Author Archives: edges

One Month Away

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In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;
In cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free.
In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

 

Today I visited the community garden plot–one month away from the day I can start digging.  It’s a perennial plot, which means it doesn’t get tilled over every year unless I do it. The local park district tills all the annual plots.

This picture shows the remnants of last year’s kale, and the promise of next year’s raspberries.  I  don’t know what it is about gardening, but I’ve noticed that many people who like to sew also like to garden.   I’m not sure that the inverse is true. I am not an elegant gardener. (I am not an elegant sewist either.)  But if determination counts for anything, then I’m in with the best.

It’s getting harder these days to till everything by hand with a pitchfork.  I bought a Mantis rototiller a couple of years ago and I get my strong young nephew to help haul it and plow.  Last year, halfway through the plot he stopped and turned to me.  “This is hard work!” said the high school football player.

I laughed.  Kid, that’s just the turn of the soil–way more work to come.

Of course food is work.  For centuries, as human beings, we did nothing else but work for our food.  We survived long enough to reproduce and then teach our kids how to work for food.  Now our kids are all playing Minecraft–because food is in the pantry or just a run to the grocery store or the drive-thru.

Ah, but in the summer.  In the summer, food comes from the ground.  We share it with the ground squirrels and the birds and the bugs.  But we share it just the same.  And this fallow time of year is quite a reminder that the promise of new life is just around the corner.   Guaranteed.

Whooshing Poems

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Have you ever been called to create something?  I’m not talking about receiving a phone call, or a commission request, or even an inspiration from a fabric or pattern.

I’m talking about a full-press, hard-core, wonder-full, mystical, unexplainable urge to create.  I’m talking about  brief clarity from the signal of cosmic consciousness, the Holy Spirit, the Great Mystery, a siren wave of energy from the universe.

Sounds melodramatic?  Maybe.  But I think we hear from it all the time–especially those of us who are creators. And I don’t think it’s always about huge endeavors.  My experience is that sometimes, something in the universe just wants or needs to be created, and it searches for a receptive mind/spirit to assist in manifestation.  The key word here is “receptive”.

You can call me crazy for this belief, but one day a couple of years ago, I watched a TED presentation that reminded me that I am not alone.  I’ll attach a link to the entire presentation by Elizabeth Gilbert. The part that stuck with me the most was the visual of an American poet who told Elizabeth that sometimes she would be out in the field with her family when she felt a poem coming…she could see, feel it heading toward her, and she had to drop everything, run into the house and write it down before it whooshed past her.  If she missed it, the poem would continue on, in search of another poet.

Wow.

I wish I were always so in tune with the universe.  Here’s a link to Elizabeth Gilbert’s entire presentation, and a quick view of the next thing I’m going to create. I don’t know why. I don’t ask why any more.

But I’m up for the task.

 

Wonder Clips

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This one is for the quilters.  If you are not already using them, these simple little clips are just the best thing since sliced bread.  Made by Clover, you can probably purchase Wonder Clips anywhere online and certainly in your local quilt store.  They are like the invention of the post-it or the paper clip.  So simple I want to slap my head and say why didn’t I think of that?  Of course, they are nothing more than tiny clips made the perfect size to fit on a quilt binding.

I will never use pins again on a binding, as these are so easy.  And I just hate to be someone who endorses product because heaven knows, no one is paying me for the endorsement.  But doggone it, go get yourself a stack of these for your next quilt. No getting stuck by the pins as you stitch on the binding, no bending your pins because the quilt sandwich is too thick. Just move these little guys along as you go.  Easy as pie.

There. I did my good deed for the day.

Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day – Thursday Jan 24

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“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me’.”  –Erma Bombeck

That quote stands 3 or 4 feet tall, posted high on the wall of our local quilt shop, Sew Generously in St. Charles.

I have seen first hand the heart, soul and plain old hard work that goes into running a small business.  I have seen the dedication of owners and the passion of associates, teachers, artists, craftswomen and friends.  I have seen fabric purchased based on the creativity and vision of youthful designers, classes and events offered to inspire, genuine support given to each other and to those in need.  I have seen gentle encouragement of the next generation of sewists, artisans and leaders.

It is good.

So run, don’t walk, to your local quilt shop tomorrow.  Show your support, let yourself be welcomed, and join in the community.

 

Ode to the Time-Consuming Project

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The average sewist is looking for a project that can be completed in 3 hours or less–a weekend afternoon, an evening.  It’s not a function of laziness or lack of commitment.  It’s lack of time.  It’s lack of time coupled with a need for instant gratification.  There’s no doubt, we’re a society that wants to accomplish and create wonderful, beautiful things.  We just want to do it in the sliver of time that’s free on our calendar.

So I started thinking about the types of things that CANNOT be accomplished in 3 hours:

–We cannot grow a healthy baby (or child, for that matter) in 3 hours.

–We cannot grow a garden in 3 hours.

–We cannot learn and become proficient at a musical instrument in 3 hours.

