I Love Pumpkins

 

 I  saw pumpkins at the grocery this week and couldn’t resist reposting the blog.  I can’t help it.  I love pumpkins.


I think my favorite fall icon/symbol/item is the pumpkin.  My Thanksgiving table always has a pumpkin pie.  I roast the pumpkin seeds from my Jack O’Lanterns.  And even though there are no children in my household, Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without a carved pumpkin.

pumpkin seeds

Jack O'Lantern

And of course I make lots of pumpkin quilts, coasters, needle felted ones.  If it has a pumpkin on it, I am probably going to try and make it.

Last year I had a blog post entitled Spool Knitted Pumpkin  which showed how to make a spool knitted pumpkin coaster.  Check it out if you like to spool knit. (Spool knitted pumpkin)  And I bet crocheters could figure out how to make something similar.

Spool knitted pumpkin

I have also used pumpkins with the kids crafts I do at the farmers market.  I traced a pumpkin cookie cutter onto card stock and let the kids decorate it with orange pompoms.  (Check out the blog post: Cookie Cutters Aren’t Just For Cookies )    

pompom pumpkin

Lately I have been making needle felted pumpkins.  Using cookie cutters as a form, I have made some ornaments for Halloween and Thanksgiving. How to do this is in the blog post Needle Felting in a Cookie Cutter.  Just switch out a pumpkin cookie cutter for the bunny. 



Needlefelted pumpkin

I haven't even mentioned pumpkin pies or pumpkin bread or pumpkin soup.  What can I say I LOVE pumpkins.

© 2017, 2018, 2026 Cheryl Fillion

Fabric stuffed pumpkins



Beginnings (A Reminder)

 

It was ten years ago this month that I started this blog.  I thought I would celebrate by reposting the blog post that started it all.  It was a nice reminder of how I got started. 

    I have come across two philosophers in my life who have the best advice ever for people exploring their creativity.  The first was a German poet and scientist by the name of Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe who wrote "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." (That quote gives me goosebumps.)

  The second philosopher was my nephew, Alex, at the age of five who, when I asked him how we were to make a housecleaning robot he wanted to give his father for Christmas, very blunted told me that "You just do it, Auntie Cheryl." 

    Both wise men had a point.  If there is something you want to do, you will never know whether you can do it until you begin it.  Is there some creative technique you want to try but are afraid to?  Just dive in.

    Now it is okay to start at the shallow end (sorry, it is hot outside and water metaphors seem cooling to me right now.).  Dip your toes in.  Paint a page of just one color. One color can express any emotion. Write one line to start a poem.  One line can say a lot (Alex had a lot to say with his one line and it has stuck with me for 33 years.)  Sing one note.  A continuous note can be very relaxing to the diaphragm.

 Just begin it. Don't jump from the high dive. Don't plan a gallery show yet.  Don't figure out your office at the Library of Congress for when you are considered the next Poet Laureate.  And the Grammy nominations are already made for this year.  So relax.  All you are doing is beginning.

    And beginnings are wonderful.  There is mystery in them - you aren't quite sure what will happen next.   And there is an adventure in them - traveling to a new area of your heart.   And the excitement of them - you actually did whatever it is you were wanting to begin.

 You have had beginnings all of your life.  You survived all of those  - school, college, work, marriage, family.  You can survive this one.  But you have to just begin. As Alex said, "You just do it, Auntie Cheryl."  Who can argue with that?

© 2016, 2023, 2026– Cheryl Fillion

Try Something New

Have you ever been given the opportunity to take a class or watch a demo or hear a speech and you thought, no I don’t do that craft or I’m not interested in that subject. Well, go anyway. 

 You never know when going to a talk of something you have no interest in will actually spark an interest.  I belong to a number of crafters groups.  I often see someone prepare a talk or a demo and very few people in the group show up.  “Oh I don’t do that type of craft,” I hear them say.  So?  How do you know if you will like it or not if you don’t see it?

 Maybe you won’t like it but maybe you will.  I went to a meeting once with no interest what so ever in punchneedle embroidery.  I heard how it was done and saw some finished projects and I turned to my friend and said “I want to learn that”.  And now I do punchneedle all the time.  My little 3 heart logo in the corner of the blog is done in punchneedle.   

 Even if you have no interest in something, what you learn might apply to something else you do creatively or intellectually.  I learned to make rings at a meeting of our local Fiber Artist group.  I really have no interest in making jewelry but the technique I learned for the ring I can use to make embellishments for some of my needle felted bowls.

 If the class or demo or talk is being done by someone you know, wouldn’t it be nice for them to see a friendly face in the group?  It takes a lot of time and energy to put together a demonstration for a group (especially a group where you are a member) and it is a little disheartening to just see four or five people in the audience.

