Creative Every Day - Gratitude Mandala - Day 1

Back in 2012, I did a weekly gratitude list that was part of the Take a Stitch Tuesday embroidery journal I was doing throughout the year. I have missed doing that in 2013, and have been thinking about something to do in place of that.

So, on October 14th, I began writing a daily gratitude list. Each day, I'm writing three things for which I'm grateful. It's just a running list of things that come to mind that I am thankful for - people, things...anything, really.

Gratitude mandala I made based on things for which I was grateful 

from October 14th to now.

Inspired by Donna Gentile and Mandala 365 Project: Source

This ties into the monthly theme of "gratitude" at church. There are three questions that are offered as a springboard to deeper reflection and conversation:

=> What are you most grateful for right now, and why?
=> What does “having enough” mean to you?
=> What practices help you to express gratitude; for others, for life, for the earth, for the Sacred?

As I was thinking about these questions, I looked to the internet for some inspiring words and images that have been written about gratitude. I came across this pin on Pinterest that visually captures gratitude. (It links to Donna Gentile and her Mandala 365 Project.)

Using that concept, I created a mandala with 16 spokes. Each of the spokes has a different theme of something  for which I'm grateful.

The finished mandala.

Under the spokes, I wrote a bit more detail about the specific things I had mentioned during the past half-month on my gratitude list.

Close-up of the the center and some of the 16 spokes.

It would be interesting to do these type of mandalas every so often and see how they change...or if there are some things that I consistently write about. These people and things would be ones that I am deeply grateful for and are thankful that they are in my daily life.
 

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Rice Stitch - Week 52

The final week of the Take a Stitch challenge has arrived. I have learned almost 50 new embroidery stitches this year as well as learned how to combine stitches to create interesting samplers.

For the past month and a half, I have been choosing what stitches I've wanted to learn because there are some basic ones that I never learned prior to doing the Take a Stitch challenge. I also had a lot of activities on my plate with the holidays, so trying to learn complicated stitches is something I mentally couldn't undertake at this time. I needed something easier.

So, this week...the 52nd week of Take a Stitch Tuesday...I went back to one of the very basic stitches: the Rice Stitch.

The stitch is basically small straight stitches in a random pattern within a defined area. For one image, I did the rice stitch within a heart shape; and the other I did within the shapes of three balloons.

The heart represents the holidays - the spirit of giving and love that is so prevalent during this season. It also represents missing my Dad...the first Christmas without him.

The balloons represent both Sophia's 12th birthday as well as completing several year-long challenges that I set out to do:
=> Take a Stitch Tuesday
=> P52 Photo Challenge
=> Heartwarming Animal Stories Reading Challenge
=> Embroidery Journal Project
=> 12 in 12

In addition to the personal reflection, gratitude list, and name of the stitch, there are two images this week:

=> Reindeer carrying an evergreen tree with two birds on its back: This is a reminder of Christmas - the preparation, activities, baking, cooking, musical performances, theater performances, and - of course - Christmas Eve traditions of writing letters to Santa; putting cookies and water out for Santa; and putting carrots and oats out for the reindeer on the mudroom roof.

=> Set of 4 pottery mugs with the seasons represented on them: This represents the year-long projects that I now have completed and can put behind me (see above for the projects and challenges).

I am both satisfied with what I accomplished in this most difficult year...and happy that I have ways to remember what I did because - in all honesty - I think most of this year I've been in shock after my Dad's death. As I look back on things I wrote, took photos of, and did I am thankful I have them because in many instances I don't remember doing them.

*~*~*~*~*~*

So, it is with a sense of accomplishment (and relief) that I am wrapping up the Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge. Although I am so happy that I documented this year and recorded the more positive elements of it through the personal reflection and gratitude lists each week, it was a big project to do.

I will not be doing Take a Stitch Tuesday during 2013. Rather, I will be embarking on some new projects that I want to do as part of my lifelong goal list that I wrote about this summer. I'll be writing about some of the goals throughout 2013 and my progress...much like I did for Take a Stitch Tuesday.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Russian Chain Stitch - Week 51

It's already the 51st week. Only one week left of the Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge. This week I learned how to do the Russian Chain Stitch.

