More On English Paper Piecing

I'm still amazingly addicted to the idea of English Paper Piecing and I'm still spending time researching what I can find.  I have a few projects in the works.  I joined an English paper piecing quilt a long, with the goal to make a sampler quilt.

This is for block number one

I guess I haven't taken a picture of my tumbling blocks for quilt block number two, but it is in the same colors just the tumbling block pattern.  I made the six point diamonds a little bigger than I was supposed to, so I think I am just going to make three instead of six tumbling blocks.  The current month is eighty-one half inch hexagons in a diamond shape.  Not looking forward to sewing them all together (or even cutting out eighty-one hexagons), but I am looking forward to seeing these all come together.

It's amazing.  Just when I think I've seen all that you can do with regards to shapes and english paper piecing, I find something new.  I now have two more blogs that I am following because of english paper piecing projects.  I looked at getting the book "Pieced Hexies" by Mickey Dupre, but decided against it.  I'm rethinking that decision, since I think it may be helpful to have for creative ideas with hexagons and english paper piecing.   I think I tend to be to concrete when it comes to shapes for english paper piecing.  I'm thinking that if I can just think outside the box, I may be able to come up with my own shapes and designs.  Love the internet, social media, and having the ability to learn all about things like this.  

I also want to keep learning about handcrafting history, especially quilting including hand piecing and hand quilting.  Along with that, I want to learn more about the creative arts and how they affect both your mental and physical health.  I have read about and talked with people who are able to do some amazing projects, but you would never expect it, looking at their physical condition (severe arthritis for example).  I also plan to continue with my goal of creating forty things for others (handcrafted) before I turn forty-one.  I am  also hoping that I can get the courage to teach a class at my local art/craft studio that will be opening this summer.

Lots of goals and projects in the works.  I really love sewing.  I wish I had more time to spend making things, learning how to make things, teaching others how to make things, teaching others how being creative can benefit them physically, mentally, and even spiritually.

Have a fabulous day.  Until next time!

Amy

BTW-going gluten free has been easier than I thought it would be.It hasn't been easy, but I am doing it and actually following through with not eating gluten.  I had a little trouble a a graduation party I was at, but I was better than I would have been if I hadn't been doing this challenge!

June, Summer, and New Things

June 1st, I embarked on a huge challenge.  Ok, it's a huge challenge for me.  My fellow blogger Iris, at http://thedailydietribe.com, asked me to take part in a gluten free challenge.  I think I've mentioned here that, according to an IgG blood test (some say it's faulty), I am sensitive to many food items, including gluten.  This is one thing that I have had a hard time eliminating from my diet.  I wasn't sure that I was going to take part in this challenge, mostly for the fear of failure and the fact that it was 6 months long.  I ended up deciding that my health was important enough to challenge myself, and I thought that this would be a great way to have support through something that is so difficult, at least for me.  Day 1 was great.  It was hard but I had a gluten free day.  Day 2 was really good, but we went to a graduation party, and I couldn't say no to cake and corn bread.  What was good is that I only had a very small piece of both of those things.  What is also good, is that I didn't go back for more. In the last 2 1/2 days, I have had less gluten then I ever have in even just one day.  Though it hasn't been horrible, it hasn't been easy.  I am hopeful that I can follow though and be healthy.

This is also important since I have that crazy gene mutation making me more at risk for breast cancer and I don't plan on having preventative surgery.  I just found out that my mom's cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer and the gene mutation and she is not yet 53.  She is the youngest diagnosed that I know of, 13 years older than me.  I have met with doctors and nurse practitioners and I think my food sensitivities are something I need to focus on so that I don't put more stress on my body.  I am also hopeful that going gluten free is going to help with my weight issues.  I am hopeful that it will help me know my body and what my body needs.  I am hoping that I will lose weight as a side effect of eating healthy.

