Mocktail Dress Design

This is the dress I will be working on next. Very excited about it! The main challenge will be that the zipper will be down the side instead of the back.

Summer's Coming Dress

Here it goes. My new favorite dress. It is lightweight, comfortable and modest. Love of my life. Eventually, I will remember to take a picture of me wearing it. Until then, you get to see how flattering it makes the hanger look.

Thanks to Lindsay for helping me with the zipper! It turned out MUCH better than my first attempt:)

Old Poems

This particular poem is mirrored. I had never seen this be done before, but wanted to write a poem that could be read word-for-word backwards and still be pertinent. I purposefully and carefully crafted it to portray death as it happens, through the eyes of the deceased. Written in 2006. 

(Then, only then you’ll see.)

Look there, look! See—then die.

Hearts darkened, darkened from sadness and smiles lost of light.

Forgotten, say never!

In there hidden but

Seen only, not loved

Are memories and friends forgotten

The darkness guided from moving hearts

Informs heaven of something;

Life becomes death, oh death!

Dark and bleak and cruel and unforgiving

So, seems it bitter.

Stop! Don’t go! Hear and listen

Voices deep inside.

Forever going, desperately;

Look! Blindly look! See—then die.

Die then see. Look! Blindly look!

Desperately going forever;

Inside deep voices

Listen and hear. Go! Don’t stop!

Bitter it seems

So unforgiving and cruel and bleak and dark

Death oh death becomes life

Something of heaven informs

Hearts moving from guided darkness.

The forgotten friends and memories

Are loved, not only seen

But hidden therein

Never say forgotten!

Light of lost smiles and sadness from darkened, darkened hearts

Die—then see. Look, there look!

Then, only then you’ll see.

My Last Horizon

The older I get the younger I die

Behold the wary passer-by

In frigid fright of first my breath

I hold upon my own bod’s death

And cringe in simple sweetness oft

In deepened thought nay hard nor soft

Upon life’s lock the ship-gates swung

And soon the years of death are young

And none are left but yet a few

My sorrows, joys, forever due

I now am young, though old I be

From life, from death, become I free.

04/14/07

As I have been filtering through my old documents, I've come across dozens and dozens of poems I don't ever remember writing. It's fun to read them so many years later!

Rupert Illustration

This is an illustration I drew on Photoshop for my children's book, Rupert. Depicted is Rupert and his imaginary dragon, Bloo. 

32 more pictures to come:) This is the beginning of a very long journey.

Della's Riverbend Quilt

I am so excited about this post! I have been anticipating this end-result for almost 3 weeks and I am thrilled, I mean THRILLED with how it turned out! I made this for Della, in hopes that she will have it for years to come. For my brother, Saul, it was his Turtle Blanket. For my brother, Judd, it was Red October (his red baby blanket) and for Della, maybe it'll be this Riverbend Quilt. If not, that's OK, she still has her little friend, Zebra to love and cuddle and tote around.

I did a lot of "firsts" with this quilt. First and foremost, this is my first quilt. Ever. Second, it was my first time doing circles, and if you're wondering how I did them, just click on the "Circles Made Easy" link on the right in my Honorable Mentions tab. Third, I have never done embroidery of any kind. That link is also under Honorable Mentions. Fourth, I have never used linen, and this entire quilt is linen. I love that it is always wrinkly, it has a very old-fashioned style and feel to it.

here is a close up of the decorative stitch.

And of course, I have to show a bit of the process. Here is 1/3 of it. After I got the front all patched together I headed over to my friend, Lindsay's so she could help me with the batting and binding. I had no idea what I was doing! So, since we didn't have a quilting frame, we pinned them to the floor, and once they were pinned in place I started sewing. Unfortunately, when I was about 1/3 of the way done sewing it all together,  we realized we had forgotten the batting! NO WAY! But I didn't want to stitch rip what I had done, so I finished it and was just going to have a really thin quilt. Then Lindsay's mother-in-law, Sue came over and convinced us to take it ALL apart and put in the batting. And I'm so glad she did! It made all the difference in the world. :) So, thanks, Sue! And thanks, Lindsay for all of the help, I had a blast.

And voila! The finished product! I made a matching pillowcase with the leftover material, below is a closer look of it.

It has SO many imperfections, but it kind of adds to the character of the quilt. And Della already likes it, she rolls around on it and traces the stitches with her finger, hides under it and lays on the pillow and sucks her thumb... I think she knows it's hers:) So stinkin' cute!

Hope you likey!