hitchhiker moonday

   

Today is a waxing moonday in earthy Taurus. Some common-sense Taurus aspects are strength, balance, patience and perseverance. Another big positive about Taurus energy under a waxing moon is that projects begun at this time will likely take hold, take off and be long-lasting -- anything temporary goes against the Taurus grain. Making changes can be harder under the sign of Taurus as well so it's best to just hold off a few days until Gemini. 

A little leaf punch was put to work. The art journal prompt for Journal52 Week30 is the road less traveled. Journal 52 will definitely be extended into 2016. The Hitchhiker (scarf) had a long rest but I'm back at it again -- 25 of the 42 total "points" are completed. I haven't read the book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy but am curious about those 42 points so might need to do that some time. 

I love the idea of printing images on old book pages -- just playing with it until something good enough to frame emerges from the printer. I've been drinking eggnog coffee the last few mornings. I love plain eggnog too, it's a good thing for my butt that it's seasonal. 

I'm wishing you a beautiful week -- thanks for coming by. 

xo

coexist

One little leathery-looking leaf guided my color choice for November's moon stitching. A simple chainstitch, this is #11 of this year's sewing ritual named pathways. I collected more leaves to press the other day -- when I opened the big phone book to put them in, it was still filled with last year's leaves.

Our bees were attacked by wasps and it was awful. For days, yellow jackets flew in and out like they owned the place.  According to what I've read, wasps try to do this in the fall when there is a shortage of nectar but they still haven't died yet -- only the queen wasp survives the winter here. They tear up the honeycomb and eat everything in sight including the bees. There's not much a person can do except reduce the entrance opening, set up wasp traps or try to prevent the wasps from re-entering. I just pray to the bee goddess that they didn't kill our queen bee before a balance was regained. I think there is some symbolism here with what's going on in the world.

The taproot tunic top (a misnomer because it's not as long as a tunic) is finished but it is bigger than I would like. Next time I'm going down a size and using linen and making it long like a real tunic. Maybe black linen, I can't wait.

I found two dye-bundles from last summer in a box in the garage. One cloth has decent pattern and can be re-dyed while the other disintegrates when touched. The November calendar cloth is from 2013's moon stitch ritual -- nice to revisit pieces from the past.

Our Thanksgiving cactus with all its buds in various stages -- "A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms." 

homemade bias tape

 

The other day I suddenly remembered the Taproot Tunic cut out so long ago, before my sewing machine went on the blink and gardens needed planting and replanting and whatever else happened to make me forget about it. And I love it. Mostly because it fits perfectly but also because it was so easy and fun to make. The pattern called for making double-folded bias tape, which only increased the job satisfaction level. I couldn't decide which print to use so decided to piece together both and that is the one I'll use. More later when it's all finished (and ironed). 

I'm thinking up ways to use homemade bias tape now. I can definitely see myself in the sewing room some night very soon listening to podcasts and using up all my leftover fabrics to make yards and yards of bias tape. I need bias tape makers in every size, I do. And more sticks.

Fall hasn't really kicked in completely here yet -- the milk thistle, Silybum marianum, shows no sign of decline and the same goes for ornamental kale in a big clay pot. Serviceberry leaves are taking their time as well.  If anything, some things look better now than ever in spite of their much slower pace. I hope to adopt this same kind of attitude particularly the part about looking better than ever.

There's absolutely no reason for being rushed along with the rush. Everybody should be free to go very slow...~Robert Frost