This stitch is often found in Russian embroideries. It is made by grouping three lazy daisy stitches in a clover shape; and is good for borders.

I tried it both on Aida cloth as well as wool felt. Maybe the Aida cloth count was too high (and the squares too small)...or maybe my eyesight is getting worse. Either way, I couldn't get the lazy daisy stitches to be more uniform than what they are on either the felt or Aida cloth.

I chose two images again this week for my journal:

=> Snowflake - The ground is still covered with snow. It looks like it will, in fact, be a white Christmas. This is such a change from last year where there was barely any snow and the temperatures were much more mild. This will definitely help the grass and trees which desperately needed water. So, it's nice to look at the snow-covered ground. It makes it feel like winter.

=> Santa with a bird and present - This image reminds me of my Dad and how he used to play Santa at this time of the year. He brought joy to each person he visited as Santa - whether it was a child, adult, or senior. He loved feeding and watching the birds, so this picture is such a perfect reminder of him.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Split Back Stitch - Week 50

This week I learned how to do the Split Back Stitch. It reminds me a lot of the chain stitch. Between the two stitches, I prefer the chain stitch because it gives a cleaner and more refined look to each stitch.

The Split Back Stitch requires separating the individual embroidery floss threads with the needle and equally dividing them. It's a bit more work than the chain stitch and tends to break apart the floss so it doesn't always lay nice and even with the other threads.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed doing random stitching using a variety of bold colors on vivid yellow wool felt. It reminded me of the colors I often see with Swedish embroidery, painting, and edging.

This week was the St. Lucia service at church as well as the annual Christmas play. We also went to Gammelgarden Museum (a Swedish museum), so it seemed appropriate to use the bright colors in the embroidery sampler.

I followed the same format as I have for the past 49 weeks by including a personal reflection about what happened during the week, the name of the stitch, and a gratitude list. The two images I included this week are:

=> Angels - Sophia and Olivia each played an angel during the Christmas play. When I saw the images of these angels on a Christmas card, I knew it needed to be included in this week's journal.

=> Bird - The image of the bird is made from a variety of pieces of painted wood and is sitting on a piano key hammer. The piano hammer is fitting since the girls practice the piano every day...the house is always filled with music it seems.

The bird's many colors and parts reminds me of the new bird we've been seeing this week at the feeder: a Harris' Sparrow. It is native to Canada, but migrates to south. The bird that is here either considers Minnesota warm enough or is passing through. I hope it ends up staying and making it through the winter.

It's an interesting blend between a cardinal, grosbeak, and sparrow. The way it scratches for food reminds me of a chicken. I see no other bird ever scratching for food at the feeder...only the Harris' Sparrow.

It brings back good memories of when we had chickens here roaming around the farm. They were all rare and endangered breeds, so it was fun to see the variety of chickens that aren't normally seen on farms.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Stepped Running Stitch - Week 49

For the 49th week of the Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge, I learned how to do the Stepped Running Stitch. This was an easy-to-do stitch that I know I will use again in the future.

The Stepped Running Stitch is two parallel rows of running stitches. Each stitch from each row lies in between two stitches of the other row. This "stepped" structure provides a good opportunity to create  embroidery patterns using different colored floss.

As with past weeks, I included the the samplers in my journal along with the name of the stitch, gratitude list, personal reflection, and a couple of images. This week they include:

=> A Christmas Tree - We are continuing with the Countdown to Christmas by doing different activities each day. This has become a meaningful and memorable part of the holiday season. 

I think about all the memories we have created throughout the years by doing activities each day rather than simply eating a piece of candy as a way to count down the days until Christmas. It's well worth the effort and planning...so we can draw upon the happy memories at any time of the year.

=> St. Nicholas - On December 6th, it was St. Nicholas Day. This was a holiday that I didn't celebrate growing up, but started celebrating when Sophia and Olivia were young children. They enjoyed (and still do) putting a shoe out for St. Nicholas to fill with goodies. 

