Therapy ...#1,#2 or #3 ??

n.,

1. Treatment of illness or disability.
2. Psychotherapy.
3. Healing power or quality: the therapy of fresh air and sun.

I've always thought of my stitching as therapy,of some sort- a way to keep busy ,be creative and be productive. I know it to be so now.

Over the past week,I have struggled to think clearly after losing my precious niece ,Linda and her husband Chad.

I'm not ready to write about her just now-it's all still so painful and fresh-

For the past week,as I grieved her absence I was aimless and lost. I longed for something to focus my mind so I could STOP thinking about the sadness of it all.

When I finally stumbled into my sewing room to do something productive, I sat down in front of my 20 yr old sewing machine ,I hoped I would be inspired.

Nope- no inspiration.

I pressed the pedal and it lurched, groaned and then spit out a few irregular stitches.

I immediatly felt panic-

To make a long story short- I went sewing machine shopping very shortly afterward.

Therapy?

I think so!

And now I need some SPRING!!!!!!!!

Liz's sprouts promise that it won't be long, but here we are -freezing rain- below freezing temps and the last 6 logs are waiting to be burned in our wood heater- SPRING seems so far away!!!!

Liz's farm,Pure Earth Botanicals, is busily sprouting and encouraging me to wait...a little longer ....It's coming!

Stitching~ gardening~ sunshine~

I say #3-healing power

Fantastic art!!!!

Is this the cutest thing ever or what???????

My very talented daughter in law ,Kimberly, sent this to me recently.

The plate is a vintage piece , embellished with chenille ,old buttons and yummy ribbon!

You can slip a small picture or memo under the ribbons!!

Perfect AND beautiful!!!!!!!

Thanks so much for my treat Kim!!!!!

ART in Motion !!!!!

These yummy beads are the creation of a close friend- Helen   http://helensharvest.com/
She has an annual Open House and discounts her lovely creations to HALF PRICE!!!!!
This year I was able to purchase not only a couple of really pretty beads but also an extraordinary shoulder purse!!!! What a treat!!!!
(Guess I could have taken a picture- huh? sorry!If I remember- I'll snap one tomorrow)

It's inspiring just to visit her home!
I'm so fortunate to be surrounded by LOTs of talented people- they ALL inspire me!
The really cool thing is that each of them masters a different art- and altogether it's almost too much to bear.

This is one of the pieces my workin man has done for me. He's been bitten by the "art bug" too! He rubbed shoulders with Marilyn,who introduced him to an area of metal work that he's really enjoying learning.
He's done some great pieces , but once again I'm not snapping as many photos as I should be!!!

Likely I shouldn't share this next one- but the truth is the truth!!!!!!

Yeah- that's fabric on the floor, yarn hanging down from the shelf,and every other thing you can imagine in places of ...hmmmm lets say ...disarray????? Is that a word?

How bout it's just a big ole' mess!!!

But out of the mess emerges a few fun items!!!!

This nature themed glass ornament...

My first attempt at a banner..this was FUN!!!!

And these fun primitive stockings.

I really do clean up the craft room too- but lately-not so much!
I'm still learning how to manage my time and efforts and so far cleaning the craft room is not on the top of my "TO-DO" list  
:)

Bag lady!!!

These are a couple of the bags I've been working on. I absoluteley LOVE repurposing and these bags are a great way to put together lots of things that had another life.

To "fluff up" each bag I stuff old pattern tissue inside- I got that idea from Marilyn!!!

This little bag is one of my favorites!!! It's lined with felted wool and is just right for a checkbook,cell phone and lipstick....and of course I LOVE the fringe!!!!!!

A fun project

This is a fun little project that I just completed. I had such a great time designing and making it!

It's a pin cushion on top.....

...and it opens up for storage of small sewing items.

I made it for an online friend in Oklahoma who loves primitives . I got the finest little package from her as a swap!
These swaps are great for inspiring and motivating me into action!

To the left or to the right???????

