Minimalism - What a difference a day makes.

What a difference a day makes as the song says.  

The minimalism challenge has come full circle.  A year ago November I began a 30 day challenge to pick up, organize, clean out, recycle, and/or reuse. Then I turned it into a monthly update.

My behavior learned during the challenge really helped me look at the stuff that accumulates in my life.  

It was a successful year......

Cabinets with just what I really need.  Easier to cook and create.  Also stopped the duplicates at the store!

The cubby space is actually usable and I can find what I am looking for!  Success is getting all like items in one place.  It keeps evolving as I determine, all those cookbooks I don't use much any longer.  Now I search my favorite sites for new ideas.

  
Dresser drawers are another place that helps everyday living.  I can find it all with no muss or fuss.

What a difference a year can make.

Last winters storm damage to the 3rd floor carpeting pushed me to clean up my bedroom, closet, dresser, bookcases and such once again.  Bags of clothing were donated during the year to those that could use them.    Boxes of books were sent to the library for the Friends sale where the proceeds help the Lucy Robbins Welles Library in Newington.   Now it is a very peaceful room to rest and relax.

What a difference a year can make.


There was time for the garden and growing lots of veggies that I am enjoying today.  Started canning some of the tomatoes and with the winter squashes have been relishing the new recipes I'm trying out.


There's a sense of peace at the garden.  Enjoying the camaraderie of my fellow neighbors, trading secrets on how to do a better garden.  What works and doesn't work in the Newington soil and weather along with a dose of politics of course.

All this is happening due to my gardening space in the garage being cleaned up and organized!  


What a difference a year can make.

1st Place Big E 2015

1st Place Big E 2015

I finally got back to my lace.   I worked on coming up with entries to the Big E this past September.  Three presentations in tatting.  I received two firsts and a second!   

The firsts are shown here.  A collar and a series of hearts.

There was my crochet snowflake project going on since last Christmas at the same time.  

2nd Place Big E 2015

I have been making needle tatted flowers to practice.  I can carry it with me and in a few minutes I have made another flower.  Then I started giving them away.  By the time I realized it, I had given away around 200!  Now I'm keeping track of who they have been given to and the story that goes with them.  Everyone should have a piece of handmade tatting lace!

Once again -  clearing out nooks and crannies and organizing the would like to do patterns vs. notes on techniques and in various forms of handwritten notes, pdfs/jpgs, photocopies and books.  It's definitely better now.


What a difference a year can make.  If you start today.......  before you know it, you'll have made a difference just for you!  Enjoy

Here's to a year of catching the dreams you chase,

doing what makes you smile,

and loving the life you live.

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Living My 60th Year - I still can't find the beads

Those are now empty boxes no longer needed!

Haven't you swore that you had something, remember buying it as if it was yesterday and then you can't find it?

Lately I've been looking for several items - crochet stars, beads from the Fiber Fest this past November, additional handmade snowflakes, and 
 crystal chandelier to name a few.  

What is it with our memory sometime?  Are we not exercising the grey matter enough?  Is there just too much on our plate, that the thoughts just pass through at lightning speed?   

With picking up and rearranging that I started last November, some items seem to have gotten put in the mystery place.  My minimalist strategy has been working quite well except now I am getting to critical mass.   There are spaces now at that stage.  The studio/bedroom and the garage are those places.  

Besides lots client work, office admin work, planting at the farm, neighbor cookout/party at Jim's driveway,  it has been a good week.  Plenty productive!  Best of all, it was housekeeper week and it looks so nice about my space on earth.  

I decided to get to the studio, do a little bit each evening.  I want to find those beads.  Not in the two places where the beads should be - I looked several times.  In the mean time, I am getting distracted with the 'stuff' in boxes, bags, books, etc.  Yesterday, I decided I would dig in a bit further into the various work-in-process projects, maybe, just maybe I'll find those beads.

Reclaiming is great - it's when you undo the work that was done and have yarn/thread for another project.  I reclaimed three projects - nice work though no I'm longer interested in the project.  Two others I cut off the work and placed the work in my samples box.  It's a little box with bit 'n pieces of trying out a yarn/thread or a pattern that I've collected over the years.  


Another project is the stars project.  That kicked off my energy on Sunday.  I needed to starch them, so I made the potion (equal part's Elmer's glue and water), soaked them and repinned them to the drying board.  Later I found that I have another  19 to starch and probably enough yarn to make another dozen.   Yippie. 

It's is snowing in the studio - another one for me!   I found another fifteen flakes already

completed.  From the notations in my various pattern books, I knew I did more, though their abouts were not easily found.  While emptying more mystery bags, I found them.  This find will keep me on my track of making 50 (plus) snowflakes for this year.  


