Things that make me smile

Posted on March 27, 2008 by Cynthia

I’ve had a sore throat this week and had a long awaited dentist appointment yesterday. Interesting combination. Five teeth needed some work, mostly preventive but one tooth needed a new filling as the old was toast. My two top incisors were getting terribly worn down thanks to an enthusiastic dentist who filed them down with a sander when I was 12. The dentin was eroding and the biting edge was getting brittle and was slowing chipping away. This new dentist? Is the bomb. Cuz my two front teeth look perfect. They feel even better. No more chipping or sharp teeth (it wasn’t that bad but you know how you worry stuff with your tongue?).

Back at work with perfect teeth, a cancre sore, and it’s colder than a witches tit outside. I only say that cuz this witch froze walking to the office from the parking lot.

A co-worker who occasionally brings me treats that he’s concocted in his kitchen brought me the year’s first perfect strawberry, organic, from California. It was so pretty I just looked at it and smelled it for awhile. Took a couple photos and had to share. It tasted good too.

And now, Cat Blogging (ala Hecate)

Miss Mitty, Queen of All She Surveys which includes a statue of Hebe and the periwinkle in bloom on the patio

She is so not impressed with the camera

She hates the camera but she loves me.

Oh what a beautiful morning…

Posted on March 24, 2008 by Cynthia

Yes, I feel like a cheesy hollywood musical this morning. Except that I’m at work…

I had two Ostara ritual options this past Saturday and I didn’t do either. I guess I’m not ready yet to go out and do ritual with a bunch of strangers. *sigh* I did buy some lovely daffodils for the mantle, admired the sproinging beauty of my yard and surrounds, and put out all my bunnies. Dinner last night with the family where we discussed the resurrection and how the Catholic church is nothing but a pack of lies to forward their power and wealth. We talked about the black Madonna, paganism, how everything is connected. Yes, these are the progressive folks who raised me beginning 48 years ago. I’m a lucky woman. Yay me!

As I was leaving work on Friday, I snapped a couple shots of the cherry trees that were just beginning to blossom

and are now in full glory. Pretend you hear the robins signing…

I work in this building on the right. Lucky me.

Grandmother

And her babies. I love this on these old trees. Every year they go through and prune off the sucker twigs that grow but they leave the blossoms so we can enjoy the lovely starry blossoms against the moss.

Back to work

Posted on March 20, 2008 by Cynthia

I took yesterday off, was having a bad fibromyalgia day. *sigh* Didn’t do much at all. Which was good. A couple of friends came by to chat in the evening. We had planned it weeks ago and since Roberta had just lost her mother we wanted to go forward. We spent several hours talking about the process of dying and our parents and everything in between and connected.

I got no stitching done but I did get the faerie top cut out while we chatted. Night is a much better time of day for me than morning. Since I don’t generally wear dresses or use commercial patterns there are adjustments to make. I am making this shorter and also adding length to the sleeves. Tunic length. The fabric is a gorgeous plummy eggplanty color. I love the Grecian aspects of this design and while all the elastic channels and bits and pieces throw me off a bit I think this is very cute and worth the headache. Butterick 5130

I’m considering making some clothing pieces for sale as well as pouches, altar tool bags, hats, and the like. But clothing pieces take up a lot of fabric and initial outlay and sometimes more time. But perhaps robes and separate hoods. I like the idea of a separate hood for several reasons.

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Fae Jacket

Posted on March 18, 2008 by Cynthia

As some of you may have guessed, I have an affinity with the Fae. That was one thing that Unca Tom gave me that was good. I’ve been seeing them ever since. And lately, I’ve been seeing them a LOT. Everywhere… Sometimes I find it disconcerting but mostly I just make note and go back to what I’m doing. I know that I really need to work on my yard to make it a better place for fae and devas. But for now I’m doing the textile thang.

When I was drinking I was into the very dark. VERY dark. I wore black and denim. Maybe a very dark red once in a blue moon. Rings on every finger, tough boots, attitude. Don’t talk to me about pink. I’ll rip your face off. That kind of attitude. As time passed in my sobriety I realized that I was looking at other colors. With JOY. No one was more surprised than me. And when I discovered last year that I adore pink AND sparkles it’s a wonder I didn’t have an aneurysm.

I tell you that so that you know that not all my faery kitch is pink and sparkly. I’ve got a dark Fae kit that I’m working on too. But right now? It’s pink, it’s blue, it’s lime green and it’s sparkley…

I made this jacket last year for Faerieworlds. But it was just too darned hot to even consider wearing it until dusk. I wore it to work and garnered no comments. Meh.

So I’m very pleased I get to bring it out on the 29th at the Spring Faerie Fest. I need to have photos taken at the festival so that they aren’t all fuzzy in the smoky mirror above my altar. The fourth image, closeup of the sleeve, is the best approximation of color.

Turquoise twill wool with a lime linen lining. The lining fabric is embroidered with sequins (the remnant came that way). The applique motifs are also wool. The metal central “bead” is really a reproduction button from a 20’s design. I cut off the shank and used it as a plaque. Perl cotton and beads. All visible sewing is by hand, including the lining attachment that you see in the sleeve closeup. The applique motifs were organically designed by me. It started with the buttons and just kind of designed itself. I think of them as passion flowers, they certainly are the spacey kind of look, alien flora.

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Fae Bag

Posted on March 17, 2008 by Cynthia

It was a lovely rainy weekend and it made it possible for me to complete the Fae bag I made for the Spring Faery Festival. I did get to the fabric store and found the perfect fabric for the shirt I need to make. I will be in purples, greens, and turquoises. Thank goodness the bag is done so I can work on the shirt and the rest, I have 12 days including a full weekend. This is good because it means I won’t have anything I have to do for Faerieworlds in July.

Although… I might embroider a vine and leaf motif on the flap… And I see I forgot a bead.

Here are shots of the bag. Click to make bigger.