The Stitches Are Flying

A staff at the group home told me last night that she could not believe coming into work the Saturday before how she found the kids up doing their needlework and craft projects could make them so calm and quiet. Then she told me that she would pay money to see our newest resident (a hyper teenage male) sitting doing needlework. This may be my newest challenge, but I think it will have to wait until a certain girl departs the home in a couple of weeks as she is keeping drama alive and well.



The 13 year old boy created the above embroidery piece and I turned it into a tote bag for his 10 year old sister. She is very pleased with it. Now I have to finish her 12 year old sister's project, but I am undecided as to whether a tote bag or a pillow will be the finished product. Tote bags take a little bit longer and more planning to finish.



I made my very first apron for a staff member that was moving to California. The 17 year old girl resident did the giraffe because Shannon loves them and then asked her what she wanted it turned into. An apron was the reply and me being a "Mary Poppins" type person had to rise to the occasion and try to fulfill the request. All in all, I was pleased and will probably do some more exploring on aprons in the future. One thing I did not included on this piece was pockets as time just didn't allow it.



The 13 year old boy resident said his youngest sister liked fairies and princess things. I found this picture online and made it into a pattern for him to embroidery. Wanting to do something different, she was made a draw string purse with a rounded bottom. There are things I would like to do different if I ever attempt another similar design.



This last piece is from the 17 year old girl resident. She has a very up and down relationship with her mother. I did find it very interesting though that when she wanted to start stitching to make something, her mother was the first person on her mind. A big smile came on her face the morning she got up and found her mom's pillow sitting on the table for her to have.

They are wearing me out. Forcing projects to come faster and faster for them. I ended up doing 4 patterns on fabric for each of them with an under the sea theme. This is giving me a break, but I was shown last night that these are mostly completed and today is a new week. Now one wants jungle theme animals to stitch and the other I have talked into making something really pretty for his grandmother as a peace offering to get him back in her good graces and maybe back home sooner.

I also made a smaller floral door knob hanger out of felt for a girl in the home that has a much lower cognition level but wants to be doing projects like the others. I had her work on stitching some on the little item just for decorations. Wish I had remembered to take a picture -- maybe another time. I also was able to purchase her some $1 items that required double sided sticky dots with sequins and plastics gems to be put on preprinted colorful pictures. She was spell bound and determined to keep on working.

These kids are thriving on a sense of accomplishment and on the communication they are getting that is positive while working on their projects and then when finished. I hope it will last long enough for them to remember that feeling and use it to their advantage in the future.

PS: We do get them out of the house on a daily basis with weather permitting -- yesterday we went to a local park and flew my huge frisbee, played with my big bouncy ball and let them climb on the play equipment. Plus, they got to play on a slip and slide the home purchased for them. -- Got to keep them active and busy!!!

Visions of the Past

Today the kids and I got lunch and went to the "duck pond" with some stale hamburger buns to feed the birds. It was a beautiful sunny day and the outing was very pleasant.



After we decided to leave there, my 13 year old son, Wynston, said, "Let's visit the Red Barn". He and I had gone there once right after moving to Great Falls over a couple years ago. All of us had a good time looking at the different items arranged on shelves, in cases, and in every nook and corner. I couldn't help but pull out the camera and snap some photos.





I fell in love with a silver fruit pedestal bowl. I have never seen one of these before. It is now on my dining table waiting for some fruit to be placed in it. I almost felt a little guilty splurging on it, but then again I do that for my family all the time and this was calling my name. So I am calling it a late birthday present, late anniversary present to myself.




Now, I just need to find a tea service set to match it. I have been off and on looking for one for a couple years now. This is something that I remember my foster mother had sitting on a table made from an old iron Singer sewing machine table bottom in our hallway. Another one of those visual memories I have in my mind as if it were yesterday. I never have asked any of the foster brothers or other of their family who got her tea set when she passed away. May never know but only hope they enjoy it and display it like she did.



