Circus of Js Finished

It took me one more week to finish Circus of Js, the blanket.

More close up photos posted on The Cloth Side of Me .

In all it took me 27 days from start to finish. The only other thing I did besides eat was make the Circus of Js book. 

Have a Seat

I'm undecided about which room to use the bench in. It works nice here under this front window but it also works pretty good in the Morning Glory Garden Room under the window behind the table. Should I ever need seating for more than four guest, I can just pull the bench up to the table. Actually, those are the only two options.  

Here it is before I waxed it and after I scrapped and sanded it. But up until the moment to get going on this project, I was absolutely sure that I would paint the bench. Then, one day while I was sitting at the art desk over there and thinking about what color, I realized the only thing that made sense was to just clean, sand, scrape and wax it. 

If I used it in the room with this table, it matched nicely.

If I use it here in the Rose Garden Parlor, it matches nicely. 

Did you know that Tim's Cloth is finished? I worked on it for more than five years and finally, it is all done. Here it is on the bench after my washing ceremony. I wrote about that here on my blog, The Cloth Side of Me. I invite you to take a look. 

She Is Prayer Book

She Is Prayer Book

She is

clothed

with strength and dignity

and laughs

without

fear

of the future
Proverbs 31:25

She is

beautiful
sensitive
loving
fun
caring
joyful
strong
motherly
and kind
She is Lorraine

I first met my friend Lorraine Lewis, her dear husband and beautiful daughter in Italy about a year and a half ago. 

All I can say, she is a beautiful person with a loving family and they made my trip more special than they even know. 

Lorraine is now faced with the return of cancer. 

What can one do but pray when you live so far away.

While in prayer, I was inspired to stitch this little prayer book to send to Lorraine. 

Just to let her know that every stitch held a special prayer for her stitched with love from me.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

There will be a special Art Auction to share support and love for Lorraine Lewis as she battles Colorectal Cancer this week on Instagram.

heart_and_hand

I invite you to click on the above link to preview the Art to be auctioned.

The bidding on Instagram opens 9am on 14th June and ends at 9am on 15th June.

Inspiration feeds Inspiration

Inspiration feeds Inspiration

I don't really know what that means.

Prayer Book

 Inspiration feeding inspiration is something that I feel. 

I feel it when painting and I feel it when stitching.

The only way I can explain it is knowing that if I take the first stitch or the first brush stroke, inspiration will come for the next stitch or stroke and so on and so on. 

The term, blind faith, just came to me.

I looked for a definition and found:

Blind Faith

Definition:  belief without true understanding, perception, or discrimination

I think that is what it is; believing and trusting a beginning inspiration.  

Prayer Book Bird

Oh dear! 

I got way off track with that. 

I simply wanted to share the beginning of this little prayer book.

and 

to say that you can follow me on

Instagram

or

this rabbit hole that I recently fell through.

Pinterest

♥

The Sleeping-Under Ceremony

The Sleeping-Under Ceremony

I have been obsessed with stitching. 

Mostly because sitting in the chair under this beautiful cloth and just stitching is a very good cold weather pastime activity. 

And the other reason is, I can see that I might finish this before I die. 

Although, there is a lot left to stitch, the quilt stitching on the topside is now finished.

Before adding the songbirds to the summer side of the jungle, we had a ceremonial sleeping-under it a couple of night this week. It (the ceremony) was pretty low key. I just ask, "do you want to do this?" He said "OK". We did. It felt good.♥ 

A New Art Apron from an Old Blouse

New Apron Back

The blouse before destruction

Destruction

Art aprons make me so hot and yet, I must wear one; otherwise, all of my clothes would carry the evidence.

So this weeks creative venture is to make a new art apron with very lightweight 100% cotton.
Of course the making has to be fun.
And I think you can decipher what I have done so far.
My plan is to bind the raw edges by hand stitching and embellishing with cloth fragments.
Inspiration is from Jude Hill. I am enjoying an online class with her called What If Diaries I.
♥

Feeling Changed

Vinca

The vinca is blooming at my house. 

I'm seeing signs of spring emerging.

I'm emerging too. 

But things are different. 

Things have changed.

Some bad stuff.

Some good things.

 

Tim's Cloth

Hope you will stay with me as I find my way back. 

You won't be sorry. 

I was looking through my 2008 archives last week for something.

I don't remember what.

But what I found was my word for that year.

"Enough"

It was the best word!!!

I'm choosing it again. 

So, for now, enough.

Sharon

Back burner break butt kicker

Here is evidence I'm getting ready for a weekend adventure.
A little ways down the road.  And it might feel like a vacation!


