Helen Hayes: The Life Saver

The Prof came home late last night. He stayed long enough to raise a Roger Moore eyebrow at the state of the cottage, had a few hours sleep and caught the early train this morning. He won't be back until Saturday evening.
I am alone again with a bomb site.
At seven this morning Winnie knocked one of her claws out jumping from the bed. The blood trail added to the general " flavour" of the place....i.e. It resembles a particularly violent murder scene.
Hey ho
And in the middle of it all I have a funeral to attend at midday!
Thank goodness for all of yesterday's jokes.....and thank goodness for Helen Hayes


No..I'm not talking about the cute stowaway old lady who didn't really deserve a best supporting actress Oscar for her role in Airport, I am talking to blog follower Helen Hayes ( sp) who took the time, effort, expense and kindness of spirit to send me a gift.
And what a gift it is.......take a look.


Even two of the workmen came over to praise the work when I opened the box, and Welsh plumbers are the most fickle in the entire world!
It was exceedingly kind of you Helen , to have done this for me and I am so grateful and overwhelmed at such a gift.
It arrived, just at the right time, when my reserves and morale are just a tad low....
Thank you so very much.....

81 comments:

  1. That quilt is absolutely beautiful. Just shows how much people love you, John.

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  2. Now this Helen Hayes really does deserve an Oscar. What a generous gift, too. You are definitely loved.

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  3. That is incredible , think of the hours of work that went into that.

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  4. Proves, there is more kindness than hate; I still believe in this beautiful world!
    Greetings Maria x

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  5. oh wow, oh wow, oh wow!
    thats what you get for being a great blogger!

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  6. Oh, how absolutely lovely! And it will work with your cottage decor so well. Helen, you are so clever.... and kind!

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  7. Beautiful quilt. Don't let the dogs on it!!

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  8. Anonymous8:45 am

    How kind of her - there's a serious bit of work in there!

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  9. What a beautiful quilt , as a quilter myself I appreciate the work that went into it . A special gift for a special person .

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  10. What a wonderful gift.

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  11. Oh isn't it lovely! And perfect for your cottage <3

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  12. Long time ago before my sight began to go South and the rheumatoid arthritis was a long way into the future I use to make quilts. Not as magnificent and complicated as yours I made them as presents to my friends unborn children. I had nine months to work so it was actually an enjoyable way to show love to someone who wasn't even here. Enjoy it in good health and every time you look at it you will remember that somebody loves you. Is Winnie alright?

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  13. This quilt is exquisite and the choice of colour is wonderful - so uplifting and cheerful. Do not let those animals on it!!!

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  14. Wow!!! That is a very beautiful quilt and I can't guess at the number of hours that were worked to make it.
    Helen, you are such a kind and thoughtful person and John - you are so loved. I hope it lifts your morale and spirits and gets you through any dark clouds that come along. How could it fail? xxxx

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  15. Wow!!! That is a very beautiful quilt and I can't guess at the number of hours that were worked to make it.
    Helen, you are such a kind and thoughtful person and John - you are so loved. I hope it lifts your morale and spirits and gets you through any dark clouds that come along. How could it fail? xxxx

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  16. I make quilts myself and know how much time effort went into making this beautiful quilt. It's lovely to know that there are still kind thoughtful people out there. Hope Winnie's claw is okay.
    Briony
    x

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  17. That quilt is so loud that I woud not be able to get any sleep under it. Very good looking.

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  18. What a magnificent, and thoughtful gift, John. It's absolutely beautiful. much as it may upset them (and you, keep those animals out of the bedroom from now on. Unless you use it as a wall hanging, of course, but then it needs to go in the living room, so that you can really appreciate the work.
    Poor Winnie - hope the claw is healing well - will you take her to the vet?

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  19. What a generous gift the gift of a persons time is it makes the gift so very special and that one is a beauty.

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  20. WOW! That's amazing. What a lucky boy you are.

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  21. No matter what we see in the media to the contrary, people are kind. What a more than lovely and generous gift that is.

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  22. I think she must enjoy your blog very much! Incredibly thoughtful. Is Winnie able to walk around much? -Jenn

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  23. The patchwork quilt is beautiful! I am sure that the Prof will raise both eyebrows once he sees such a generous and thoughtful gift! It must have taken hours to make. Well done Helen it is gorgeous!!! x

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  24. as a crafter meself, I can imagine the months of work that went into making such a beautiful addition to your home.

    my inner voice is screaming OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!

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  25. What a beautiful quilt and such a wonderful gift. Try to be peaceful and know this will all be over soon and well worth it!

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  26. Wow, what a beautiful gift. It shows how much you are loved and admired by friends and blog readers all over the world.

    Enjoy your lovely quilt ... and try keep the animals off it for as long as you can. Maybe the Prof will rush back when he sees how magnificent his bed is looking ... just hand him some blinkers as he walks in and he won't notice the state of the living room ;-)

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  27. As a fellow quilter, I have to say it's beautiful, and that it is ALWAYS fun to give a quilt to someone who APPRECIATES it! Enjoy!

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  28. That is a wonderful quilt.

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  29. Holy moly, what a gorgeous quilt!

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  30. Stunning quilt and great kindness.

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  31. Stunning quilt and great kindness.

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  32. What a beautiful quilt. It will warm you from the outside, and from the inside when you think of the kindness of that gift. This has cheered up a grey and dispiriting day for me!