As I've mentioned, I turn 40 this year.  Sometimes, I have a hugely hard time with this, other times I am absolutely fine.  This weekend someone actually asked me if I was mom or grandma to my kids.  Yes, I could have a grandchild, but I am only going to be 40.  I didn't think I looked that bad.  I actually went out and colored my hair after that comment.  I was thinking about not coloring my hair again, but with how I've been feeling and then that comment, I decided that I needed to color my hair.  I mentioned that I was thinking about doing 40 creative things to donate during the year I turn 40.  I got the idea from 36 quilts in 12 months (http://dailydog.typepad.com).  What I haven't decided is when I should start.  Do I want it to be 40 things within the calendar year I turn 40 or a year from  when I turn 40?  If it's the calendar year, then I can say that I have started, but I only have 6 months to finish 39 more projects.  I made a quilt square for the Boston bombing victims.  If I wait til I turn 40 I have a full year to go to complete this project.  I'm leaning to being able to finish before I turn 41.  Maybe, to make things easier, I can have it be 40 projects before I turn 41, starting the calendar year that I turn 40.  That means, I can count the quilt square and have a little more than a year to complete the rest of the 39 projects.

Now, I've written about Wishcasting Wednesday and putting out your dreams to the universe.  Well, a facebook friend of mine (friends literally from facebook alone) and an artist, is actually starting one of my dreams here in my town.  In the next month, she will open a gallery and studio in the center of town.  She has asked me to teach a class or two, and I am so flattered, but so nervous.  My introverted, shy self is having a hard time thinking that I can do this.  I will probably take hep up on this offer some day, but I need to work up the courage.

Within the dream/passion piece of things, I am still thinking about doing something at my farmer's market with regards to crafting for charity.  Again, I need to get up the courage to do this.  I would love to have a table and collect things that people create and donate somewhere locally.  This will help go along with my goal of creating and donating 40 items before I turn 41.  How cool would it be to spend a Saturday morning creating and collecting things to donate to others to make them more comfortable or so that they know that someone is thinking of them.

These are just a few of the new things in my life.  Here's to completing the goals that I have set forth for myself.

Amy

Goals for 2013

Do I dare even write this down for all to see?  This summer I am going to be 40!  Sometimes I can't believe that I will be 40 and then other times it doesn't phase me in the least.  I recently found a blog someone decided to make and give away 36 quilts this year since she turned 36 January 1st.  The blog I found was at http://dailydog.typepad.com.  It has inspired me to create and give away 40 things by the end of the year (If I have to I'll give myself until I turn 41 next summer).

As some of you know, I am the MA National Chapter leader for http://enchantedmakeovers.org/category_28/National-Chapters.htm.  I recently got my first donation to send to a local shelter.  The goal of the National Chapter leaders is to: "Enchanted Makeovers is growing across the country one sewing project at a time! Each state has a chapter, led by a coordinator who will answer your questions on our three sewing projects and collect/deliver the hand-made pillowcases, capes and dolls to shelters for women, teens and children. Hand-made items are a big part of our mission because we believe each gift carries with it the love and positive energy of the crafter. We have seen first hand the impact this has on those who are re-building their lives while living in a shelter. Please join us by donating our sewing projects to your state chapter. The National Chapters only represent our sewing projects."

I now have to find local shelters that would like to have these donated items.  My goal is to make at least 40 pillowcases, dolls, and/or capes to donate to the shelter that we partner with.  My thought is to find a smaller shelter as the larger more well known shelters more than likely have a lot of donations coming in.  They probably don't have items like this, but I'm sure they have more things donated than smaller less known shelters outside of Boston.  I love this idea and it is inspiring me to do something in my own community, I just have to actually formulate a plan and put together something that will fill the needs of my community.

I am thinking that we have a local food pantry and that maybe they would like to have handmade hats, scarfs, mittens, and blankets.  I can only imagine that if they can't afford to buy food, they probably can't afford other things either.  Also, having something handmade to comfort them and keep them warm is always nice.  We also have a large population of people with mental health issues.  I was thinking of tapping into that area to for areas to donate handmade items.  I think I had another thought, but unfortunately that has left my conscious memory right now.  I was also thing we have a local hospital, and hospice agency that could benefit from handmade craft items, like chemo caps, prayer shawls, etc.