–We cannot become experts at embroidery software in 3 hours.

–We cannot get over a 24 hour stomach virus in 3 hours.

–We cannot grow up in 3 hours.

–And finally, we cannot complete a decent quilt in 3 hours.

And that’s OK.  It’s OK because there are plenty of things we CAN do in 3 hours (cook a meal, paint a picture, meet with friends, spend time with our children, get a jump on the laundry.  Nah, let’s not get into laundry.  Let ‘s not get into cleaning our houses and the guilt that piles on us.  That’s a whole other blog post.)

Back to quilting.

After Hurricane Sandy, I heard about a number of east coast quilt shops who began collecting clean, new quilts to distribute to those who had lost everything.

I resolved to make a quilt.  No problem, I thought.  I’ll dip into my stash of lovely fabrics, I’ll whip up something simple and send it out.

Right.

I spent at least an hour or two sifting through various fabrics, finding fabrics that complemented one another.  Do these go together?  Do I have enough of that? What will I do for backing?  Will this pattern work?  Am I short some of that color?  Many of you are quilters.  You know the process:  the cutting, organizing, piecing, pressing.

The funny thing is, I never once stopped to think, “Gee, this is taking a long time.”  I’d begin in the evening after work, continue on days off, after grocery shopping. I’d pick up again on a Sunday afternoon, an hour or two before bed.

For a few days, the pieced front was spread out on our bedroom floor.  My husband obligingly stepped around it on the way to the bathroom, while I decided how to piece the back (I ran low on one fabric).  The quilt then moved to our front hallway, the only space large enough to lay it out and create the quilt sandwich and pin baste it.   Again, my family dutifully stepped around it while I was working.

Like reading a book, the process of quilting is something we squeeze into those moments when we’re not overloaded with something else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If every time I started a project, I thought long and hard about the hours I would be required to devote to it, I would never start a thing.  But the beauty of a quilt is that the process itself is relaxing, often repetitive.  And, as rewarding as instant gratification may be, there’s a calm peacefulness to slow and steady progress.  A finished quilt represents a season.  Yet, as each step of progress was made, I thought about where this quilt was going.  I thought about the people affected by the hurricane and I thought about how maybe this quilt could bring some comfort.  Maybe. It’s a bit like prayer.

And 3 hours just isn’t enough time to pray for the world.

 

Machine Embroidery Digitizing — An Experiment

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I love machine embroidery.  I love it because of the technology involved.  I love it because it is mesmerizing to watch.  And I love it because I can design and create my own work, and, though I learn from others, the field is wide open to creative possibilities.

But I wanted to try some slightly different things, and have a little fun with my machine and software.

Special thanks to Amanda Whitlatch, Bernina of America Educator, who teaches their Software Sampler webinar. It will be available Jan. 19 to the public.  Find out more here www.sewgenerously.net

I was determined to digitize the new 780 machine.  I started by creating a sketch from a decent photograph of the machine. I wanted  something like a mechanical drawing of it, since I knew I also eventually wanted to create a stitched outline (or redwork) of the machine, as well as an overall embroidery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the V6 software, I added colors and a store-bought background design (Damask Etchings) for my first attempt.  That design took over 2 hours to stitch out and I learned a great deal about the limits of the software and the limits of my patience.  Still, it stitched out OK and I certainly have a useable design.  If I were to stitch it out again, I would go back into the software and “tweak”.  A lot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As part of the Software Sampler project, we created a notebook cover for a pad of paper, playing around with different fonts.  But since I wanted to make further use of the machine design, I included the outline design of the machine. As you can see, the front/back cover is linen, while the inside picks up the bright colors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally,  I decided to re-digitize the machine in a little cleaner way and add it to the outline designs to make a tote bag. You can see the result. Here is also a pic of the machine sewing out the embroidery design of itself!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have so many other ideas of things to digitize, I almost don’t know where to start.  It is somewhat time-consuming, but what craft or skill is not?  I find that as I get excited about a project, the time flies.  Experts would call that “flow,”  that time when you are challenged enough to lose track of all time, yet not so frustrated by the project as to give up.

So many people now have told me that sewing is their therapy.

I hope that you, too, have something in your life that causes you to lose all track of time.

Snowflakes for Sandy Hook

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I’m sending some snowflakes to CT.

The PTA there is collecting them in order to decorate the new school for the kids when they return after the holidays. This much I can do.  I can send snowflakes.

And while I will be advocating for many other things after this event–mainly gun control, mental health awareness and the toning down of a culture of violence–the main thing I can do RIGHT NOW happens to be something I would gladly do any day.

And so I will make snowflakes.  Big ones, small ones, doesn’t matter.  And if you would like to contribute, you can make some too.

Here’s the address:

Connecticut PTSA, 60 Connolly Parkway, Building 12, Suite 103, Hamden, CT  06514

And here’s the website for more information:

http://www.ctpta.org/SANDY-HOOK-FUND.html

 

Just Like Grandma Used to Make – Almost

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This time of year, I really long for some snow.  Like everyone else, I’m really sick of it by March, but late November, early December, give me a little bit of holiday cheer in the form of weather.

