Dragon me around

I saw this on eBay and it was way overpriced for a tourist trinket.

But I loved the embellishments.

The gold chaining and the beads are so cool looking and feeling.

I have always liked the dragon from illustrator Gyo Fujikawa and I want to remake it in this style.

Orange and gold dragon would be so cool!

 

Lent Banner 2022

I finished this banner for our church just in time for the second week in Lent. It is purple satin with burlap applique cross and hanging violet drape. The backing is vintage brown satin. Satin is hard to work with but I love how the colors dance. The crown is yellow felt I cut out and used a paint marker to seal/define the edges of the thorns, also machine appliqued that. Our church does not have any banners for outside the sanctuary. So I decided to make a few to brighten up the space. I am working on an Easter one. 

I have offered to make some for the sanctuary but that has not been updated in 40 years and they like it that way. Also, it is very hard to make church art unless you stick to the Church laws for artist, materials, committee choices and theme. I prefer the freedom of just making this for now.

 

They grow so fast

Here are my Muscovy 2nd generation. These guys hatched in early February and had been in my house for 4 weeks. The weather warmed up and I put them in the coop with a heat lamp for two more weeks with food and water daily to teach them the coop is home. I removed their food and water from the coop and set it outside the coop. After a day the ducklings figured out how to go in and out of the coop.

They stick together all the time and stay close to the coop for now. Once bugs appear they will begin                    to expand their territory.

They love their green bath tub. They swim in it all the time.

They take turns and I refill it often with clean water.

They still have baby fuzz and not fully feathered yet. But thankfully the night temperatures are above freezing. I have a mother setting on her eggs this month as well. I will catch her and put her eggs in the coop to hatch with the mama this time. I am not house raising ducklings when a mama duck can do all the work for me.

At night I have this young possum with half a tail eating all the chicken food it can get. I have to trap it and move it away from the coop. It will eat my chickens and eggs if I left it stay.

 Life on the farm never ends. 

 

Bearily there

I have been sewing again, a lot.

This is a bear for a friend whos husband  passed away from the virus and also dementia. These last few years were hard as he had to be in a nursing home and she could not visit. She did not have any of his clothes. So I dug into my stash and pulled colors she liked. I got it done and mailed before her birthday.

I make memorial pillows and bears as needed for friends and sometimes clients.

It is an easy Simplicity pattern. Unless you have never sewn before, it can be tricky. I have adapted this pattern to my needs over the years.

This pair is a special one. A friend had pancreatic cancer and it took her very fast less than 6 months. She was a good friend, mother and wife who really enjoyed doing things in life that she enjoyed. She was about my age when the cancer took her. I hardly recognized her when I was sent the photo. But I am glad for a small moment she had a bit of happiness. Her adult daughter can have something to hold on to in her memory. These were very special to make and send.

Sickness, dying and funerals are hard but are a part of life. When you are involved with a church your experiences with death double with your church family and friends. Here in the Ozarks we have lost all ages from driving wrecks, no seatbelts, virus, farming accidents, cancer, hunting accidents, heart disease and dementia just to name a few. I try to bring a bit of happiness one stitch at a time.