This is one way that I am trying to merge my love of social work, community, and crafting.  One of the things that I would love to work on is figuring out how to make this into a career.  I was thinking of at some point looking into grant writing for some funding.  I am contemplating working with my local farmer's market to have a place to have collections of handmade items to donation to local agencies that have needs, maybe even a knit, crochet, sew out.  They do a plain aire paint out every year and have the wakefield collaborative there.  This may all be a pipe dream, but I really want to utilize my love and passion of my social work career, community involvement, and crafting in my career.  I don't want to not do something for fear of failure, but I want to make sure that what I do has the thought and time that it needs put into it.

Before I do anything, I do need to do a community needs assessment to figure out what my community needs.  I certainly can start small and see what I can do even by myself and hope that it will grow in to something larger.  I have a lot of thoughts spinning around in my head.  I also have a part time job, 3 kids, a husband, and a house that need my attention.  I do need to find something for me that I enjoy though, and have it maybe even be something that can grow into a career.  Lots of research to be done, but I am looking forward to it. (I wish my iPad didn't get ruined.  Maybe since I don't have a ton of money I can look into a windows one.)

Amy

PS- I also have the goal of getting healthy.  I want to eat healthier, exercise, and have good mental/spiritual health!

Wishcasting Wednesday

It's Wednesday once again and once again I am joining in with with Jamie riddler at http://jamieridlerstudios.ca where she asks; "What do you wish to learn?"

This is an both easy and a difficult question to answer.  My broad answer is any and all creative thing I can learn.  I want to learn more about holistic health, aromatherapy, herbs, bath and body products, as well as more crafting creative ideas.  I currently am looking to learn about batik dying so that I can dye my own fabric to use in my sewing projects.  I want to learn to dye my own yarn.  I want to learn more about art and crafting as a therapeutic tool (for my professional career), I want to learn more about all the creative things that I already know and  do.    I could go on and on.  The reason that this question is difficult to answer is that there are so many specific things that I want to learn.  I guess, on some level, the most important thing for me to learn will be how to use art and crafting as a creative tool so that I can use it in my professional career.

As an aside, I am officially the chapter leader for Massachusetts for "Enchanted Makeovers".  I am the go to person for MA for people who want to donate dolls, pillowcases, and/or capes for children who are living in shelters.  This is my first way of introducing creativity and community involvement into my life.  Hopefully in time, I will be able to do more of this and branch out on my own with community involvement and crafting. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be posting more about Enchanted Makeovers and what I will be doing in the state of Massachusetts!

I recently went to an art therapy conference and it definitely made me want to do more with the arts and crafts with my social work practice!

Amy

Decisions

I finally made my decision.  I needed to take some time this week and think and pray and come to a decision about wanting to be the chapter leader for Enchanted Makeovers for Massachusetts.  I've decided that I want to be a part of this organization.  I want to do more for my community.  I've decided that I want to use my love of creating to help others.  I am hoping that Terry Grahl is interested in having me part of her organization.

After spending about forty five minutes on the phone with her, I was even more interested in being a part of her organization.  She told me stories that made me tear up and cry, stories that made me feel even stronger that this was something I wanted to do.  I was scared of failing at being the chapter leader, and still am, but I am trying to get over my fear of failure and trying to be more positive about things that I want to do!

My goal is to spend some more time reading the website for Enchanted Makeovers.  You can check out the website for yourself at http://www.enchantedmakeovers.org/.  I plan to spend some more time talking with other chapter leaders.  I have gotten a lot a great positive feedback from the other chapter leaders and I'm sure they will be a great source of support and help if I am the chapter leader for MA.

I am looking forward to starting this new chapter in my life, that is if I become the chapter leader.  As time goes on, I will be posting more about this wonderful organization, even if I am not the chapter leader.  I believe in the mission and look forward to telling more people about it.

Amy

Wishcasting Wednesday: What Do You Wish to Share

It's again Wednesday and I remembered to join in with Wishcasting Wednesday at http://www.jamieridlerstudios.ca.  This week we are asked "What Do You Wish To Share?"


For a long time now, I have been looking for a way to share my love of creating and my love of my career as a social worker.  I have tried to find a way to get continuing ed credits by taking conferences that are more creative driven vs. clinically driven.  They all have a clinical component, but they also have a creative component too.  I have taken an art therapy workshop, a journaling workshop, a yoga worksop, and next I am taking an art therapy for grief and loss next month.