This year we did a few new activities and tried some new recipes on December 5th and 6th to celebrate the holiday.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Looped Running Stitch - Week 48

For the 48th week of the Take a Stitch  Tuesday challenge, I learned how to do the Looped Running Stitch.

This stitch is just a variation of the running stitch. It incorporates the technique of the Chinese or Pekinese stitch. It looks best when threads of various colors are used over borders. 

I found that when the stitches are done in a row, they turn out uniform. It's when one attempts to go around a corner (see image below with the "A" in the center of the embroidered box), that the ends looks a bit off and don't match the other sides well.

As with last week, I chose only two images to include with the stitched samples, gratitude list, stitch name, and personal reflection:

=> Bear wearing ice skates with an evergreen tree in her arms - This is a reference to getting the Christmas tree and setting it up this week.

=> Wreath of presents - For some reason, this reminded me of an Advent calendar. Even though ours is different (we have small wool felt envelopes with hand-embroidered numbers on the outside flap of each one), it is a visual reminder of the start of the Countdown to Christmas and the daily activities we will be doing to celebrate the holiday season.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Weaving or Queen Anne's Stitch - Week 47

This week for Take a Stitch Tuesday, I am departing from the stitches that are suggested and going back and learning some basic ones that I never learned. Many of the new ones that are being suggested are stitches that I know I won't use - either because they are too complicated too do or require too much effort for a tiny stitch.

So, this week I learned how to do the Weaving or Queen Anne's stitch. I enjoyed this stitch and the variety of looks that can be achieved by varying the widths of the vertical and horizontal stitches.

This stitch can be used as a darning and filling stitch. It depends on how closely the vertical and horizontal lines are placed to one another. The closer they are together, the more effectively they will fill a space. This is shown by a few variations of the stitch in the samplers I made.

I only included two images this week in my journal:

=> Apron - to represent making the Thanksgiving dinner for my sister's family, brother's family, and my family.

=> Cabin in the snow-covered woods - this is what it began looking like on Thanksgiving evening. After a mild and beautiful November, the weather abruptly changed to snow and frigid temperatures on Thanksgiving evening. Quite a change in less than a day!

Thanksgiving Activities + 3 in 30 Challenge - Updates #2-4

For November, I set the following three goals as part of the 3 in 30 challenge:

1. Do at least 10 Thanksgiving-theme activities. Last month we enjoyed doing the 13-day Countdown to Halloween. I went through my Thanksgiving file at home as well as images I found on Pinterest that look like fun activities to do, recipes to make, or traditions to begin. 

The month seems to have gone by so quickly. After completing the book I was working on (see #3 below), I  felt like I needed to rest a bit and catch up on other projects. So, Thanksgiving activities - although planned for each day - were set aside until the week of Thanksgiving.

We ended up:

=> Making a fruit turkey made from grapes, a Bosc pear, and blueberries.

Olivia assembling the fruit turkey.

See the original pin for the idea.

Olivia's fruit turkey we enjoyed for dinner one night.

=> Assembling turkey-shaped sandwiches. Here's the original pin where I got the idea.

Turkey-shaped sandwich that Olivia and I made together.

The pupils are cow-shaped cookie decorations she wanted to use.

Sophia's turkey. She chose not to give it pupils.

There are three slices of cheese cut by flower-shaped cookie cutters

and luncheon meat in the center of the sandwich.

=> Creating a fruit and cheese turkey with a melon and Bosc pear for the body; and red pepper as well as fruit and cheese squares for the feathers.

The fruit and cheese turkey.

Guests enjoyed taking the skewer-feathers off the turkey.

This is where I found the idea: pin.

=> Doing a coloring page. Olivia enjoyed coloring a turkey and putting it up on the refrigerator. The pin links to this page with the image.

=> Making cranberry salsa. The pin leads to the recipe on Have Recipes - Will Cook. It turned out really well. Having two jalapenos certainly adds a lot of heat to the dip.

