~Happy Valentines Day~
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
In The Blink Of An Eye...And We Ask God 'Why?'
This past week has been an intense one. It's been a roller coaster of activity and emotion. It's been a week of immense sadness and heart break. It's been a week filled with trying to come to terms with tragic loss. It's been a week of utter shock and disbelief. It's been a week of trying to reach out to help in any way possible and then not being able to reach far enough. It's been a week of asking why and not getting any answers.
On February 4, 2010 my youngest daughter in Tennessee and her husband lost his brother in a tragic car accident. It was sudden. It was unexpected. It was utterly devastating.
As I spoke with my daughter on the phone in the days that followed, all I could feel was helplessness, frustration and my heart completely breaking for their heart break, sadness and devastation. It just absolutely kills me when my kids are hurting. It's a hurt like no other and it completely consumes me. It sends me straight into the arms of Jesus begging him to please take away their pain and suffering. It reduces me to a pile of rubble at the foot of The Cross asking why them.
My son in law was intensely close with his brother. My daughter was intensely close with her brother in law and his wife. They are next door neighbors. They are the partners they worked closely with in their Duct Tape business. They are the very best of friends. My son in law's family has been part of our family since he and my daughter were in Junior High school in Tennessee. They have been together for what seems like a life time.
We take our lives for granted. We take the most important people in our lives for granted. We take the time we have here on earth for granted. We take love for granted. We fail to see how fragile and fleeting life really is and when it's suddenly gone from us, it leaves us scratching our heads in befuddlement. We feel betrayed. We feel mortally wounded in our souls. It ALWAYS leaves us asking God "why?"
It leaves us with no clear answers for the rest of our days. It leaves us with using our coping mechanisms to get by in the days that follow. It leaves us with never truly accepting that death is a part of life but each and every one of us WILL experience it in one way or another at some point(s) in our lives. It leaves us contemplating our own mortality and ultimately knowing that we will expire ourselves some day. It leaves us trying to picture what the transition from life to death will be like. It leaves us hoping that there really is a God and a Heaven and the after life is the home where we really belong. It leaves some of us hoping that there is no after life and we simply go to sleep for eternity. It leaves some of us wondering what we will be in our next life here on earth. It leaves us with immense questions and pain and confusion and anger...and worst of all, regret. It leaves us in shambles and wondering how we will ever be able to put the pieces back together again and resume life as usual.
As my kids work on accepting what has happened and getting on with life, I think of the young wife left behind and very grateful her injuries were not life threatening. I think of her contemplating what her next steps in this life will be. I think of her dealing with her grief and loneliness and feeling betrayed. I pray that God will keep her close in the next few months and comfort her in her deepest, darkest hours.
I pray for the parents and the other siblings dealing with such immense loss. All I can feel for them is that no parent should ever have to bury a child. I pray that God holds them closer than ever. I pray that their faith is not shaken and they will cling to Jesus and The Cross.
Life doesn't seem very fair sometimes. We try hard to make sense of all that takes place in our every day lives. But we're always left asking questions about why life is the way it is and never really getting clear answers. My experiences have left me taking one step at a time, one day at a time. I quit asking so many questions long ago. All it did was leave me confused and frustrated. Life is too short to spend it in a muddle.
To my dear children, I pray intensely every day for the healing of your hearts and the void you feel right now lessening as each day passes. To dear sweet Danielle, I pray for the healing of your body, mind, heart and spririt. Just know that God is never far from you. Please know that James is not gone from you. He simply has gone home to Jesus, and Jesus is keeping you wrapped in his arms.
Rest In Peace James Fitzgerald Walworth. 1982 - 2010
On February 4, 2010 my youngest daughter in Tennessee and her husband lost his brother in a tragic car accident. It was sudden. It was unexpected. It was utterly devastating.
As I spoke with my daughter on the phone in the days that followed, all I could feel was helplessness, frustration and my heart completely breaking for their heart break, sadness and devastation. It just absolutely kills me when my kids are hurting. It's a hurt like no other and it completely consumes me. It sends me straight into the arms of Jesus begging him to please take away their pain and suffering. It reduces me to a pile of rubble at the foot of The Cross asking why them.
My son in law was intensely close with his brother. My daughter was intensely close with her brother in law and his wife. They are next door neighbors. They are the partners they worked closely with in their Duct Tape business. They are the very best of friends. My son in law's family has been part of our family since he and my daughter were in Junior High school in Tennessee. They have been together for what seems like a life time.
We take our lives for granted. We take the most important people in our lives for granted. We take the time we have here on earth for granted. We take love for granted. We fail to see how fragile and fleeting life really is and when it's suddenly gone from us, it leaves us scratching our heads in befuddlement. We feel betrayed. We feel mortally wounded in our souls. It ALWAYS leaves us asking God "why?"
