Finished with Love

I haven't been sharing much of what I've made in this space lately, but I do have some finishes this past month that I am pretty pleased with.

My cousin had her twin baby boys 3 weeks ago at 34 weeks, which meant that they have been spending some time in the NICU before they can go home. I stitched up some baby stuff for her shower (you can check those out in this post), but nothing that would be overly helpful in the NICU. So I searched online and found this awesome free pattern for babies that are spending time in the hospital.

They are soft, and fun. The pattern is scaled to also fit bigger babies, and I can definitely imagine making these for full term babies in the future as well. 

I also really wanted to make my cousin a bag, something just for her and not just about her babies. I wanted her to be able to carry around the love and prayers that I have for her. I used a pattern from the book Sewing Stylish Handbags and Totes By Choly Knight. I'm very happy with the result, and I was delighted that my Cousin loves it, and has been using it for most of her time in the NICU. 

I grabbed a photo at the hospital yesterday when I visited. 

I picked the "styled shoulder bag" pattern from the book,since I was unsure if she would prefer a shoulder bag or a crossbody bag, and this purse can go back and forth easily. I kept it simple, and didn't customize in any of the ways she displays in the book.

As I talked about in my previous post am I thinking more and more about what my hope is with each project I make. For the smocks and the bag my hope is having tangible objects made with love, that she can carry and wrap up her babes, will help her feel love and prayers I have for her and her family in this challenging time. 

Next up for me is sewing a wedding dress!!! (WHat?!?!??!!!) Yeah. #idontknowwhatimdoing

What am I hoping for?

So, in my previous post, I talked about how the idea of hope has been on my mind.

It has been lingering still.

I sought out Emily Dickinson's well known poem, starting with the line "Hope is the thing with feathers." I decided that I profoundly disagreed with what she was saying about hope. She describes hope as this easy thing that sings and asks nothing of anyone. I feel that hope asks a great deal of me. I do not find hope to be a simple, easy thing. The poem made me feel like there was something wrong with me, since my personal experiences with hope are so different than what she presents. So still the questions remained for me.

What does hope ask of me? What is difficult about hope for me?

This song stopped me in my tracks this morning. I've heard it many time, but today it really struck me as I was cleaning up the messes of family life. I got goosebumps.


In the Night | Andrew Peterson, Buddy Greene, Jeff Taylor, Andy Gullahorn from Laity Lodge on Vimeo.

The violence that fights against hope, that he really gets across in this song, deeply resonate with me. I feel like there is a battle being fought over my ability to hope. That sometimes, hope is lost, but that it can surface in the deepest night.

Lately, as I've been making things, I've been asking myself "what is my hope for this object?" I'm hoping that more and more the answer to that question will draw me closer to the Maker that made me into the maker that I am.

On hope and the creative process

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about hope, and it's part in the creative process. I've been putting together thoughts about how hope drives my making.

My first thought with this idea of making things as an outpouring of hope, was "I'm sure someone else has already made this connection, and has better articulated it." I was right. I discovered Sister Corita Kent.

So, I quickly checked out two books featuring the works and ideas of Corita Kent, and they did not disappoint. Her words contain so many gems, that I have started to think, but that she clearly lays out, and seemed to live out, in such a graceful way. 

Another quote that kept springing to mind, to mix in with this flurry of thoughts, was from one of my favorite Sufjan Stevens songs. In his song Flint (For the Unemployed and Underpaid), there is a line that has always resonated with me. 

The song is soft, slow, and not so much hopeful. But this line connects something I have always believed, and something that the art and craft community act on daily.

So, what am I trying to say? What am I learning, connecting, and understanding from these ideas? Why post about these? 

I don't know, is the short answer, and one that I use frequently in life. 

But these ideas are drawing me out, and helping me become more of who God has created me to be. 

Hope is my struggle. It does not come easily for me, and I have often approached it wearily and cautiously. 

So, as I more and more understand that hope is in the essence of my making of things...

Well, it's a bit baffling, but it explains so much. It explains why I turn away from creating things, when I feel hopeless and depressed. 

So, I am learning. This is part of the creative process for me. 

This inner dialogue is still percolating and waiting on the God's wisdom for what it all means for me. 

A Fairy Pouch, but really so much more.

So, last week I was struck with inspiration. The fast as lighting, flying by the seat of your pants, type of inspiration.

So, I picked out some fabric and drew up a pattern for a purse.

I then cut out some grey fabric with sparkle polka dots. I started layering other fabrics over it. 

I then glued those fabrics down, stitched them down, stitched the outside of the pouch together and then waxed them. All of this happened quickly and excitedly, acting on the passion that comes with initial inspiration. 

