More from the Global Piecers

Teresa Mitchell  is another member of the Global Piecers mentioned in our last post. Her flags are ready to leave Scotland and fly off around the world.

Flags by the Global Piecers

Lis Harwood has joined us to tell us about the prayer flag swap she is organising as co-ordinate of the Global Piecers group.

"These "Global Piecer" prayer flags will be flying off around the world and were made with some very special friends in thought and prayer.  On each flag is written the particular prayers for the individual.  

The prayer flag to the far right was made for a very special "indigo sister" who is caring for four different loved ones with severe illnesses/problems at the moment and hasn't a moment or the energy to care about herself.  My prayer flag for her includes prayers and tears.

Lis has put together an interesting post on how she put these flags together here.

A pick me up.

Here is a flag sent to us by Vickie

 "I've been praying for someone whose been going through a tough time lately,

 I thought she could use a special little pick-me-up.

 As long as I can remember she's played the piano, sung in church and in can-tata's.

 For many years I stood behind her watching her hands move across the keys of an old upright piano while words of God's love were embedded in my heart from the old time hymns she sang." 

Vickie

http://morestarsincomanche.blogspot.com

Heart

Here is a flag sent  by Beverly Hilbert of Arlington VA.

"I have attached the prayer flag I made on Sunday at Artistic Artifacts. One of the members made the base. The collage was made from the collection of goodies at my table. It was fun to do." 

Protect

Prayer Flag by Judy Gula, owner of Artistic Artifacts 

" At my shop, Artistic Artifacts, I host Judy’s Altered Minds, a fiber/mixed media art group that meets monthly, and the April 27 meeting was devoted to creating prayer flags. Because of a teaching obligation I had to miss the fun that day, but I wanted to participate too! I began with fabric I monoprinted using a Gelli Arts™ Gel Printing Plate, collected scraps of ribbon and fabric. I laid out fabric strips and ribbon as I sewed the seam to create the hanging sleeve, so in one step I had the addition of hanging embellishments too. This is one of the flags I made dedicated to the idea of protecting our teenagers from suicide. Unfortunately our local High School has lost several students to suicide in the recent years, and it has affected my community greatly. Please visit my blog to learn more: http://www.artisticartifacts.com/blog/?p=2674”

Making Prayer Flags

Michele Bilyeu on a class making prayer flags with quilt guild members.

I had a wonderful time teaching a class on the making of "Peace and Prayer Flags, Garlands, Pennants, and Bunting" at the Polk County Fairgrounds in Rickreal, Oregon for our local Mid-Valley Quilt's "Quilt College".

What a great group of women! Each and every one went 'outside of her personal' comfort zone in creating peace and prayer flags, making them as individual as possible. And every single one of these lovely ladies added something that was unique, creative, and different than my samples!

I provided kits for 14 different peace or prayer flags and they had a wide variety of individual kits to choose from even among their favorite 'looks'.  I provided choices that included patriotic, country, Victorian, rainbow 70's, religious, spiritual, just plain cute, and native cultures and traditions. But of course, I didn't tell them, what was what, or give any advice on select and being me, they could switch ingredients and ink jet quotations if so desired.

And they did!....
read more at: Quilt College: Peace and Prayer Flags

Gratitude

Flags from Patti Schaffer.

"Each flag was dedicated to one of the 3 doctors or 2 medical centers I credit with saving my life. I thought good wishes or thanks which each stitch. The squares are silk. You can't tell but there is silver metallic thread with the white on the gold pieces.

Thanks for the blog."

Prayer Flag Blog Hop

Are you aware that there is a little Prayer Flag Blog Hop going on at the moment?

To further the Prayer Flag movement, Vivika and her team over at Quilting Arts have put together an eBook and Prayer Flag Pack. 

Vivika first blogged and shared her flags over on the Quilting Daily blog
and here are all the other blogs to visit.

April 14:               Jane LaFazio

April 15:               Meg Cox

April 16:               Deborah O’Hare: That's Me!

April 17:               Jamie Fingal

                               Susan Brubaker Knapp

April 18:               Carrie Bloomston

Each blog shares details of how each of us has decorated our Prayer Flag Banner.
I hope you have the time to take a look and be inspired.

