GIVING PAUSE

This from D'v:

The reason that we have to think and ponder before the Lord everything we stitch is because, as you are discovering,  everything takes a piece of us.

Every project, every vision stitched, every revelation revealed and unveiled  though the work of our hands as ordained of Adonai, takes time, which belongs to Him, and resources, which are His. But more it takes us. It takes who are in Messiah and spills it out for His sake, for His glory. We are, in this holy work, for so it is, poured out for His sake and for the sake of those to whom He is revealing Himself in these His holy works.

You are learning now, on a very steep curve I think, but we must all make no mistake. It is a holy work, this work of our woman's hands. An offering to Him who both created and redeemed us and set us under His holy shelter.

Behold behold behold.

"I AM LORD." says He.  "BEHOLD AND LOOK UPON ME WITH AWE AND TREMBLING.

"BEHOLD."

End of message. 

My response:

Seriously~~~ this is HARD! At least for me, and in every aspect!

That said, I got the borrowed Singer up and threaded, bobbin wound and inserted, and tested a few rows of stitches on a scrap. All set for the morning!

D'V:

Am glad. It is a new thing for you. And it is hard to learn something completely new. It's not like you had a foundation in sewing to lean on.  It'll all click.It has to. I don't know what the Lord plans but I'm hoping you can show me how to use a sewing machine.

Me:

Be glad to! A little more confidence AND practice. My husband is SO proud of me! That part of this whole thing is interesting.... and fun. He's always romantic, as you know (except when he's angry & snitty of course) and always proud of me in a general way-- but this is so specific a thing for him to be proud of! Last evening when he was talking to his sister for their weekly telephone check-in, he was telling her all about what I was doing--- from his perspective. Cutting & pinning & measuring and stitching....

I do waste some time wondering WHY God has put this on me NOW..... but between you and me, it's an urgent thing to trust and obey about this. Forgive me if I repeat myself over and over, but usually nudges to me are about service, not about doing something that may be useless --- or not, depending on what is made and how it comes out --- and that may have an aspect of personal satisfaction and possibly even--dare I say it? --- FUN. Or at least people appear to have fun and when the anxiety of new gets left behind, maybe it will be for me?

D'v:

Of course it will be fun you silly!

I hate to state the obvious but if you are doing it out of obedience, trust and love, that is service to HIM. 

Long time ago He told me that He misses His daughters. Their tenderness, the way they love on Him. He misses us. This is a gift from your Father who wants to bless you.  That He will use it for His purposes is a blessing. That it is a joy, and it will be, is the mercy that makes the work of it more like play. 

SEW FAR SO GOOD~~~~ TO A POINT

Sewing has been going well. Have been re-doing over hand seams, as some have been unraveling. But suddenly the bobbin thread was nowhere to be found. Why?  Because the bobbin is empty! So now- going to try to wind the bobbin ALL BY MYSELF. She said hopefully. If I can't then Machine Sewing done till class on Tuesday. 

And I'll cut blocks for the Dresden Plates- which has to be done anyway- sometime.

Pleased to say I was able to wind the bobbin! And get tangled and untangled a few times. I went to my frustration point--- and beyond--- and did not freak out. It was really tangling up and not working right by the time I decided to call it quits. With supper time approaching, decided it was enough for today. 

And so the process continues. 

THREADS AND THE PROCESS

In this instance, the process is that of DECONSTRUCTON. I finally got that row of stitches out--- having sewn an entire strip at class the other evening. It took quite awhile, maybe an hour. 

And I'm still pondering THREADS. who would have thought there were so many kinds, and colors, and purposes for them? You said you are a "thread addict"-- what is it about threads that so attracts you? What should I be taking in and learning?

PROCESS was worth some pondering too. Most of my life I have HATED deconstruction, i.e. taking out stitches with a seam ripper. Always felt like I was getting NOWHERE and never would. This evening, I came to accept that as PROCESS, and it doesn't matter which direction, per se, or whether it is for CONSTRUCTION or DECONSTRUCTION.... "to everything there is a season, a time to build up and a time to break down... and a time for every purpose under heaven". 

This acceptance may be temporary of course, and I may come up to this again.... but the acceptance this evening was..... INTERESTING. PEACEFUL. 

After sharing with her, this from my good friend D'v:

Not thought of that way but it's true. Isn't that what the Lord  is doing right now with us? Cutting out, removing, unstitching all the threads that we have, unwittingly or in sin, woven into the fabric of who we are, who we were designed to be? A necessary part of the process truly.   Interesting.

