Hello All, This week I have been having several nights of insomnia although the last couple of nights I have slept very well. Not even sure why I couldn't sleep other then the fact it happens with me once in a while. So for most of this week I have been in a semi-groggy out of it state. I have also come to the realization, this week, that some people's sole purpose in life is to be a clue from the Gods. That's it. They are put on this earth as tests. Are you strong enough to stand up to the BS they spout? Not only that, but are you strong enough to keep doing the things you need to do? Other then that it has been a very quiet week. So until next time, Sheila K. Watkins Editor: Whispers of a Stone Circle See last page of this newsletter for submission guidelines, forwarding guidelines, where you can subscribe to Whispers and copyright information. ~*~*~*~ Lover of the Wildwood By Sheila K. Watkins Lover of the wildwood Chasing after me Laughing Chasing Tormenting Offering pleasure's promise So why do I flee? When I want the pleasure As much as he Lover of the wildwood Chasing after me Catching Teasing Pleasing Passionately giving Pleasure's promise fulfilled ~*~*~*~ Cool Link(s) of the week: A memorial site for the Burning Times. www.theburningtimes.com ~*~*~*~ (Note: a graphic was included with this article and can be found here: http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/whispersofastonecircle/vwp?.dir=/ &.src=gr&.dnm=Goddess+Quilt+2-22-2002.jpg&.view=t&.done=http% 3a//photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/whispersofastonecircle/lst%3f% 26.dir=/%26.src=gr%26.view=t ) Goddess (or Spirit) Quilts By Mairwen "Goddess (or Spirit) Quilts"–wonderful little quilts you can use as a lap-blanket or for sitting on in the floor or outside when doing magical works, or meditations, or during rituals I believe someone was asking for a pattern ... This graphic isn't perfect, either, but it's to give you a basic idea of how the finished quilt should look. The goddess appliqués shouldn't be much more than hand-high, with each block measuring 6"x9" (at least, that's how my quilt was made). My quilt is 6 blocks 6 across by 4 blocks high, but make your quilt to suit your needs - I'm sure if I made one of these, the dimensions would be different. Cut white or other solid-color blocks to appliqué the goddess shapes, and patterned fabric blocks to go between, as diagramed above. Cut one or two (or three!) goddess shapes to appliqué on the white (or solid-colored) quilt blocks - you can even cut moons to appliqué behind the goddesses if you wish; it makes a neat affect. The appliqué process is simple if you have a zigzag feature on your sewing machine; if not, you'll have to do it by hand, which takes a bit longer. Lay your quilt pieces out on the floor to get a visual of how you want your quilt to look - how big it needs to be, if something needs to be taken away or added, etc. Now you'll stitch the blocks together by rows. This is accomplished, at first, by lying a goddess block face-to-face on a patterned block and stitching it up along one side - making sure to stitch so that the block you intended to come first ("reading" left to right, top to bottom) will be on your left when you unfold the pieces. Continue adding blocks in a like manner (adding to the right as you go) until you complete the first row. Stitch each row separately and then lay the rows out on the floor to make sure everything is where it belongs - if not, that's why Goddess invented seam-rippers. Once all your rows are in order, it's time to begin stitching them together. This is a little more difficult than stitching the individual blocks together, as you're handling larger pieces of fabric here. Take the first row and then lay the second row on top of it - the first row will be face-up, top to bottom; the second row will be face-down, bottom to top. Then stitch along the bottom, making sure both rows are facing the proper direction when you take them from the machine. Continue adding rows in the same manner until you have completed your quilt top. Now, this is where you have a choice. You can either fill your quilt with quilt batting or you can stuff it with pillow batting. How you proceed depends on the method you choose. Mine was completed with the stuffing method and is rather bulky - but it's very warm, and it's comfortable to use when sitting on the ground. The stuffing method You'll want your solid blocks to match the backing of your quilt. Take your quilt top and measure it to the size of a solid block of fabric - and cut out the solid block. This is the back of your quilt. Turn the quilt top so that it's face-up on the floor. Place the backing on top of it (choosing which side you want to face out - with most solid fabrics, it doesn't make a difference - and put that side facedown). Pin it in place (along the outside edges); this ensures it doesn't slip as you sew it together. Sew it together, remembering to leave at least a block's width open at some point to use to very carefully turn the quilt right-side-out before you stuff it. How you insert the batting will determine the thickness of your quilt. Ideally, you'll want to pull the batting apart and put it in by the handful instead of just randomly cramming it into the quilt body - which causes lumps. Stuff until you're satisfied with the feel and the thickness of your quilt. The quilt batting method Quilt batting comes all in one piece, usually in a roll. You want to sew the squares of the top of the quilt (with the goddess designs and the alternating color blocks) and finish all the appliquéing on the patterned side of the quilt. Then you would lay the batting on the WRONG side of the solid quilt back, baste the backing and the batting together at the edges (and maybe throughout the middle with large loose stitches you can later pull out) to help keep the batting and the back side of the quilt together. From this point on the solid color quilt back and batting would be treated as one piece. Pretend they are now one unit. Once this is done you would put the right side of the quilt back (the side without the batting) on top of the right side of the quilt front (the part without all the seam allowances showing) and stitch all around the outside of the quilt front and back leaving a section, perhaps a couple of blocks wide, open along the edge (which you will use to turn the quilt inside out afterwards). What you then have/see before turning the quilt inside out would be on one side the wrong side of the quilt front (with all the block seam allowances showing) and on the other side, the batting, with the back (solid color) side of the