I have spent a lot of time and money over the last few months on some hobbies that I have really enjoyed- but I am at a crossroads again.

Are they taking over my life or am I just adjusting to the new normal?

I honestly don't know.

I'm evaluating the direction I should take in the coming months.

I have lots of clothing that has been altered and I'm still making plans for new soap scents and colors! Both are so much fun and very addictive!!!!!

It appears that I will have some care taking responsibilities in the near future , in addition to my regular routine so I have to take account and decide what to whittle out.

I admit I'm not good at figuring it out because I have spent the last 25 or so years teaching school and not having to make these decisions.

In the meanwhile I keep on working like a crazy woman!!!!

I'm also managing to drag a few friends along the way with me!

Marilyn and I decided to do a design challenge today-

here's the deal- She bought these two linen dresses to use in a re-design project.

We decided to make it a challenge.

Here are the 2 BEFORE we alter them!

Stay tuned for the after pictures. Im thinking it will take a couple of weeks.

This is Marilyns challenge dress before she jazzes it up and here's mine!

Both are linen and nice quality with good elements.

Stay tuned!

Contradictions................

~ Vintage Lace ~

Isn't this vintage lace beautiful? Liz found it at Round Top Texas last Spring. It is so fine and perfectly done...I always wonder about the woman who made the fine pieces that I get to enjoy.

This particular piece was perfect to add to a set of bloomers and top for

Anna for their Fall trip to Round Top.

The bloomers and top were made out of authentic feedsack cloth.

Quite the opposite of this lace is another favorite thing of mine~

~ Primitive furniture ~

See what I mean- it's a contradiction!

This particular bench was Fridays project at Lukes job.

He (and his boss) were purty proud of it!!!

Luke is having a great time at his job and seems to have a real knack for woodwork ,I think.

Speed-crafting!!!

I never heard of it either!!!! 

But necessity is the mother of invention, right????

Marilyn and I had a visit planned today  and part of our goal was  to inspire each other in our artisitic endeavors. But as life would have it there were interruptions- little details of life that just demanded the attention of our otherwise creative spirits.
Marilyn had some errands that were time sensitive and I did too- we also wanted to get a visit in at the hospital where her dad is recouperating from surgery- the answer????

SPEED-CRAFTING!!!!
Here's how it went- when I arrived she was organizing the kids to get them where they needed to be while she plopped a load of magazines down for me to peruse as we talked.
I brought my projects that needed a **bump*** of inspiration and we talked and experimented with ideas at the kitchen table.
She pulled out her GORGEOUS suitcase/ art box and I just got all googly-eyed looking at it!!!She has some beautiful pieces of unique jewelry !!!!
Yep! It was working! I was getting inspired!
We tossed ideas and craft show dates around- drank coffee and loaded up in the car for our deliveries!
Got Dan to his spot- Emma to her place and off to the hospital!!!!
We had a wonderful visit with her mom and dad and we were off again!

I'm sure by the time we arrived back at her house she had to start the pick-up routine . I had more errands and then dinner to get done- but thats ok- I came away inspired!!! Ready to get in my fantastic art room and get to work!

So now you know HOW to speed craft!!! Just be sure to find a friend you love and beautiful things to share and it's a sure thing you'll have fun!!!!

Re-purposing binge!!!!!!

 

I have been busily re-purposing every item of clothing I can get my hands on!!!

 I'm certain it's unhealthy - I mean I do have to cook  and garden and ....well you know....all that stuff that HAS to be done!!!
None of it is nearly so much fun as finding a garment for 50 cents ...seing something different in it...and bringing it home to remake it!

These bloomers are both samples of what I plan to share at our local Farmer's Market soon-
The first pair was made from a beautiful bedskirt with fabulous wide crocheted trim. (Thanks Angela, for picking that up for me!!)
The second pair (modeled with the red top) was sooo simple....It was a pair of 100 % cotton capri pants (a bit too large ) that I simply added lace collars to..... the collars  arent exactly the same but I think that adds to the look! They   didn't fit all the way around so I simply pulled the original button closure and fastened it  to kinda gather the hem and here they are!!!

