CONTINUED PROGRESS AND SOMETHING NEW

Not Not giving up is my mantra on this Night Shift Cowl by Andrea Mowry.

But I have to tell you I've messed up and ripped out more then any other piece I've ever made. 

I finally have reached section 6 (there are 7 all together),

and as you can see, 

the pattern moves way more into the bluish yarn.

I'm still so in love with it,

but it's not a project I can take anywhere with me to work on.

It just requires too much concentration and focus,

so Andrea recommends having another project going at the same time that is much easier

that you can switch on and off with.

So I'm trying out Free Your Fade by Andrea,

something else I've been wanting to do.

It also calls for 3 different skeins of yarn.  

I just happen to have some Worsted Malabrigo in my stash that works well together.

And oh my, 

it's fast and so much easier,

but still good brain WORK.

Have I frogged back on this one,

you betcha,

but not nearly as much

LOL

The rows of eyelets are a real ball buster for me,

and I can't talk or watch T.V. when I'm doing it.

It's like knitting lace,

Yuck!

A TREE FOR MY MOTHER

When my mother,

 Rose Patricia, 

passed 13 years ago at the age of 92 after a 10 year battle with Alzheimer's,

I gathered her favorite Xmas ornaments that she treasured and several she had made, 

and started the tradition of decorating a separate tree for her at my husbands home

(I also decorate a larger tree at my home/studio with all my children's ornaments).

When I married Jimmy,

 he had a smallish, very lovely cashmere tree that he gave me for my mom.

But I've got to be honest here,

many of my mother's decorations that she loved or made were pink,

and as a child and teen growing up I hated those and that color!

And she always said to me.

"Debra Ann, 

when you grow up and have your own home,

 you can decorate your tree however you want,

and you'll be able to tell your kids too bad if they don't like it."

Well, 

fortunately,

 my kids never complained as they were growing up 

and loved helping me put up the tree and ornaments.  

Maybe because the tree was mostly all about them,

Ha ha!

Below is a picture of one of my mother's trees when I was growing up,

YUCK!

This one is from 1968 with myself and first pup Petite

(of course my mother would dye her "pink" at Easter time,

but that's a whole other story).

Let's see,

 I would have been 13 here I wearing one of my Square Dance dresses

 because it was the only red garment I had for Xmas.

Yes, we square danced in the 1960 and early 70's,

with my moms Square Dance Club.

I came to love it eventually.

 

But what is so funny is that as I've aged into my golden years,

yes,

I'm 64,

although until a few days ago I thought I was still 63.

😠😠

I find I'm very drawn to antique pinkish ornaments

 that I buy and add to my mother's tree in her memory.

These are the two I found and purchased for her this year.

She would have gotten a big kick out of my change of heart.

Funny how things come around. 

This sweet little cupcake is less then an 1" by an 1".

The acorn is from a friends private collection and was gifted to me this year.

Very old he told me and I love the decorative cap that it hangs from.

You don't see that anymore.

It's about an 1" by 2" long.

This next one I found last year in an antique store up by our cabin and it's one of my favorites.

Anything to do with home and hearth resonates with me.

Very tiny too,

about an 1 1/4" by 1 1/2".

Another favorite from several years back is this slow stitched piece made by Deliana Park,

ex-English teacher and dear friend at Whitney High.

During her free conference period she attended my Beginning 3-D course and learned to embroider.

I adore this tree design she came up with.

Another year she also took my Beginning 2-D class and learned to draw.

I always loved having the teachers at Whitney take my classes with the kids. 

And the students loved it too.

They got to know their teachers on an entirely different more personal and fun level.

And this little beauty is a new purchase this year from one of my favorite art galleries in Tustin.

It's a hand blown Rutabaga,

again pink just seems to be calling me.

My mother must be pushing me into this "pinkish" zone.

I love that she's still with me and guiding me.

I especially miss her during the holidays.

Xmas is not the same without her handmade Italian cannoli's.

Only one relative has finally mastered her recipe.

Several have tried so I give a shout out to my cousin Linda Ann.

 

Merry Christmas to all of you and have a Wonderful New Year!

MY HERO

I know I've spoken of my son's mother-in-law Mary often in her fight against Cancer,

but realized I haven't shown you all her picture recently.

Well here she is at her home this Thanksgiving which also fell on her birthday.

Mary is in the middle of her 5th year round of Chemo.

Once again she is in the process of loosing her hair, eyelashes and eyebrows

and she won't wear a wig. 

She is extremely confident in who she is 

which is something I wish I could say for myself if the situation were reversed.

She hosted us this Thanksgiving and cooked the Bird.

She continues to teach her Yoga classes 

and has visited/traveled to see her 1st grandbaby in Dallas, Texas several times this year.

She averages between 11,000 and 12,000 steps a day,

and continues to be one of the most positive, dearest people I know.

She is truly remarkable and an inspiration to me, her family and friends.

And pretty much says FUCK Covid while still staying safe.

God I love her!

AN ARTFUL NEW FIND FROM FRANCE

After browsing Pinterest a couple of weeks ago I came across the Fiber Art of 

Berenice Mollet of Roujan France.

She had covered a lovely stone with a piece of eco-dyed and embroidered fabric.

It was love at first site!

So of course I searched the whirled until I found her and her shop,

and of course bought a few of her pieces to show the gals I'm currently teaching.

From left to right are an elongated notebook,

a rust printed trivet (she included as a bonus),

a medium sized notebook,

then underneath those a zippered pouch.

As you can see above her slow stitching is impeccable,

her designs delightful,

 and her sewing construction of her pieces so perfectly crafted.

What was really difficult was to choose an embroidered covered rock.

It was between an eco-dyed one that had a smaller baby stone attached,

but then I saw this indigo covered one above/below and felt very pulled to it as well.

So I thought about where I'd be displaying it and realized I wanted it in my indigo styled room

at my son's home that he and his wife are allowing me to decorate.

What I also loved about Berenice's blog site

 is she posts a lot of tutorials. 

She takes pix of how she builds her pieces during the classes she teaches throughout France.  

She is very generous with her creative processes.

I hope you get a chance to take a peek thru her site and shop.

SHOUT OUT TO SIDDHANT WATWANI

It's been almost 4 years since I've taught Siddhant in my classroom

when he was in the 7th & 8th grade,

but this dear young man continues to keep in touch and check on me in my retirement.

He is now a junior in high school,

16 years old with a fresh driver's license,

frightening!

Siddhant was a challenging 7th grader in my Art Wheel class,

right Siddhant?

He definitely gave me and his other teachers a run for our money.

As an 8th grader he started to mature a bit in my Beginning 2-D course.

But as all the teachers at Whitney know, 

because we are a 7th thru 12th grade jr/sr high;

 it is the summer between the 8th and 9th grade where real changes start taking place.

Very positive changes.  

The squirreliness disappears along with the attitudes and smart months,

and the 9th graders come in as gentle as lambs.

Well most of them anyways.

LOL

  

So Sid,

it's been refreshing to see you grow into the wonderful young man you've become.

Sid tells me he's looking into a possible 12 year college program

because he wants to specialize in either cancer research or cardiothoracic surgery.

Wow!

I can't even begin to tell you how very proud I am of you,

and I wish you the very best in following your dreams.

And know how much it means to me that you continue to check the blog from time to time

 and keep me in your thoughts.

And don't forget to tell the young men who eat lunch with you outside my old classroom

 to throw away their trash!

Ha ha!!!!

( private joke)