=> Baking Cookies and Cream Oreo Fudge Brownies. The pin leads to the recipe on Kevin and Amanda. The recipe makes an 8"x8" pan of brownies.

Sophia making the 

Cookies and Cream Oreo Fudge Brownies.

Ours turned out okay (the edges were a bit overdone compared to the center) so we didn't use them for Thanksgiving. However, we're thinking that a brownie from the center part, topped with cookies and cream ice cream, some hot fudge, and a cherry might be a special dessert for Sophia's adoption day anniversary which is Monday.

=> Creating a turkey vegetable tray. This pin which links to Living Locurto showed a child-friendly way to present fresh vegetables. Interestingly, almost everything was eaten on the tray by the time it made its way back to the kitchen.

Vegetable turkey that I made for Thanksgiving.

Had the vegetables simply been on a tray, I don't think as many would have been eaten.

=> Making turkey-shaped cookies. The pin shows cookies made from Oreo cookies, whoppers, peanut butter cups, candy corn, and frosting. Bella-Dreams must have a lot of culinary talent and patience because these are much more difficult than they look. 

Sophia and Olivia were given the picture from the internet, and then assembled some cookies.

Sophia assembling the cookies.

They had to brainstorm about how to get the whopper to stick to the peanut butter bar (they cut off part of the whopper); and how to get the candy corn to stick into the oreo cookie (they used frosting and cut the white part off the candy corn). 

Cookies made from Oreo cookies, peanut butter cups, 

whopper candies, and candy corn.

They enjoyed making the cookies and having them out on Thanksgiving.

=> Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. This is a tradition I grew up with in my family and we have continued it to this day. As a child, I remember watching the parade while my Dad made the turkey and dressing. Since moving to the farm in 1995, I have hosted Thanksgiving here. I now make the turkey and dressing after learning how to do so from him. 

As the girls watched the parade this year, they would call me in for different parts that they thought I would enjoy: seeing the marching bands, the Rockettes dance, and a Native American themed float with a turtle, tree of life, and other images.

The latter float is one that has been part of the parade for five years now. In addition to drumming which I enjoy listening to, there was a choir and Grammy-winning Native American artist Thirza Defoe singing “The Tree of Life.” The song celebrates the gathering together of many voices in the name of peace, love, and thanksgiving.

=> Hosting Thanksgiving dinner. I hosted the dinner again this year. It was the first one since my Dad died in January of this year, so it was sad not having him with us or being able to see him after Thanksgiving at the nursing home.

Male cardinal that showed up at the bird bath

in the backyard while I was making Thanksgiving dinner.

My Dad loved cardinals. 

It reminded me of him and how much he enjoyed watching the birds.

If that wasn't enough, my Mom called in the morning and said she wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be able to attend. She was in tears at the end of the conversation. I know it was a difficult day for her as well.

21-pound turkey for Thanksgiving.

So, we had dinner, celebrated those having birthdays in November and December; and then everyone went home in the snow (this was after having a mild 50+ degree day in the morning where we were wearing shorts and sweatshirts).

My sister lighting the candles on the cake

for those celebrating birthdays in November and December.

My brother stopped at my Mom's home and dropped off a grocery bag of packages of food from Thanksgiving for her. Thankfully he was able to do that because her blood sugar level was only 178 going into the evening. That is way too low for her, and chances are that by Friday morning it would have been well under 100 (which puts her at high risk and/or close to death). Having the meal before bedtime put her in the safe range which was reassuring.

2. Clean four small areas in the home. There are several areas that I haven't yet worked on during the year-long de-cluttering and organization project I've been doing. During November, I would like to clean the linen/medicine cabinet; finish cleaning the kitchen (under the sink, the remaining cupboards, and drawers); the corner in the mudroom; and my desk.

We cleaned the corner in the mudroom on Thanksgiving morning. I took out all the items that were in the corner from camping, grilling, the girls' outdoor games/activities, and the tool kit. All the items that won't be used now (e.g., camping items, cooler) went to other closets or out to the hobby shed.

The girls went through their games. They kept the ones they wanted and put the ones they didn't want in a bag to donate to the second-hand shop.

