My first love is God, second is people - aren't those kids just gorgeous! And then I have to admit material comes in at third...YIKES, that sounds a bit scary but it does! But behind that statement is a bigger picture that has a lot to do with my love for God and people! Let me explain...
Sewing, quilting, patching, landscaping....for me it is all fabric art. I have a million 'dezigns'/ideas floating in my head and drawers stuffed with 'dezigns' on pieces of paper! And I have of course with 8 precious childrne and homeschooling, too little time to make them.I am addicted to dezigning, despite my lack of time ( I just cannot help myself, my brain always has something new idea in mind) And I am passionate about creating, only as I am relatively disorganised it seldom happens, unless I make it happen.
I am hoping that if I try to blog weekly in this particular area, that I will be inspired to keep up with doing something little every week...well that's the plan at least, we'll see if it can happen?
My latest interest is landscape quilting....you can see the unfinished results of our recent class sitting at the front of my sewing nook in the lounge above: Mt Barney, Australia, designed by Priscilla Lawrence.
Priscilla also designed a postcard quilt for us, here - very nearly finished! I learnt such a lot from this class! And wish I was not so far away from the ladies and the Uniting Church in Ipswich who have helped me so much to enjoy sewing!
Here is Jessica busy at the sewing machine, getting tasks done for class, she thinks my machine sews much better that hers, so we had to take it in turns! It does have a nice SLOOOOOOW button which is great for control with tiny fine work! But Jessica has decided she prefers painting to quilting as it is more instant. Whereas I love the feel of the material in my hands and the slowness of it. I find it therapeutic if I am stressed, as it gives me time to meditate and think things through...ahhhhhh!Why 'dezign', why patch, why quilt etc?
I love creating and although it is a bit of a luxury in some ways in my already busy life ....I feel it is one way in which I can reflect my wondrous creator in my tiny way. He is the ultimate artist, the lover of my soul, despite my tardiness in loving Him as I should. Each of my own original 'dezigns' that I do, I always try to bring across some Christan message for people to see. I like to make something of Christ visual. I like to make an impact to influence others to love this one and only wonderful God as well. For I feel Christianity is the only religion that offers a relationship, rather than a list of rules to go by. It is the only place where God does all in saving us and we just accept this gift. My God gives me life in all it's fullness and I aim to try and help others see how wonderful He is through my fabric art.
I have a bigger dream too, a dream of selling patterns as a business one day. Now I know I won't earn much money from that but I would also like to be able to set up a system where I can help ladies in third world countries earn a living. You see for us it would be pocket money but in a place like South Africa, it could be the bread and butter for as many as 8 people to one earner!
When I was training for Social Work in Cape Town, South Africa, I was involved with helping
start a 'self help' sewing group, near Stellenbosch. I wonder what has happened to my group of ladies and their children. One lady had twins who would now be over 20! In South Africa we called these sewing groups 'self help' groups, or co-operatives. Self help groups in the Western Countries are for Psychological problems like AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). But in South Africa, they are a group of people working together in order to find a way to earn a living.
Much is being done in South Africa as you can see from this web site , http://www.learntoearn.org.za/ But so much more is needed with the high unemployment rate but with the ever increasing widows and orphans issues, this need can only grow. I feel passionately that we need to all pull our weight as Christians and fulfill our Biblical calling to care for widows and orphans, as much as we are able to! I would like to somehow be able to help in a small way with my 'Joy'zown dezigns'.
Come and enjoy the journey with me!
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