"Don't wish me happiness I don't expect to be happy all the time....It's gotten beyond that somehow. Wish me courage and strength and a sense of humor. I will need them all." Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Tuesday 27 March 2018

A sweater

The weight of this sweater is 4.5 ozs. It's light enough to be perfect for the warmer day's ahead when the studio is cool. It was knitted on 2mm needles with lace weight baby alpaca. The pattern was created by myself. It is a seamless garment. The front opening was made by steeking. For those who are unfamiliar with this term it basically means the sweater was cut open with scissors, stitches picked up and the button band knitted. I looked in my button jar and I found all but one button. They were perfect except that I was missing one. The button's are clear plastic- the kind found in the waistbands of children's clothing. I looked through my child's wardrobe certain I would find the needed button but there was none that matched. So the sweater sat unfinished and than one rainy day- yesterday- I sat down and started sewing the buttons on and I prayed that I would find another soon. I sewed several on and than I felt I should look through the button jar again. So I got it out. As I was emptying the jar I spotted the needed button. Faith= it's moving forward - sewing the buttons on even when I don't know where the last one is going to come from. (Picture not accurately displaying the colour of the buttons)
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Tuesday 13 March 2018

Decoupage and time

This is a wooden box I use to hold my tapestry tools. I used a very good book titled "Leslie Linsley's Decoupage" as a basic guide to assist me. I did however only put on 3 layers of polyurethane. The book suggested a minimum of 10 coats - but the paper is protected and that is enough for me at this point. I used Benjamin Moore Aura paint and Stay's Clear polyurethane. The book did not recommend any particular product's. I have used these product's in the past for other applications and for this project - they were excellent. The flower is from a botanical art journal. It is a reprint of a pencil and watercolor drawing done by Lilian Snelling in 1934. The flower is Ranunculus asiaticus var. albus. It is a native of the eastern Mediterranean region and is found in mountain pastures. This wild flower was used to create a hybrid in the cut flower industry. Admittedly I am spending more time offline. I am connecting with the internet far less and even that has begun to seem like a lot. The time offline has reminded me of another life - the one I had before my phone. It had it's advantages and I am finding those again.

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Friday 2 March 2018

Blessings

I finished this small tapestry woven with cotton and thread which measures 2 3/16" wide by 4 1/4" long. I feel so thankful that last week I didn't step on that upturned rusty nail half stuck in a tiny piece of rotting wood. I didn't see it in a pile of duff gathered last summer that somebody else stacked up for me to burn. I know the owners are innocent and never realized how dangerous this can be and I am thankful for my Protector who kept me unharmed even though I walked over that pile a number of times labouring to get into moved onto the fire. Even when I reached down with my wool mittened hand to scoop up duff I was kept from harm. Eventually I saw it. This isn't the only blessing. There are little answers to little prayers and an answer that I have been waiting for a very long time. With new clarity and insight I feel like a bird freed from a cage and I am thankful for that too. Isn't it not true that birds like blessings can bring us joy? What are you thankful for?
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