I found this item very interesting. Was it simply a type writer way back when? Was it something more like a printing press type machine for a newspaper? Guess I will have to do a little research on this Graphotype.

Projects for June 2011

I work at a local therapeutic group home for kids ranging in age from 13 to 18. We have up to six residents at a time. Due to the rainfall being continuously keeping them indoors, the kids have been putting together puzzles, playing card games, and watching DVD's I take in for them. Their attention spans are usually pretty short and reading is not one of their favorite things to do. Since I work overnights midnight to 8 a.m., the kids know that I bring along embroidery pieces to work on. I was asked a while back by one of the boys if I could create for him a logo on a pillow of the MSU Bobcats. This was interesting to do as it is hard to print one out online as they are owned. I was able to get a faint one and laid it directly on my fabric and then did a trace outline on my sewing machine. From there I did a hand loop stitch and completed his request. I was able to put a big grin on a 13 year old. From there he then asked if I could make him a pattern on fabric to learn to stitch. I chose a horse for him and he decided he would make it for his mother. His stitches were big but he was pleased and I turned his project into a wall hanging to give to her. Now he has followed my instruction and completed 3 more patterns which I will be making into tote bags for his 3 younger sisters.



From his interest, then 2 other girls in the home have requested patterns to stitch. One is a young pregnant 16 year old and wants a jungle theme quilt top for her baby. I put most of the center of the quilt together and drew the patterns for her to stitch. I have a feeling she will not be completing her project, but we will see.



Another girl is soon to be 17 and she has completed two patterns in a days time. Now she is requesting a ladybug fabric panel to do for her mother. So I must close for now and find a pattern to give to her to work on tomorrow.

These kids are keeping me busy. One staff member told me recently that we are not there to "entertain" them. I don't know if this is what I am doing or not, but I do know they are happy and feeling a sense of accomplishment. Also, it is making their time go by faster and the other staff are happy they have something to do.



This last picture is of a baby quilt (raw edge circle) I finished and mailed to Ashland, OR to a young lady I used to be a "nanny-type" person in her life over 18 years ago. She just had her first baby. I am happy for her, but it makes me feel a little old when I think of how much time has passed by from my years with her. She was sweet and wrote me that she remembers I taught her all the words to the song "When You Wish Upon a Star". It is funny the things people remember about each other.

A Bird's Home

At the local Farmer's Market there is a new vendor this year and I simply love her items. I have never seen any birdhouses shaped or painted like these before. They are too cute to put outside to weather and fade in my opinion. I haven't purchased one yet because I haven't decided which one is my favorite. My daughter has her favorite in mind and she also says there is one of the dogs that has "sad" eyes that she likes.



All I know is the person that creates the shape of these has a creative vision and the painting is one of the best -- a true artist.




The name of this booth -- Lakeside Decoys by Jim & Chris Linn-Hatcher, http:/www.lakesidedecoys.com out of Helena, MT

In Love with Lilacs

Montana has been flooding the past few weeks due to rain and more rain. Also, snow melting from the mountains and running into the rivers causing the banks to overflow and dams and reservoirs being at capacity are other causes of the flooding.

Spirits of the peoples and natives in this state have been down and staying home has become a regular time passing state due to the rain. The local news and newspaper are filled with more and more stories and pictures of areas of concern and devastation. One article in today's paper says the governor reports 8.6 million in damages so far. Then other radio stories say from his office for farmers and home owners not to expect help from the government.



One happy thought and visual I see around town here is all the purple on the bushes. The blooms on the lilacs are spectacular this year. Had to grab my camera and snap some photos of the bushes in my back yard. I love the combination of the colors of purple and green. When I was a little girl and people would ask what my favorite colors were my reply was always dark purple and dark green. That has never changed for me even to this day.



I also got to work with our youngest on learning how to use the lawn mower on the front yard and was pleased to see the enormous tree in the middle of the yard is sporting some green -- the leaves are returning. I love them now, but just wait till they start falling and swamping the front yard in the fall. That will be another article with a different tone in the writing!!!