In Loving Memory of Our Mother

I have returned home but bring a great heaviness of heart with me. I will treasure the last few weeks I spent with her. And knowing that she is no longer in pain is a welcome relief to all of us but it helps little right now to fill the emptiness of her passing.






Patricia Elaine (Dirkson) Adams
June 18, 1943 – July 2, 2010





Pat, or Patty as she was known to most, was born in Utah at LDS hospital and grew up in the Ogden and Salt Lake areas. She was the third of four girls born to Donald Duane Dirkson and Betty Irene Martin. Her upbringing was at times chaotic and tumultuous. She attended both public and Catholic schools, moving often in her younger years. She completed the 10th grade before leaving home. She later obtained her GED certificate, with 3 children in tow.

Pat had a gypsy heart and found it difficult to stay in one place very long. From 1973-1998 Utah was primarily her home base but she had also lived in California, South Carolina and Alabama. In 2003 she moved to Arizona where she resided until her death.

She married three times and had five children. She loved her children very much and through all the rough years, she did her best to protect and provide for them. She coached little league baseball for her boys. Attended school and sporting events for her kids. In her later years she cherished the role of grandma. She loved her seven grandchildren immensely.

She also had a compassionate heart for animals. There was not a stray cat or dog she did not try to help. Her companion for 15 years was a dog named Osa. Pat found her starving, abused and nursing 11 puppies. She took her in, nursed her back to health and they formed an unbreakable bond. She felt they had walked similar paths.

Pat also loved to sew and always had some project in the works. She shared her love of sewing and crafting with her granddaughters.

Pat battled alcohol addiction and depression most of her life. Her internal struggles were difficult. But in her 50’s, with her grandchildren as her motivation, and her faith in God, she put that life aside and lived the rest of her days with a peaceful heart.

She faced her battle with pancreatic cancer with strength, dignity and courage. She endured horrible pain yet did not complain. She prayed for strength and answers, but she was never bitter. She battled her cancer for nine months and finally succumbed in the home of her son, with three of her children and her eldest grandson at her bedside.

Pat had faith in God and wasn’t scared at the end. She held on until she had her final blessing and communion. And within minutes she passed, peacefully. Her only regret was not having more time with her family. She had many visitors during the last month of her life and said her goodbyes. She admitted and accepted her mistakes, asked for forgiveness and conquered her inner demons.

Upon her death she wanted only a simple prayer service with family and close friends. And that hers and Osa’s ashes be spread together in the mountains around water.

Pat was a deeply loving woman who only sought love and kindness in this sometimes cruel world. She will be truly missed.

Rest in peace mom, we love you.




Proceeded in death by both parents:
Donald Duane Dirkson
Betty Irene Moore

Survived by her children,
Gerry, married to Gene
Donnie, married to JoAnn
Kevin
Bradley
Lyde (Jeff), married to Amy

Grandchildren,
Mathew (Gerry)
Dustin and Monique (Donnie)
Brytnye (Kevin)
Alyssa, Sydney, and Emily (Jeff)

Siblings,
Bobette
Gerry
Donna
Michael
Betsy




I’m Free
By Linda Jo Jackson

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free
I'm following the path God laid for me.
I took His hand when I heard him call;
I turned my back and left it all.
I could not stay another day,
To laugh, to love, to work or play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way;
I found that place at the close of day.
If my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared a laugh, a kiss;
Ah yes, these things, I too will miss.
Be not burdened with times of sorrow
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life's been full, I savored much;
Good friends, good times, a loved ones touch.
Perhaps my time seems all to brief;
Don't lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your heart and share with me,
God wanted me now, He set me free.







Cremation services provided byWyman Cremation & Burial Chapel, Mesa, Arizona.

Family prayer service (in lieu of funeral services) to be heldon July 5, 2010 at Sun Valley Community Church, Gilbert, Arizona.



Until we meet again Mom, I will miss you daily.
I love you so much,
Gerry Lynn

Laundry Room Make-Over

Hello All! I am back again to post photos of my latest project - THE LAUNDRY ROOM. As with most of the rooms in our home, it hadn't been painted or updated in a decade. And while the room is a really large space, it was totally uninviting. Just a place to do laundry and a walkway into and out of the garage.

