What you're looking at is a table full of my projects in progress. Not all my projects in progress, just a table full. You can see here the phoenix wallhanging I've been working on for a couple weeks, and will be finishing up within the next few days, a tote dyed in harvest/tree colors that is asking for an autumn leaf applique of some sort, and some embroidered pieces that are going to be pieces n some patchwork tarot bags.

Now, I nearly always have at least a table full of projects in progress. A couple times a year, though, I push myself and my machines as hard as possible, getting things ready for big shows/events. It's very satisfying to see how much I can get done in a fairly short period of time!

In addition to the things on the table, I'll be working on a gorgeous set of sabbat towels in the next day or 2. I have some 4 seasons towels and 4 seasons goddess towels I finished up last week, which I will show you as soon as I can get pictures together.

One last thing for today: I have custom fabric for sale! Only one design so far, but I'll get a second one put up within the next week. Rainbow Pentacles

I like to tell people that I grow birds in my garden. Since I moved into this apartment with its perfect for gardening balcony, I have had at least one nest of birds out there every year. This year, I've had a nest of Carolina wrens, and 2 nests of mourning doves. There is a great bird tree right by the balcony, too. I see wrens, various finches, blue jays, doves, robins, cardinals and chickadees out there regularly. I've also seen crows or ravens a few times, and one morning I woke up to see a hawk out there, hoping to have blue jays for breakfast.

The last couple of weeks, I have seen a hummingbird out in my garden, sipping nectar from the flowers. I've only seen one at any time, so I have no way of knowing if it's the same one, or several.

I was talking to a friend the other day, who mentioned that a lot of people had been having encounters with Hummingbird as a totem recently. Hummingbirds have a unique ability to fly backwards. Thus, they teach us that sometimes it is necessary to go backwards in order to progress. They also teach us to stop and delight in flowers, sweetness, bright colors, and being shiny. Nearly everyone can benefit from being shiny now and then.

Between my hummingbird encounters and the fact that we're a little over a week into mercury retrograde, it definitely makes sense to take a step back, reevaluate old patterns, and picking up some old, neglected, or stagnant projects to look at them with fresh eyes. I've been enjoying the process, and it is definitely leading to some new shininess!

Today's new shininess comes in the form of a new hummingbird related listing in each of my etsy stores.

First of all, I am safe and dry at home, so I'm in a much better situation than many, and I appreciate how very blessed I am.

Now that the rain has stopped and we've had a chance to figure out what the situation is, it is apparent that the situation is BAD. Really bad. The affected area is incredibly widespread. Temporary shelters are at capacity. There are people missing and unaccounted for. Homes have been destroyed. One of 2 water treatment plants in Nashville is under water, so we have got to conserve as much water as possible.

Nashville's treasures: historical buildings, greenways, museums, entertainment venues, sports arenas, hotels, and so on are flooded. Many of them are without power to pump out the water, and will remain that way until maybe Friday. Aside from the obvious reasons why this is bad consider the fact that Tennessee does not have a state income tax. The tax revenues generated by these businesses are utterly crucial parts of our economy.

I will say that it has been really wonderful seeing people band together as a community to help each other out in this situation. People with boats have been out rescuing their neighbors. Others have gotten together to help with sandbagging.

There are quite a few ways to help, whether you're local or not. Here's a list of what I know of.

Hands on Nashville ( http://www.hon.org ) is organizing local volunteer efforts. Recovery is going to take some real time, so even if you're not immediately available, there will be opportunities later.

Red Cross ( http://www.nashvilleredcross.org ) You can donate through the website or by calling (615) 250-4300. You can also text 'REDCROSS' to 90999 to donate $10 to disaster relief. Please note that the text method sends money to the Red Cross as a whole, not necessarily Nashville. Of course they're going to do good things with it, but it may or may not be here.

Second Harvest Food Bank ( http://www.secondharvestmidtn.org ) Donations of money can be made through the website.

