Handmade with L.O.V.E.

About a month ago my grandma told me that she was making all of the grandkids afgans for their birthdays. Nan had just had a birthday so my grandma was going to make hers and get it in the mail.  I found out what color she wanted and let my grandma know, then we waited. Nan couldn't wait and would ask me at least once if not more a week when she was going to get it.
On Monday we stopped at the mailbox and she got out to get the mail. Inside the big postal box was a package..before looking to see who it was from she said "maybe it's my blanket"...upon further observation of the package she saw it was addressed to her and in my grandma's familiar handwriting. To say she was excited was an understatement! She was so excited she fell into the car. 

She opened the package, held it up to her face, inhaled and stated "it smells like Ma's house". Ma is what we call my grandma. It was true. The blanket was beautiful and in her favorite turquoise blue. These pictures do not do the color justice. 

 As we sat watching Dancing With the Stars that night, Kat, from across the room said "I smell Ma". Her fragrance and the fragrance of her house follows us wherever that blanket goes.

 Over 20 years ago my "Ma" made me an afgan (pictured at top of this post) and I still have it, it has been well used and I still love it. These two afgans and everything else that she has ever crocheted for us were  filled with lots of love, hugs, kisses and I'm sure prayers as she thought about us as she made them. She is a talented and patient lady (I have made one afgan in my life and probably will never make another one).

Nan claimed that she is sleeping with it at night and using it all the time. So far that has been true. She is, at the moment, sitting at the dining table wrapped in her blanket doing school. I love it. She came downstairs with it this morning wrapped around her shoulders.
Thank you Ma for being such an amazing grandma! You truly are the best.

There are times I feel like in our busy society we have lost the art of creating beautiful things with our own hands. My mom taught me to cross stitch and while I don't have time currently to do it, it was something I really enjoyed and wouldn't mind doing again someday. 

I was just trying to find a picture I had taken of some old doilie pieces that my grandma or great grandma had made and I just love. I've yet to find a creative use for them but I have a few ideas.


With Joy UNquenchable,