Welcome to Week 15: Emily

I am super excited to grab the baton from Kerry and carry the torch this week - I hope you'll enjoy our time together as much I as do. But, before we get too far into it, let me start with the basics:

Quilter #15

Name: Emily

Location: Northeastern Arkansas, United States but blogging from Quito, Ecuador

Who I am and what I do: I'm a Grant Administrator for a Planning and Development District. I write grant proposals for cities, counties, and non-profit organizations and, if awarded, I manage and administer those grant funds. I've been doing this for nearly 4 1/2 years. Prior to grant writing, I worked in drug prevention, and as a librarian. I'm also a Compassion International Sponsor. I currently sponsor 3 kids with Compassion (Emily-10, Josué-16, and Helen Angela -15), and am presently in Ecuador visiting 2 of them (Emily & Josué). It's amazing how much these kids bless me, and I am honored to share in a small part of their life.

Why I quilt: Quilting has been a passion of mine for nearly 6 years. I started out sewing costumes for Halloween - I was the Children's Director at my church and constantly looking for modest and appropriate costumes. It was easier just to make my own. From there, I slowly transitioned into quilting, dipping my toe in completely on a whim wanting to make a special gift for a friend who loved penguins. But, like any quilter will tell you, it's overwhelmingly addictive. Over the years I've gotten bolder with my quilting, trying out new techniques and honing my skills. Yet, through it all, it's the gift giving that keeps me quilting. I love sharing a bit of my love in the form of fabric and stitches. After all, there is no better sleep than that which happens under a quilt.

My favorite quilt: This is a tough one, but for the sheer accomplishment of it, I'm going with my Scrappy Trip Around the World. The quilt itself is not that pretty and wasn't that hard to make, but sums up a year's worth of work and the completion of one of my first large-scale quilting projects. From April 2013 to April of 2014 I set out to make 26 quilts (26 quilts in my 26th year - it was a birthday project). The Scrappy Trip Around the World quilt was #26 and was made with fabric from the 25 previous quilts. I love how it turned out, and how it's a record of each quilt that I made. Many of the quilts from that project were gifted and this quilt lets me remember them in a way that photos alone don't. 

Why I’m doing this: You know, in the few days leading up to me taking over this account, I asked myself that very question. Why, amid packing and preparing to leave the country - Emily, why did you decide that this would be the perfect time to guest post on a variety of social media accounts?? Clearly it's because I'm a bit crazy. But moreover, I felt like this would be a fun week to share about myself and my life - and to get a great look at why I quilt (to show and share love) and why I write (to tell the story). And, if I'm being completely honest, it's been a goal of mine for the last few years to increase my own guest posts on other platforms - so really it just boils down to this: I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Where you can find me:

Instagram: @elephantgrace

Twitter: @elefantgrace

Blog: elephantgrace.com 

And that's me, I'll be posting a couple more times this week, though I can't guarantee a specific time (Wifi in Ecuador is limited to my hotel), but I hope you'll check back in - and be sure to follow along on instagram and twitter! I can't wait to hear from you all.

Happy Quilting!
~ Emily

Post by Emily - Week #15:   Emily shares her love for sewing, gardening, and children’s ministry on her blog, With Elephant Grace. When she’s not picking numerous loose threads off her lap, Emily likes to post about encouraging Compassion International Sponsors, straw-bale gardening, and crafting. You can find out more about Emily by following her on Instagram.