July's theme -Snippets of JOY !

July's Theme - Snippets of JOY !
This month started out with alot of stress and challenges seeping over from the past year, but was packed full of snippets of JOY ! I've been thanking God for the moments of reminder of His constant love and faithfulness....there were so many chances to thank Him for answering prayer! It started with one beautiful word spoken to me by the specialist - BENIGN ! The cysts on my liver are large and still there but he is not concerned because they are benign! The challenge of direction was answered thus far and provision provided . Dear friends sending emails and phone calls of love and thoughts. Precious time with my husband and children. Meeting new  friends who have immigrated to Canada, who are allowing us into their lives- sharing their joys and struggles. My husband  and I spent time discussing,  as he was preparing for a sermon message from Philippians 1;3-11, about the secret to Paul's joy and we were both so encouraged and refreshed! What perfect timing for some eternal reality !
The snippets kept coming....
Tea + Great friendships = great fire starter ! ....I have  had a real spark lit under me as I asked for help with my french knot issue over shared tea at a friends house  - she is a great problem solver and I had confidence that if I asked her she would FIND me the answer to my problem ( I tried to spell 'dilemma ' but can't even get the spell check right - my husband got out the old dictionary!)) lol  SEW - out she pulled her trusty iPod and Googled  a tutorial  (dah- why didn't i think of that !) and within 4 min. we were making french knots ! sew -That set me off to creating again ! YEAHHHH... fire  ! I have been working on my felt thimble and it looks good ! I will post the old pics as soon as I get the script writing done along the bottom edge!
I spent a whole 2 days pouring out some ideas and drawing and snipping pattern pieces for some upcoming pillow tops after the bug bit me...my dear neighbor had a birthday and she is so fantastic a friend and neighbor that I have wanted to make something special just for her - so I took the wool in hand and stitched up 2 appliqued pillows for her living room.

I purchased 2 linen -look pillow covers ( with zippers)

dug through my  very ,very small stash of wool fabrics to choose something for her colour scheme

cut out pieces...and decided placement...

 started to stitch down center(brown) onto second circle ( blue) ,then circles onto the flower with floss...

applique stitched around the flower ( antique red plaid) , and the leaves(moss green)...

then I started to add  FRENCH KNOTS to the center !  insert pillow form and voila !

the pillows looked more amazing up against her chocolate brown sofa ...SHE loved them !

I had so much fun - I went out and purchased more pillow tops !
* note - I love to make pretty much everything I can of the piece I'm working on but these pillow tops were constructed well and with zippers -and I was able to get them so inexpensively that I jumped at the deal ! That means more time to play !  What joy !

In the Works....
Well I have been saving tea bags to make something for the challenge....I haven't forgotten, it's just slow because hubbie thru out the first couple I had drying in the cupboard !

I have the palm leaf  bathmat almost completed but will hold pics till it's done....

I am inspired by the tutorial videos I watched last eve on how to make felted hats.....now i need to find a hat mold !

I am working on making a guitar strap for my son's guitar...from a discarded pair of camel coloured  twill pants

I will be starting to quilt a Christmas quilt top donated to my friend's 'up-cycle store' (proceeds going to orphans and widows in Asia )I am hoping to start basting after I get back from driving my hubbie to the airport this week.(he needs the attention first )

Rescued two of hubbie's dress shirts before the went to garbage for future project to make a couple little girl "dress shirt dresses"...*note my friend came to church today with her daughter's "apron' to show me...she cut down an  old dress to make the cutest little bib apron for her daughter-only took her couple hours of fun !

Groan-er of the month !!! I don't wish to bring anyone down after sharing snippets of joy  but as friends we must jounney together through thick and thin.....Today I picked up two Merino wool blankets from a local thrift shop - one blue and the other cream....but did a FOOLISH thing- in my distraction and hurry I put BOTH in the washer together! now I have one dark and one light blue blanket to cut up for projects !!!!! wow did I ever kick myself over that error !the cream one was $14 ! Oh these are the mistakes that 'take' !  I will have to over -dye that puppie for sure !
I am hoping to purchase online the recipe booklet and dyes from _The Woolen Willow... I was at a class years ago learning to dye wool and the teacher recommended this book....all these years I've been wanting to order it..hope it's still available !The wool used in the pillows shown above were dyed at that very class using the Willow's recipe booklet! (great article in Quilt Sampler 2007 about the Woolen Willow shop)

Thanks for journeying with me through this month of July. I pray you have an amazing time finishing your projects in your journey through July and a fresh creativity to start August.
Praying for you blessings and joy !
Jody

Where did June go???