I also took all the items out from the tool kit; washed the box and all the tools; and then put back the items that were in good condition and/or that would be used. It looks much more organized and clean now.

After everything was out from the corner, I swept and mopped the floors. I put back only the items that we would be using during the winter. It looks much better now.

In the kitchen, I cleaned four drawers (three left to go). Olivia and I worked on one cupboard by transferring items from bags to glass jars.

I still have the rest of the cupboards to do (eight). Some are going to be more labor intensive because I haven't worked on them at all this year. Others, I worked on during the earlier part of the year and they just need to be touched up.

The kitchen sink and my desk have not been worked on yet. I have some time on Thanksgiving weekend, so will be tackling these projects.

3. Get up to date with projects that I fell behind on while working on my Dad's 808-page book that I completed in October. During October I focused my energy on completing the book that I had been working on since my father's death in January. Since it was a time-consuming project, I didn't have a chance to work on other projects (e.g., Take a Stitch Tuesday, Embroidery Journal Project, African Library Project). By the end of the month, I would like to be back on track with each of the year-long projects I've been doing.

For the Take a Stitch Tuesday project, I learned five different stitches and did five weeks of journaling, gratitude lists, and collages. It feels so good to be caught up with this project. Here are the links to the five weeks (all have multiple pictures of the stitch and journal/collage pages):

=> Herringbone Ladder Stitch
=> Rosette of Thorns Stitch
=> Double Blanket Stitch
=> Ray Stitch
=> Fern Stitch

For the Embroidery Journal Project, transferred the designs to the fabric and began stitching.

For the African Library Project, I brought five boxes of books into the house to begin the sorting process. My brother brought a half dozen boxes on Thanksgiving so I can pack books that are in plastic tubs into boxes for shipping.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Herringbone Ladder Filling Stitch - Week 46

At this point in the Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge, I'm finding that many of the stitches that are being presented are ones that I know that I'm not going to use for some reason (e.g., too difficult to learn, too much effort for too small of a stitch, sits way above the fabric).

So, I've been finding some easier stitches that I have never learned and am learning those. I want to continue doing the challenge of learning a new stitch each week during 2012 as well as combining those stitches into a personal/gratitude journal.

This week I found the Herringbone Ladder Filling Stitch (also called the Interlaced Band) that I thought looked like an interesting stitch.

Herringbone Ladder Filling Stitch.

I chose rainbow colors to remind me 

of the rainbow that Olivia noticed.

The first step is to do two parallel rows of the back stitch (the cream-color floss). Then, with a contrasting color (or colors), you weave under and over the stitches creating "knots" and a woven look.

The rainbow spiral using the 

Herringbone Ladder Filling Stitch.

One of the challenges of doing this stitch is that unless you are paying very close attention and counting both sides of the back stitch, invariably there will be an uneven number of stitches on a free-style design. This creates a less uniform, random look compared to do the stitching on Aida cloth.

Once I was done with the sampler, I included it in my journal along with the name of the stitch, personal reflection about what happened during the past week, a gratitude list of five items, and some images that reflect the past week.

The journal pages for the 

Herringbone Ladder Filling Stitch

The images are:

Round Rainbow - Reminds me of the rainbow that Olivia saw when we were at the Waldorf School's holiday fair. She and Sophia were playing on the playground equipment, and when Olivia looked up she saw the rainbow. This was on her 9th adoption day anniversary so it was even more special.

Christmas Stamps and image of Santa - There are two Christmas-theme postage stamps and image of Santa as a reminder of the holiday fair and getting ready for Christmas...which is now just a little over a month away.

Celebrate Stamp - This stamp is a reminder of celebrating Olivia's 9th adoption day anniversary on the 17th. It's hard to believe that nine years ago she was only 10 months old, in China, and was joining our family. She has been a blessing in more ways than she will ever know!

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Rosette of Thorns Stitch - Week 45

This week's stitch for Take a Stitch Tuesday is another labor-intensive one that creates a little stitch that sits off the fabric (the Open Base Picot). In my work, I like things that lay flat against the fabric - not protrude or dangle off in any way.

