It's March again.
The years are whipping by.
Almost a year since the start of this.
Square 35 - rose flannel, the year Blue was born. To the left of it, square 34, for a baby we didn't get to meet.
Square 39 - polka dot for Moon's year. Sqare 40 - a favorite scrap from a quilt made in honor of turning 40 (though I didn't finish it until 42, and funny, the quilt ended up having 42 squares).
The birds of square 49 - another favorite. I just noticed that some of the birds seem upside down, maybe it's an illusion of taking flight. I feel upside down lately, I will hope it is a similar illusion.
Tick tock . . . better get stitching.
Posted at 05:06 PM in 49, family, stitching, story cloth | Permalink | Comments (20)
Posted at 05:09 PM in 49, Jude Hill- Spirit Cloth, stitching | Permalink | Comments (17)
The borders of "49" were needing another layer on the back to support the stitching. Covering the backside with a layer of muslin was a simple solution. After stitching around three of the outside edges, I couldn't bring myself to tack it to the center.
I kept thinking of the backside and how much I like it. I turned it inside out and (feeling silly) took photos, thinking that would let me hold onto it after it was sandwiched out of sight. Some border stitching happened, but basting down the middle was avoided. After a lot of fiddling, I still couldn't stitch through it, so it was put aside.
That evening there was an email from Dru. She wrote about how cool the back of one of her pieces was. That was all the encouragement I needed. Scissors were grabbed, muslin was snipped and ripped . . .
Posted at 08:20 AM in 49, stitching | Permalink | Comments (12)
Happily stitching along on "49", thinking how pleased I was that this piece might actually get finished during my 49th year, when "snap!". The needle broke. I've broken machine needles many times (including last year's through my finger incident), but never while hand sewing.
Though not a big deal, it threw me for a minute. Without realizing it, I have developed routines, rituals, alright, maybe superstitions, in my stitching. One of them is using the same needle for an entire piece. Not only am I developing a relationship with the cloth, but the needle is too.
With all the time I've spent with my daily squares, the ceremony has become a little more involved. Not only have I used the same needle, but as the day's square is finished, the needle is put into the next day's square- right to left, across the top, and then the blue pin (which has also been with it from the beginning) is put through the bottom of the next space- right to left.
In that "snap" of a moment I worried, "how will I finish without this needle?! Is there a way to use the broken half....?" Then I came to my senses, and found a new one. So far, the cloth and newcomer seem to be getting along.
But if the daily squares' needle breaks, I may cry.
Now who's snapping?
Posted at 04:40 PM in 49, daily square, stitching, story cloth | Permalink | Comments (16)
Working on "49". Appreciating these tiny squares to focus on, one at a time - knowing that they happened, and what went into the traveling through each of those pieces of time. Trying to honor the space each represents. Wondering if there is enough room for all the stitches that should go into this?
Posted at 09:14 AM in 49, stitching | Permalink | Comments (13)
Today there are forty-nine, for the cloth and for me, too.
And because "it's my party and I'll do what I want to" . . . an indigo square for today's daily square.
It's been a good day. Breakfast out, a quilt show, and a bunch of time for cloth and wool, and a little bit of quiet, and, hopefully, german chocolate cake later. All my wishes come true.
Posted at 03:22 PM in 49, daily square, indigo, stitching, story cloth | Permalink | Comments (43)