Recently I combed through piles and piles of cotton, silk, and wool in my mother's attic closet. I sorted, folded and organized the dots, stripes, and solids, into beautiful piles of soon-to-be projects.
The excitement of the future is enough for me to love this task. I can see a little dress here, an apron there. But what pulled me into the moment was the past -- the blue shiny, crazy acrylic that my mother stitched into a beautiful costume for the Aurora Community Theater's version of "Annie Get Your Gun" over 20 years ago; the swatches of black and pink calico that flowered into my first sewing project when I was six; the beautiful silk that turned into tiny dresses for my nieces. And so much more. Memory upon memory flooded me -- the perfect dress for my prom, the perfect outfit for Halloween, the perfect quilt that I helped design -- and hours upon hours spent watching my mother create something out of nothing. I love to create -- to see beautiful swatches of fabric turn into a quilt that will be used for generations; to see the patterns dance in just that certain way, to participate in an age-old ritual of preparing for the life of the family. But sometimes as I sit and create, I wonder if I'm just kidding myself - if this really is part of my calling as a woman, a mother and a daughter, a friend, and a wife in this age of overabundance. My mom's closet whispered an answer that I had been longing to hear... "No." The moments I spend in creation are not lost. They are not meaningless. In fact, they are so very, deeply important. They give the gift of creation, of moments, of the "perfect" dress (or coat... or doll... or toy or...). Holding those very precious pieces of fabric, I could feel my mother's love. Even in this day and age of plenty, we need creation -- and the love that springs from it. We need things that take time. We need ideas that turn into reality, and our children need to see and experience the rich beauty of this process.
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During this Advent season, this time of waiting, I am seeking to more fully devote myself to the Source of all love. May this season give you time to seek and find the love of our Beautiful Creator.
My work is personal. Creating is personal. When I make a doll, hours and days of my time are sewn into her tiny body. When I make scenes, I draw from images and ideas that have moved me.
Yet nothing is more personal and awe-inspiring and amazing to me than the love of God. The Creator that welcomes everyone into beauty and peace. This personal expression of my beliefs is hard. Showing the beauty of something I love so profoundly is scary. It has stretched me to lean into this urge to create scenes that speak to me of eternal love. But here I am. Writing to you tonight, wrapped up in a warm blanket, sharing a little piece of my soul. This God holds my soul. He takes the small gifts we have, blesses them, and turns them into miracles. I have been on a bit of a roll lately with little felt pictures. This is one of my favorites. I hope to post more soon. This little sweetie's pet butterfly sometimes surprises her. I hope your day is as cute as hers.
It's been a while. A long while. It's been warm days full of sunshine and splashing and laughter. It's been moments: a freezing cold creek, a 40th birthday party under twinkling lights, and a hike to a pristine lake at the top of the mountain. I have savored every second.
Yet I have missed being here, writing about my little creations and sharing my journey. And I have thought and prayed about what this space should be. I have big ideas. And little time. We shall see. Thanks for reading. Little Serafina loves to read and write. She is a thinker, so she rocks in her chair a good part of the day, reading or writing in her two handmade books. She decorated her chair with a bitty bunting, which she thinks is just perfect. And when she curls up for bed, she wears her pink PJs and her woolen slippers. Her days are divine. Serafina is a handmade doll made in the Waldorf doll-making tradition. She has a full wire armature, so she can be posed in any number of adorable positions. She is made from cotton (De Witte Engel) and stuffed with clean 100% wool over the wire armature. Her hair is a crocheted wig, using Dolly Mo Brushable Mohair. She is about 6 inches tall. She comes with a pair of short overalls, a white shirt, a pink PJ dress (with embroidered flowers), needle-felted wool slippers, 2 handmade "books" (one with a small heart embroidered on the cover), and a small paper bunting. Rocking chair is NOT included. She is made with small parts, so is not intended for small children. Ready to ship! She is available on my Etsy site. You can also get more info on my Facebook site. |
AuthorA dollmaker in a little town with lots of flowers and birds. Archives
August 2019
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