prayer flags

did you know that Mother Teresa had this message written on cards that she handed out to those she came in contact with who were seeking answers to questions and sometimes feeling conflicted in their faith? she referred to them as "business cards".
i've been reading about her and finding that she was quite an amazing woman~! so strong. so focused. so faithful.

i occasionally find a quilt or a piece of a quilt that is advertised for sale as a "cutter" that i think i may be able to work with. this particular piece was purchased quite a while back just as you see it here (minus those grey outlines in the lower right hand corner). it's quite thin in places, the top has  worn through to the batting here and there and within the batting there is the occasional tiny brown  cotton seed. it has some seams that are damaged and the  maker didn't seem to mind that many of the seams didn't match up just right.
for whatever reason it had the one square removed from the lower left hand corner when i purchased it. old pieces like this one whisper stories of their previous lives and invite me to love them. 
invitation excepted~! 

when i acquire these types of pieces i think about  the limited time, energy and resources that were available to the quilter who created them.
if he/she were to see what i create from his/her work would that maker feel that the newly created piece continues to whisper it's own history while at the same time carrying on a new purpose? i hope so.
my thoughts focus on what my own skills and materials should bring to this history and how i can carefully morph the work into something greater than the sum of it's parts.
i consider whether i am showing the proper respect with the choices that i am making.
those first cuts are always a little bit stressful as i think about what my responsibilities are towards the original maker, the worn textile itself and my own creative vision.

notice the two separate smaller squares that have been outlined in grey in the above photo. those two squares have become my second set of prayer flags.

 

this one is for a friend who will be moving along to a new life in a new community soon. i will miss her and i'm wishing her all the best as she moves forward in her own personal journey.

i liked the way that the arcs formed of triangles within the blocks from the old quilt looked like wee banners when set on point within the prayer flags.                

 

and this next one is mine to keep as a reminder of our friendship. i will see (as well as hear) it and be faithful in my prayers for her.

 

the bell sewn to the bottom of the flags ring when caught by the breeze.

i enjoy the gentle auditory reminder even if i don't happen to be able to actually see the flag.

 

 

 

 

if you would like more information about prayer flags as well as a chance to see many more it's worth a visit to The Prayer Flag Project Blog.




you probably also noticed a larger grey outline in that previously mentioned photo . . . those were the cutting lines i used for an additional project: a doll quilt.

 

this is something that i try to do from each of the cutter pieces that i acquire. doll quilts are a favorite of mine and often the other newly made pieces go to another home. the doll quilt stays with me and becomes part of my growing collection. it's a fun way for me to remember and pay respect towards those (and their beautiful work) who have come before me.

i've just barely begun to work on the repairs that are needed for this smaller quilt. it's going to be a time consuming project and for an example of some of the mending being done you can click on the photos of the prayer flags above.
i'm excited about how i think that it's going to work out. i'll be posting more about the doll quilt in a future post.

recent gifts include:

• sunrises full of intense colors
• fly traps (~!!~)
• fabulous finds at the thrift store
• bright red geranium blossoms

TAST ~ linked chain stitch

lace
or profound fragmentation
half full
or half empty
choose
and ye shall receive

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last week (25) on PinTangle the stitch was the cable chain stitch.

a new stitch for me, so i attempted it on some aida as a sample first.

then, just for fun, i experimented with working it using a fine piece of copper wire. this was interesting although a bit problematic . . .

in the end i used a metallic (like) thread on a short seam within the wonderful husbands stocking.

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this is the 'surprise applique' that i've been working on. i've given them as a gift and can finally show what i was doing.

55 very simple/primitive basket blocks with sweet curvy appliqued handles.

these were made for a friend's birthday.
she seemed delighted and i have to say that after working on them all this time i'm still quite happy with them myself. in fact, i'm making myself a few with the leftover bits that are hanging around in the studio.

LOVE those colors together~!

and of course there was a little party with flowers, and dark chocolate and a few other fun presents.

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for the 15 minute challenge  during last week all went well on all seven days with work being added to my own baskets as they get handles, some experimental stitching on atc's, and of course, the TAST/christmas stocking project.

if you think adding a 15 minute sewing session to each day is something you would benefit from head over to Kate's at Life in Pieces.

