Now and Then

Now(ish):

While I was visiting Janice a few days ago I got a tour of her neighbor's gardens and her whimsical coneflowers captured my heart.

The petals were long and loose and flopped around in the breeze like they were dancing. It was right out of a Dr. Seuss book.

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. Dr. Seuss

Why is it that right before I'm getting ready for a trip my mind can't stop thinking of all the art projects I want to do. They'll have to wait because there's a long list of things to tend to these few days before I head out of town for a week.

So I thought I might start something new called Now and Then that I might tap into while I'm traveling. The Now...will something from my day that brings me joy. The Then will be a link to something I've created in the past that still brings me joy. There are several new blog subscribers that may be looking for something arty.

Then: 
Back in 2007 I started a cathedral window quilt. The whole thing is hand stitched so it was the perfect take-a-long project. My initial intention was to make it bed size...but 13 years later I finally got it to the point where it could be a wall hanging in my studio. Absolutely the right decision for me.

Here's the post where I celebrate those last stitches: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2020/06/ahead-of-schedule.html

And for you interested quilty types...this is a link to the thread of "cathedral window" posts over the years where you can see my process and progress. There is much more in these posts...so while I'm a bit distracted this will be a way to get to know me a bit. 

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/search/label/cathedral%20window%20quilt

It really was the perfect project to take on the road then. I need something similar for now!

#fabricrecipes

Jayne Emerson is one of my textile heros.

I took her "Water Soluble Magic" course last year....I LOVED it....and hope to revisit the skills learned in new projects.  I'm signed up for her "No Rules Patchwork"course....but I've barely started.  I have unlimited access to it....and it just got put on the back burner.  My back burner...by the way....is pretty darn full.

For the month of February Jayne is once again sponsoring a challenge on Instagram called "February Fabric Recipes." Each day there is a prompt where she encourages us to share a past or current textile project honoring the day's theme. Inspiration abounds!

I'm trying to play along....and it's giving me a chance to look back at some of my past work....and my hope is to actually make some new ones.   https://www.instagram.com/joyfulputtering/

Today the day 6 prompt was "print"...and although most people shared images where they actually printed on fabric....I chose to revisit my cathedral window quilt celebrating 900 little "print" swatches as the inserts.  It's the focal point in my studio.

This is an old photo....I haven't cleaned this 1/2 of the studio yet.....it's that easily sidetracked issue. I need about a dozen 8th days of the week!  I'm seeing the green grass and leaves out my studio window in the photo...and although I'm not wishing winter away....it doesn't hurt to dream a little bit about the other seasons.

I'm almost ready to get 25 Ounces of Joy in the mail.....but I'm having trouble actually committing to sealing them up.  It seems so final. It's been a fun and interesting exercise for me...and although I had all the piles sorted....I tweaked every single one of them when I filled the envelope.  

Here are a few more of YOUR JOYS:

• A walk on the beach
• A line full of clean washing blowing in the wind
• Daffodils in the backyard
• Shared art projects
• Seeing the first snowdrops
• Getting together with the boys for a birthday celebration
• Joy in the everyday
• Falling snow
• Being an integral part of grandkids lives

And Lily shared this photo of things that bring her joy.....

handmade little houses, dried artichokes and roses from Christmas....all displayed in a handmade birch bark basket. 

 I'm calling this a #joy recipe!

Ahead of Schedule

"Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back everything is different."  C. S. Lewis

On June 12th I put the last colored square into my cathedral window quilt wall hanging.  There weren't any fireworks....but there certainly was cause for celebration. I took it on a little tour to show some friends....and now it's hanging prominently in my studio.

My goal was to finish it before we moved to the condo full time....and I'm happy to say I'm way ahead of schedule.  I almost never get to say that.

I started it the summer of 2007 at Patsy's family camp near Moosehead Lake in central Maine. Patsy taught all 3 of her stitching buddies how to make one....she is on her 5th or 6th full size one.  Jane is on her 3rd,  Janice is still working on her 1st full size one and I....finally finished a small wall hanging.  

I'm easily distracted.

This is how it started.

The stats:

13 years in at least 5 states, 481 white squares, 900 colored squares, 52 beads....

and a zillion hand stitches....give or take a few

One of the questions I've been pondering is will one of my boys want it when I'm gone? If they don't....someone will....I hope.

  

Look Closely

Before I left Maine I picked a spent blossom....or maybe now it's a seed pod from a sarsaparilla plant in the woods.....I'm curious whether it will dry just like this.  There are hundreds of them....and because they're hidden under a large canopy of leaves you might miss them if you don't look closely. Aren't they awesome!

Most of the last couple of days in Lexington has been filled with gardening and watering.....we need rain!  

I also had some wonderful long overdue safe visits with friends.....giving me a much needed boost.  

Anita and her daughter Becky helped me with a little project in the back yard.  Yup...the cathedral window wall hanging is done!  I'm apologizing ahead of time because I'm going to reflect on this a bit more once I hang it in the studio....but I thought it would be a nice pop of color at the end of this post.  

One of the reasons I wanted them to hold it was so I could photograph it in the light....they were good sports!  Thanks Becky and Anita!

Two Halves...

....will make a whole.

"I hope today is one of those days you find joy right here in the waiting. I hope the uncertainty in this season does not hinder you from creating. You are free to paint new things without knowing what tomorrow will be. You are free to practice the art of trusting right here in the wild of waiting. So much is unknown, and yet, there is this effortless rhythm called grace, inviting you to go deeper into living, right here, before the future falls into place."   Morgan Harper Nichols

To see all the art that goes with this poem click here to Morgan's Instagram post and click the arrows through the images. 

I've spent the last several evenings finishing the 2nd half of my cathedral window wall hanging.  The last step will be to sew the two pieces together and add the last row of colored squares.  For those of you who follow the blog know this is a long time coming....and the light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter.  

The other 1/2 is waiting patiently in the studio. This photo was taken just before house guests last fall...it's not been this tidy since.

One of my favorite steps in the process is the finish work along the edge where there is just white fabric....it adds such a nice detail.  I've been adding a tiny bead in the center for a touch of whimsy.  Here's the before and after.

I was quite drawn to my neighbor's peonies this morning....nearly at the end of their life. I never noticed them when they were in their prime......but thought they were quite striking at this floppy stage....showing all their stuff!  And just look at that cool stuff!  

Home Stretch

You're probably sick of hearing about it....but I have just one row of white squares left on my quilt wall hanging.  Sorry....but you have no idea how much joy that brings me.  The other day I pulled the other half off the wall and laid both halves on the bed so I could plan the colors.  One row of colors for the last white strip...and one on each side as it gets stitched together.

There's a lot of handwork ahead of me still....but it certainly feels like the home stretch.  I've been stitching the last couple of evenings....so I'm making progress on the white strip.

Today's block # 30 is inspired by blue skies and this sweet little rock....and it's pink friend hiding behind the daffodil from my morning walk.                                                 

Do you see the rock?.....and the pink friend?

Speaking of home stretches....my friend Jane just finished a sweet rainbow sea creature quilt she's been working on for a few weeks.  Each little creature is made up of lots of tiny pieces....the seahorse, for example, has 35 pieces!  It's spectacular!! Way to go Jane!

JOY!

"Every aspect of our lives can benefit from our innate creative energy when it is nurtured and applied."
Janet Skates

How can I not love this....and how can I not share it!  Janet Skates' art is an explosion of color and patterns and it always makes me smile when it comes across my Instagram feed.

https://www.instagram.com/janetskatesart/

And Janet's JOY was the inspiration for today's #24 of Another 100 Days. I know I'm getting a little more wild with my squares.....but I like the contrast and the mix of colors better than the monochromatic ones. There will probably be a mix of both.  And....I'm having fun being inspired by something from my day.  It's an evolving creative daily practice....and I'm loving every minute of it. 

Last night I finished adding the colors to the next to the last row on my wall hanging.  One more row to plan and and finish then I can attach the two halves! JOY!

And just for fun I taped it to the patio door today...

just because I could.

One of Those Days

This was one of those days I got so absorbed in everything I did that I let go of the sadness and craziness that is out there in the world.  I connected with people I love and care about on the phone...exchanged texts and photos with friends...worked on several different projects...and enjoyed a couple games of cribbage and a nice dinner and conversation with Paul. It was just one of those days....and here's just a tiny little glimpse.

I had an idea for a background using scraps from my manuscript book page project....and I'm excited to add the next step tomorrow.

I saved all the scraps and even the rough edges that weren't covered with paint and I'll have to admit they formed some of my favorite squares. Lesson learned....keep everything.

I spy some good advise on our morning walk....do you see it?

What's not to love about a sunny found object.....and a nice addition to my found ball collection.

I finished the 2nd of the 3 remaining rows for my cathedral window wall hanging.  I'll connect it to the 2nd half of the quilt....add the inserts...then have only ONE row left!!!  Yay!

I'm loving this pile of threads and trimmings from the insert squares....and yes....some chocolate wrappers.  I may not clean it up until I finish the quilt.  And...because I took the time to take this photo I found my lost pair of scissors.  Yay!                                                                                                                                

I just love when I actually finish a whole spool of thread...it feels like I've done something important!                                                                                               

I found the missing white piece for the barn....and now I'm ready to start the third layer of my puzzle. It was just one of those days....a joyful puttering day from beginning to end.