This photo is after our remodel last year but all we did to the laundry room was install the tile and flip the door to enter in to the room. The walls remained a seriously boring, washed out Antique White, and the doors and frames, and the trim work all looked sort of gray.



Well, all of that changed over the past week (or so). The ceiling went Cotton Fluff white and the walls went Opal Cream yellow, both eggshell finish. The doors and frames, and trim work went Cotton Fluff white in a semi-gloss.

Isn't it starting to look better already?





So, would you like to see what waits behind the door? (BTW, the curtain is a store bought panel that I tweaked, added a second hem and hung with small rod at the top and bottom of the door.)



Okay, come on in!







I knew before I even started that I was going to do something with that huge empty wall above the washer and dryer. And this is what I ended up with.



I picked up a pre-painted wooden shelf and two different unfinished trim pieces at Home Depot, along with brackets. DH and I managed to lay it out, miter the corners, nail it and glue it in just a couple of hours. Then after 2 quick coats of stain...this custom made shelf was ready to hang.







(here is a better photo of the picture)



I picked up the 'Laundry' sign awhile back at Hobby Lobby, along with the little metal dress form. I went antiquing over the weekend for a few of the other items and was lucky enough to find some great bargains. I couldn't believe my luck when I walked into Front Range Mercantile and say this little washboard. It's exactly what I was looking for. I also snatched up the antique iron, the vintage clothespins and a glass container full of vintage threads and spools.

I already had the large antique spools and the antique swivel picture frame. The other frames came from the Dollar Store, along with the tea towel that I used to make the clothespin bag. A wire coat hanger, left over fabric and a 'Family' button completed it. The pattern was too easy to make.

I made the pictures, labels and soap boxes/containers by altering online graphics in PrintMaster and printing them out then I raided my pantry for containers. I bought a cute little jar with a cork at a local thrift store then filled it with button and topped it off with a pincushion I received some time ago as a gift. And finally, I made use of some of my own sewing room goodies, like the dress form, scissors, and safety pins.

The only thing left to do is make a new cover for my ironing board. It really looks more yucky in the photo.

If you've done a laundry room make over and would like to share it, please let me know. I would love to see it and I will post a link to share with other.

Thanks for joining me and have a nice rest of the week.


Until Next time...Happy Needling!!!

Gerry

Water Goddess Wall Hanging

I wanted to share my lasted, finished project with you. Did you notice that I actually used the word FINISHED? I know, I can hardly believe it myself. Beginning to end I stuck it out and WOW it was so worth it!

I began working on this project a couple of weeks ago. It was just something that I felt compelled to do after I got home from Phoenix. I chose blue for a number of reasons. Primarily because blue it is my mother's favorite color. But also because blue is totally out of my comfort zone. And I wasn't even sure that I would be able to stick with it long enough to see the end results. Sadly, now that it's finished and it is so beautiful, I don't even have anywhere in my house to hang it. Not even in my studio. I just can't bring myself to go to the blue side. Oh well!

Additionally, blue symbolizes the element of water, its direction is West, and the moon phase is waning. Its angel is Gabriel, the season is Autumn, and the zodiac sign is Scorpio, which oddly enough is also a water sign.

Blue also represents peace, tranquility, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, cold, technology, and depression. It is also said that blues can slow the pulse rate, lower body temperature, and reduce appetite. And is considered a good business color because it reflects reliability. The various shades of blue have their own unique representations and psychology.

All of that being said, here SHE is in all of her 20" by 20" glory.



She started out as an art doll based on the Butterfly Goddess Pattern by Kivett Studio. This pattern is just one of three that are offered for free. The studio blog showcases her projects and designs.



She has been assembled using multiple layers of silk and cotton fabric, batting, muslin and cotton backings, hand embroidery, and hand quilting/hand finishing (using transparent thread). She is embellished with layers of lace, beads, trims, and buttons.



Her face is baked clay, painted with acrylics. Her body is hand embroidered using both cotton threads and silk ribbons.



