Monday, October 3, 2011

A Feather of Hope


Hope
by Emily Dickinson

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.


I stitched this 5" square over the weekend for Jude Hill's Magic Feather Project.

It was inspired by this feather found in the middle of my path on Saturday while hiking near Loch Raven reservoir.


I had carried anxiety and worry along on my walk...and I was trying to leave them on the path and not bring them back home.

My brow was knitted and my head was down when this black, spotted feather stopped me in my tracks. The path was muddy and wet but the feather was not. Just lying there perfectly in contrast to the matted and decaying leaves that covered the trail.

I bent to pick it up, delighted by the treasure found. And in the moment, the worries seemed less important.

And I felt that the feather was sent to give me hope...a lightness of being.

So I took hope home with me and used it to stitch a feather for Jude...


Thanks to the walk, to my husband, to the feather found, and to Miss Dickinson for easing my load.

And the little break from Tiffany was nice too.

And thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions in response to my last post. It was a brainstorm of ideas that really helped me get "unstuck".

Today I'm back in the Tiffany saddle and coming down the homestretch.

Happy Monday everyone!

P.S. Through this online feather identification guide from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I discovered that my feather is from the wing of a red-bellied woodpecker. Just thought all you naturalists were dying to know ;)

18 comments:

Darlene said...

Susan, wow, your feather is wonderful. I wish I had the creativity that you do.... I too, have been pondering the last day over a family matter involving hurt and anger.... Perhaps we can send good thoughts to each other, and stop and take in what is good around us! Thanks for giving me pause. Darlene in MI

Claudine said...

Magnifique travail avec cette plume ! Bisous et bonne soirée

gracie said...

Lucky finding the feather. The Native Americans consider them a gift to be treasured. It is a symbol of strength. Love the way you have stitched it in the piece. I think we all need strength at one time or another.

Cari said...

Oh my gosh Susan, what a lovely post. The feather is beautiful and YOUR feather is beautiful as well. I love finding feathers....it nice when nature helps us feel better isn't it. I found a beautiful black & white, and brilliant blue feather from a BlueJay the other day and really felt blessed. Thanks for sharing.

Createology said...

Such a lovely feather and now you have eternalized it in your stitching. Taking a walk is a great way to obtain clarity and hope. May you have lightened your load dear...

Judy S. said...

What a pretty piece, Susan, and in perfect fall colors. The feather you found kind of resembles the one Jude stitched in her piece. Woodpeckers are cool birds, a tad destructive, but cool. Have you ever seen a piliated one? A dead ringer for old Woody! And so big. Hope your anxiety and worries weren't overly serious and that they've left you behind! Hugs.

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

What an uplifting post Susan, and what a wonderful piece you are creating.

Hope lifts our spirits to the sky.

We love finding feathers and add them to our collection.

FlowerLady

Wendy said...

Susan, i so love your blog.
And you.
Thank you for this today.
Your treasure of hope gave me hope too.
=-)

Vicky aka Stichr said...

i knew just what this was for as soon as i saw it!

and thank you for the link, because of course i wanna know!

sharonb said...

I too knew what this feather was for - and immediately loved the casual elegance of it . Lovely piece of work

Anonymous said...

Delightful - and so good to know that the walk brought you peace of mind!

Mary Ann Tate said...

Lovely...the colours you chose are very seasonal:)

Marty52 said...

I'm so glad your heart has been lifted, Susan. Mother Nature always comes through, one way or another. Feathers are cool little bits of wonder, aren't they? Beautiful post.

Miriam said...

Beautiful stitching, Susan!

Glad the walk eased your mind.

coral-seas said...

Everything you do is beautiful, it comes from your soul.

I am so pleased that the woodpecker lift a gift of hope and I hope that it helped you answer some of your concerns. I hate to think of you troubled.

I love the glitz and glitter of your Tiffany block. I equally love the serenity of this block.

Best wishes, my friend.

verobirdie said...

What an inspiring post. So glad you found this feather, and tht it helped you.

shirley said...

thank you for sharing this beautiful post Susan, it made me feel good to read it. I love feathers too and have some spotty ones as well from our Matilda who used to roam our property.

Connie Eyberg Originals said...

Just wanted to let you know I really enjoyed this post and your blog is beautiful!
Connie

Related Posts with Thumbnails