going home

people always ask me what it is like living on an island, if it's hard, if i miss having the freedom to be spontaneous. yes, it is hard. yes, i miss my freedom. but it is worth it. you want to find out? come visit. i like to share. this is what it's like to come home. how can it not be worth it?

shirl

knitting needles that once belonged to shirl, i am a lucky, lucky girl. shirl is my friend caitlin's grandmother who passed away on march 1st and she was one amazing woman. one cool thing about growing up on an island is that you know everyone. and everyones family. so i grew up knowing shirl as cait's grandmother. and as the post mistress. and as a master crafter. i knew to be afraid of her cat (i even had a nightmare about this cat 2 or 3 years ago that is still vivid in my mind) and i knew that she was sharp of mind and tongue and wit. as i grew older i came to know more about shirl and i knew to respect her talent as my understanding and appreciation of sewing painting creating expanded. i know that she was liberal. i know that she was outspoken. and i know she was the sweetest battle axe one could find. i know how to imitate her voice, tone and infliction, as much from listening to cait and sharon imitating it to hearing it myself. it makes me smile. it makes me miss cait. so. back to the knitting needles. i am now the proud owner of a slew of her needles and a bag of her yarn. an unfinished mitten. the beginnings of a scarf in a pattern i do not know but will try to learn in luscious teal mohair. i have fat needles. skinny needles. tiny little ones that i fell in love with. and lots and lots of in between needles. i feel so lucky. i feel so proud. i only hope i can channel shirl while i give her needles a whirl and create masterpieces she would be proud of.

new project

i am a pack rat. i keep everything. and by everything, i mean, i still have my notebook from English class my senior year of high school with Mr. Fischer. and more. this habit is slightly annoying to my friends and family that have to help me move on a regular basis. i have boxes of stuff they see no use for but i see possibilities in. i know i need all the National Geographic's from my grandparents yard sale in the 90's. and the buckets of sea glass. and sand. and fabric. i have been carrying around an unfinished quilt my crafty grandmother gave me A LONG TIME ago. she was going to throw it away. i was going to finish it. it didn't matter to me the fabric was faded in spots, i wanted it. and it has moved with me every i have gone since she gave it to me 10 or 12 years ago. after seeing these adorable mini quilts that soulemama made i became inspired! i have decided to make a series of mini quilts with the old quilt. this is a perfect plan because the quilt is all squares and lends perfectly to a 3x3 square. and i embellish in all the ways i love, applique and embroidery. this is going to be fun.

a sunday of thoughts, memories of sadness.

it is sunday, another rainy day and a day for contemplation for me. and what does one crafty girl do on rainy contemplative day? sew of course! i knew i needed a small project as i did not have a lot of time... i had a party to attend in the afternoon... so i came up with this small applique project to keep my hands busy while my mind wandered... last night there was a serious car accident on the island involving, of course, young adults and drinking. everyone turned out ok, this time. but it brought me back to a dreadful night 10 years ago when on this island we were not so lucky, and the victims were my friends. i could not help to reflect on that dreadful accident, the loss of life and visiting my friend in jail for driving the car that killed his girlfriend. why does history have to repeat itself? why can't we learn from our past? i don't have the answers. so instead of dwelling, i create. and this is what i created today while i grieved for the loss of brooke, the time lost to jeff and scott while they were in jail, and rejoiced that these kids did not suffer the same fate. no one died. no one will be spending years in jail. but i hoped and wished with every stitch that those kids and their friends understand just how lucky they are on this rainy, gray sunday. i hope they realize that this day is the first day of the rest of their days. a lucky day to be alive, a day to be thankful.