Stitches - Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks - Week 37

The book I chose for the 37th week of the Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge was Stitches - A Handbook on Meaning, Hope, and Repair  by Anne Lamott.

The only version available through the library system that I could find was on disc. Anne Lamott read her book. She read it at a rather fast pace which doesn't allow much time for processing what she was sharing. For this reason, I would much rather have read the book than listened to the disc.

The author reviews life’s losses, searching for those threads that enabled her to press on. She shares stories about her upbringing in a swinging household loosely held together by alcoholic parents whose chaos impacted their sensitive daughter. There are no major epiphanies in Stitches. Rather, the book is a humbling journey of asking for help and learning one’s limits.

At any rate, there are six pieces or chapters in this book - basically, as the author describes, a “patchwork of moments, memories, connections and stories.” There was a particularly moving chapter about a husband and wife whose husband had memory issues. It reminded me of the journey my dad and mom took after my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.

Another chapter focuses on Pammy, Lamott’s best friend who died at 38 from breast cancer. Lamott kept the linen shirt that Pammy gave to her shortly before she died. Threadbare after many years, it needed to be let go. Yet, it took the author several attempts, until she finally was able to tear the shirt to pieces and let it float down a river in Laos.

There were some things that I took away from the book that I found interesting:

- Stitching with the same color thread translates into our lives as regular contact with a few trusted people; and daily rituals, practices, and structures....it can decrease can decrease shock. The unifying thread can provide respite from the worst of the pain.

- Order and discipline create meaning. The author talked about the importance of having a routine or rhythm throughout the day.

- There is meaning in focus and concentration. Pay attention to the simple things in nature - like butterflies and birds.

- The author wants people - especially children - to cling onto hope. She does by looking at the life cycle of butterflies with children. She has them do craft projects with a butterfly theme, listen to a passage about butterflies, and go out and find butterflies.

- It's important to stick together in times of chaos.

There were a few quotes that I liked:

- Ultimately we're all just walking each other home. Ram Dass

- There can be meaning without having things mean sense. - Anne Lamott

- Everything is held together with stories. That is all that is holding us together, stories and compassion. - Barry López

Anne Lamott shared part of a poem called "Briefly It Enters, Briefly Speaks" by Jane Kenyon. This is the poem in its entirety:

I am the blossom pressed in a book,
found again after two hundred years. . . .

I am the maker, the lover, and the keeper....

When the young girl who starves
sits down to a table
she will sit beside me. . . .

I am food on the prisoner's plate. . . .

I am water rushing to the wellhead,
filling the pitcher until it spills. . . .

I am the patient gardener
of the dry and weedy garden. . . .

I am the stone step,
the latch, and the working hinge. . . .

I am the heart contracted by joy. . . .
the longest hair, white
before the rest. . . .

I am there in the basket of fruit
presented to the widow. . . .

I am the musk rose opening
unattended, the fern on the boggy summit. . . .

I am the one whose love
overcomes you, already with you
when you think to call my name. . . .

Basically, the book sums up that heartbreak will happen, and there's no certainty that people can overcome it. We simply must carry on.

“We clean up beaches after oil spills. . . . We return calls and library books. We get people water. Some of us even pray. Every time we choose the good action or response, the decent, the valuable, it builds, incrementally, to renewal, resurrection, the place of newness, freedom, justice.”

Stitches is kind of a spiritual self-help book about how to handle tough times and persevere even when it’s difficult to discern any purpose and meaning to the chaos of one's life. By trying to stitch things up, even patchwork-style, we can help ourselves cope. “We live stitch by stitch, when we’re lucky,” writes Lamott. “If you fixate on the big picture, the whole shebang, the overview, you miss the stitching.”

Although there are some interesting parts to this book, I feel like it glosses over the surface issues and doesn't dive as deeply into the challenges of life as I had hoped. Would I listen to or read the book again? Probably not. Yet, I'm happy with the information, quotes, and poem I gleaned from this book...and for that it was a worthwhile use of my time.

Crazy Quilt Journal Project (CQJP 2014) - February Quilt Square

This is the second month that I'm participating in the Crazy Quilt Journal Project. The project aims to promote the art of crazy quilting and expand the participant’s individual artistic creativity and technical knowledge.

The entire quilt block for February.

My goal is simply to learn how to do individual crazy quilt squares. I'm not following any patterns, so last month I lucked out and the pieces seemed to work together and lay flat. This month...I wasn't so lucky.

This is one section that didn't lay flat.

Just did some simple stitching over it,

and will hope for the best when I sew everything together.