Gotta run- I have a whole stack of clothes  to re-make!!!!!

Wild horses!!!

Somehow I neglected to get a picture of Ryland's quilt posted- but here it is!
I call it Wild Horses and I just love it!!!!
It was lots of fun to do and the fabrics are my favorite-batiks!

The only thing I wasn't pleased with was the inner border- it should have been darker but still it looks nice.

I did just very minimal embroidery to suggest the features a bit and then used a few strands of floss for the mane and tails- again, just enough to suggest the features themselves.

For the backing I chose a very boy-ish blue paisley and then binding is a bright green botannical print.

All the quilting highlights the beautiful sunset colors of the background.

I enjoyed working on this - I never got tired of the fabrics- they are so smooth and the colors are just wonderful!!! Speaking of wild horses- :) Luke is enjoying the fruits of his labor-

After 3 weeks of work he's finding out that the hours of work pass a bit quicker the closer ya get to payday!!!

Christopher brought him a guitar (something Luke was planning on saving for!) so an amp was the next item on the shopping list!

He's happily back in the music again!!!!

Thanks Chris~ I think!!!????

Tying up loose ends....again!!!

I think I have more loose ends than anyone in the entire world!!!

Here I am, just a few days before vacation and I decide it's time to make soap!!!

Now I simply MUST get this done before I get us ready for vacation...even though I have a baby quilt to finish, an overdue wedding quilt and lots of other ideas just overflowing from my brain!!!

Sometimes I feel like I may explode from sheer excitement at finally getting to learn and do some things that I have never had time for before now!

How will I ever get the last year of home-schooling done if I keep adding threads and loose ends to my life?????

Back to those loose ends- Heather and I got an early start on soapmaking .

We were both a little unsure of the process but we muddled through ,made a big mess and had a great time. We also decided we were hooked on soapmaking! It was far easier than the research to prepare us and it appears to have come out right!

We'll unmold it tomorrow.It should take several weeks to cure before we know for sure if we did it all right! I'm so glad we tried it- even if I should have been finishing other things !!!!

( Don't worry, girls- the wedding quilt and baby quilt are next in line!)

A good friend and mentor in the arts shared her soapmaking supplies with us and boy did that make it a bit less intimidating!!! Thanks Helen!!! (See Helen's beautiful Lampwork and other art here~ http://helensharvest.com/ )

I wanted to show you a top that I ReMaDe-it was a simple linen top from walmart(I got it at the thrift store for 50 cents. I think it was meant to be a mini dress- but my knees will never see those days again!!!)

I stitched an old crocheted collar to the top and paired it with some bloomers I made last week.

What do you think? I LOVE this style- but it's not for everyone. My daughters keep reminding me of that!!! :)

OK no more starting projects BEFORE vacation!!! I gotta get ready to go see my kids!!!!

Rust is a good thing!

My good friend Liz always has a beautiful yard and now she's adding some architectural pieces to her home and I just love them!!!!

Vintage rusty tin, accents the underside as well as the sides of the new awning.More pieces are planned but I'm thinking this is looking GREAT!!!!

I keep telling her we are gonna do a full photo magazine on just her yard and house!!!

She is a "Tasha Tudor" with a dash of spice!!!

I had a brainstorm last week so I figured I'd share it with you. I collect(more like hoard!!!) old vintage linens. I can only display so many pieces without getting too cluttered so I am always trying to think of new ways to use and repurpose them.

Last week it was a purse,stitched out of a heavy crocheted table runner, trimmed with OLD rusty safety pins I found tucked in my grandmothers dresser drawer. There was even an old garter clasp so I stuck it in there too.

Finally I added some tattered lace,ribbon and yarn for fun- and voila'! I'm planning on adding more ribbon,lace and yarn but I have been on the run so I haven't had the time!!!

