What I've Been Missing...

Like so many other quilters, I, too, was counting myself as one who'd recently returned to the world of counted cross stitch. (If you follow the blogs you know, cross stitch converts are everywhere!) I didn't go back all that willingly, if the truth were to be told; but, rather, hesitantly. I truly wasn't sure if I wanted to commit time to to hand embroidery all over again. Last Christmas Quiltkeemosabe made me up a little "kit" and introduced me to stitching on linen, over "two"; this was new to me and I had fun stitching up two sampler-style minis. I thoroughly enjoyed that! Hmmm, I thought, why did I ever abandon something that I derived so much pleasure from years ago? I purchased a few charts, bought all the called-for threads and dug out some old supplies. I was back in business, or so I thought. I struggled. A few stitches were placed, here and there, but it was much too easy to pack up and walk away from. Then, Quilkeemosabe and I began talking about thread drops. This concept was new to me. They were so cute, and colorful, and "dangly"; maybe that's what I need, I thought. She brought a nifty winding stick to show me, one more thing that I thought I required (floss is wrapped and cut for placement in the drops, making all the lengths uniform and even more attractive!); I became re-nenergized on the spot. 

I ordered tags and bought a hole punch to create my own "drops".

Mr. Goodneedle made me my very own winding stick, using Quiltkeemosabe's as a model. I was now out of excuses. I had the linen, all my flosses for the next project wrapped, organized and looking pretty but I still lacked the enthusiasm to stitch more than a few minutes before abandoning a now, more appealing (or so I thought), seasonal project. I wondered what was wrong with me. Was I truly returning to cross stitch or simply going through the motions? Around this time my glasses broke, they were pronounced unrepairable by my eye doctor. Luckily, I had an eye exam already scheduled anyway, and now, after that mishap, I'd be ordering new glasses. Well, as luck would have it, (if breaking my glasses could have been fortuitous) my prescription had changed; the timing was absolutely perfect! My doctor told me that the new glasses might take some getting used to because the prescription change wasn't a minor one. I picked up my new glasses on Monday. Oh! My!! Goodness!!!

This has happened since then, and I'm completely in love with stitching all over again! What was the problem? It wasn't that I was unorganized or working on an out of season project that didn't thrill me, I was struggling because I couldn't see clearly and didn't even know that I'd been missing! This had happened so gradually over time that I didn't even realize the difference! I've been marveling all week!

"I can see clearly now the rain is gone (current forecast not withstanding)

I can see all obstacles in my way...

it's going to be a bright sunshiny day!"

Life is Good!

So Much More!

This is the chancel in our new church home. A few weeks ago, when we were moving in and preparing for Holy Week services and the like it became obvious that there wasn't enough space on the altar for the addition of altar flowers. In our congregation, members sign up for particular Sundays to donate and bring in altar flowers to the glory of God for the worship service. I mentioned to Mr. Goodneedle that, possibly, a shelf could be added on the wall on either side of the altar table to accommodate vases for that purpose. This is what I had in my mind:

He agreed to see what he could do. I heard him down in the workshop crafting what I thought to be two simple shelves over the last week and a half but never ventured down there to look at the progress. 

In the meantime, donors simply placed their floral offerings on the floor in front of the pulpit and lectern. It was lovely. 

Last week, just before we drove east in the state in search of annuals and outdoor plants, Mr. G. brought this up and set it on the counter in the kitchen to ask me if this was what I had in mind for the "platform." In all honesty, I had no IDEA what he was taking about! He said, "yes you do, for the flowers at church!" I was confused because this was so very different from what had been in my head, it was SO MUCH MORE than a simple shelf! I was so far away from his vision for the very same thing!