Then, after the waxing, I realized that my hand does not fit in. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to attach the lining though the layers of waxed cotton. I was sure it was a complete failure. I was frustrated, and flustered. I didn't know how to proceed. I was going to put it on the shelf and move on to something else, as I have done many times before with these types of projects.

But, but... 

But then something amazing happening. I didn't stop. I kept going. I decided, oh, well, it's not exactly as I envisioned it, from a function point of view, but I can figure it out. It's okay if it's not perfect. It can still be a lovely finished object. I feel as though the Holy Spirit stepped in, and kept me moving beyond my old nature, into the grace that God has for me. It was certainly beyond my own capabilities. 

I finished it. It's lined, and although it doesn't have a handle of any sort yet, as I had originally imagined it, I feel like it is complete. I decided it looked like something that a fairy might collect important items into, like dew drops and starlight.

 So, it's my fairy pouch, a reminder that God's grace (that inexplicable magic of love and mercy) even enters into my humble acts of creating. 

Linked up at Off the Wall friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and Crazy Mom Quilts

A Special Quilt Finish

I have finally finished the first quilt I ever made.

After piecing, and quilting this quilt over a decade ago, last week I sat down and finished hand stitching the binding.

Last week, my Aunt who helped me though almost every step of this quilt, passed away unexpectedly. When I was in high school, she went through her scrap bins with me, helped me cut, stitch, quilt, and start the binding on this pretty crazy quilt. We made it big enough for the twin bed that I was sleeping on at the time, which it never actually adorned. I have so many wonderful memories of working on this project with her, and the week I spent at her home finishing it up (mostly) one summer. 

I loved the narration she gave about the various fabrics. I know the light pink kitten print, close to center, was a scrap from a nightgown she made for my cousin when she was a girl. She always endearingly referred to the fabric with the people in windows as her "people." She directed me towards alternating light and dark fabric, but as the end product shows I didn't follow that advice too carefully. 

We made up a handful of these star blocks (that I don't know the name of), and put them though out. She taught me how to square up the quilt (which I have since completely forgotten how to do), select and add the borders, quilt, FMQ and bind. Another Aunt who is an avid quilter helped me with the final layout of the blocks and stitched the top together. 

She helped me write and put a tag on the quilt.  We naively assumed that I would finish up the hand stitching on the binding within the month (July 2001), instead it took 15 years. So perhaps I should edit the tag to mention that it was actually finished May 2016? I no longer sleep in a twin bed, my last name is no longer Jeffers, but this quilt is still made with love. That is still true. It is made with tears now stitched in the binding, as I visited the fabrics and the time I spent making it with my now passed Aunt. 

I will miss my dear Aunt Sue. Looking over this quilt now, it is clear to me the love and patience she showed me while teaching me all about sewing and quilting during this project. She directed me, encouraged me, and overlooked the flaws of this quilt. She was a wonderful lady and she will be sorely missed. 

I FMQed my name into the border.
Her Bernina definitely did FMQ better than my Brother does. :)

There are so many imperfections that I used to see in this quilt, but now I mainly see love. 

Gingham Tote

So, once I got my modern sewing machine back this week, I started stitching something for mi Madre.

I had debated designing a cross body bag for her, but in the end I decided to build a few new skills and tackle the Gingham Tote from Handmade Style by Anna Graham.

I love the Riley Blake fabric I used for the pocket!

Making this bag added some new techniques to my arsenal. Rivets. Rivets! A game changer for sure. I also installed my first magnetic snap.

Upcycled bedlinen for the slip pocket

It was fun to put together, and I think it will be a great summertime bag for my Mom to haul around all the things she needs to. 

The rivet setting took a bit of practice. My first attempt at a rivet (fortunately on practice fabric) was, eh, a huge disaster.

Yikes!

I almost chickened out on the leather handles with rivets, after trying it out. I'm glad that I went ahead, because I think it adds great function to the bag. 

Upright and sturdy

It has a good amount of heft, and I think it will hold up well. Here's hoping my Mom will love it!

Linking up with NTT, Off the Wall Friday, and Finish it up Friday.

#BraveQuilter @ Pink Doxies

I have been planing for a while now to sew myself a garment. 

This is a little scary for me, since my past experiences sewing clothing for myself have been, well, not very great. This is what happens when you don't know what you are doing, and you don't use a pattern. 

So this month it is my goal to sew myself something to wear. Probably the Sailor Top by Fancy Tiger Crafts, since they have the pattern and a tutorial on Creativebug. 

Picture of Sailor Tops from the Creativebug website

It looks simple enough, and it's something that I think I would get a lot of wear out of. 

I'm participating in Pink Doxies link up #BraveQuilter as part of the link party for May, the goal is to sew myself a garment!