I moved the postcard challenge to the back burner for a break. Iceland, the next prompt is a butt kicker.  Can't find an artist that makes me swoon. 

When I need to clear out all the chit-chatter, I stitch. I needed to stitch.
♥ 

Bouncing Last Week

 Last week, I found my self bouncing. 

 From one thing to the next.

 It happens when inspiration and panic set in at the same time.

And when things are not going just right,

I abandon it.

Let it sit.

In a mess.

On the desk.

And then I calm myself with stitching.
Stitching dragons in moons.
♥
I'm thinking I will be taking a little blog break this week.
Unless I have time to paint a masterpiece that I simply can't wait to share. 
♥

Jude's Magic Feather Project

Because you may not have heard, I have something to tell you about feathers.

Magic Feathers.

Jude Hill of Spirit Cloth blog has a new project.  You can click over to this post to get the whole story but in essence, she has invited anyone who loves to stitch to send her a stitched-by-you magic feather.  It is for a special project she got cooking.

Jude is offering a free Magic Feather workshop for the month of August where she shows and tells all the hows and whats and ways you can make magic feathers.  Jude's goal is to collect 1000 feathers.  You can also watch the Gathering of the feathers.  As of today she has 54.

We have Blue Jays this year which we rarely see here.  And last weekend while in the yard I found two Blue Jay feathers.  It was like magic. Magic Feathers and magic inspiration.

I'm off now to get ready for my special company.  Lots to do.
♥

At-the-moment

Hello friends and followers.  Creatively, I have mostly been stitching.  Mostly because I can do that while resting in the chair zone.  Lately, I have been inspired to do other things around this home.  Things that I am feeling a renewed passion for like the yard work and other little projects.

I have become very aware of the fact that I am content to do the things that inspire me at-the-moment. I'm not sure you know what I mean by that but I guess there are so many things that are always on my mind that I wish to do and sometimes, I let the weight of all of these thoughts slow me down.  That is not what is happening now.  Now I am just content with what I manage to do at-the-moment and let the enjoyment fill me.

Of course you  know, I would probably be sharing more with you if I could get use to my temporary replacement camera that seems to always need charging.  I'll be so happy when mine gets back from repair.

I'm off now for a secret project I'm working on each morning.  Because I'm expecting a Dear Friend late Sunday who will be here for a few days.

I'm blessed and so are you.
♥

Weekend Plan

I have a quiet and maybe productive weekend planned. 


This list just about covers my expectations. 

Because mostly, I'm in a stitching mood. 

♥

Chair Zone

 So much for the to-do list.  While I was planning the four sides of the forest that will surround the center game board on Tim's quilt, I was thinking how nice it would be to have all these components pinned and ready to stitch in the evenings this week while in the chair zone.   I am good for nothing but the chair zone after five.

In fact, I found my self in the chair zone all day Sunday and Monday and did nothing but stitch. Very enjoyable.   

I convinced myself that it was OK because that was what I wanted to-do.  After all it was a to-do list.

The rest of my stitching progress is posted on The Cloth Side of Me page.

♥ Sharon

Urge to say Hey

Hey,
How are you?

I just had the urge to pop in.  Something about the connection I guess.

Also I want to know if little stacks of various papers and stuff follow you around.  I don't know what it is but I seem to attract them.  I even have little flat trays to collect them in. You know what it is.  Mail, receipts, recipes, napkins, collage scraps, collage papers, photos, tags, pieces of lace, cards, and anything else that floats by.  I spent a lot of the weekend going through piece by piece and stack by stack and I can say in one room, my studio, I have cleared the stacks.  Feels good and for the most part it is something I can do while in the chair zone.

After that, I did another favorite "chair zone" thing.  I stitched a little progress on Tim's quilt.

Welcome to my Sewing Studio

Come In......

You could better appreciate the transformation of this room had I taken "before" photos.

This is and "empty nest" (thank the lord) bedroom that is now a wonderful Sewing Studio.

It can still double as a guest room. One could only hope that the warriors on the wall will protect them in their dreams rather than give them nightmares.

I made the kites in 1980s to decorate a back yard where we were having a themed neighborhood progressive dinner. They are not my design as I did in fact copy them from a book. Sorry, I could not find the book this morning to credit it.

My friend, the organization guru knew about the kites and the last thing we did was arrange the kite gallery. I really really do like the eclectic look and juxtaposition of the kites with the quilts. I will be changing the window treatment next. A Sewing project.

Expect it,

Sharon