It's Christmas Eve

Happy Holidays! 

In this post I am showing you the December calendar piece I made with cut up family photos and Christmas cards stitched to wool fabrics and trimmed with pine cones and satin.   The photos are from 1988, when I had doubles printed of all the snapshots I took that year and made twelve small seasonal hangings with them.  Looking at this piece now,  along with nostalgia,  I see the open hearted courageous spirit that kept me going when my children were so young and so was I.  The pine cones are a bit mashed now, and I am old but we go on.

To you and to those you love,  I send warm greetings and good wishes and love.  💕💕

Sunshine and Shadow

Both light and dark are necessary for life. We need light but we also need dark. Seeds germinate in the dark.
When I made this piece in 1989 I was of the opinion that pioneer women were more aware than we are today of both the visual language of symbols and of the spirit in nature. I believed that those sensitivities joined and brought forth wonderful quilt patterns. I felt that when I used those same patterns I was speaking in a code of sorts. A woman's language.

I still love the old patterns. They have spirit. They pull me. But I've gone through a shift in my thinking. It’s not that I've lost belief in the language. It’s more that I think the old patterns have something else. They have integrity.

full house

My dad and brother are here for a short visit.

care giving

Still overwhelmed here in Kingston.

colour and light

We were in Toronto for a couple of days and I was able to visit The Textile Museum of Canada on Friday. All of the current exhibitions are wonderful, but I was blown away by Colour and Light: embroidery from India and Pakistan. The technical skill and amazing colour sense in these gorgeous embroideries humble me.

A Valentine for those I love

Happy valentine's day to my far flung children. I hope that you all have a wonderful day with the person you love. Actually, that is my wish for everyone today. Love is good.

Calendar

When my children were small I made twelve wall hangings from seasonal fabrics and family snapshots. Our youngest was just one at the time.

December

Heard today in the post office. "If only we would remember to be grateful for what we already have. We are so very lucky."

November

Our son is in Italy this autumn and I have been practicing long distance phone skills. Today, I picked up his Masters diploma in Architecture from the University of Waterloo at the local post office. Congratulations Jaybird.

My Father

My father juggled three successful businesses throughout my childhood. He was also an avid photo grapher with a darkroom. His interest in photography has never stopped and I want to thank him for the encouragement he has given me over the years. Thanks Dad.