quilt sandwiched in the middle. The "pretty side" of the solid colored quilt backing would be facing the "pretty" or right side of the quilt front. After you have done this, trim outer edge of the batting as close to the seam as possible. Then turn the whole thing inside out through the part of the edge you left open, sewing it up closed by hand. You would then need to iron it so that the top lay upon the back evenly and pin and perhaps baste around each block to hold it in place smoothly. Then you could turn your attention to each individual block and machine or hand stitch around the edge of each block and then last of all do the actual quilting stitching to add texture and pattern and further secure the batting within each block. Now that your quilt if finished, you'll want to tack it to ensure that the batting (whichever way you filled your quilt) doesn't shift and bunch and so forth with age and use. Tacking is very simple. Take a thick, sturdy stitching needle and use a yarn chosen to match the color-theme of your quilt (mine is tacked in two colors - blue and green). Load the needle with two strands of yarn. Tacking is simply sewing. Put your needle into the fabric and pull through (leaving about three inches of yarn hanging out in the back), just as if you were sewing something by hand. Don't tie anything off, simply snip the yarn at about three inches and then go across to the other side of the block and make another needle-pierce. Continue this process all over the quilt. You'll want three rows of tacks if your blocks are 9" high - but don't put a tack in any of your appliqués, as it will damage the appliqués (and would be rude, I think). This should leave you with two "rabbit ears" at each needle-pierce, if you stitched it properly; if not, guess what - you get to do it again! If you did it right, you can now tie a simple knot with each pair of "rabbit ears" - knotting on both the top and the bottom (front and back) of the quilt. After you tie the knots, you can trim the yarn down, but don't trim it down too far, or you'll find yourself resewing tacks as time goes on. These knots need to be tied just as closely and as tightly to the quilt body as you can tie them! Remember, this is the glue that holds the innards of your quilt together Now, I probably shouldn't, but I trust my washing machine and know how to wield an iron when necessary. I've washed my quilt several times in the time I've had it, and it's held up; the batting hasn't shifted, the stitches haven't bunched up, the appliqués haven't fallen off. But all of that is easily enough repaired if that does happen. Well, except if the colors ran in the washer - and that I can't help you with. Drying your quilt on a clothesline would be ideal, but if you're an apartment dweller like me, or just don't have a clothesline, then you're stuck with the dryer - and remember, if you use a clothesline, the sun can cause your colors to fade, but if you have a clothesline, you already know this. Make sure you dry your quilt thoroughly whichever way you dry it - or the insides will mold! Ironing isn't necessary, but it will give your quilt a nice finished look - but be careful because you can scorch the fabric if you're not careful, and you certainly don't want to ruin your hard work. Now your quilt is ready to use! Of course, my cat thinks my blanket belongs to her, but use your quilt for whatever comes to mind. Have fun! ~*~*~*~ Announcement(s): this place reserved for announcements and press releases I find of interest. I'm pretty lenient about what I place in here but please no Spam that's been around the world so many times everyone has it memorized. I will consider books release announcements, local and national event announcements, and noteworthy news applicable to those in the pagan community among other things. Thank you. Sheila ~*~*~*~ Writer's Biographies: Mairwen has been a Craft Practitioner for 13 years, and was formally initiated into Trefn Gwyddoniad at Beltaine 1995. She co-founded The College of the Blue Butterfly with her High Priest at Bridget's Fire, 1996. As of Yule 2000, she has been a High Priestess of the Craft for three years, and was recognized as an Elder of the Gwyddon Craft. More information on the Gwyddon Craft may be found at: http://www.dream-weaverz.net/gwyddon/index.html Sheila K. Watkins knew from the time she was 15 that she wanted to be a writer but did not really start writing until she entered college where she worked on her college newspaper and also worked as the editor of the feature section for one semester. She was also introduced to the love of writing poetry at this time. Fortunately for all of us most of the poems have been lost to the world of men. After college she worked several jobs during the next few years but none included writing. It wasn't until after both of her children had started school in 1998 that she went back to her love of putting words on a computer screen. Her first submission was accepted by publication by the IOWAN newsletter and it started her on the path of truly honing her work. In October of 2000, she founded and became editor of Whispers of a Stone Circle. ~*~*~*~ Submissions are always welcomed and can be made to: Zeliziw@netins.net In submitting materials writers are agreeing that if accepted I may post them in the newsletter and on the web page (whenever I finally get back to work on it.) Works submitted must be the writer's own work and they must still retain the copyright OR it must be verifiably public domain. Works can have been published before but please nothing that has been around over and over again. Copyright remains in the author's possession. The Author also realizes that they will not be paid. (If I had money I would be hosting this on something other then Yahoo.) If a submission is accepted, I will check for punctuation, capitalization and spelling in submitted articles. I will fix minor errors if they are present. I will NOT reword things (except for an occasional "an" for "a" and vice versa.) Poems are published as submitted. Forwarding information: If you chose to forward this newsletter, do so in its entirety, including copyright and contact information. People may subscribe to Whispers of A Stone Circle at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WhispersOfAStoneCircle/ All articles, poems, etc, except where noted are copyrighted by the writers and are used with permission. They are not to be republished without the express permission of the writers. Contact information may be obtained by contacting the editor of Whispers of A Stone Circle at Zeliziw@netins.net Copyright (c) 2002 Sheila K. Watson. All Rights Reserved