The Quilt that Saved My Life

Ouiser Boudreaux: I’m not crazy, I’ve just been a very bad mood for the last 40 years!

• Steel Magnolia

Another blog post so soon, yes!  I had an epiphany today.  If you have been following along (bless your heart)  you know I have struggling.  It feels like I've been in a bad mood for forty years or going crazy.  None of my crafting efforts were sparking joy.  Knitting, spinning, weaving and dyeing were not doing it for me.  I dove into the world of slow cloth and gratefully gobbled up blogposts new and old from Jude Hill.

This is my third slow stitch monthly journal.  I am enjoying cataloging the bright spots each month.  I already have April and May on the wall in the studio.  I am working on July now.  There were bright spots this month, fresh tomatoes from Wendy's garden, a family dinner and a long phone call with my bff.  But work is still overwhelming and news of the outside world dismal.

I want to make something beautiful, unique and meaningful.  Baby quilt, make a baby quilt a little voice inside whispered.  A blue, scrappy quilt with lots of love and hope for the future stitched in.

There is no baby needing warmth and comfort on the horizon in my life.   I will send this out into the world for a little one needing a welcome.  Thank you, Jude Hill for all the care and love you have sent out into the world.

Ragged Edges

It was not... that she was unaware of the frayed and ragged edges of life. She would merely iron them out with a firm hand and neatly hem them down.     P.D. James

Work continues to be overwhelming, the virus casts a cloud of uncertainty over every facet of our lives.  The news continues to frighten me.  Not the unrest but our government's response to it.  My natural tendency is to pull in, a turtle safely esconced in it's shell when feeling in jeopardy.   I am going to resist the pulling inward and move forward gently with myself and everyone else. 

 

The two small tapestries above were woven on the Saffron loom.  My big Mirrix is warped and ready but there is no weaving mojo to be had.  I have faith it will return.  For now, I am doing some dyeing with indigo, rust and brazilwood and exploring slow stitch.

Indigo and Rust

 

Brazilwood on linen

Indigo and Rust

I am toying with the idea of embroidery on this...

What a tool!