Millington - but haven't lived there for many years. Still go up to visit family there.

Hi and a big WELCOME from Port Huron, Michigan. We almost could be neighbors.lol
So sorry about all of your heartbreaking losses. Just remember the good times & know that you will never lose them. I too have had many losses. Within a 5 yeard period, I lost all of my family. 1st was grandma, then my Dad, then Mom, my best friend, my father-in-law, my 21 year old neice, then my brother was murdered and as if that wasn't enough, I came very very close to losing my husband. Actually did but he was brought back to life, all within 5 years. My husband did pass away after that. And I sure have been lonely ever since.
Yes, quilting does help to keep your mind off of the "tough" things in your life. Like you, I have never had a lesson or anything. Just made up my mind that I could do it and went right at it. I figured with time, I would get better. And I have.
You have come to the right place for lots of information about quilting or anything else you want to know, or have a question about. And the people here are the GREATEST I have ever come in contact with. No matter what, they are alway here for you, no matter what.
Well, keep your chin up and your sewing machine "singin'" right along.
Again Welcome from Port Huron, MI
Bev

Hello & Welcome from Wa. State :-D

welcome, waving from Indiana, USA

I have a very dear life long friend who lives in Redford.
Try putting the ornament pattern on the board for all of us.

Hi Marilyn, I live in West Virginia now, but spent 37 years of my life in Detroit. I also lost a son.

Welcome to the Quilting Board you will love it here and learn a lot. I have never taken classes, I am self taught.

My husband has just gone through Radiation and Chemotherapy, seems to be doing well. It was in the voice box. We will pray for your husband.