The Past Few Weeks...

Consider this a catch-up post. I really do always have the best intentions of keeping up with this blog but, as we all know, life has a way of taking over. We did have a wonderful time with my Dad visiting here for three weeks before we headed back north with him at the beginning of the month.

He especially enjoyed this copy of National Geographic from April 1928, his birth month and year; gifted to him by dear friends to commemorate his 97th birthday. He was able to happily experience spring returning to North Carolina and has definitely expanded the season this year by celebrating its return to New Hampshire currently. While he visited we all delighted in the abundant fresh strawberries appearing on stands from local farms, always a most welcome treat!

We dragged him around to local nurseries too, buying plants; as I was eager to pot up flowers and ready the porches for sitting outdoors. 

This is the side porch just outside of my sewing room. The perennial garden just beyond is filling in and producing lots of new, rich, color. I have transplanted some iris which was a huge success and set in more dahlias this year. I anchored one end of the garden with a Butterfly bush given to us in memory of my mother, it is already putting forth a huge amount of buds, can't wait for that one to burst into bloom!

This Kousa Dogwood in front of our house has never been prettier than it is this year... 

...and the Spirea (Bridal Wreath) hedge has certainly put on a show as well. 

(So does our canine model 😉, always photo-ready!)

I've managed to get this bitty little May Basket pin-keep stitched and finished in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of other stitching show-and-tell at the moment.  

This is a sneak-peek of a low-volume, strip-pieced, surprise in the making. 

What will it become? Any guesses? Expect a reveal soon! 

❓

In the meantime, we're receiving plenty of good soaking rain which will only benefit every single growing thing that I've spent the past few weeks tending to. I shall return, that's a promise; I need to report on what a wonderful Mother's Day weekend we had! 

Until then... 

Life is Good!

Along The Way...

I've learned a LOT along the way while the wrist is healing. Time doesn't slow down, or stop, when one's casted. Nope, it's business as usual. Augie turned eleven months old on Wednesday! He's my best snuggle buddy and resting companion when I need that. I can tell when I've done enough for the day and it's time to lay low. Fine motor skills are slowly returning and strengthening, (I can pinch the clips together on a skirt hanger again, type on a keyboard and manage a fork to eat) gross motor skills remain good and are less painful each day (handling the vacuum cleaner, walking the dog and gently stirring or scooping with a spatula). All those crazy little mindless actions that we're used to doing countless times each day now demand respect and a level of determination. These two products have been game changers for my daily routine! This cast cover is truly waterproof and easy to put on and take off by myself. I found that I couldn't manage a regular blow dryer and round brush, the dryer was too heavy, it was impossible and frustrating. A friend recommended a hairdryer/brush combination. It is lightweight, easy to maneuver with one hand, and does a great job of drying and styling at the same time, which makes it an enormous time-saver; win-win! Who knew? To be honest, the hardest time of day for me has been getting ready first thing (showering, doing hair, dressing myself); it's easier with these two items but I'm still rejoicing after those tasks are completed and ready to tackle anything else! 😉 One-week-after X-rays revealed the cracked bone remaining in alignment, it's all good. Three more weeks of being casted, you can believe that I'm counting the days!

To pass the time I have organized my embroidery floss by brand and type. Something I have wanted needed to do but never wanted to stop and take the time to accomplish. Now it's done.

Our Stitch Club met here and this fella thought that Quiltkeemosabe's tote bag made the most comfortable bed. They came bearing books and magazines which have been great to peruse this past week while I'm healing; such a welcome way to while away a few hours. 

The kitchen re-do project continues with backsplash. We loved this herringbone pattern, the tiles are 1" X 3". Apparently they're a BEAR to cut. 😬

But they sure are pretty up on the wall. Grouting and sealing happen will next.

We had our two grandchildren last weekend. 

Gregory did a fine job as a stand-in acolyte at church.

In an effort to do less physical activities we watched movies together Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon; it's a BIG challenge to find something that an almost 13 year old and an nearly 11 year old haven't seen before, but is also is appropriate and grabs their interest. These were all good ones! I've got more to share in the next few days. I hope to try some machine piecing over this weekend and may get back to the longarm too; we'll see. Life moves on, a day at a time, and if we're lucky we learn new things along the way; it's all good.

Life is Good!

Sister Stitcher

If you remember from last week, our youngest granddaughter was eager to learn hand embroidery. She came and stayed a few days with us; guess what was first and foremost on her list of things to do! In this photo she's exhibiting all of the basic stitches that she accomplished on day one: running stitch, backstitch, split stitch, chain stitch, satin stitch, lazy daisy, fishbone and, finally, French knots (those were the hardest). She was still smiling when she asked if she could move on to a "real" embroidery. The little kit she worked from had a stamped floral design but she opted, instead, for a puppy dog that I had in a book of redwork patterns. There were a few other things to do in between her stitching sessions. 

She's a home schooler, there was classwork to do. Augie was never far away from her.

There were also piano lessons to practice.