Gratitude

Michele Bilyeu shares her Gratitude  today by posting:

I am feeling so very grateful for the beauty of Spring flowers, the sound of early morning bird song, the playful antics of dozens of little squirrels as they perform their high wire acts from limb to limb. I am grateful for the budding of new leaves on trees, the buzzing of bees, and the sweet sound of humming birds as they flit back and forth from our many feeders to fresh blooms in the yard.

Grateful that my youngest sister-in-law, Shelley, with advanced Stage 4 lung cancer is holding her own, after her 7th chemotherapy treatment. She and my brother fly from Juneau to Seattle every three weeks for another round of treatment, so while it might seem discouraging that they she is now on 'maintenance' levels, that is actually a good thing. She is holding her own and still striving to live until her second grandchild is born in May.

Grateful that my brother in Eagle River who battles one round of pneumonia, and one medically induced coma after another, is now feeling well enough to have some physical therapy to get his strength back. And his wife, with end-stage kidney disease, is now back to holding her own against the increasing odds of finally "being sick enough" to make her way up on the kidney transplant list.

Life if filled with so many challenges, but we focus on the good, the daily gratitudes of health, happiness, and the ability to bear whatever pains we might feel that day.....

read more at:

With Heart and Hands with Michele Bilyeu

Sad news from Maryly Matthewman.

I first posted on this blog March 17 2014. It is with heartfelt saddness that I have to say  our Prayer/ Wish Flag Project in Gilford, NH for John Bradley Thompson, age 6 has come to an end.  John went to Heaven yesterday as a result of a rare brain inoperable brain tumor, DIPG. Only 150 children in the US per yr develop this tumor.  His family struggled for 10 months.  There is no doubt that the Prayer/ Wish Flags helped John, his wonderful family, his little friends and the community deal with this difficult time.  In a few days friends and family will walk from a church to the community cemetary.   But the wind will be filled with wishes from hundreds of flags which will line the path.  Prayer Flags are a comfort and way to express wishes and hope.  They brought a community together to pray for strength and courage for a family and a wonderful little innocent boy, John Bradley Thompson.  Thank you, Maryly Matthewman, Meredith, NH.  Please check out John's Blog at thinkjohnbradley.

May your family share laughter, 
Your songs always play, 
May your Wishes come true, 
Even those left unprayed."

UPDATE

"A few days ago I posted and stated that our Prayer  Flag Project for John Bradley Thompson of Gilford, NH had come to an end. I was very wrong in this statement. This afternoon, his family, along with well  over 1,000 friends, NH State Police, gathered for the funeral of this remarkable 6 year old.  We all walked a half mile from the church service to the cemetery. The route was posted with hundreds of Wish/ Prayer Flags done earlier in John's illness to wish him health, strength, courage, and HOPE. During the service the minister talked to us about how we will carry on John's memory.  We saw first hand the power of Prayer Flags to all involved.  It absolutely united a community and gave strength and hope to a struggling family.  I hope to promote Prayer/Wish Flags whenever I can in the memory of John Bradley Thompson, Fly, Fly, Little Wing" Maryly Matthewman.

from Helsinki

Greetings from Helsinki, Finland!

My name is Annika Lund, and for two years I've been teaching embroidery to a group of wonderful, creative, fun and wise women at a centre for adult education in Helsinki, Finland. When it was suggested that the group put together an exhibition of their work, I asked the ladies whether they would like to join the prayer flag movement and include a line of prayer flags in the exhibition.

In order to encourage as many as possible to participate, I suggested that the 'prayers' could remain private for everyone, and that nobody needed to share their personal thoughts unless they wanted to. And as for 'prayers', every embroidered piece is a map of the embroiderer's life and thoughts in any case, as it is such slow work that you have the time to have many thoughts while you're working. Often you remember long afterwards what you were thinking, or where you were, when you worked on a particular piece.

Ten flags were subsequently made and displayed in the exhibition, and the fact is that they were such a success that they made it into the education centre’s newsletter. One of the flags even graced the cover of the newsletter!

And now it is time for the flags to join The Prayer Flag Project. Here’s an image of all the flags together, and if you want to see each of the flags in detail, please head over to my blog at www.salundannika.blogspot.fi.

Thank you to The Prayer Flag Project for the initiative to spread good will and inspiration all around the world!

Annika Lund

Grace

Aloha, Sonja here. I have finished another Grace prayer flag recently and given it away. 
Thank you for this project. They give new life for old chopsticks and fabrics!
They make me smile too.
Sonja

Bless Friends

At one time or another each of us is Challenged in life, by a BIG challenge.  This is for a friend that is facing her challenge. Most days we are busy in our own worlds, other days, we know something takes priority and as artists we answer that call.

