Managing howere we can

     I don't know about you but quite a few of my friends suffer from arthritis; a condition causing pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints. Arthritis is a chronic disease which disrupts lives both physically and mentally. It prevents them from enjoying their normal activities. Having arthritis can be challenging for stitchers. My friends have said that the stitching, actually serves as a form of therapy, and helps loosen stiff achy hands. Some days they say they can only stitch for a few minutes, but they continue to stitch everyday. It helps keep fingers and wrists from getting stiff. They tell me it also helps their mental well-being. Sitting in a comfy chair needle in hand, and the latest project transports them like the rest of us to a wonderful place. Much better than escaping in a book. Stitching for them is relaxing and helps keep the stress levels down and the pain forgotten if only for a few moments. According to the Arthritis Foundation needle workers with arthritis should remember to:
     - Take frequent breaks; after sitting awhile , stand up and stretch
     - Stretch hands and rotate wrists often
     - Change hand positions every once in awhile, if possible
     - Stick with easier projects that do not require overly uncomfortable maneuvering of the hands
     - look into purchasing items to assist you. eg. floor stand rather than holding and embroidery hoop
Having suffered from chronic back pain; I can relate. When I sit in my special spot with my stitching the world around me slips away. I can tune out the noise of the kids, baby's crying, you name it. Do you have suggestions that you can share that might help. I look forward to hearing how others are managing to find ways to enjoy their passion no matter what the obstacles.

Bogged Down

   My intensions were good but never got followed through on. I started to pull out all my unfinished projects and get them done before the holiday crazys. When I pulled things out I looked around and decided that the area also needed a good cleaning and reorganising. The cleaning kind of took over and not much got finished. I found the material for my cushion to finish the sunflower needlepoint in a stash I had which was good but still haven't got it put together.
   My seven year old grandson was kind of giving me a hand and going through my projects as well. I now have a place for a few of the small projects I had done but no decision as what I wanted to do with them. I now have decided to buy a nice denim vest for him and adorn them as pockets on it since he took such I liking to them.
    Part of the problem was when I was organising I got into some of my old patterns and charts. Its hard to belive I've had some of them since the early 1980's. Charts have changed a fair bit and it just reminded me of some of the stuff I want to do, if I ever get around to it. Some of the worn pages of projects I did and the memories. It just swalled up more time than I planned.
    We'll I'm off to take my grandson the oldest one to driving lessons, home for supper and since I'm down with a cold an excuse to curl up on the couch with some stitching. Hope to show you some fininshed projects soon. Till then happy stitching.

Feeling Festive Yet!
    Kids ar back in school. Fall is starting to set in. The Christmas countdown has started. Can you answer the question, "Why is a handmade Christmas better than a shop bought one?" Really!! Is there any contest? My table most days (while the kids are in school), is covered in threads, scraps of material, and bits of double-sided tape. Let's face it half the fun is in the preparation and we'll have plenty to keep us busy. Remember, handmade means individual not perfectionism or uniformity. Its about the love and care we put into making something special. We want our homes full of crafting.
     Some excellent advice I read in CrossStitcher by Charlotte Macey; "Work on ideas that you really love. Your energy will show in you're work and you'll get better results. Work Carefully and take your time, as things can go wrong quite quickly with stitching. Always Jot Down new ideas whenever they come to you. Keep a scrapbook or journal that you can refer to when you need some inspiration."
    I'm spending my energy putting the finishing touches to some stitching I've just finished. I believe I'm going to make them into cushion if I can find the material I want to go with them. Just playing around with that right now will have pictures when the work is complete.

    In victorian times, a lady's needlework was a mark of her gentility. Today we can create our own masterpieces. Gradually, as the economy suffered greater and greater stress during the Depression, stitchers lost much of their leisure time and extra money it took to create ornamental needlework. Instead of stitching purely decorative projects it became things for home improvement. Thus started a trend to delicate embroidery stary on baby garments, nightgowns, and shirts. Preserving the role of needlework in our society is of utmost importance to many of us. There are encouraging signs that handwork techniques are not fading. I find the skills have skipped a generation but rather than learning at Mothers knee, todays stitchers are seeking out the techniques themselves. As we move away from the materialist mood of the late 80's more and more people are coming to appreciate handmade things, objects of beauly they made themselves. I can imagine our great-grandmothers and great- great-grandmothers taking the same quiet pleausre in needlework that we're learning to do.

    I've enjoyed little quiet time this summer but continue to steal the moment where ever possible. I stitched the stylish handbag accessory. A compact mirror pouch which I plan on giving my granddaughter this christmas. This was in April's CrossStitcher. As they say in their book "folksy look thats trendy from its retro colours down to the funky mirror." I quite agree. I love the birds and how easily it stitched up. Quite a few 1/2 stitches that make it look so perfect. A sign of the trend towards stitching something nice and useful at the same time. I'm excited abou fall coming and more time it will give me to stitch but hate to see the cold weater and snow. There are more projects I want to do than time to do them so deciding which ones is going to be hard. So I invite you to join me and share your stitching. I look forward to seeing and hearing about the choices you have made.

Not Enough Time

I once asked God to give me the patience to stitch the beautiful things I saw, now I asked God for the time to stitch. Summer with the kids home, 3 funerals, a wedding, and a family reunion I haven't had much time to stitch. Before the summer started I kind of knew this was going to happen so I decided I would only do small quick projects so I would still have a sense of accomplishment. When the kids go back in a week I want to start a xmas stocking for my grandson. The above picture is what I chose. These gift tags are done in the metalic threads and I'm going to get some more metallics and do a few more. They were a free gift that came in my crossstitching magazine. they will adorn my homemade jams and jellies that I just finished ready for xmas. Happy stitching everyone.

Hello Stitchers!
    Don't you find there are so many wonderful patterns to stitch out there and never enough time to do them in. I'm a Bunka stitcher. a counted crossstitcher, and a charted needlepointer. Every day we show our love for someone by giving a gift lovingly stitched. These gifts are cherished treasures because of the love and time the stitcher spent on them. Stitchers are known for their special bonding and caring for others. I have loved the needlearts for many years, delighting in each step of the process, from selecting the right fabric and floss, to tying off the final stitch. The looks on my family's faces after giving them a Christmas stocking, pillow cases, etc. are...well..priceless! There were times when I discovered I'd missed a stitch, or miscounted the stitches, choose the wrong colour and had to redo a whole section. Sometimes my eyes didn't want to co-operate either like white on white. I find no better way though to unwind.