Peace pin variation

‘Tis the season

Tomato season doesn’t last long in Texas, where we’ve already weathered a week of triple digit heat. But oh how we love every precious day of it …

And yes, the Peace Pin Project continues on. These two pins, reading “Fenna” which is a Dutch name associated with “peace,” were made for the proud grandmother of newborn Fenna Elizabeth in The Netherlands …

Fair linen

The Episcopal Church, into which I was born, is known to be a stickler for details. And here I pause to wonder if that's why I find it attractive, or if it is in part the cause of my own fascination with details. In any case, after some 10,000+ stitches and 30+ hours of work, the 100" x 26" fair linen was completed the day before Maunday Thursday. On deadline, in other words.

I did take some process photos along the way, as I haven't done this kind of embroidery for a while and want to remember what and how I did it this time so that I can refer back. The linen is a mid-weight Belgian linen from Almy (60 threads per inch) and the thread is 80/3 linen from Burnley and Trowbridge, which turned out to be a bit too slubby, so I'll be switching to 100/3 linen threads from Londonderry in the future.

 

Outline drawn in heat-erasable pen using a light box borrowed from my grandkiddos

Outline backstitched with two threads, then whipped with a single thread

 

Close-up of finished stitching after ironing erasable pen

Finished size 3"

And while I didn't think to get a close-up photo of the fair linen once it was ironed and on the altar, you can see it draped over the end of the altar in this photo taken the day before Easter ...

 

 

One final note: I emailed my iPhone photos to my laptop thinking it would be easier to compose this way ... it wasn't (sigh).

It’s been a month

I’ve been stitching a fair linen on deadline, hoping to get it done in time to put on the altar at St Liz for Easter …

The cloth is 100” x 26” and is being hemstitched at 20 stitches per inch. I’m loving every minute … but it’s taking a fair bit of time!

Don and I have also been volunteering at the Wildflower Center 2-3 days a week. On an off day, we took our grandkids with us and Parker took a (rare for me) great picture …

Thanks P!

Can you hear a pin drop?

I’m happy to say that I have completely lost to count of the peace pins … and realizing it really doesn’t matter …

I suppose I could comb back through the blog, but why? It is enough to know that they exist in the world, even if a few may have gone through the wash (no harm done … ironing usually puts them back to rights).

If you’re new here, to learn more about the peace pin project and request your own (free) peace pin, click on this link.

Happy Birthdays

Happy 21st Birthday Logan! 

But how is this even possible?

And there is more happiness to report … at the Wildflower Center …

and in St Louis …

Spring is sprung for sure … but where the heck did the time go? 😉

Addendum (thanks to social media) 

A better use of my time

Don is being a responsible citizen and watching the president speak. I, on the other hand, have my hearing aids turned off and am looking at some of the pictures I took at the Wildflower Center today …

along with these pictures of the library that Parker and Ellis created in their bedroom by overturning a chair to house a checkout station and return bin … 

I even got my own library card, complete with QR code …

These are the things that give me joy. 

peace

 

If you’re new here, to learn more about the peace pin project and request your own (free) peace pin, click on this link.

I’ve lost count …

Making and giving peace pins has become so routine that I often forget to take pictures or note who they are went to. Then again, sometimes I do remember …

and I’m really liking the new pin backs …

If you’re new here, to learn more about the peace pin project and request your own (free) peace pin, click on this link.

Meanwhile, our grandkids are doing their own creative things, which we love …

And I was ever so grateful to receive this stitched missive from Fiona Dempster …

Resist we will, starting tomorrow by not buying anything … and continuing with rolling economic “blackouts” that are planned in the coming weeks. After all, the Montgomery bus boycott lasted more than a year and was ultimately successful. We can do this!

Happy Melissa’s Birthday Day

This is my annual love letter to our Valentine child, born near midnight on her due date, during a snowstorm (yes, we made it to the hospital in time). Yesterday I made strawberry trifle to celebrate from afar, that being her most favorite cake request over the years. The last time I made it for her in person was nine years ago …

I’m thinking we’ll need to head to St Louis next year to make her another trifle and "40" cookies!

Meantime, Don and I do also celebrate Valentines Day, making each other cards and planning to get Detroit-style pizza delivered for dinner …

after which we'll call Meliss to wish her a happy birthday and finish off what's left of the trifle (because we might have already had some for breakfast).

Tiny pieces of everything

 I can’t help but think of James Taylor’s Yellow and Rose as I stitch these tiny 3/4" pieces of peace …

And fear not, I’m continuing to stitch regular-size peace pins as well … this one for a sewist at St Liz …

In the midst of chaos, I find joy in little things, like my new lunar thread nest and positive bits of "wisdom" on Instagram …

And always, all-ways, these guys make my days brighter (I did a double-take the first time I saw the second picture) …

As usual, to learn more about the peace pin project and request your own (free) peace pin, click on this link. And to learn how to make one of your own peace pins, click here.

Annnd I’m back

I took a break from stitching because of a sore thumb (if you know, you know). But I did get a chance to make a little handout to go with the peace pins, seen here front and back …

Happily, I started stitching again today … a tiny 3/4" piece of peace (palanca, for those of you who are familiar with Cursillo) …

Then there’s this bit of silliness for you to enjoy: the Buda, Texas answer to Ground Hog Day (because dachshunds are the unofficial town mascots) …

 

The good news is Nacho saw his shadow and then picked the snowman toy, supposedly predicting 6 more weeks of winter. The not-so-good news is that central Texas "winter weather" includes week-long stretches of 80+ degree temperatures, so our AC actually kicked in yesterday. (I know, I know … cry me a river).

And yes, you remember rightly, this was our weather two weeks ago …

 

Gotta love Texas?

Blue Monday and a snow day in Texas

Yesterday was depressing, even as much as I tried to avoid the inauguration coverage. Then I read Karen’s post about Blue Monday and found myself smiling as I latched on to the notion … recalling that the blue field in the American flag stands for valor, which m-w.com defines as “strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness" ...

 

And on a positive process note, I’ve gotten some new pin backs as the safety pins I was using were/are a bit fiddly …

Thankfully, we all survived the day and woke this morning to the rare (for central Texas) appearance of snow, which our grandkids are very much enjoying …

To a learn more about the peace pin project and request your own (free) peace pin, click on this link.

The calm before the storm?

 It’s been a quiet week …

and so far I’m very much liking my new stitching box …

We were happy to learn that Jace and Jackson made the best of the twelve inches of snow that fell in St Louis (that’s sweetened condensed milk and snow) …

while we’ve been enjoying much milder temperatures here in central Texas …

Lastly, for those who follow Jude Hill and read about her nine-patch math vis-a-vis 2025, here’s another way of looking at it …

Okay, so just a few more days until Inauguration Day. I’m still debating whether or not to join the Women’s March given my wonky knees. We’ll see.

Note: To a learn more about the peace pin project and request your own (free) peace pin, click on this link.