Dust of Daily Life

The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.  ~Pablo Picasso

And ART - whatever kind inspires you - is also a healing escape, a diversion, therapy.  At least that's what it does for me.  In my opinion, it's not necessarily the finished product, but the process toward the finish, that is the art.  Getting away from boring old daily life.

This art process is evident in my unfinished projects.  Like the doily I started way back at the beginning of the year. One more round to go on that one, but I've put that one aside for awhile to work on yet another doily.  Two rounds to go on the newest one, and it's done also.  Why do I do that?  I don't really like having unfinished projects, but inspiration strikes and I start something else.  They will both be done SOON.  Maybe subconsciously I'm sad to see the artistic process end.

As far as therapy goes, I used some art over the weekend as therapy.  A diversion while hubby was in surgery.  A scheduled surgery that I knew would take a few hours, so I brought a book to read and some tatting to work on to keep myself busy while waiting. 

When surgery was over, it went back into my bag while the girls and I got hubby settled into a room for the night with relief that it was all over.  Well, over for a couple of hours anyway.  Then we got a call that there was a complication, an MRI was ordered, and back into surgery he went.  Then ICU.  I was home again about 4 a.m. Then back to the hospital by about 10 a.m., where I sat and tatted while he dozed in and out. 

Fortunately, he is back home and on the road to healing.  The dust of daily life has certainly been washed off my soul!  My art therapy has allowed me to complete Motif #16, Flat Flower Motif from Tatting Patterns by Lyn Morton.  I used Krystledawne's Be Mine HDT, size 30.

And I'm ready to go back to my boring life now.  Back to work tomorrow to support my artistic processes. Whew.

Sloppy Crochet and Spring Walks

This is my accomplishment for this week.  Two somewhat sloppy crocheted soap sacks.  (I don't really know how to crochet anything but a doily!)  But I did these for the English Major.  She is headed to the Dominican Republic soon on a student volunteer trip, and I just thought the soap savers might be handy to double as washcloths.  That is going to be the experience of a lifetime for her.  She is testing out a blog so that she can share her trip with family and friends - if you are interested, see And The Doors Opened . . .

Otherwise, we've just been enjoying every minute of sunny weather here.  In Minnesota, everything magically comes to life again in the spring.  When it gets just a bit warm - like 60 degrees F - people appear out of nowhere.  Kids are out playing, people are out walking with their dogs, and we start inspecting the gardens for any signs of green sprouts.  Haven't seen this many people out and about since about OCTOBER!  So, this past week I've been enjoying the familiar walks around the neighborhood, and exploring some nearby parks and nature trails.  Nothing much is green yet, but the sunshine sure feels good!  This is what I've been enjoying on my walks:

Neighbor horses greet us at the fence when we are out walking - as if they are enjoying seeing people out and about again too.  All that brown grass and those bare trees will be green soon.

My back yard bonfire pit . . .

Some kind of budding tree - I don't even know what it is, but the buds were so pretty . . .

These birds look sort of prehistoric, don't they?  They are either Blue Herons or Sandhill Cranes, both of which I am on a mission to get some pictures of.  (A little bit closer, hopefully.)

  

And my tulips are starting to bloom . . .

And this.  This is quite humorous.  Hubby designed this little sculpture to be funny.  You might not see the humor in it unless you've seen the Spoonbridge and Cherry at the center of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

Finally.  Spring has sprung!

Happy Easter!

Motif #15

Cross Bookmark

from Christmas Angels and Other Tatting Patterns

by Monica Hahn

Edited to add:  

Thread is Size 40 White & Lizbeth #107 Tropical Fruit

I tried to scan this piece - I've seen where others say that a scan is better than a picture, so I thought I'd try it.  My scanner did not seem to be better than a photo, so I'm not sure what I did differently there.  In any case, this was a fun little cross to tat, and I've already given it away.  It sits safely in someone's bible - a fitting place, especially on Easter!

Easter is a day for renewed hope and new beginnings.   With this long stretch of unemployment for hubby and many other friends, 'hope' has become more than just a word.  I'm learning more about 'hope' than I ever wanted to.