Each of the four corners are embroidered in a Celtic design representing all four of the elements, their directions, and their seasons:

Green - Earth, North, Winter
Red - Fire, South, Summer
Blue - Water, West, Autumn
Yellow - Air, East, Spring

These were sewn using cotton threads and Press 'n' Seal for tracing and placement. I found this free design on the Internet and simply printed it out. No need to purchase a stencil.

This photo will give you a better idea of the layering process involved.



Lastly, I added the three silk loops for hanging. Just look at the wonderful dimension that comes the quilting. I did this piece by hand because it was such a relatively small piece but a sewing machine would have saved my hours upon hours. LOL.



I'm not sure if I will list her for sale or offer her as part of a give-a-way. But when I decide what will become of her, I'll let you know!

Until Next time...Happy Needling!!!

Gerry

Monday Mutterings

Good morning! Once again, I find myself wondering where the time has gone. I can hardly believe it's been so long since I posted here.

There hasn't been too much going on around here. At least nothing out of the norm. DH and I went to see Alice in Wonderland yesterday and I loved it! Very cool graphics but a little darker (theme) than I had expected. I'm pretty sure we'll have to see it again. There were so many things going on in the background that it was difficult to take it all in.

As for what's going on in the studio....the horse quilt has sort of found its way to the back burner for now but has not been forgotten. I've been spending a lot of time working on a Goddess quilt/wall hanging. I've been hand quilting it, which is fairly time consuming. Not a bad thing keeping mind and hands busy.

The weather has been just perfect lately. It's so nice to see everything beginning to bloom. I even planted several pots of herbs, which are sprouting up nicely in my kitchen window.

On a more serious note, there have been a number of family/home related things going on around here.

Happily, DH is down to only 3 radiation treatments after today. I hate to see the way it wears on him. Fingers crossed that the remaining prostate cancer will be gone after his treatments.

I made a trip to Phoenix mid April to visit my mother. After months and months of hearing I DON'T KNOW from doctors, she has finally been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She is scheduled to begin her chemo tomorrow. I know she's not looking forward to it. Hell, who would? Depending on how it effects her will determine which of the two evils she will choose: to chemo or not! I wish there was something I could do. Feeling utterly helpless is a terrible feeling!

My dad has had yet another surgery on his back in hopes that the pain will be reduced, and that he will regain full feeling in his legs. I swear, I don't know how he has managed to live with that kind of pain for so long. I have to believe that his back pain/issues have been a contributing factor with his heart and other health issues.

Well, that's it for now because it's time to start laundry, straighten up the house, and play with Fritz. Thanks for stopping by.

Until Next time...Happy Needling!!!

Gerry

Updates

Just a quickie update on a couple of projects I'm working on . First is the horse quilt. As you can see I haven't been spending very much time with it. I've only gotten two of the four horse stencils added. Working these small areas have proven to be far more time consuming than I thought they would be. For that reason, in part, I've also been reconsidering whether or not I really want to quilt this by hand. I guess I could machine quilt it but my I still have my frame downstairs in about a gazillion pieces.

And getting it put back together seems like a daunting task at this point. Another option would be to have someone else quilt it for me. I popped into a local quilt shop earlier this week and got a recommendation for a woman here in Longmont who does just that. All I need to do is pick up the phone and get an estimate on the cost. That will probably be the determining factor.





The next photo is a heart block that I made for a friend who recently lost her husband. It's part of a larger project but because I'm not sure if it's a surprise, I can't say anymore about it right now. But when I'm sure that I'm not letting the cat out of the bag, I'll be back with more details.

I can tell you that it was really nice to stitch on a small crazy quilt block again. Maybe keeping it simple is the way to go! From beginning to end, outer border and all, I was able to whip this little puppy out in just a few hours. Of course, I did have heart-felt motivation.

The final photos that I share with you today are my prize winnings from Sandi's recent blog give away. Needless to say, I was shocked when I got an email from her. I rarely enter give aways and I almost never win. So, this was a really nice surprise!

