Empty nest crisis approaching!

Yes I am having a bit of a weepy time at the moment, but before I bore you with that, lets have a look at a nice cushion!

It is a 21st birthday present for one of my 'Weekend Alisons' (the 2 girls that work in the shop at the weekend are helpfully both called Alison). They are both like stand-in daughters to me and, as such, must have something made for them for their 21st (it would have been a quilt if I had more time, Alison will have to wait till she dets married to get one of those now!).
Just a simple log cabin but I quilted it with embroidery silks to make it a bit more special.
Alison is a pretty, fragrant girl so I have made her a cushion to match!

Now on to my real children, who are all leaving me!!
Jacob, my 18 years old, moved out 6 weeks ago to flatshare just as we moved house, and now Felix, my 20 year old, is going travelling to the Far East for 10 months! He is leaving tomorrow!

Here he is looking so smart and handsome a few days ago. I know they all have to leave at some stage, but I just don't like it. It hurts. Like a physical pain. I am a pathetic snivelling wretch at the moment, literally weeping as I type this, which isn't good as I am at work!
I am sure lots of you have already been here and know exactly how I feel (I know Dolores at DeeRoo had to say goodbye to her Maria a few weeks back), but I just wasn't expecting to feel this bad. And I know he will come back and maybe one or the other will live with us again one day, but basically my life as a mum with everything revolving round my 2 boys is over. I guess I will just have to wait for the grandchildren now...

Anyway enough moaning, some people have real problems. Like a friend of Lizzie's from A house in the Country blog. Lizzie's dear old quilting friend, Sue, is terminally ill and Lizzie is organising a quilt for her. Lizzie says that Sue has made hundreds of quilts but she doesn't think that anyone has ever made a quilt for Sue. Lizzie suggested that we all might have 'orphan blocks' lying around from abandoned projects and that these could be joined together to make a quilt. Marg of Adventures in Quilting and Sailing has offered to send any UK blocks to Lizzie with the ones she is making.

I somehow don't have any orphan blocks to spare so, in between blowing my nose and re-touching my mascara this weekend, I managed to make these two. They are the same star block as my Xmas Bee Block. Marg liked making them so much she suggested them as a good design for 'a quilt for Sue' for those who don't have anything lying around ready to go. Check out Lizzie and Marg's blog for more info. And both are having a giveaway for anyone who signs up to the project!

So tonight we are having a last family dinner (Jacob is coming home too) and then this time tomorrow I will already have said my goodbyes and he will be off (on his way to Delhi with his girlfriend Emma, who, thankfully, is going with him).
Feel free to deluge me with messages of support, I think I am going to need them.