At a recent community supper, I was lamenting about the lack of snow and how much I wanted to see it this year and global warming, blah, blah.    A friend looked at me and said, “As long as the weather stays moderate, I can work outside.  Working outside makes for a decent income.  When weather gets cold, we need different kinds of contracts–indoor work.  And while I can still get that, it’s never enough.  The longer I can work outside, the better.”

Oh. Now I see.  (I was blind and now I see.)   I don’t need the weather outside to be frightful, even though a fire is so delightful. I’d rather see people keep their jobs and income.

As for snowflakes, I can make my own.  Grandma used to make wonderful doilies by hand, some of them no larger than the palm of your hand. I still have a few.  But times have changed a bit, and now I can make ornaments with basically the same look, only they are done on an embroidery machine.  Free-standing lace is what they are called.  No teeny tiny crochet hooks.  Though I love the look of handwork, too often, I just don’t have the time.

I used two layers of Aquamesh  Washaway stabilizer.  Once the design stitches out,  cut away the bulk of the stabilizer, and rinse the rest under warm water. It disappears almost instantly.  I prefer Aquamesh over Badgemaster, having used them both now.  Badgemaster has a gummy, gooey feel to it as it rinses and does not seem to rinse as easily.  But in a pinch, it will work just fine.

Then just lay them flat and pin them onto a piece of styrofoam.  They dry out overnight, and maintain a slight stiffness.  Whenever I do this part it reminds me of the way my mom used to wash out doilies (she made plenty of them too).  But she had to starch them to get them to hold a shape, while mine will have a slight residue of the stabilizer to keep them in their shape. It’s a little hard to see the pins in the photo, but they are essential to maintaining the shape and flatness of the ornaments.  Free standing lace embroidery is everywhere these days, and I’ve seen some gorgeous designs for the holidays.

Most of these came from a collection by OESD called Snowflake Elegance #12429.

And I guess they are still homemade, though I have been contemplating exactly what that means.  If it’s made on a machine, is it really made by hand?  When I ask myself that question, I think about what Grandma might have done if she could have gotten her hands on a machine like I have.  I think about my mom and her knitting machines.  And the question then becomes not whether or not I should make use of technology, but with my heritage, why wouldn’t I?

The Anti-Nightmare Blanket and Other Tales

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Once upon a time a little boy was 3 years old when his grandfather died.  He didn’t understand much at the time, but he knew something sad had occurred.  Not much later, a friend of his family’s passed away.  By that time the little boy was 4 years old and was just beginning to understand the enormity of the loss.  He thought about it and thought about it, and one night he woke up crying.  “Mommy, mommy, I had a nightmare.  It was so scary.”  He told her he dreamt about people dying and about things chasing him. And the mom listened.

Even though she was not sure what to do,  she spent a long time talking with her little boy.  Then, together, they went to a big chain store and bought a cheesy, gaudy  fleece blanket kit, which the little boy picked out.  He sat on her lap while she sewed it together, and they continued to talk about life and death and cookies and puppies and Christmas and games and grandparents and birds in the backyard.  All the while, he watched her sew the blanket stitch by stitch. Then, together, they signed it using thread.

When night came, she tucked the little boy into bed and surrounded him with the blanket. “This is your anti-nightmare blanket. When you sleep under this blanket, you will not have any nightmares, only sweet dreams.”  And from that day forward, he did not have another nightmare. Well, at least no more than you or I ever have.

The End.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Once upon a time an elderly woman walked into a sewing store.  She looked around a bit, and started a conversation with the salesperson. “Sewing saved my life, you know,” she began.  “When I was young I was home alone very often with 4 young children.  I thought I would go crazy, I really did.  Instead, I sewed.  It saved my sanity. It saved my life.  It gave me a reason to carry on.”  The sales person listened.

“I’m 80 years old now.  My children are all grown with lives of their own.  And sewing is still giving me meaning.  When you’re 80 years old, you wonder if there’s anything you can do, when your abilities are limited.  But there is something I can do.  I can sew.  I can sew quilts for kids in the cancer wards.  I can sew for homeless shelters and for maternity wards.  I can sew.”  She smiled.

The End.

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Once upon another time another woman walked into  a sewing store.  After shopping for a bit she began to speak to the sales person.  “I thought last year was rough, what with my surgery and all.  But it didn’t compare to this year. ”  And the sales person listened.

“Three weeks ago, I buried my 40 year old daughter.  She died of breast cancer, and it was a long struggle.  She left behind a husband and 3 children.”

The sales person, heart breaking, wished she had an anti-nightmare blanket for the woman.

We all need one sooner or later.

If your sewing needs meaning, here’s a place to start

Who will make the anti-nightmare blankets if we don’t make them for one another?

The End.