It leaves us with no clear answers for the rest of our days. It leaves us with using our coping mechanisms to get by in the days that follow. It leaves us with never truly accepting that death is a part of life but each and every one of us WILL experience it in one way or another at some point(s) in our lives. It leaves us contemplating our own mortality and ultimately knowing that we will expire ourselves some day. It leaves us trying to picture what the transition from life to death will be like. It leaves us hoping that there really is a God and a Heaven and the after life is the home where we really belong. It leaves some of us hoping that there is no after life and we simply go to sleep for eternity. It leaves some of us wondering what we will be in our next life here on earth. It leaves us with immense questions and pain and confusion and anger...and worst of all, regret. It leaves us in shambles and wondering how we will ever be able to put the pieces back together again and resume life as usual.
As my kids work on accepting what has happened and getting on with life, I think of the young wife left behind and very grateful her injuries were not life threatening. I think of her contemplating what her next steps in this life will be. I think of her dealing with her grief and loneliness and feeling betrayed. I pray that God will keep her close in the next few months and comfort her in her deepest, darkest hours.
I pray for the parents and the other siblings dealing with such immense loss. All I can feel for them is that no parent should ever have to bury a child. I pray that God holds them closer than ever. I pray that their faith is not shaken and they will cling to Jesus and The Cross.
Life doesn't seem very fair sometimes. We try hard to make sense of all that takes place in our every day lives. But we're always left asking questions about why life is the way it is and never really getting clear answers. My experiences have left me taking one step at a time, one day at a time. I quit asking so many questions long ago. All it did was leave me confused and frustrated. Life is too short to spend it in a muddle.
To my dear children, I pray intensely every day for the healing of your hearts and the void you feel right now lessening as each day passes. To dear sweet Danielle, I pray for the healing of your body, mind, heart and spririt. Just know that God is never far from you. Please know that James is not gone from you. He simply has gone home to Jesus, and Jesus is keeping you wrapped in his arms.
Rest In Peace James Fitzgerald Walworth. 1982 - 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Duct Work
Today’s post is not about what I’m up to at the moment. I’m not gonna drone on about the numerous crafty type projects I have under way or rattle on about recipes or opinions I may have about the world at hand. I’m not going to give you an ear full of my daily activities or what the household critters are up to or anything like that. I’m not going to talk about me – lets’ just put it that way. Today I’m here to talk about this far out, fun and fabulous new thing I discovered not so long ago.
I discovered this new thing on Etsy, quite on purpose of course because it happens to be my youngest daughter and her husbands business called ‘Ductile Designs’. They make all kinds of stuff from duct tape and sell it. It all sounds quite crazy I know but it really is a cool and very real business. And the items they make and sell are fabulous.
They started out making billfolds, wallets and neck ties. They’ve since expanded to making purses, book bags, head bands, and roses. Apparently there’s a slew of different colored duct tapes available and they cooked up all these cool things to make from it all.
They’ve been doing this for about a year now. Persistence and perseverance is starting to pay off for them. They do pretty good business and have even been able to employ extra help. They are doing their part to stimulate the economy!
They sent me some of these items for Christmas and I was blown away by what they can do with duct tape. The roses are my favorite. But I love the ties and wallets too. I’m secretly hoping for a knitting bag at some point ~ small hint ;0) I’m using the wallet they made me and I love it. It’s very practical. Very durable. And VERY pretty. The ties are very wearable. Even when my son in law was still waiting tables in the early months of their new business, his boss was so impressed with the ties, he ordered enough for the whole wait staff to wear during working hours. It was a hit with the staff and the restraunt customers.
Their latest creation is a baseball cap. I haven't seen it yet but I'm sure it's fabulous. They do custom work. They will make pretty much anything you want in the way of color and design. They're very good at doing your fave sport logo. Whatever you want, they try their best to meet your needs. Just ask and they will work with you.
These photos are just a small example of what they make and sell. To check out more go to www.myspace.com/DuctileDesigns or Etsy/DuctileDesigns. It’s all just ducky!
I couldn't resist the doing the shameless plug here. I'm pretty proud of my kids :0)
Have a knit pickin’ good day y’all!
I discovered this new thing on Etsy, quite on purpose of course because it happens to be my youngest daughter and her husbands business called ‘Ductile Designs’. They make all kinds of stuff from duct tape and sell it. It all sounds quite crazy I know but it really is a cool and very real business. And the items they make and sell are fabulous.
They started out making billfolds, wallets and neck ties. They’ve since expanded to making purses, book bags, head bands, and roses. Apparently there’s a slew of different colored duct tapes available and they cooked up all these cool things to make from it all.
They’ve been doing this for about a year now. Persistence and perseverance is starting to pay off for them. They do pretty good business and have even been able to employ extra help. They are doing their part to stimulate the economy!
They sent me some of these items for Christmas and I was blown away by what they can do with duct tape. The roses are my favorite. But I love the ties and wallets too. I’m secretly hoping for a knitting bag at some point ~ small hint ;0) I’m using the wallet they made me and I love it. It’s very practical. Very durable. And VERY pretty. The ties are very wearable. Even when my son in law was still waiting tables in the early months of their new business, his boss was so impressed with the ties, he ordered enough for the whole wait staff to wear during working hours. It was a hit with the staff and the restraunt customers.
