Wool work

There's a lot going on right now.  In the world, in our country, in my life. So, when I bought that wool kit at the quilt show last week and then pulled out my wool UFO, I might have used it as a bit of a distraction from everything else.  It's keeping me from feeling overwhelmed.   And, there's nothing wrong with that.  It's easy, it's quick, and I get a feeling of accomplishment from it.  

Anyway, I bought a couple more kits last week and decided to start one.  I started it Saturday by washing the wool felt and steam ironing it.  Then, I cut the pattern pieces out of freezer paper...a couple times.  The pattern was supposed to make a 7" finished piece, but they sent me enough fabric for a 16" piece and it just felt silly to have so much left over, so I used my photocopier to increase the size of the pattern.  I increased it all the same, but when I laid the pattern pieces on the background pattern, it was all out of proportion, so I increased the size of everything but the background again and that filled the space perfectly.  I cut the pieces Saturday night and started the appliqué after chores yesterday.  It went really fast and I only have the leaves, the carrot the gray parts of the bird and a lot of finishing touches left, including assembling the background and backing.  (Wow, there goes my sense of accomplishment.) I'm loving it!

Forty years ago, I did cross stitch.  40 years ago, nearly everybody did cross stitch.  Then nearly everybody stopped.  I was blessed to receive my Mom's stash of embroidery floss and later, Linda's.  And, it's all been boxed up in the top of the studio closet.  My Mom and I stored ours in small white envelopes sorted in numerical order (remember when we used to send letters in envelopes?). Linda stored hers wrapped on bobbins.  When I needed floss to finish something, I'd dig around until I found just the color I wanted.  I'd added simple color and shade descriptions to the outside of the envelopes to help,  like light green or dark red, that way I didn't have to open every envelope.  But, it sure would help to see the color because A dark red isn't always THE dark red.  I don't follow patterns anymore, so the numbers weren't really important.  I spent a good bit of my free time winding floss onto bobbins and when I was finished, it looked like this.

I still have a box because my Mom bought multiple skeins at a time, so the extras are in their envelopes and the numbers are on each bobbin so I can find the remaining skeins if ever I should need more than one skein of floss to do anything (yeah, right!), but it's done and well-planned and easy to see.  

I also cut the Barbara Brackman American Stars block for September, but I didn't get around to assembling it.  I was having' too much fun!

This little orchid is dying.  There's nothing I can do to prevent it.  It's the one I bought without checking the roots and the potting medium was molded and the roots were rotting.  I couldn't stop the root rot, even when I repotted it in a drier medium so it has no viable root system.  Despite all that, it has continued to bloom.  I set the base in water every day for a little while and that seems to have slowed the dying so I'm getting to enjoy the blooms.  They're very beautiful and I'm sorry I couldn't save the plant.  

My heart goes out to the people of Florida, especially Fort Myers.  So much destruction, so much to rebuild.  And, I'm not sure they're receiving the best representation to get that.  But, it was good to see FEMA step in to help right away.  So much preparedness and organized execution of the plans to provide aid.  

That's what we get when we watch out for one another.  It ain't perfect, but no response can meet every need.  

Everybody have a great week!  I'm going to leave you with this thought that I saw this morning.  It really spoke to me and hope it does to you too.

Lane