The Eve of September

It is difficult to believe that the Summer of 2020 is 

edging into the Fall of 2020 and we have been in such a state of

uncertainty since the Spring of 2020.

I can imagine that we will be referring to 2020 in these terms

for years to come.

Time for the morning cup of coffee.

 

--  Fee brought Belle, his office cat home for a visit during Laura; she is still here because the power is still off at his office.  Bell is a tabby like Edgrr, but her face is sweeter, more feminine, and her fur is soooo soft.  At a distance, you see the similarities, up close the differences are more apparent.  She's a girly girl and Edgrr is macho fella.  

--I'm still celebrating Women's Suffrage.  A  toast to those women who endured all of the terrible opposition and gained the vote for women!   

--I found this amusing:  Lizards will hold anything you give them.  This example suits the desire for coffee or tea first thing in the morning.

Reading:  I went through the first four books in Dana Stabenow's  Kate Shugak series this summer and enjoyed every one of them.  

Mail:  Not much last week, in or out.  

But my new stamps arrived :)

Balancing

I saw something on Instagram(?) (at least I think that was where I saw it) asking if you were happy with your "joy to complain ratio."  An interesting question, and one that can make someone stop and think.  We all complain, but how many of us have stopped to consider the ratio?  

   Some "joy" to balance some of my recent complaints:

These tea towels from Amelia make use of some delightful artwork

by Holy Angels artists Molly and Sharon W.!

 I love looking at them!

They lift my spirits. :)

        

What was left of the baked delights from Erin and crew

after Fee and I made our first few helpings!

Some wonderful incoming mail!

from Teresa and Ricky

 Ricky made the heart from a horseshoe and the postcard is from 

one of Carolyn Dorman's drawings of wildflowers.

Carolyn Dorman dedicated her life to the preservation of native ecosystems.

The Carolyn Dorman Nature Preserve continues her mission.

Here is an interesting post about "Carrie" Dorman, her work, and legacy on Teresa's blog!

Thank you, Ricky and Teresa!  I love the heart and the card!

The promise of daylilies!

This fan letter from a child to James Preller and his always thoughtful reply.  It is so generous of authors to reply to fan mail, and James Preller's replies make me happy.

Cartoons on stamps appeal to my sense of whimsy.  I have several 32 c stamps depicting characters from old comic strips that I love.  Recently, however, this article gives some examples of Royal Mail takes on cartoons.  

This stamp hits very close to home!

(Oh, yes, I plan to write a letter to an anonymous person

which will include a "to do" list of household chores.)

A fun book about a ghost that reminds me of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.  A light ghost story about an old house, the ghost who wants to know how he died, and the young woman who plans to turn the Marlow House into a B & B.

So...how about your "joy to complaint" ratio?  

Curious Wildlife

Wildlife Photographers unexpected encounters.

I'm susceptible to wildlife photos, and these make me smile.  The last one is my favorite because the snowy woods and the fox look as if they were drawn from a fairy tale, but each one is delightful in its own way.  Sometimes we all need a little positive reinforcement, and these photos make me happy.  

Now to transfer the laundry to the dryer...

Wednesday

I've been awol from this blog
and from crafting for a while.
This past week, I determined to get back to work.

Penny invited me to join a blog hop 
(in October!) and
with all good intentions I intended to take part.
But--

First, the computer went crazy;
  an on-going disaster for several weeks
with three visits from the computer guy.

Then, there were other things that kept coming up,
and I didn't go into the studio for weeks.

Now, I am back to making things again.
Little things.
Just to get me back in a creative mindset.

Some of the things I've been doing with scraps
to get me back in the mood to create:

Fabric cord, fabric beads,

scrappy Christmas trees,
fabric wrapped candy canes.

On the back burner,
several projects need to be finished:

I made this doll head about 6 weeks ago, 

before I abandoned the studio for a while.

  Now, I'm looking at what she can be.

  With that wild hair, she may be more warrior than princess.
Or she may never be finished.

Another project that was begun

 over a month ago,

an Odd Duck.

