[This post includes an update on 31 days (or less) of hands on what’s on hand: fabric, fiber, and the equipment to work with them, which began here, and continues here, and here.]

It gives me great pleasure…

to pull from my stash

neat-folded fabrics

in all their varied patterns and hues and tones

of color and texture and culture

that evoke the Orient or Africa or Craftsman America…

to create some object of practical use and beauty.

#3 & #4 of Hands On What’s On Hand: 2 dark pillows first, easy, 2 light ones later, more challenging because I had to cut on the bias to get the diagonal stripes I wanted.
Yes, the light ones are still pinned on the bottom seam that needs hand hemming… Getting to it tonight, I hope.
#5 Hands On What’s On Hand: new seat cushion covers for the dining chairs, with fabric scavenged from the stash.
Shh. Don’t tell Husband! I finally figured out how to use this fabric (in two large pieces) given to him by an African friend when he was in Zambia.
It will work very nicely as a quilted throw (Christmas present to be), for the living room, which now displays animal carvings and other articles he brought back from there.
(Of course this will require a change of pillows or covers, for winter, but I have the fabric all picked out from the stash.)

It gives me great pleasure…

to take into my hands the fiber of wool or silk or cotton-linen, bamboo or even cornhusks

and spin or weave or knit or coil it up into something new…

#6 Hands On… Fiber fail! I tried braiding some simple little mats (like I think kids make!) And I was not at all happy with how it wasn’t working! Maybe a wreath?
#7 Hands On, Equipment on Hand, used in a new way: Winding the yarn off the spinning wheel to make a skein was much easier than my usual way with a niddy-noddy (the wooden gizmo in the basket with blue wool, above).
My normal use of a swift (yarn winder). It spares Husband having to sit and hold yarn between outstretched hands. At left is a nifty yarn ball winder.

Today I think I’ll take this multi-color gift yarn and warp-wrap it into a mat or basket, as far as it will go, and see what evolves in the doing.

#8 Hands On

It gives me great pleasure…

to sense the presence of the Lord here with me as I “work” (or is it play?)

to realize the greatness of the multitude of gifts He gives,

in materials and abilities and fingers that can function and eyes that can see and a mind that can imagine and create.

Praise be to the Giver of all good gifts!

Counting MORE REASONS TO PRAISE GOD — from Exodus 35:

  • 508 – Because the ability to spin skillfully is a gift from God
  • 509 – Because He fills people with special wisdom and understanding
  • 510 – Because He imbues some with knowledge of all kinds of workmanship to design artistic works.
  • 511 – Because He bestows artistic giftedness for working in silver and bronze.
  • 512 – Because He gives giftedness “in cutting jewels for setting,”
  • 513 – Because He gifts others “in carving wood,”
  • 514 – Because He puts in the hearts of certain people the ability to teach.
  • 515 – Because He fills some with “skill to do all manner of work of the engraver”
  • 516 – Because He enables the designer…
  • 517 – and “the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet [thread], and fine linen,”
  • 518 – and the weaver—
  • 519 – and all those who design artistic works.
And from Ecclesiastes 5:20 —
  • 520 – Because to be able to enjoy the work one does is a gift from God.
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12 thoughts on “It Gives Me Great Pleasure… (Hands On What’s On Hand)”

  2. He gives such varied gifts. Today through your words He gave me a great gift of prayer. Isn’t it softly glorious, how He works His blessings to us through one another? So glad I came upon your post, Firefly, and that you stopped here to visit, too!

  3. mo-ti-va-tion! LOVED every project…although in my house the light colored seats would not stay that way… challenge! Half finished projects clutter my studio/house and ideas cluttering my mind… that is why I have been in those very verses …and to find joy in our work is a gift from God…my prayer this morning is to be able to focus

  4. Thank you, Laurie. So glad if this stirs your creative innards. This challenge has become for me a great adventure in tying up loose ends, finishing the long unfinished and even long untouched, of seeing how abundantly I’m blessed with what I already have at hand (embarrassed blush!), and receiving a few good spiritual lessons to take note of lest I quickly forget. I will pray with you right now for that focus. God bless your day, and whatever your hands touch!

  5. All I can say is, “wow”! Well, I will add that you are a very gifted, talented, productive and busy artist who creates beautiful works of art!

  6. Well, hello, fellow Sylvia! A rarity, our name. (Means “of the woods.” I love the woods, do you?…) Honestly, I don’t know about the talent. If you could see the uneven stitches on those pillows I just finished… I guess it looks that way because I’ve gotten interested in so many “hands-on” things. Most have been a struggle for me to learn, but well worth it. I do know women and girls who have much more of the built-in God-giftedness, but God honors our dogged perseverance, too, methinks. Heh!

    I’m so glad you stopped by here to comment. Nice meeting you!

    Sylvia R.

  8. Just the fact that you have all those materials just ‘lying around’ is amazing. It makes me think of the legos my grandsons spill all over the floor and when I come back an hour or so later they have made some kind of wonderful edifice, cosmic creature or state of the art vehicle. At the top of your post is a picture of piles of cloth and then pillows and chair covers, then thread and fibers which evolve into yarn and an attempt at braided mats. Ah, may the Lord bless you as you create, especially as you work on the quilted throw for your Beloved for Christmas.

  9. Thank you for the blessing, Dawn. And yes, I know. Doing this little challenge has made me painfully aware of abundance unused, unfinished projects started so many years ago, and the like. I think you’re inspiring a blog post about the lesson(s) in this…
    (I love what happens with legos, too!)

  10. Love your gift and the way you use it to spread beauty. Wish you could come to my house and weave some wonder here 🙂 Beautiful!

  11. Hi Alicia,
    Glad you stopped to visit here at “my house”! Thank you for kind words of encouragement. God bless your day!

  12. I enjoy doing things like this, too, but frequently don’t have the time. Thank you for sharing your adventures . . . it’s almost as good as getting to do it myself! And it’s so beautiful how your Reasons match your topic! It is incredible to think of what the talents He gives us say about who He is!

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