When I Find Myself In Times of Trouble

This is an unusually difficult time in the lives of myself and my husband – not between us – thank God, but in his work life, which is causing us enormous amounts of angst.

So, my go-to always is create. Yesterday I made a couple of pincushions and today I illustrated my version of a flower. And later I’m going to work on a new quilt.

I can feel my stress levels going down and my blood pressure drop and my stomach settle.

There is a reason that people say that ART SAVES. It’s because it does. Seriously. Crochet and sewing have quite literally saved my life before and I feel it at work again. Bless you, art, for coming to my rescue once again.

Mission Accomplished!

I’m so excited that I finished my very first COMMISSION quilt! As in, someone paid me to make her a quilt! I’m so excited!!!

This is the fourth of these jelly roll quilts {pattern by Sweetwater} that I’ve completed. I’ve definitely gotten better with each one. And I LOVE this fabric!!!  It’s Dream Weaver by Amy Butler. My husband loved the quilt so much he was sad to see it go! I’m probably going to make a different quilt with the same fabric. Maybe this Three-Part Harmony Quilt by Anna Maria Horner that she makes on CreativeBug.  I’ve watched Anna Maria make this quilt at least three times!  She’s such a great teacher.

 

Share The Love Sunday

On Sundays, I’ve decided to begin doing a series that I do on my other blog called “Share The love Sundays.” Typically I Share something from someone else’s blog or website, but today, I’m going to share something from me. Here goes.

I’m a prayer. And with all that is crazy in the world right now I know that the one little bit I can control is me. So I pray. I pray for peace within me. I pray that I have the strength to love my enemies, because man that’s really hard sometimes. To have compassion and love for people that are purposefully hurting other people is hard. And so I pray. Because I really want to keep peace and love in my heart always.

I love to do lovingkindness meditations. Have you heard of it? It’s a Buddhist meditation that calls for love close in, with yourself, and then as you go on it extends further and further out to the world. Here’s an abbreviated sample of what one would look like. I’ll put a resource at the end that will give you a broader view.

Maybe put on some relaxing music, get comfortable and take some time to breathe and do this meditation.

You begin with yourself and this mantra:

May I be safe from inner and outer harm. May I be happy and peaceful. May I be healthy and strong. May I take care of myself joyfully.

Then you think of someone who has been really good to you; a spiritual mentor or good friend.

May you be safe from inner and outer harm. May you be happy and peaceful. May you be healthy and strong. May you take care of yourself joyfully.

The next person you’re going to think of is a dearly beloved person, someone you feel very warmly toward.

May you be safe from inner and outer harm. May you be happy and peaceful. May you be healthy and strong. May you take care of yourself joyfully.

Watch them in your mind’s eye and see them receiving your well-wishes. If strong emotions of love come up, take a moment and feel them.

The next person that we are going to extend our circle of lovingkindness to is a neutral person. This is someone that you neither particularly like or dislike. Someone like the your next door neighbor’s gardener or a waitress at your favorite eatery. Holding a picture of that person in your mind, we say:

May you be safe from inner and outer harm. May you be happy and peaceful. May you be healthy and strong. May you take care of yourself joyfully.

See if you can picture that person receiving this lovingkindness from you.

We next choose to open our hearts and extend lovingkindness to the difficult person. It is suggested that you don’t pick THE most difficult person in your life or the person that has hurt you the most. For now, just choose someone that is difficult or annoying to you. This also isn’t condoning someone’s bad behavior – you’re not saying that what they’ve done to you is okay. What you are saying is that you are a human being with the same desires for safety and happiness as everyone else. That we are all connected and as such, you are worthy of love. If you find that you’re having negative feelings, push through them and continue your feelings of lovingkindness.

May you be safe from inner and outer harm. May you be happy and peaceful. May you be healthy and strong. May you take care of yourself joyfully.

Next we send lovingkindness to all sentient beings everywhere without exception or exclusion. Maybe begin by thinking about people in places that you’ve traveled or places that you want to travel. People that you’ve heard about on the news, good and bad.

May you be safe from inner and outer harm. May you be happy and peaceful. May you be healthy and strong. May you take care of yourself joyfully.

