CLAY AND WATTLES

Time = Energy = Time, or Just Do It!

How is it that when Amy was little I could and did do all these neat things: sewing, cross-stitching, doll-making, reading, baking, going, doing, even a little bit of quilting?

Because:

1) I had Energy.

2) Which equates to better use of Time, as in getting more done in less Time.

3) I could see so much better!

Today I ordered a subscription to Stoney Creek cross-stitch magazine. If I only look at the pictures of patterns in it, it will be that much more inspiration than I have now. At least I'm thinking about it. I actually used to do some of the Stoney Creek patterns! I have one of Mama's that I did for her over 20 years ago. "Don't Count Sheep, Talk to the Shepherd," that hangs in the bedroom. I did Aunt Ginny a magnolia; Sher a wedding sampler; Amy her sorority rose (AOPi) and "Roots and Wings" for her graduation; Paul the MS Bulldogs; a Santa for a gift one year; Sher the Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady Poppies for her china of the same name; an old pie safe titled Sweet Country Living for Sher; a friendship sampler for Bren; and I think the first one of any size I did for Jimmie - a heart pattern that was in the Baptist Young Women magazine. (And I was fortunate to have this given back to me after she died; I'm not even sure where I've put it - probably under the bed in a box.) There were others I probably don't remember. (Teri used to do some cross-stitch; I don't recall that we did any for each other.) I stitched a sampler that says, "May this house be filled with joy in the morning and sweet dreams at night." The only other piece I recall starting for myself I never finished! The dogwood blossoms... The thing that keeps calling to me for some reason.

These are scanned pictures of some of the ones I did make photos of. They look very digital but are much brighter than the original pictures, which I suppose have faded over time, or the lighting wasn't good to begin with. The house was about 8x10, the pie safe about that, and the little bluebirds about 6x8. I always loved shopping for and gathering the thread, winding it on little cards and numbering them by their color number, organizing them in plastic floss boxes or putting the ones I was using at the time on large O rings. I liked getting started, too, although finding the starting point from the center of the Aida cloth was exacting - one thread off and the whole pattern was thrown off in most cases. Oh, another one I did - or rather started - the huge swan pattern - there was so much white in it and varying shades of "white" including pale grays, that I finally gave up on the swan and just did the verse: "In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." (Isaiah 30:15) I "quietly" put away the swan and "confidently" went on to finish the verse!

Sher has in her kitchen:

This one (The Lord's Prayer) I did for Leslie Proctor Caubble for high school graduation. She and Amy were in the same class. The picture was very dark so this is a huge improvement although not great.

And the eyes. Maybe new glasses or seeing about the cataract situation will help there... And there's always the magnifiying glass...

I always found cross-stitching to be relaxing, productive, meditative, and for enjoyment - yours and/or someone else's. You can pray over every stitch - crossed, knitted, purled, crocheted or sewn; every brush stroke; every pottery bowl.