Caring for Others

In my last post, Kanzashi for Kathy, I made this pin for a dear friend who is undergoing chemotherapy. After she received the pin, she sent me the following message and suggested I share it with the readers of my blog.

I am Julie’s friend Kathy.  I am currently in chemotherapy for an early-stage breast cancer.  I found that to keep a scarf on my head, I had to position it so low on my forehead that my face looked squat.  So I first put on a stretchy little cap and then drape a scarf over it.  I  don’t have to worry about the scarf covering every bit of my head, and if I pin the scarf to the cap, I feel secure.

I tried using jewelry-style brooches for pins. As I am not a very bling person, the brooches felt heavy and looked, to my eye, too overly styled.  I had one of Julie’s Kanzashi flowers, and I loved using it.  The fabric-on-fabric of the pin-on-scarf looked effortless, but polished.   That flower, however, was designed as a piece of jewelry. It was so vivid that I could only use it with two of my patterned scarves.  So this new black-and-ivory one, which she was kind enough to make me, is ideal.  I can wear it with almost any scarf that I would be wearing at this time of year.

 

I’d love to think that none of you reading this blog will ever know anyone who needs to slog through chemotherapy, but until that time comes, consider making such a woman a pretty fabric pin.  Unlike the chemo caps she may receive from other friends, such a pin is a lasting gift. When my hair comes back, I will get rid of the chemo caps as fast as I can.  But I intend to wear this pin in a more traditional way for years and years, and it will remind me of what a generous friend did for me at a difficult time.

Kanzashi for Kathy

Trolls and Summer

Dear recent visitor to my blog:  while you were busy leaving your comment, the Billy Goats Gruff snuck across your bridge. 

I guess I should be grateful that in the almost-three-years since I started my blog, this is the first time I’ve had to deal with a troll.  An internet troll is someone who posts inflammatory or mean-spirited messages on a public forum with the intent of causing harm.  This morning I awoke to a comment posted on my blog that was a very unkind commentary on my work.  Very unkind.  I’ve had to deal with my share of spam comments on my site, the sort that invite me to purchase handbags or watches, but this was new to me.  This was from a real live person who, it turns out, I know (isn’t that friendly?).  Not that they left their name for me (trolls typically like to remain anonymous) but in today’s world I’m just two clicks away on the internet from identifying someone’s email address. 

I try to keep the mood on my blog upbeat and positive, to use this space as inspiration for others and to uplift and support everyone who loves to create things with their hands.  So, dear readers, you’ve been given notice:  if you post mean comments on my blog they will be removed.  And, unless you are willing to pose naked, so to speak, and share your own work for the internet world to see, you have no right to criticize my work.  This doesn’t mean you cannot disagree with me; but please do it in a way that is true to the spirit of this space.

Well, now that I’ve gotten THAT off my chest, let’s move on to the last day of summer.  Which it is.  Tomorrow my oldest starts kindergarten, and one week from today my youngest goes back to preschool.  And I can’t wait for the extra time I will have to put my hands to work.  But, the summer had some lovely moments.

We spent a wonderful week with family on our little island in Maine where I managed to get some stitching done

and other family members got in on the craft action, too.

We swam

boated

climbed and skipped rocks

played board games

and ate good food.

Mostly we unplugged and relaxed.  It was great.

I also took my boys on some local-to-home adventures where we experienced nature up close and personal.

Now the days are getting shorter and it’s time to refocus our attention a little closer to the hearth and home.  I’m looking forward to sharing some of the things coming out of my sewing studio with you soon.