Tangled Stitch

This is my favorite work in progress.  It started as nothing and now it is something.  Isn’t that the way   God made the world?  He started with nothing and made this beautiful mosaic of colors and textures from the tiniest bird to man to the largest elephant.  All of us beautiful in our own way.  The beauty of a tree in a breeze with its leaves swaying to and fro.  The beauty of a cardinal in the tree.  The beauty of a young couple in love walking by the tree.  The sound of rippling water of a creek whose water feeds the tree.  To me embroidery is that tree.  This piece is all connected by thread on black fabric bringing light to the darkness.  Bringing me peace to my all too active mind.  Being love.  Being safe.  Being alone but not alone.  Being thankful that something can bring light from my darkness.  A gentle breeze rustling through my tree.

Hi All!  Its been a long while.  I figured its time for me to express myself again and restart my blog again, hence the title of this blogpost.   My Etsy shop has been up and running for a year now and I've made 50 sales.  Quite an accomplishment for me as in my previous attempts I was not as successful.  I am still a waitress.  I passed another milestone birthday.  I'm still single although much more happily single than I was in the past.  I've been embroidering up a storm it's still the one constant in my life. Speaking of embroidery since that is the point of this blog, the piece above is a custom order for my friend Clif.  Its a lavender garden made completely of French knots in lavender(of course), green and eventually blue.  It's a work in progress.  It's my second attempt as my first attempt wasn't really working that well,  sometimes life gets in the way of embroidery.  The world and my life have been a bit u...

Strings of sunshine floating through the atmosphere, Suspended in the air causing the flowers to open, the trees to bud, A giant ball in the sky shining deeply in rays twisting and turning, Opening up for you and me and putting an end to the darkness in our souls and the ice in our veins, Somewhere a child is smiling, laughing, joyful, The umbrellas and snowshoes have been put away it is another day. The ice is melting, the rivers are flowing, And we smile and dance in the sunshine. Come with me now, dance with me, The big ball in the sky speaks to us, Come with me, dance with me.

This is a snippet of a piece I am working on now.   It is called Changing Directions, it is piece comprised of chain stitches and French knots.   I’ll share when it’s finished.   It’s been a really long time hasn’t it been?   Maybe you’ve noticed, maybe you haven’t?   Either way it’s time I try to make my dreams come true.   I gave up clear and simple.   I gave up.   I thought I wasn’t a good enough writer and I couldn’t find the words to write anymore.   Very clear and very simple.   Yesterday I went to see Kathy at the Katbird Shop and realized just how much work I produced when I believed I could be an artist, before the divorce, before starting to worry about the future all the time.   It was so much easier to embroider all the time when I wanted to escape, now that I’m free not so easy.   One thing about security besides sometimes feeling like you are in a prison it makes it easy to escape into wh...

Yes I know that it is fall but somehow a spring tree is where my head is today. Spring is a time of new beginnings.  A break with the past, a sprouting of new ideas and new attitudes. So for just this one moment on this one day it is spring.  I am filled with the possibilities of a life lived my own way.  I'm not sure it will stick or work but I do know I'm going to try to make my dreams a reality.  For the last few months I've been trying to find a way to escape reality.  Traveling down south which was just wonderful.  The food, the sun, the people.  Mostly the food, I went with my cousin who loves to eat and she converted me to the foodie way of life.  I've had lots of wonderful visitors too who reminded me of all the fun I can have here.  Mostly I've been trying to find a new man in my life, one to replace the imaginary one and to make me forget the mess my marriage was before it ended.  Not doing so well on that count and ma...

I finished both these pieces over the weekend, the top is a piece for the Valley Artisans Market wheels show and the second is lovely scarf which looks so much better in person.  I have to go take a photography class one of these days. It seems I am tying up loose ends in my personal life too as my divorce is final and I have to make some decisions in my life.   I still don't really know which end is up but I've  decided to keep on working and hoping that the answers will come. I still haven't really figured out a way to make my dreams come true, but if I don't work towards them they never will.  I've taken some really solid steps in moving forward but no clear direction is taking hold which means I have to kind of leave this one up to God and just keep on taking some sort of action every day.I have to have faith that the answer and some peace of mind will come along sooner or later.  I'm still in the process of letting go, when you live your entire...