There were several parts of this month's quilt square that I just could not get to line up properly and lay flat after sewing them. It is what it is...I can't stress out about something so insignificant in the greater scheme of life.

I'm using a variety of trims I have on hand.

To this red one, I added two different colors of beads.

At any rate, I'm continuing to use only the trim and embroidery floss that I have on hand. I want this quilt to be something that uses up what I have rather than a project for which I have to go out and purchase supplies. It's that "make do with what you have" mentality that I grew up with and still guides my life today.

This section shows a variety of trims, 

buttons, and embroidery stitches.

One of the things I'm learning is that these quilt squares take a lot of time to create. They aren't something that can be completed in a morning or afternoon. Starting next month I would like to do the machine sewing of the block during the first week of March, and then do all the hand-stitching for the next couple of weeks. In this way, I won't feel rushed, and can perhaps add even more tactile elements to the crazy quilt square.

Crazy Quilt Journal Project (CQJP 2014) - January Quilt Block

The Crazy Quilt Journal Project is about promoting the art of crazy quilting and expanding each participant’s individual artistic creativity and technical knowledge. Quilt blocks are any shape and can even be a finished item that meets the size requirement.

The goal is to construct and complete a crazy quilt block each month (January through December) in 2014 that measures at least equivalent to a 6-inch square block. For my quilt squares, I am doing an 11 3/4" square (this includes the seam allowances).

My finished crazy quilt block for January 2014.

As I did for January, I plan on creating the quilt squares from a wide variety of different all-cotton fabrics.

The start of attaching pieces of fabric to one another.

I have quite a bit of fabric on hand, so I'm using only what I have and not purchasing any new fabric.

After all the different pieces were machine-sewn together,

I ironed the fabric so everything would lay flat.

By using what I have in bins in my home office, it will free up some space by the end of the year.

After ironing the fabric, I put down the white 11 3/4" square piece of fabric

to use as a pattern to make all the quilt blocks the same size.

As I'm going through the bins, I'll donate whatever fabric I don't care for any longer or don't plan to use in the next year or so.

When I was done trimming the machine-sewn fabric,

it was close to the same size as the white fabric.

Now it was ready to be embellished.

I'm going to embellish each of the quilt squares with trims, buttons, and other items that can be sewn onto the quilt square.

Another view of the completed quilt block.

Another goal of the Crazy Quilt Journal Project is that the blocks should challenge the participant's individual skills. I'm definitely at the start of crazy quilting. This is my first crazy quilt...and the first block I've done.

There are different types of trims used.

All are attached to the fabric using cotton embroidery floss.

Some of the trim has beads and sequins added to it.

Participants are encouraged to set individual goals so that the work does not get overwhelming, and discouraging. Keeping this in mind, I've set some personal goals in 2014:

=> Create 12 different quilt blocks using Pinterest for inspiration, but doing my own designs.
=> Incorporate at least 10 different embellishments per quilt square.
=> Use a combination of embroidery stitches I learned through Take a Stitch Tuesday in 2012 as well as my own stitches that complement the embellishments.
=> Combine the quilt squares at the end of 2014 to create a functional item (e.g., lap quilt, bed quilt).

I like this trim with the circles since a sequin and bead 

fit perfectly in the center.

I took a look at a pin on Pinterest that I found that I liked. There was a Block of the Month for August  and two different patterns - Pattern 1 and Pattern 2.

The plain blue fabric needed to have some textural elements on it 

as did the polka-dot trim. 

I also looked for examples of stitches that would be good to use with a crazy quilt. One pin led to nothing...just an image of the different stitches. Another pin linked to Crazy Kwilter Too on Flickr. Although I didn't use the examples of stitches for this block, I would like to in the future.

To submit photographs to the challenge, they need to be of high quality and not "reduced" before sending. Participants email photographs for posting on the CQJP2014 Block to cqjpchallenge@yahoo.com .

Participants who complete the challenge will have their finished photographs also added to the permanent CQJP Blog for the year the challenge was completed (e.g., CQJP2014, CQJP2013).

Blogging Tips & Links to Challenges I've Done

Today's prompt for the Summer Blog Challenge is to give a tip for new bloggers. The first one that comes to mind is: Define why you want to blog.

For me, I originally started the blog as a way to give some insight into what inspired the creation of Harvest Moon by Hand's products.

Some of the window stars that I make.

(Taken on June 7, 2009.)

When I began homeschooling Sophia and Olivia, I began adding more posts about what we did. This was, in part, as a way to share ideas with other homeschooling families much in the same manner as I was inspired and learned from other homeschooling blogs.