 When you are on a roll, it's amazing what you can find.  Yes I found the chandelier!  The chandelier was packed away in January in the garage so that it would not be bumped into.  Problem was I changed the  box it was packed in.  My mind was telling me one thing and my eyes were not listening.  Another mystery solved.

As for the beads - still can not find them...............  stay tuned, I know they are in that space!  I need to "see" instead of "look".   Have a great week!

Here's to a year of catching the dreams you chase,

doing what makes you smile,

and loving the life you live.

Snowflakes - Less is more

This snowflake designed by Snowcatcher is called Peewink after a mountain of the same name in Colorado.

There are a couple of stitches -- a sc picot and a dc picot.  Both are used at the points of this snowflake.  I need a bit more practice as the ones I did are not very consistent.

Each of the snowflakes are unique - such as nature intended them to be.  A couple of weeks ago I went to the "new and improved" Michaels store.  It moved from down the street to farther down the street.  I was curious as they had been offering lots of 'deals' with the improved store.  I was there for an hour or so - it must be 4x larger, though it only had more of the same of some items and less of other items.  Less there was of what little threads they carried, it is now even more scarce.

One of the sales folks, very nice man, was trying to help me - though they are not carrying the merchandise.  What less yarn and even less thread!!  I was quite disappointed.  He suggested that I write to Michaels on their website of my disappointment.  So I did.  I did get a response -- it was less than expected as it appears that no one read my letter nor could make any comment.  Sad to say - that letter said that my business and my opinion is not worthy.  They will now have one less customer.

When one  items closes.... another will open, sometimes less is more.

20 of 50 completed......... or 40% done!

Work with KasCare

On my creative side, I've been working with/for the organization KasCare. You can read more about them on my Creative Sources blog.  See the special page KasCare and the pledges page too!

Creating community is so rewarding.  Connecting people to work on a cause allows them to make a gift, though my gift is the 'connecting' them. I've only just begun...(sounds like a song).

My first impression with this group was to make some squares myself.  Easy and I could use up some scrap yarn. Then it grew and I thought I could organize and get the word out to others.  I wasn't sure how it would go over - though nothing ventured nothing gained.  I sent out lots of emails about the project and wouldn't you know, people responded.  Then more people responded, the outflowing is just wonderful.  Those folks that are not as 'creative' have made a contribution for the postage.  It's going to be expensive to send them to South Aftrica!

This weekend I should be picking up lots of squares - well over 100!  Watch the Creative Sources for more information on the total to date!

Thank you to all that have contributed and to all of you that will be!  I'll be continuing this work for the foreseeable future!

A Good Quote

 a quote by Bernard Moitessier. He put it:

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present. In this limitless nation, this nation of wind, light, and peace, there is no other ruler besides the sea."

Sometimes someone gets it!  See some amazing Sailing Pictures here

Great Yoga Night

We had not only a yang practice last night, we added some yin practice. Quite different and both thouroughly enjoyable.

After a painful neck problem that was cause by my hip be out of place, and with lots of therapy, chiropractic, and massage, I was cleared to begin some type of exercise as long as it didn't jarr the joints.  So a little less than two years ago I began taking a yoga class.

The class is offered by Parks & Rec (least expensive class around) and is about an hour and fifteen.  Cynthia is our instructor and she is wonderful.   It is the quickest time spent, though the most relaxing time.  I usually feel the results of the poises for a couple of days.  Not an ache, it is an energy that has been awaken within.
If you a looking for a more controled exercise, looking to get limber and build strenght, I truly recommend checking out a class.  It is very peaceful, and really a chance to relax in a somewhat busy life we have.

Omm ..........

NELG - a day at RISD Museum

Our lace group had the distinguished opportunity to view some of the lace collection at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum. Most, if not all, of the collection is not on public view and therefore Carolyn made arrangements with their director for us to view such great pieces.

Our request was, to see older, 18th century, only hand made, unusual pieces, leave out crochet and tatting - the result was just amazing and equisite. There were pieces of needle lace, bobbin lace in binche, flanders, mechlin, bruges just to name a few. There was a bed cover (in all lace) where the background netting was hand made - mind you, the time to make the netting alone - years? There was this little bumble bee placed onto the netting. We took quite a few pictures and maybe making a pattern for a group project for 2010. Lets say, there was so many ohhh and ahhhs, truly inspirational.

To our surprise - we found that we, NELG, had made a donation of a very unusual piece of lace a couple of decades ago. The director was very kind to bring it out for all of us to see. We need to find out about it's history and how it came to be that we donated it.

