Do you enjoy making things and
being creative? I never imagined I would take such delight in such a
variety of crafts or even remotely achieve satisfactory results. I've
always been rather depressed by my lack of artistic ability. I joke that
my talented older sister somehow robbed me of mine. =) Working with my
hands brings me such joy. I am pleasured to discover that I have a bit
of artistry hidden in me. I love to find news ways of expressing it.
Perhaps you are like me. Maybe you have a sibling or a friend who excels at their every endeavor with (seemingly) effortless ease, while you, on the other hand, struggle along, mustering every ounce you've got in your frame and aspiring heart, only to fail time and again. (sigh) Such doomed failure is enough to discourage even Michelangelo, you muse in desperation. I must be daft. I simply do not get it.
Don't
give up, young lady! Do you reckon--perchance, mayhap--you might be
striving to achieve a task our gracious Lord has not given you a talent
for? Well, that explains it! However, you are not excused to give up entirely.
Think, now. Is there any particular skill that catches your interest whenever you hear about it, or whenever you espy a glorious piece of that particular handiwork? Have you ever sighed, Oh, I wish I could do that. You will never know until you try if you might just have a talent in that area, bestowed upon you by the Master. Do some research online; find a few books with clear instructions and quality illustrations. When you begin you may take off like a bird on the wing--or you may become terribly discouraged and disappointed by failing efforts. True, true! your endeavors might run completely awry, leaving you to pull out your hair is frustration, eyes bugged out and nerves raw. (Trust me, I have been there and I have done that.) It might not be enjoyable at first but "let patience have her perfect work," dearie (James 1:4). Remember, trying and usually failing the first--and second, and third--attempt is all a part of learning anything new, whether it be a new math problem or a new sewing technique. If you "do with your might what your hands find to do," the Lord will bless your efforts.
The skills I have acquired in the past three years have been such a great blessing to me! Engaging my hands in spinning, knitting, cross-stitching, and sewing gives me such joy especially when the fruit of my hands is a gift for someone I hold dear to my heart. One thing I have learned in my experience is, you never need spend a single minute in idle boredom when you know how to wield a needle. I have knitted in the most unusual places--while in line for dinner at a church fellowship hall, at restaurants while waiting for my food to be served, while traveling across state borders and through foreign countries (okay, so Canada isn't that especially foreign =). The point being, doing some kind of handwork is an excellent way to "give every flying minute something to keep in store," helping you to redeem your time which belongs not to you but to the Lord. (But you don't necessarily have to go to the extremes that I do in order to accomplish that, obviously. =D) It's amazing how much you can accomplish in those unimportant, unused minutes of the day!
I
never dreamed that simply learning how to knit would unleash a spring
of curiosity within me. I could not have told you then that I would one
day find
such delight in many other arts of the past which, sadly, have been lost
as modern conveniences have entered the scene. A lady with the know-how
to create soap, candles, and baskets is an awe-inspiring rarity; such
skills in our day are obsolete. I despair that I have not yet had the
chance to learn those crafts but such opportunities, I assure
you, will be snatched as quickly as they present themselves. =)
Do not let your opportunities to acquire new skills escape from you. You will wish ten years from now that you had gained those admired talents when you had less on your hands. May God bless your efforts, whether you succeed or fail, and may you enjoy creating every beautiful stitch!
Information concerning paintings:
Perhaps you are like me. Maybe you have a sibling or a friend who excels at their every endeavor with (seemingly) effortless ease, while you, on the other hand, struggle along, mustering every ounce you've got in your frame and aspiring heart, only to fail time and again. (sigh) Such doomed failure is enough to discourage even Michelangelo, you muse in desperation. I must be daft. I simply do not get it.
Don't
give up, young lady! Do you reckon--perchance, mayhap--you might be
striving to achieve a task our gracious Lord has not given you a talent
for? Well, that explains it! However, you are not excused to give up entirely.Think, now. Is there any particular skill that catches your interest whenever you hear about it, or whenever you espy a glorious piece of that particular handiwork? Have you ever sighed, Oh, I wish I could do that. You will never know until you try if you might just have a talent in that area, bestowed upon you by the Master. Do some research online; find a few books with clear instructions and quality illustrations. When you begin you may take off like a bird on the wing--or you may become terribly discouraged and disappointed by failing efforts. True, true! your endeavors might run completely awry, leaving you to pull out your hair is frustration, eyes bugged out and nerves raw. (Trust me, I have been there and I have done that.) It might not be enjoyable at first but "let patience have her perfect work," dearie (James 1:4). Remember, trying and usually failing the first--and second, and third--attempt is all a part of learning anything new, whether it be a new math problem or a new sewing technique. If you "do with your might what your hands find to do," the Lord will bless your efforts.
The skills I have acquired in the past three years have been such a great blessing to me! Engaging my hands in spinning, knitting, cross-stitching, and sewing gives me such joy especially when the fruit of my hands is a gift for someone I hold dear to my heart. One thing I have learned in my experience is, you never need spend a single minute in idle boredom when you know how to wield a needle. I have knitted in the most unusual places--while in line for dinner at a church fellowship hall, at restaurants while waiting for my food to be served, while traveling across state borders and through foreign countries (okay, so Canada isn't that especially foreign =). The point being, doing some kind of handwork is an excellent way to "give every flying minute something to keep in store," helping you to redeem your time which belongs not to you but to the Lord. (But you don't necessarily have to go to the extremes that I do in order to accomplish that, obviously. =D) It's amazing how much you can accomplish in those unimportant, unused minutes of the day!
I
never dreamed that simply learning how to knit would unleash a spring
of curiosity within me. I could not have told you then that I would one
day find
such delight in many other arts of the past which, sadly, have been lost
as modern conveniences have entered the scene. A lady with the know-how
to create soap, candles, and baskets is an awe-inspiring rarity; such
skills in our day are obsolete. I despair that I have not yet had the
chance to learn those crafts but such opportunities, I assure
you, will be snatched as quickly as they present themselves. =)Do not let your opportunities to acquire new skills escape from you. You will wish ten years from now that you had gained those admired talents when you had less on your hands. May God bless your efforts, whether you succeed or fail, and may you enjoy creating every beautiful stitch!
Information concerning paintings:
-
1) The Sewing Circle by Daniel Knight
2) One Careful Stitch at a Time by Emile Munier
3) Sewing in the Garden by Francis Jones
4) Girl Sewing by Hugo Salmson
1 comment:
Transferred from my previous blog
Anonymous said...
Naomi, I tried to leave my comment on your "Merry Maids Apron' post but couldn't. So I thought I would try here. Hope it works :)
I loved your photos and your apron. I am a huge fan of the Edwardian apron, I have three which I wear constantly when at home and also for the Sunday School classes I help with. I have to wear an apron when at work (housemaid) also. Like you I dislike the loop or tie at the neck aprons. I did find the shoulder straps can feel unsecure at times, so I modified my subsequent aprons so the shoulder straps cross behind which make them impossible to fall off. One one apron I added frills to the bodice and shoulder straps and a
6" ruffle to the hem. I know it goes against the original design but I wanted an apron to wear for a formal evening (working as a server) so I added the embelishments.
God bless,
Kim.
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