After reading a couple of books, specifically "Craft Hope", I have been trying to find a way to craft for charity.  I figured this would be a decent way to combine some community work (social work) and crafting (creating).  I've been trying to find a way to go about doing it.  I was hoping to start in my own community, but didn't know where to start.  I was reading Facebook and saw a post about "Enchanted Makeovers" looking for dolls.  I still have to create some and send them off, but I looked at the website and noticed that they have national chapters and my state is not listed.  They are looking to have a chapter in more states, so I contacted Terry Grahl, the founder of "Enchanted Makeovers" and have a phone conference on Monday to talk about heading up a chapter in MA.  I am a little nervous about this phone call.  I haven't told my husband about it.  I have sent e-mails to over chapter leaders hoping to get some inside info on what being a Chapter leader entails.  I figured that this may be a good way to start to share my love of community (social work) and my love of creating.  It would be an established program and I guess I would just be a liaison to the company for local people who have questions or donations for area shelters.  I wish it was a paid position!  I would love to have something like this as my job.  I do think that this will be a great addition to my resume for when I have the ability to start my own type of program.

I don't want to be the person that has dream that never get fulfilled.  I don't want to look back on my life and say "I wish I had followed my dreams and passions".  I do like being a social worker, but I don't just want to do clinical work without creativity.  I want to share my love of creativity with others as well as my love of social work, but more the community work of social work, not individual clinical work.  I want to help my community by sharing my talents and gifts, both as a social worker and as a crafter!

What do you wish to share?

Amy

Latest Projects

As I've written before, I am trying to make time to be creative every day.  This week, I have been trying to finish up some WIP's (works in progress), while attempting to use up some of my stash.  I had already finished my daughter's, and last night I finished her twin brother's.  I now have to finish my older son's afghan, a shawl or maybe lapghan for my mom, and start on for me and my husband.  I am also making some doll size ones to donate to my mother of twin's group for their table at the annual convention.  I am only hoping that they will like them.  I know that one that is almost finished is one that I really like.

Thomas' granny square afghan

The one for me and my husband should be interesting.  He has asked me to also make a quilt the same way.  See, his legs get warm at night, so he likes having them uncovered.  He has requested a quilt and/or an afghan that is in the shape of an L so that I am warm and his upper body is warm, but his legs stay cool.

I LOVE MAKING GRANNY SQUARES!  The afghan's I have made have all been granny square afghans so far.  This will actually lend itself to the L shape that my husband is looking for!  I just pinned a ton of granny square things to my crochet board.  I'm hoping that the weather stays nice and the kids can play outside while I crochet some more and maybe finish a couple more doll afghans sooner than later.

Oh, and I made a pair of earrings and a hand stamped washer pendant this week too.  I am hoping to donate some handmade jewelry to the twin's group too!

hand stamped washer pendant

earrings

Amy

Getting Back On Track With This Blog

I started this blog almost 3 years ago with the goal to write about living a more natural life style.  For me this means cooking my own food, growing my own food, eating local and with the seasons, eating healthy and naturally, being creative and not buying everything at the store, or even buying things that are thrifted and "upcycling"them.  Not only am I not really following through with these things on this blog, but I have let go of actually practicing a lot of this in my life (which is maybe why I am finding it so hard to write about it).

I am moving towards a more vegan diet.  As I have written, I have the BRCA2 gene mutation, which places me at a much greater risk for breast and ovarian cancer as well as pancreatic cancer and melanoma.  I still have to decide if I am going to have surgery to reduce my risk, or if I am just going to try to do things a little more naturally.  I have some doctors appointments coming up and have to schedule a couple more.  I am hoping that after these appointments, I will be able to make a better decision on which direction to go.  If I decide to have surgery, I will also continue with a mostly vegan diet and living a lifestyle that has ways of dealing with stress.