15 minutes doesn't seem like a lot but this challenge has kept me puttering forward on many things this year. thank you Kate~!

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recent gifts include:

• a weekend visit from the wonderful daughter
• the accomplishment of a really tasty pasta salad lunch
• further work and even some planting on the pond rehab project 

15 minute challenge ~ march 27

"Thus nature has no love for solitude, and always leans, as it were, on some support; and the sweetest support is found in the most intimate friendship." - Cicero

my weekly report card for the 15 minute challenge:

tuesday, mar. 20th: leaf onto AAQI quilt 

wednesday, mar. 21st: postcard work

thursday, mar. 22nd: flower garden top ~ TAST practice (barred chain & alternate barred chain 

friday, mar. 23rd: TAST (barred chain & alternate barred chain) onto two stockings 

saturday, mar. 24th: quilted on pink lemonade  (alternate blocks) 

sunday, mar. 25th: quilted on pink lemonade (alternate blocks)

monday, mar. 26th: quilted on pink lemonade (alternate blocks) 

i was out of town for a couple of days which totally messes with all of my schedules but i still did manage to get all 7 days in for the 15 minute challenge with the group found at  Kate at Life in Pieces.
once again i was grateful for the easily carried along pink lemonade quilt. i now have just over half of the alternate blocks quilted.

i used a tailor's buttonhole stitch to attach the leaf onto the AAQI quilt. it worked well as both a way to outline the leaf and sew it onto the piece.

this is a shot of some felting that i managed to get done on my felting machine last week. i'll be fiddling with it a bit more and then using it for postcards. i think.

love the new felting machine but i'm not very good at it yet so it's costing me a fortune in needles~!

recent gifts include:

• the joys of friendship
• a spare hour to hang out at barnes and noble, sip a smoothie and peruse the art magazines
• indulging myself with the purchase of a few of those magazines

TAST week 11 ~ whipped wheel

Happy Saint Patricks Day.

no shamrocks from me today but i do have these happy little 'sunbursts' for you.


the stitch for week 11 with TAST is the whipped wheel.
this is considered a 'woven' stitch as the first layer is made up of stitching that passes through the fabric, but the second (sometimes more) layer is woven in and out of the first layer.

apparently the 'weaving' became part of my whole thought process as i looked for a suitable place to work this stitch. i found an area on my wonderful husband's stocking that held fabrics of a very fragile nature . . . this is part of working with antique textiles and not unexpected. i decided to cover part of this area with closely spaced long stitches creating a sort of warp and began to experiment with weaving on a very small scale. i used a blunt tapestry needle and various threads for the weft part of the weave.  before i knew it i had covered the entire area. it's very primitive but it was interesting to try and i now have a head full of ideas on how i might take this further . . .

once i had that all done i placed some half whipped wheels at regular intervals along the side of the woven area. i used the same light colored thread (used throughout most of my experimental woven 'patch') to create the base of the (half) whipped wheel. this part of the stitch cannot actually be seen as i covered it completely (with a medium weight blueish/purple thread) to continue creating the stitch.

i took things a step further by adding a single colonial knot (using a medium weight turquoise thread) in the center of each of the stitches and then i added more single colonial knots (using two strands of cotton floss in variegated oranges) at the ends of each rib of the wheel. i think they look a bit like a bunting of some sort.

interestingly i have a very good friend who weaves and she frequently shares odd bits of leftover threads with me. all of the threads within today's post (except for the orange cotton floss) are gifted from her.

there are several fun and well done examples of this stitch shown here and here.  i LOVE this wordy idea and my favorite use of this stitch: grapes anyone?

if you think that you may be interested in learning embroidery or practicing the stitches you already know it's well worth a visit to Pin Tangle to join in with this project.


recent gifts include:

• realizing that the 'full circle' can sometimes be a long time in materializing 
• a simple but satisfying dinner eaten quietly at home with my husband
• reading a novel

selected sketches for february

   color me happy

since most of the rest of this post is in black and white i decided to get very colorful with the photography today. this is a macro shot of one of the blossoms from my hibiscus plant. this plant has bloomed frequently throughout the winter making my dining room a tropical paradise (as long as one doesn't look out the window).

