A Worthy Project

If you've not yet seen/participated in this project...

check it out!

Never forget, Never repeat.

xo

Next in the Mail

These two will be heading off in the mail next week.  They are my contribution to

The 70273 Project

Please head over to the link and check out the pages of information.  You may be inspired to make two X's of your own.

X's

I made the bottom one first, using the removable cross stitch fabric.  I chose this method because I like cross-stitch and this was a way to put it here on the muslin.  Plus if you imagine a couple of O's with them...well, you've got hugs and kisses!  As I worked, many thoughts floated around in my head.  I thought of many people I know/knew who may have gotten those XX's placed on their medical charts.  In thinking of them, I considered how many lives they would touch.  How each person deemed not worthy of living was loved by many.  Many little X's make up the bigger ones.  Every life touches another.  Every life is made up of many who love that person deeply.  As in other projects, I wrapped the XX's in the blanket stitch, my symbol for a loving hug and sense of security.

finger paint XX's

The second set I made was created using what I think of as my finger paint fabric.  Bought on a road trip in 2010, one in a set of many colors, it has always reminded me of the finger paint art of young children.  I've known many children over the years, children who may have had XX's at the bottom of their medical records.  The red here touches my heart.  The marks that look like finger painting led me to reflect on the idea that fingers have a fingerprint.  Each one of us, as  individuals with our own unique fingerprints.  Each of us with our own strengths and weaknesses.  each of us whole in some ways and broken in others.  Each of us worthy of our lives.

I used this same red fingerprint/paint cloth on my contribution to the Hearts for Charleston project (follow the link on the labels of this post).  This fabric runs deep.

I'm posting this on a day when the youth in our country came together to inspire all of us in the world.  The youth that used words and their power to shine, for us all.

Because we all deserve this life.

May you find love, meaning and compassion in your days.  May you shine.  May you thrive.

xoSage

Photos by NAE ©2018

How Its Been

Before my surgery, I began this...2 X's, cross stitched on muslin.  I haven't worked on it since, as it is a bit stressful on my eyes.  But, my plan is to finish it ASAP and send it off for the 70273 Project.
This heartfelt project came to my attention a while back and I kept it in the back of my mind, to get to later.  Soon is later, I do think.

I have been able to do some weaving however.  I've been working on the medicine bag started long, long ago.  It is almost done now.

My eye is on the mend still, with new interesting after-affects...like muscle/nerve twitching just below the eye.  Not painful, just freaky. One more post-op appointment will hopefully wrap things up.  We'll see (haha).

Also, I have revived a very old project that involves movie making!  If I ever complete it, I'll let you all know!

In the meantime, I think of my next collaborative project, Mo and Old Man Crow's "I Dream of a World Where Love is the Answer".

You can read all of the related posts at the link above.  It's funny, when you look for Love, you start to see it everywhere, even at Target!

Thank you to all of you who come here to read, look and converse.  It means the world to me, because this community helps keep my faith in humanity alive.  I hate to say it, but if it weren't for y'all, my faith would be a sunk ship at this point.

Here's to beauty in the world, where we can find it and sharing it with those we care about.

Photo by NAE ©2018

Hang on to beauty and good people where you can, it matters.

xo

Acorns Glue Stitch Collage

Things around my place have been very busy...busy with change.

I have a To Do list a mile long and a old brain trying to keep track of it all.
I do have this to share though.  It is a Very Simple cloth.  I made it in one night, because that is all the time I had.  It was gifted to two gals and some children & their families...but really to the two gals.  I won't see them again.

It started with the big, bottom, brown acorn cloth.  I've had this cloth forever and have always adored it.  When I went to pull it out, I found the green acorn cloth too.
Obviously, I love acorns!
The fuzzy wool & white burlap was a gift from a clothmate.  As I began to lay them out, a tree formed, to the left of the acorns.  The last choice I made was was adding the lighter bands along the bottom, sort of a grass, greenery, ground type of thing.
I rather like the acorns being on the side, instead of the logical place of falling under the tree.
The whole thing is glue stitched and nothing else.  I wanted to add even more fabric, like a black velvet oval on the 'tree' trunk (fuzzy wool).  I had thought of muslin stamped (and then stitched or left as just the stamp marking) with my acorn stamp being placed on the acorns fabric...maybe just one or two acorns.  The stamp is a bit larger, so I was liking the idea of the proportions being off. 
I wanted to fuss with the burlap lump from being folded so long.  But, time will have to do that now.
I ran out of time to do any more and not because of my usual procrastination habit, but because the need of this came up suddenly.
I added a braided-driftwood hanger and called it a night.  The driftwood is of course from our favorite beach!
I really like the map-grid-like lines on the back.  So geometrical.  
I'm really not OK with having it feel so unfinished (to me), even though it was well-received by one of the recipients.  I wanted to play with it some more :)  To make myself feel more satisfied, I dreamed of different ways a seemingly unfinished piece could be used.
1. As a 'story starter'...new owner could add more stitches. (I don't think they will choose to do this).  I love the story starter idea.  A collaboration of sorts.  Both Michelle and Grace's grandson, Julian, have story starters from me.  I think they have chosen not to add any stitches at this time.  This is fine too, for the story is still held within the fibers of the cloth.
2. As a place to pin announcements, photos etc.  A type of bulletin board.

