Onwards and Upwards

My last real blog post was in November of 2022 and here's why.

December 2022 was a flurry of fun as we had a Glaswegian guest for Christmas, a lovely quilter named Emry that I met at FOQ in August. My son Maxwell, Emry, and I spent much time in the sewing studio over the holidays.

February brought my 60th birthday, and I was fortunate to have the whole family here. It would be the last time. Maxwell had a stroke on Valentine's Day and passed away on February 18th, 2023. He was 26 years old. His colourful, music-filled service can be seen here. 

The next few months came and went, with friends and neighbours feeding and loving us. The "quilting is my therapy" thing was not to be. I didn't even enter my studio for months, as recent sewing memories were too hard to spend time with.

In April of 2023, I began redoing my backyard. Max had divided and replanted many of my hostas the previous year, and I spent that spring anxiously awaiting their emergence. It was a cold wet spring, but I just needed to be busy. Over the summer I had help with adding flagstone pathways.

There was lots of action inside the house as well, because way back in December of 2022, we had decided it was time for a kitchen reno in our 1960"s home. The contract was signed and the deposit was paid. It wasn't fun, but in the end, it's done.

When September 2023 arrived, I fulfilled Maxwell's wish to remove the front lawn. I chose the no-dig method, and am thankful to my son James, and my big brother Tom for their help. I planted a chickpea cover crop and waited for spring.

In the meantime, I grew veggie seedlings indoors and watched them grow. Mother's Day weekend in 2024, I was blessed with a houseful of Max's friends from Montreal, they came to help the family plant "Le Potager de Max" ( Max's vegetable garden). The garden thrived and is a Pinterest-worthy thing of beauty. I've been able to share some produce, and have learned a lot.

This July I registered Max-It Forward, a not-for-profit, which is different than a registered charity or nonprofit. Our goal is simple, raise community funds by selling handmade items. The funds are given to smaller mutual aid groups that are often not eligible for grants. We've all heard about paying it forward, but not everyone has the cash to do so. However, many of us do have fabric, batting, talent, and the desire to help others. So when an item is purchased on the maxitforward.org website, 100 percent of the purchase price goes back into the community. Max-It Forward covers the processing fees and the shipping. We have a growing inventory of quilts and totes that will help fund community groups that primarily focus on food insecurity in addition to other areas. The maker as well as the purchaser can even suggest where they would like the funds to go. We will make every effort to direct the funds to a community group where the new quilt owner or maker lives. I am grateful for the help of two of Max's oldest friends who are helping me with this. 

This brings us to now, September 2024. Time to put some energy into my online teaching, respond to requests for podcast interviews, record two on-demand courses for Creative Spark, cut back on my alcohol and cannabis use, harvest my tomatoes, and try to get some kind of routine happening. To help with a routine and make sure I leave the house I just joined a gym, what was I thinking?

If you follow me on Instagram @healthyquilting or my local/personal @guelphquilter, you can see photos of the gardens, and of course lots of photos of my wonderful family. There's a new Instagram account as well @maxitforward, please share it with your non-sewing friends.

You can max-it forward in your area, instead of donating that item to a silent auction in support of your favourite charity, sell the quilt, mug, or bracelet and give the money directly to the charity, that's what max-it forward is all about, paying it forward with our talent!

As you may have guessed, keeping busy is my therapy, and while I am booking virtual lectures for 2025/26, I am trying to do so mindfully, and not overbooking. I really do enjoy speaking with guilds and am especially thrilled when invited back.

I also have two trips booked; my eldest and his partner are getting married here in Canada this October, with a January reception to follow in Mumbai, India, and in April I'm joining Jenny Hayes in France.

Onwards and upwards.