Archive for July 4th, 2008
the sun sets late here
We enjoyed a gloriously sunny day today. I spent the morning cleaning house and stitching, and then the kids and I spent the afternoon outside. Heavenly! I think we’ll all sleep like tops tonight! The only disadvantage of playing all afternoon was that my birds didn’t get any attention for several hours. But as soon as the dinner dishes were cleared away, I got busy with my needle and I’m pleased to introduce George Fox and Alice Paul. It’s a lucky thing the sun sets late here, so I could get outdoor photos of them both.
In 1660, George Fox and several other Quakers submitted a declaration to the King of England, which you can read in full here. . Written 348 years ago, the unshakable sincerity rings so true today that I’ve had a hard time getting it out of my head ever since I stumbled across it. I wish we had a George Fox today who could put an end to the current war with the heartfelt truth that ”…the Spirit of Christ, which leads us into all truth, will never move us to fight and war against any man with outward weapons, neither for the kingdom of Christ, nor for the kingdoms of this world.” George Fox is adorned with flowers for peace and crowns for the glory of the Spirit in whose faith he never wavered. Stitched on 30 ct deep chocolate R&R Linen using DMC.
Alice Paul, as we discussed yesterday, was a shining star in the suffragette movement. Renting headquarters for her political party, The National Women’s Party, across from the White House, she made her statement using gold, purple and white banners hung from the windows in full display of the White House and all its guests. Later, she and her followers became Silent Sentinels, standing silently outside the White House day after day despite jailings, ridicule, and other hardship. Alice Paul has been created entirely in the colors of her namesake. Stitched on 28 count Tobacco linen using DMC. Alice’s wing has been hemstitched on because of her size – she’s around 7 inches long and the wing tends to be quite wobbly on this large of a bird when it’s only attached with a button. She’s backed with a beautiful coordinating Moda fabric.
I won’t add these birds to my Etsy shop till Sunday, when I hope they’ll be joined by a few friends. 
Oh, before I forget! The winner of Thine Forever is Sandra. I’ve already sent her an email asking for her postal address. I hope to do a couple of other drawings this month, in the spirit of de-stashing. I also have some charts for sale in my Etsy shop.
Thanks for coming to visit! I’ve an interesting question in mind for tomorrow’s food for thought. 
