And now for something completely different...

I have been doing quite a bit of research on old tombstones, and the angels carved into them. I love the art and symbolism that is on the very old, pre-1850 ones. A couple of years ago, while on vacation in Boston, my son Aidan and I spent quite a bit of time exploring an old cemetary. I was quite surprised at how well a lot of them have aged, you could still read the inspcriptions on almost all of them. I remember it was very hot that day in July, and the rest of the family was sort of tapping their feet waiting for us, but we were just fascinated by them. OK, me, I think Aidan might have been humoring me!
I have learned quite a bit about them since then. Fore instance the oldest ones in America, erected during the more puritan era have death faces with wings. Then later as the influence of Neo-classical art came over from Europe, the skulls began to change to a more human face. The image of the winged scull or face(what looks like an Angel to us) represents the soul leaving mortal life and flying into eternity.

Here are a few common symbols (there are many, many more):

Flying Angel: rebirth
Trumpeting Angel: call to Resurrection
Weeping Angel: grief
Coffin, Pick, Spade, Pall: mortality
Crown: glory of life after death
Flower: frailty of life
Severed Blossom: mortality
Garland: victory
Heart: love, love of God, abode of the soul
Hour Glass; inevitable passing of time(and life)
Winged Hour Glass: swift passage
Scull, Bones, Skeleton: mortality
Winged scull: flight of the soul from mortal man
Winged face: Effigy of soul of the deceased, soul in flight



Of course the epitaphs inscribed on them is what first drew me to these little works of art. Here are some of my favorites:

The ever popular:

When I am dead and in my grave.
And all my bones are rotten,
Remember me when this you see,
Lest I shall be forgotten.

And:

What you are reading o'er my bones
I've often read on others tombs.
And others soon will read of thee
What you are reading now of me.

Then their are the ones that seem odd to us today:

Molly tho pleasant in her day
Was suddenly seiz'd and sent away
How soon shes ripe how soon shes rott'n
Sent to her grave & soon for gott'n

Which by todays sensitivities would probably read:

Molly, pleasant in her day,
Was suddenly seized and passed away.
How soon her mortal remains decay,
And her remembrance fades away.

Then there are the funny ones(which cannot be authenticated):

Here lies the body of our Anna
Done to death by a banana
It wasn't the fruit that laid her low
But the skin of the thing that made her go.

And from a tombstone out west:

Here lies Lester Moore,
Four slugs from a .44,
No Les, no more.

Bent Creek Littles~Bunny

This one is really kind of sweet and cute for me. I actually surprise myself how much I like Bent Creek. I don't usually go in the the cutsie stuff, but I really like so many of BC designs. I finished this one off for my little dowel tree. It was fun to finish it, and I actually figured out how to do it all by myself. I have 2 sheets of card stock inside there, which keeps it really flat and smooth. It is backed with wool felt, which doesn't need it's edges turned under, so no bulk.

progress on Houses

Yesterday I spent the whole day cleaning the house from top to bottom. It always feels so good when everything is clean.The kids messed it up again in no time, but once clean it is a lot easier to put back in order. I rewarded myself by spending the evening stitching and doing the never-ending mountain of laundry. In fact, I even struck floor down there in the laundry room!

Here is my progress on Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. I simply adore this project. The colors are so primitive and bold. Kathy really has a wonderful sense of color, and it is fun to explore her pallette. For instance, on the second house, that yellow that outlines the windows I would never have touched with a 10 foot pole. I mean it is the yuckiest yellow ever! But paired with everything else, the end result is just fantastic! I am stitching this exactly as charted. I never feel the need to change anything Kathy has done, I really trust her design sense.

As long as I have my camera out

Here are a few recent finishes. Home of a Needleworker, which I did on 32ct. overdyed zwiegart with one strand of DMC. And Bent Creek little bunny, which I will make into an ornament for my dowel tree. I stitched this one on 28 antique white linen with Gentle Art Sampler Threads and Weeks Dye Works. It was a fun one-nighter!

Stash enhancement from Superbowl sale!

I have been on some kind of buying frenzy lately(mostly internet)! But I had so much fun shopping with my mom and Isabel yesterday. It has been a while since we have done that . Here are all the things I bought. I need more charts like a hole in the head, but they make me so happy!!

Charts:
1. And a Forest Grew by Rosewood Manor~ I can just see this one hanging in the kitchen by the back door!
2. Stitchers Prayer by CHS~I have always loved this one! The verse reads:"I pray that risen from the dead I may in glory stand, A crown perhaps upon my head, but a needle in my hand." I am such a sucker for anything biblical or old timey spiritual like that!
3. Happy Hearts by Birds of a Feather~I think this just may be my favorite design by this designer-I LOVE the colors and contrast in this one!
4. Peach Tree Cottage by LHN~ I adore all the cottage designs by Diane and her daughter
5. Berries by LHN and Crescent Colors~both chart and 5 CC for $12.00? I love this deal and you don't have to ask me twice! I would love to get everyone of these! I LOVE Crescent Colors!!

I also bought a skein of Little House Brown by Crescent Colors to go with the Peach Tree Cottage design, a 9" by 12" zippie bag, and a beautiful cameo needleminder by Kelmscott Designs. So I am one happy stitcher today, and I even feel comforted in my devastation over the Bears embarrassing loss yesterday!