Where did June go???? I can't believe it's July, I still am wondering what happened to June???
Well Happy Belated Canada Day ! 
Our eldest son has now graduated and is plotting what to attempt next...
It was a busy month. with preparations, school finishing,  and I am still going thru health issues and tests....meeting with specialist on Wed.at the cancer hospital, and both my husband and I are seeking out full time employment! It's getting to be beyond crunch time!!!! As I posted last month -it's pressure cooker time!!!

I long to dig into something with my hands but my mind and heart are having such difficulties getting there....but I have been trying to work on my Felted Thimble. I have embroidered the script but tore it out for the 2nd time ! I just am not satisfied with it...it's not smooth and flowing...it looks more like a child stitched it ! I am hopeful that I will be able to acquire this in time but it may mean that my thimble sit aside till I practice on other pieces...the felt may not withstand more tearing out !

I have sewn a pretty ,wide, white rickrack trim onto the lavender linen child's dress and fashioned some small fabric rosettes to attach in a grouping of 3 off centered. I will attempt to add some more embellishment around neckline and need to attach a lovely white button to the back for a closure. will post picture soon...

I haven't started my "tea challenge" piece yet but working on a design and thinking what products to use for the effect I want to achieve....keep you posted...

I am wanting to make some childrens tops, dresses, and skirts, and I found a picture of bloomers for children that I will try to figure out how to make myself....oh so cute !!! But I need to find some great linen..that's what I would love to work with for these pieces!

I would like to eventually be selling these pieces so I will need to work up some patterns :)

My bathmat series is stalled....needing some special fabric that I can't purchase right now :( I dislike waiting!

enjoyed checking out http://linda-stokes.blogspot.com  and http://judysfiberart.blogspot.ca  blogs today !!!

God bless you!
Jody

Working up inspiration..

Working up inspiration....
Life has been "FULL" lately...full of not -so- fun stuff...sick kids,tests, MRI,more Dr.appointments,bills,lack of work...yes  FAR from inspiring, more like a pressure cooker,and having the opposite effect on my mind even being able to go to my "creative space". It's has been satisfying enough to have just simple stitching to do on my "felted thimble", and frankly about all I can tax my brain with! I think I'll give myself some grace and just keep it simple for now as I await news from the MRI and the test results.June has enough worries of it's own ,so let's just keep it simple....

Update: My Felted Thimble: As mentioned I have been working at my thimble piece. I stitched down the bleeding hearts and the trim. I worked on the script but didn't like the end product so I removed it all and am having a go at it again.I hope my embroidery gets better with practice...I am just not pleased with it, I like it to look smoother.  After finishing the script I am hoping to learn french knots well for the 'dimples' in the thimble top but I'm not sure that it will give me the look I'm after...guess I can always pull it out !

Self Portrait challenge: Well have you had a chance to check out Cate Coulacous Prato  Mixed Media Self -Portraits book? I have been interested in trying one of the exercises from the book. So I have been mulling around what I'd like to use as my theme or topic....since everyone who knows me finds out quickly that I LOVE TEA ! I think TEA should be my theme....ya I know it's not a self portrait but I'm working up to that !!! 

I'd like to share more but my sick little boy wants to have a game of checkers before bed....(then he'll request a book reading,,,glass of water... 

I just want to say I'm so thankful for this day God has given, and  I don't take for  granted the privileges that I have in this country....I was treated very kindly and compassionately today at the Diagnostic services dept. at the Hamilton General Hospital.The staff was great with me. I laid there thanking God that this was even possible - to have this huge ,expensive machine imaging my internal organs so the doctors could have a better look at what's going on  in my liver....this is not possible in other countries, let alone for my husband and I to walk in and out without a huge bill to pay. Thank you Lord for Your personal touch in ever aspect of my life ...You are always there for me !

Till we visit again - God bless you 
Jody

Inspiration...