Thank you Jamie Fingal for the creative way with wool felting to complete this prayer flag.

Blessings for each of you.

Spring is in the Air!

 With all of the cold weather all over the country, I thought some people might need some cheering up, to know that Spring is in the Air!  Happy Spring!   by Jamie Fingal

Happiness

In honor of the "International Day of Happiness", Michele Bilyeu shares her thoughts,  and her "Happy" prayer flag garland at: http://www.with-heart-and-hands.com/2014/03/international-day-of-happiness.html

With Heart and Hands
Michele Bilyeu

Sending Wishes

Today we hear from Maryly Matthewman

"Well our Prayer Flag Project is taking a turn now, a detour so to speak. We started out by calling our Prayer Flags, Wish Flags as they were for a little boy of 5 years diagnosed with an inoperable rare Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma brain tumor last May. DIPG they called it. Devastating news to his family. I watched on his blog as people sent prayers and wishes his way while he was undergoing radiation and chemotherapy at St. Judes Hospital in Memphis. Then I remembered reading about The Prayer Flag Project and I approached the family with this idea. How about sending wishes in a flag?  It was something his friends could grasp and understand, a Wish Flag. John would sit in his hospital bed with a fishing net and catch the wishes coming his way. There were  many other events in our community for this little boy. Fund raisers, Make a Wish Events, a dinner which was an evening of strength and hope in honor of John Bradley Thompson. An art show, so many things. There are so many things that have come out of this whole event but one thing that is so strong is the strength and hope of a family and the whole community.  I have sent a pic of some of the Wish Flags surrounding a center logo for The Cure Starts Now.  So many signatures and wishes on this quilt, it radiates positive energy.  John Bradley Thompson is not doing very well now. He is in a wheelchair now and tomorrow I will bring this quilt to his family so he can be surrounded by the love and warmth of his friends.  Please check out The Cure Starts Now, THINKJOHNBRADLEY.COM, and help in any way you can to fight childhood cancer. Support St Jude's Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.   

Very Sincerely Yours, Maryly Matthewman, Meredith, NH." 

Bloom.Shine.Love

I made these flags for my dear friend Kate as she faces major surgery.  Thank you so much for sharing the flags of hope, love and care - they are so special to everyone.

Ellen Wery       ellengetscrafty.blogspot.com

Hope and Healing

Earlier in the week here in New Zealand a little 7year old Japanese girl, named Sakurako, was attacked by four dogs. She had more than 100 bites to her face and body. We were told that 90% of her face had been destroyed. I dare not begin to imagine what this little one is facing in the days, months and years ahead, nor what her parents are going through.

 After watching an interview with members of the surgical and reconstructive team on TV last evening and reading the latest report in the newspaper this morning I had to leave the detailed Prayer Flag which I was working on for a friend with cancer and  made a very simple one for Sakurako. I have not written any words on the Flag, words failed me, but I hope all who read this will think of her and her parents and hope for peace and courage for them all in the years ahead.

The design and stitching is basic but I wanted it that way, showing ragged edges and stitches, just a heart symbolising love.

I have hung the Flag onto the rose trellis outside our lounge window on the verandah, others will join it there.

This is my first post as a direct contributor so if I have "strayed" in any way please do let me know.

Finding Peace

If any of you have followed the art and quilting journey of MaryLou Weidman, then you might know that her husband, Mark, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

Mark has been fighting a valiant and courageous battle, and with many rounds of chemotherapy, his tumors had been shrinking. Recently, however, MaryLou shared that his brain cancer has returned and it has been very hard on all of them.

She asked us, if we believed in prayer, to send prayers for peace as they have all had a most unsettling time with this hard, and most challenging of news.

To read more about the prayer flag that I made for Mark and MaryLou go to:
 http://www.with-heart-and-hands.com/2014/03/finding-peace.html

With Heart and Hands

Michele Bilyeu

Regain Your Appetite

This is for my friend Deryn as she's struggling with her chemotherapy treatment. She's lost alot of weight and needs to eat and drink more, but just doesn't feel like it. She's also lost her creative appetite and I'd love her to regain that too so that she can make more of her wonderful embroideries and dolls. I'm hoping that the winds will blow this prayer around the world touching everyone who's in need.

Juliet Ayer