Slow Sunday Stitching and a Word of the Year Goddess Doll

Yesterday evening I made a sweet little Goddess doll with my Word of the Year, Tend. I was inspired by the little dolls made by Mirjam Gielen. (Mirjam Textiles). I purchased the Stitch Goddesses  pattern from her Etsy shop to use as the base of my goddess doll. I watched her video tutorial to see how she went about making hers and then proceeding to craft mine my way. Photo shows front and back.

I printed the pattern onto card stock, chose a piece of fabric for the body front and traced around the pattern pretty much how it was done in the video. Then I worked my own magic in the stitching of the goddess. I stitched the body from the backside of the fabric first using the running stitch, flipped it over and proceeded to wrap the running stitch to get a more defined line of stitching. I also chose one of the faces to use included in the pattern. I made a little tag with my word of the year: TEND, stitched it to the body and then put it aside to think about how I would finish her.

Initially I thought of attaching her to a light piece of cardboard to make a card, may be even adding a piece of fabric to the back to complete the card. (I’ll do this for another one)

In the end I made her into a doll after all it was the artist’s own dolls that inspired me to make one, I purchased the pattern to be supportive of other fiber artist and I love making goddess and spirit dolls.

I pulled out a piece of fabric for the dolls back trimmed it to measure the same size square. I stitched with the right sides together just outside my original stitch line for the front. I trimmed off all the excess fabric, turned it out which took a bit of time with such a small piece of fabric, stuffed her with cotton batting and rosemary.

She turned out exactly as I hoped, today I pulled out more fabric bits to make another. I was originally going to make a slow stitch fabric base but I wanted to see how it would turn out. I could have followed the original tutorial but I like to experiment, this time it worked out well. It’s a fairly quick project which I like to do between larger projects I’m working on.

I'm linking my post to Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching check out the link to see what other bloggers are slow stitching here https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2025/03/slow-sunday-stitching.html

 Here is the link to the Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/MirjamTextiles

The second baby blanket is completed for my daughter in laws cousin who recently had twins, a girl and a boy. I posted a photo of the 1st blanket in my post yesterday.

Now to pack them up and ship them off to Switzerland.  But first I need to start the vertical stitching on the winter goddess slow stitch piece.

Happy Stitching!

Slow Sunday Stitching The Winter Goddess

Another month moving at a rapid speed, it seems like only yesterday I was light a candle for Imbolc and here we are half way through another.

The days are growing noticeably longer which is a sure sign Spring is on her way which I am looking forward to.  

I finally had the time and energy to begin the Slow Stitch Winter goddess piece after gathering fabric scraps nearly a week ago.  I laid out the arrangement and pin each piece down on the backing fabric where I had traced the goddess template. This is the easy part of creating one of these goddess pieces.

For the winter goddess I am using fabric in the colors of the winter skies I see throughout the winter months here in Florida. Here is the fabrics pinned down.

This time the fabric scraps were not placed randomly, I selected each piece changing the layout and the colors until I liked what I saw. I pinned every piece down before I began to stitch.

I would first stitch each piece down across the center to be sure each piece was attached to the backing fabric, then I stitched around the traced line of the template from the back of the fabric so I know where my cut line will be once all the the stitching is complete.  I usually stitch horizontal and vertical lines of running stitch through the entire piece.

I'm just glad I have all the pieces in place once all the stitching is done I will cut her off the backing fabric and attached her to the background fabric and the embellishments can begin.  It's a slow process.  

I will be linking my post today at Kathy's Quilts for the Slow Sunday Stitching where you can see what Kathy and other bloggers are slow stitch this week:

 https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2025/02/slow-sunday-stitching.html

I have another wonderful embroidery kit from Missouri Star Quilts Company, as soon as I laid eyes on the Garden Friends kit I knew I had to have it.  It includes everything you need except the fabric. At first I thought I would just use the stick and stitch pieces on different embroideries but the more I looked at the pattern booklet and saw the set in my newsletters I bought the fabric kit as well.

The embroidery kit includes: 10 Missouri Star Perle Cotton 10-oz floss colors and 140 pre-printed Missouri Star Peel & Stitch designs,  7” birch wood hoop, embroidery scissors, two needles (#3 and #6), a needle threader, and a magnetic needle minder (1”).  

The Fabric kit includes:  Includes the quilt pattern, a large hexagon acrylic template, 99 precut 10” squares— Essex Yarn Dye Curry. Essex Ivory, Robert Kaufman Essex Natural and 5/8 yard of Essex Natural by Robert Kaufman for binding.  

