Into October

I returned from my late September retreat to a newly-revamped bird & squirrel feeder outside my kitchen window. I returned to continued mild weather, making a very green Autumn. I returned to a mound of firewood needing to be stacked (a seasonal favorite; no joke). I returned to just enough crisp in the air to justify the dusting off of my most delicious stew recipes.

I also returned to a scary call-back for a second mammogram and ultrasound (they found nothing but exceptionally dense breast tissue, thank goodness). And... after a few brief weeks of transitioning back to normal life, there was a fatal hard drive crash that ended everything abruptly.

With a family vacation on the calendar for the next week, all I could do was take the failed hard drive to the Geek Squad and pray for the best. Normally a faithful monthly backer-upper, I had lapsed in my good habits for months. Meaning master copies of any new design and financial records were under threat of being lost forever. Re-creating them would have taken weeks of my time, so I paid the big bucks for the highest chance of retrieval, packed my suitcases for vacation and tried to leave the worry behind.

Saturday Stitches

Apostle's Creed (back side!)

*NEW* Apostle's Creed

Appearing for the first time in print in 390AD, the Apostle’s Creed is said to have been created by the Apostles under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, with each of the twelve contributing one of the articles. Others suggest that it was spliced together with phrases from the New Testament. Sometimes called “Symbol of the Apostles”, it is an early statement of Christian belief; a creed or symbol. It is still widely used today by a number of Christian denominations for both liturgical and catechetical purposes, most visibly by liturgical churches of Western tradition. It was based on theological understanding of the Gospels, the letters of the New Testament, and to a lesser extent, the Old Testament. Because of its early origins, it does not address some issues defined in the Nicene and other Christian creeds, so it is usually used in conjunction with these other creeds to help define a particular denomination’s theological beliefs.

The simple fact of its long history of being recited and studied and memorized by believers of all stripes has caused me to be fascinated by it since I was a young child. I love it when things of value remain unaltered through time. This particular creed has indeed been re-worded by many over the years, making it either easier for modern ears to understand, or making adjustments for the sake of theology. The version that I chose to stitch onto my linen is from the 1662 version of the Book of Common Prayer.

Stitch Count: 131 x 425
Model stitched with one thread over two on R&R Reproductions’ 36 count Olde Town Blend

Using flosses from Classic Colorworks:
Poblano Pepper, Calico Kitty, Gingerbread, Honeycomb

And flosses from The Gentle Art:
Brandy, Wood Smoke, Harvest Basket (2 skeins), Shaker White,

As well as from Weeks Dye Works:
Loden, Red Rocks

Conversion to DMC included with the chart.

The lovely frame is an antique.

This design is now available in my etsy shop, and will soon be in the hands of my distributors and the shops on my auto ship list. If you prefer to bypass etsy and order directly through me, you can send me an email: beth@heartstringsamplery.com

The Rest of January

Once the snow melted, our month was everything that it should be. I love that empty fresh space that January occupies. It might just be in my head, but once I make it through the cluttered and busy holiday season and there are a few months yet before Spring gardening needs to happen, I feel light and free. I love the months when I can pause a little and regather myself.

Of course, now those empty months aren't so empty as they used to be, because I spend them preparing for the Spring Market in Nashville. But it's different, somehow.

After taking down the Christmas decorations, I left much of my usual decor in their boxes. My window sills are mostly bare, my mantle is sparsely adorned. With the big braided rug gone from the living room, I am enjoying a sense of space that is refreshing. My house isn't very big. Each room is *just barely* big enough for the furniture that occupies it. Add in a bunch of clutter, no matter how carefully curated, and I start to feel a bit claustrophobic. No more. At least until I open a few certain closets, that is...

I don't usually comment individually on my photos, but this next one needs a little special mention. It was taken by my 11 year old. I was de-lighting the tree, sorting through the strings, getting ready to box them up for another year. "Stop, Mama! Don't move!" he said, then snapped this picture. I love watching the creativity coming out in my babies. Didn't he do a great job?