Change

  I am not a big fan of change, I just don't like it. That's not to say I don't like trying new things, meeting new people or trying a new recipe. I am just content with things as they are. I've lived in the same house for over 27 years, still have friends I went to high school with and carried the same two  purse for three years. I have sat in the same pew at church for ten years, before that I sat one pew over on the left. However, since my heart attack three months ago I've experienced a lot of changes. Some good, some not. I've had to go back to "square one" on a lot of things. I cannot walk long distances without getting winded. When I wake up in the morning it takes 5 minutes to take all my pills. And wherever I go I look for the ladies room before anything else. This doesn't seem like much but to me it can sometimes be a little overwhelming. And just the feeling of being overwhelmed is new to me.
  I keep wondering just how it is that I am able to handle all that has happened in the past few months. I know God has given me peace and  strength to deal with the changes I'm experiencing but He has also provided a place of comfort and familiarity. That is in needle and thread. I have been doing fiber arts for 50 years . The types of projects I do now vary, ranging from quilting to ribbon embroidery. The supplies vary also, but they all have one thing in common, needle and thread. Stitching is like home to me. My grandma taught me to embroider when I was in first grade. I still use DMC floss on some of my projects. I never grow tired of holding the needle or feeling the thread glide through my fingers. Stitching and sewing bring me comfort and pleasure that I cannot find anywhere else. It's as if it is part of my very being. I cannot imagine ever leaving it for very long. I am so grateful God has given me the ability to do this and filled me with a love for this medium.
   Sometimes I have a difficult time focusing my attention. I'm told this is common after trauma. However, again, I am grateful for the constant that stitching provides. It is simple motions, piercing the fabric and drawing the fiber through, over and over. The repetition gives my comfort and joy. I am no longer in recovery, I am just doing what I love to do. The same love I've had for 5 decades.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

   A few things have changed since I had my heart attack. For example,  I am limited, at least for a while, on physical activity. One of the things I haven't been able to do is climb stairs. This means I can't go in my attic. Most women would not be bothered by this restriction but it has caused real problems for me.  I keep most of my fabric, patterns and stitching supplies in the attic and had been going up there a couple times a week to bring things down as I needed them. Jim has offered to go up there for me but...

It would be difficult for me to explain to almost anyone just what I might want and where it is. Because of this I've had to be content with working on what is already in my sewing room. Actually this has been a blessing. Last week I finished embroidering a tablecloth I bought at a thrift store a couple years ago. The past few days I've been working on this quilt and finished it today.

I never would have completed this if I had other things to work on. This fabric is not something I would buy,but someone gifted me a layer cake. Because it is not my taste I used it to try a new technique I saw on You-tube. I was supposed to be a large snow ball pattern with a four patch but I didn't want to make the snowballs so I packed it away. Last weekend I found an embroidered dresser scarf I bought from an antique store and noticed it went with the snowball fabric. As they say...when life gives you lemons . I am so happy with this quilt. I never would have made it if I had other projects to work on. Sometimes I just have to look at things in a different way and treasures will emerge.