Life is back into full swing here, and the lazy days of summer are dwindling away. Unfortunately for me, that means less time for leisurely activities like crafting. Before all that disappears though, I wanted to share with you one of my big crafting tragedies. My epic fail. My fibre flop. My defeated disaster. Perhaps it will encourage you. If not, well, I might just make it to a Pinterest fail compilation, for “I nailed it” — not.
If you are a Pinterest junkie like me, you will know how easily one can be swayed by the allure of beautiful craft pieces, created by highly skilled individuals displaying their wares. Or perhaps Instagram is your game… and a perfectly plated dish is drool worthy for you. Maybe you play it old school and appreciate a fine, handmade quilt tucked away in some quaint antique store; or a fashionista who spends hours finding that perfect accent for your well coordinated outfit. We are such fickle creatures, aren’t we? We love to create, and often spend our entire lifetimes perfecting our work.
Which brings me back to my fail. I recently discovered the delicate art of dry felting. It involves stabbing raw or “roving” wool with a fine needle until it becomes “felted” or matted together. By layering colours and textures, detailed works of art can become so lifelike, it is difficult to tell what’s real and what’s not… and the pieces are so adorably cute! I first featured some felting artistry at mittonmusings here. So, eager to try something new, I found a little felting kit at my local craft store and attempted a rather wonky llama. He’s not bad, but he doesn’t quite stand. His little legs are not very sturdy. Okay for a beginner, I suppose. More recently, I attempted a petite pig with inspiration from a felting book I was pleased to discover down in the States. It did not go as well.
The book’s directions had me lay out all the various parts, and following the preliminary instructions for a “dog body” shape, my cute little piglet should have come together beautifully. My wool was a little too pink — more candy floss shade — but I was going to blend in some browns and whites to make him him look more realistic. I could do this, right? Several hours later, after stabbing away at my little foam block and folding and fluffing wool… I had all my shapes ready.
Well… my cotton candied porker was not too well proportioned … and he ended up looking like a sausage shaped cat with lopsided legs. I attempted to give him a whimsical expression… but my features were too thick and my cat-pig ended up all drag-queen-gone-bad. Epic fail. My beloveds tried to encourage me with kind words… but we all managed a laugh as Mr. Pig joined Wonky Llama in my misfit menagerie of sad looking felted friends. I am afraid it is back to the drawing board for me.
What about you, my friend? Ever attempt a “creation”? Are you a fine artist? A crafter? Are you a fabulous cook, or can you rebuild a car from scratch? I would love to hear from you!
Alas, my fellow beginners… there is always a lesson in our trials! Are you encouraged, as I am, that the Bible tells us God doesn’t make mistakes (unlike us!). It says that God created… and it was good. I will say it again: He doesn’t make mistakes. No epic fails. No beginner blunders. Everything was perfect. Just as He designed. We recently visited the Creation Museum near Cincinnati, Ohio. It was a helpful reminder in simply appreciating the vast diversity we have in this created world — from the tiniest creepy crawly to the towering dinosaur of yesteryear. As a scientist, I can appreciate the subtle and profound differences in a world of creatures. And I continue to be amazed as the various disciplines peel back the layers of this place that God called “good”. Oh, my friends… We’ve barely scratched the surface!
But do you want to know what is even cooler than that?! He created us! You and I were created in the image of the Almighty! He breathed life into dirt and “felted” us together — delicately weaving our personalities, our gifts, our talents, and our passions into something spectacular! You have been perfectly crafted by the most talented artist of all!
So take heart. If your llamas are a little wobbly, and your piggies are not quite pudgy… fear not. Humans have to keep practicing. God doesn’t.
Our youngest son was often overwhelmed with anxieties when attempting new tasks. We knew that slow (and often painfully time consuming!) encouragement to “just do the next thing” allowed him to overcome his fears and often flourish at the task at hand. By learning things and being encouraged by others, we often strengthen our own efforts, and can focus in on the real purposes behind our motivations.
We’ve also learned to love and share with others who don’t always see the world the way we do. Anxieties, competitions, goals and mighty accomplishments have been a part of our school careers. I have quickly learned (and have instilled in our beloveds!) that teachers are just people too. They have good days and bad days like the rest of us. So if you are just starting your school life… please, please, please… be involved. Go to school council meetings, go to the interviews, get to know the staff and your kids friends. Be the house that invites them home for lunches and after school snacks. Claim the promise in Proverbs 22:6. You have trained and prepared them for this… now let them go.
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