Their latest creation is a baseball cap. I haven't seen it yet but I'm sure it's fabulous. They do custom work. They will make pretty much anything you want in the way of color and design. They're very good at doing your fave sport logo. Whatever you want, they try their best to meet your needs. Just ask and they will work with you.
These photos are just a small example of what they make and sell. To check out more go to www.myspace.com/DuctileDesigns or Etsy/DuctileDesigns. It’s all just ducky!
I couldn't resist the doing the shameless plug here. I'm pretty proud of my kids :0)
Have a knit pickin’ good day y’all!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Hello Again
Hi there people! It's been a long time. The time for me to post is LOOOOOOOOOONG overdue. So I'm here today ready to jump in with both feet and get this blog train rolling again!
The last time I posted was Thanksgiving. Even that was short and sweet. The holiday season was busy on this end and it left little time for blogging and certain other things of that nature. But the holidays were good here and it's nice that things have finally slowed down to the point that I can actually think about other things besides the daily grind.
I stayed busy with crafting. The week before Thanksgiving I started making Christmas Tree decorations for our tree as we had to start from scratch in the Christmas decoration department. That was great fun. It has long been a tradition in my family to make tree decor and that's something I've carried on with proudly through the years. It mainly has to do with LOTS of poster board, glitter and glue - and lots of patience. I managed to get a tree full of stuff made and then some: the 'then some' was extra stuff I made to send to my daughters in Tennessee and Florida. I'm still working on glitter creations as I've vowed never again to wait until Christmas time to start playing in the glitter. It will forever (or for as long as I'm able) be an ongoing process year round. It was just too much fun to box up and put away for another year.
I have several glitter things in the works to ship off to family in Texas and Arizona. These things will probably be a 'Christmas in July' completion and the recipients hopefully will be happy to have a little taste of the Christmas spirit in the middle of the summer heat. I was very pleased with what I completed and everyone else seemed to be also.
I also made Raggedy Ann's and Andy's out the wazzoo! I love making the Raggedies. Have been doing it for going on 30 years now. It never gets old or wears itself out. I love the timelessness of the classic Raggedy Dolls. The patterns for them have changed some through the years. But no matter the changes, I keep the clothes and faces as close to the original as possible. The only pattern company that produces the Raggedy pattern now is Simplicity. And I ran the gamut of pattern companies searching in the fabric stores and online. I had to purchase a new one and was somewhat disappointed with what I found. I used to use a McCalls pattern that I loved and bought repeatedly through the years as I would wear them out. But McCalls doesn't make it any longer.
What I found in the new pattern was the lack of iron on transfers for the embroidery of the facial features and the little heart on the chest. McCalls always included yellow iron on transfers for the embroidery. I used tracing paper under a self modified facial pattern instead. Also, the eyes have changed for fabric painting purposes. It also came with instructions to make a 'wig' to be sewn on for the hair instead of the classic sewing in of the yarn along predetermined lines marked throughout the scalp directly on the doll head. The pinafore has changed from a classic sash being sewn across the width creating the ties in the back to elastic being run through a casing. I tried these new pattern changes with the first doll I made and didn't like most of the results. So I revised the pattern enough to reflect the classic elements: an embroidered face instead of painted: the classic zigzag under-eyelash instead of the star burst type eyelashes surrounding the eyes. I did keep the elastic in the pinafore as this is a time saving effort and I do like the look of it. I also drew the lines on the scalp to sew in the hair. I made a wig with the first one and DID NOT like the look...and what a pain to make!
The ~best~ change to the new pattern was Andy's hat. The old pattern had me setting a top into the brim and the new pattern has me adding the brim to the top. Doesn't sound like much as I'm explaining it here but it is quite the difference when working with the pattern. Also the new hat is a little taller so it can actually be seen when looking at a front view of the doll. The old hat was rather short and couldn't really be seen from the front because of all the fluffy hair. You had to turn the doll to the backside to see it.
I completed several dolls the way I wanted them and they were a big hit for little ones at Christmas and recent birthdays. The Raggedies will be another year round project. I have lots of family with lots of little ones...and the birth of more in the summer. So the Raggedies will be a staple of this old gals perpetual repertoire.
I haven't done any knitting since the first part of October. I had some health issues to deal with and it kind of threw a wrench in the works where the knitting was concerned. For a while I was too sick to mess with it. By the time I felt well enough to do it again, I lost interest and haven't picked it up since. I picked up the sewing and the quilting again instead.
I have lots of knitting UFO's and am getting the itch to pick up the needles again. I need to finish all the stuff I've started before I take on new projects. But spring yarn catalogs are arriving and it makes me nuts wanting to dabble in new(er) knitted projects. I swear knitting is a disease. It's a lot like Alcoholism: It's easy to say I can put it down any time I want, but the need to do new and exciting things almost always takes over and I'm addicted again. Is there a twelve step program out there for knit-a-holics? Or quilt-a-holics for that matter? Or glitter ornament-a-holics? Or crochet-a-holics? Or Raggedy-a-holics? And numerous other craft-a-holic type stuff? Cuz if there is, I need a sponsor(s)!!!!!