I planned to make this Radiating Golden layout when I first saw the kit,  now as I look at the other layout I may wind up making it.  

The fabric kit is also available in denim colorway. The fabric kit includes everything you need to make a  62” x 76 1/2” quilt.

There is also video tutorials for the kits, and if you purchase the kit through the website you can get the designs in a PDF. Photos of the kits and quilts from the Shops website. I am not affiliated with the company I'm just a very satisfied customer.

Here is a link the the kits page: https://www.missouriquiltco.com/pages/garden-friends-embroidery-kit

This week I am reading the newest book in the China Bayle mystery series, this is book 29 in the series by Susan Wittig Albert

I had my consultation in Gainesville on Thursday after waiting 5 months for the appointment to set up a D&C so they can do the biopsy the other office couldn't do because of a miscommunication of a pill I was supposed to take before the procedure that could have been done in the office.  I was told to take it before the ultra sound which was wrong.  Anyway, this doctor is going to do the biopsy in his office, has given me proper instructions of when to take the medications so that I can hopefully avoid a hospital out patient surgery.  This is all fine and dandy but I am a bit miffed at why my doctor could just reschedule the biopsy for another time, on the record it just states it couldn't be done, so the doctor never inquired what happened with the Physician Assistant. 

I initially had to have the consult because I am high risk due to the blood thinners and my Gyn didn't want me to have the D&C at out local hospital.  Makes one wonder doesn't it?

Slow Sunday Stitching

 Oh my goddess it's the 8th of December!  I've been so busy with the shops I have barely had time to lift my head to take a breath.  We have had a cold snap this week with temperatures dropping to the low 30's, its been warming up a little but for some reason I feel cold all day.  

This year I'm finding dealing with the  A-Fib while pulling and packing items to be a bit of a challenge. I have had to get a little creative with my time and energy.  Taking short catch your breath moments and stop and wait for the heart rate to slow down seems to be working. Mondays are the hardest days because I am packing stuff from Friday evening through the 8:00 am Monday cut off time.  

This weekend I am working throughout the weekend taking a small amount of time for myself.  I am so glad there is only 2 weeks lefts before Christmas. 

The one good thing about all this is I am determined to find a doctor that specializes in Atrial Fibrillation so that  maybe something can be done to improve the condition.  I have done a bit of research and there are procedures and medications used for some people, I just don't know if there is anything for someone that is considered 100% in A-FIB.  I need to know more.  While I have a medication to prevent me from having a stroke, and a very over priced med at that.  I need a way to function in my day to day life.  I want to make my bed without feeling like I should take a nap.  I want to take a nice long walk with out feeling exhausted for days.  I want to do more than sit and read a book or stitch some embroidery, while I love those things I want to be more active again without needing days to recover. Because as I see it lately this is not living, I feel myself getting depressed and I'm not having that right now.

On an up note I finished the last block of the Woven Wreaths Stitch Along,  I enjoyed stitching these little motifs through the year.  Here is December:

I did a little more on the autumn goddess slow stitched piece, adding and oak leaves and acorns headpiece, some drifting leaves and an owl.

I stitched an oak and acorns piece and added it to the top corner, later today I plan to add a few more drifting leaves and a few other bits.  I will link my post to Kathy's Quilts for the Sunday slow stitching here is the link: https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2024/12/slow-sunday-stitching_01163368706.html 

I am currently reading The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan.  I am enjoying this book so much.

Here is a little peek inside the covers:

I love the hand written pages and sketches of the birds so much I am inspired to start a nature journal for 2025.  

I have come to a major decision for me, this year is the last year I will keep a personal written journal.  I'm 69 years old and my first diary/journal I began when I was 9. Sixty years of keeping a personal journal is long enough. 

Anyway time to post so I can have some lunch and then start packing stuff for Monday's shipping.

November, What I'm stitching on this Slow Stitching Sunday.

 

Here we are in a whole new month with endless possibilities. The weather here in north central Florida begins to change to cooler days dropping from the 90's to the low to mid 80's.  It may not seem like a big change but believe me when you have mid to upper 90's for nearly 7 months it's a welcome change, at least it is for me.  After 30 years living here you would think this northern transplant would be used to the weather and nearly non existent seasonal changes. 

I have stitched the November block of the Kathy Schmitz Woven Wreaths piece. The cornucopia, next month is the last block.  I love stitching up these little motifs, I have loved Kathy Schmitz designs for years and have enjoyed the Stitch Along, though I have changed the stitches for many of the motifs.

