I heard chickadees outside today. In the summer months, I realize I might not stop to appreciate their “fee-bee” whistle, but hearing this sound in the snowy quiet, was bright and clear.

Despite the birds, it’s very routine here in the studio, I’m up early working on art and I crank through the day with Maisey at my side. In this wet weather, Maisey and I have come to enjoy what we call a “suburban walk.” We walk on the cement pad from the front to the back deck so she doesn’t get her paws wet. She’s something else this one…. but it gets us out and breathing the fresh air.

I said on Instagram that we were not prepared to deal with the snow at our new place. Thankfully, thankfully, our neighbor with a John Deere plowed us out, not once but twice! We feel quite welcomed out here. I will say, I miss talks in the dark night chatting with our former neighbor - shout out to Martha!

As some of you know, Evan and I moved out of the suburbs and are building a small scale homestead, which begins with rehabbing a 1970s ranch. The ongoing construction inside the house is dirty, cluttered, and slightly dangerous… I feel like either Evan or I get a “it will be worth it” pep talk once a week. The cold is slowing us down as it’s hard to use saws even in the garage at these temperatures. We will hibernate for a little bit longer…. there’s certainly plenty to draw on my desk in the meantime.

I planned to put away my sewing machine for a bit while the dust settles, that’s until a friend of mine announced her pregnancy! Obviously, the Juki is coming out of storage and on to the kitchen counter - I’ve got a baby quilt to make! Even still, l need something fun and compact to work on in the evening when we are cooped up that won’t be too much of a mess … and so, I began a meditation scroll.

The mediation school, or snippet scroll concept is simple. Two layers of fabric: the bottom strip and the scraps on top. If you follow my projects you may recognize pieces of my mini quilt coral/purple ombre that Evan accidentally set on fire… It lives again! On the top layer, the little scraps can be basted down or stitched down on as you go. For the bottom strip, I’m using a jelly roll. It’s 2.5 inches wide but I don’t see why we could do a scroll at any size.

I love this as a way to keep meaningful fabric, clothes, or swatches. Some people use the scrolls to cut apart and use for journaling embellishments or decorations but I think it can be just for the act of stitching practice and play.

Stitching for stitching sake! Loving these meditation scrolls for sitting in front the t.v. at night, I can really fly down the strip! (Though that might not be the point… LOL)

Ideally, you’d fasten them onto to a spool and roll them up. I happen to have a few large wooden spools I want to use, where are they? What box? It could be a while friends…

If you have any bit of inspiration to make a scroll, I invite you to join me and please send pics!

I’m trying to keep the sewing explosion contained among the wreckage of the remodel. Whatever the heck I’m making on my Living Canvas is in its “ugly stage” no doubt. It’ll all be worth it. <3

More soon.

P.S. Seriously - consider joining me on the scrolls!

Pastels make my heart melt. When I found this rainbow jelly roll at my local fabric store, I had to have it. I had no idea for WHAT but I bought it anyways.

I was so inspired, I painted my nails to match. That’s what LIVING CANVAS is all about, letting my art spread to all areas of my life, in whatever way it feels good.

So I quilted. And I can’t really tell you what a silly delight it was to sew with matching nails, I was giggling out loud! Listen, my machine had some severe issues as you can see below, is there any project that doesn’t have some DRAMA along the way!? If you’ve managed any creative project that went smooth start to finish, please write me.

I ended up removing one of the kelly green colors from the pack, I wanted a softer rainbow. This roll also did not include red, for this look that kept the intensity of the colors duller. Because this is one of the first quilts I’d done, I decided to do a combination of hand stitching and machine work to baste the fabrics. Hand stitching was the MOST enjoyable experience, it reminds me of the control you need to draw. I got lost in meditation making one stitch at a time. Had to go with rounded corners as I can’t get enough of that look.

The binding. I picked something cheerful for the edges. These tiny stitches are to die for. There’s something special about this kind of detailed work. While the stitches are small, it provides strength to the edges that will be tugged on. While I have recently learned how to do this on my machine, the look of this is so nice it’s worth the time and after working each stitching myself, I’m confident it will last.

Another look at that binding. Going with a neutral pattern on the edges tones down the wildness of the rainbow.

Below shows you the finish after the “great wash” that produces all the yummy quilt-y wrinkles. Evan had to hold this one up to be able to capture its length. It’s a great size quilt for one or for two who love to be close. <3 A few bits of dirty laundry on the floor for ya to keep me humble.

I leave you with words from Dolly, “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”

Ain’t that the truth.

-Kirbi