The research that I have done, has shown that eating a plant based diet, is something that can greatly reduce your chances of getting cancer.  I figure, even if I have surgery, it can't hurt to take care of my body and eat less meat and more fruits and veggies and whole grains.  I am also planning on really going gluten free and dairy free since I have sensitivities to these foods, or at least I think I do.  I also need to be better at gluten and dairy free meals and snacks for my older son.  He too has sensitivities that seem to manifest as symptoms of Autism.  Since we have greatly reduced his gluten and dairy intake he has greatly improved.  I really believe that diet plays a huge role in how our body reacts, not just physically but mentally as well.

We will be having a garden this year, and I hope that we do better and that we can get a lot of things from our own garden.  I really need to spend some time and research how best to eat locally and seasonally as well as doing it on a budget.  I really want to start making my own foods instead of going out to eat or buying more processed foods.

I also keep thinking about crafting for charity.  I will be creating things for my local twins group to sell at their annual convention.  It will be nice to donate to something that I can directly benefit from and have benefitted from in the past.  As much as this is great, I really want to do something more.  One of these days I will get the courage to talk to my selectman friend about collecting things at the farmers market.  I would love to be more active in my community and maybe this is one way to start.  I have grand thoughts, but am not sure if they are too grand and need to be tailored down.  I will keep thinking and maybe I'll get the nerve to talk to him about it.

Amy

End Of The Week

It's the end of the week!  My husband is on vacation next week and I can't wait.  I am hoping that we can take some day trips and just plain hang around and relax and have fun!

This week, I've written about a couple of goals that I have.Thanks to a couple of comments, I am more motivated to follow through.  First of all, my and my family's health is something that is really important to me.  It's always difficult to make changes, but I think in our case, slow and steady wins the race.  We have started our plants from seed tis year and so far so good, they are growing.  I have started our cold weather veggies in the garden, but we still have more to plant.  I am hopeful, that this year, we will be eating veggie from the garden, which will help with being healthier.

My other goal is creating to help others.  One thing I am going to do, thanks to a comment, is push myself more to create things for my twins group.  I have wanted to be a part of this, but I wasn't sure what to make.  I just sent an e-mail to find out some more information so that I can start making things that will help a group that I belong to that has been helpful to me.  I am also thinking that if a specific selectman gets re-elected, I may approach him about the farmer's market idea.  I'm not sure how much I want to commit, but it's definitely something to think about how to make that idea happen.  I have a bunch of ideas, I just need to get things together and clarify how, what, when, and where.  It may be a project that I have to work on and maybe start next year, but at least it is a goal.  I can get my goal of being creative and helping others taken care of all together.  I just have to see if the farmer's market is some where I can start this idea.  I'm sure that there will be more thoughts about it here, so that I can get some feedback and ideas on my thoughts and plans.

Amy

"Craft Hope"

I keep thinking about someday owning a crafting studio.  It's kind of a pipe dream since I don't have the money to open my own business, I will need to have constant income, and I have no business experience.  One thing that I would like to do as part of a craft studio, is have time to craft for charities.  One thing that I can do is start to do that myself.  I can start to create items for different charities and donate what I make.  I have a book called "Craft Hope" that is all about creating handmade items for different charities.  I am planning on looking through it and see if I can plan a project or two and donate them.  I know that there are a lot of different charities on the internet too.  This is something that I have wanted to do, but never followed through.  I really want to follow through this time.

One thing I would like to add to this is getting my community involved.  I'm not exactly sure how to go about doing it though.  I have thought about doing something with my church, but I have not exactly been attending.  I have also recently thought about doing something at our town's farmer's market.  One of the winter farmer's markets that we go to has a donation bin for handmade hats and mittens.  I would love to maybe do something similar at the summer's farmer's market.  What I would ultimately like to do is participate at the farmer's market and have people do a project while they attend the farmer's market as well as have a bin for drop offs.  I have heard of having many people work on an individual square or an individual project so that many people's hands are part of this finished piece.  This probably isn't a feasible endeavor, but it is something that I would like to think about.  Maybe check out when this years knit out is and do something that day in town.

I have so many ideas, but I'm not sure that they are things that are actually feasible.  As usual, I have goals/ideas, but don't know how to follow through.  I am off to look through my "Craft Hope" book and hope that it inspires me to somehow follow through with my dreams/goals, or at least one of them.

Amy