In case you can't really tell from the photo, this little gifty included the most adorable Easter card (check out that purple...how did she know???), several candies (all of which I consider my favorites), some darling cookie cutters (which I will probably use in my craft work because I don't bake), a cute, fuzzy little bunny (that Fritz was sure must be his), a fun little basket with handles,

a good size piece of fabric that looks like a variety of vintage hankies, twenty-five, assorted 5" charms, AND a packet of coordinating buttons (I see a great future project here!!!)

Thank you Sandi!

Well, I guess that's it for now. I do want to wish everyone a Happy (and safe) Easter. I'm spending Easter with family in Arizona. An added treat will be that my aunt, who I haven't seen in years, just happens to be visiting at the same time! What fun, huh? I see crafting in my future. LOL.

Take care all.

Until Next time...Happy Needling!!!


Gerry

Is It Really Spring????

You certainly wouldn't think so by looking out my windows this morning. In fact, the view is more of a Winter Wonderland!

From the looks of it we got nearly a foot of snow from the storm that came in fast and furious yesterday afternoon. Not our typical storm at all. For the most part the snow was literally blowing sideways. And is/was so heavy and wet that it's still stuck to the side of houses, fence posts, etc.

I was a bit surprised to find our regular little visitor perched in the tree this morning. It was knocking the snow off of the berries and having breakfast as if nothing had changed. I don't know if this is the same robin that visits each time but we have had a robin in that tree, almost daily since we moved in.

Hopefully, it will warm a little and clear a little and the sun will find a way to peak through the fog and greet us. In the mean time, I think I'll cuddle up on the couch with Fritz and do a little stitching.

Be careful if you have to be out and about today!


Until Next time...Happy Needling!!!


Gerry

Taking a Time Out

If you've come to visit and have noticed that my blog is looking a little different, then I thank you for noticing! I'm in the process of finishing up some projects and am really working on getting some of my wares up for sale. Some of the new links are working and the rest of them will be shortly.

I also have a considerable amount of cleaning up to do on both blogs. I decided to copy and past my original template to the 'selling blog' because it was quicker and easier. However, I failed to clean up this one first. Now, I have two of them to work on. Oh well....

In the mean time I thought I would post a few photos of a couple of things I'm working on that aren't work.

First is my Yule block that was originally made for the CQN 2009 STS (Season to Season) Winter block share. As it happens, I'm not participating in the Winter or Spring rounds with the group but I do want to finish this set for myself. These blocks have special meaning for me and I don't want them to end up being yet another UFO in the bottomless box I have downstairs. I still need to add lots of beads, a charm or two and the spider.

Next is a sane(ish) quilt that I'm putting together. I say, "sane(ish)" because in addition to 'traditional' piecing and layout, I'm also adding hand embroidered motifs to it. I have several months to finish it but I need to be mindful of how quickly time can get away from you when you're juggling a number of projects at once.

I begin with this photo because a functional work space is essential. One day all of this will be in a much larger space downstairs but for right now, I'm feeling just a little pinched in this 12 x 15 foot room. Even without both buffet tables, it feels really full with the computer, desk, chair, two printers, filing cabinet, paper storage shelf, two full size dressers/hutches, a sewing table and two chairs, a sewing machine, serger, iron and ironing board, and of course all of the necessary collateral STUFF!!!! I do like that there is a lot of storage both the furniture pieces as well as in the large double closet, which also has a (portable) four shelf shelving system in it.

This quilt will be approximately 58" x 75" finished. And will drape nicely on a twin bed or as a decorative cover/spread for a full bed. Believe it or not, this project was originally going to be a 42" x 62" sofa throw. Obviously, I got a little carried away. That was due in part to the fact that my focus fabric are a panel piece. I've had this particular fabric since before my DH was born (nearly 21 years) and the time had finally come to cut into it!

If you've worked with these 'buy it by the panel' fabrics then you know that they are seldom symmetrical or square, and often times very large in scale. I actually like them and I've used them in my projects many times in the past, and after a little trial and error they were tweaked out. I also found it really handy and helpful (this time) to draw out the quilt design on graph paper before I started. Which is a good thing because I made numerous changes along the way. I know there is someone reading this and saying to themselves, "duh, that's a no-brainer" but I've never done it before.

