Lyn Briggs Designs

You may recall the Retro Bag, which featured a Chicken Scratch embroidery design from the book Chicken Scratch Embroidery by Carolyn Foster.

My Nana taught my sister and I how to sew with Chicken Scratch Embroidery, but it was fairly basic cross-stitch. The designs in the book take the basic Chicken Scratch to a new level and for the first design I learned some new stitches including woven stitches. It was a lot of fun and armed with that knowledge I was ready to start another design from the book. This time I chose Woven Tower (Page 34).

In the book, the design is stitched in white thread on dark blue gingham and is added to a tote bag. I was inspired to make one for a birthday gift, but I chose a black gingham fabric and dark pink thread for the stitchery.

Please note that the instructions to make the tote are not included in the book, the instructions are for stitching the Chicken Scratch Embroidery design only, but it could be added to any tote bag pattern.

This time, I was able to draw on my experience with the Retro Bag and found the stitching a lot less challenging. In the process I learned some new woven stitches: diamonds, ovals, and squares.

For the bag making, I chose a dark pink fabric to provide a contrast to the black gingham and also highlight the stitchery.

I continued the pink fabric from the border into the lining, and made a covered button embellished with one of the stitches from the design to keep the tote closed.

My Chicken Scratch Tote turned out so well

Here’s hoping that the recipient likes it as much as I do.

Don’t dwell there …

Recently, my Facebook feed was filled with posts on grief. The first post I read, spoke into an issue I was currently facing and helped me understand my feelings. Encouraged by that, I started reading more of the posts, but noticed that instead of helping me, they were pulling me back into the past.  It was like a cloud settled over me. 

2 Sameul 13: 1-22 tells the tragic story of one of David’s daughters, Tamar, who was raped by her brother Amnon. Before the rape, Tamar wore an ornate robe, suitable for the virgin daughter of the King but after the rape she dressed in mourning clothes (2Sam 13:18-19). Another of her brothers, Absalom, found out about it and took her into his home where she remained.

“And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman.” (2 Sam 13:20)

She is described as ‘desolate’ because the stigma of rape would remain with her for the rest of her life. At that time, she would no longer be considered marriageable and would forfeit the future she thought she would have.

Unlike Tamar, when we experience painful, life-changing experiences, we have choices and don’t have to allow the experience to shape our future.

God offers us the gift of healing through His Son Jesus Christ. When we open our hearts to receive the healing He is offering, He redeems the darkest circumstances for His Glory, giving us hope and healing. The experience will always be part of the tapestry of our lives, but it doesn’t have to define us or our future.

By reading all those Facebook posts I’ve been revisiting the pain of Robin’s death. My life changed but it didn’t end there. I don’t have to accept the lie that this is all there is for me. God has a good plan for my life, and He does for you too.  Don’t settle for less.

Until next time

Lyn