Stepping Stones finished

We've had such cold snowy days...

And it was so nice to spend some of that time in my sewing room... finishing up a Stepping Stones quilt for an orphanage "graduate" in Tokyo. I was assigned to make a green and blue quilt for a young man.  I used fabric I'd purchased in Japan with lots of bits from my scrap bins.

On with the walking foot for some stitch-in-the-ditch to anchor the quilt:

Followed by binding:

And then I went back for some free motion within each section:

I zigzagged the perimeter squares and then used this stencil and just marked with a chalk pencil, section by section as I went:

Not perfect, but really fun to get back into free motion quilting! 

All set to send to Japan with David the next time he travels there on business! 

Stepping Stones

It's that time again to complete a "Stepping Stones" quilt - to be given to a graduate from a Tokyo orphanage.  I have been assigned Hiroki, who likes green and blue.

I purchased lots of the fabric in Japan... supplementing liberally from my stash of green scraps at home.

The pattern is Bonnie Hunter's "Sticks and Stones" - and for our purposes we call it "Stepping Stones". You can find the free pattern here.

Although the finished quilt looks like it is made up of four patches and narrow sashing, it is actually constructed as a nine-patch with the sashing "built in":

Twenty out of thirty scrappy blocks completed!  Feels so good to (finally) get into the sewing room and feel productive there.  It seems like it's taken weeks and months to settle back into life back in the U.S.

Besides... after going completely off the rails of Weight Watchers over the past few weeks, I am thinking it's time to concentrate on fabric and sewing once again, rather than this kind of stuff:

But... one last batch of cookies today....

How I wish I could talk to Grandma Mary Lou about cookies and quilting once more!  I do feel her close though... especially in the kitchen and in the sewing room.  

So thankful for this crew... (my how the years fly!): 

Happy New Year fellow quilters out there in blogland.  Hold your loved ones close! 

xo

Cynthia

Stepping Stones

 

Last week a small group of us visited two orphanages here in Tokyo - to deliver the Stepping Stones quilts from Mormon Helping Hands, and gift certificates and futons from the Franciscans.

Orphanages are more like group foster homes here, with the teens transitioning into more independent settings (college dorms, group homes, apartments, military service) once they turn 18 and graduate from high school.

As Julie presented the quilts to the graduates (or to their caregivers) she explained that when we made these quilts, we put our love into each stitch.  We hope that this warmth and love will be felt as the quilts are used.

Sekiguchi-san gave each student a beautiful card as well, which translated into English reads:

We are a group called “Stepping Stones”.

In a Japanese garden, it means Fumi-ishi. As our name implies,

our hope is to be stepping stones for you as you make a new step in your life.

We have made a quilt for you to symbolize our wishes.

The pattern of the quilt is called sticks & stones. The small 2 cm squares in the quilt represent stones which will help you spread your wings and fly high.

We hope that the quilt will keep you warm in body and spirit and remind you that there are people who wish you happiness.

May your future be bright! March 7, 2013

With Love,

*** Stepping Stones*** 

Here's this year's lineup of quilts - each the same size and from the same pattern (fairness and uniformity are highly valued in Japan), but personalized according to each teen's favorite color.

By Cindy G, Utah, who started the Stepping Stones project last spring!

by Julie W, Tokyo, who took over for Cindy

by Laura H, Tokyo, who also long-arm quilted some of the quilts.

by Vanalee C and Susan L, Utah

by yours truly, Cynthia, Tokyo

By Sandy T, Utah

By Anny W, Oregon

This was such a fun and gratifying project.  I hope this is the first of many years for Stepping Stones!

I first blogged about this project here.  The pattern is Sticks and Stones from Bonnie Hunter and can be found here.

And just for fun - here are the mealtime rules posted near a table where 3-4 year old boys were eating lunch, during our tour of one of the orphanages.  No translation necessary!