Happy Mother's Day--"The Artist's Hand"

Mother's Day bouquet

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms and Moms to be out there. The days of toast and juice served by my daughters with help from my husband to me in bed are behind me; but, those are wonderful memories.

I use to plant and deliver hanging fuchsia baskets for my mom and mother-in-law. Over the years, that planting changed to a gift certificate for potting plants. Now that my mother-in-law lives in a retirement center, she receives a photo of a plant. My mom still delights in the gift certificate. For several months after Mother's Day, she will share what is on her list, what she actually bought and what she planted in her patio pots. As the plants grow and bloom, she shares that too.

Until 2009, I enjoyed spending as much time in the garden as I did quilting. Then, I was rear ended in a car accident which damaged my neck and back. I had surgery which helped me gain many activities of daily living, but, alack, gardening has not been one of those activities! I still like looking at plants though! My oldest daughter often gives me a plant or two for Mother's Day so that I have something to watch grow and bloom during the year.

My "quilted" bouquet

The grands like flowers. They like picking bouquets.  In retrospect, I should have taken photos of the two of them gathering their bouquet. One carefully selects a stem of this and a stem of that. The other has a "the more the merrier" sort of approach. Either method works.  The bouquet that J created made it to the house; but, the stems were too mangled from all her "adjusting" to make it to the glass. Her bouquet was full of forget me knots which doesn't surprise me since blue is her favorite color.  I love J's exuberance for creating. Her bouquet was beautiful and created with so much love. She would often ask if I liked this flower better than that flower as she made her selections! I carry her bouquet in my heart.

Close up of the daffodil quilting

The bouquet K created is the photo today. K must have walked a mile creating her bouquet. She started with the forget me knots, then would hold the forget me knots next to the next candidate and hold her head to the side looking at the color or the texture and then say. . .maybe tomorrow and walk on or she might say yes and make her collections. Sometimes she would return to a tomorrow candidate and change her mind! K likes pink; but, the bouquet wasn't finished until she found some red flowers (a few coral bells) to add to the mix because red is my favorite color. Then she proudly presented it to me. Their mama and daddy sure are raising sweet and thoughtful ladies to be!

I've had Mother's Day wishes from my youngest daughter who is living in London, England. Actually, I was also honored when Mum's Day was in England earlier this year. Hey, you can't beat two Mother's Days in one year! :)

Close up of the hand quilting

I'm sharing a project I made after reading "Clara and Mr. Tiffany." The daffodils were a photo of the ones that bloom in our yard and the hand is my own with some embellishment! The title of my work is "The Artist's Hand."

Our hands create so much for those that we love as well as bring to fruition that which has come from our hearts and souls.