Leslie's Beaded Mandalas for Marinke + Peyton Heart Project

Here is the next of the beautiful, inspiring, special contributions coming in to the #MandalasForMarinke remembrance project. I am grateful for each and every amazing contribution. You are invited to join; learn more here.

Beautiful Adorned Crochet Mandalas

I absolutely love the way that Leslie dealt with her ends on these mandalas – leaving them long and loose and adorning them with braids and buttons. It’s brilliant, and it’s an idea that I’m definitely going to incorporate into some of my projects! I liked the idea even more when I read all about it in Leslie’s letter. She wrote:

“Before beginning my contributions, I had never crocheted a mandala before. While I knew how to make a magic circle and how to crochet in the round, I had previously only used these techniques to create hats and toys. I dove into this project with no particular pattern in mind and my bag of leftover yarn.

I left the ends on purpose, choosing not to weave them in. In my own projects, I often have anxiety towards weaving the ends of the yarn in after a color change – so much so that I will sometimes decide to use only one color to minimize having to do so. It’s not rational – but then neither is anxiety and depression. I braided and added buttons to the exposed ends, in an attempt to illustrate that we should let our figurative loose ends be seen instead of trying so hard to hide them.”

Meet the Maker

This terrific contribution comes from Leslie Rayborn who writes:

“That feeling of dread when you feel a bout of depression / anxiety coming on and you can’t do anything to stop it. You can’t explain it to others. You can’t make it go away.

I did not know Wink. I didn’t even stumble across her Instagram until after her passing. It hurts my heart that such a kind, creative soul is gone too soon.

I have been personally medicated for depression since my son was born five years ago. Looking back, though, I see that I have been wrestling with anxiety and depression for much longer. Everyone called it stress.

One day at a time, we can create something beautiful, even through all the chaos.”

Connect with Leslie on Instagram (@lrayborn), Twitter (@leslierayborn) and Facebook (RaybornRambles).

Words by Wink

In November 2013 Wink shared:

“My house has been overtaken by WIPs! For real. There are WIPs everywhere! Most of them are in my craft room/office space: at my desk, under my desk, in the closets, on shelves, in bags; but there are also WIPs in the living room: in the basket next to the couch, on the coffee table, next to the coffee table, at the dinner table… It’s clear to me that the end of the year is almost here, which always is a very busy time for me! But it’s a good kind of busy 🙂 I love seeing the WIPs everywhere”

About Depression and The Peyton Heart Project

Several people have sent me links to The Peyton Heart Project, so I know that some of you already know about it, but I want to make more people aware of it in case you haven’t seen it yet. This is a loving crochet art project created by the Sidewalk Smiles Campaign (see below) in collaboration with the father of a thirteen year old boy, Peyton, who succumbed to suicide in 2014 after extensive bullying. You can read more of Peyton’s story in this post on Stitch and Unwind.

People interested in participating in this project can make their own hearts (knit, crochet, or any other craft if you prefer). Then:

“Make a little tag with an uplifting message to the recipient, include the hashtag #PeytonHeartProject on there so people can find more information later.  Leave it anywhere you think someone might need a little smile, or even give it to someone directly if you know they need a little extra boost.  You never know what the person who receives the heart is going through, so this might the little bright light that keeps them going.”

Crafters can also make hearts and send them to the project to be distributed to others who would like to yarnbomb with the hearts but don’t want to make them themselves.

It explains on the Peyton Heart Project Facebook page that:

“The Peyton Heart Project is a tiny little division of the Sidewalk Smiles Campaign (SSC). The SSC was created by Julia Kubin when she was 13. Her mom, Jill, created the Peyton Heart Project as an extension of the suicide prevention and bullying prevention projects Julia has been working on since launching the SSC in 2014.”

All contributions to Mandalas for Marinke are welcome and will help raise awareness about depression while honoring her work in the same way that this great contribution has done today. Details to join here.