Deborah Fillmer's

2012 – Week One – Let’s Do This

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Category : Featured, Fiber Arts, Journal

Tags: arewenschild, cross stitch, etsy, gifts, knitting, ron paul, sewing, smocking

I’m starting off 2012 with a positive surge of energy and eagerness because I know this is going to be a great year! This year, although I don’t set new year’s goals or resolutions, I am looking forward to staying out of the hospital for the entire year, seeing my Etsy shop, Arwen’s Child, take off, and finally, voting in a new president! Don’t know what your political affiliations are, but I am leaning heavily toward Ron Paul at this time.

All the gifts I made throughout the year and stored for Christmas seemed to be appreciated and loved by all recipients. We had Christmas dinner and desert with the parental units on Christmas Eve and I made these.

Christmas Day we shared with the kids in Colorado via FaceTime.

We were able to open presents with them and visit for a while, which was really nice. It was still not anything like having them here, where I could hug them and enjoy their extended company, but it will have to do for now. I started thinking about it and realized that I saw Luke the day he was born, and I won’t see (touch) him again until he is walking. Life…

As far as I can tell, EVERYONE liked what I made for them for Christmas. Everything fit every recipient, which was a plus! I think I am going to continue to make or (in rare cases) purchase Christmas gifts throughout the year. It really saved a lot of stress and $$ at the end of the year. So, if you are (or want to be, I’m happy to make gifts for those who will cherish them) on my list, please make sure I have your sizes and pertinent information so that I can make you something that fits.

Christmas for me was pretty cool this year, in terms of gifts, also. I pooled my saving stash with my Christmas gift money (and Scott’s) and picked out this baby.

She is a Janome 9500 and is totally awesome! I haven’t done any embroidery on her yet, but I will very soon. Over the Christmas holidays I was able to finish up one of the two wine colored dresses that had been commissioned last year before I went into the hospital. Unfortunately, I had to refund the deposit to the customer because of the hospital and recovery issue, but I still want to finish the two dresses for Arwen’s Child. Here is the first one of the pair. This dress is called Hope and is available. The dress is size 6 and would make a wonderful special occasion dress for a lovely little girl. If you visit my shop, please make it one of your favorites. I would appreciate it!

The second gift I received was an Amazon gift card. Yep, it is spent! Those things don’t survive long in my hands. Here is what I procured with it.

Finally, I did finish one other project over the holiday. In 1995, I stitched “Blueberry Homecoming” and now I have, framed, it’s twin piece “Raspberry Homecoming.” Sixteen years between the two but I can cross them off the bucket list.

Here’s hoping everyone who reads this has a super 2012.

DKF

Week Fourty Nine – Lessons Learned

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Category : Featured, Journal, Travel

Tags: blogging, buloba, colorado, luke, travels, uganda, william

One of the things I have learned about blogging over the past years, is that the very thing that you most want to write about generally keeps you from writing. That thing is called life. When I get busy, I stop posting. This is a very common phenomenon and is not unique to me. Between getting busy with Christmas knitting and some less than kind comments left on some of my last blog posts, I basically just stopped talking about what I was up to. This really makes me sad. I have an empty space on my blog/journal/memory book of 18 weeks and that is just not acceptable to me. So, without further delay, here is what I have been doing for the past 18 weeks.

Let’s start with the most important news first.

We had another grand-baby in September. The trip out to Colorado was quick, but full of wonderful memories. Baby Luke Alan Fillmer was born on September 17, 2011, at 10:07 am, in Longmont, Colorado. His hats and socks fit him reasonably well, but his momma and daddy really like the sleep sack that I made for him. He is in it constantly and it keeps him so warm. Important thing to have in Colorado in the Fall. Here are the four Fillmer Boys (3 generations) within an hour or so of the birth.

Last time I posted, Scott was in Uganda on his first mission trip. He has since gone back there again and the two trips could not have been more different. Our church does mission work in such a unique way. The focus is a personal connection with individuals, not church planting. Therefore, the last trip Scott went on was an all male, soccer oriented trip. The guys connected with individuals and, more importantly, the community, by going over and “hanging out” or spending time with those who shared the same interests. Through this connection, the guys were able to share the love of Christ with many from the community who might not have been touched otherwise.

This second trip had nine members (4 guys and 5 gals) and was all about clean water and the kids. The story of the trip can be found here: http://www.scottfillmer.com and the photos, as always, are astonishing! Here are a couple of my favorites.

There are so many awesome photos from this trip that it is worth a jump over to Scott’s blog just to look at the photos.

Ok, SERIOUSLY? I have to take a minor break here….my computer just bit the dust and the hard drive is DEAD, so this post will be continued when I am back up and running…stay tuned…

Week Twenty Nine – Missions and Mittens

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Category : Featured, Fiber Arts, Journal, Travel

Tags: gifts, knitted gloves, missions, scott, uganda

Scott left for Uganda yesterday on his first mission trip, ever. He will be gone for 10 days and is part of an all male (testosterone rich) group of coaches and active guys. He was excited, nervous, and really just ready to get going by the time we got to the church yesterday morning. So far, he has made it to Amsterdam and should be in Uganda very soon (after a brief stop in Rwanda for refueling). Here is the photo of the rowdy group:

The soccer ball is more than just for effect. They are going over to Buloba on this trip primarily to conduct a soccer camp with the kids. They will also be helping with installing rain catches on houses and various other tasks that they are led to do while there. One never really knows what our mission teams will actually get themselves into until they are there and see the need. If you would like to read more about their trip as they progress through the week, or would like to see Scott’s awesome photos, please visit his site here. He is also still accepting donations to pay for his part of the trip, as everyone has to raise their own money in order to go. If interested, you can make a donation right on his site as well. Every amount helps!

