Finished the tree

Sometimes I just can't believe how fast time goes.  

Kalib and I had an amazing time at the Advanced Bird Language weekend up at Wooten Woods.  We met some awesome people, learned more about tracking, and best of all learned more about birds.  It has blown my mind to learn all this new information about birds and what they can tell us about our world.  Those vocal critters are pouring the information out.  We just have to tune in.  

In the mean time, I haven't gotten a lot of quilting done.  Artistic progress is slow, but any progress is good progress.

With all this mentor training and bird language training much of my time is taken up studying and looking things up and... listening...

I did manage to finish the tree!

However, when I stood back from it I just did not like that apple in the middle of the tree.  

 A little obsessive you ask?
Maybe. 
 I just like to get it right.  (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

Initially, I wanted it to stand out because it would sit at the heart of the tree, but each time I looked at it I felt like it drew the eye from the overall image a little TOO much. And, I just don't really like that piece of fabric.  I keep trying to use it and keep putting it back on the shelf.  One day it will make its way into one of my "tapestries."

So, I pulled it off and replaced it with a different apple in a fabric that was only slightly different from the others.

AHHHHH.... much better...

Now, I can sleep at night!

 
 

Until next time!

Sarah

Leaves made with scraps? I think, yes!

I've started adding leaves.  Everything is fused thus far with wonder under.  

If you notice in the picture below the template is lifted back.  I have pinned it to the quilt and I am lifting it when I iron a leaf or apple down, but using it to help me get the leaves in the right place.  The template is on stencil paper I picked up from the local art supply store.  It comes on a roll and is quite larger than stencil paper that comes in drawing or sketching books. Because it is bigger I find myself taping sections together less often. (For me, this is a big time saver and makes working with the pattern much easier.)  I will try to take a picture of this next time I have to tape sections together.

 Here's a slightly closer image.

 and even closer.  You can see here pretty clearly that I'm using lots of different prints. 

Fabric is expensive, and since money is a finite resource in our home right now, I have challenged myself a while ago to use what I have in my stash and only buy fabric when I REALLY need it.  That's a bit of loaded challenge since we quilters seem to ALWAYS need more fabric.  I have a wonderful stash that is beginning to show the signs of me not replacing fabric as often, but it is totally fun to see how far I can stretch a piece of fabric and how little I actually end up wasting - which is next to none. The biggest perk of all is learning how I end up not needing fabric as often as I think I do!

  Now, I save all my scraps and put them in color coordinated baggies.  These are even beginning to emerge into shades as I collect scraps. When I'm needing smaller pieces I just pull out the baggy with the color I need and viola... this time, I had enough green to do the leaves in a slightly darker shade than the grass!  If the scrap is under 10" X 10" (or there about) then it goes into the baggy and I save scraps down to 1" X 1".  I use a lot of small pieces of fabric in my work, so it's fun to sift through these little bags and pull from it.  All the leaves have come from this small stash with the exception of two of the prints.  There are 9 different fabrics all total.

Until next time!

Sarah

Tree of Peace

The initial idea for this quilt was to focus on forgiveness and with forgiveness - true forgiveness comes peace.  We are all doing the best we can at any moment and harboring resentment has lead to unhappiness over and over in my own life. 

This past weekend was the weekend of the coyote that I am doing where I am learning to be a mentor and community builder under the model of the 8 shields - a concept from the 8 shields institute.  Evan brought in an Odawa Elder, Paul Raphael, to come and speak to us about how community works on his reservation. My heart is still overflowing from the wisdom he shared with us about rebuilding the community to bring about peace. With this wisdom comes a lot of forgiveness and a letting go within ourselves of how attached we are to how people should act or how people shound have acted in the past.  In his community, they focus less on the me and more on the we.  I find myself returning over and over to that statement trying to see it becoming a reality in my own life.  Are my actions and thoughts good for the whole and not just myself?  This feels so contrary to our culture.

In his culture there is the Tree of Peace.  Oh... how I love the sound of that..  In his culture that tree is the cedar tree - not the red cedars that we have in Georgia, but the "real cedar tree" as he says.  (The red cedars we have in Georgia are actually in the juniper family.) 

I love the sound of Tree of Peace and how it rolls off my tongue.  I am making an apple tree and not a cedar tree, and I am still deciding to call this new quilt Tree of Peace.

I'm seeking forgiveness both for myself and my own actions as well as offering forgiveness to all those who in my mind have wronged me over my lifetime. I am re-writing my life story to see peace in all my nooks and crannys. I am letting my heart song shine so I can continue to be a strong voice in my community and truly serve my community in the best capacity I can.  I am seeking peace in my heart, peace in my life, peace in my community.

Thank you so much Paul for all that you shared with us this weekend (in spite of the wind and the smoke and the cold) and thank you Evan for bringing all this goodness to my home town and guiding us towards the true gift of peace.

Until next time,

Sarah