you are sew loved

"Feeding the people I love is a hands-on way of loving them. When you nourish and sustain someone, essentially, you're saying that you want them to thrive, to be happy and healthy and able to live well."

Author Shauna Niequist writes about her love of food, and how she has found that cooking for others is a tangible way of loving them. And though I don't often feel that way about food, that's exactly what sewing means to me. Sewing for the people I love is a hands-on way of loving them -- of keeping them warm and comforted, and perhaps brightening their day with a bit of colour. Emotion often stays concealed in the remote world of the heart and mind, but we can bring it out into the physical realm of the senses. Love is a warm bowl of minestone soup on a cold day. Love is a soft blanket to wrap around your shoulders when you wake before dawn. It's hands-on, it's communicated.

This quilt is a bit of tangible love for Art and Lylabeth -- a couple we met a week after we moved to Texas and were feeling very distant in that new-start, new-place sort of way. They showed us love with homemade cinnamon lemonade. Love was a physical space around the dining table, or room on the big leather sofa. Love was well-thumbed pages in borrowed books.

Next week, then, this quilt goes up for auction at the Salvation Army Banquet in honour of Art. You can find more details on the event here.

Ode to a Mutt

We had a terribly terribly sad day recently when our lovely dog, Itsabella Slagle, ran off through a poorly-latched garden gate. She was gone for twenty-six hours. Twenty-six long hours. Which meant that we spent a long, sleepless night looking at her empty bed, and a long, helpless day posting signs, praying to St. Anthony, and thinking about all the things that make our little mutt so special.

Bella, who is always right there watching over Tilly, wanting to comfort her, waiting to lick her feet.

Bella, who just yearns for five seconds alone with my nursing pillow so that she can pull all the stuffing out of it.

Bella, who lies in Tilly's doorway, knowing she isn't allowed in the room, but inching further and further in when she thinks I'm not looking.

Bella, the sheep mauler.

Bella, with the softest chin.

Bella, who claims the area under the sofa as her den, and loves to lie either with just her head poking out, or just her tail.

Bella, who always knows when you just need a little cuddle, and comes to lie her head on your feet.

Luckily, she came back to us -- exhausted, thirsty, and with a belly full of the cheap dog food that makes dogs very gassy -- but happy and safe. She'd been picked up not far from our house, had spent the night with college students, and their pitbull and mastiff, and had probably had the time of her life while we were worrying!

Tiger, Tiger

October 6: Tiger, Tiger, originally uploaded by RedRedCompletelyRed.

We're way over half way through our "Year of the Tiger" photo-a-day, now, and would still highly highly recommend doing it. Not only do we have an obscene amount of photos of Tilly, but as the year goes on and on, just the challenge of finding something around the house that I haven't already photographed makes for quite the creative challenge!

Treading Softly

Perhaps it's all of the gorgeous Polaroids I've been seeing lately, but something in me is leaning towards softness and light in my photos this week, rather than contrast and shadows.

It's sinking in, I suppose, that not everything needs to be bold and bright to be noticed or beautiful. That's something I've always struggled with a bit, being rather quiet and soft-spoken by nature, and it feels really lovely to capture some quiet moments on camera.

The Red Leaf Heart

Today was one of those beautiful, find-any-reason-to-be-outside kinds of days. I didn't feel like reading, I didn't feel like writing, and Bella wanted to sit in the bushes and chew on her own leg instead of playing fetch. But I still wanted to be outside.

What happened was the great de-leafing of the funny bush in our garden that grows mostly green leaves, but with a few bright bright red leaves as well.

I made a little collection of the reddest leaves, and managed to happily amuse myself for quite a long time, arranging them into a little heart.

Of course, once she spotted the camera, Bella trotted over, and decided that she needed to be the centre of attention!

And, as a little update, I'm very proud to say I'm now in my third trimester! New cravings include: tortilla chips and salsa that's rather spicier than I usually like, strawberries, raspberry and yoghurt homemade smoothies, and banana splits. So, I've got a feeling Tilly's going to like fruit!

Snow in Texas

What fun! It's snowing... and the snow is sticking!

I've been out photographing fence-posts,

and our lovely Bella, who enjoyed wearing her winter jumper,

catching snowflakes on her nose,

and eating big mouthfuls of snow!

Just when I thought spring was on the way! My Ugg boots are going to be worn until the baby arrives at this rate!

Knitting

I've started on my largest knitting project yet: a baby blanket for little Tilly. It's a lovely simple pattern, just calling for one colour of wool, but it's done in what's called 'basket weave' stitch, which adds a bit of fun, and keeps me interested in knitting it!

(You can see the blanket in the bottom right corner)

It's a lovely dusky pink, and though I do wish it was a bit softer (it felt softer when it was wound up!), I'm sure we'll find a use for it. It takes four balls of wool, and so far, I'm on ball number 2... so still a lot of knitting to go! Luckily, it's rainy today, so I should be quite productive.

Oh, yes, and I've already spilled a glass of pineapple juice on the blanket, so I'm eager to finish it so I can give it a wash! :)

And Bella makes three

I did manage to make Bella a stocking in time for Christmas, with green felt and little doggie paws along the top:

We filled it with raw-hide treats, a new squeaky beaver, and a big bone to chew on. And how fun, our initials spell out a word, 'Jab'!

