Hi ,

 

This year has certainly had a lot of ups and downs! 2020 has definitely not gone as expected for anyone and just this last week we were thrown another curveball - our son James now has type 1 diabetes.

 

As heartbreaking as this diagnosis is, the one thing I've learned this year is to focus on the light. That was my word of the year for 2020 and it has guided me through this dark and troubling time.

 

When everything feels messed up and awful, there is a silver lining. There is a brighter side to any challenge. 

 

If you are feeling particularly bleak and unhappy this Christmas, please remember to turn your face to the sun. Think of one single thing you can do to make your day brighter. Can you stitch a pretty block? Can you try a new quilting design? Can you experiment with a decorative stitch on your machine?

 

I would advise making something simple and easy that will give you a boost and bring a smile to your face. A great project to try is a Word of the Year Hoop Quilt.

My friend Kati always turns her word of the year into a small quilted wall hanging. I dislike binding small projects, so I like to turn these into hoop quilts instead. Simply piece, applique, quilt, or embroider your word of the year on the quilt sandwich, then embellish your mini quilt to your heart's content!

 

Yesterday I pulled out fabrics I've been saving for years and finally created my Focus on the Light hoop quilt (yep, a year late... but better late than never).

 

I pieced dupioni silk together, then embroidered the letters using my Janome embroidery machine. This mini quilt still needs some quilting and embellishment, but it felt great to get the project started and finally slice into these fabrics:

When I've finished quilting this project, I'll simply frame it using a large quilting or embroidery hoop and trim away the extra material on the back. The best part is I can continue to hand embellish the project if I want to with beads, hand quilting, or decorative stitches when it's in the hoop.

 

And at any time, it's ready to hang on the wall! Hoop quilts really are the way to go for quick and easy projects with no time spent on fiddly binding!

This year of focusing on the light has ultimately led me to embrace the true light - the truth and knowledge of God's love. I've been running from this for a very long time, but when I found myself at my absolute lowest point this year, Christ was there to forgive and comfort me.

 

For more than half the year, two new words have been echoing through my heart and mind - humble surrender.

 

After this year of crazy chaos - of my house flooding, months of renovation, a health scare that sent me off the deep end, and now my son has a life long condition, I consider myself ultimately blessed. Because in the midst of all of this, I humbly surrendered my life to God. 

 

This is my word of the year for 2021. I have no idea where this will take me, but my heart is filled with hope and trust for the coming year.

Let's go quilt,

 

Leah Day