Rancho Vino Event

Last Saturday, Joe and I were at Rancho Vino, at the event that benefited The Children's Miracle Network. I gave my Celtic Lady Summer for the silent auction, and we were invited to attend.
As we were getting ready, I was telling myself how good it was to give to the community, how rewarding it feels to be making a difference, how it takes just one act....but these were just words. It did not feel personal to me, it did not feel like I was making a difference at all. Indeed, "it" felt more like I just purchased the tickets for the evening of entertainment, only instead of cash I gave my Lady. It did not feel personal - until I met Melinda.
Just by accident it happened so that we were sitting at the same table as the Guest Speaker and her family.

Three years ago Melinda was diagnosed with cancer of the blood. She was thirteen. In the following two years, she has gone through treatment that included regular chemotherapy and blood transfusions. Melinda described her journey to recovery in her book "Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery."

Now, Melinda is free of the disease. She became a spokesperson for the Children's Miracle Network... She goes to the events and speaks of her experience; Melinda's mother mentioned she was booked till February. Her grandfather said that in two years of treatment his granddaughter matured about 15 years. "These things make you grow up faster," he said...

As I was trying to look at this girl outside of the "cause," I saw - a child. I child who was eager to live, to have fun, to talk, to dance, to fall in love... To partake of all the good things that life has to offer her.  May it be so...

This was the moment when it became personal, and I no longer felt like I "paid my way in" for some food and entertainment. Because if another child like Melinda can make it through, then it is an honor to be of any help.

Quilt Sampler and Thrift Store Treasures

Last week, I finished my Quilt Sampler. Hearts reminded me of cookies, and I constantly wanted to snack. Then, I had to find a good frame for it. Where is the best place to find a good, affordable frame? Thrift Store!
I went in there for the frame, and left with four bags of things. What treasures I found! Old cross stitch magazines. Embroidery patterns. Dolls. Stuffed toys. And - the biggest surprise - a completed and framed cross stitch! Here it is... My main treasure.

Who would throw away such a beautiful piece? I can't imagine. Well, lucky me. Now it is hanging on the wall of my new "office space".

What else? Ah, dolls. One is a collectible - came with a stand, a certificate and in a closed box. Another one I liked because of a crocheted dress and hat - she feels comforting.

Then, there were a few soft toys - two bags, exactly... Most of them went to the girls, but I picked three - a team - for my office. Here they are.

And finally (drumroll!) - the main reason for the trip, the Quilt Sampler. Here it is, finished and framed.

The frame fit perfectly, and the shabby look did match it very well. I am happy with it.

Now - off to the new projects! Wish me luck.

A Celtic Nameplate, a Quilting Sampler, and a Tree

It's time I showed some pictures of the WIP projects I have been working on over the past month. Since the Celtic Lady finish, there have not been any new pictures... Shame on me.
Yet, I have been working on new things. Most of them are still in progress (of course!), but one, surprisingly enough, has been finished. Here it is...

This is something I made for my daughter. For now, she is using it as a bookmark; it can also go in a frame or, perhaps, as a sew-on tag on the blanket. I liked stitching the letters - simple, yet intricate.

Another project I have been working on over the past month is the Quilting Sampler. Here it is - still unfinished, but pretty close to completion:

There is still some outlining and writing to be done, as well as a couple of stitches here and there, but - the majority of work is completed. One thing I am happy about completing here is the border - boy, my eyes almost crossed from stitching all these yellow-and-blue triangles. It's nice to go back to stitching and outlining the dolls in the center. And the small hearts above remind me of cookies.

In the space above the big heart in the center it will say, "From the Heart." Once it is finished and framed, I will donate it to the Charity Auction at my niece's church. I hope to get it done by the next weekend.

Finally, one day I sat down and wanted to do something different - and came up with this:

Suddenly I just wanted to stitch leaves, don't know what came over me. I did not even draw a specific design, except a brief outline of the tree on the canvas tote bag. Hopefully, I will complete this idea after the Sampler is done and framed.
Next week, I'll be working (hooray!), and the kids are starting school, but still hope to get some stitching done in the evenings.

It's August....

Wow, time really flies. It's August, soon the new school year will start (again!) and the children will come back from their vacation... It'll be noisy and happy(?). Or - stressful? Probably all of the above. Hoping for some nice mix there.
I'm stitching, stitching, stitching and have nothing to show for it. For some reason I do not feel like showing my WIP of the sampler, I really want to get the whole thing finished before I post the picture. Is it professionalism speaking? or something else?
There is one thing I am struggling with still  - inspiration. I do not know what I want to do with  myself. For a while, I have been thinking that it's teaching that inspires me, so I've gone to college and got my degree in Child Development. I started working for Headstart. But now, after everything that's happened, I do not feel that inspiration any more. Or, maybe, I have never had that inspiration, and the events just brought it to light.
The question remains: what do I do with myself? Stitching gives me comfort... Reading inspires my thinking.... Talking and writing relieves the pressure of thoughts. Should I be a stitcher? A reader? A writer? A therapist? Strictly speaking, I am already the first three. I don't get paid for it, but then again, not many people do. To become a therapist, I would have to go back to school.
I see inspiration in the works of other stitchers - and I want to be just like them, feel like their pictures and blogs feel - kind, cheerful, happy! But I am not like them. There is something missing in me... or something added? - that does not allow me to feel that happiness.
What do I want? Honestly, I want peace and comfort. I want to stop worrying about all the mundane everyday problems. This is something that is up to me. No amount of education can solve that...
And that is my DAILY DRAMA post!

"Out of My Head" by Spleen

Stitching Thoughts

Over the past week, I have been stitching a Heart sampler. It has a big "quilted" heart in the middle, made out of different color stripes, like puzzle pieces. The whole sampler - the whole stitching process - reminds me lately of a puzzle: the picture consists of so many different pieces, shapes, colors, stitch variations. Will I be able to see the whole picture? That's what life is like for me too.
Eventually, though, I will see the completed sampler. It will be finished. Will I see the life's complete picture - that's another story.
On a non-philosophical, practical end of things - I have found a temporary job. Nothing big, just a couple of days, but exactly what I need after a long "break" from working. Wish me luck...

Results of Theraputic Stitching

  (Note: some links on this post have been lost after Blogger update).

Last night, very late, I finished my Celtic Lady. While working on her, I learned to do beading - her pattern calls for so many beads her dress reminded me of a pin cushion for a while... I've enjoyed watching the design come through on the fabric and the colors blend together... Working out little mistakes (and big miscounts)...Stitching her was like going away into another world, a place where everything is by the rules and everything makes sense. And things come out beautiful.

Anyway,back to the real world. The good news about finishing this project is - that I could do it, which also means - I can concentrate again. Hooray, my mind no longer feels like soupy mush, there is substance there somewhere again...

Now that she is finished, I'll just have to frame her... And think about what to stitch next.