Comfort Kitties

This afternoon the sun was shining and it was a most beautiful day. A perfect day to sit back and reflect on how lucky I am, and most of us are not to be burden with the fear of anger, abuse and lack of love. Be it the love of a child, a mate, a parent or a friend everyone needs someone to be a part of their lives.

I decided that rather than going outside to enjoy the weather that I would finish two more comfort kitties and get them in the mail to Pat Winters. She is one motivatinal lady, she has brought forth an inner peace in me that I just want to wrap my arms around the whole world and make them feel just as safe as I do, but seeing as I can't, I finished two more little kitties. I will take some pics of them in a bit and put them on the site with hope that it will encourage you to do something to make a difference in someone else's life, the way that Pat has made a difference in not only our lives, but in the lives of those who have no one to hug, no one to hold, and no one to tell their worst fears to, except these little comfort dolls of love. They do keep secrets and right now they are probably the one person these people trust. If you have love in your heart " Pay It Forward ", make a doll to comfot someone who does not have that love and before you send one out say a little prayer that maybe someday they will be on this end of line making comfort dolls for some one else, knowing what it must mean to them. We are blessed.

Comfort Dolls/ Kitties

After spending more time than usual trying to think of the perfect, but simple little doll that I could make to send to Pat Winters of " Gatherings " " Comfort Doll Project ", I found that I was being called to finish these two little kitties and send them along.

As a kitten has nine lives so must those who have to deal with abuse in order to live their daily lives. I am truly blessed that I have never had this fear, but my thoughts, and my prayers go to those who do. If these little dolls give one moment of love and peace to a battered or abused person they have accomplished their mission. I will now make angels and kitties for our local abuse shelter and make sure that I make a difference in someone else's life the way that Pat Winters has made in mine in just making these two simple little kitties.

Fall Inspirations

Fall is one of my favourite times of the year and it reminds me of the beauty of summer left behind. It also lends me to want to re-organize my priorities and sewing room at the same time, and as there are some minor painting of rooms to be done, a complete move was necessary.

Yesterday I spent the day organizing some of my precious whites and fancies and lace so that I can tackle a few more "overdue in my eyes " prayer pouches for special people in my life that are having problems. It is amazing what we find when we start cleaning and re-organizing, and what really becomes part of your future or a figment of your past. I toss lovingly to those who need to be kept busy and feel no guilt as I know they will be used.

I hope to be back on line with new finishes within a week and will share all with you as well as directions. I will share my way of designing what I call a " Prayer Pouch ", a special little fancy pouch that is made and can hold prayers. When I send mine out, they have a prayer, a motivational message, a specialty tea, and sometimes a little special charm or item that I know will make the persons day. Some are already shown on my site and have taken wing and arrived around the continent.

Hugs and pleasant fall changes to all

July

This is my July project, which I am proud to say is an original, and it is shown in sketch form further along in the blog.

I wanted this to represent the beautiful lilies that grow down the outside ramp that leads from our patio deck. All that was left to do were the few leaves at the bottom to be filled in. This is stitched within the constraints of a cd rom pattern. It also has the bottom left so that this portion can have an adorment of a tassell, beaded, or charm at some time.

I just started to work on August's " A Daisy A Day " yesterday and will keep posting as time permits.

June Project

This is a Ruth Wilson design that was destined for a bookcover, but as I have learned so many new techniques and added a few of my own along the way have decided to include this as my first piece of work in the Challenge. All I had to do was the leaves yesterday and now it is done.

Crochet from Past Challenges

This little Irish doll was crocheted and given to a young lady who is dealing with cancer treatment and was a true labour of love. It was my first Annie's Attic Bed Doll. More pictures below.







After many years of not crocheting I chose to tackle this doily designed on line as a mystery and a challenge and it opened a new world of crochet for me. This one is in the home of my mother-in-law in Cape Breton.






This was the second doily that was started as a mystery and
completed and taken to my daughter's home in New Brunswick.









These are more photos of the doll as well as a small pineapple sachet, that I did keep for myself.

- Tulips Too Late

As you can tell this is a new adventure for me both in sketching and in creating with beads and fabrics.\\This will be the September challenge and will work on this as I go along and have to yet select the silk fabric, back it, and pick out some unusual beads and techniques to embellish with.

A Daisy A Day

I have sketched out the August flower of the month, being a daisy in memory of my mom, and one of her favourite songs " A Daisy A Day .' I am not sure if there will be little faces in them or rose centres and or what, but will work it as I go along. These are all sized as in the last two, same as a cd circle. Not sure what I am going to do with these when they are done, but that will come before I cut them out.