I also chose not to make a typical pieced quilt. Simple squares and rectangles seemed to make the most sense given the focus and companion fabrics I am using. I'm not sure how true the colors are coming through but they are: Rust, Hunter Green, Rust/Oranges in the panels (cotton), with coordinating Rust (broadcloth), Dark Brown (Ultrasuede), and Dark Olive Green (Ultrasuede). There are also Browns/Reds in the hat fabric (cotton), White, Silver, Beiges, and Blacks in the horse fabric (cotton), and a trace of Blue in the stirrup border fabric (part of the panels).

The quilt back will be the Dark Olive Green Ultrasuede. Luckily, it came in 60" wide and will be one, solid piece.

As you can see, I've started to add some embroidery outlines to the quilt, keeping with the horse theme and leaning toward a more 'Cowboy' theme overall. So far I've added a cowboy hat, lasso (green and gold cording) and barbed wire at the bottom center.




In the bottom corners I've added a saddle and cowboy boot with more barbed wire. I guess I should mention that I'm using stencils for these motifs outlines. There are three sheets in the package, offering numerous designs. I'm sure I won't be able to use nearly as many as I would like to.

Additionally, I made some of my own templates (mountains, hills, and pine trees) that I will add somewhere. I'm also planning to make a pair of matching pillowcases, or maybe shams, or both. I haven't decided that yet, either. Let's see how I feel about it after I get done hand quilting the quilt!

Well, that's it for now. This post is far longer than I had intended it to be. I'll keep posting my progress. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful weekend!

Until Next time...Happy Needling!!!

Gerry

Faery Wish Boxes

Today I would like to share with you these little boxes that I created as Christmas presents for three of my nieces. Luckily, I had three little girls who are just crazy about faeries and the boxes were a huge success!!!

I found a pattern online for an Exploding box and tweaked it to fit my purpose. I sized it down to make a 3" cube, made the lid lip deeper, and trimmed to compensate for the thickness of the fabric. Then taking each of my nieces' personalities into consideration, I chose fabrics, colors, added lace, charms, bobbles, and other embellishments to each box.

I also added a ribbon pull closure onto the outside of the box to make it easier to close. All those parts are a challenge for little hands. The unexpected bonus to that was that since the box didn't open flat not only did the Faery Dust stay put but it created a nice little self-contained bit of scenery and fantasy. At the end of each ribbon pull I added a charm (Dream. Hope. Believe.) for decoration and inspiration.

I created little bottles of Faery Dust by using a 1/2 dram glass bottle with a screw on cap, a few drops of Grape seed oil and some glitter. And since it's really messy stuff if it gets spilled, you will notice that when I wrote the poem I tried to make it clear that the bottle must NOT BE OPENED.
This of course was done under the guise that to do so would allow the Magick to escape. I even tried to re-enforce that warning with the little sign above the bottle. But what was the very first thing my nieces tried to do???? Oh yeah - it was opening the bottle. But seriously, what did I expect? LOL .

And finally, I also tried to head off any complaints of, "My wish didn't come true!" by adding the, "meant for you" caveat. Ya gotta think ahead with kids! Here is the poem:


I am your Faery
And believe you must
When making a wish
With your Faery dust.

You can shake if you like
But leave the cap on
Or the magick inside
Soon will be gone.

Now, make a wish
Then wait to see
If what you want
Is meant to be.

For not all wishes
Will come true
'Twill be only those
Which are meant for you.

I chuckle at this because my youngest niece told me that her wish had come true. That she wished for grandma to come and live with them - and she did. Boy, did I get lucky there!!!

I really think that these boxes would be a wonderful idea for items to list in my Etsy Shoppe. I also think that the concept alone lends itself to numerous possibilities, applications, and variations. Although, they would probably be most suited to teens or adults because they are made out of card stock, after all. They aren't fragile but they aren't really designed to stand up as a toy or plaything. So, as soon as I work out some of the kinks, I'll get a few made up.

As always, click on the image to enlarge it.


Well, that's it for now. Thank you for joining me. Have a wonderful weekend and Until Next time...Happy Needling!!!


Gerry