#46, 47, 48

#46 Hill and Valley

When I was little, my brother's absolute favorite color was red. I had different favorites, depending on the day, but I always steered clear of red. It was Erik's color. But you know what? I really like red fabric. I like red and white, and I would love to make a red and white quilt sometime. But for now I'll just settle on a red and white block.

#47 Homemaker

I love this block. It was kind of tough, having to sew some seams that pivot in the middle. You can see in the top left corner of the center square that it didn't turn out perfectly. But I think with some ironing and perhaps some seam-ripping, it may be easy to fix.

I love the word "homemaker." It's an old-fashioned word, and many people say it's outdated. But I'm realizing in my crazy Foreign Service life, that one of my first missions as we move from place to place is to be a homemaker. We move from house to house and from city to city, from country to country. Our housing and furnishings are provided for us, which is really convenient. It helps us save money, and we don't have to deal with the hassle of finding short-term apartments, losing down-payments, or getting ripped off in foreign countries. But while we're given a house, it's up to us to make it a home. Specifically, it's up to me to make it a home-- for my husband, for my girls, and for myself. It's my job to feed the four of us, raise the girls in righteousness, and make our home a refuge from the world. It needs to feel homey, even when it's new and unfamiliar. 

We just moved into a new apartment last week. I've been trying harder this time to get settled in faster. We've bought a shoe rack, some drawers for the bathroom counter, and other organizational tools. I'm finding that having a place for everything (instead of a heap, a bag, or a suitcase) helps make the house feel like home for me. I'm not much of a decorator, but having familiar things to do makes our house feel like home. My husband bought a bike, which he rides to and from work. The girls have a bunch of their toys, and we already hit up the library for some books to read. We borrowed some movies, and we have many of our favorites with us. I'm setting up my sewing table, and once I'm finished with that, I'll have no real excuse anymore for my clothes not being fully unpacked.

#48 Homeward Bound

I don't know how long it took me to make this block, but I do know that I spent every minute of it singing the song by Simon and Garfunkel.