a star of batik beauty...

some time ago

our friend

crystal of
 

 

frivolous necessity

created a pattern

she named

hexagram

from the

moment i first

saw it

it looked most like

a star of david

to me

this past week

i needed

 to accomplish

something with fabric

for the total

relaxation of the

project

from the

organizing and the cutting

 

to the stitching

 

 

to the squaring up

 process

where the end

 result is

this

lovely pile of

color

 

 

to the layout

on the design wall

 

 

it was just the

stitchy therapy

i needed

and now it's hanging

in our front window

just in time

to wish

everyone a

very happy

hanukkah

red plaid taffeta...

on the bolt

it was just

plaid taffeta...

.

 

red and black taffeta

i'd bought it not sure

what i'd make

then i turned it into

 the bottom

half of a dress for my

sweet sarah

a bow tie

for her handsome brother

even a skirt for me

 

 

on

a sunday afternoon

the 19th of december

my family of four

walked into

the state theater

for a live performance

of the nutcracker

a plain dealer photographer

captured this pose

and soon that red plaid taffeta

became the symbolism

for christmas

nineteen ninety two

i cherish the memories

so very thankful

our girl was

healthy that day

so grateful we

spent the time

together

there are witches in the air...

i don't often

post pics

on this blog...

.

...of the displays

in the store

because usually

there are no creations

to display

of my own work

well...

we just finished this

halloween set up today

and up on that wall

to the right

the lower hexagon

completely stitched by me

the other items

by my friends crystal and helen

don't you love

 the inclusion of

purple in halloween

i sure do

the tattered roof...

i've been asked

often

over the years...

.

...to repair things

broken zippers

skirts needing shortened

waistbands that are too tight

pants that are torn

when this call first came in

i declined

time is not on my side

these days

the new friend

 arrived with it in a large bag

just the same

a queen size quilt

entirely pieced with houses

my mind rushed back in time

to my first days

of quilting

a teenager with keen new interest

yet hands of mature experience

i was once told

as i looked

 at the disintegrating fabric

and i listened to eileen

tell the story of how

she had been asked

to make this repair

for a nice gentleman

yet her aging arthritic hands

could just not hold the needle

or make the tiny stitches

anymore

i somehow realized this

was coming to me

for a reason

as i carefully removed the

salmon colored tattered roof

i recalled the night

so many years before

when i sat inside a tiny office

at the domestic violence shelter

holding the hands

of a woman

who just fled a dangerous man

with her children

sleeping on a couch

 in the next room

i shared a quilt block

 i had been stitching

it was the same pattern

 as the one i am now fixing

i remember telling her

not to be afraid for

she had a roof over her head

and a place where her kids

would now be safe

a few days later

she joined a quilt circle

i was teaching

 i had them make a house block

as a symbol of a

new beginning

all week as i worked on this quilt

customers were amazed

they oohed

and they ahhed

marveling that i would take on

such an endeavor

i shared with a few that

i'm just a social worker

at heart

paying it forward

with hands that were blessed

for needle and thread

the owner of the quilt

phoned yesterday

i could tell by his voice

he was pleased it was done

when a grandfatherly man

 walked into the shop today

i knew it was him

his physical physique matched

the tender voice on the phone

as i opened the quilt

his eyes filled with tears

the old tattered roof

was once again whole

he asked what he owed me

i had instantly determined

his smile was enough

to which he replied

how about if i make a donation

to that place eileen

volunteers

where is that i asked

the battered women's shelter

he replied

the tears had now

transferred

 from his eyes to mine

as i was just reminded

how beautifully life circles

miracles indeed

chance encounter...

i've often

wondered

what happened...

.

to the brides

who chose me to

 create the gown for

their special day

there was usually

 a specific reason

they wanted a custom creation

i would ask for

an explanation

it helped me understand the

direction we were going

one young woman

told me of a tale involving

ballroom dancing

it was a romantic story

their first dance would be

chorographed by their teacher

and so the dress needed

to accomodate

the twists and turns

this week at the quilt store

in walked

 a new customer

she had been referred by a friend

we got to talking

and sharing

she seemed familiar

yet

nothing really clicked until

she wrote her name

on the email list

and i knew at that moment

it was annie

the beautiful woman

 who wore this dress

almost seventeen years ago

still married with children

i forgot to ask

about the dancing

next time i will

purple profile...

years ago

even before this

next photo...