Sophia and Olivia dissecting a cattail.

This was part of their nature study for the week.

(Taken on April 19, 2011.)

Concurrent with adding posts about homeschooling, I was adding posts about developing and expanding my hobbies. Some activities were simply enjoyable ways to spend my time while others were intended as ways to process my grief and loss. My father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease (in May 2009), the disease became more profound, and it eventually resulted in his death (in January 2012); writing and crafting became (and are still) essential ways to deal with grief.

This as a journal quilt I made.

Each month during 2010 I made a 9" x 12" quilt

that reflected things that happened during the month.

I also wrote a journal entry (3-5 pages) about what happened,

and the symbolism of the quilt components.

The full description about what each component means is here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/picturesbyann/4757664061/

(Taken on June 29, 2010)

Throughout the few years that I have had this blog, what has remained consistent is that it is one that I keep as a reflection of my life journey. In the process of writing and posting, I hope that others find bits and pieces of it that are interesting and helpful.

The second tip for bloggers is to participate in challenges and blog hops. Both are wonderful ways to connect with other people who have blogs with whom you may not normally connect.

I have done some fun, meaningful, and life-changing challenges and blog hops throughout the years. Below are some of the ones I've done with links to posts I've written about them:

- 3 in 30
- 30 Day Vegan Workshop
- 30 Days of Giving Thanks
- 30 Days to a Simpler Life
- 52 Books in 52 Weeks
- 52 Weeks of Baking
- ABCs of Homeschooling
- Art Every Day Month
- Embroidery Journal Project
- Flashback Friday
- Handbook of Nature Study/Outdoor Hour Challenge
- Heartwarming Animal Stories Reading Challenge
- Journal Quilt
- Kids Clothes Week Challenge
- Muffin Tin Monday
- No Impact Experiment
- P52 - Photo Challenge
- Preparedness Challenge
- Project Simplify
- Simple Woman's Daybook
- Summer Blog Challenge
- Summer of Color
- Take a Stitch Tuesday

One of the recipes I tried as part of the 52 Weeks of Baking.

These, by far, have been the best ginger cookies I've ever made.

There are three types of ginger in them.

The blog post and recipe is here:

http://harvestmoonbyhand.blogspot.com/2010/06/triple-ginger-cookies.html

Because of the challenges and blog hops, I have:
- set and reach goals in a variety of areas;
- tried new recipes;
- improved my homeschooling efforts and teaching skills;
- broadened the type of arts and crafts I've tried;
- expanded the number of embroidery stitches I can do;
- explored the farm and nature at a greater depth;
- enjoyed looking at past pictures and reflecting on childhood days;
- read many books;
- did a variety of types of journaling (e.g., written, embroidery, quilting);
- made children's clothes;
- reduced my impact on the environment;
- organized and simplified the home; and
- wrote more frequently than I would have if I didn't have a blog.

The most important tip I have for bloggers - whether they are new or have written for some time - is to enjoy the process. If it becomes laborious, take a break. Writing and blogging should be fun and bring you joy...not be a burden. Life is too short to do something that isn't worthwhile and/or pleasurable.

Creative Work I've Done

Today's question for the Summer Blog Challenge asks: "Are you an artist? Show some artwork or doodling you've done."

I enjoy being able to do a variety of crafts and things that allow me to express myself. The images below show a variety of things that I like to do and have made over the past several years: embroidery, quilting, snow sculpture, baking, nature journaling, needlefelting, origami, paper folding, quilting, coloring, doodling, photography, paper cutting, quilling, cake decorating, homeschooling/teaching, and playing the piano. 

Hand-embroidered and appliqued artist trading card.

July 26, 2008

Snowman I made on Leap Day.

February 29, 2012

A couple of pages from my nature journal.

February 15, 2011

A two-page spread from my 
Take a Stitch Tuesday embroidery journal. 
Each week I put a personal reflection, 
list of five items for which I'm grateful, 
a collage of images that represents the week, and 
embroidery samples that show the new stitch I learned that week.

February 26, 2012

Hand-embroidered penguins that I made
to help my daughters learn their colors.

December 14, 2008

Needle-felted letters (each one 2 1/2" x 3 1/2") 
that I made when my daughters were learning the alphabet.

June 12, 2008

Origami window stars.

June 7, 2009

Hand-embroidered felt food.
Some of the items are from patterns, and
others are ones that I made up based on 
food I had in the kitchen.

February 1, 2009

Origami boats with felt sails 
filled with candy hearts.