So, I found another stitch that I would be more likely to use in my work. It's called the Rosette of Thorns Stitch. It's a variation of the blanket stitch which I enjoy doing.

The image I saw with the instruction about how to do the stitch showed each rosette a bit more rounded than what mine turned out like. One of the reasons is that the Aida cloth I used had larger squares than what the instructions pictured. Instead of using a 14-count (which is what I used), using a 20- or 22-count Aida cloth would give a smoother, rounded look to each rosette.

Rosette of Thorns sampler that I did.

I chose red and blue embroidery floss along with white Aida cloth because the presidential elections were during this time period. 

Once I was done with the sampler, I put it along with a gratitude list, name of the stitch, a personal reflection, and images that reflected the week in my journal.

The two pages for the Rosette of Thorns stitch.

This is what the images mean:

- Turkey - preparing for Thanksgiving.

- Cross with Deacon stole - this is from the card I gave to my Dad when he was ordained as a Deacon. It reminds me of completing the 808-page book that has all of his homilies, invocations, and prayers that he wrote and spoke when he was a Deacon.

It also has a sampling of his writing throughout his lifetime, positive things people wrote about my Dad, and things that I excerpted from the CaringBridge website I kept for him while he had Alzheimer's Disease (e.g., things that I found on his desk and in his offices that reflected his values and beliefs; things people wrote to my Dad on cards and in letters that reflected his positive impact).

- Postage stamps - one has the U.S. flag to represent the presidential election; and two have images of Christmas to remind me of the things I'm doing to prepare for the holiday next month.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Double Blanket Stitch - Week 44

On Take a Stitch Tuesday, there are some more complicated stitches being shown that seem too overwhelming at this point to try to learn. Also, some of the stitches - like this week's Woven Picot - sit off the fabric which I don't like in the type of embroidery that I do.

So, instead of not learning a stitch this week, I've chosen another more basic stitch that sits flat against the fabric. It's called the Double Blanket Stitch.

It basically is a row of the blanket stitch done in one color. Then, the fabric is flipped over and the blanket stitch is done again, but this time in a different color and the stitch is done in between the other one.

The double blanket stitch done with

orange and black embroidery floss.

There are different widths and heights of the stitching

to see how each one would look.

I put the sampler - along with a personal reflection, gratitude list, name of the stitch, and some images that reflected the past week - in my journal. This is the second composition journal I've used and this one now is getting full as the end of the year approaches.

The two pages in my journal focused on the Double Blanket Stitch.

The scrapbook paper (the background paper), embroidery floss, and images all relate to Halloween since that was the main focus of this past week.

Sophia, Olivia, and I did a Countdown to Halloween this year which was very fun and helped create some positive memories at this difficult time. (This time last year both my parents were hospitalized at the same time in different hospitals - my Dad with complications due to Alzheimer's Disease and my Mom because of diabetes.)

When I look at these pages in my journal, it will remind me of the Halloween-theme food we made, the pumpkins we carved, art projects we did, and other activities that were enjoyable for us all.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Ray Stitch - Week 43

As with last week's Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge, the stitch proposed this week - the Buttonhole Wheel Cup - is one I know I wouldn't use in embroidery projects I do.

So, I looked on the internet for another embroidery stitch that I would like. I found one called the Ray Stitch which was an easy and enjoyable stitch to do. It also is called the fan stitch...both which are appropriate names given the look of the stitch.

The sampler I did before taking it out 

of the embroidery hoop.

There are eight straight-stitches that make up the ray stitch. It's the type of stitch that fills up a space well.

Close up of the ray or fan stitch.

I put the sampler into my journal along with a personal reflection, list of items for which I'm grateful, the name of the stitch, and some images that represented the week.

The bottom image on the left hand side is a sculpture of a trio of owls. It reminded me of going to the Warner Nature Center and seeing the screech owl up close.