Back at home, I actually finished a Christmas present this past week!

These gloves are “Strata” from the book “Knitting New Mittens & Gloves.” They are actually two pair of gloves, one fingered, and one fingerless. They can be worn together or separately. The person they are for lives where it snows, so hopefully they will be well loved. The brown yarn is Knitpicks Gloss Fingering and the pink is Knitpicks Stroll.

These were a quick knit (about three weeks) and it was a very basic pattern. The book has a few more patterns that I would like to try. I would recommend the book if you don’t already have it. I have several more projects nearing completion and with Scott gone all week, I should have a few of them to post about for this upcoming week. Stay tuned.

Quote of the week: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” ~ Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

Week Twenty Eight – Jonita’s Rabbit

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Category : Featured, Fiber Arts, Journal

Tags: gifts, sewing

This week was busy, but I worked on various things with only one finished object to show. Remember last week when I showed Mom’s rabbits? Well, Scott said “why don’t you make one for Jonita?” I thought about it and quickly realized that a traditional rabbit, like I had made so many times before, would just not be right for her. She needs her own special rabbit. Let me explain. Jonita is a little girl in Uganda that Scott and I sponsor. I may have mentioned this before, but we give a set amount each month and this provides a uniform, a meal a day, and the ability for her to attend school. We correspond with her and Scott will be meeting her in person for the first time in about a week when he takes his first trip to Buloba. One of the things that several Caucasian people have told us, when they have returned from these mission trips, is that many of the kids over there will take you by the hand and with their other hand, they will try to rub off the white of your skin. We found this funny at first then quickly realized that they weren’t kidding. Apparently, it is a fascination for some of them.

So, back to the story of Jonita’s rabbit. I don’t know if Jonita is one of these “fascinated” children or not, but I certainly can not send over a stark white rabbit for her. She needs to have a rabbit more like her and I am seriously ashamed to say that this is actually the first rabbit of color that I have ever made. It was fun, but a challenge. I had to rethink the facial features, since the traditional black eyes would not show up on her. I think she turned out pretty good. I really hope Jonita will like her. What say you?

Quote of the week: “All my possessions for a moment of time.” ~ Queen Elizabeth I

Week Twenty Five & Twenty Six – Labors of Love

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Category : Fiber Arts, Journal

Tags: christmas, gifts, knitting, william

This week I am playing catch up on my blog posts and so, for the two of you who read my blog, you get two posts for the price of one. The kids have come and gone, then come and gone again. They stayed with us a few days on their way to Disney World and then again on their way back through to the airport in Atlanta. Everyone is back home in Colorado safely now and life has returned to some semblance of normal. No major catastrophes to report, except for the kid’s dog (a massive Great Dane) who ate, literally, the banister railing at their home while they were away. Apparently, he was lonely.

While the kids were at Disney, I had the opportunity to make my son a kilt, which I did not get a photo of…darn it! I also was able to put the borders on a quilt that William’s Mimi and I are collaborating on. His Mimi is doing the cross stitch and I am doing the borders and putting the quilt together.

This week I was able to get back to Christmas knitting and completed this uber cute hat for someone special. The hat pattern is Dead or Alive? by Knitty. It was a really quick knit and is modeled below by my niece, Martha. After modeling for these photos, she announced that she would like an octopus hat. Oh boy…

The Flower Power test sock knit is no more. Although I really liked the pattern, the socks were not turning out as I had hoped, so frogged they are. I am using the yarn from the socks for another Christmas present, though, a pair of gloves, and they are turning out much more to my liking. Photos when they are done.

Finally, Scott was able to take some wonderful photos of Sara, Bryan, William and Baby Luke while they were here. Below is a sample, but you can see more from the shoot here.

On a fun side note, we (the family when they were here), got to talking about old, favorite movies and who would have them on disc. I have always wanted to secure a copy of a cheesy movie made in 1981 called Excalibur. We checked out the local Hastings and sure enough, they had it. Awesome!

That is about it for now. We are headed out to the Auburn 4th of July fireworks tonight. Scott should get some awesome photos of them, as he does every year! I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July!!

Quote of the week: “It is a lonely life, the way of the necromancer… oh, yes. Lacrimae Mundi – the tears of the world.” ~ Merlin, Excalibur (1981)

2012 – Week One – Let’s Do This

Week Fourty Nine – Lessons Learned

Week Twenty Nine – Missions and Mittens

Week Twenty Eight – Jonita’s Rabbit

Week Twenty Five & Twenty Six – Labors of Love

The Etsy Shop

Just For Fun

Works in Progress

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