HOPE:  

: to cherish a desire with anticipation 
: to desire with expectation of obtainment

: to expect with confidence

It is truly essential to have hope that things will get better; things will unfold as they are supposed to.  I have always told myself that everything happens for a reason, and we don't necessarily know the reason.  I've never had to really live it before, so I have to wonder if I ever really, truly believed it.  Easy to say, but hard to really live.  Until today, of course!  Because Hope is renewed and Spring is here.

And my bluebirds are back!

Tatting Fool

I can't believe there is really an International Tatting Day!    A day to tat, promote the art  of tatting and eat chocolate.  And today is it. 

Well, my job prevented any tatting (I did have work to do!), and there didn't happen to be any chocolate in the candy dish in my office either.  And, enjoying the antics of some of my coworkers on this April Fool's Day was more interesting anyway.  Confetti showers via rigged traps and the usual "What is on your pants?" add some fun to the normal workday.  I love humor in the workplace - makes for good morale.  Last year someone's calculator ended up in the middle of a bowl of jello.  I like to watch, but I resist playing any tricks on anyone for fear of payback.  I've often thought of taking something for ransom and leaving a picture and a note.  Might be funny now, but not so funny next year - there is no doubt that payback would be harsh, if not swift! Not to mention that I'd probably completely forget by next year. And I am so gullible, they'd get me good. 

Anyway, back to the tatting.  I didn't participate in the expected manner, but I did pick up a few requested tatting books at the library on my lunch break.  So that I CAN tat and enjoy chocolate.  Maybe not today, but I have good intentions. 

I am a Tatting Fool, after all.

This and That

I'm not too focused on any one crafting thing lately - I've been doing a little of this and a little of that.  And I'm really finding some cool blogs out there with a million patterns and instructions for things I really want to make.  Sewing, crocheting, tatting, even woodworking . . .  Problem is, there are more things that I want to do than there is time for me to do them.  I wish there were about 72 hours in each day! 

I have a start on a doily I've been wanting to tat . . .

. . . but just a start.  I am using my prize of Yarnplayer's Summer Trail HDT for the Starlight Doily from  the book The Tatters Treasure Chest.  I noticed that this book is one of the very first ones I bought - back in 1997!  I now (13 years later) feel confident enough to tackle one of the patterns.  This is my project for the evenings - only a couple more rounds, so hopefully I will get it done in the next week or two. 

Otherwise, I've been sewing like a madwoman again.  I seem to go in spurts.  Once I get a bug to make something, I go full-speed and cannot focus on anything else.  (Who wants to do laundry anyway?)  Last weekend and the previous week I made several sets of chenille potholders.  I gave a set to a coworker for her birthday, and had some requests for more.

The potholders/hotpads each end up to be 8 layers of fabric thick - 4 layers for each side.  After stitching diagonal lines through all four layers for each side, all you have to do is slash 3 of the 4 layers with either a slash cutter or a scissors, sew the two halves together with a loop in the corner, wash & dry and voila!  

I was experimenting with flannel (black on the left above) and homespun (on the right) and adding or not adding a binding.  The homespun plaids are so much brighter and have nice varieties of color, while the flannel I could find (without spending a fortune) was in limited prints.  The flannel makes a nicer, softer, thicker potholder, and I like the more finished look with the binding best.  I will make some more of these - they take some time, but they make a great gift.

Then LAST week, my coworker gave me her stash of fabric from a past purse-making business.  "Spring Cleaning" she said.  (I should probably be doing that too, but I really have a hard time getting rid of fabric!)  This fabric is a little different though, as it's more canvas and upholstery and not regular quilting cotton fabric.   I can now re-upholster my sewing room chair.  Well, when I figure out how to do that and have some spare time - LOL.  

Yesterday I decided to try & make a little wallet with some of that canvas.  The binding got a little too thick for my sewing machine, and I didn't cut it on the bias, so it isn't pretty.  Functional, but not my best work.

Upon inspection of the wallet, the English Major declared she could use a small travel/money/passport purse for her upcoming travels.  So, today I was hell-bent on that project.  Since I am a pattern hoarder collector, I just happened to have a perfect pattern for a little travel bag.  (BB Bags by Mickey Beebe)  

I got that completed today - it's just the right size to fit a passport in, and has a few pockets and two zipped pockets.  She thinks it will be just perfect!  That was kind of a fun one to make.

Now that I have spent the entire weekend playing, I should probably get the laundry done and get organized for the work week.  Ugh.  Back to reality!