seeing stitches

I saw a lone dandelion stalk illuminated in the rising sun this morning. By the time I grabbed my camera to capture it, the sun had moved past it. I captured it anyway, and instead of an illuminated orb I see stitches.

I think that means I need to stitch some stones.

Hope you all have a loverly Sunday.

Day 4 stone

Day 4 stone. Iron-rich like our soil and stones.

Today is the kind of day that I find the most challenging. I missed out on sewing time before work today because my oldest was sick. Strep. I knew it as soon as I heard him talk. I just had it myself, the first time in like 15 years. Yuck. Off to the clinic, 25 miles in and 25 miles back, then 20 miles back in to work. After a busy day I came home with a head full of work and feeling oh so tired.

This is usually when I get back into work email and end up tense for the evening.

Instead, while the (healthy) kids went to splash in the pool (it's way too cold for me yet) I sat down and sewed. And you know what? There's still time for work email, but I tended to myself first, and that's the way it needs to be.

Onward.

back in therapy

It has been over 2 months since I've stitched a stone.

I find that totally unacceptable, especially since I consider the act of stitching these little meditations a form of therapy. It's little wonder I've been so off-kilter.

Life is very busy... busier than I'd like. Things get moved off the to-do list, shoved to the back of the line, to make room for the most pressing and noisiest of tasks. Regardless, stitching is going to have to be one of those things that is always on the list. It just has to.

In late 2013 I was poised and ready to make the leap into full-time art. My youngest would soon be in school and I had a plan in place to make a real financial impact by working in my chosen craft. Then life laughed and winked, and threw us some curves which necessitated my going to work outside the home. I ended up in a job as an arts administrator, one I'm proud of and often humbled by. 

It's worthy work, but work that often drains me, physically and creatively.

So it becomes even more important that I keep up with the practice of self-care which for me includes time in the woods, stitching, family, and working towards that goal of being a full time artist, even if it's years away.

I'm starting by committing to 10 days of stone-stitching. No matter how busy or tired I am, I will stitch at least 1 stone every day for the next 10 days. At the end I'll have a shop update and a giveaway. I hope you'll be here to celebrate with me.

Day 1's stone seems to have taken its theme from my dandelion-covered yard.

Wish me luck, friends. 

a different kind of rhythm

It's been a while since I've done more "traditional" stitching.  There's something really soothing about the repetition of the blanket stitch through felted wool.  You just kind of get in the rhythm and your hands are doing their thing and then suddenly you're looking down at a finished piece and wondering how on earth that happened.

It's good to change things up every now and then, isn't it?

These are headed off to somewhere special.  More to come, soon.

I hope you all have a stellar Wednesday.  Go shake things up.

we must

"Do we have to go out there?  It's so cold."

Words I mutter almost daily lately.  But yes, little 'bobs, we must.

These two are headed back to their talented creator, Kit Lane, after being visited by my sewing needles for a spell.  They'll show up in her shop soon, I'm sure.  One of them has a delightful little secret that I can't share yet, but it makes me giggle when I think of it.

Hope you're having a warm weekend.

a collaboration

 

A wee collaboration between Kit Lane and me, a few of her fabulous 'Bobs given some stitchy love from me.  She'll be unveiling these in her shop this afternoon.

Both the pale yellow guy at the top and the pink one behind him were needled by Kit as we sat and chatted together one snowy weekend in April.  I had given her some wool that I had dyed, the yellow with strawberry leaves (I think) and the pink from lobster mushrooms, and she was trying it out on my visit.  When they were finished I tucked them in my suitcase along with memories of amazing conversation, bites of forbidden cheesecake, and San Pellegrino fizzy water, and brought them home to stitch. (the white one was hers to keep)

The yellow one was encrusted with knots and stitches, all of dyed by me with materials from my woods.  The pink one seemed to long for something a little more quirky.

Kit does wonderful work from these squee-inspiring Jacabobs to her sculptural pieces (and Jabba, we can't forget Jabba) and has a dedicated following.  I'm thrilled to have been able to collaborate with her.

If you're interested in owning one of these pieces, keep your eye on her shop.  They should be there some time this afternoon.

Thanks everyone!