Our wee family of two got in the car Saturday and went to three quilt stores on the shop hop. We started at Bear's Paw (sorry no purchases this time despite wanting one of each, please)
The above picture is my hexie quilt, still in progress. My take along quilt that's now King Sized! Final border blocks going on this section.
I pin them in place with safety pins to travel. I bought plastic inserts a long time ago and when it grew so large I began cutting my own templates out of food lids. I really, REALLY like doing hexies this way.
We moved on to Patches in Mt. Airy and I gave in to the siren song that fabric sings buying these fat quarters
We had lunch at Cracker Barrel and took a long walk in a town we like a lot. Pictures of that adventure to follow this week. For now, more fabric and handwork..
We finished the day, fighting DC traffic to get to Great Falls VA and Jinny Beyer Studio.
This is how it looked at 5:10 pm
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| welcome and come right in! |
Her eyes are very expressive and she looks at you when you speak... when I told her we lost Cole, she began to tear up, and then I cried again with the loss of such a good boy.
She took time at the end of a very busy day, at the end of a busy event, to share our love of our dogs. She cried with me.
I asked after her baby, now a three year old black lab. He's "great and so smart" she shared, "he seems to just know where I am in the house at all times"
I did want a yard of all fabrics, and one of each kits but left with these two one yard cuts of sale fabric
A few items I made by hand this week include this bracelet...
It feels good to learn something, and wear something I made.
Fall colors, using the leftover crystals from my last bracelet.
A server at the restaurant cooed over it and wanted one too. It's fun to wear something you make.
In fact I'm still toting around my Halloween tote.
I also got out some fat knitting needles and used this really fluffy hairy yarn. No idea what it would be, and just started knitting. It's soothing to feel soft things. It is too short for a scarf, but could be joined into a circle to slip over my ears on a walk.
Know what I mean?
The common thread in these projects is repetition of movement, use of thread, and beautiful colors.
linking today to
oh Scrap Sundays
slow stitching Sundays
mollisparkles Sundays
28 comments:
Beautiful post -- I agree that tactile work is soothing for the soul. (I've been sewing all weekend . . .)
I completely agree....sometimes it is the creating, not the finished item, that is more important and fulfilling
There is nothing like fabric therapy! Even if you never cut into it - there is definitely something about fondling new fabric purchases and dreaming about what you might make that is so soothing. And how lovely for you to have some time with a person who knew Cole and loved him, too.
I had a similar kind of week and, like you, used repetitive creative action to get me through. In addition to her many attributes, JB is one of the most intelligent people I have ever met.
Love the bracelet!
Wasn't the shop hop fun! My friends and I came up from South Carolina and rode the Jinny Beyer bus for two days. We really loved seeing the variety of shops available. Wish we had them all in our area.
So glad you took time to take the hop trip and sooth your sole a bit. I agree - repetitive motions and touching soft things is very soothing and relaxing. No thinking just the feel of fabric or yarn to ease the troubles. Hugs my friend.
You had me at the hep cats! be well, sonja
You are just so talented...quilt art bead art, knitting art, and making me cry for a beautiful fur soul I've never met! I had to tear up when you were talking about you and Ginny crying together about your loss.
I love the fabrics you picked up! I just got some cute things yesterday to make pillow cases for my niece and nephews for Christmas.
What a fun and varied post here! and yes, the tactile / hand work can be soothing and centering in troubled times. We are lucky to have this hobby.
I find being creative is almost always therapeutic for me. I agree with Deb (above) that we are lucky to have a hobby that gives us pleasure and therapy at the same time.
What a lovely bracelet you made!
Hand stitching is healing for sure, even if you don't end up with a finished product!
Hexies, shopping and that gorgeous bracelet, a very therapeutic combination.
You are right, there is something deeply soothing about a simple action repeated - you can lose yourself in the movement.
This is crazy, but every time yoj mention Cole in your posts, I tear up too. Crazy that that dog touched me so far away too. It is like I knew that boy.
I agree!
Wow, what a great adventure and great choice of fabrics. I really love the bracelet.......It's stunning!
Love your fabric acquisitions!
I've not worked on my hexagons for a very long time and I would love to get back to them.
That is some hexie quilt - where have you been hiding it??
Sounds like a really fun shop hop. You're so lucky to be near the Jinny Beyer Studio - love her fabrics, and her books.
Thanks so much for sharing your in progress pics on Midweek Makers - always a pleasure to see what you're up to!
I have long admired Jinny Beyer's fabrics and books. How nice to hear that she's a wonderful person too :)
Oh Im glad you were able to distract yourself from worry. :( LOVE that dog fabric!! Yes, sometimes we jut need to create with no outcome intended....to just enjoy the process and free ourselves from whatever is ailing us. :)
It most definitely can be, that is unless the stupid cloud gets in the way of you ad your artistic vision. But I guess if that's the worst thing to happen, I'm in pretty good shape. 😎
I can't go to that quilt shop in Mt Airy without buying something either, LOL!! So sorry about your furry friend, they leave such a hole in our hearts when they are gone.
I enjoyed reading this post,great spot of stash enhancement! And I love your bracelet!
I totally agree with you, crafting is therapeutic! Thank you for sharing this wonderful post at The Really Crafty Link Party this week!
I saw this at Love, Laugh, Quilt and just had to comment! I found you again! Your projects are great, as well as your descriptive writing and tender heart! I'm also making a hexie quilt - well my daughter and I are - it's a Grandmother's Flower Garden. I love the repetitiveness of some crafts as well - so warm and comforting. Maybe that's why I crocheted so much during 2015? :) Thank you for sharing!
Creation therapy. I think that is why I have so many unfinished things. Because I just enjoy the making and the doing and don't always need to finish. Especially with my non-quilting crafts. Doing crochet or cross-stitch work always relaxes me.
And I just LOVE that red and teal yardage. I don't recognize it, do you have the name?
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