February 12, 2008

One of the monthly journal quilts I made.
Each month I created one based on what happened that month.
Every component in the mini quilt represents something.
They are each about 9" x 12".
April 9, 2010

This is another example of a journal quilt I made.
It is also about 9"x12".

August 24, 2010

"Secret journal page."
I wrote a page in my journal, cut it up, and 
glued it onto another page.

March 9, 2009

I have a book with blank mandalas that I color
using Prismacolor Colored Pencils.

May 23, 2008

Photo I took of Sophia when she was 6 years old.
She's pulling milkweed seeds from her pockets and releasing them.
The seeds are floating away in the wind.

September 29, 2007

Paper cutting with roses at the end of each point.

January 1, 2009

Sashiko pillow I embroidered and sewed.

July 17, 2010

Homeschooling/teaching requires some creative thinking when
new concepts are taught. 
In the picture above, Sophia was learning 
jump counting (counting by 5s and 10s).
September 25, 2007

Page of  circles I did with
Prismacolor Colored Pencils.

March 7, 2009

Sensory and memory quilt that I made for my dad.
Each plain square of fabric is a different texture.
The white squares have pictures that my dad and 
I picked out shortly after he was diagnosed with 
\mid-stage Alzheimer's Disease.
They each had special meaning to him.
He slept with the quilt each night from Christmas time 2009 
until his death on January 5, 2012.

December 21, 2009

Olivia's photocopied hand with
quilling I did glued on top of the image.

February 16, 2008

Candyland cake I made for Olivia's 8th birthday.
She saw the image in Taste of Home magazine, and 
asked if I would make it for her.
This is the cake I decorated.

January 18, 2011

I learned how to do the couching stitch, and
used some wool yarn, cotton floss, and wool felt.

This was part of the Take a Stitch challenge that 
started on January 1, 2012, and goes until December 31, 2012.
March 5, 2012

This is another stitch I learned (the green and purple parts).
The other elements I added to make it 
more reflective of my style.

February 8, 2012

Sophia took this picture of me playing the piano.
The shadow in the lower right part is 
Olivia standing next to me.
I took lessons for ten years when I was growing up.
Although I don't play as much as I would like to now,
I still can sit down and play some songs which is nice.
January 31, 2008

Two hand-embroidered bears made from 
a wool blanket that I machine felted.
They are holding a paper flag bunting.
They're small bears - they fit in the palm of a person's hand.

January 30, 2011

That's a sampling of the things I like to do. Am an artist? I don't term myself one. I just enjoy doing the things I have shown, and look forward to the times when I can do them. 

P52 - Things that Grow - Week 16

Growth through change.

Growth through loss.

Growth through challenges.

Growth in nature.

Growth -- some of it inevitable….some painful, yet necessary…and some welcome.

I’ve seen all of these in my life during the past couple of years, especially during the last 3 ½ months.

Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but

it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth.

~ Tom Barrett

Part of dealing with watching the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease in my father and dealing with the continual losses on a monthly…weekly…and then, ultimately, daily basis, I began using art as a way to express my feelings, document my life, and the effect caregiving had on it.

I have made monthly journal quilts (small 9” x 12” quilts that were accompanied by several-page journal entries); wrote poetry; made full-size quilts; blogged on a regular basis; took photographs; and embroidered.

These were all ways to creatively express myself, learn new skills, and grow despite the chaos in a changing world – the caregiving world – around me.

I think that our fundamental belief is that for us

growth is a way of life and

we have to grow at all times.
~ Mukesh Ambani

As my father was in the active dying process from late-November 2011 until the first week of January 2012, I still believe he was teaching me despite his ability to actively communicate with words or open his eyes.

I chose to be at his bedside from January 1^st through January 5^th (when he died). Being able to be with him, help care for him, ensure that he was receiving the medicines he needed, and giving people the opportunity to say “goodbye” to him all were emotionally challenging.

But I grew.

I was touched.

I learned.

He showed me – through the many visitors he had – the impact that he made by giving of himself. Of listening. Of genuinely caring for others.

Seeds of faith are always within us;

sometimes it takes a crisis to nourish and encourage their growth.
~ Susan Taylor

Because my father was a deacon, his funeral was attended by many deacons and their wives as well as priests. Hearing their wonderful voices in unison as they sang the songs provided healing comfort when I needed it.

Although I knew my father’s faith was strong, in going through his offices at home during the past few months, I have found countless Bible verses that were handwritten, homilies, and resources that showed how strong faith can be, and how it truly was such an integral part of who he was and what he believed.

He began his life in one religion and changed to another as a teenager. Within his chosen religion and throughout his entire adulthood, he continually chose to grow, learn, and inspire others on many different levels.