On to other things~ A couple of weeks ago we made a whirl wind trip to the heart of the Pocono's in PA to visit my daughter and her family from Florida. Her husband had a job interview there and we jumped at the chance to make the six hour drive to see them. I saw my grand babies. It was soooooooo great. They're growing so fast and am keeping my fingers crossed (and everything else I can cross) that the son-in-law gets an offer and they move closer. Tampa Florida is a twenty two hour ride and something I can't do. So having them so much closer would be fabulous.
My Grandson Ayden, My Daughter Anna, and My Grandaughter Chloe Amidst Chloe Birthday mess!
In other news, my sister in Texas found out a few weeks ago that she's expecting again. Normally this would have been kind of run of the mill news in our family as the vast majority of the family females are Fertile Myrtles and seem to pop out babies like Pez dispensers. But my sisters' case is a little different.
First of all, this was completely unexpected and totally took her and her hubby by surprise. She thought she was DONE eight years ago. Secondly, she turned 45 this past December. She thinks she's too old for such a thing again...and her doc told her point blank that her eggs are old and that makes her high risk (doctors really have a way of making you feel good about yourself, don't they?). And thirdly, for her, getting pregnant was always a huge effort and never came easily. She has a daughter who's 22 and another who just turned 8. The 14 year gap between the first two was a big deal back then. The 8 year gap between the second two isn't as big, but big enough to keep my sister raising kids until well into her 60's. So by the time it's all said and done she will have spent 40+ years raising kids. Not that that's a bad thing mind you, but she was kinda looking forward to getting the eight year old raised and off on her own so that dear Sis could spend her golden years in some peace and quiet!
The best news is that Sis is healthy and the baby is too. Last week she had another intensive Ultra Sound and an amnio to look for Downs Syndrome and a couple of other things. All her tests came back with good results. She's now comfortable with and accepting of the idea and is looking forward to it. She's not so frightened any longer. She also found out it's another girl. She's thrilled. She loves the girlie stuff. Me too. Gets my brain to churning bout quilts and stuff! But I'm partial to little boys too...as I have three of each. She's due in June...just when the Texas heat has pretty much set in. But Central Texas heat starts to rear it's ugly head in March. Add storm season to that March through June and it makes for a rockin' good time y'all! :\ It can make for a pretty miserable pregnancy. Sitting under the the A.C. is bout all anyone in that condition can do.
But we're all happy everyone is OK and are looking forward to the new addition late spring.
In my absence from Blogger in the form of an author, I did keep up with what everybody else in blogland has been up to these last couple of months. It was so much fun to see your creations and families and fun. There were even a few sad moments out there. But I did read you all every time you posted and have been kept apprised of whats going on outside my four walls. It's always inspiring to me to see what you do in your daily lives on the home front and the creative front. Blogger is such a great thing.
In the near future, I will be setting up an Etsy shop as I have lots of things I want to put out there. My daughter and her husband in Tennessee use Etsy for their duct tape creations (Ductile Designs) and have great success with it. It has inspired me to expand my own creative efforts and show the world what I have going on. I will post here at some point the date of the opening of my Etsy. I'm so excited!
It's soooooooo good to be back here and have the creative juices flowing again, both figuratively and for real. I feel human again.
Valentines Day is sneaking up on us fast...and Easter is too. And then Summer. Oh where do I find eight arms and hands and 47 hours in a day to get it all done? I can hardly wait to figure it all out!
Have a knit pickin' good day y'all!
The last time I posted was Thanksgiving. Even that was short and sweet. The holiday season was busy on this end and it left little time for blogging and certain other things of that nature. But the holidays were good here and it's nice that things have finally slowed down to the point that I can actually think about other things besides the daily grind.
I stayed busy with crafting. The week before Thanksgiving I started making Christmas Tree decorations for our tree as we had to start from scratch in the Christmas decoration department. That was great fun. It has long been a tradition in my family to make tree decor and that's something I've carried on with proudly through the years. It mainly has to do with LOTS of poster board, glitter and glue - and lots of patience. I managed to get a tree full of stuff made and then some: the 'then some' was extra stuff I made to send to my daughters in Tennessee and Florida. I'm still working on glitter creations as I've vowed never again to wait until Christmas time to start playing in the glitter. It will forever (or for as long as I'm able) be an ongoing process year round. It was just too much fun to box up and put away for another year.
I have several glitter things in the works to ship off to family in Texas and Arizona. These things will probably be a 'Christmas in July' completion and the recipients hopefully will be happy to have a little taste of the Christmas spirit in the middle of the summer heat. I was very pleased with what I completed and everyone else seemed to be also.