Progress on my autumn goddess piece is coming along, I have finished stitching everything down vertically and horizontally so I could cut her out, later today I will add her to some background fabric and begin to add embellishments with hand embroidery and some fussy cut bits and pieces I have.

She does look so much better once you can see her form after she is cut from all those bits of scrap fabrics.

I still have to stitch the pieces to the 2nd prompt of the Roxy's Journal of Stitchery. I finally had the

energy to iron the pieces flat getting out the fold lines of the fabrics. later I will work on this as part of Slow Sunday Stitching.  The last prompt for Autumn is autumn birds, I have no idea what bird or birds I will choose and I still have to layout my mossy forest prompt.  Time does have a way of flying by. For today I have my stitching lined up and I'll link to Kathy's Quilts here   https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2024/11/october-flosstube.html

I put in the last pieces of my slow stitched background block and plan to work on this first today for

Slow Sunday Stitching.  

The hibiscus plant I purchased back in February has been blooming on a near daily basis with no signs of stopping.  

I have always had great success with hibiscus plants but this one is by far the best.  I purchased this at Bob Wine's Camellia Gardens nursery along with several other plants.  The azalea and the jasmine bloom spring and summer. The milkweed keeps coming back after the caterpillars munch them down and one of the azalea plants I believe is a early winter bloomer.  These need to be transplanted in the next few weeks once I decide if I should plant them in ground or just larger pots.  

The last Slow Sunday Stitching for October

 Wow we are nearly at the end of October, time flies doesn't it.  The older I get the faster the days seem to pass.

The A-Fib is kicking my butt all over the place so I am trying to pay close attention to what I am doing that makes me extra tired but so far it varies too much.  Like yesterday I did some shopping and browsing around Walmart, I needed a few things tape and new tape dispenser copy paper and a few items in the grocery section.  I looked at the books for a short time but for the most part just did what I needed to do. I checked out and planned to drop off the things I bought at home and then go for a walk.  

Well that didn't happen because an hour browsing around the store very early on a Saturday morning was all this body could stand. I was done with any physical activity for the rest of the day.  I need to find a specialist that deals with Atrial Fibrillation because this is not living, its barely existing.  

On the up side of things I can stitch without too much trouble and have completed the stitching on the Kathy Schmitz Fright Night piece.

Here are the individual motifs

One of the motifs is the same pumpkin in the Woven Wreaths for October

I love the little oak leaves and rose hips in the pumpkin it just says autumn to me. 

I have stitched some of the leaves for the 1st autumn prompt for the Roxy's Journal of Stitchery Vol. 6 slow stitch piece and have laid out some leaves to add. The other bits are for the 2nd prompt Mossy Forest which I am working on at the moment which will be moved onto a separate cloth I was just selecting some bits when I snapped the photo.

I am also working on another Goddess slow stitch piece, this one for autumn, so far I have the fabric scraps sewn down.

I have begun slowly stitching vertical and horizontally to be sure everything stays in place before I cut her out and put her onto the main background fabric.

Once I cut out the goddess she will be similar to the summer goddess I made.

Speaking of Summer, the Roxys Journal of Stitchery Spring the last spring prompt was Blooms or Blossom for The blossoms I used a block from a Darlene Zimmerman panel which I will add to the slow stitched background.

The Summer prompts was Wildflowers and the 2nd was insect which I added to the wildflowers piece. 

The 3rd prompt for Summer was lazy summer days which is still in progress.  I won't be putting all my pages together until they are all complete.  I still have bits I want to add to the wildflowers

Today in my Facebook feed this photo showed up of my pin cushion with thread loaded needles on my stitching table. That photo was taken life before Simon my cat came to live with me.

Now, I keep Simon in mind whenever I am stitching, I still have the thread loaded needles at the ready, only now they are inside a box so Simon doesn't get a hold of them.

The 3 pincushions are loaded with different threads for different projects though currently only 2 are in use. I am linking my post at Kathy's Quilts https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2024/10/slow-sunday-stitching_0739717889.html

Take a look and see what other talented bloggers are slow stitching today.

I am currently reading The Gathering by Katherine Genet a friend sent me. From the first lines of the 1st chapter: 'This is where we all begin. Right where we are.' To the last line of the 1st chapter: 'And thus, I reach out across time to you.' I was pulled into this book.

I am also reading Restart Your Heart, it reads like a text book but I am learning about this condition and optimistic about finding a way to help myself thrive going forward.