There also are some holiday stamps to remind me of the craft shows that Sophia, Olivia, and I went to on the weekend. We enjoy going to them because it is inspiring to see the variety of work that people do. There's such a diversity in style and products offered...and it is kind of a "kick-off" to the holiday season for us.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Fern Stitch - Week 42

For the 42nd week of the Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge, the featured stitch is the Italian Knotted Border Stitch. After taking a look at how it is done, I realized that I would probably not use it after I learned it.

So, instead I found another stitch that I more than likely would use: the Fern Stitch. It's a simple, orderly stitch that I enjoyed doing.

The fern stitch sampler I did.

As with past weeks, I included the sampler in my journal which includes a personal reflection, list of five things for which I'm grateful, the name of the stitch, and images that represent the week.

The pumpkins are a reminder of the ones that Sophia and Olivia carved at their 4-H meeting. We - along with another family - delivered them to the nursing home as we've done in past years. The staff and residents seemed very happy to see the pumpkins again this year.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Knotted Loop Stitch - Week 41

This week for Take a Stitch Tuesday I learned how to do the knotted loop stitch. For the sampler, I wanted to see the different looks that the stitch had when the space was varied.

The knotted loop stitch is worked right to left, so I began with stitches that were close together. Gradually, as I moved to the left I increased the distance from two spaces to three spaces. There are five stitches within each spacing.

The stitches are done at a slight angle, with the one on the lower half being slightly to the left (by one space). Out of the groupings, I like the ones that are close together.

As with each week I've been doing the Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge, I've created an entry in my embroidery journal that includes a personal reflection, gratitude list, name of the stitch, the sampler, and images that represent what I saw and/or did during the the period reflected.

I can't believe it's already the 41st week of the TAST challenge. Only 11 more left to go.

As I look back on the journals, I'm so happy I did each component. From the first week of the challenge (when my father died) to the present, I have 41 journal entries that reflect what happened during this difficult year as well as 205 things that I listed on the gratitude lists.

205 good things to look back on during a year of grieving...with more things to come. By the end of the year, I'll have 260 memories of gratitude.

Taking the time to appreciate the people, pets, and things that have sustained me this year has been a positive action for which I am truly grateful for doing.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Couched Filling Stitch - Week 40

This week for the Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge, the featured stitch was the beaded hedebo edge stitch. When I looked at it, it appeared very labor intensive for the small area that it covered - despite the fact that it is a pretty stitch.

It consists of a foundation row of cross stitches which are then worked over in beads and scalloped with a form of a buttonhole stitch. The goal is to pack the stitches in between the beads so it looks like a solid surface - almost like it is tightly knitted or crocheted.

I know that I wouldn't take the time to do this stitch in the future on any embroidery project or quilt. It's just too much work for the outcome. So, I chose another stitch that I did not know yet, but would be likely to do: the couched filling stitch.

The stitch itself is very simple. Simply stitch rows of long stitches over the entire shape in a criss-cross method. Then, at each intersection of the long stitches, stitch a small cross-stitch to anchor it down.

Once I completed the little sampler, I included in the TAST embroidery journal I'm keeping. This week, as with past weeks, I've included a personal reflection, gratitude list, the name of the stitch, and a collage of images that represented the week.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Knotted Buttonhole Stitch - Week 39

The 39th week for Take a Stitch Tuesday features the knotted buttonhole stitch. I enjoyed learning this stitch. It's basically two buttonhole stitches that are close to one another connected with a knotted loop.

I chose an embroidery floss that had different shades of orange because it reminded me of the leaves that are changing. The maples - with the their golden, orange, and rust leaves - are beautiful at this time of the year.

As with past weeks, I included the sampler in my TAST embroidery journal. It includes a personal reflection, gratitude list, name of the stitch, and collage of images of that represented the week.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Whipped Running Stitch - Week 38

The 38th week for Take a Stitch Tuesday was supposed to be the drizzle stitch. The stitch requires threading and unthreading the needle; looping the thread around one's finger; and re-threading the needle to create a stitch similar to the cast-on stitch that I learned a few weeks ago.