I also made Raggedy Ann's and Andy's out the wazzoo! I love making the Raggedies. Have been doing it for going on 30 years now. It never gets old or wears itself out. I love the timelessness of the classic Raggedy Dolls. The patterns for them have changed some through the years. But no matter the changes, I keep the clothes and faces as close to the original as possible. The only pattern company that produces the Raggedy pattern now is Simplicity. And I ran the gamut of pattern companies searching in the fabric stores and online. I had to purchase a new one and was somewhat disappointed with what I found. I used to use a McCalls pattern that I loved and bought repeatedly through the years as I would wear them out. But McCalls doesn't make it any longer.
What I found in the new pattern was the lack of iron on transfers for the embroidery of the facial features and the little heart on the chest. McCalls always included yellow iron on transfers for the embroidery. I used tracing paper under a self modified facial pattern instead. Also, the eyes have changed for fabric painting purposes. It also came with instructions to make a 'wig' to be sewn on for the hair instead of the classic sewing in of the yarn along predetermined lines marked throughout the scalp directly on the doll head. The pinafore has changed from a classic sash being sewn across the width creating the ties in the back to elastic being run through a casing. I tried these new pattern changes with the first doll I made and didn't like most of the results. So I revised the pattern enough to reflect the classic elements: an embroidered face instead of painted: the classic zigzag under-eyelash instead of the star burst type eyelashes surrounding the eyes. I did keep the elastic in the pinafore as this is a time saving effort and I do like the look of it. I also drew the lines on the scalp to sew in the hair. I made a wig with the first one and DID NOT like the look...and what a pain to make!
The ~best~ change to the new pattern was Andy's hat. The old pattern had me setting a top into the brim and the new pattern has me adding the brim to the top. Doesn't sound like much as I'm explaining it here but it is quite the difference when working with the pattern. Also the new hat is a little taller so it can actually be seen when looking at a front view of the doll. The old hat was rather short and couldn't really be seen from the front because of all the fluffy hair. You had to turn the doll to the backside to see it.
I completed several dolls the way I wanted them and they were a big hit for little ones at Christmas and recent birthdays. The Raggedies will be another year round project. I have lots of family with lots of little ones...and the birth of more in the summer. So the Raggedies will be a staple of this old gals perpetual repertoire.
I haven't done any knitting since the first part of October. I had some health issues to deal with and it kind of threw a wrench in the works where the knitting was concerned. For a while I was too sick to mess with it. By the time I felt well enough to do it again, I lost interest and haven't picked it up since. I picked up the sewing and the quilting again instead.
I have lots of knitting UFO's and am getting the itch to pick up the needles again. I need to finish all the stuff I've started before I take on new projects. But spring yarn catalogs are arriving and it makes me nuts wanting to dabble in new(er) knitted projects. I swear knitting is a disease. It's a lot like Alcoholism: It's easy to say I can put it down any time I want, but the need to do new and exciting things almost always takes over and I'm addicted again. Is there a twelve step program out there for knit-a-holics? Or quilt-a-holics for that matter? Or glitter ornament-a-holics? Or crochet-a-holics? Or Raggedy-a-holics? And numerous other craft-a-holic type stuff? Cuz if there is, I need a sponsor(s)!!!!!
On to other things~ A couple of weeks ago we made a whirl wind trip to the heart of the Pocono's in PA to visit my daughter and her family from Florida. Her husband had a job interview there and we jumped at the chance to make the six hour drive to see them. I saw my grand babies. It was soooooooo great. They're growing so fast and am keeping my fingers crossed (and everything else I can cross) that the son-in-law gets an offer and they move closer. Tampa Florida is a twenty two hour ride and something I can't do. So having them so much closer would be fabulous.
My Grandson Ayden, My Daughter Anna, and My Grandaughter Chloe Amidst Chloe Birthday mess!In other news, my sister in Texas found out a few weeks ago that she's expecting again. Normally this would have been kind of run of the mill news in our family as the vast majority of the family females are Fertile Myrtles and seem to pop out babies like Pez dispensers. But my sisters' case is a little different.
First of all, this was completely unexpected and totally took her and her hubby by surprise. She thought she was DONE eight years ago. Secondly, she turned 45 this past December. She thinks she's too old for such a thing again...and her doc told her point blank that her eggs are old and that makes her high risk (doctors really have a way of making you feel good about yourself, don't they?). And thirdly, for her, getting pregnant was always a huge effort and never came easily. She has a daughter who's 22 and another who just turned 8. The 14 year gap between the first two was a big deal back then. The 8 year gap between the second two isn't as big, but big enough to keep my sister raising kids until well into her 60's. So by the time it's all said and done she will have spent 40+ years raising kids. Not that that's a bad thing mind you, but she was kinda looking forward to getting the eight year old raised and off on her own so that dear Sis could spend her golden years in some peace and quiet!
The best news is that Sis is healthy and the baby is too. Last week she had another intensive Ultra Sound and an amnio to look for Downs Syndrome and a couple of other things. All her tests came back with good results. She's now comfortable with and accepting of the idea and is looking forward to it. She's not so frightened any longer. She also found out it's another girl. She's thrilled. She loves the girlie stuff. Me too. Gets my brain to churning bout quilts and stuff! But I'm partial to little boys too...as I have three of each. She's due in June...just when the Texas heat has pretty much set in. But Central Texas heat starts to rear it's ugly head in March. Add storm season to that March through June and it makes for a rockin' good time y'all! :\ It can make for a pretty miserable pregnancy. Sitting under the the A.C. is bout all anyone in that condition can do.