Jingle Bella

So well-behaved, Bella hasn't eaten any of our tree decorations. See how she's sitting so neatly, toes pointed, by the tree? The camera definitely brings out her best behaviour.

Stockings

I recently hung up the felt stockings I made last year, and felt a resurging of pride! I'd really wanted to make stockings that we'll keep for a long time, and I definitely still love them one year on!

Here's Justin's, with a grizzly bear and Christmas trees:

And mine, with a moosie and folky hearts:

I need to make one for Bella, too, for this year, and now that work is over, that should be easy to find time for. I can't decide whether to put her one of her favourite animals on (a beaver or a hedgehog) or do a dog that looks like her. Maybe both? I do know that I want to do little paw-prints on the white band at the top!

So, yay for hand-stitching and hand-made all the way! I hope Santa notices!

Big Box of Yarn

Yes, it really is my lucky week! The postman also brought me this big box of yarn from Justin's Grandma!

She had heard I was into knitting, and so gathered up this collection of unusual treasures! There are yarns that look like feathers, yarns that look like confetti got spun into them, yarns that are fluffy, yarns that are fuzzy, and everything in between!

Unfortunately, there are no yarns that are for chewing on.

So, I'm looking for unusual projects worthy of these special yarns! Any ideas?

I've also been baking today, and used a favourite banana bread recipe (not mine, so I'm not sure I can give it out, sorry!) to make little muffins to take to a friend's house tonight. Texan women can bake like no other, so I'm hoping my offering will be well accepted!

Hope you're having a lovely week of autumn beauty!

xo

Bella's Treat Pouch

A new doggie project! Bella and I have been going to training each week, and I've found it's very important to have treats on me at all times! (Otherwise, she doesn't really understand 'Sit' very well!) So, I fashioned this treat pouch for her.

Yes, she's knows what it's used for! Every now and then, I let her lick out the little crumbs from previous treats!

It's a really simply project... just a long rectangle of felt, seamed at the back and sewn together (on the inside) at the bottom, to make a little pocket. I sewed a strip of felt on to the back too, to make a belt loop (so I can have it handy) and I put velcro strips inside to hold it closed when necessary.

I really do think it has helped with training! That, and the fact that Bella is just such a clever coyote!

What a Weekend

Wow, did I need that weekend! Starting a new job is very exciting, but I sure got tired fast, and so we had a lovely relaxing Saturday and Sunday.

And what's more relaxing that sitting beside a peaceful lake, doggie and husband at your side? We took the fishing rods out there, and caught a few ('small') catfish. It was great!

Bella enjoyed getting to sniff the fishies before we threw them back.

How pretty! You can't really see it in the photo, but there's a gorgeous white egret in one of the trees.

"Hey, you're supposed to be taking pictures of me!"

Off the Needles

My vertical stripy scarf is now off the needles... and onto the dog!

What a little fox.

She wouldn't go outside this morning because it was raining, so I might just have to make her a little raincoat and some rain boots as well!

It's just the perfect length for me, or for a fencepost.

And much softer than bark...

Can you tell that I like living somewhere where there's trees and grass and doggies and backyards? :)

Hassleless Tassels

I've finally put the tassels on that fisherman scarf I started a few weeks ago, and I'm really very happy with how it looks.

The mohair ends remind me of suede elbow pads on tweed suits...

It is long enough that Justin can actually wear it now, and hey, it looks pretty good on Bella, too! (Although she does like to chew on those tassels... I wonder if the fact that they're mohair attracts her!)

It really wasn't too hard, either. If I'd thought of adding the mohair ends before I knitted the main part of the scarf, it would have been easier, but for a mistake, it worked pretty well to simply go back to the start, pick up the cast-on stitches, and add the ending and tassels.

The only way you'd really know I did this is that the stocking stitch is running the other direction at one end... but I would bet you anything that Justin won't ever notice that!!

Oh, and a good guide to tassel-making, if you're not familiar with it, is here!

Off to the vet today for Bella's first physical, and then I'm going to finish a new design I've been working on: Sporty Betsy! I plan to sell tennis and golf themed Betsy cards at sports clubs and so on... so we'll see how that goes!

Welcome home, doggie!

Last Friday, I brought home the newest member of our family, Bella the "Foxy Lady" and already it feels like she's always been here! (She's asleep on my feet right now, even!!)

This is her with the squeaky beaver we bought her! She loves it... but unfortunately couldn't the difference between hers and mine, so I had to save Mrs. Beaver's life the other day and pull her from Bella's jaws!

Yesterday was my birthday, and we thought it would be fun to take Bella to the dog park. It had a huge pond that she was a little wary of... but once she saw the other dogs in there, she did a little paddling.

She likes to steal tennis balls out of other dogs mouths instead of fetching them herself!

And then she takes them off and guards them! What a funny girl.

I did something this morning that I've NEVER done before... went out for a morning run. Insane, I know! I didn't run all that much (25 years of no running and I need a little warm up!), probably about three (small) blocks. Bella loved it! She's not a sniffy dog... she wants to get places. But it was fun, and I think it'll be good for both of us to make that a regular morning routine.

*Cuddles!*