i've chosen a few sketches from my own sketchbook for this post. these were all done during the month of february with the theme of "close-up" in mind from The Sketchbook Challenge. 
"Getting close-up is about taking a new perspective, finding a different view and appreciating the little things."

it turns out that i am very attracted to the said which is why i'm enjoying adding quotes to my sketches.

i have recently received this gorgeous leather book cover from an extremely good friend. her and i have been friends for a long time and she knows me well. within the cover was a sketchbook. once i fill up this sketchbook i can insert another one. i'll have a beautiful daily reminder of my friend as well as being able to continually enjoy this cover.

i love this gift on so many levels but even more than that i am so grateful for the love and kindness that this friendship brings me.


recent gifts include:

• a mother/daughter lunch out at a favorite restaurant
• a beekeeping class (one step closer to being able to claim the title of 'beekeeper')
• bananas. i love bananas.

today was a great mail day~!!~ full of fun and fabulous surprises.

i recently participated in a give-away from Cathy of Big Lake Quilter and low and behold ~!!!~
i actually won~!
a beautiful collection of moda fabrics as well as an Omnigrid Mini-FoldAway. i work small a lot of the time and expect that the miniature cutting and pressing station will come in quite handy. as for the fabrics . . . they are so yummy that i'm bound to find myself starting a (forbidden) new project . . . i could sure see these fabrics making a sweet little doll quilt or two . . .  hhhmmmmm . . .  maybe a great way to pay the give-away goodness forward . . .  it is about time for me to have another one i think . . .  how's that for a tease?
thank you so very much Cathy.

i also received a totally unexpected card from Jay of  Creative Crone from studio Q. she is a zentangle artist extraordinaire as well as a fellow quilter. she has challenged herself with creating regular zentangles as well as an accompanying haiku with each one.  i LOVE visiting her and seeing her newest creative tangles.
and today, totally out of the blue, i got a card from her that was full of loving kindness as well as one of her beautiful zentangles.
on the back of the zentangle is it's very own haiku written by Jay:

 "Giving is Pleasure.

No matter how large or small,

The thought is the gift."

how true and how blessed i felt to be the one thought of in this special way. thank you Jay.
btw: can you guess what proud state Jay is from? there's a clue within today's photo.

in addition to all of that goodness i received the newest issue of the Cloth, Paper, Scissors Magazine.
i've been so busy admiring my other goodies that i haven't even cracked the cover yet but am looking forward to taking it to bed with me and possibly staying up late soaking up much of what is within it's pages.
a fabulous way to end this abundant day.

today's gifts include:

• the generosity (of both spirit and gifts) from friends i've made while blogging
• a walk with River and my wonderful husband. the new hip is feeling really GOOD just lately
• the lovely feeling of excited anticipation

just a quick post featuring a couple of postcards that i managed to work on and finish during the last few weeks.

this first one was a birthday card. i used a bit of an old tattered hand embroidered towel (both the embroidery and the  lace edge) and a piece of my own hand dyed orange fabric. the sun has been reverse appliqued by me and i did add a few more embroidered stems and flowers.
last year i did a similar card for the same person using old linen bits (an embroidered handkerchief) and a hand dyed fabric. i think i'll make this theme a tradition for her birthday cards as she seems to really love them.

this second card was made for  a friend who has been going through cancer treatments. she will be finding out very soon the results of all of that . . . keep her in your thoughts and prayers please.
i found that skep and bee fabric years ago and because it was on sale (and i loved it) i bought a few yards. now i wish i'd bought the whole bolt~!!~


i want to thank every visitor who has returned to my blog and especially those that have left a comment. i feel such joy being back within this friendly blog world.


this morning i discovered that Somerset Studio's has a new blog. i'm a huge fan of many of their publications (and secretly dream of someday being within those pages).
are there other Somerset Studio's fans out there?


it's early yet, but today's gifts already include:

• the joy felt when i see that other bloggers out there haven't forgotten me and the sweetness of their recent thoughts and prayers
• my morning mug of hot chai tea (with it's overtones of coconut) with milk and honey added
• waking up to a newly mucked out pantry ~ organized and tidy

remember these? way back before the holidays i dyed this group of fabrics.

i was inspired by a photo that i seen on Lori's beautiful blog. she seems to go to a lot of quilt shows and is very generous in sharing her experiences/photos with all who follow her blog.

this particular quilt was one that she seen and admired at the Old Aurora Colony Quilt Show.

it was made by Matilda Knight Stauffer.

i thought it was pretty awesome too. i've always been a big fan of the antique Amish style of quilts and this one struck me as particularly beautiful.