But we're all happy everyone is OK and are looking forward to the new addition late spring.
In my absence from Blogger in the form of an author, I did keep up with what everybody else in blogland has been up to these last couple of months. It was so much fun to see your creations and families and fun. There were even a few sad moments out there. But I did read you all every time you posted and have been kept apprised of whats going on outside my four walls. It's always inspiring to me to see what you do in your daily lives on the home front and the creative front. Blogger is such a great thing.
In the near future, I will be setting up an Etsy shop as I have lots of things I want to put out there. My daughter and her husband in Tennessee use Etsy for their duct tape creations (Ductile Designs) and have great success with it. It has inspired me to expand my own creative efforts and show the world what I have going on. I will post here at some point the date of the opening of my Etsy. I'm so excited!
It's soooooooo good to be back here and have the creative juices flowing again, both figuratively and for real. I feel human again.
Valentines Day is sneaking up on us fast...and Easter is too. And then Summer. Oh where do I find eight arms and hands and 47 hours in a day to get it all done? I can hardly wait to figure it all out!
Have a knit pickin' good day y'all!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Very 'Revealing' Stockings!
Recently I participated in a stocking swap hosted by Andrea over at Indigo Blue. The only requirements were to make a Christmas stocking and put a card with it to send to our swap partners. Now that the swap is over, I can FINALLY reveal what I sent and what I received.
First- this is what I received from Molly over at 'Crocheting My Best With My Worsted': It's a felt stocking embellished with different stitches from her sewing machine. It's sooooooooooo pretty! She also included a little Christmas tree cut out done in the same fashion. Also included with the lovely stocking is a crochet pattern book of baby ripple afghans. It's all so great. I will definitely use the pattern book. I love to do ripples when I crochet. Many, many thank yous to Molly for such lovely gifts.
What makes these gifts so special is that Molly has MS and is also dealing with multiple eye surgeries. She has her good days and some not so good days. But she most definitely manages to stay busy with her crafting and crocheting and does such beautiful work. No amount of thank yous will ever be enough to let Molly know how much I appreciate her efforts and her gifts.
Next- This is what I made for Molly: I did red work embroidery on bleached muslin and trimmed it with red and white striped fabric for heel, toe, and cuff. This was great fun to make. I love to embroider when I can and this just seemed like the thing to do with this stocking for Molly.
Doing this swap helped me get into the holiday spirit and has me wanting to do other projects for Christmas. It has gotten fairly cold here in New England, even though we still have some warmer days here and there. But this seasonal weather has helped boost the want for doing holiday projects as well.
Again, very many thanks to Molly for the lovely gifts and also to Andrea for hosting the swap. I hope to participate in more swaps of various kinds in the future. This was soooooooooo much fun.
Have a knit pickin' good day y'all!
First- this is what I received from Molly over at 'Crocheting My Best With My Worsted': It's a felt stocking embellished with different stitches from her sewing machine. It's sooooooooooo pretty! She also included a little Christmas tree cut out done in the same fashion. Also included with the lovely stocking is a crochet pattern book of baby ripple afghans. It's all so great. I will definitely use the pattern book. I love to do ripples when I crochet. Many, many thank yous to Molly for such lovely gifts.
What makes these gifts so special is that Molly has MS and is also dealing with multiple eye surgeries. She has her good days and some not so good days. But she most definitely manages to stay busy with her crafting and crocheting and does such beautiful work. No amount of thank yous will ever be enough to let Molly know how much I appreciate her efforts and her gifts.
Next- This is what I made for Molly: I did red work embroidery on bleached muslin and trimmed it with red and white striped fabric for heel, toe, and cuff. This was great fun to make. I love to embroider when I can and this just seemed like the thing to do with this stocking for Molly.
Doing this swap helped me get into the holiday spirit and has me wanting to do other projects for Christmas. It has gotten fairly cold here in New England, even though we still have some warmer days here and there. But this seasonal weather has helped boost the want for doing holiday projects as well.
Again, very many thanks to Molly for the lovely gifts and also to Andrea for hosting the swap. I hope to participate in more swaps of various kinds in the future. This was soooooooooo much fun.
Have a knit pickin' good day y'all!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween!
Just a boo and trick and a treat for you! Happy Halloween to all you ghosts and goblins too! Be safe. Have fun. And hope you get lots of goodies...WOO HOO!
Monday, October 19, 2009
A Sneak Peek
This is a tiny 'sneak peek' at what's happening on the Christmas Stocking Swap front. This has been so much fun to do. I get to work on it a little at a time as time allows...and as I feel like it. I was put on some new meds this past week and OH BROTHER...have they made me sick! But each day gets a little better and all should be fine in a couple of weeks.
