Lemon Tree Tales

Goodbye 2010 ... Hello 2011!

Well it's that time of year once again when we look back on the old year and happily anticipate the joys of the new year. 2010 has been a crazy year filled with highs and lows.

Not just any lows either - they've been extreme lows. We went to two funerals - the first for a friend of ours who died suddenly and we're still feeling that loss, and the second was for one of Steve's aunts. That was a different type of hurt since she had been ill for quite some time. On one hand you're thankful that her suffering was finally at an end but then you're still sad for the very large hole that she left in people's lives.

The next blow to our life came in September when Steve's company closed its doors and laid off everyone. We're hopeful that next year will bring a job but in the meantime I've been riding the emotional roller coaster between optimism and depression. I'm sure that it'll work out in the end but sometimes the not knowing is the hardest thing in the world.

Thankfully any other lows weren't that bad at all.

Now we did have lots of balance in the highs column, as it should be. The very best one of course happened on Father's Day weekend when we became the proud owners of our very own furbaby, Fearghus the cairn terrier puppy. I can't tell you how much joy he brings to us each day. Oh yes, sometimes we're irritated because he's trying to eat the power cords or tearing up the toilet paper. But each day starts with a snuggle, hugs and puppy kisses. How could you possibly have a bad day when that's how it begins?! We've filled our time with lots of puppy training and walks. Not to mention that we've discovered the joy of walking Fearghus out on the beach. (We've become especially fond of Pismo Beach and the State Park campgrounds.)

Another positive is that I managed to lose 16 lbs this year! At the beginning of the year my doctor wanted to put me on cholesterol medicine but I freaked out. I already am taking quite a few for high blood pressure and didn't want to add to the list. Fortunately my doctor agreed to let me try to lower my numbers with diet and exercise. I took a health class from our HMO and started seeing a health adviser once a month (free! and all part of the wellness portion of the HMO). I ate lots of roasted vegetables and Steve and I began walking almost every day. I didn't begin to see any progress until spring when suddenly I had lost a few pounds. Yippee! It was really working. By the time that I saw my doctor again at the beginning of June I had lost 16 lbs and my numbers had dropped so much that I didn't need the cholesterol medicine. Yay! AND I asked my doc if I could lower the amount of my blood pressure medicine since those numbers were better too. Yes, she agreed with that as well. So now I walk quite a bit and am feeling much better. My goal for 2011 is to lose another 15 lbs (taking this slowly!) and to start going to the gym in addition to the walking.

Another high is that I discovered that I'm pretty lucky because I have such great friends and family. They've listened to me whine this year and still want to hang out with me which makes me feel very blessed indeed. Finally my husband Steve and I have been spending a lot of time together taking little RV trips to the beach. We've learned that we really enjoy getting away for a few days just relaxing with each other. Together we make a good team - that's why I'm convinced that 2011 will be a great year for us.

Here's to a very happy and prosperous 2011 to you and yours! Thank you so much for stopping by. Happy New Years!!!

Ooh look - goodies!

Once a month (and sometimes more often) my friends Laurie, Valerie and Daisy get together for an all-day gathering. The purpose is to make dolls but of course we also end up gossiping, trading critiques on our projects and snacking. Last post I showed you the Windows quiltlets that I made for them, now I'll show you the fabulous goodies they gifted me.

First Daisy surprised us all with little batik mice that she made for each of us. Laurie's was sitting on a stool sculpting a little doll head from Fimo. Valerie's mouse was sitting on a sofa knitting while reading magazines on doll-making and cross-stitch. And here's mine!

 

Next was an amazing container from Valerie. She had special ordered them for each of us and then she cross-stitched our monograms with lovely flowers and vines. I'm still trying to think of what I should put inside - it should be for a special purpose. Such a beautiful piece!

 

Finally Laurie surprised us with a goodie bag of supplies and trims - always a special treat, not to mention that she usually is the one who feeds us and is a fantastic hostess! She also made sure that each of us had trims in our favorite colors. I've been beading a lot and the triangle beading trays will come in handy. Plus we're having an exciting class with Fimo artist Anne Klocko in January so the clay sculpting tools are perfect. And I can't wait to figure out where to use those gorgeous aqua flowers!

 

I hope that everyone had a happy holiday and a great new year!

Mini Quilt Presents

All projects were set aside this week because I wanted to finish three presents for my doll making friends. I've been wondering what in the world to make when I kept circling to the Windows quilts that I made in Angela Jarecki's workshop on Doll Street a couple years ago. Everyone has at least a small space on their wall for another piece of artwork.

Here they are in the middle stage .. faces drawn on fabric with colored pencils then protected with a light misting of matte spray fixative .. raw edge patchwork that's "quilted" with a variety of novelty machine stitches. Once that's done I get to the fun part, creating a window for the face to peek through.

 

Once the window is made and the face has been stitched into place I sewed on a few beads for extra glitz and texture. Finally I added a backing fabric with matching ribbon hanger and then satin stitched the edges. Luckily my friends were happy with them! 

If you want to learn how to make one of your own, I believe that Angela's class is still up on Doll Street here.

Kumihimo Braids

I know that I should be finishing up projects (dolls and quilts mostly) but I've also been working on a new obsession in between sewing sessions. A couple months ago I saw a display on some gorgeous necklaces and bracelets at a sewing show. Turns out that the necklaces were made using a very old Japanese braiding technique called Kumihimo. It looked easy and portable so it would be a fantastic thing to bring on RV trips or when I wanted to do something while watching TV.

The basics are simple - wrap your cut cords onto plastic bobbins and then move the cords among the slots on the foam Kumihimo disk. The braid will form in the hole in the center. This is the beginners way to achieve braids. The experts use a large wood hoop on a stand called a marudai that doesn't have slots and is stationary. I'm pretty satisfied with my first braids on the foam disk and don't want to lose the portability.

First I made an 8-strand braid in a black satin rat-tail cord. I used it to hold a crystal heart pendant that Steve gave me many, many years ago. I used to have it on a black velvet tube but didn't like the look too much. This was just the ticket! 

Detail of the braid plus a piece of the magnetic closure.

 

Next I made another braid using a hand-dyed multi red/pink satin rat-tail. I'm pretty excited by this one but haven't decided what decoration it needs to complete the necklace. Reds haven't been my color in more than a decade but I'm starting to be attracted by the rich reds again.

A closeup of the variety of pinks and reds in the cord.

 

This is the foam Kumihimo disk with my third braid. The how-to book mentioned a tip about stopping half-way through a complete "stitch" so that you'd know where to pick up. In this case I'd first rotate the disk until the 4/5/6 were facing me. Then I'd take the #6 strand up and put it in the #20 slot and then rotate the disk for the start of the next "stitch". Once you get the rhythm it's fairly mindless and therefore perfect for movie-watching or when you just want to relax a bit.

A closeup of the braid that's forming in the disk's center hole.

 

Once I finish the above cord I'd really like to try the technique that really got me hooked - braiding with seed beads! I'll start small with a braided bracelet. I probably won't start for a few weeks but I'm looking forward to it.