Threads are BEAUTIFUL. Colors colors everywhere. Colors. I heart them.  There are dIfferent thicknesses, different weaves, some divisible, since not.  There are breathtakingly beautiful hand dyed threads.  There are threads in cotton, silk, wool, bamboo even.  Extremely fine to very thick. DIfferent purposes, completely different looks. You'll probably use all of them at some point in embellishing.

They make me smile. They will you too.

STARTING A SEWING CLASS

I need help. No confidence with my skills and intimidated by the sewing machine, and now I'm at a point with our Patchwork Quilts, that it would be best to machine sew the long strips together. Searched on sewing classes in my town, which is Danvers, and found "let's Get sewing". A woman does this out of her home, in her studio, formerly a garage, then a bedroom for her son, now grown and married, living elsewhere. So I began.

Last night class went well. I was with two young women, late twenties, early thirties perhaps, also just learning to sew. Their immediate motivation was to cover some couch and chair pillow backs from what they ARE to their own decor. 

They were both very nice, and like me, eager, yet nervous, about the machines. We all wound our bobbins and threaded our machines and did some practice stitching, on a white piece of muslin given to us by Donna, the Teacher. And then.... they went to the Cutting Table to begin that part of their projects, and after ironing my seams open, I stitched my first strip. 

Stitches came out great! BUT some of the ends of the hand-stitching is too loose and it was a problem. kind of hard to explain without showing.... but the upshot is, I have to take out that stitching and work on all those loose ends. (Sounds like a Parable for Life, don't you think?)

So, I am planning to get out the stitching sometime today, and over the next few days, do just that.... work on the loose ends, and then re-pin, and try to be ready next week to stitch the strips and have it come out all right. Not necessarily perfect, but OK.

And that's my story, for now. 

AND THEN... SOME MORE

I was talking to my brother Kenny on the phone, which we try to do every couple of weeks, to keep in touch--- after all, we are all each other have, now tht our parents are gone. I was telling him about the lap quilts I've started work on for my husband Jack and me, and in the interest of making conversation, asked him if he'd like me to make one for him. And he said YES! So now I will be working on a third......and I'm thinking about Dresden Plates.

So, in September, I begin. Took one day, no actual stitching per se, nevertheless an important part of the whole process--- cutting. Today, through trial and error, I made several templates to use to cut out Dresden Plates--- 142 in assorted fabrics, mainly from remnants and small pieces. I picked patterns that were darker--- blues, grays, greens, browns,florals that were nature-oriented rather than feminine.... as this is going to be the lap quilt/throw for my brother Kenny. Having done some planning on size and number of pieces and all, I over-cut.... by 34! Not to go to waste.... already thinking of future projects..... smaller than throw size...... pillowcases, or placemats!  

Kenny's throw should look something like this:

AND THEN....

Having completed my first quilt awhile ago, for my grandson Simon, and "rested up" from it.... I have started up again, with not one but TWO quilts. Making patchwork lap quilts for my husband and I, for the winter, which will come again, eventually, unfortunately. His core color is blue, different prints, including some with maritime themes, plus other colors, and my core color is red, florals and mini prints, with other colors. Simple--- she said hopefully. Cut out 96-6 inch squares, and then another 96-6 inch squares, over two days in June 2014!!! July and August, hand-stitched these, first into pairs, then quads, then strips......

Thanks to mom for getting me started!

HOW MY STITCHING BEGAN

THIS IS HOW IT CAME ABOUT:

Because she was facing cancer & surgery which was very agressive and very serious, my birth mother, whom I met fourteen years ago, and with whom I have become good friends, told me she has been  thinking about her LEGACY. And talking with all her children, including  me. This was in the spring of 2013.

She won't have money or property to leave. She'd like to leave some of her knowledge & skills, and her greatest skill is quilting. She asked me  if I'd like to learn, that she could leave that as a legacy to me. I talked to her about not liking sewing & attempts made while at the Haven of Grace, where I lived and worked for a time, in Woonsocket RI, where sewing was a required activity. About not having good eye-hand coordination  and low frustration levels. We talked it through, and came to the conclusion....... that we will TRY. She will try to teach and I will try to learn.

So once she had some recovery and knew her treatment plan..... we made plans for me to go out there--- alone (as there was NOTHING for my husband to do there while we're engaged, and if home he can go see his kids & granddaughter & do some of his volunteer work).... on weekends and start the process.

Handiwork here I come! We're looking at patterns for small and easy baby quilts for Nug. And just WHO is Nug? My first grandchild, expected in December!!!

THIS WAS MY GOOD FRIEND D'V'S REPLY TO THIS: 

What a gift!  And even if you have not had the right  coordination in the past ask the Lord and look for His provision. This is the time of those gifts being birthed. There have been and are many gifts hidden in His daughters and they include handiwork. Am so excited for you!