Happy May Day and welcome to my world of Frugal Fridays! Today begins a new quilt auction at Ami Simm's Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. Check out the newest quilts and think about placing a bid, or making a small quilt donation of your own!
Today, I am in transition between my classroom sewing in Alaska, and my charitable quilting that is the heart of my home sewing in Oregon. After attending my Mid-Valley Quilt Guild meeting on Tuesday, I am busy making more pillowcases for foster children, missions in Africa (and India!) and other wonderful groups needing our support.
I turned in a bundle of these pillowcases to MVQG during my last week in Oregon, and managed to pick-up additional scrap fabric from donating friends and family members to make more. They're so fun and so quick and easy and it's an awful lot of fun to make seasonal ones...as long as you get them donated well before the seasonal fabric you might use!
(And, if any of you have any old packages of rick rack lying around and would like to donate them.....especially, the large or jumbo...they add so much to the borders!)For those of you who have never heard of Rabbit, Rabbit, Hare, Hare' (or one of its many variations just by reading my title of this post I have passed on a whole year of good luck ;) An old superstition, you're supposed to recite the phrase on May Day...(in some countries, New Year's) before your feet touch the floor as you 'hop' out of bed.
Now, unless you have a laptop in bed with you and turn it on first thing, I'm already too late...but I figure a little good luck now is better than no good luck at all! And with so many challenges, losses, illnesses, and hard times in my own life as well as of so many of you...we not only need 'good luck' but we truly need to keep the faith and believe in better times to come!
As a day of celebration, May Day has ancient origins, and it can relate to many customs that have survived into modern times. Many of these customs are due to May Day being a cross-quarter day, meaning that in the Northern Hemisphere it falls approximately halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice.
The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian Europe, with the festival of Flora the Roman Goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane and while many see that as only a pagan holiday and abandoned it or converted it to a more Christian or even secular version, it continues to be observed in Europe and America. In this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the Maypole and crowning of the Queen of the May.
Have a wonderful May Day, leave flowers on the doorstep of someone as a surprise today, quilt with some lovely flowery fabric in honor of the day... or go outside and dance with your own ribbons of love and new beginnings.
And as a Frugal Friday extra:
Printable Joann Fabric coupons good through May 2, 2009
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2 comments:
Happy May Day Michele, *VBS*, I hope you will like the cone of virtual flowers I've left for you.
Great post but it does add to my confusion...you are home in Oregon, right? Or am I in the midst of an illusion?? Could be...seems to be happening alot.Drop me an email with what you need for the pillowcases, and I will see what have that I can donate. Much of my stash is small amount, more like FQs, but I do have some bigger pieces picked up on sale. Happy to donate. Hugs, Finn
Off topic but Michele, has anyone said anything to you how Lens Crafters copied your heartwarming banner created with your own hands. Everytime that commercial comes on, which is a lot, I can't help but think of you. So, you're on my mind ALL THE TIME. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.
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