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee ( http://www.cfmt.org/floodrelief ) is accepting donations to support flood relief, restoration and clean up online at or by calling (615) 321-4939.

Nashville Humane Association ( http://www.nashvillehumane.org ) is the place to send your donations if you'd like to help out pets who have been affected.

One of the people who was killed in the flooding is Joshua Landtroop. He was a father of 2 young boys, Heath and Tristan, and a friend to many. If you'd like to contribute to the memorial trust fund for his sons, you can send via paypal here http://landtroop.com or send a check to Joshua Landtroop Trust Fund at Family Advantage Federal Credit Union, PO Box 39, Spring Hill, TN 37174

My husband and I got married 5 years ago today, and I still feel incredibly lucky. I guarantee that Rain's Obsessive Stitchery would not exist if I didn't have the support of a wonderful partner. Also, I can make pretty things, but it's his fault that they look pretty on the internet, and that my website, blog, banners and avatars look good.

So, because I know you've all been waiting impatiently to hear, I decided to work on altar cloths first. But only the spring and summer ones--I can't bear the thought of working on fall and winter things just yet. Right this minute, my embroidery machine is stitching away on a Green Man at the center of a Litha altar cloth.

That's all I really have to say for now. I'm working on putting up new listings over in my Celebrations store. I think that the next one should be this Wonderland towel set. Embroidery designs by Urban Threads.

Spring is coming! I keep telling myself this. It seems that Winter is going to have to be dragged out, kicking and screaminig the entire way, but that's OK. Spring will be here soon. The equinox is only a couple weeks away.

I've been doing what I can to bring on Spring. I have a whole stack of towels here with birds, flowers, and butterflies embroidered on them. I've been working on some suncatchers, and I have a bright new banner that'll be going up at http://paganpacks.com/ sometime soon.

Here's a picture of one of the new towels. I'll be listing them for sale very soon.

I've picked up a couple of new events recently. There is a craft fair at Two Roads Cafe once a month, which is a great way to support local business and art. Pagan Packs has regular online faires, which are great opportunities to meet new people, play games to win prizes, and to support pagan businesses. Here is a list of upcoming events. The Pagan Coffee House is a social event only, and I'll have my wares available at all the others. Let me know if you need any more information about any of them.

Nashville Pagan Coffee House
March 13 12pm-3pm
Cafe Coco, Nashville TN

Two Roads Cafe Arts and Crafts Fair
March 20 12pm-5pm
Two Roads Cafe, Lebanon TN

Pagan Packs Online Faire - Waking the Willows
March 26 10am-10pm central

Full Moon Gathering
March 27
Chelsea's House

Full Moon Gathering
April 24
Chelsea's House

Pagan Unity Fest
May 13-16
Montgomery Bell State Park, TN

Now I just need to figure out whether I want to work on tarot bags, altar cloths, bibs, or T-shirts next. Any suggestions?

Good morning blog! I missed you.

I have worked on quite a few interesting things since last time. I've been working with several dyeing techniques--vat dyeing and painting, with both silks and cottons. It's really interesting how completely different the processes are for the different materials.

I have made progress learning to digitize--I recently finished up the first design that is 100% mine--I drew the design and then did my own digitizing, and it turned out great. It's a Thor's Hammer design, and I will definitely be getting some products using it ready for Pagan Unity Fest.

Tomorrow, I will be setting up at the craft fair at Two Roads Cafe. Stop by if you're in the area!

For now, I need to go finish getting things ready for said craft fair. I'll be back soon, though, I promise!

The winner of the giveaway drawing is Oreon!

Thank you to everyone who participated, and thanks for all the wonderful birthday/Solstice wishes.

My husband gave me a dremel for my birthday. He is the best husband ever! I have wanted one for years, and I'm super excited to play with it.