She accompanied me on a trip to the library, too. 

But otherwise, from early morning... (look at where her buddy hung out)

...until after dark, she persevered on her stitchery piece. 

That ta-da! moment that we all love!

We turned her cute little project into a small pillow, 

look at that smile; she was so proud.

Welcome to the Stitching Sisterhood, Lynnleigh!

Life is Good!

And, if this little story could get any sweeter, 

she gave this to her brother when she returned back home. 

If Your Life Were A Quilt...

...what would it look like?  Think about that for a second. Would it be bright all over or would it contain dark areas? Would it have mistakes, inconsistent stitches, small rips and tears that may have been mended (or not), star points missing here and there or would it be perfect? Would each block be similar or would there be variety? What would your life-as-a-quilt reveal?  I recently attended a memorial service for a friend's mother; her name was Zelma. My friend, Carla, is a fellow church member, the service was held in our church. Carla's Mom was a quilter, at age 97 she still stitched every single day, right up until she was hospitalized earlier this year. Carla told me that her Mom would rise in the morning and go straight away to her sewing machine, (like it was her job!) she'd piece quilt tops all day long. She donated countless quilt tops to charitable causes throughout her lifetime and, to this day, has left over 100 quilt tops stacked neatly in a cupboard outside of her bedroom. Our Pastor's memorial sermon has stayed with me. I share those words below, with his permission. It should be noted that this Memorial Service was held on National Quilting Day, I am sure that Zelma was smiling from her Heavenly home with that knowledge. 

Memorial Sermon

I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful

and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat

and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.

There’s a particular love that one knows when they receive a

handmade quilt from someone. Chances are, somewhere in our

homes tucked away in a closet, we all have a quilt we received a

long time ago from someone who made it for us out of love. And if

this quilt is handmade, we know it isn’t just something to keep us

warm, but it’s a treasured item, one that carries

memories-stitched together out of care for us.

Those who knew Zelma Rohde in her life with us know how much

she loved to quilt, a gift she has undoubtedly passed down to her

daughter Carla. And in this love of quilting, there’s so much we

can learn about Zelma’s life and the kind of person she is. To quilt

for someone is to labor in love and express....in precise,

hand-stitched detail...what that person means to you.

If the life of Zelma was sewn into a quilt and spread out before us,

what would we see? I imagine we would see something

resembling our first reading in Ecclesiastes: For everything there

is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

Zelma’s life quilt would undoubtedly be large and thick, because

Zelma lived a long and full life with us. And now, as we look back

on this full life of Zelma, we can see all the times and seasons of

her life as one, beautiful, stitched-together masterpiece.

Zelma’s quilt begins with fabric of her time to be born, and today

we remember it has received its final stitch in her time to die.

But between the first and last stitch of a quilt, there is so much

that happens in between. In Zelma’s life, she had times to plant,

and times to pluck up what was planted.

It’s my understanding that along with quilting, Zelma was an avid

gardener. And I’ve learned that gardening can teach anyone who

puts effort into it important virtues...primarily patience. And from

this we know Zelma knew patience, when to reap the rewards of

her labor, and when to have just a little more patience to see her

projects through.

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time

to build up.

If this life quilt of Zelma were honest, it wouldn’t shy away from

stitching together the difficult times and seasons. Seasons in

Zelma’s life when things were dark, when she needed her own

healing. But we would also see a rich tapestry of the seasons

when she was there to build someone up in love and

encouragement.

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time

to dance.

When we remember the life of Zelma, it’s only natural to

remember both the times of joy and the times of hardship.

Memories of laughing with her, and maybe even weeping with her.

But like a quilt of many colors, those dark times bring out a

boldness in the bright colors of her laughter and joy. Because it is

in these times when we see the love of her Lord, Jesus Christ

most perfected in her.

A time to seek, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to

cast away; A time to tear, and a time to sew.

The memory of Zelma full life, and the lives of all our faithfully

departed, cause us to reflect on our own, incomplete lives. Today,

we observe the life quilt of Zelma after receiving its final stitch, but

each of us have our own life quilts that are still being sewn and

stitched together. And one day, just like today for Zelma, those

closest to us will look back on all the stitches and fabrics of our

life.

At first, this might make us nervous to think about...every stitch?

What about the bad stitches in my life? What if there are fabrics in

my past that I’ve completely ruined?

Let us remember how Zelma sought to fix her stitches - through

the correcting, love of Jesus Christ, who has labored in love for us

and expressed....in precise, hand-stitched detail...what we mean

to Him upon the cross.

Zelma trusted Jesus to tear away the ruined fabric from her quilt

and sew back the perfect cloth of His righteousness. And now, by

faith in Him, Zelma lives on in His Resurrection from the dead.

In the same way, we can trust in Jesus to stitch His mercy in us in

those places we may need it most.

As we remember the life of Zelma, let us see her life as a quilt

God has stitched together out of love for us. Her life is one that

will always keep us warm in times of hardship, and it will always

carry memories stitched together by the grace of her maker and

Savior: Jesus Christ, her Lord, Amen.

