new ink with meaning

"the mighty oak was once a little nut who stood it's ground."  ~anon

The above quote has been something I have referred to quite a bit the last few months while I've tried to sort out what happened to my life.  On Saturday evening, we both went for new tattoos... I got the acorn and he got the one I had designed with both of us in mind back in late April/early May.  Since the meaning of the original one no longer applied to me as I intended, I got the acorn.

Further explanation:  the acorn stood firm and overcame the odds to sprout, plant roots and become the mighty oak. The oak tree, with its strong wood and branches, shades those around it and offers a home. It weathers storms and winds, swaying in the breeze, and stands tall. The oak changes with the seasons, but always remains true to its nature and continues to grow.

plan for sleep phase 3

phase 3 of my plan for sleep is complete.

i finished the quilting a week prior, but did not finish the binding as fast as i had planned due to scouts and swim lessons and just plain exhaustion.  but friday night while watching "the weatherman" with a friend, i finished up the last bit of stitching on the binding.  

in the morning sun

there are 6 words hidden in the quilting.  such as this one:

the first word in was "peace" because i desperately need to find some peace in my life right now.  i thought i was only going to do that one (partially because my therapist challenged me to add it in somehow).  then as i was trucking along with the swirls, i added in "dream," "hope," "rest," "sleep" and "calm."  the word "love" kept popping in my head, but since this is all about reclaiming the bedroom as my own and creating a tranquil space during my divorce, i kept it out.  this isn't a quilt about love.  the bed quilt i was planning to make later was about love...complete with pieces of the dress i wore the day i met my husband that would include the dragonflies i embroidered on the hemline.  

two days after i finished the quilting and while i was stitching the binding prior to turning, snappy was over to work on an electrical outlet that he had put in, but it popped out of the wall.  he saw the quilt at that stage of completion and was amazed.  i told him and boo that i hid words in the swirls, so the quilt was laid out on the living room floor and the two of them crawled all over it searching.  normally, it would have been something to make me smile, but in a way it was bittersweet.

so now the quilt is done and on the new bed, the one wall painted (i need to repaint the other walls still at a later date), so my plan for sleep is pretty much done.  maybe i'll find something to add later.  a full night of good sleep still has not happened, but i have gotten small amounts of fit-full rest.  this quilt is such a departure from my norm, but i do love it.  i'm impressed at the swirls i stitched into it heavily and that they were done by my hand in my little machine.  

and the wait for our date in court continues.  he heard back from his attorney yesterday with some of the final papers (after a two week wait from when she said they were done).  i'm still waiting to hear from mine that she's received them and give us a date.  the deadline is set for mid-september.  

august is here again

august is here, which means summer is almost over, my birthday, my mom's birthday and more heat... i'm trying to figure out where on earth my summer has disappeared to, but i sadly know exactly where it's gone... to the stress i'm enduring and trying to wrap my head around still.

my cute little redhead decided to bring out the quilt that he started two august's ago.  late this winter, he laid out his blocks and sewed them into rows and the main top.  but he had lots of issues with straight seams (or seams that even met up without holes) and i wasn't ripping out the seams for him anymore.  that put a damper on the fun and he put it away.

but he did finish the quilt top on friday with his final border (not in the picture above).  he still wants to hand tie the quilt top in a bright royal blue crochet thread.  i think it's a great way for a kid to learn to quilt and a stepping stone to more.  but i'm afraid the quilt will come apart with some of those thin seams after a washing or two, so i've offered to lightly machine quilt it for him.  he wants a bit of machine quilting along with his hand ties.  we're going to try and baste it tonight.

on friday, we also had to say goodbye to our beloved dog.  it was time for him to leave our house and on to his new apartment with hubby.

neither of them moving is what we wanted.  but the dog was sad, missed his person and i couldn't take hearing him cry every night, just as i could barely handle my own crying.  

explanation:  i guess it's time.  we're going through a miserable divorce.  i didn't want it.  i didn't expect it.  i'm entirely heartbroken and can't sleep.  the reasons don't make sense and i have no closure over it.  there are many days it seems he doesn't want it either, but he won't budge.

the low volume quilt i've been working on is part of my healing process.  i haven't been sleeping for the above reasons and i desperately need sleep. 

so, friday when he came for the puppy, i was laying out the blocks for final positioning.  i finished piecing the top together on monday night and basted it last night with the assistance of my sweet redhead.  the machine is all set up and a bit of quilting commenced last night before i went to bed.  only when the thread jammed, i decided to stop for the evening and go to bed.  tonight, i'll have to take apart part of my machine and clean it out.  ugh!!  but i am looking forward to a new quilt on the bed, which is also new, and the calming aqua paint on the wall behind the bed.  

