‘Tis the Season to Showcase the Givers

Tennessee Dog Whisperer Quilter Lives Hands & Feet Life

Linda’s Border Collie Bailey takes in her first snow.

MAKER-GIVER SERIES: Part 1 of 2 featuring Linda Laird’s creations and heart for giving. Linda, thanks for blessing us by allowing me showcase some of your work and words of inspiration. Photo Creds: Linda Laird. (Read Part 2 here … See Linda’s Fabulous Quilts)

In a beautiful country setting situated outside Millington, Tennessee lives a gifted, hard-working woman with a generous heart. A woman who quilts, gardens and puts her show dogs lovingly through the paces. She is an amazing photographer and a published author.  More than any thing, this woman unceasingly lives out what it means to be God’s hands & feet on earth.

Linda and (hubby of 47 years )Kenny’s Tennessee home where they raised two boys and presently share with Border Collies Oreo and Bailey.

When Christian vocalist Matthew West recorded “Do Something” he was urging us all to rise up; live up to the purpose for which we were created. West’s challenge to us is to use the God-given talents we have to live active, selfless lives giving comfort, changing hearts and righting ungodly circumstances.

Linda Laird is the “Do Something” role model.

‘Tis the Season, to showcase the givers. Winter at Linda’s place.

I became acquainted with Linda some months back through the College Of Quilts Facebook community.

I’d asked about a pattern I saw posted and she responded to me privately. We carried on an online messaging conversation wherein she immediately offered to send me an extra Big Foot for free motion she had “collecting dust.”

It still makes me feel all warm inside thinking about a then complete stranger, offering up something to me, a very newbie quilt maker she’d met just moments prior from somewhere out in cyberspace.

No pretense. Just encouragement.

That is Linda’s way. She dives in. Once a hand-quilter, now a free motion guru, thanks to finagling her high school sweet heart hubby into purchasing her dream machine Bernina and her determination to learn and grow in her craft and be a giver.

Linda’s Quilt-Along Sampler.

Bettering her stitches, taking more creative license with each quilt, Linda has 40+ creations under her production belt this year. Most of which are in the grateful hands of others.

Now that I know her better, I am not surprised our first encounter was her taking time, reaching out to give.

Join us next post. We’ll be featuring quilts from Linda’s 2015 collection.

“Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.” ~Saint Teresa of Avila

God created, sew should we.  [Creative Joy = Therapy = Undeniable Rippling Effects.]  Our stories as makers are valuable. [Life is humbling. Sharing our journeys is uplifting and productive.]