Finished TIF for, um, August

OK, so August was awhile ago!  But, this was all done by hand, so it counts as "slow cloth" - right?

For this month's Challenge theme, Sharon said:

"I my chaotic and hectic life I often admire people who are able to maintain balance in their lives. What is balance to you? Do you maintain a balanced life? How do you balance aspects of your life? That is the challenge this month - balance."

I do admit that my first thought was, "Balance?  What is that?"  But I have thought quite a lot about this topic since August first.  That is the idea behind this challenge, ya know?  Of course, one of the first things I did was Google Life Balance.  That led me down the path to lots of web sites, discussions, theories, and strategies.  This is obviously a big thing for lots of people!

It's also a complicated issue.  In fact, I've come to the conclusion that Balance is something we work for all our lives.  It is not a target or goal - it is the process of Life.  Pretty deep, huh?  While I learned a lot of interesting things - and helpful ideas - how does one turn that into a piece of textile art?

So, I settled on the concept from Debbie Lessin's "Life Is A Balancing Act".  You can see some of Debbie's articles (including the following quote) here.  She approaches the idea very logically and refers to the struggle this way:

"We are balancing the wheel of our lives. The balance wheel encompasses the following aspects of your life:
 Work
 Play
 Mind
 Body
 Spirit
 Space
 Relationships
 Money"

Now, there is an image I can work with!  So, after all that discussion (and time!) the finished piece is really pretty simple.  A balance wheel!

One thing I like about this piece is that it really doesn't matter which way is Up.  It can turn any way and be the right way!  Ha!  Balance!!!

This is all embroidered on linen with various threads.  The wheel itself was embroidered on a separate piece, wrapped around a used CD, and appliqued in place. 

Now!  I am working on October's challenge and then I will be caught up again!  Only two more months.  Hmm.  Wonder what's next.  Anyway, here is a Sneak Preview.  Some handwork involved in this one, but hopefully it will go faster!