But anyway, in the mean time, I do a little here and there and mainly I've been working on Molly's stocking. I love to make Christmas stockings. I made them for all of my six children...and for all of my eight grand children. And I've made a gazillion others through the years for various reasons. They are just fun to do mainly because there are sooooooooo many different ways they can be made. The possibilities are endless. So it never gets old and each one is like doing a stocking for the very first time.
I can't divulge more than this today as this is a surprise for Molly, but a little teaser isn't a bad thing either!
I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was quiet and mostly spent under the quilts on the bed as it was cold and wet outside. But really perfect weather for staying snuggled up and still while trying to adjust to new medication. Sometimes things really do work out for the best - even if it does involve crappy weather.
Have a knit pickin good day y'all!
But anyway, in the mean time, I do a little here and there and mainly I've been working on Molly's stocking. I love to make Christmas stockings. I made them for all of my six children...and for all of my eight grand children. And I've made a gazillion others through the years for various reasons. They are just fun to do mainly because there are sooooooooo many different ways they can be made. The possibilities are endless. So it never gets old and each one is like doing a stocking for the very first time.
I can't divulge more than this today as this is a surprise for Molly, but a little teaser isn't a bad thing either!
I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was quiet and mostly spent under the quilts on the bed as it was cold and wet outside. But really perfect weather for staying snuggled up and still while trying to adjust to new medication. Sometimes things really do work out for the best - even if it does involve crappy weather.
Have a knit pickin good day y'all!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Some Reflectin', Some Quiltin', and Some Knittin'
I've been on a sabbatical for some time now while I've tried to figure things out where my life is concerned. I took time off from writing and pretty much everything else. I've functioned in a most repetitive, robotical, mechanical kind of way for a few weeks now. But seems the time has come to snap out of the funk and get on with things. That's a good thing, BELIEVE ME.
My heartfelt thanks to all those who wrote to me expressing concern and sending me well wishes. They were (and YOU ARE) appreciated more than you know!
While things are still not back to 100% in some areas of my life, I have been doing what I know best...in the creativity department at least. I've been sewing, and quilting, and knitting. It's been excellent therapy except for the fact that I'm soooooooooo slow and don't turn out the projects as fast as I'd like. And I've had Christmas as inspiration to create the determination to get some things done. So, as the Christmas deadline is ALREADY looming (gees, where did the time go this year?!), I've cranked it up a few notches and have two quilts, two knitted afghans, and various other small projects in the works.
I would have preferred to be singing with the band and staying busy on that front, but it just hasn't made itself available to me for a while now as I've had no gumption in that aspect of my creativity. My music has ALWAYS been the best medicine for whatever ails my soul, but even this, my real love of all things that I love, hasn't been the fix I've needed. But what I have done is listen to an awful lot of it whilst working on other said projects...with a few bottles of wine to keep it all company.
So the wine days are behind me now...at least in bottle form. Maybe a glass of it here and there. It's nice to have it in front of the fire in the evenings...now that's it's cool enough to have a fire in the evenings. (I can't believe we're already facing winter and sub freezing temps and snow...LOTS of snow - UUGGHH).
But anyway, the quilting has been great. And the knitting has been great. Along the way, I've discovered some great places to shop for fabric and yarn in Providence, RI and Fairhaven, MA. I've come up with some fab deals in those areas to keep me going on this front. The inspiration has been tremendous and it constantly fuels the want to finish all these projects.
Some peeks here at what's OTN and in the quilt frame. Can't divulge too much cuz it spoils surprises ya know!
Here again...I'm STILL without a decent camera to take pics good enough to do them justice here. My phone is all I have and seems the more I use it, the worse the picture quality gets. But it's all I have for now and will have to do...still! Renovating a house and just trying to make ends meet these days leaves money for little else...and the camera thing is definitely considered a "luxury" at this point.
This past week I joined a 'Christmas Stocking Swap' that Andrea over at Indigo Blue is hosting. This should be lots of fun. I've not participated in a swap before and I loooooooooooove to make Christmas Stockings. My swap partner is Molly from sewquiltwhatever and crochetingmyworsted. (Sorry, but even after all these months of blogging, I STILL don't know how to create a link within my own blog. I CANNOT figure it out!!!) You can catch their blogs <------- over to the side here in my blog list. But this stocking swap thing should be lots of fun and am going to get started on that this week.
It's good to be back and am hoping to get back here to post more often. There's lots going on in the way of beautiful fall scenery here in New England and the critters in the house are always entertaining and I'm busy, busy, busy with the projects.
Have a knit pickin' good day ya'll!
My heartfelt thanks to all those who wrote to me expressing concern and sending me well wishes. They were (and YOU ARE) appreciated more than you know!
While things are still not back to 100% in some areas of my life, I have been doing what I know best...in the creativity department at least. I've been sewing, and quilting, and knitting. It's been excellent therapy except for the fact that I'm soooooooooo slow and don't turn out the projects as fast as I'd like. And I've had Christmas as inspiration to create the determination to get some things done. So, as the Christmas deadline is ALREADY looming (gees, where did the time go this year?!), I've cranked it up a few notches and have two quilts, two knitted afghans, and various other small projects in the works.