- Reverend Matt Knuppel

Grace Lutheran Church

18 March 2023

And so, if YOUR life is arrayed to the world as a quilt, what will it reveal about you? I pray that my life's quilt will display rich, happy colors. I hope it will show that I gave good effort and always tried to do my best, that my life was one lived in faith; and, also, like Zelma, that I might rise and contentedly stitch for as long as I am physically able! 

What a precious, tangible, legacy that would be!

Life is Good!

Seeing The Light

My last post was a November "wrap-up" post and today we are mid-way through the month of December; that's a good indication of the busy-ness of this season that's upon us. I'm sure it's the same at your house. I'm ordinarily very organized regimented(!) about my approach to decorating the house and preparing for Christmas. Typically, I assign a task a day in the beginning of December and then shoe-horn in all of the other extras such as baking, wrapping and card-sending. I encountered a huge stumbling block to this approach right off the bat this year. The pre-lit tree that goes up in the foyer (usually on the first Sunday in Advent), our Chrismon tree, decided to be miserly with its illumination this year, only choosing to allow a portion of the bottom third of the tree to shine. After an inordinate amount of time trying to trouble-shoot the problem Mr. Goodneedle got out his wire cutters and turned that tree into a no-longer-pre-lit version of its former self. We went out and bought strands of lights. 

Our Chrismon tree, shining brightly again in all of its glory. This task took much longer than its allotted time and was almost a week beyond my original schedule. It was right about then that I realized that this self-imposed schedule of mine was driving me crazy; (and not only me but, I'm sure Mr. G. too, although he never said anything) it was at this particular moment that I saw the light (and I'm not talking about those minis strung on the tree)! What was the rush this year? For the first time in as long as I can remember there will be no holiday hosting this year. A calm descended over me when I realized that I could carry on at a slower pace and truly enjoy these days leading up to Christmas 2020, I don't know that I've ever enjoyed the process more! 

In the days since my "awakening" I've slowly placed the nativity in the dining room and put the garland on the mantle. I've become reacquainted with our nutcrackers and other collected decorative objects that only come out once a year. I've addressed and mailed all of our Christmas cards and parcels. The gifts are wrapped. Just this past Sunday our family room tree went up. It has ornaments representing our lives together since we were married: (and even some from my childhood) our children, our grandchildren, places we've lived and friends and family who are no longer with us. It was cherished time on Sunday placing each treasure on the tree. 

This is the first ornament we hung as a married couple, back when our tree was small and the ornaments were sparse. 💓

And, this year, I've had time to sew- a Christmas (for display next year) quilt! I have enjoyed every moment spent on this one. These are the blocks of the day that Moda introduced in October, the Stitch Pink initiative; I chose to stitch mine up in Christmas fabrics, Moda's "Naughty or Nice"  fabric collection.

I was in love with the little elves...

...and tucked them in wherever I could!  I chose to make this wall quilt square and only used the patterns for the first twenty five blocks, but I have them all downloaded and in a notebook. I've decided to do the same with their current Winter Frost sew-along. Today's snowman block is simply adorable!

While I was stitching and joining the blocks another tumbler quilt was growing under my needle, leader-ender style. I've got a head start on donation quilts for next year already. How many projects can you work on at one time? I suppose, if I'm being honest, I'd have to say that I'm working on three right now- consecutively. 

Somehow, this cute and fun little scrappy is clamoring for attention too! Isn't it a-MAZE-ing? I've decided that I'm going to make a huge stack of these blocks and let the grandchildren assemble them on the design wall; won't they like that? Anything that makes a dent in the overflowing scrap bins makes me happy~ and sew on and sew on.  Lots more has been going on around Chez Goodneedle too, including some really fun adventures. I can't remember a time when I've actually sat and spent time sewing in December before this year, the leisurely pace comforts and sustains me. Baking is on today's agenda. Stay tuned; rest assured that all is well and that there's a wonderful peace attached to opening one's eyes and seeing the light!

It's just taken me forever to realize that!

Life is Good!

Christmas Stitching

Don't ask me where the time has disappeared to since my last post, I honestly don't know; it seems like just yesterday I was putting away the dishes after Thanksgiving and here we are clear through Advent and today is Christmas eve! I've been busy adding stitches to many things, all in preparation. As you can see from this photo on the left, I stuck to the challenge and finished the table topper on time to get it on our kitchen table in time for Christmas, never has a project brought more immense frustration; which makes the reward all the greater! I was bound and determined to see this one through and I did it!

I backed it with the vintage Santa print, it had been shelved in the stash closet for decades, it's just perfect! There's been lots of Christmas stitching going on this week, I cannot share it today as it has been for Christmas gifts that haven't been given yet; but stay tuned! Yes, just like that-- it's here!

Wishing you all the peace, love and blessings that this day can hold.

Life is Good!

Up next: Christmas!