If you want to hear God laugh tell him your plans.

Last writing I was excitedly waiting for Bonnie Hunter's Mystery and working on a winter Celtic Solstice for our home. I had my next months of quilting planned, but life had other ideas.

In November I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. I started treatment, but things went awry and by the end of December I was hospitalized with kidney failure. Three weeks later I was home, but not feeling like quilting, or doing much of anything. That was early January.

Funny thing is, piecing and quilting is healing. I sew when I'm sad, when I want to celebrate a loved one's memory or special occasion and as a way of saying I'm there for you. From reading blogs I know I'm not alone in the way I use my quilting as a healing art, for myself and others.

With this is mind I could not let Celtic Solstice go. The idea of making those chevron blocks was overwhelming and I decided to abandon that block for a simpler design. I had finished the star blocks before getting sick, so if I could only find a replacement block I could get this beauty done. I decided to use the friendship star as the replacement. It represents the friendships and support I continue to get from my wonderful friends. This quilt is far from perfect. If it was a gift I would have redone several blocks. But it is a symbol of survival, and hope and stubbornness too. I am not going to let this get the best of me. So here is the finished top. I have an appointment to quilt it in March.

Modified Celtic Solstice-

With this done I moved on to a quilt I have had in waiting for several years. It started with a farm fabric that reminded me of my mother's farm. She had many varieties of apples, and her house and barn resembled the house and barn in the fabric.

I could not decide what to do with this fabric and I only half about a yard and a half. I came across "Crabapples" in Bonnie Hunter's book and decided it was the pattern, because it fit the theme of the fabric. You can find the pattern in the book Adventures with Leaders and Enders.

Crabapples

I have 12 tree blocks completed. I am going heavy with the apple theme, as you can see below. Even the sashes will be red with apple seeds.  I am still not sure how and where I will use the farm fabric, perhaps cut it into blocks for the border?

Sample Crab Apple blocks.

As I look through my stash and patterns I am identifying quilts I want to make and pass along to family and friends.  I guess having a serious medical problem changes your thinking in some ways, help one prioritize.   I hope to have Crabapples completed in time to take to my quilting appointment in March.

And what about the Mystery quilt Allietare? The fabric and instructions are in a bin waiting it's turn. For now it's about fourth in line. I'm so excited to report Bonnie Hunter is coming to Cincinnati in early March, so I'll be taking two of her workshops: Talking Turkey and Cathedral Stars. I am so excited..oops...maybe I could not say that, life being so unpredictable. But keeping fingers crossed, God willing and if the stars a line,  I'll have two more Bonnie quilts, I can't wait.