The April Angel and one for March, too!

Somehow, I managed to miss posting the Angel block in March. Actually, I posted Audrey and the pattern to my Yahoo group so those who are following Audrey there didn't notice anything was amiss. So, now, before I can post April's Angel, I need to tell you that in March Audrey was singing!

That's right, she was "Singing for Joy" because Spring was just around the corner! In fact there was so much spring in the air and melting of snow, puddles everywhere and so much more sunshine than we usually have in March, that perhaps that is why I missed posting her. I just got caught up in the celebration of Spring! There was a lot to celebrate in March, too.........Women's History Month and National Craft Month, Wooly Buddies 2nd Anniversary, National Quilting day and going off to Heidi's Retreat!! And there were preparations for Easter!! Goodness, no wonder Audrey was singing for Joy!!
The real inspiration, though, for Audrey came from memories of singing with my sister as my Grandma Goldie played the piano. We were a popular duet at local church suppers, bridal showers and such in the '50's. :-) My plan was to post Audrey between my sister's birthday on March 2nd and the date of my Grandma's birthday on the 9th. I was thinking of them alot but I just forgot to post Audrey. :-(
Each of the Angel designs that I have drawn were inspired by someone. In January, I was inspired by my friend Audrey and another friend, Judy, who died of cancer several years ago. In February, I thought of grade school friends and teachers and the fun of Valentines Day. March you already know.......and now comes April.............

Audrey is "Planting seeds of kindness" this month. :-) Inspiration for Audrey came from all my friends.....those who quilt, craft, read, garden, volunteer, you-name-it! It's the time of year when many of us are planting real gardens but there is also the garden of friendship that we are always planting ..... even when we don't know it! Audrey is casting about lots of seeds of friendship and is looking forward to harvesting lots of new friendships and keeping the old friendships, too!

I have stitched all the Angel blocks in Redwork but I did the April one in an alternate version. After tracing the design, I then colored it with high-quality colored pencils (heat seat with iron) and then outline-stitched it in a steel-gray floss. I'm going to make this block into a totebag or notebook cover. I can't decide which it will be but I will make up my mind before the end of the month so I can finish it before the May Angel needs to be posted. I won't forget that one. I can already give you a clue........I was thinking of my mom when I drew the May Angel.

If you are just finding my blog and want to get the patterns in PDF format, just click here to join my Seasons BOM group. :-)

Tomorrow, I am going to post about some of the Angels in my groups who have sent me gifts and cards in thanks for hosting the group. This was an aspect, I had not expected when I started the Yahoo groups. It's humbling to think that people enjoy something you do that you enjoy doing and then send you something in thanks. I appreciate every gift and comment!

Today, I'm going to work on "wooly projects". I've got those spring tulips that were blooming on teatowels a few weeks ago and I am going to finish them today!

Sandi

My February Angel!

In January, I introduced you to my Angel Connection blocks (go here for my first post about Audrey the Angel). Now, it's time to show you Audrey and her message for February..............

When I drew the sketch of Audrey for February, I knew she should be wearing a gown trimmed in hearts. She is all dressed for Valentines Day and even has a heart in her hand just for you!
The patterns for Audrey can be found on my Seasons BOM Yahoo Group. Just click on the Angel button on my sidebar to join the group. The Angel designs can be stitched in Redwork or you could print the design on ready-to-print fabric, then color the design, remove the paper and add embroidery embellishment. She could be used on a pillow, in a little wallhanging or stitch all the blocks for a quilt with all twelve angels! Yes, there will be a new angel each month!

Here's wishing you an early Happy Valentines Day from Audrey the Angel and me!

Sandi

The Angel Connection.....

I believe in Angels. I am sure they exist because I have had so many touch my life and that of loved ones, that surely they are there. Today is the start of a new year. It boggles my mind to think that the year is 2010!!! As a kid in grade school, I thought that the year 2000 seemed a million years away. And here we are ten years beyond that!!

Technology has brought us all together in a way that many of us could never have imagined. And while technology is great, there are still good old-fashioned skills that keep us "real". In my case, I'm refering to using pencil and paper. I like to write. I like to draw. Some say, that true Cursive writing will soon be a thing of the past. I certainly hope not as there is nothing quite like receiving a personal hand-written note or letter!! I have several from family and friends that I treasure just because they took the time to write them by hand!! I used to write lots of letters, especially early on in our marriage when we were thousands of miles from home and family. I've "adopted" the typed Christmas letter just so I can stay in touch and keep people posted on what we are up to these days, but I love to write an address on an envelope and send off a personal card. I know that folks who receive those cards also enjoy them.

I've always liked to sketch, too, and for as long as I can remember, I would "doodle". When I was a kid, "Santa/mother and daddy" gave me a Barbie lite box so I could draw designs for my comic book dolls and plan Barbie clothes. I loved that thing as it was kind of like a "dream station". You know, draw a sketch and imagine it as it might be. Sometimes my sketches didn't translate from mind to actual design quite like I thought, but I still enjoyed the process. I've never thought of myself as an artist although I did try my hand at oil painting but I never quite succeeded (had the same issue with crocheting - wanted to do it but I didn't seem to "have the knack for it"). I didn't think anybody paid any attention to things I sketched until one day, I made an announcement to friends in a workshop group. I told them that I was going to just use computer designs and graphics in my patterns from now on. The response was....."but we will miss your cute sketches". Well, I never thought of it that way. I kept that thought and started sketching even more. I found myself with lots of "waiting time" while sitting in doctor's offices with my folks or waiting for my son at school. And while I waited, I sketched or stitched. I seldom wasted a minute. I found that the more I sketched, the more ideas that came to me. I have oodles of sketches now and don't know how I will ever "realize" them all in fabric or embroidery!

So, what's this all leading to? It all goes back to the Angels that I began with in this January 1 post. I thought about the things that mattered to me in my life and the friends who come as Angels that have enriched my time here on earth. And in 2005, I began to sketch a series of Angels. When I first started to draw them, they reminded me of sketches I did for our yearbook when I was in high school. I never thought they were very good, but when I looked back at them, I realized that I had actually captured a bit of the look of the person that I had sketched. I was surprised. It was like finding out that I had more talent than I knew about. I didn't need to learn to paint or crochet because I could sketch. Notice that I say "sketch". I still don't consider myself an artist but I do seem to have some little ability to draw Snowmen that eat watermelon and such. Before the Snowman series, I had drawn the Angels. There's a bit more to the story of the Angels but I'll save that for later. I was planning to sketch Santa's for this coming year but several things happened to make me realize that I needed to post the Angels. And so, finally, here is the first Angel, that's her in the photo above. Her name is Audrey and she'll appear every month on the first day of the month in a variety of themes. From the moment that I sketched her, I knew that she would be in prayer. Wherever you are and whatever your faith, Audrey encourages you to begin your year with prayer.......with kind thoughts.........with good intentions..........with peace........with love.......and much sharing of joy!!!

Happy First Day of the New Year!!

Sandi

Pattern pages for designs in my Angel Connection will be posted to my Yahoo group in PDF format. It's just a click away and you can join. Just click on the Angel button on the sidebar.

:-)