A fantastic Friday!!!!

I got to spend most of the day,Friday, doing what I love - sharing and learning needle arts!!!
On the last Friday of each month our Bible study group has some type of demonstration/class and we bring our Freecycle items to swap. It has become great fun for all of us!
This month we focused on fibers-all kinds!
Gwen & I worked at tatting a little ,while she shared her memories of her greandmother tatting.

Shannon and Bekah talked crochet and baby hats~

Linda shared crochet patterns,inspiration and techniques.....the whole day was lots of fun!!!

When I got home I had the coolest surprise waiting for me in my mailbox!!!

I participated in an apron swap recently and mine arrived Friday!!!

If you can't tell from the picture- the sweet young lady that did this compiled pictures of my entire family...yes, grandkids too!!!...and designed the apron around them all!!!

I can't tell you how blessed I was---and still am- every time I look at it!!!

Thanks so much Laura Marie!!!!

Heirloom sewing

My mom made the most beautiful layette for Wendy-these picture do no justice to the dresses,bib and bonnet.

One of the dresses has a scallopped hem,tiny pin tucks and hand embroidered rosebuds sprinkled on the lower portion.Sheer beauty!!!

The bib is an old design that ties around the tummy and neck- what a good idea!

Speaking of BABY news better go check out Bekah's blog

http://pumpkinseed-unscripted.blogspot.com/

Stitch-n-share......

I have been so blessed this past year to see a lot of younger women I know pick up a needle and thread and produce beautiful things!!! Some of them told me they would "never try a quilt"- and those same gals are now working on their third and fourth ones!!!!

I'm sooo proud of them- it's not like I raised them or anything -I'm just so pleased that they share one of my little pleasures !!!

In the meantime- my daughters have been sharing with me! My youngest, Sara, insisted that it was time for me to learn to knit! I protested as usual and she ignored my whining and started showing me how to do it!

I love it-though I have a lot to learn-and I am steadily practicing!

Abby decided she needed to sew too.

She really believes she is knitting-so don't tell her any different!!Bekah has been doing some original pieces also-she comes up with some really great ideas! She made a keepsake box for her sister to take to the hospital when her baby is born, and it is unbelievable!!! I do believe she could market them, however we have NO motivation to make things to sell-takes all the fun out of it I guess!Check out her blog to see the memory box-you won't believe it!(http://pumpkinseed-unscripted.blogspot.com/)

This little piece was an ornament for a swap with some friends. I made the pillow out of black velvet-topped with a cotton print- and topped that with a vintage cloth print.I attatched beaded trim and tassels to glitz it up a bit.

Share your stitching with friends-show somebody how to stitch something and above all enjoy it yourself!!!!

Great opportunity to help babies!!!

As an avid crafter I have lots of un-done projects. You know things you try that don't work out! I am a master at beginning! Crochet has been one of those for me.



I have settled on the premise that I can crochet a hat but NEVER a PAIR of anything!!!! I have wanted to do booties for 30 years and my mind just can't get through the pattern directions.

I finally gave that idea up when I found a good use for all that yarn I've accumulated in my feeble attempts at booties!

Here's how you can help and learn or teach crochet or knitting yourself!!!

http://www.savethechildren.org/programs/health/child-survival/survive-to-5/knit-one-save-one.html

My 15 minute makeover!!!!

Well, technically it wasn't me... it was my hot pads!!!

Mine are all grungy and nasty-looking, even when they are just out of the washer! Being the thrifty(AKA cheap) gal that I am, I won't toss them until they are useless!

I hate serving folks food when they see those hot pads- kinda says

"dirty-kitchen"- so today- in a moment of inspiration and a clean sewing room I made quick envelope covers for them.

Problem solved!!! And I used scrap fabric, so it didn't cost me a dime!!!! WOO!HOO! My favorite kind of solution!~

The set only took 15 minutes total-that includes picking which scrap fabric to use!!!