1st star for low volume quilt

i've been working steadily on my low volume postage stamp quilt.  a bit every day and it's starting to grow!  i'm trying to sneak in some other work as well... a red cross QOV top, bee blocks that i'm thinking about, working on an overdue dr. seuss quilt for boo.  i just need this quilt now.  yesterday really.

so here's where i'm at so far:

20 postage stamp blocks completed and one star block.  i love how subtle the aqua star is, yet it pops at the same time.

this is supposed to be a stash & scrap-busting project.  there are definite scrap pieces in here, like the aqua for the above star.  i have tiny pieces left of the light one and i can probably do another star out of the darker print.  some of the low volume fabrics are yardage from my very large stash, while others were anything as small as a 2 1/2 inch strip of width-of-fabric or a 10 inch square.  i have quite a few fat quarters mixed in and they're coming to an end.  all of the smaller cuts of fabric are being spread out as far as i can, but it just seems i cut and cut and cut more pieces every day.

originally when i started this quilt, i thought i'd have the ladies from BeeFF bee make my stars next month.  i'm not sure i have the patience to wait for my stars that long...some are coming from australia and others coming from canada.  and i'm not sure i want that many stars in here now.  i like the very subtle addition of the star, but i definitely need more than one lonely star.  she needs friends to keep her company.  maybe a total of 5?  or maybe 7?  we'll see what i end up with.  all i know is that i need this quilt sooner than later and it needs to be soothing.

love volume progress

love volume progress, a photo by greeneyedsilversmith on Flickr.

i joined the low volume quilt along that lauraj and chickenfoot are hosting... it's lovely. it's soothing. it's just what i need.  so far, i have 7 complete blocks and lots more to go..

projects as of late

i know i haven't posted much in the last few months... but life has gotten in the way and taken a few turns i wasn't expecting.  and for now, i'm trying to deal with these turns as best i can.  it's not over - far from it - and in the meantime, i am trying to keep myself busy, my mind occupied and take it day by day with my little redhead.

i had started drawing again in april when this all started.  i finished one that i had waiting for a couple years, got superstitious about finishing, was encouraged to complete it, but in the end, my fears came true.  so, it hangs on my wall and makes me sad.

  

the next drawing has a great start and i was trucking away at it each night for a month or so instead of working with fabric.

there is quite a bit more to it now - this was just the beginnings as it was taking shape.  a god portion of the final outline above has been completed.  this one was supposed to be a good time-suck and take my mind off the problems at hand.  now, i just don't have the energy to work on it more than a moment at a time.  there are tears on the page and even a tiny drop of vino on the bottom.

i pulled out the fabric in may again.  made a dress for myself.  then i brought out the quilting bee blocks that i needed to catch up on.  i'm all good now... just have 4 more days to complete and mail the second block needed for june.  i got the new list from the navy for their QOV request.  11 QOVs!!!  and with a priority list.  drats... i need to get working on those again as well...i should... but time and money are about to get very very tight for me.  luckily, i'm getting at least one box of moda's "just one star" block challenge blocks and they'll help with both time and expenses.

i joined the low volume quilt along this month hosted by some of my best flickr friends.  i wasn't sure how i'd do it - so little color usage, but i'm challenging myself to it with as little bold color as possible for me.

from this potential stash, i eliminated a few fabrics from the mix.  the kitchen print in the front left, the brown/tan print and red print in the back right are going away.  i'm still not sure about the lush since it may get cut up in not pleasing ways and a couple others just haven't been touched as of yet, but might tonight or tomorrow.  i thought and thought about a design.  had no idea what to do.  searched my books, the moda bake shop, magazines, etc., for inspiration.

finally, i decided on a postage stamp quilt.

i have one block complete for my test.  there are lots of strips cut, patches started and ideas brewing.

i think it's calming and tranquil, don't you?  i hope it is.  i know it'll be a while before it's completed, but my intentions right now are to mix mostly these low volume postage stamp blocks with blocks from BeeFF members during my month in august.  i think i'll have them make me star blocks with low volume backgrounds and the stars be either aqua or sea green colors, then i'll have a soothing bed of stars to cover me and hopefully allow me to sleep again.

etsy store now open

hey everyone (if anyone still reads this)... i know i've been absent lately, but i've got all sorts of reasons for it.  life has gotten in the way enormously.  i'll explain later when i have the strength.

BUT.... i have finally opened an etsy store.  so far, there isn't a lot, but i'm adding throughout the week, so keep checking back.  there si fabric, patterns, purse handles to make your own collection, yarn, etc.  i'll be adding some other things such as relief prints and some jewelry later to round out the variety.

come visit and see if there's anything you like!