There were tears and community

Yes, there were a few tears, but tears of joy mind you.

I've been crafting for a large portion of my life.  Not a long time . . uhh wait, okay  I admit it. . I'm crafty.

It just weirds me out to pay someone for something I can make myself.  So I've made myself curtains and invitations to many of my 'life' events.  I even threw myself (and Bob Dylan) a birthday party.  The theme was Bob Dylan, carrots and drinking out of mason jars. . something like that. 

And then life hit.  I graduated college and had to get a grown-up job. Crafting went on hiatus. 

In 2009 my crafty grandmama passed away {it doesn't feel that long ago}.  And last year my father passed away{this still doesn't feel real either}.  I keep hearing a saying in my head: "they" say you always go back to what you were raised with.  Well this past year it's been more than true.  So I picked up sewing, again.  And why not make a quilt. . people do that.  Yep, I can do that. 

So my first quilt material and off to the Internet.  I needed some help and I use the Internet for everything else.  First a few descriptions, then a few blogs, then a lot more blogs, start my own blog, find flickr, join flickr, find on-line bees, join bees, find swaps, sign-up for swaps--- it's a large community.  A community that is down right amazing.

Soooooo, I'm participating in many bee's this year (6 total - I jump in with both feet people!).  Some of the women I'm getting to meet through their blogs and their photos are so talented.  And some are just the sweetest women I could ever imagine.

So, back to the tears which is also ties into this community stuff. 

I had one of my newly found bee-mate send me a special something as part of the package of her fabrics that I am oh so privileged to work on.  She sent me a swatch of  Denyse Schmidt gold seeds from the coveted Flea Market Fancy line.  This line came out way before I knew such amazing fabric existed.  And I'm in LOVE with it.  I now have a small bit of it. 

I received my package last Monday . . and it's Friday.  I know I haven't said anything and it's not because I'm ungrateful mind you. It's the impact of a "stranger" sending something, so precious. This is still so hard to wrap my mind around.  Yes, it's fabric!  Yes. . . it's fabric.  Yes, I know it's only fabric.  But it's the everything behind it.  How did I survive without this community?

My new found community is one that shares openly, takes things personally, loves the same things I do, doesn't mind when I don't love about the somethings they do {as I don't leave such comments}, tries to make the best of what we have going on.  Yep we struggle but all in all we make it. It all happens here - life happens.  I am so lucky to know some of the most amazing people just down the street and around the world. And I'm still a beginner - I think I'm the lucky one!