May you be safe from inner and outer harm. May you be happy and peaceful. May you be healthy and strong. May you take care of yourself joyfully.

Now the meditation is finished. Try to keep the positive feelings of lovingkindness with you. If someone angers you during your day you can say, May I be happy and peaceful a few times and then extend that to the other person, may you be happy and peaceful.

If you’d like an extended, guided version of a lovingkindness meditation, I’m offering it right now  to people who sign up to my coaching email list. Click here to do that and after you’re signed up you’ll be taken to a page on my website to listen to the meditation – it’s got beautiful music and my voice! What could be better?

P.S. I love that I began this post with the sentence, “I am a prayer,” by which I meant pray-er, but I also believe that I’m a prayer. Love that.

I would really love to know how you felt after doing the meditation!

Find me here!  Instagram = @ themakerjake  ||  pinterest = @ lauriejacobsen1  

Math

There is so much math involved in quilt design! And how much fabric to order to successfully complete the quilt is one of the most nerve wracking!!! And potentially costly.

Measure Twice Cut Once

You know that old adage, “Measure twice, cut once?” I remember hearing it from my grandpa when I was little, because he did a lot of woodworking. You’d potentially lose a lot of money if you cut a piece {or pieces} of wood wrongly. And then, as I grew up, my mom taught me to sew. We made clothes and I made those quilted wallets – any of you that are children of the 70’s I’m sure remember those – I used to make them for my friends too! When I was 18, I made my first silk dress – total nightmare in all ways. And when I was 19, I made my first quilt. I’m not sure what possessed me, but I made a California King-sized quilt! It was log cabin style and in all the colors of the 80’s, mauve, mint green and steel blue. It’s God-Awful to me now, but I was inordinately proud and in love with it then.

I’m not even sure how many times I had to go back and recut something because I was so anxious and had no patience for measuring once let alone twice!!!

I’ve Improved With Age

I’m happy to tell you that I’ve improved with age! I now calculate – thank heaven for math! And measure and calculate and measure and add and calculate some more before I ever order the fabric and then do it all again before I ever think about cutting! Here’s a little sample of my current calculations.

I can’t reveal what it’s for just yet, but this is how many blocks will fit on a half yard of fabric. And then some more calculations. It’s all very precise and the project is coming along swimmingly!!!

Do you have any thoughts or tricks about math and sewing/quilting? I’d love to hear!

Find me here!  Instagram = @ themakerjake  ||  pinterest = @ lauriejacobsen1

The Birds

My pattern for the day! I had so much fun designing these little birds.

I’d love to know what you think of them!

Find me here!  Instagram = @ themakerjake  ||  pinterest = @ lauriejacobsen1

Hello, World!

This is my very first post on this blog! If you click on the “about” link you’ll see a little bit about me. But to fill in the details, I’m a wife and mother of an amazing, 23-year-old daughter, Danielle. She’s currently in law school and REALLY wants to help people. I could not possibly be more proud. My husband is also a healer and helper. He’s the absolute love of my life and my very best friend. My other job is Certified Life Coach and retreat facilitator. It’s such a joy in my life.

I graduated with a bachelors degree in Visual Communication with an emphasis in Graphic Design from the University of Arizona in Tucson and that’s where I currently live, although I was born and raised near the beach in Southern California. I’ve been really blessed with work and have done a lot of gorgeous e-book design and creation for some incredibly talented artists.

I’m also a maker. I paint, I sew; quilts, handbags, pouches, stoles, wallets, clothing, english paper piecing – you name it, I sew it! I also love fiber arts – crocheting being the one I’m best at. I made shawls for all of the ladies that came to my retreat and I have made several hats for myself. The one below is my own design!

Whippersnapper God’s Eye block pattern by Anna Maria Horner, Fabric is Tula Pink and various text

Me in my crocheted hat

I’ll be blogging here about my life and current projects, both design and handmade goods. I have an Etsy shop that I opened a while back, so please check back to see what goodies I add to that. I’ll have physical goods, design items and someday hopefully sewing patterns!

Welcome to my little corner of the world!!!

Find me here!  Instagram = @ themakerjake  ||  pinterest = @ lauriejacobsen1