My Manic May

I suppose May is always a busy month. Suddenly the world is bursting with life and we have too much rhubarb. I made a crisp and a batch of jam; we froze some and gave even more away and still it keeps offering more!

There are so many invasive plants to uproot, a fence to construct (my husband’s project), mushrooms to watch out for, a whole wild world outside, growing in every imaginable direction.

The warmer weather we had earlier this month meant that it was time to remove a layer of bedding. Unfortunately, the youngest member of our household (who also happens to be the sweatiest sleeper) doesn’t have a summer quilt like her older brother does. So I made a promise to her that she shall have one too, and have been frantically working away on a new quilt for her bed. Luckily the weather cooled off again last week so she hasn’t been overheating while she waits. It’s coming together nicely (and quickly!) and I can’t wait to show you the results. I find myself thinking a lot of my grandmother Sibyl who once told me that she didn’t make quilts, she made blankets (including the one currently covering my little girl). I think she would approve of my current efforts: efficient and economical. More on that next time.

Before I found myself buried in quilting squares, I had finished up some mending projects and a few other creative adventures. I started the month with another in-person mending circle at our local library and it was such a nice time! I had brought some socks to work on and one of the ladies there mentioned a collection of darning tools that she inherited and doesn’t use. The next week when I brought my daughter to story time, she was there with her granddaughter and a box of vintage darning mushrooms! There were more than I’ll ever need, so a picked out my three favorites (pictured above) and donated the rest to the library. It was just the perfect illustration of how rewarding these types of gatherings can be; the gift of togetherness, of community, the gift of sharing knowledge and then the gift of resources, physical objects that will be available for others to use indefinitely.

I hope more local friends can join in next time. For now, and for those far away, here’s a round up of some of the things I’ve worked on this month, in the spirit of sharing inspiration: