a peaceful summer solstice

A peaceful summer solstice to you. As the sun reaches it's most expansive time, the longest day of year is here. The outward push of energy, growth and potential has been reached and the journey inwards will begin.

I find myself strangely calm this year. I have been known to find myself feeling quite ungrounded, in the midst of all this summer doing. Over-stimulated and worn-out. The fire energies burn brightly amongst us, sparks jumping between us, inspiring us towards our own highest potential.

I feel this, and yet this year I also feel a calmness. A calmness within all the doing. The need to hold a space for myself. Something in reserve. A new place.  A new awareness of what's right for me right now.

Perhaps it's being 45. It feels like a full expansion into the summer of my life. Or perhaps it's seeing a mentor, or attending a yoga class. Or the two hours a day of hard labor in the garden. Perhaps we are over the worst of our difficulties, or maybe we are learning to just hold some balance within it.

This is honoring what I need. The inspiration and the calmness is all here. I am happy to be holding this space for myself. In future years I may feel the call to solstice revelry and summer gatherings, but right now I am glad to be feeling peaceful.  Just taking each step at a time.

Happy solstice people!

make pretty flower mandalas, enjoy the sun and nature.

Be kind.

♥♥♥

   

midsummer makings

I hope you had a good solstice or mid-summers day. I have been flat out here creating, gardening, parenting. This week the energy building up to the solstice was oh so strong! it felt as though all the parts of my life were being expanded to the maximum.

Sometimes I can feel over-wrought at this time of year, this year even with all it's calling and challenges I am managing to keep my feet on the ground. I have been following the drumming and journeying of Pixie Campbell, each day building up to the solstice with her 7 journeys. It has been a lovely calm way to end these days of intensity.

So I have been totally immersed in nature, planting vegetables, walking in the woods and stretching there too! Many things this week reached the pinnacle of me needing to act. I am learning that when I can bring myself to ask for help, it's usually readily bountiful. There is so much wisdom out there.

Many makings have been happening too. I down one set of tools and pick up another! Do you know the feeling?.......This is my summer time cushion. The reds, pinks and yellows of the summer especially have been calling me here.

I love making these. I like the quick colour changes and the way it all comes together. This together with this next cushion will be in my shop very soon.

I began this cushion in the winter and choose this biscuit colour to edge it in. It seems to set off all the colour quite well. I just love some of these colour combinations. Love that blue and aqua, and the pink and yellow, it's always tempting to keep em'!

Can I show you my bows. One thing led to another as you can see! This is the free gift from mollie makes and I used some pink thread too. Aren't they sweet! So simple too.

As I'm playing creative catch up I'll show you these, made during the last half-term holidays. This cushion became a birthday present. This was some very cute, folksy style material I found on my travels, edged with pompoms, which were a little tricky to sew but I love the finish.

And here's the back! I'm enjoying using my labels. I don't sew them on my crochet cushions. I put them on my detachable labels instead.

This ones sitting on my couch! It's made from some vintage Sanderson fabric I found. I had fun decorating the top with doilies and pearl buttons. It was very theraputic, although it's all a bit haphazard!

Here's the back. I thought the edge of the fabric was too nice to cover up so I kept it as part of the cushion and added some vintage buttons and little loops. I seem to make a lot of cushions. I am a great believer in the power of the cushion to change our lives!!

On my couch right now!

And still adding to them. Good job it's a big couch! All the better for flopping on at the end of the day!

Have a good weekend!

Heather

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a beautiful flower on the solstice

a beautiful flower on the solstice, a photo by my little red suitcase on Flickr.

The day has began in a wet and misty way here, but it feels quite fresh. Like a new day beginning. Phew, yesterday was a difficult day.... I think things can be so intense around the summer solstice and quite full on. This year I keep trying to remind myself to breathe out now and again and stretch or be still for a moment. It is helping! Nature is at its most heightened summer energies today, so hold on to your hat and remember to breathe out now and again.

Enjoy the longest day, and the light that stays so long in the evening now. Try and mark the day in some small way, or large solstice celebration way if you feel so inclined and welcome the force of nature which is the sun. (we hope it will make an appearance after the fresh rain!)

So happy solstice to you all and may all our relationships find peace and love around them to go forward in new ways.......

So hard for us people sometimes isn't it.....!

Peace and love,

Heather