I would have preferred to be singing with the band and staying busy on that front, but it just hasn't made itself available to me for a while now as I've had no gumption in that aspect of my creativity. My music has ALWAYS been the best medicine for whatever ails my soul, but even this, my real love of all things that I love, hasn't been the fix I've needed. But what I have done is listen to an awful lot of it whilst working on other said projects...with a few bottles of wine to keep it all company.
So the wine days are behind me now...at least in bottle form. Maybe a glass of it here and there. It's nice to have it in front of the fire in the evenings...now that's it's cool enough to have a fire in the evenings. (I can't believe we're already facing winter and sub freezing temps and snow...LOTS of snow - UUGGHH).
But anyway, the quilting has been great. And the knitting has been great. Along the way, I've discovered some great places to shop for fabric and yarn in Providence, RI and Fairhaven, MA. I've come up with some fab deals in those areas to keep me going on this front. The inspiration has been tremendous and it constantly fuels the want to finish all these projects.
Some peeks here at what's OTN and in the quilt frame. Can't divulge too much cuz it spoils surprises ya know!
Here again...I'm STILL without a decent camera to take pics good enough to do them justice here. My phone is all I have and seems the more I use it, the worse the picture quality gets. But it's all I have for now and will have to do...still! Renovating a house and just trying to make ends meet these days leaves money for little else...and the camera thing is definitely considered a "luxury" at this point.
This past week I joined a 'Christmas Stocking Swap' that Andrea over at Indigo Blue is hosting. This should be lots of fun. I've not participated in a swap before and I loooooooooooove to make Christmas Stockings. My swap partner is Molly from sewquiltwhatever and crochetingmyworsted. (Sorry, but even after all these months of blogging, I STILL don't know how to create a link within my own blog. I CANNOT figure it out!!!) You can catch their blogs <------- over to the side here in my blog list. But this stocking swap thing should be lots of fun and am going to get started on that this week.
It's good to be back and am hoping to get back here to post more often. There's lots going on in the way of beautiful fall scenery here in New England and the critters in the house are always entertaining and I'm busy, busy, busy with the projects.
Have a knit pickin' good day ya'll!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Sunny Daze
It's been a while since I've been here to post anything. A lot going on and I've been busy.
As the the temperatures start to fall and sure signs of Autumn are making their presence known here in New England signaling the end of summer and a new new season upon us, so do the winds of change blow in my own life.
When I started this blog back in the spring, it was with great enthusiasm and hope of all things new and exciting. I mainly classified my blog as a knitting blog, but knew it would be more than that in the creativity department. I do lots of things and knew I would want to talk about those other crafty things too. But I've also talked about personal issues and opinions. I've lamented about some not so happy things that have happened at some point in my life and in my head. I've talked about fun things and silly things too.
These days, I deal with a lot of personal internal struggle about the direction(s) my life should go. I try to stay busy with the knitting and sewing and quilting to keep that aspect of my life alive and ongoing. But sometimes it isn't enough to overcome overwhelming feelings of stress, depression, dread, fear and uncertainty. Suffice it to say, I'm still here and am still breathing and am still trying to figure things out. To say the very least, it has kept me away from the blogger as I've not had much enthusiasm about projects I'm working on, nor have I had the true desire to sit here and type for the words just don't come easily and readily the last few weeks.
All the while, I've kept reading your blogs and have enjoyed watching your summers unfold with all your great projects and food and activities and families and friends.
As of this moment, I just don't know how often I'll get back here to write. I'm hoping the blogging mojo will kick in again soon and I can cheerily chatter on about my projects a few times a week like I once did not so very long ago. In the meantime, I'm just kind of in a fog...or a daze, if you will, and know not what to do...or what to say...to anyone...about anything.
On an up note, I did manage to hit a few yard sales this summer and found a few things that definitely made improvements in my life - i.e. - a sewing machine! A nice one that works great and does everything I need it to do. Because of that nifty little purchase, I've been able to get back to the quilting I sooooooo longed for. Am currently working on a quilt of the small people kind: something for a grandbaby. I pieced the top last week and now have it in the frame doing the quilting (by hand of course). So in addition to the what seems like 47 different knitting projects I have under way, so do I now have the quilt projects up and running too. YAY!!!! I'll post photos at some point of the current quilt project and the one that will follow immediately after (2 quilts in the works). I can't really post pics now as it would spoil surprises for the intended. And I know the mama of the recipient(s) reads this blog!
I hope you all had a fabulous summer. I hope the Autumn will bring even greater joys to you all. Fall is my favotite time of year and I live in the perfect place for such a season. Fall in New England is truly spectacular - just like what you see in magazines, books and TV. This particular Autumn I think will be new beginnings for me and I hope to lavish in all it's autumnal beauty and splendor while trying to figure things out.
Hope to see you all soon!
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