Wait Time...

There is a great lesson to be learned here. I am a little short in the patience department and I know, that as a child of God, I continue to be a work in progress... every day of my life. The words that are especially important in this quote, for me, are "active waiting" and "enduring".  I tend to ask for patience in the form of a prayer something like this: "please grant me patience to... (insert whatever)..." and then am repeatedly disappointed when patience isn't instantaneous! Groan. So, as I learn to wait actively, and endure that active wait time well, my prayer is evolving; nowadays it sounds more like this, focusing on what is key: "please be patient with me, God; I know that you hear every prayer of my heart and that your timing is always perfect. Help me to grow stronger in my faith as I endure wait time and open my eyes and heart with gratitude for what unfolds as I do."

...and then, there was this, 

popping it's head up through the pine needles... 

the Sweet Variegated Iris that I planted

last spring and had totally forgotten about.

Life is Good!   

Worth The Wait

It's done... at long last! Don't ever give up on long-abandoned projects. This table topper is a prime example. The hand embroidery on this piece was begun in 1975; it languished, all but forgotten, for many years until it was rediscovered approximately five years ago. I persevered with the handwork; month after month, as time allowed, until it was completed. In late April I picked it up off the "to quilt" pile and loaded it onto Sundance. I finished the binding in the car last week. This makes me smile and serves as a reminder that all things we love, in due time, are worth even the longest wait.

Life is Good!

Saving Up To Tell Time...

My husband and I went Christmas shopping on Wednesday, we planned this day trip weeks ahead, and had the BEST time. We drove to the Asheville, there was a fresh dusting of snow at the tippity top of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the sun was shining and it all combined to make one glorious day. While shopping I spied this clock, It's terrifically expensive. Sigh. I have just the spot for it in our kitchen, but I will need to start feeding the piggy bank to ever accomplish this purchase. It's large, 36" in diameter, (the clock, not the piggy) the time would be easily visible from anywhere within eyeshot. This is one of those items that, when you see it, you just KNOW it's meant to come and live with you... even if it's not for a long while. It's good to have a goal, the reward will serve to remind us that the best things are always worth the wait!

Life is Good!

A Basket Is Born, SLOWLY...

I've been working on a floor basket for Hannes' toys. After the previous basket "flop" (more of a flared-edge bowl than a basket) I have, sort of, caught on to what I did wrong and am figuring out the straight sides concept! I thought I had more than enough fabric-wrapped clothesline, it seemed like miles to me; boy, was I wrong. My requirements for the basket are 16.5" in diameter and 10 or 11 inches deep. Since I was making this up in my own head I had no idea how much clothesline would actually be needed.That's how far the basket has progressed with the line I had ready, that's 170 feet and the basket is only about four inches deep, groan. I'm hard at work again, back to wrapping more. Based on my own crack calculating skills I will need another 80 feet; but, to be on the safe side, I will wrap a full 100 foot length. Hannes was a little disappointed that he didn't have a new basket for his toys after all that activity. I told him we could finish it up right there but he'd have to get rid of about half of his stuffed animals and squeaky toys. He decided to wait it out! It's a good thing he's a patient pup, the basket-birthing process is a s-l-o-w one.

Life is Good!

I Can't Wait!

I'm not good at waiting, I'll admit that. I don't like to wait in lines (this could explain my aversion to cafeterias) or in waiting rooms or even for packages to arrive! I'm getting a new laptop to soon, it's on order, and the time spent awaiting its arrival on my doorstep is almost intolerable! When I was a little girl the wait for my birthday, and then Christmas, were the longest waits of all! If I have something to occupy myself during times of forced waiting I can manage much better. These blocks are quite old. I have been working on them since 1999. They are a portable handwork project that I drag out from time to time, dust off and carry with me when I know I'm going to be forced to sit, and wait. (I think it's always a good idea to have some unfinished handwork packed up and ready-to-go; luckily for me, this is never a problem!) Recent blogs showing "stitchery" brought this UFO to mind. I was surprised to see how many blocks I already had completed when I located this last week. I made two more blocks over the weekend while I was held captive as a passenger in the car! The redwork designs came from a book, Redwork 101 Designs by Suzanne McNeill (amazingly, it's still available!), they are ironed onto unbleached muslin. I layer a piece of red fabric over the top, both right-sides up, and baste the two squares together by machine. I draw a circle on the top fabric and cut away the top layer while reverse-appliqueing the opening to reveal the design for embroidery beneath. I then work the embroidery design with a stem stitch using two strands of floss. I found a pretty ivory and red checked fabric, folded up with the project, that I had selected for the sashing and borders, I like that as much today as I did eight years ago! I have a red scalloped applique outer border in mind and am thinking about smaller ivory circles appliqued on top of the scallops with little red lazy-daisy embroidered flowers on these smaller shapes. Doesn't that sound pretty? I'm eager to see this little cutie come to life as the quilt I've dreamed into being.

Actually, I can't wait!
Life is Good!