This is an unframed peacock for an upcoming show.  I am working again, pretty much every single day. I"m still having a bit of an issue writing but that seems to be getting a little better too.  At the moment I am working on a piece for the Valley Artisans Market Wheel Show and hope to finish that today.  I set a goal of yesterday and somehow fell a little short.  But goals are there for a reason so today is another day. I'm trying to give myself a break, my beloved dog just died.  My marriage is over and I have to figure out the answers to many questions in my life.  Sometimes there are just too many questions so I've decided all I can do is work and write and hope for the best.  I'm looking for a job but I really have no idea what kind of job I wish to do other than being an artist and a writer(and an indian chief).  I want to go back to school but then again what for?  When you have been a mother for 21 years with a little retail on ...

The stitch is a bit tangled lately and needs to focus more on what’s important.   She’s really let the things that matter most in her life take a back seat lately.   It’s not that I’m not working.   I’ve written a couple of poems and songs that may or may not see the light of day.   I’ve started a few projects which may or may not see the light of day.   The problem is I am having an issue sticking with just one project long enough to finish anything even the smallest piece. I’ve moved into a new apartment, leased a new car($250.00 worth of gas in December was just too much), almost gotten a divorce but still feel like I’m stuck in a hole waiting to get out.   I guess big changes mean big doubts and a conscious effort to remember to do what you love at least for a short part of the day.   I still think I want to go back to school and may need to get a job but can’t seem to focus on which of those options is the best idea so at the moment I’m s...

Hi.  It's been a while but for very good reason.  The long and winding road has brought me to a new place in my life.  I have moved into my new apartment and I have to say the change has been very positive.   I found the perfect apartment for me, between the natural lighting during the day and the abundance of lighting and sconces for the night time has been exceptional.  I've been able to work so much more, I'm sleeping a bit better, it is beautiful.  I have gotten the essential furniture which consists of a bed, a futon for Brian, a chair and a dining set.  Still need more furniture and may go out in a little while to look for a computer table and a dresser for craft storage.  It's a brand new start and I'm loving it.  It finally feels like the past is behind me and I am moving into a better future. I have found a cute little boutique which wants to carry the scarves and handbags so I'm looking forward to making more of them. ...

A Simple Man is a song by Lynard Skynard.   It’s one of my favorites and reflects the outlook I have on life today.   All anyone wants in life is to be accepted and driven by what they love.   I love hand embroidering, crocheting and spinning a yarn.   That is what I wake up every morning hoping to somehow reflect out into the world. I am truly starting over.   There is no backward motion anymore.   The time has come to put one foot in front of the other, put the pedal to the metal and try to follow my dream wherever it may lead me.   The last week has been incredible.   I have so many more possibilities at the end of the week than I had in the desperation of having to find a place to live by yesterday (or seven yesterdays).   I have a great roommate/landlord named Richard, a man who has followed his dreams through several incarnations and is about to embark on another one.   I have a son who is learning how to live with me a lit...

Good day sunshines!  Hope everyone who reads this is happy and chipper this morning.  I am happy and chipper.  I have somehow managed to live on planet earth for 53 years without growing up. Today is my 53rd birthday and have much to be thankful for.  First off my son, who made the last 21 years the bomb.  Secondly my family, they have been so wonderful in these past few months(and the rest of my life too, one of the best parts about crashing and burning is being embraced by the people who knew you when you were too young to crash and burn) and then there are the friends.  What can I say I'm blessed! I am still at a crossroads in my life, as lovely as Whitehall is it is not the destination of my dreams but it could be the destination of anybody with a dream.  There is so much freakin opportunity here it is teeming all over town, maybe teeming the wrong word to use but bursting out is more accurate. Everywhere you look there is a vacant building w...

This post is inspired by my mother who gave up her hopes and dreams so she could foster the dreams of my brother and me.   She did not get a chance to follow her dreams when we grew up. She passed away before she could do that.   I am sitting at that exact moment in my own life and am moving forward to my dreams.   My son is 21 years old.   He will be a senior in college in September.   He will meet a lovely girl and marry and leave to live his own life.   He is old enough to follow his dreams.   He’s a great kid, very sensible and responsible and I am sure he will be able to accomplish anything he wishes in life. Every moment in life is a new beginning.   A chance to look at the choices we have and choose the path we want to walk down.   We have to find ourselves in the light at the end of the tunnel.   For months my soul has been talking to me, saying turn off the music, meditate, find the things you love, let go of the rest an...