We have so much around us to inspire ! What beautiful days we've been having, plenty of gorgeous greens and new buds, birds and bees galore...I've even encountered a FLY ! ...life is alive all around us!It stirs and awakens ,breaking off the tired old winter crust that enshrouds.
There are some great artist out there to aid in a 'kick start' for those of us needing a focus or a little direction...I have been reading a wonderful book that is quite inspiring by Cate Coulacous Prato called Mixed Media Self -Portraits.  At a time in my life when I really need some introspection, take time before God and really look at who I am in the roles I play in this day to day life and who I am in Him. I love that God the Great Creator who has made me, has given the privilege to me to create something to enjoy. It causes me to marvel, and thank Him...
At the time of the writing of the book Cate was the feature editor for Quilting Arts Mag. and Cloth Paper Scissors. There are some fantastic artists featured in the book and some creative technique exercises to explore self -portrait. Just those two words together gives me the shivers! I still wonder why I even  picked it up at the library? But I am so glad I did...it has encouraged me to even ponder the idea of taking the time to sit exploring the  use of a variety of mixed media to express my self .
This isn't an easy challenge that Cate puts forth in her book,I hope I'm up to it...I realized that I haven't spent alot of time these past years wanting to look inside...to many things in there I don't feel  I can deal with most days....why does hurt hurt?why all the struggle? I got to give it up ! Maybe this will help me work thru some stuff...I don't know about you but I really enjoy the quite time in my head to sort things out as my hands and heart are busy playing.
I want to become a better artist ...
I love the idea of art journaling  and there are some wonderful prompts in the book...so now I have to choose one, and figure out where to start. Let you know what I figure out!
Planning and decisions....hummmm
Hope you get a chance to check out the book !


My Black and White Thoughts quilt is sort of finished...I mean it's bound and labelled but I'm thinking I want to add some white shirting buttons to each block corner....need to decide so it can be really 'put to bed' so to speak..yup pun intended!

Well the homemade bread is done ...time to take it out of the oven and get to bed !!!
Have a creative week !
Blessings, Jody

Jesus came to give life- and LIFE to the fullest ! let's live it fully for HIS sake....

My Felted thimble design...

                 
 My Felted Thimble Design...
I needed a picture of a thimble to post for my blog page...so my son suggested 'mom,just make one' ...hummm sounds simple enough... yet I've never 'made' a thimble out of felt before..This was a challenge I needed...something to try my hand at...get those creative juices flowing!
Well in my journal of discovery I must post - I've discovered that I am really challenged when I need to make decisions !!!! What size do I make it? what colour,what design elements do I add? what,what what???? I froze....I'm to tired...try again tomorrow.
Well the next day I put pencil to paper and just took step one...
-draw out the thimble shape....good...I check my stash...I have a nice dark grey!Okay grey it is!
-next add some 'dipples' for the indents on the top and sides of the thimble...maybe add french knots and beads ...hummm  they will be raised...I'll decide if it needs to look more indented when I add them...good,your doing it !
-add the lines circling the thimble....then chose an element I'd like...okay I love bleeding heart flowers...the flower arches so beautifully on the green foliage, the shape of the flower petals have always amazed me- how did God think of such beauty in shape and colour?  The interesting  way the soft pure white 'stamin'(?) come out of the center of the heart looking like a teardrop... it always causes me to think how God must have felt watching His Son Jesus suffer and shed His blood for the sin of mankind ... I think it's a good visual reminder for me.I will make the flowers a deep red. 
-I like the idea of the band of midnight blue around the top third...and the band of grey on the bottom for the curled lip
-along the bottom I put the script of my blog name- My Felted Thimble 
I need to figure out what stitches I will use to attach each piece to the background....

I would like to add beading,and use the beautiful metallic threads I have in red, grey and gold...I'll have to see as I go how that will work to incorporate them....If  I do the script in the metallics will they show enough? or will I have to resort to floss? maybe floss, then overlay the metallics? 
Okay this was alot of fun ! 
Hope the pictures of the thimble in progress load !

Well I cut out the pieces and here it a quick peek...

This was really wonderful to spend this time journaling the process.
 I'll need to practice with the camera for the shots ,I'd like to be able to get in closer!
 I'm just learning as I go !
Blessings,
Jody