Slower Pace

After the intensity of working on many WIPs while on retreat, being at home again, with no projects urgently needing to be accomplished, it's been an easy week. 

I sewed up the end of a bag (made from donated fabric) for fabric snippets and threads. It's now a 38" X 48" pet bed for a local animal shelter. Another prepped bag, made from two large bath towels, is already hanging from the machine table waiting to be filled.

On Tuesday evening I took a virtual Sashiko 101 workshop with Claudia from Snuggly Monkey. She lived and worked in Japan for several years, so what she knows about this stitchery form is authentic. Since I don't own anything related to Sashiko, I purchased her beginner's kit that included a printed sampler, two skeins of Sashiko, two needles (long and short), and a palm thimble, all in a Snuggly Monkey zipper bag.

Claudia's a great instructor, but using that palm thimble is proving challenging.

It may be because my fingers are long (an attribute when playing the piano as I did), but I can't seem to get the middle finger to properly hold the needle and have the end of it set in the thimble dish. I've watched a couple YouTube videos too, but it's not easy to see how the middle finger is bent to hold the needle. Still, I'm not deterred! As with any new motor skill, it has to be practiced. I will do so!

After another trip to JoAnn's for more fusible, I am progressing on Seaglass quilt #2. I've gone through more scraps and stash, and put fusible on the back of these small pieces. 

Now to cut more seaglass shapes. 

Twenty-eight quilters in my Big Cypress Quilters chapter joined me to learn how to make thread catchers. These three that I've finished since the workshop was over, were the samples I used to explain various steps. 

I still get a kick out of twisting and turning to collapse and open.

What's interesting is how much different brands of 4" wood embroidery hoops vary in circumference. If you make one, keep in mind that while instructions say to sew a ½" side seam, in fact depending on the size of your 4" hoop, you may need to sew as much as a 1" seam!

Here's the link to the free PDF pattern, originally created by Red Hen Fabrics (now out of business). 

My friend, Patty, received the braided rag rug I made and sent her, and shared pictures of it in the front parlor of her Texas home.

It suits the spot well, doesn't it? She's happy with it, and I'm happy she's happy! 

Audio book listening has slowed as dramatically as I have slowed at creating. I'm listening to a book now and will have a recommendation in my next blog post. 

I hope each of you are pausing for reflection during this Christian Holy Week. Today, Good Friday, isn't the most pleasant day to celebrate because we're remembering Jesus's condemnation and crucifixion. 

Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed one?"

"I am," said Jesus.

The high priest tore his clothes, "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?"

They all condemned him as worthy of death.  -Mark 14:61-64

On Easter Sunday we'll have a reason to have celebrate because the grave could not contain him! 

... they saw a young man dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

"Don't be alarmed," he said, "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here...  -Mark 16:5-8

He is risen indeed! Linda