‘It struck him that how you spent Christmas was a message to the world about where you were in life.”
About a Boy, Nick Hornby, 1993
December Doings
The last couple of weeks I’ve been busy reading, knitting, baking, mending, and cleaning house.
These Oakshott cottons were a bright spot in my holiday prep time this week.
Tree Cutting
Each year I thank our previous selves for planting these trees on our property. I love that we can walk from our house to the field to cut our Christmas tree. Some of us don’t even bother to change out of our pajamas.
We also planted the trees that are on either side of this path. This part of our property was a corn field when we moved in.
I love having the tree lights on through the darkest part of the year. Some years we can keep the tree up until February. We’ll see how long this one lasts.
Kishie Shawl
Last week I was in Pasadena, CA for my last teaching event of the year. It was great fun and I enjoyed teaching quilting at an event that had much beautiful yarn in the marketplace. I shopped a little each day during my lunch break. I have been doing well at knitting my stash the last few years so didn’t feel bad in treating myself to some new yarn. One of my favorite purchases was this beautiful hand dyed lace weight silk. I’ve started the Kishie Shawl and I CAN NOT WAIT to wear it. I know it will be soft, warm, and drapey.
I also bought enough of a pretty merino silk blend to make the Katharine Hepburn Sweater that has been on my make list for more than ten years.
Thoughtful Sunday
"I don't understand it any more than you do, but one thing I've learned is that you don't have to understand things for them to be."
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
The Quilt Show with Alex and Ricky
I’m pleased to share that my episode on The Quilt Show with Alex and Ricky is now live on their website. If you are a member you can watch it at any time.
The Quilt Show will be offering free viewing of the show for a limited time. If you would like to see it and are not a member of The Quilt Show Online, click the link below November 11-18, 2018.
Thoughtful Sunday
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling
Rey
This year Miss P chose another strong female character for her Halloween costume- Rey, from Star Wars.
She did this costume all on her own. All I did was tell her how to dye fabric with tea and order the military bag from Harry’s Army surplus, and fix her hair.
She tea dyed muslin for the drape and leg ties. The arm wraps are tea dyed medical gauze.
She learned about the wonders craft foam in cosplay while making her Wonder Woman costume last year, and used the same idea to add the shape details to her staff.
She made the double belt from one of her dad’s old belts and another strip of leather.
She loves that the costume has a place to put her candy so she doesn’t have to carry an ‘out of character’ bag.
Here’s a collection of all of her previous Halloween costumes.
Thoughtful Sunday
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery
Eggshells - Domestic Abuse Quilt Series #11
Eggshells - 16” x 16”
The term “walking on eggshells” is to be overly careful in dealing with a person or situation because they get angry or offended very easily; to try very hard not to upset someone or something.
The most insidious aspect of living with an angry or abusive partner is not the obvious—nervous reactions to shouting, name-calling, criticism or other demeaning behavior. It’s the adaptations one makes to try to prevent those episodes. One walks on eggshells to keep the peace, or a semblance of connection. A person will choose what to say or do based on what they think their abuser’s reaction may be. A person may play out several scenarios in their head - if I do A then the reaction may be X, if I do B the reaction may be Y, etc. Sometimes they can play out all possible scenarios and all of them have the potential to cause a bad reaction from the abuser. This situation can put a person in an abusive relationship in a very stressful situation and lead to anxiety.
Ten million Americans experience domestic abuse every year. Ten million. Someone I love and care about is a victim of abuse and has been for over twenty years. Odds are you or someone you know is a victim as well. I have learned a lot about domestic abuse over the last two decades and the number one fact I have learned is that most incidents are never reported. Ten million people every year and that number doesn't reflect the full scope of abuse in the US, as many people aren't able to safely share and report their stories. I am a doer. I like to make and fix things. Sadly, I cannot fix things for the person in my life who is being abused. But, I can speak up. And I can sew. And hopefully I can make a difference. (Statistics from the CDC)
If you have a friend or family member who is experiencing abuse here are some things you can do to help. The most important thing to remember is that the choice to leave or not is theirs. You can't make them leave a bad situation but you can be supportive and helpful in their choice. They will need someone they can count on when/if they do decide to end or leave the abusive relationship.
Domestic Violence knows knows no boundaries when it comes to race/gender/sexuality/age/socioeconomic status/geographic location/culture.
Remember, domestic abuse affects ten million people in the US every year. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, please know that the folks at the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1 800 799 SAFE or thehotline.org) are ready to listen and support you, as well as refer you to a local program or organization. If you observe someone being abused, you can also call the hotline. A good samaritan call can save a life!
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All of the quilts in the Domestic Abuse series so far can be viewed here.