Sunbonnet Sue joins the Red Hat Society

First of all I had some of these little seven inch blocks ironed and ready to stitch on a recent week visit and did not get a thing done on them because of the heat.

I started one on the weekend and used dmc 75 verigated reds and not sure of the number off hand of the deep purple but it is equivalent to a dmc 550 in verigated's.

When I finished I went in with a good name brand coloured pencil and shaed close to the stitching lines on both sides. I also did a swirling circular motion on the arms and added some fleshtone, I left the rest as is. I then, without heat setting, went to the sink and scrubbed roughly with hand soap and then rinsed in warm water. I ironed this dry, and then added some spray starch. Very little colour was lost.

This is stitched on tone on tone beige and if I were to use this technique again would preset the colours to be sure as this was an experiment. It can always be added to with colour as you are only shading next to the lines, similar to crayon tinting without the wax. It does look like an antique block and it highlighted well.

Off to find some more ufo's.

Organize or Agonize

These are little angels that I make and place on my windowsill until I see someone who needs one for a special reason.

This one went home along with a hand crocheted afghan to a great lady who is fighting another battle with cancer, her disease is out of remission and I know this little angel will watch over her and take care of her while she is going through new rounds of chemo.









This little angel went to a special little sister on her birthday. She treasures anything that I make for her and she will treasure this as well I am sure.

I can hardly wait to start making more of them.

This is a section between blocks where a rosette and pearl cluster were added to seperate theblocks.











This is another corner that is following the above design and falling gently into the sashing.

The rich colours in the sre on the block to the right is a pillow gone bad, proving it does pay to save all remants and scraps as they can working into anothe project very easily., not wasting precious silkribbon.






This is simple embellishment on one other of the blocks. I knew my friend was very religious and she had just finished a tea cozy so therefore parted with the precious tea pot in this block. Always there will be an angel hidden somewhere in the block.











Another vision of the blocks being seperated by antique looking roses with rose leaves all done in antique white satin and edged with beads and pearls.

This is the top left hand side of the quilt with some fancy ribbon rusching and pearl work. I also created the first block. The beautiful rusched fan in the block was a piece of rusched fabric sent by a friend ( Barbee ) to be used with a block and now I would love to use this type of rusching to add dimension at any time. I the key with the symbols above symbolize key to our heart and love.

Attached is a finished prayer quilt that was completed for a cyber sister. These prayer quilts are a pleasure to make as you think of the person the whole time you are doing a block. I had the pleasure of putting more than one of these together and will start and share some so that perhaps it might encourage you to do one of your own or to just do a small quilt.

This is the prayer pocket on the back of the quilt. It is a spare block that I made and attached with some fancy ribbons and it is open at the top. It is bound by the same fabrics that were used in the original quilt sashing and lined with peach/pink linen.

Finished Linen Purse

A while ago I shared a picture of the actual work on the purse and found in my files the finished purse. On the reverse it has a pocket that is opened and is lined with linen and worked in linen and eyelet linen. This was also given to a friend. She was kind enough to send me the book for my birthday and a request for a purse, so I adapted this from emrboidery to embroidery and silkribbon and love the adventure it created.

Destiny the Angel Bear

This special little bear called " Destiny " was designed while watching my daughter recuperate from an automobile accident.

She is made of fine red velvet and is heavily embroidered with silkribbon . She has an angel in her palm and beads embedded in the tummy and wear a proud bow tie and has wings of gold attached.

This little bear is jointed and was truly a pleasure to work. It is an original pattern designed for my daughter Sher.




Tummp and paw pads with bow tie.




Back View





Side view

Bedside ring Holder - Victorian

This is my version of a victorian ring holder. These were originally hung on the post of the bed or near the dresser and would hold rings.

It has a deep pocket and is all handbeaded and embroidered. I was inspired by a pattern and used my own adaption from a Cross Stitch and Embroidery magazine. I have also given this to a friend.

Chatelaine Challenge

This is a ribbon chatelaine that was part of a challenge on the silkribbon list some years ago. This one was sent to a special friend as a gift.

The larger portion on the bottom holds the scissors, the needle case and a thimble holder as well. The flowers are three dimensional ribbon work., and it would hang around your neck while you stitched. This is also an original.

Old fashioned boot Potpouri Sachet Large

This vintage boot is a personal design and is supposed to be filled with potpourri and batting. I have left it flat for photographic purposes. I love the style of the old fashioned boots and chose to put an oversized tassell on the back. I layered the lace so that it mimicked the design of the older footwear and worked my own version of silkribbon embroidery on both the lace and velvet portions. This is an original

- This beautiful fan shaped pillow with vintage buttons, charms, beads, sequins, paillettes and ribbons was from a kit from Victoria Adams Brown of Ribbon Smyth. I added a dark black jacquard background and learned so many new techniques in working on this pillow. It is my prized possession. I kept this one.