 So go try something new.  You might learn about something you didn’t know you wanted to do.  Or learn about something you might not do but will now appreciate more.  Think of how smart you will look when you can discuss the intricacies of basket weaving at a dinner party. Or just go and be supportive whether the speaker is a friend or stranger. Just go anyway.

 © 2017, 2021, 2026 – Cheryl Fillion

Practice Makes Better, Not Perfect

I recently wrote about my absence from this blog.   I had developed some infections and had heart surgery so all my energy went to getting better. 

But some of the energy and time, particularly in the hospital, went to needlework. Having a needle and thread in my hand helped calm me.  It occupied my time and mind.  It helped make some of that time away from home feel normal.

But I have to admit that with the weakness in my body, my stitches were not as pretty as they had been before I got sick.  My embroidery looked like it did when I was 9 years old and just learning to stitch even though I had been stitching for decades.

I'm not one to take out my stitches and redo them when they are not smooth and since the pieces were just for me, I just left them.  I was fairly sure that redoing them would not improve them and would just stress and frustrate me, undoing the calm the stitching had brought me in the first place.

The actual stitching was helping me in other ways.  As I mentioned it calmed me while I lived, at one point 4 months, in a place that was not mine.  It kept my mind occupied as I waited for tests to be done or results to be reported.  

It brought some normalcy to my life;  I was doing what I would have at home. Even to the point of displaying them in my hospital rooms just like I would have at home. I began to notice as I looked at my hand stitched display, that my stitches were getting tighter, straighter, and smooth looking.  My skill was coming back.

I realized it was just like with my physical therapy.  The more steps I took  or the more I worked with a hand weight, the stronger I became and the better my movement was.  I slowly became more confident in my stitching and my stepping.  

So if you find yourself in a situation where your skill has weakened from illness or injury, don't give up.  Keep stitching.  Keep painting, sculpting, making pots, doing wood work, even cooking or baking.  Keep up with your creating.  It may not be your prettiest work but it will get better and it is helping you heal inside as well.  

© 2026. Cheryl E Fillion 

July Fun Days

 July has some fun days mostly involving food.  So it might be a good month to try some new eats.

But you want to start the month with International Joke Day on July 1.  Tell as many jokes as you can, maybe even teach a couple to the kids in your life.  The first one I learned was “Why is a barn so noisy?” – “Because cows have horns.” 

Now for you who are interested in extra terrestrials, July 2 is  World UFO days.  (and I don’t think they mean quilter’s UFOs which are un-finished objects.). And while we are in space, July 20 is National Moon Day.  And you can continue to look at the moon in a hammock on July 22 for National Hammock Day.  You might want to share your hammock with someone on July 30th which is the International Day of Friendship.

Of course here in the U.S. July 4 is Independence Day.  And July 6 is International Kissing Day.  I probably don’t need to give ideas of what to do that day.   If you have been thinking of cleaning out your closets,  July 15th is a good day with Nation Give Something Away Day. And don’t forget to do something for your favorite Aunt and Uncle on July 26th because that is their day, National Aunt and Uncle Day.

We do have a couple of animal days in July.  National Kitten Day is July 10th so spend some time with your favorite feline or if you can, go adopt one at a local shelter.  July 14th is Cow Appreciation Day.  Go visit a farm or a zoo which might have cows or if nothing else just eat chicken or fish that day.  We end the month with National Mutt Day, giving equal time to dog lovers.

As I mentioned earlier the rest of the month fun days are filled with food.  Starting with National Fried Chicken Day also on July 6th.  The 13th is National French Fry Day  followed by National Mac and Cheese Day on the 14th. Eat your Hot dog on July 23rd because it is National Hot Dog Day and then have a chili dog on July 30th because that day honors the chili dog.   Make sure to get one meal thru a Drive thru on the 24th because, yes, it is National Drive Thru Day.   If you can’t decide what to have on the  29th, think about lasagna since that is National Lasagna Day.  

Now that your main meals are taken care of, here is what to have for dessert.  Ice cream is an important dessert in July.  You need that creamy goodness to cool you down.  So have  A strawberry sundae on July 7th and a hot fudge sundae on the 25th and then any ice cream on National Ice Cream Day on the 19th.   A sugar cookie has its own day on July 9th.  July 12th is Eat your Jello Day so cool down with your favorite jello.  July 28th is the day to drink your chocolate milk with any left over cookies from National Sugar Cookie Day.  And finish your desserts with cheese cake on July 30th.

So if  your family needs some fun things to do, here are some ideas for July.  Put them on your calendar and get the whole family involved with the planning of the day.  Happy July.

©2020, 2026 Cheryl E. Fillion

 

July's Quirky Holidays

With th USA'S 250th Birthday coming this July, why not make a month of it and celebrate all month long.  July has a lot of holidays.  