A good lesson in 'enough'.  Because it kind of is 'enough' as it is.  A good lesson in time considerations when making to give away (even though this was not the case here, it had to be last minute).  A good lesson in letting the cloth lead and using what is on hand.
Over in Diaries, Jude commented that it is an "honest cloth".  That it is....that it is.
I enjoyed working on it and she enjoyed getting it...and that is what counts, bottom line.

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2012

Landfill Harmonic (teaser)

                                                                                                                                                         
Today, I offer this.
Seems this is the season of falling upon amazing people doing amazing things.
I am grateful to those that share with me, so I may share with others.  Passing along the goodness!


~side note: If you have had notifications from blogger about running out of space for photos...read this great post, over at Mulitcolored Pieces,on how to deal with that!!

Michelle's Gift

You may remember from this post

for my one year celebration here at pomegranate trail

that Michelle

was the winner of my give-away!

A tease of a photo, announcing the give-away!

Now that she has received her gift in the mail, I can share a bit of it here.

It began with a little box I found, altered and filled with fabric.

Altered box!

It grew to include a weaving I did especially for whoever would be the winner.

The weaving part is complete, it will be a medicine bag.  I love making these and this one ends up being the straightest one I've ever made!  How exciting!  

If you like, you can read more about how I make these woven bags here.

A beautiful AND straight weaving!

Then, I started a little cloth in the week surrounding my give-away announcement.

Remember when you were in school...grade school, and the teacher would present a "story starter"?  There would be a prompt, a beginning...to get you going.  Then you would carry on, in your own way.  Everyone would end up with a different story.  Their own story.

Well, that's the idea I had in my head for this little cloth.  

Just a little something to get one going. 

So, I began the cloth.

I've seen many crafters, artists who do give-aways, giving away something they have made.  While I love that, for me it felt presumptuous of me to assume that what I enjoy making, is something people would want to win.  Does that make sense?  I don't usually sell my work (yet!) and so I don't know if anyone wants it!!!  Haha

My solution was to gift someone with something made, some raw materials and something they could either leave as is or add to it in their own way.  A 'story starter'.  

But, being the thinker that I am...I also felt it may be rude to assume someone would want to collaborate with me on a stitching project.  Forced collaboration, not so good.

So, I carefully stitched in a way that it could be left as is or added to.

I left loose fabrics and empty spaces.

I left room for additional stitches and mosaic weavings.

I left room for the story to continue!

All of these gifts could be kept or passed along in one way or another.

Gifts & Milo

In the photo above of the cloth with Milo, I thought the cloth was 'done' 

and ready to be sent along to Michelle. 

I took it on a little photo shoot in the back yard.  It was a very willing participant posing on the fence, the rosemary & lavender bushes, the apricot tree and my Mama Rose bush.  We had a grand time together :)

Gifts & the solar eclipse

However, as you can see in the photo above...the cloth wanted more!

These two gifts went on a few journeys with me, 

absorbing energy and experiences that would become a part of the 'gift'.

The moon (hiding behind the medicine bag here) was added during the super moon, we traveled to the Museum of Tolerance, the beach, the Skirball and the drum circle.

I placed a few special items in the medicine bag.

I added more stitches and some words on the back.

Words on the back

At last, I felt like I was done with my part.  I gathered all of the elements included in the total give-away 'gift' and some special fabrics I had put aside during my fabric/magazine clean-out!

Ready to go!

I have always known that I find the most joy in creating things for others.  That is why I am left with very little of my own work.  I love the making part and the giving part!

I am so happy, grateful really, to have had the chance to make the gifts you've seen here.

This was both a fun and meaningful expression of who I am.

I hope you enjoy them as well Michelle!

In friendship, Nancy

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2012

1 Year Give Away

...Drum roll please...

And the winner is:

Michelle!!! 

Congratulations Michelle!

I will confirm mailing information with you and send the gift along soon.
Thank you to everyone who left a comment here and who comes by to read my blog.


Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2012