handstories

Light through the trees

    "Standing in Starlight"

    The longer it takes me to get back here, the longer it seems to take me.

    "She Stood"

    I've been making tree after tree, with an occasional moon thrown in.  It's been a few months since I made a boat.  Thinking about how I so identified with the boat- the floating, journeying, precarious safety of it.  And now, I feel more like a tree.  A good feeling.  (Not that my inner boat doesn't come out for a jaunt now and then.)

    Last week on Instagram, I wrote, "These stitched things- trees, moons, boats, marks, these stories…they are most often messages to me. They have become symbols of where I've been, am, and wish to be. A way of taking note of and steps towards myself. I'm so grateful to have found this path with thanks to Jude’s generous light and for all of you who journey along with me here."

    All of that is even more true in this space.  Instagram is a big city, with some neighborhoods, acquaintances, and a few friends, and I appreciate parts of it.  This place is much more of a home.  No need to get dressed up, find my manners, or try to channel my best self at all times.  An extra thank you for that.

    "I Wish..."

    Moon was here for a few days over Thanksgiving.  Blue called from Chile.  He's trying to figure out how to stay for another year.  I hoped along with him, said all of the right things, and meant them.  Fortunately for me, unfortunately for him, Moon was standing nearby when I hung up and burst into tears.  "Hug your mother!"  He obliged.

    We had a nice few days with him.  We played cribbage, talked, ate a lot, and even happily watched water boil together.

    A photo from my brother, the day after Thanksgiving, his birthday, with the text, "Hunting or better known as wandering in the woods."  Birthdays are best spent mostly alone in my family.

    "Night Lights"

    I'm taking December off from shop work.  K is having the other hip replaced in a couple of weeks.  Not the best timing, but we're saving thousands by doing it before the new year.  Besides tending him, and rearranging the front room to fit his recovery bed and a Christmas tree, ... I'm going to try to rest my head, clean some things up and out, read, finish that quilt meant for last Christmas, shake some things loose and/or into place.  I hope to be here more, too.

    Peace and love to you all.

Coming around to

    A while ago, a dearest friend said that she wanted to make a quilt.

    Things have been very busy, so I sighed inside.

    This friend is very good at starting projects that I end up finishing for her... the knitted scarf for her dad, the baby blanket for a friend's daughter, a hooked pillow for an old boyfriend, the list goes on.

    "I don't have time to make a quilt right now," I said, discouraging her plans.

    But for her birthday a couple of months ago, I filled a box with squares of fabric, stitching template, soap sliver for marking, needle, thread, and a note agreeing to our next project.  

    A few weeks later, she and her man invited us to their sailboat christening.  I was happily surprised to see she'd been stitching pairs together and putting them to use already.

    (A silly aside, the bottle of bubbles we brought.  Relabeled with a photo of Moon.)

 

    Last weekend we spent a couple of lovely hours stitching together.  I shared stories of some of the cloths, we discussed favorites, reminiscing projects with students when we taught together, etc.  And the straight running stitched lines were so satisfying to make.  She commented on my two finished seams for each of hers.  I reminded her that I do practice with a needle now and then.

    I'm looking forward to the quilting to come, and very glad that I came around.

Arcs

    Recent stitching- a series in rainbows.  (Inspired by and created with the dyeing talents of Deb and Tina.)

 

 

    New ideas- abstracted rainbows, black thread.  These pieces felt like drawing more than usual.

    On Instagram, someone asked if I would ever be able to go back to my usual palette after working with in such vivid colors?  I really enjoyed playing with these brights, being braver with bold, and there was already a piece in dark blues going by the time I saw the comment.  I am going to do more with these ideas.  They feel like an expansion rather than a shift.

    I don't have a lot of words for here or in regular life.  Things are ok, swell mostly.  Life felt really good for weeks, and then there was a head-first dive into a downward spiral last week.  Sometimes I do myself in.  It's an old habit, but at least I recognize it now.  This is progress.  Onward...