During the winter, I enjoy sitting around with family and friends and enjoying a nice warm fire. Of course you cannot just sit and watch the winter go by, so I quilt and cook.
Quilting:
I spend many of my evenings sitting by the fire with family, cutting out my next project. There is more than one reward to quilting. It is a hobby, it passes time, and I can give my family something special that was made by hand. I customize each pattern to the person who will receive it and add my own little touch and their at the corner. I also use thread to sign the bottom of the quilt, so they will always remember who gave it to them.
When I am quilting, I usually have immediate family with me. However, when the quilt top is done and ready to be batted and tied to the backing, my entire family is along for the ride. Cousins, aunts, and sisters all come together to help finished the project and add their own touch to the quilt.
Many times, I am called to spend my evenings helping another family member to finish their quilt. In a way, we use these quilts to draw us closer with the one’s we love.
I quilt many things besides blankets. I quilt matching pillow cases, a runner for their dresser, and a quilted doily for their night tables. This lets me add my own decorative appeal to the entire family’s house.
Cooking:
My family loves to cook. We are always exchanging recipes, creating new recipes, or changing our old ones to our new taste. Over the years, my taste have evolved from enjoying simple foods, to more intricate flavors. I can honestly say it is because of the recipe swap. Some of my family has high end taste, while others enjoy the simple taste of country cooking.
Together, we have compiled a huge amount of recipes that we have placed in a book. I have shared many with my readers and I have many, many more to go. I am doing this of course, with my family’s permission. Everyone is ecstatic that their creations will be shared and that their love of food will be spread along with a little piece of them that goes with every recipe.
Try adding your family and friends to your winter hobbies. It will draw you closer to the ones you love and give you a reason to spend time with them.