Solace

stitched and dyed wonders..........

A while back, India Flint sent out an invitation to................... "make a triangular flag or pennon [meaning a personal ensign, derived from the Latin penna meaning a wing or a feather] preferably using a piece of pre-loved cloth.

Stitch on it a word or a phrase or a sentence that might act as a wish for peace or an acknowledgement of beauty, imply a sense of stillness or simply something that  gives you solace. It can be as brief or as long as you like. A haiku, a snatch of song, a word that takes you where you want to be."

You can read what else she said here.

 So here's mine....... I read about the project  with only days to spare before the cut-off date.....India wanted them all ready to be hung for the Winter Solstice, and because they were going to very remote Andamooka in the South Australian desert, with irregular postal deliveries, I needed to allow almost a week for it to get there. It was a very quick whip together, with little time for slow stitching or embellishment, but as they say, it's the thought that counts.

Front

Back

I used the last of a thrifted linen napkin (serviette) that I'd used for very early plant dyeing experiments and added a favorite Mary Oliver poem. I love this poem for the solace it gives that every day is new, a new beginning and another opportunity for things to be different, another chance to be kind and happy. After I added the back, a scrap of silk from an old shirt this time, with a small dyed heart and the words " kindness" and "love", I did some kantha stitch in a spiral, and then a few rows across the top to hold the layers together.  A big wooden button and ties made with hemp string completed the flag.

And away to Andamooka it went.............and this came back............

On the back, India has written.... "solace - a collective impromptu poem recorded on cloth to sing in the winds"

........a postcard from India, one to each of the contributors, of our flags dressing up the desert, singing in the winds.  India had planned to dip them all in an indigo vat, but a shortage of water prevented this.  I'm pleased she left them in their original state, they glow beautifully in the desert light.

Go here to read India's post about all the flags she received, see the wonderful collage of them, and her response to them, and here to Christi's blog where you'll find links to some of those who contributed and the stories behind their flag, stories that are joyful and inspiring, incorporating wonderful memories on and about scraps of cloth that hold meaning, wishes and blessings.  It's worth making a cuppa and spending a little time browsing these blogs.

so till next time........

Catching up sort of and Christmas in July

Time to dust things off and crank this blog up again 

I know when life gets busy my poor old blog suffers.....I do admire the bloggers who get on and post every day or at least regularly no matter what's happening in the lives, I don't seem to manage that, although I'd like to....

So in a nutshell.....I've been busy painting -  the house, not art .......then time out for a while when I fell off the ladder!! ...... getting the winter garden planted and keeping it neat and weed-free, sorting and having a big clear-out with a view to putting my house on the market to sell......more about that another time.  My children were here for a visit...my daughter from the US and son from Sydney.  It was good to have the 3 of us together again, this happens very rarely these days.  

I've managed some sewing, some of it secret for Cheryll's Christmas in July Swap.

But yesterday was "Christmas Day" and so it was time to open these beautifully wrapped gifts from my Secret Santa Tania who blogs at Ollieandt.

Before .....with an extra gift....a vintage santa mug

....and after 

Lovely pieced hexagonal table centre, perfect for my round table

Wall-hanging mini and cushion with appliqued baubles

Closer look at Tania's beautiful stitching.  Those squares framing the stitchery are tiny, half an inch square!

 Thank you Tania for my beautiful gifts.  I didn't "know" Tania before, she has a lovely blog so I'll be popping in to see what she's up to from now on....the other good part about these swaps is meeting new people and getting to know them through their blogs.  

My partner was Deb at Frog Cottage Designs and this is what I sent her......

A prim angel, not too Christmassy, I thought Deb might like to have her hanging somewhere all year

Closer look at those knobby knees and stripey stockings

Snowman ornie 

I forgot to take a photo of the bunting I made, so I borrowed one from Deb's blog, hope you don't mind Deb......

Thanks to Cheryll for organizing the swap, you can pop over here to Cheryll's blog where she has a linky set up, you can see what everyone else made.....beautiful gifts sent and received all over blogland.

Ok, need to go do other things now, draft an XXX large sweatshirt pattern for a friend and finish making my blocks for this swap I joined back in March, organised by Kate and Sue .....the first blocks were sent in June, and I have a week to finish July's blocks and get them sent off. 

I'll be back to to do a post on this fun swap soon, so see you next time..............