The picture above is a border in binche. It is enlarged as the original piece is only 7cm from the top to bottom. Yours truly hasn't had the opportunity to learn binche yet. It is a sample of what we saw. I'm awaiting for some picutres to be loaded as I couldn't take pictures with flash in the room.

Any way it was a great day for our lace makers of NELG. We are now making arrangements to demonstrate making lace at the Wadsworth Antheneum during a special exhibition of "Allure of Lace"

Off to NELG

It's NELG weekend. The New England Lace Group. Hope you enjoy a bit of lace making with this video. Traditional bobbin lace on a cookie pillow... cross and twist.

Have a great Saturday.

A Teaching Day....

Today was spent demonstrating bobbin lace making at the Milford Historic Society. Barbara, and her daughter Barbara join in for the morning, and Winann and I spent the day there. It was a bit cloudy all day, yet cool, the day was really quite nice. Sitting only a half block off the harbor, it is a good day.

We invited those in to see our wares, (not for sale) and how to make lace and even sit down and make some lace. Cross, Twist, Cross as we gave instructions to adults and children and we continue to make our snake bookmarks. It is truly wonderful when the visitor looks at the pillows with lots of bobbins on them and finds that it is only two pairs that it begins with. I had a set of twins, a three-some of little brothers, and a group of assorted kids accompanied by with their parents and grandparents.

Of course there were the questions of 'how much can you make' and 'how long' , it's the making of the lace, the process, that is the pleasure. Listening to the clinking of the bobbins as they move across the pillow and the lace unfold as each Cross, Twist, Pin is made is a special music to a lace makers' ears.

It was a great day for lace and a great day to teach lace.

If you are out an about - us Lace Makers will be staffing the Craft Building at the Big E. Your truly will be there for the morning shift on the 23rd of September.

Another Blanket - This time for Shelby

If you saw my blog a week or so ago, you saw the blankets for Shelby's older sisters. It's become tradition - and now it is Shelby's time. She picked out her blanket, colors were approved and I'm on my way!

The basics is that the blanket is comprised of 154 squares with 7 rounds each - the 8th round is the joining round. So far this is where we are:

The first round - lite pink is complete! All 154 of them! The second round - adding a burgandy like color is on about 130 of them so far. Progress!

Another Blanket

I think everyone needs to have a hobby or two. Some activity that they receive enjoyment from. It needs to be an activity that transcends a period in life, or lasts your lifetime. It may be sports, volunteering, computer related, music, art - there are so many to choose from.

One of my many hobbies is fiber arts. My grandma Nat Nat taught me to crochet and to embroider, mom taught me to knit and to sew, grandma Foley let me assist with the treddle sewing machine when I was really little. From there I taught myself to do latch hook rugs, and lately bobbin lace. I was industrious in sewing while growing up through school. Even to the point of designing my own clothes. Desinged suede purses (from left overs of the indian guide projects) that I sold at school to my friends. Thanks for the support - to dad you didn't yell too much when you found another pin with your foot in the rug and mom who was helping put on the last of a hem as I would be going out the door.

When I was cleaning out my cellar many years ago (about 15 yrs) I found my metal box of crochet hooks and some thread from back when I would crochet with my grandmother. Within about an hour, I was crocheting once again. Something like falling off the bicycle - it comes right back.

At that time, I was awaiting the arrival of my second neice/newphew. Thinking back about the blankets that Nat Nat made for everyone, hmmm I'll make a baby blanket for the next arrival. Jessica was born early December, and I had only a few weeks to make a blanket that I wanted to give to her for Christmas. So off to the store to evaluate yarns, hooks, and patterns. By the time the holiday arrived, I finished the blanket. It was really lovely.

So time continues and six more neices and nephews arrive and I continued to make each of them a blanket. Some original, some adaptations and others straight from patterns. What also begins is making the blankets and shawls to give as presents for other folks, making premi-hats for the babies at the hospital, making prayer shawls to give to the ministry at my mom's church. I can carry most of the projects with me, so while waiting, sitting in a car, and any time not being productive, I'm creating.

Once I completed the baby blankets - my first neice didn't receive a blanket. So she had the opportunity to pick out a "big girl" blanket. As she scanned the dozens of books, she would exclaim "you can make this?". So she decided on a blanket and I went to work. It was a long project, 56 different squares with three dimensional flowers. Let's say she still loves it. Then it was Jessica's turn - it didn't take her long to decide. She selected an award winning quilt like blanket. This was truly a challenge. During Camp this summer - I finished it! She was so pleased she took it to WLC in Washington DC! Here they are.