I have a lot of great things going on this month, so I'm celebrating all of it with a big sale and giveaway! Saturday is my birthday, and Sunday is the Summer Solstice. I am also celebrating my first etsyversary, the grand opening of a second store on Etsy, and the launch of my new website: http://www.rainsews.com/

From now through Sunday, take 20% off anything in either of my shops. http://rainfeather13.etsy.com/ and http://rainsews.etsy.com/ Just send me a convo on etsy with your selections, and I'll set up a reserved listing for you with the sale price.

Enter to win the tarot bag of your choice or a set of tea towels* from my store! There are several ways to enter.

1. 1-Look through my shops, and post a comment about which item is your favorite, and why. Be sure to include your email address or your user name on Etsy.
2. 2-Post something on your blog or twitter with a link to my sale/giveaway, and send me a link.
3. 3-Every item purchased during the sale will count as an entry.
4. 4-Send me a birthday present! (Just kidding, mostly...)

All entries need to be in by 11:59 PM Sunday, and I'll do the drawing when I wake up Monday morning.

*A set of tea towels: any 4 towels regularly $7 or less, from either or both of my shops.

by Rain's Mr

In understanding that the planets revolve around the Sun, we have insight that was not accepted until a mere 450 or so years ago. Up to that time, planetary motion was a puzzle of enormous complexity that drove people to higher math. With the Earth as the fixed center of the cosmos, there is scarce any reasonable explanation for what you would observe as planets not only wander but brighten and dim as if by whim. This does much to explain the ancient Greeks and others deifying the planets and attaching capricious personalities to these gods/celestial bodies.



[source: http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4212/p3a.jpg]

Because of its implied principle that (never mind the earth) *we* are each the center of the universe, Astrology frames these irregularities of motion as key events to be understood as just another indication of the innate complexity of life. At various times from our perspective on Earth, planets can appear to slow down, stop and even move in the opposite direction. Astrologically, this principle is expressed through three terms... moving forward is "direct motion", stopping is "station", and moving backward is "retrograde".

To simplify things to an entirely inadequate analogy, Astrology presents the planets (and other derivative expressions) as parts of a metaphysical being: Sun as core self, Moon as emotions, Mercury as reason, Venus as aesthetics and so on. Further, there are signs (dominant qualities of these parts), aspects (significant interrelations between parts) and houses (facets of life susceptible to the effects of these qualities and interrelations). For each of us, this is all imprinted onto us at the moment and in the location of our birth and set into motion like a wobbly electromagnetic turbo clock to influence, affect, attract, repel, collide and otherwise comingle on the crowded playing field of countless other wobbly electromagnetic turbo clocks.

And of all of the mechanisms in this configuration, Mercury is the one that's most in charge of mapping things out and getting you where you're going. So, what happens when you apply a backwards motion to your navigational system? That seems to be the experiment taking place during Mercury Retrograde. Especially for those who depend on reason and communication, Mercury Retrograde poses challenges. Couple this with the notion that it happens three or four times a year, and the situation looks grim for rational thought, but that's not the only possible way of looking at it.

Retrograde means "going backwards", and the thought of things going backwards tends to fill us with an uncomfortable queasiness, and Mercury Retrograde is met by many with that same displeasure. After all, Who really wants their rational faculties going backwards? But, when you pull into a parking spot, the most reasonable way out is often to back up. Mercury Retrograde affords the proper climate for looking back over your thoughts and applying your energy to finishing and finalizing things that have been left "for later". Those things that all you needed to do was "get around to"? This may be the proper time for them.

In short, retrograde means "going backwards", and sometimes you just need to go backwards. Or rather, going forward at all costs is a behavior that will not be rewarded by retrogrades.

So, my tip for Mercury Retrograde? I've found it's a good time to do "maintenance thinking" such as reviewing and refreshing data storage and recovery plans, the fire safe's contents, financial plans, and so on. Also, I've also found it's a good time to record the ideas that have been floating around in my head. One caveat, though, computers and other such technology can be disproportionately affected by Mercury Retrograde, so it's wise not to casually trust that everything will #¿»æ.##$¥.





Oh, that's ok. I was pretty much done.



Hey! Get Your Own Gremlins!