Before we left for church on Saturday afternoon to install these on the wall I snapped this photo, I was truly amazed and surprised at how lovely they were! Not amazed and surprised at the workmanship or attention to detail, not at all; when my sweet husband sets his mind to something it always exceeds my expectations! But, my surprise came from what had originally taken root in my own mind, an image of a perfectly adequate, yet lowly, shelf. I would have been content with that and, I feel certain, that our congregation would have embraced that too; however, something SO MUCH MORE has taken shape and was ready to serve its purpose in that sacred space! Isn't this really a lesson in our own personal relationship with Jesus? How many times do we, as Christians, have in our own minds what that relationship looks like and feel content that we're living up to what Christ expects? And yet, doesn't Jesus expect SO MUCH MORE? He knows us inside and out, so much better and more intimately; isn't it possible that we think our simple "shelf" of a relationship is adequate when he sees deeper and envisions a finely crafted platform within each of us? Who is getting cheated?

This was the chancel space yesterday morning. I am so very proud of my husband, his hard work and dedication in seeing his beautiful vision become a reality will grace this church for years to come. I won't ever look upon these platforms again without thinking about true potential. Am I content to be where I am, who I am, in Christ right now? A simple shelf that merely gets the job done? I hope that I'm not! Through faith I understand that there's SO MUCH MORE, and I'm grateful today for wider vison.

Thanks be to God!

      Life is Good!    

2020 Round Up

Here's just a sampling of quilts done this year. My guiding word for the year was "VISION". Vision to see clearly: to look at what I had on hand and how I could utilize my stash to make and finish up more quilts. In addition to these (above) I have a sizable queue of  "to be quilteds" ready to go when the much anticipated roll of batting (finally) arrives. 

Early in January I rolled out the die cutter and made piles of neatly cut usable shapes from the scrap basket. I had plenty to work with and utilized much of what is contained in these stacks as the projects were completed and checked off. I'm pleased with what I accomplished. Actually, when I went back to pull pictures from each month I am even a little surprised at how much I got done. The one thing, naturally, that I never saw coming when I chose the word was a pandemic and a stay at home order. That did up the productivity considerably around here. These quilts (above) were the keepers. 

There were also donation quilts. And there were masks...and masks... and masks. Just a few:

There were many other gifts sewn and from-scratch baking was done, my bread machine saw more service this past year than it has in the last five. I did more quilting for friends this year than I've ever done. Reading became a highlight too: D.EA.R. (Drop Everything And Read) time became a precedent in the late afternoon every day. And SEW it continues... right down to the wire as this year comes to a close. I'm still working out of my stash, I will finish up at least one more scrappy donation quilt before the ball drops on New Year's.  I'm already working on carefully choosing a new guiding word for 2021. I hope to be able to equally diligent going forward with that endeavor, it's an exciting prospect. Wish me luck.

Life is Good!

Sweet Sixteen

Sweet Sixteen ~ 65" X 80"

My guiding word for 2020 is "VISION"; the vision to see what's right in front of me-- namely, projects already begun and loads and loads of pre-cut pieces leftovers saved from other quilts (scraps!). Little did I know that the state of the current health pandemic would offer me nothing but time at home to realize that vision. This completed flimsy is off the design wall and created straight from the Scrap User bins. I've named it Sweet Sixteen in honor (and memory of) this year's now cancelled NCAA basketball tournament. The pattern is free, found here: Perfectly Scrappy 16-Patch.

In  light of our current state of the world it's uplifting to focus on some happy colors and have some control over something, even if it's only placing squares and triangles together in a pleasing way. I'm currently sewing together scrappy pieced "geese" and watching "Anne With An "E" on my tablet as I stitch.  I suppose these impromptu blocks might signify constant directional changes going on around me, I might just call this one "Which Way Now?". I do wish you all a PIECEFUL day today, what are you taking control of in your own sewing space?

Adapting to current changes today involves complying with a government issued STAY AT HOME order locally unless traveling to work at an essential business or to procure necessities. This order will take place beginning tomorrow and will be enforced until the 16th of April.  For us, this really doesn't look any different from the way Mr. G and I have been living the last two weeks anyway, but there's something scary and unsettling in contemplating how fast this has escalated. 

Stay safe, my friends; wash your hands🧼!

"Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!" -Psalm 31:24

Life is Good! 

Up next: Fabric Shopping Frenzy

Field of View

Thank you for your kind words and keen insight regarding yesterday's post; only God knows what the future holds and that's a very good thing! Many times the best surprises are just beyond what's in our immediate view, we tend to focus on what's right directly in front of us rather than expanding our target and looking beyond, at the bigger picture. Just think about everything that we would miss is we failed to broaden our vision. This is the scene outside my sewing room this morning: an absolutely perfect reminder of exactly what lies just beyond a limited field of view!

Life is Good!

On this, the fourteenth day of November, I am thankful for visual reminders of God's constant care and abiding love.

Jackstones

Jackstones

I have an ongoing love affair with Low Volume fabrics; my burgeoning collection was begging to be used, or at least some of it was, it's hard for me to cut it up. Anyway, after Bible Study on Monday Quiltkeemosabe sent me a link for website tutorial on "X" or Hummingbird blocks, thinking I might be able to use the technique on next month's block assignment. Well, as sometimes happens, I decided to experiment with a few larger blocks. The tutorial requires an EZ Dresden ruler to cut the wedge shapes, I didn't have one but I did have a 9 degree wedge and pulled out some brights to pair with the LVs, I had this pretty 10" block stitched up lickety-split.  I really liked the effect. I decided to make a few more blocks (of course I did!) and stitch them together to get a good idea of how they would appear set block to block, they reminded me of playing jackstones on the concrete porch floor in the summer when I was a little girl.

One thing leads to another and I tried auditioning the reverse block on the outside as a possible border option. You see how these trains can become runaways in no time?

It was okay, but it wasn't as great as I had imagined. 

I found the larger, brighter triangles to be too distracting.

I had some pale gray shot-cotton in the stash closet... "I wonder" I said out loud...and I set to cutting. Yes, that was exactly what I had in mind for this idea! I still have a LOT of planning to do: size being the main consideration; from there I will know how many pieces to cut. A plan is a wondrous thing! But, for now, this is but the seed for a larger quilt-to-be; one that harkens back to long, lazy summer days playing jackstones with a little red rubber ball on a smooth, cool concrete floor. Isn't that what summer is all about; taking the time to have some fun... playing a little? If the first thing you do doesn't excite you, feel free to scrap it and move on. In this case, I am SEW happy that I did just that! Don't worry about those border units I have removed, one can't ever have too many potholders, can they?

Life is Good!

Sight Vs. Vision

My husband and I see things differently, well maybe we SEE things the same way but we certainly have different VISION. My husband looks at this and sees a neatly folded stack of fabric while I can see a most beautiful Christmas quilt begging to be born.

I look at this and see logs while he can see the magnificent bowls and vessels within!
Seeing is one thing, vision is something different altogether!

Life is Good!

I See 700!

Do you remember the Magic Eye craze? We found a book of Magic Eye postcards that belonged to our son when we were cleaning out the attic. I remember both of our children studying those images by placing them right up against their noses and then slowly drawing the page back until the 3D image appeared. I had trouble seeing what they did, I do admit to a bit of 'Emperor's New Clothes' thinking at the time and going along with their findings as a way of escaping what I felt was visual torture. I would squint and cock my head one way, then another, but all I could ever see was a blurry image of the cluttered page before me. I can clearly see those hidden images now. What's changed? The pages and the pictures are the same as they were back in 1994. Have I opened my same old eyes to new possibilities? Perhaps I have, what an exciting outlook! This post is number 700, a milestone. I have a former giveaway debt, as of yet, still unpaid. I will settle that one (hear that, Kiddo?) and offer another one here today in celebration of this occasion. I will be drawing a random name from comments to this post on Saturday, August 15, and offering a handcrafted, personalized, patchwork journal (similar to this one, but with YOUR initial!) to the winner. Thanks for stopping by, thanks for taking the time to see what I see; even if you do feel the need to squint and cock your head every now and then.

Life is Good!