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  33. What a lovely gift, such a lot of work. How great it arrived for you in a very low moment. Hope Winnie is ok. A Canadian friend of ours made us a wonderful New York Lady Liberty Pattern quilt a couple of years ago. Very unexpected and we love it. So that our cat does not ruin it on the bed we have hung it on the wall in the hall and it looks wonderful. It just goes to show what a joy your blog is and what it means to people.

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  34. Bravo to Helen Hayes for making that beautiful quilt and giving it to you. Hours, days, weeks of stitching created that gem. I hope you will find a way to explain that to your pets, in a sensitive way, of course.

    Best wishes to you and yours.

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  35. It is gorgeous! What a wonderful present from Helen Hayes; a very skilled lady. :-)

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  36. wow, that's quite a gift. it's beautiful.

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  37. There's a lot of love sewn into that quilt. A Beautiful Heirloom to be loved by you two. No fur babies allowed!

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  38. Oh my, that is a beautiful quilt. What a darling this Helen Hayes is. And for the gift to arrive exactly at the time when it lifted your spirits, is indeed special. xx

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  39. I'm glad it arrived in one piece, I think I used almost a whole roll of tape to close the box.

    I enjoyed making the quilt and I am pleased it arrived on a day when you wanted cheering up because my jokes wouldn't raise anyone's spirits!

    Helen

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    1. Congratulations Helen for that beautiful piece of art and to you; lovely kind person!
      Greetings Maria x

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    2. Helen, it is absolutely beautiful, something to treasure always.

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    3. Hi Helen, I just looked on your site and have to say just STUNNING work. So many beautiful pieces. x

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    4. You are going to have a huge fan club Helen...a well deserved one xxxxxx

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    5. What a very nice thing to do, Helen, and great timing!

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    6. Helen - as a quilter myself I have to say that quilt is awesome! So generous of you... I'm sure John and the Prof will love it...beautiful work, beautiful gesture!

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    7. Beautiful work!! And a well deserving recipient.

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  40. That quilt is a work of art ! How beautiful it is and how beautiful the lady that sent it to you ..

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  41. Wow what a lucky boy you are and what a wonderful bog reader.

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  42. Wow, how beautiful and it will look perfect in your cottage. I always think that patchwork quilts are made of memories and such a lovely gesture will be remembered whenever you look at it.

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  43. My best friend is a quilter, through her I have been to quilt shows and met other quilters. I haven't met one who is not a nurturing soul. Another common feature is they all have a stash of fabrics somewhere in their home. When we viewed our current home I found the "stash", it was enough to seal the deal as I knew a quilter's home would have kindness in its walls.

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  44. I forgot to tell you yesterday, I don't have a funny bone like other people, but every time you tell someone, 'how very dare you", it makes me laugh.

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  45. That is a stunningly beautiful quilt. You are a wealthy man in the friends you have.
    The cottage will be restored and you will all be cozy and warm.

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  46. That is a stunningly beautiful quilt. You are a wealthy man in the friends you have.
    The cottage will be restored and you will all be cozy and warm.

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  47. I used to make quilts, but never so intricate and detailed. Simply beautiful. Count yourself as one of the lucky people to receive such a labor of love!
    Poor Winnie, she has to be feeling down. There's so much for her to deal with right now.
    Will the workmen get the job done on schedule?

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    Replies
    1. It sounds like 'poor Winnie' is in eye candy heaven. Poor John's been left with the chaos and the mess.

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  48. What a beautiful quilt like a piece of art.

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  49. What a beautiful quilt. You are such a good friend to all of us sometimes we just want to be a friend back.
    I can appreciate all the time and work that went into this quilt. As an artist I see it also as a piece of art It is just so beautiful.

    cheers, parsnip

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  50. How wonderful..how kind...and how will you keep the animals off it??

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    1. The dogs will not be allowed in the new bedroom

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  51. I think if I had been opening that parcel I would have shed a few tears. An unexpected kind gesture can give us such strength. Way to go, Helen! A beautiful quilt and a lovely thing to do. John, how did you get a photo without a single dog or cat on it??

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    1. They are all out of the house at the moment due to the workmen

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  52. Wow what a beautiful quilt it must have taken ages to make and made with love.

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  53. I know nothing about quilts, but that one looks like one hell of a lot of work.
    Cheers,
    Mike

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  54. My Grandmother was a quilter and I know what kind of work goes in to making quilts. This is a beautiful quilt! Bless you Helen for your generous heart. The world is a much better place with folks like you!

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  55. What a wonderful gift and so much work has gone into it. Sorry I haven't been in touch much recently. I have been studying for the past few weeks. Hope all is well xx

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  56. That quilt is simply gorgeous! A work of art for a most deserving man!

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  57. John, I make quilts, and that quilt is a lot of work. What a treasure.

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  58. That's a fabulous quilt! A very generous gift and delivery timed to perfection, by the sound of it.

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  59. Oh Helen! What a gift! As a fellow crafter I know just how much time and love went into this beauty! Well done you!

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  60. Oh wow - as a quilter I appreciate all that has gone into it !

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  61. As a crafter and hobble and cobble quilter (self taught and not very good) I know how many hours and the skill it takes to make a masterpiece like this. Helen must hold you in great affection as do your loyal band of readers.
    Well done Helen your blog is wonderful and the quilts you make are something for me to aspire to. X

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  62. Beautiful quilt work!

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  63. Oh Helen such a beautiful quilt I have made a few in my time but none compare, I remember John had a wished for one quite a long time ago, anyway your a special lady for making Johns wish come true.

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  64. Helen Hayes must be a jewel . . .
    What a gift . . .
    Lifted my spirits to see her quilting talent.
    How lovely of her!
    And how is the "nail disaster" faring?

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