winter sewing and winter sowing

I'm craving spicy arugula greens drizzled with olive oil and freshly-squeezed lemon juice and a generous sprinkling of coarse sea salt. Doesn't that sound so good? I never think about or even use arugula that much during the spring, summer or fall, I only want it when it's not growing in my garden. Probably a winter-related nutritional deficiency. Sewing with green and yellow on the January moon helps.

My calendar designates Thursdays as when to practice the Law of Intention and Desire by making a list of desires. It says that inherent in every intention and desire are the mechanics for their fulfillment. I think of a seed or bulb containing everything it needs to germinate, grow and flourish.

Be discerning when making a list or choosing seeds to plant. These tiny seedlings are from this dandelion puff I planted. But in my case, I'm hoping for dandelion greens. In salads.

An altar table where I keep crystals, candles, feathers and other sacred objects -- since the light streams through the window above it during the winter, it becomes a green altar. This is not a place I want to be seeing too much yellow because that would mean something is off.

I have come upon a most interesting method of growing seedlings for the garden -- winter sowing. The basic premise is that seeds planted in small self-styled greenhouses and placed outside in the elements will germinate and grow in their own perfect time. I used plastic quart water jugs and a plastic liter bottle. I first drilled holes all over the bottom for drainage, drilled a few more holes around the top opening for ventilation and finally cut the jug in half leaving a section under the handle to act as a hinge. 

After I filled the bottom section with about 3" of soil, I moistened the soil and sowed the seeds, the same depth as when planting in the garden.

 

The slice around the center of the container needs to be taped back up for these cold months. I used strapping tape but plan to find some clear duct tape for the next batch. The screw top should be left off.

Labeled with a waterproof pen, these will be placed together in a plastic bin (with more drainage holes) for protection and stability. I'll put the bin on a back-yard table top out of reach of the four-leggeds. In a few months when tiny seedlings begin to emerge, they'll need a closer eye. At the point when temperatures rise or when the soil dries out, the tape can be removed and the top half flipped open for sun/baths. Winter sowing is to be done in January, February and March, depending on your zone. And lastly, I mostly followed the directions from here, here and here.

The Law of Intention and Desire ends with trusting that when things don't seem to go your way, there is a reason. 

And I would add that things have their own perfect time. xx

full circle

I used my biggest mixing bowl as a template for the January moon and then basted it onto a well-worn white quilt. The quilt is the canvas for full circle, my 2016 moon stitch ritual. I am repairing the quilt here and there as well -- by the time all 13 moons have been sewn on, it will have been transformed into something totally different. It's still on the bed so when I work on it, I literally have to go back to bed. Sort of awkward but it's so big that leaving it there might be the best option.

One little Quilty 365 moon square from plant-dyed cotton each day is good medicine -- a small accomplishment that also calms and grounds me.

 It definitely looks like the year of the full circle.

I have been consumed with devising a new food plan for our two pups. Over the years, I've gone back and forth with various natural foods for them -- always ending up with what I had time for, which was high-quality dry kibble with a little fresh here and there. But with one turning 12 soon, I decided to venture back into a natural, mostly raw, diet for them. A calcium supplement is advised for the days without raw meaty bones and wouldn't you know, eggshells can be made into a good source of calcium (not just for dogs -- for the soil and people, too, although I have never taken it). Here's how.

Rinse out the inside of the eggshell, let dry and save in a jar until you have enough to make it worth turning the oven on. Bake the eggshells for 10 minutes at 300 degrees. When cool enough to handle, grind in a coffee/spice grinder until fine. One teaspoon is about 1800 milligrams of calcium.

I used this book as my guide.

Our two dogs can and do eat entire raw eggs, shells and all...just not every day. 

The grocery store had a deal on bouquets of eucalyptus and I immediately thought of Nat and India Flint and their success with using eucalyptus for dyeing and eco-printing. My experience has been the opposite, failure after failure. It must be our water. But this cotton has also been scoured, hope that makes a difference.

Eucalyptus is one of Earth's oldest healers. I wish I knew more about its many healing qualities, but not being native to my location I know very little about it aside from its antiseptic value and its ability to clear congestion. Even so, the ancient fragrance of eucalyptus awakens something deep within me. And I can almost remember...

flourish

The past year wasn't the easiest for me but changes needed to be made. And I'm here to say many things are, in fact, different...I tried to listen to my inner voice and act more from the heart and a shift has occurred. Like maybe down-shifting into a slower, more powerful gear.

Feeling more free along with the spirit of a new year so full of promise and potential, I really wanted to join in on the focus-word-for-the-year concept. Didn't have much luck on my own though, everything I hit on seemed related to self-care and I really didn't like the feeling of being my own baby for a year. Not this year anyway.

So I turned to Susannah Conway's website and used her materials to go deeper with this idea. She has created a free downloadable program to help zero in on a focus word (or several words) and another free downloadable program to incorporate that focus into everyday life. 

I realized what I really wanted was to create a favorable environment for myself that allows me to thrive and do my thing. 

Flourish. A good word. 

And those are our good dogs, Talula and Daisy.

I'm not here to improve the house or other people or groups of people, I'm here to be myself. 

So, hopefully, no big house-or-otherwise projects in the year ahead. But rather abundant time and space to flourish.

xo

sewing rituals

I like to create new rituals for myself around the beginning of the year. Mainly for the structure to work within but also for the magic -- because repetition creates a well-worn pathway and good things can happen there. Some years ideas for rituals come fast and furious and it's hard to choose and then sometimes not.

I've used a store-bought white quilt for many years -- in summer it is the only blanket on the bed and in winter a feather comforter goes on top of it. I wash and dry it often and it is literally coming apart, mostly around the edges, and the binding is wearing through too. Fingers and toes get caught in the loose threads. But it's so soft. The last few nights before sleep I've been mending it by stitching along the threadways. Now I'm thinking about using it as a canvas for my 13-moon monthly stitch ritual but a plan hasn't emerged quite yet.*

A daily sewing ritual is in its early stages as well. The idea is to make one circle/square daily and assemble the squares to make a quilt top. I learned about this project from Lyn and the originator of the Quilty 365 year-long project is Audrey of the Quilty Folk blog found here . I'm hoping to use mostly plant-dyed cotton cloth for both the 4 1/2" squares and the 3" moons. Audrey suggests choosing the fabric each day and not ahead of time -- even if you aren't able to do the actual sewing on it, the color choice will be unique for that day. This will be a good use for some of the home-dyed cloth that has accumulated and also a good reason to continue dyeing. I'm not letting the 365 intimidate me too much, just planning to work at my own pace.

I guess I feel like sewing this year. Wishing you the happiest, most magical New Year ever. xx


*Possibly some smaller woven moons like this one that I made a few years ago in a Spiritcloth class.