Lori and i did a little brainstorming, i dyed some fabric, she had a friend who was willing to help out with the pattern making and before you know it Lori and i were both sewing up our own personal interpretations of this beautiful antique quilt.

in addition i had a book (within my obscenely huge personal library) called Amish -Inspired Quilts: Tradition With A Piece O' Cake Twist by Becky Goldsmith and Linda Jenkins. i've admired the quilts in this book for quite some time and especially loved the "fragment" style quilts that are depicted within it.

so i decided to combine all of these inspirational sources within the piece that i've been making and these are my results.

starting with a variation of the block within the Matilda Knight Stauffer Quilt and setting it on point within the turqouisey blue fabric. this produced a piece that measured 16.25 inches (finished).

i then added a skinny cheddery yellow border of 1.75 inches (finished) and wider green border of 3.5 inches(finished) to the top and the bottom.

then the holidays were in full swing and i had to set it aside. but i knew that i wanted to take the piece into the "fragment" style at this point and so i cut a 6.5 inch (unfinished) strip of the red fabric. i pinned these pieces up onto my wall and thought about them A LOT.

i drew up sketches and played around with the idea of adding a vine applique as well as some quilting possibilities . . .

and finally i've been able to get back to it and begin stitching that vine. the center "stem" is nicely in place and i will begin to cut and sew leaves tomorrow . . .

meanwhile, Lori has been exhibiting the patience of a saint as she is much faster than i am and has her wonderful piece already quilted.

this has been wonderfully fun and some day soon i hope to show the finished results of my little Amish inspirations fragment quilt. hopefully you'll show as much patience as Lori has.

this is a mixed media postcard that i've mailed off to one of the angels that bless my life.

i hope that it brings a smile to her beautiful face.

these two atc's are a couple of my newest acquisitions.

aren't they wonderful~!?  the sensitive knight card is digitally made  and the fancy lady is a traditional cut and paste.  they are both made by Terri Daugherty of Pixels and Paste.

this lovely Vintage Butterfly card came from the Sparkly Fairy in the U.K.

i love it's old fashioned monotone sweetness.

this adorable spring robin card came from Joy Northrop.

i've traded with her before and LOVE her work.

i have yet to see any spring robins in the yard so until i spot one her tiny card is perched prominently where i can see it and dream about warmer days.

hmmmmmmm . . .  confetti, fancy plates and  "cake" . . .

what could it all mean?

for the last couple of days i've been working on some birthday "cake": a short stack of scrappy 3.5 inch (finished) hour glass blocks.

i can't say too much or i may give away a surprise . . .

but there will definitely be a party happening~!

a very good friend brought me some flowers for May Day and not only are they gorgeous to look at but they smell Divine~!~

a tiny peek inside of the tulip . . .

my heart is filled with gratitude for friends and for spring flowers in a reused blue glass bottle sitting within the morning sun showing me just how i'm supposed to greet the day; full of faith , light and celebrating every beautiful moment . . .

~LET'S CELEBRATE~

i would like you to help me celebrate the completion of my first year of blogging as well as over 200 posts.

it's been a learning experience for me as well as a creative experience and most of all it's been FUN ~!~

i've met some fabulously talented and creative artists who inspire me in my own creativity

people who are kind beyond measure

so many offerings of encouragement have been given and i really do THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for all of the various joys that you have shared during this past year~!!~

so imagine yourself a winner (because each and every one of you are) and leave a comment on this post telling me which one of these six postcards you like the best and i will enter you in a drawing.

the prize will be all six cards plus some other small goodies. i am also going to do some secondary awarding of yet even more surprises . . . after all, what's a party without LOTS of surprises~!?!~

i plan on drawing a name on the morning of friday, april 23rd and announcing the winner(s) later that day. i wish everyone who participates loads of luck.