Assembly required – Page 2 – Organizing Threads

February 21, 2015February 21, 2015

Prayer Beads

I wonder what my Amish grandparents would think of my Catholic ways?

For several years now I have listened to the Jesuits’ Pray-as-you-go podcasts on a daily basis, usually part of my bedtime routine. As well, I have started reading through the Carmelite’s Lectio Divina every morning with my first cup of coffee.

Growing up I never heard of “Seasons of the Church,” or Advent or Lent, yet now they are celebrated in our worship.

This week I decided to make a set of “Anglican Prayer Beads” (what’s the difference between a rosary and Anglican Prayer beads, I wonder). I’m not sure I will follow any formulaic pattern for my prayers — that just isn’t how I have talked with God all my life. But the idea of having something in my hands when I pray, if it is just to give each bead a person’s name, or to give a thanksgiving to each of the beads in one “week”, a petition to each bead in another or some other pattern, I look forward to finding a way to deepen my relationship with God through yet another Catholic practice.

October 31, 2014November 7, 2014

Happy Halloween

Once again I had Mina send me a picture for my Jack ‘o Lantern (drawn on her iPad):

It’s a princess, but not entirely sure what the bottom line was I decided to combine this princess with a picture of me she had drawn this summer:

My Princess 'o Lantern — My Princess ‘o Lantern

This is the end result: I used 4 battery-run tea lights to light it. I’m quite impressed with how long they last — all night for several nights already.

August 2, 2014August 27, 2014

My Volker Doll

When my little grandson showed so much interest in the pictures of his grandfather, Trina asked if I would make a grampa doll for him.

Back in September 1980 I took a pattern from Woman’s Day magazine to make dolls for my kids. I made Jeremy for Simon and David for Trina.

An original doll (Trina’s David) looking a little worse for its 30 years.

Initially I thought, with that pattern, I could use a photo transfer of Volker’s face to make a grampa doll. That did not work well. Then, inspired by Alicia’s dolls (The Blind Stitch) it occurred to me how I might make a doll that would, with some imagination, look like Volker. Here are some pictures of my work in progress.

Next week I will post pictures of giving little Volker this doll for his first birthday.

March 3, 2014

Quilting

I am so very grateful to the women of Bloomingdale Mennonite Church for their willingness to do the actually quilting on my mother’s quilt. Work was started on it today at Kathleen’s home:

Helping today: Kathleen, Marie, Lorrie, Ailene, Sharon, Lois, Linda, Trish and me. By four o’clock this afternoon the quilt was a little better than half done! So grateful!

February 12, 2014

Winter Projects

Only the second week of February but it feels like it has been a long winter. It certainly has been a cold one! I’m so glad to see the days getting longer; spring will come.

I seem to be better at starting projects than finishing them lately:

I’ve started another Owl phone cosy, hoping to make a tutorial. I really have a hard time writing down what I’m doing.
My mother’s room at the Long Term Care Home is not big enough for us to personalize it with any of her furniture. She has a crocheted afghan on her bed that I made many years ago, but her space still looks institutional. I hit upon an idea: When Grandma Roth died (1981) Mama gave me some quilt patches that she (Grandma) had pieced. Mom and Grandma had given me a single bed quilt they had made after I got married; I used it ‘to death.’ These patches are in the same pattern. There are 23 of them, not quite enough for a single bed. The piecing is certainly not professional, but some of the fabrics I recognize and that is kind of cool.At any rate, I hope to finish piecing this quilt for my mother’s bed. The women of First Mennonite Church gave me some advice on how to do it, and the women of Bloomingdale Mennonite Church have offered to quilt it for me. Thank you all!
Trina recently sent me a link she thought I’d be interested in. I was! http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/quilt-inspired-square-and-pillow Tara Murray of Alaska is a very talented designer – check out her website http://mamachee.com/ I think this quilt-inspired pillow is a fantastic way to use up bits of coloured yarn! I have 7 squares made:
And speaking of quilts – one more project that I started many years ago, and I really need to finish, is my daughter’s wall-hanging. When Trina first went to school for fashion design I took pieces of fabric from clothing I or she had made plus pictures of her wearing those articles and pieced a small quilt:

(click on the picture for a larger version)

I really need to get my act together and finish these items while I still want to stay cosy and warm inside!