Uncovering: With the Cloak of Many Colors

It's been quite cold here in north central Florida with gray skies and cold winds blowing through, temps fell into the low twenties all week which of course meant it was time to tuck in the plants

We weren't fortunate enough to get any of the snow that fell on Tallahassee or Pensacola but I know when I left the house earlier this week I was hit in the face with sleet or maybe a few flurries. I feel a little disappointed each time the temps drop so cold, the skies break gray  and in your heart you just know it is snowing north of where you stand and I long to walk in the beauty where everything covered in white snow surrounded by the silence that usually follows.

I know I could drive north to enjoy the snow, I also know my old bones feel the cold now more than a year ago and those old bones ache deep inside, the arthritis and old bone breaks let me know I'm not missing as much as I think, so perhaps just longing for the snow and reading about it on friends and family blogs is enough for me this year.

A few days ago I was browsing the internet as I do from time to time, reading blogs, looking at posts on Pinterest, reserving a few books for the library reading challenge when somewhere along my web travels I came across this colorful Ruana:

Echo Ruana from Paradox Moon

Oh the riot of color, I was enchanted from the moment my eyes fell on the photo, yes that photo above, from Paradox Moon. I saved the photo and posted it on my Facebook along with this one also from Paradox Moon and asked for opinions.

Helena Ruana from Paradox Moon

I think I knew I was going to buy it the moment I saw it but I waited a few days I don't like to make impulse buys.  For days I couldn't get it out of my mind, I just loved the colors, the embroidery the way it made me feel when I thought about it, something was happening to me I couldn't explain it but I felt that feeling before a long, long time ago.  Four days after I first laid eyes on it I bought it.  I purchased it on the evening of the first full moon of the year perhaps shedding my old ways to lay a path to start a whole new cycle.

the back Echo Ruana

It arrived Thursday afternoon when I wrapped the ruana around me I unwrapped a part of myself  I felt more alive, free and easy. This baffled me to no end could a mere garment cause such a feeling of transformation? I felt awake for the first time in a very long time, not the awake you feel after a long night of sound sleep, but awake to my life the part I seem to have tucked away a while back and somehow I forgot all about.

My friend K left this comment on my FB page It's gorgeous. You are going to feel so wonderful walking around in it.  She was right, though I felt so much more, I could feel layers of dust fall from me the old stirrings of creativity rumbling from deep down inside me, the potter, the painter, the writer, all long tucked away deep within like my garden plants waiting to be uncovered to the sunlight once again.  I need to hold on and embrace this rediscovered me, it looks like 2018 is going to be an interesting year.

The link to Paradox Moon:https://www.facebook.com/ParadoxMoonClothing

On another note I haven't done much stitching this week my hands and fingers are sore and holding the needle can be quite painful, the tingling can really be maddening, and the arthritis with the cold doesn't help so I have spent a few days reading.  Yesterday while out running a few errands I stopped by the library to pick up a few books I reserved.

I had joined a few reading challenges for 2018 and these will fit in nicely for the 2018 Library Love Challenge. Here is the link if you are interested. 

http://angelsguiltypleasures.com/2017/12/sign-up-open-2018-library-love-challenge/  

I am an avid reader and patron of the local library, every book checked out helps get those library funds.  I didn't read as many books last year I was so engrossed in hand embroidery I sort of just let it slide I plan to remedy that this year. 

On the stitching front I made a little more progress on the greenman piece, my fingers were too achy to get much done but every stitch counts.

It's beginning to warm up a little and by mid week daytime temps should be in the 60's which should help my hands start feeling nimble again today I need to start the embroidery work on my crazy quilt block for January. This is the block:

 I have pulled out some beads from that big stash I found at a local thrift shop back in early December for $5.00, I do love a good find.

I wondered after I brought them home would I be able to use them all? Maybe not I plan to use some  on each crazy quilt block.  I am linking today at Kathy's Quilts here is the link
https://kathysquilts.blogspot.ca/2018/01/a-new-year-of-slow-sunday-stitching.html
go on over to see what other talented bloggers are hand stitching today.

I have the answer to my question as to whether the Frixion pen lines would disappear after being ironed, yesterday I was pressing the crayon tint on a project before I began stitching and YES those lines do disappear when ironed, lucky for me it was my own pattern so I can retrace the stitching lines.

Silly me had forgotten all about the pens lines I just wanted to get the crayon tinting set so I could start stitching.