This simple little needlecase was made for a friend. It is all lined and has needle pages on the inside. The lace on the side is tea dyed and has been ehanced with large gold rocailles and the initial is done with silkribbon work. It is finished with black velvet backing and fully lined. I truly enjoy making these little jewels. It was given as a friendship gift.







This is the beginnings of a purse that I made for my stitching sister and turned into a purse. I adapted a pattern from a book she had given to me as a gift and rather than use just threads used my version of overdyed silkribbons and brought the flowers to life. I know she truly enjoys this as she told me she was the talk of the Sunday morning church service.




Far to precious to put a pin into is this beautiful design from Victoria Adams Brown and I loved it so much that I had enough fine fabrics left over to make a second one for a stitching sister and she loves hers just as much. No affilliation, but there is always more than enough in Victoria's kits to make and continue to make something more special.



This is the back of the same needlecase. This, along with the fan pillow from above sit on my special padded table in the hallway for admiration only.

Linda takes the time to full fill her emrboidery dreams

Knowing that unless I blog each step of the way that the projects that are in my mind will never make it to paper. Some will be left in draft form, others will be shared on line and I invite you to join me in my venture to do the following. It is time to start some stitching.



Materials:-



Box (1) - This can be a simple bankers storage box as it allows everything to be placed in order and left there as well as notes diagrams etc.





File Folders - Several - These will be used to keep notes, pictures, ideas, themes etc. of the project as I work along.



Baggies - Large to Small - I want 12 of each. All blocks will have a touch of something from each other block in this as well.







Threads:- These will be wound off onto wood spools so that they do not get creases in them from being around thread winders.



Ribbons :- Assorted from silks, satins, specialty and velvets.- These will be wound around the core from a tin foil or waxed paper tube. Before I will cover with acid free tissues.



Laces:- Both plain and fancy



Silk prints - Be they personal of ones that are copyright free or purchased.



Needlebook for each box. Can be as simple as a pot holder with pins ready to stitch.



Large baggie with one block in it ready to stitch and run for those last minute stitching times.



I will start my first box today and share what goes into this box by the first of the week. I have not decided which of my many projects I will start first, but silkribbon is coming to mind again and I have always wanted a Baltimore Albumn Quilt to hang on my living room wall.



Let me think red, green, yellow, blues, etc..........encased in vintage style frames or left plain. Plain or moire, silk dupioni or satin, whole quilt or pieced...........Designs to be started and fabrics set aside.



My goal this week is to set up the box with



Picture of what I think the quilt will look like.



Folders, baggies etc...........these will not be full.



Ribbons and ideas.



Quilting design for borders and around blocks will justify what patterns will be used.



Miniature quilts do not have to be real small, they can be of a size large enough to work on and hang on a nice quilt rack and have a lot of meaning. They will be admire for years to come.



I will share some of my reference books as I go along and my own personal finished blocks in small detail.



Have a creative day. I plan to.

Projects that Lin

Every now and then we take a look around at where we are as well as what stage we are in with our lives, families, responsibilities and desires. Normally this takes place during a traumatic or overwhelmed time in our lives and we realize that there are not enough hours in the day, days in the week, weeks in the month, etc. to accomplish all that we have set out to do in our personal and creative lives.



Looking at the abundance of ufinished objects in both my personal and creative life I have decided to journal where I am and where I would like to be within the next few years. Scholars and the likes have always stressed a five year plan and most of us go through life winging it.



After watching a very impressionable movie last night "World Trade Centre "; I could not help but be overwhelmed by the love that was shared in the last part of the movie. I cannot speak for the first three quarters as I have not had the pleasure of watching it through as yet, but you can rest assured I will. If this movie does not make us stop and think about life and what it has to offer as well as what we have offered it, then we have all missed the boat and all of the people who lost their lives needlessly in the event as well as around the world in both our country and other countries will have been in vain.



In our home, it is a personal decision and always has been to have an open door policy. Never close a door that you cannot open. Our door swings both ways, good news and bad news, we are here. It has worked well for us for over 37 years and will continue to be a major part of our own personal lives.



Having said that and now wanting to get to the crust of where I am headed I have always wanted to have a few attainable but on the back burner projects done and I am going to start a few of them right away. I am making a plan to do these in project form and in rotation so that one does not get bored with them all at once, and I am journalling my voyage to document my life in stitches.