Welcome Spring!

 

February Goddess of the Month: The Cailleach

 I have started the hand embroidery for this month’s goddess for my A Goddess a Month project. I have chosen the Cailleach for February.

The Cailleach was the goddess of the cold and the winds. Sometimes known as the Veiled One or the Queen of Winter, the Cailleach determined the winter’s length and harshness. The Cailleach dwelled in Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man, and many places remain dedicated to her within these regions. 

The goddess is being stitched on 100% cotton fabric with a tone on tone spiral print, I am using DMC 6 strand floss 157 for the flesh and DMC Etoile C798 for the Cailleach's mantle or cloak. I had planned to use the Etoile floss for the little bit of sparkle it has to give the appearance of ice on her clothing. Here is my progress so far, I haven't done the eyes yet I am trying to decide whether I will leave them blank or use a blue floss.

The photo looks as if the flesh is done in white floss trust me its blue. Once the stick and wash product is remove she will look less messy.  

Have a Warm and Happy Imbolc and Blessing for a Wonderful Brigid's Bay!

 

Oh and Happy Groundhog Day too!

A Few Books for the Witchy Reading Challenge

 

I picked up a few books from the library today and two of them will be read for the 2021 Witchy Year Reading Challenge.

The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs by Katherine Howe also wrote The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane which I read in April 2015. I'm not sure if the book is a series or just a follow up since both books have the same main character.

 I finished reading  Year of the Witch by Temperance Alden and also read a quick cozy mystery Charms and Chocolate Chips by Bailey Cates, its a Magical Bakery series brewing magically spiced treats with a coven of hedge witches, this was the 3rd book in the series, I started the 4th book Some Enchanted Eclair yesterday.

On the crafty side of life I finished the January Goddess for my Goddess a month for 2021 project.

 I began the hand embroidery on another Brigid's Cross piece and have to put the finishing touches of the sketch for the February Goddess.

There us quite a bit of detail in this design so it won't be ready for Brigid's day this year which is fine with me I just like having a few embroidery pieces reading to stitch.  

A Reading Challenge for 2021

 It’s been a few years since I participated in a reading challenge which is odd for me since I read quite a bit so this year I am participating in the 2021 Witchy Year Reading Challenge. I read all kinds of books being a life long practicing Witch pagan books are on the top of my to be read books. I read both non-fiction and fiction.

I love a fun cozy mystery with or without a little magic thrown in for fun and I like to keep current on what is being read in the pagan community so I should be able to do this challenge all year. Here is the link if you would like more information or to join in the challenge.

https://www.juliecornewell.net/2020/12/announcing-2021-witchyyear-reading.html

The first book I’m reading is Year of the Witch by Temperance Alden (non fiction) 

January Goddess Stitching

 The hand embroidery on my January goddess is progressing very nicely, in addition to using DMC Coloris floss 4509 I'm using DMC floss 3836 on the central spirals.   Here are a few photos of the progress, the back of the stitchery better shows the flow of the coloris floss which changes after about an inch of stitching.  The flow will change depending on where you cut and when you start the next piece of floss.

The work on this goddess for January is going quite fast so I may wind up doing a second goddess for January.

My last post for 2020

 My first embroidery project for 2021 will be making a Goddess a month for the entire year. The first one will be done on 100% cotton tone of tone fabric, using DMC Coloris floss 4509.

I will be making other projects throughout the year and also taking part in the 2021 Journal Threaders Facebook group, is anyone else taking part in the Journal Threaders 2021 project?

This year I am also planning to make a quilt using a basic goddess figure template, I made one several years ago for a friend and thought it was time to make another for myself.

I am hopeful of regaining my health in 2021 so I have more energy to blog and keep crafting. I have been scanned so many ways these passed few months I feel like I glow in the dark. Still no closer to a diagnosis but I don't have to have the gallbladder removed since I improved from a below 1% function to 40% in a few short months (anything 35 and above is normal). The biopsies I had show no cancer or tumors and according to one surgeon I saw digestive illness can be quite difficult to diagnose.

I have changed my doctor since I haven't been happy with his office staff since the beginning of this illness in March, he was the doctor who treated me while in the hospital and follow up afterward was just maddening, the doctor was fine but his office staff dropped the ball on return calls, refilling medications that it was time to find a new doctor. I am with a doctor I saw several years ago and after the surgeon decided I needed to follow up with my doctor it was the right move.

Here are a few photos of projects I completed during Yule, the pattern is from Hook Line & Tinker and has such a Scandinavian folk art look I just had to make them.

The blue was done using DMC floss 820 and the red I used DMC floss 321, I love the simplicity of the design and plan to make one in green as well.  I find hand embroidery so relaxing and ono days when I am up to it and can sit for a while I stitch.  Because of the near constant pain I have been in since March I haven't done much stitching.

Wishing you all a safe and Happy New Year