Of course in the US, there is July 4th, Independence Day when it was decided to separate from Britain and form our own nation.  That is a big summer celebration with picnics, parades and fireworks.  But there are a lot more reasons to celebrate in July, especially if a picnic on July 4th isn’t enough.

There are all kinds of food “Days”.  July 1st is Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day and International Chicken Wing Day. July 3rd is Eat Beans Day.  Sidewalk Egg Frying Day is also on July 4th (not sure I would want to eat that egg).  Do you like apple turnovers?  Well, have one on July 5th, that is National Apple Turnover Day.  July 6th is National Fried Chicken Day.  July 7th is Chocolate Day, International Cherry Pit Spitting Day (got to eat the cherry to get the pit) and National Strawberry Sundae Day.  My favorite summer fruit – blueberries is honored on July 8th.(and then Pick Blueberries Day is on the 10th and National Blueberry Muffins Day is the 11th)

July 10th is National Sugar Cookie Day (and you could revisit the Chocolate Day and Strawberry Sundae Day by having aother sundae with a little chocolate syrup and a cookie).  Just to make sure we get in another dessert, Pecan Pie Day is July 12th.  French Fries are honored on July 13th (appropriate since French Bastille Day is the 14th).  We go back to ice cream with National Ice Cream Day (different from July 1st which is Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day, remember). Have some pudding on Tapioca Pudding Day on the 15th.  And with all these sweets, eat some spinach on the 16th for Fresh Spinach Day.

We do another flavor of ice cream on the 17th for Peach Ice Cream Day.  And to get a little fancy, try some caviar on National Caviar Day on the 18th but I wouldn’t combined it with the other food honored on that day, Hot Dogs.  And with all this food you do need a drink now and then, so for the adults try a Daiquiri on its day the 19th. Cakes are also back on the 19th with National Raspberry Cake Day.  The 20th brings another ice cream day with National Ice Cream Soda day.  Don’t want anymore ice cream but you do want something sweet?  Switch the ice cream for a lollipop on the 20th – it’s that sweet sucker’s national day. 

And so we don’t forget a favorite ‘unofficial’ food group, July 21st is National Junk Food Day.  Remember with chips, you can’t eat just one.  July still hasn’t had enough of ice cream.  We have to honor the basic, vanilla on July 23rd. You don’t have to live south of the border to get some tequila on the 24th.  That day is National Tequila Day.  The 28th is a favorite of children of every age: National Milk Chocolate Day.

July 1st was International Chicken Wing Day.  We also need to bring it home with National Chicken Wing Day on July 29th.  If you want more of a meal, the 29th is also National Lasagna Day.  And we finish off the food month with a sweetie on the 30th, National Cheesecake Day. 

Now if you can’t find something to celebrate with food during the month of July, you are just too picky of an eater.  To the rest of us, I say “LET’S EAT!”

©2018, 2023, 2026 Cheryl Fillion

 

 

Recovering with Needlework

 It's been a while since I have written anything. And that's because I have been sick. 

Two years ago, I had 3 major infections in 1 month, an abdominal tear which caused me to bleed internally (losing half of my blood), and then within 6 months of all of that I had open heart surgery.

The one thing that helped me survive and recover from all of that (and I am still recovering) was my needlework.

In a nursing facility recovering from the infections and abdominal tear, I finished a little needlepoint coin purse.  It had the design of seashells on it.  It gave me a small feeling of being at the beach.

I had some friends pick up some embroidery from my home.  I was so glad I had different projects organized in bags so it was easy for them to find.  I worked on a flamingo embroidery (that allowed me to try some new stitches.  It was a wonderful kit.).  I finished a ballerina embroidery for my hopefully to be completed Nutcracker Ballet Quilt.

I even tried some freeform embroidery.  I took a strip of fabric, would draw a shape on it and then decorated the design with thread. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it but putting in and pulling out the needle was soothing to me.  It helped calm me since I was then 2 months in a care facility.

I worked on some needle felting which allowed me to make a gift for an aide who was particularly comforting to me.

Once I got home, my needlework helped me concentrate and kept my mind and hands busy while I continued to recover.   I finished the flamingo and also finished some UFOs.  It was nice feeling of accomplishment since building my strength was going so slow.

Because I was in a wheelchair, I couldn't sit close to my sewing machine so I found myself going back to hand piecing. That was fun rebuilding a skill that had gone dormant.

My doctors and I began to notice problems with my heart and so a valve replacement surgery was scheduled. I made sure as I packed for the surgery, I had needlework to do. I knew I couldn't stay in the hospital with nothing to do.  And it did help.  Having a needle in my hand helped occupy the time as I healed. ( The only problem came when I would drop my needle in the folds of the bedding.  Surprisingly I never did stick myself.)

I'm not sure what would have happened if I hadn't had my needlework to do.  It helped calm me, comfort me, and bring some normalcy to my life, all of which helped in the healing process.

2026. Cheryl Fillion