. 

was taken

a friend gave me a card

that reads...

you are a purple person if:

you are imaginative,

sensitive, artistic and

sophisticated

you have noble ideals

 and a keen appreciation

of the cultural

you are alert, demanding,

 foresighted, confident

resourceful,

spontaneous and highly independent

you take delight in the beautiful,

the gracious, the sensitive,

but maintain an attitude of

critical appraisal

you are active in the support

of things you believe in

and are concerned

with the pursuit of truth

 and other human values

you take chances

 and believe that you must do so

 to make the most of what

 life has to offer

purple is an exclusive

 unique color

and it is truly a unique individual

who holds it dear

twenty years ago today

as i bared my shoulders

 for the world to see

i did not see as much

of myself

in that message

as i do today

smokin' hot...

flipped the page

in the

photo album...

.

...the one from twenty years ago

and found this

at first i was just going

 to pass it by

then my honey came down

and told me

 i looked smokin' hot

it was the reference

to fire

 that made me

decide to scan it

just in case

i never want to forget

that yes

there was a day

when i'd show my legs

i also remember

finishing this outfit

on the way to the event

as john drove

i sewed

typical of our life

back then

wouldn't change a thing

though

no words...

to describe

 the

current status...

.

of my creative corner

or my personal life

in general

i have customers ask

if my house looks like the store

not really

enough said

creating memories...

i have

photos

that are...

.

tj and sarah ~ 1993

priceless to me

some remind me

of a certain

day or event

a holiday

and then there are

the extra special ones

that remind me of

something i've created too

with my hands

and the god given talent

that i'm so grateful for

i can't imagine life without

creativity

happy thanksgiving everyone

my newest love...

the first time

ever

i saw your

.

...fluff

i was nervous

not sure how you would

treat the machine

it was magical

i needn't have worried

you responded with the ease

of melted butter

sliding thru my fingertips

with the gentle help of idt

you responded so evenly

you enveloped the mannequin

like

paint on a canvas

wrapping delicately

yet tightly

around the spine

taking the corners

with gentle ease

oh minky

how i love thee...

ribbons and bows...

nothing

brings a smile

to my face

.

like pictures of my girl

twenty years ago today

wearing

hand me down overalls

from her brother

now adorned

with embellishments

of ribbons and bows

i do season...

each june i gear up

for the

season of weddings

.

there was a time

i was creating

one to two

custom bridal gowns plus

bridesmaids and flower girls

a week from my home studio

while still working full time

then

child number three arrived

and i realized

i needed a break

now i do alterations for just a select few

this season

friends of my oldest son

did i just say my son

if that's not enough

to make me feel my fifty years

the need for my reading glasses

just to hem

sure is

funny that mauve is back in vogue

actually they call it rosewood

this time around

best wishes

to all the summer's brides and grooms

happy mother's day

there was a mother/daughter

look alike contest

in the newspaper today

.

i would not have thought to enter

as i don't think we look alike

until i went digging for a photo

guess i was wrong

this picture

circa 1978

i can tell by the glasses

and the hairdos

it was my senior year of high school

and i was sewing

alot

for both my mom and me

both our tops in this photo

i stitched up

you might ask why i was sewing for my mom

easy

she didn't sew

at all

most people are shocked when i say that

how ever did i learn then

by her support

for years she drove me to the fabric stores

in canton, ohio

so-fro fabrics at 30th street plaza

and schoolhouse quilts on hills and dales

were my two favorites

she would come in as a chaperone when

i was just starting out

at eight and nine

then as i got older she would stay in the car

or walk down to the stationary store

looking back

i find that especially amazing

i think it's probably easier

to support your daughter's love of fabric

when you already have a stash in the house

regardless

i truly would not be where i am today

without her support

thank you mom

i love you

happy mother's day

bedazzled...

everyone in life

deserves

a cheering section

.

click to enlarge

a fan club

someone

or even a group of people

who sings your praise

who supports your passions

someone who reminds you that you are

appreciated

i am lucky enough to have such friends

and lately one has been emailing me

often

she loves the concept of the quilt store

how i have tied it all together

with sarah

but in your history

you missed

a major component of who you are

she wrote

then on tuesday

i posted a picture of tj sewing

and when she blew up the photo

there it was

the story board from bedazzled

she wrote again

joyce, you must show us that collage

please talk about your years as

a development officer and

how you included your talents as a seamstress

in each event

while raising millions of dollars

for the good of cleveland

ok so there you have it

a story of one event

for the cleveland institute of music

and one custom ensemble

which i was still hemming

as my husband drove to the event