Education is growth.

Education is not a preparation for life;

education is life itself.
~ John Dewey

During the past week, I attended the annual homeschool conference. Most of the workshops I attended focused on special education and children who have special educational needs.

Being able to gain new ideas and methods of teaching along with thousands of other parents who are experiencing similar challenges with their children was invigorating and inspiring.

There are some basic changes to the way of teaching as well as feeding my daughters that may have a significant impact on their learning.  Truly, I am excited to make these changes and see the growth in their learning.

I am incredibly thankful to the workshop presenters who shared their knowledge so as a parent (and teacher) I can help my daughters learn and grow.

The garden is growth and change; and

that means loss as well as

constant new treasures to make up for a few disasters.
~ Mary Sarton

As the month progresses, the weather continues to be unpredictable – one week it is warm and in the 60s and 70s. The next, there are mornings with a light snowfall or frost. There have been calm days and days with extreme wind.

Yet, the bushes and trees are in full bloom and have sustained these setbacks – these challenges that the weather has put forth. They have held onto their blossoms and flowers. They have welcomed the bees and butterflies as they have drank nectar and spread the pollen.

The crabapple tree – with its beautiful pink flowers – provides a fragrant canopy over the walkway from the driveway to the door. Its other half – which fell over in an ice storm in November 2010 – has grown new shoots from the fallen trunk. Tiny white flowers are gracing the ends of the branches.

Then I look over at the garden – overgrown already with weeds and grasses. Yet within the mess, signs of sustenance – chives, rhubarb, lettuce, raspberries, and strawberries – all have begun to emerge.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

So, despite the changes, loss, and challenges that – at times – seemed too overwhelming, it was (and is) important to focus on positive growth.

:: Recognizing good changes in myself, my daughters, and others.

:: Taking the time to be grateful for things and people I can often take for granted.

:: Making a commitment each month to give and serve others (especially those in need), animals, and the environment.

:: Using photography, embroidery, writing, and journaling to make it through an emotionally-difficult year.

Embroidery Journal Project 2012

During 2010, I particpated in a monthly journal quilt project. The concept was to create a small quilt that reflected the happenings of the month. I made 12 quilts that were each about 9 inches by 12 inches. They used a variety of quilting methods, with the majority of them incorporating embroidery.

Embroidered journal quilt.

August 2010.

I also wrote about the month's happening and how the activities or experiences were incorporated into the quilt. These two pieces - the textile/tactile one and the written one - were a meaningful and different way to record the happenings of the year.

Journal quilt from March 2010.

During 2011, I took a break from the making journal quilts. In a way, I wish I hadn't because as I look back on the quilts that I made, I remember exactly what the quilts represent.

April's journal quilt.

However, I came across a project for 2012 that intrigues me. It's called the Embroidery Journal Project 2012.  According to the website, "The idea is to make a small (or large) embroidery every month that reflects something in your life. It can be anything: how you are feeling, the weather, important events, a holiday, a season, interactions with nature. The list goes on and on.

"You can choose any size or any format you like: ATCs, postcards, inchies, circles, quilt blocks, or anything else you can think of. There will be one post every month where you can post your links to your works, and probably a Flickr group or something else to send your photos to.

"This is a challenge of sorts - to make it through the year with 12 embroidery projects that are personal and have a story to tell. You can use the chance to experiment with colors, stitches, fabrics, design, anything you like. The important thing is that it comes from inside and is tells the world something about you."

Journal quilt from November 2010.

So, I thought about what I would want to do with 12 embroidery projects - ATCs, postcards, and inchies didn't seem large enough to work with nor have any long-term use.  I'm not sure what circles were - except the shape - and those are quite difficult to work with when sewing and doing embroidery (at least they are for me). 

May 2010's journal quilt.

I began to think more about doing quilt blocks, and have decided to do a quilt. The quilt will be about 45" wide by 80" long. Each square will be about 15" by 10" (raw size is 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" - giving 1/4" seam allowances on all sides).  The quilt will be three squares across by eight squares long.

In addition to the embroidered squares, there will be an alternating square of fabric that represents the predominant color that I see when look outside or think about that month. 

Journal quilt from June 2010.

All the fabric and embroidery floss will be from what I have on hand. As I have done with the past two quilts that I have made in 2011, my goal is to use up what I have on hand rather than purchasing new fabric.

Summer of Color quilt made from June-August 2011.

This will help me use what I like and, in the process, donate what I don't want to work with for this or future projects. 

Minnesota state quilt

made during November 2011.

More about the Embroidery Journal Project and some visual ideas are HERE.