Just looking at the stitch, I know that I will never use it. It sits up from the fabric - like a little caterpillar...but not as cute. The stitch seems more work than it's worth, particularly since I don't create a lot of underwater scenes or images of coral with my embroidery (both are common ways the stitch is used).

Instead, I looked at some embroidery websites and found an easy stitch that I could see using in a decorative way with quilting and embroidered items I make. It's called the whipped running stitch.

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Whipped Running Stitch.

In contrast to the drizzle stitch, the whipped running stitch is very basic. It's a good stitch for people who are learning how to embroider or who are looking for easy stitches to do that don't require a lot of concentration.

At this point of the year, I need basic, easy things. Nothing complicated. I want to do stitches that I know I will enjoy doing in the future. The whipped running stitch is definitely one of those type of stitches.

As with other weeks, I created a two-page journal entry with personal reflection, list of things for which I'm grateful, the name of the stitch, and images that reflect the happenings of the week. The images and what they represent include:

=> Two doves - autumn is a challenging time period so this is a reminder to take care of myself and seek peaceful activities and thoughts.
=> Cat stamp - ties into one of the things I'm grateful for relates to the pets.
=> Pegasus constellation stamp - reminds me Thursday morning when I sat outside for about 45 minutes; and enjoyed the constellations and planet in the eastern sky.
=> Bird stamp - some of the birds are now migrating south, but the birds that stay here during the winter are visiting the feeders and bird bath more that the weather is getting chillier.
=> Flowers - the annuals that are by the back door are still so colorful and pretty. I'd like to plant annuals there again. It has been so nice to see a lot of bright colors each time I go in and out of the door; or let the dogs outside and bring them back inside again.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Pistil Stitch - Week 37

The 37th week for Take a Stitch Tuesday features the pistil stitch. The stitch essentially is a French knot with a tail. I had delayed learning this stitch because I thought it would complicated. French knots are not my strongest embroidery skill.

Yet, for some reason, the pistil stitch is an easy stitch to learn and do. It lends itself well to flowers as well as tails of birds or feathers on top of a quail's head.

Close-up of the three flowers I did using the pistil stitch.

The background is wool felt; and 

the flowers are done with cotton embroidery floss.

I chose to do a trio of flowers using the pistil stitch. Although I normally do two different small samplers, I am   - most likely - going to do only one from this point forward.

Even though the samplers are small, learning a new stitch takes some time and now that homeschooling has resumed for the new school year, my time is limited. I would rather do one sampler and stay on schedule than do two and fall behind.

As with other weeks, I created a two-page journal entry with personal reflection, list of things for which I'm grateful, the name of the stitch, and images that reflect the happenings of the week.

The corgi and stamps represent my dad. His favorite dog was a corgi, and we had two of them when I was a child. Collecting stamps was something my dad introduced me to, and I have passed along stamp collecting as a hobby to Sophia and Olivia.

The two leaves represent the changing colors I'm seeing. The maples and sumacs are my favorites - with their orange and red leaves.

I'm finding that my stash of images to add to my journal is diminishing. That was one of the goals of doing the embroidery journal (to use up what I had on hand). Although I would like to have a wider variety of images and things to work with...it is nice to be using up supplies rather than just having them sit on a shelf. Eventually, this will create more space in the closet which will be good.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Video of Journal/Combination of Stitches - Week 36

The 36th week for Take a Stitch Tuesday is a catch-up week for participants. I was caught up, so the challenge was to use 3-6 stitches in an embroidered piece.

So, I used the half-chevron, butterfly chain, running, and blanket stitches; and created this:

I put the sampler along with a personal reflection, gratitude list, and some images that represented the past week in my TAST Embroidery Journal.

In case you're wondering what the journal looks like so far, it is in two composition books. The first one goes from January 1st-July 2nd. Although there were blank pages at the end, the book no longer could close due to the thickness of the collaged items and samplers.

Here is a video of what my journal looks like from January 1st-April 20th:

This is the second part of the first book - from April 21st-July 2nd:

I started a new TAST Embroidery Journal in another composition book. Below is a video of the book from July 3rd-September 9th: