Above and Below

Hi friends

Sometimes all I know is that which is above my head and below my feet. 

Today is interesting.  Tomorrow is still an idea and Yesterday is gone and done.

Times are a changing... and I am hopeful for good.  The space between now and August has been long and short-- mostly winding, full of seeking and learning.

I am still learning... and seeking.  You too?  I hope so.

Here are some places to see what I have been making and doing:
Winter Stitch (The love mitts on pg 2 of the table of contents)
Holiday Fat Quarterly (Issue 11-- Art quiver!)

I am so pleased to be counted in such talented company. So many great projects for your holiday crafting!  Happy.

See you round- sooner rather than later.  I am sure of it.

JMB

Finally....

I had a really great time crafting this holiday season. I started calling my craft room, my studio and I got in to the habit of telling my husband that I needed to go do my "work". It just felt good to use my materials...to see my embroidery thread disappear...to see the stack of empty thread spools grow. It was like a house cleaning purge in a whole new way.

The endorphin rush from finishing projects gives me a such a heady, dizzy feeling (because it happens so rarely). This season, when I would finish something...I would emerge from my studio and parade around for my husband beaming, like I had just won the lottery or "best hair" on senior day (we didn't have that kind of stuff at my high school...and I probably would have won "biggest hair", but whatever!)

I loved sitting in front of my husband's RIDICULOUSLY large TV and watching "Battlestar Galactica" in HD as I became a blanket-stitch wizard. This felt box was for my mother. I wanted to give her a blue bird of happiness to guide her into 2008. She loved it, more than I thought that she would...I mean she is my mom...But no, she really was gaga. (the picture is on the bad side, really doesn't do it justice, but that is what you get taking pictures @ 3am on Christmas morning)

There are really SO many bag tutorials out there, I must have read at least 50. Of course when it came down to it, I just winged it and made some really dippy prototypes. Eventually I came up with an idea that seemed to work and I will admit that I did some experimentation with fusible interfacing. I am not "in love" with working with it....BUT I will admit that it makes for a very smart looking bag---maybe the first thing that you would say is "Wow, nice bag" instead of "Hey, did you make that?" That whole issue is one I will continue to grapple with. I realized, as I continued my craft-o-rama, that I felt that I needed to make each person on my list A LOT of things in order to compensate for them being homemade/handmade....I never feel this way when gifting something from a craft fair. Maybe by next year I will make my projects a jazzy label and that will solve that issue for me...we will see.

This was my second favorite thing that I made (after the fleece pillow friends for my boys--see above). I have TOTALLY fallen in LOVE with free-piecing patchwork and making parts and having them come together rather organically rather than drafting a pattern on Electric Quilt. The blog class I participated in really was such an inspiration. I free-motion quilted words that I think of when I think of my sister Reba, and it felt a bit like a journaling quilt, similar to some painted pieces by Ali Edwards.

Reflecting back on these projects and the times that I had creating them makes me feel really content and happy. I will say that I have been totally EXHAUSTED these past few days, since Christmas. I don't think that I went to sleep before midnight this past month. I do think that I will try and continue to hand make my gifts. I also think that I will give myself more time and maybe branch out in to different media (I just love to sew SO much) as sewing takes A LOT of time. It is funny how in hindsight all the little problems just get lost in the glow of the holiday....I didn't even write about the things that I gave up on...or the jean quilt that I started for my husband that I swear I will finish by his birthday in February....Argghhhh sewing old jeans... but that is for another time.

JMB

dear sisters...

Two people that I did not mention on my thankful post the other day really just each need their own post...my sistahs! I am sorry for those of you who do not have sisters...they are the best, and the worst...most laughs and the worst fights... BUT that is not what this post is about.

This post is about going to see Evita with my youngest sister...her first musical...ON STAGE. We just had the most wonderful time watching EVERYTHING: how they did the sets, the lighting, drawing your attention from one area to another to rearrange things out of your view. It was all just so cool.

Truly, the coolest part was the look of joy on my sister's face after the first song. Ecstatic? Awed? I think more just "joy-struck". I felt the same way after I first saw "Les Miserables"--- What people can do with their voices, their energyand their story...just totally transport you to a different place and time.

This trip also reinforced the power of the Arts in our everyday lives, performing and otherwise. I need to take more opportunities to experience the wide range of artistic endeavours around me. The price of a ticket is so small compared to the world that is opened up.

Thank you, Youngest Sister, it was wonderful! Save me a seat for the next one!

HOLIDAY NOTE**
I know that the Buy Handmade holiday idea has been around and back already (and it isn't even December)... I am totally on board and would like to invite people to join with me in supporting your local artisans (and then Etsy of course) and even get involved yourself and make some or all of your gifts this year. I am already feeling less cuckoo-louckoo about the holidays and I met some really great artists this past weekend...much better.
JMB

Just don't look in to their eyes...

We went to a wildlife park today, as it was Father's day---Daddy's choice. It was a quick change of mind on his part...after we got on the highway he goes,

"Hey, you want to go to the wildlife park instead of the fish hatchery?"

I am like "WOw, you crazy dude (now, THIS is the man I married) let's go!"

The funniest/scariest part was when these Rhea birds (I think that they are prehistoric or something...I will Wiki-it) surrounded our car.
Instead of money they only wanted our eternal souls...

One look in to it's eyes and I was mesmerized. I thought that they were going to spirit me right out of the driver's seat, then and there. I couldn't move, I was very frightened....

Then, the "sweet" Daddy shouted from the back seat,

"Just roll up the WINDOW!"

Now, look at those soul-stealing eyes...I could only scream back,

"I DON'T KNOW HOW!!"

Luckily, the window somehow got halfway rolled up and the spell was broken. I started to breathe again and that bird went straight back to Hades where it rightfully belonged.

But then it's lady friends came to check us out...

I can't talk about it anymore.

JMB