The doily was too thick, too heavy, so I began again. This time I used smaller doilies and built the tree like a sculpture, one piece at at time. I pinned them as I went, letting the character of each doily lend it’s unique texture and design.
I filled the holes in the tree with pieces of an old sampler. The letters and numbers now abstract.
The tree will change once I sew it down. I feel like I’m sculpting the doilies when I sew them. They have some resistance so I have to work with them to make them do what I want. But they do some of the work too.
I pinned the bird down too, but there is still more to do. I think my next step will be sewing down the tree, then I’ll work on finishing the bird.
I still don’t have a name for this piece yet. But I know it will come as I work on it.
Kathy bought one of my Cat Face Pillows for her sister who just adopted a kitten. Seems she likes the pillow and had no trouble feeling at home laying next to it.
Who knows, maybe some of those faces seem familiar to her.
It’s what I do now. On Thursday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 I’m at the Cambridge Food Pantry filling plastic bags with food for kids.
I can’t imagine any work at the Food Pantry I wouldn’t mind doing. But I fell into this work and it suits me.
Today as I put one or two cans of Campbells Chicken Soup in a bag (depending on the number of kids in the family) I knew that they came from the Army of Good. Same with the granola bars and oatmeal. I also know that without all of you sending the soup, granola bars and oatmeal, these kids wouldn’t be getting them.
The volunteers at the Food Pantry know Jon now and the know the Army of Good. So when he asks to take their photos they happily agree. They understand the importance of those images. How people who send food can better relate when the see where it is going and who is doing the work to get it to the people who need it.
I love filling up those bags. It’s satisfying in so many way. Mostly, of course, because I know the kids who will get them will eat this weekend, when they otherwise might not have.
And I’m leaning the nuances. I might throw an extra bag of popcorn in if the bag is marked “H” for high school. And I’ll be sure to put the Animals Crackers (with the same image of animals that I grew up with on the package) in the bag for the student in Kindergarten.
Next week Sarah Harrington, the director of the food pantry would like to fill those bags with Peanut Butter. It’s a favorite of the kids she says.
If you’d like to donate some peanut butter to the Cambridge Food Panty for the “Backpack Program” which feeds kids in need over the weekend when school is out, you can buy it by clicking on the Amazon Wishlist link below…
White Hen is about nine years old. She still lays eggs and keeps up with the other hens. This morning all three chickens came out to graze with the the donkeys and sheep.
Even though she’s older it’s not easy to see the difference between White Hen and Kitty and Anne. The only sure way if for me to look at their feet. White hen’s feet are rougher and she’s missing a nail on one claw.
I was at the dentist again early this morning. When the novocaine wore off I realized my the temporary crown wasn’t quite right. Luckily they had a spot for me at 10:30 and it only took a few minutes to do a little more grinding on the tooth to make it right.
I was back home by 11:30 and decide to keep up with my paperwork for a change and got my bookkeeping done before lunch.
When I got to my studio I didn’t have much time to work since I have Bellydancing Class this evening. But I was able to get the lace sewn onto the top of the backing and make a sleeve for hanging.
It’s best to work on these pieces while they are hanging so I can make sure they are straight. I often make the sleeve last, just because I’m impatient, but this time I knew how I wanted to the top to look. And having that in place that will help me sort out the rest of the piece.
I think I’ll need a little extra batting behind the whole thing because the doilies can sometimes be weighty. I’m eager to get started on the tree and bird.
For the past few days I’ve seen the barn swallows flying around the farm. Twice I watched as two flew out of the barn but didn’t come back. This morning I spotted two on the electrical lines going to the farmhouse.
I don’t know if they will decide to make their nests in the barn this year now that we have Zip.
I will miss them if they don’t. The barn and farm will feel a little empty without them. There is a nest from last year in the woodshed, safer from Zip than the barn because it is up high in the beams on the ceiling.
All I can do is wait and see what happens. I’d rather they nest somewhere else than fall prey to Zip.
The last time I was at the dentist I got the idea for my Meditation Tree. Today, in my mind, I was going through my stash of fabric trying to find something to make my bird from for my new fabric painting of the maple tree and bird.
I was having the prep work done for a crown and I found when I thought about something other than what was actually going on, I was less uncomfortable.
I did that for a while, but I was in the chair for almost an hour and a half. Apparently I have a small mouth and it was hard to get at my tooth. But I was just glad that my dentist, Dr Merryman (he is as happy as his name) took the extra time to do it right.
So after that I just looked at what I could see in front of me. Mostly parts of hands, masked faces, long tools and little round lights, all of it somewhat abstracted. I’d go over it in my mind as if I were drawing it.
That worked too.
But by the time it was all done, I was worn out. I took a nap when I got home, but I’m still tired. Luckily the hard work is done. In a couple of weeks, I’ll go back and have the crown fitted.
Then I’ll be chewing on both sides of my mouth again.