I wadded up a bunch of plastic bags

and wrapped and shaped them into

a basic form with muslin strips,

then started the patchwork process.

Since I've been back in the studio,
I've made some progress on Odd,

but still have a ways to go!

**And I've been working on a post for the blog hop,
which I will be posting soon.
I hate that I've delayed so long,
but better late than never?
Waiting to hear back from a couple of artists.**

------------ We will be going to the cabin for Thanksgiving,

Erin and crew are due in today.

Tomorrow, we will eat ourselves into a stupor.

Note to self:

I need orange juice and cranberry juice

for Mimosas and Poinsettias

(and champagne, of course).

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving Feast!

New Mixed Media Figures in Progress

I've been working on two new figures since last Saturday.  Here are some pics of one of them in progress.

This is the one that is mounted on the wire toaster piece.  Air dry clay with florist wire for arms.  Oops, just noticed that the head in the lower right section is the other doll I'm working on.  Both are in their most primitive states in these first photos.  Lots more time has been spent adjusting and sculpting and refining.  They look much better now that I've worked on them for several days.

We've been having beautiful weather here-- so much appreciated.  The light changes daily in the garden, and I keep moving potted plants to catch the sun as shadows lengthen.   I can't wait for my plants from Wayside Gardens to arrive, and it won't be much longer, as they should ship on Sept. 15.  :)

When choosing plants, I look for drought and heat tolerant first and certain favorites like salvias, coreopsis, monarda, and echinacea.  Of course, color plays a part, too.  But sometimes...I choose by name.  It is hard for me to resist names like Tiki Torch, Rasberry Truffle, Parson's Choice, and Fried Green Tomatoes (a lobelia cardinalis).

How do you choose plants?

Last night, the possum visited again.  If I forget to bring  stray grey cat's food in at night, it appears that I will be feeding a racoon and a possum.

See his little fingerish paws?  Doesn't he seem to be rubbing his hands in glee!  I've only seen the raccoon once, the possum twice, but most of the time I do remember to bring the bowl in if there is any food left.  I'm not deliberately trying to attract critters, but admit to enjoying the surprise visitors a bit.

This and That

Sassalynne has some lovely new offerings -

just one example


I love Sassalynne's pearl cotton--beautiful to look at and lovely to use.

I also like the Coton a Broder and Danish Flower Threads (which are very fine) from Hedgehog Handworks; I've used some of their linen threads which come in soft colors, but they are stiffer, less flexible threads.

Daughter Amelia has been planning parties for a while now.

Love this cake!  This was the farm party for the twins Elizabeth and Blanton, Amelia's Godchildren.



One of the tables from Megan's shower--


The garage door stuck again, and I had to call them (again) to come fix it.  This time they replaced the pin that kept working loose with one about twice as long.  That should do it!

So Saturday

I'm finally catching up on some of my book reviews over at A Garden Carried in the Pocket.  I only have 3 more to go.


Since I've neglected my stitching and my experiments with cloth this week, I really hope to get something done today.  I haven't done the TAST stitch (wheat ear) this week; guess I need to catch up with that.


The only cloth related work I've done this week has been with rust dyeing.  Our friend Ricky gave me some rusty old horseshoes a while back, and I've been working with those and a few other rusty items.  The pieces have gone through two alterations so far, and a third is in progress this morning.

Another pic of the banana bloom.  I just love the colors.

I love The Adventures of Claudia!

I've already wasted 2 1/2 hours piddling: deadheading dianthus, wallowing in Pinterest, wrapping the 3rd incarnation of rusty fabric, working on book reviews, and communing with stray grey cat.  


Time to go upstairs and get busy.  Sometimes I marvel at my own ability to delay.  Looking at it a certain way, I'm a Champion of Displacement Activity.  

Miscellaneous Thoughts

hens and chicks

I've been having trouble keeping up with my blog reading lately.  Of course, I try to visit everyone who leaves a comment and to send a reply to anyone who leaves a comment and isn't a "no reply" blogger, but keeping up with my LONG list of book blogs, craft blogs, quilt blogs, and eco dye blogs is sometimes just too overwhelming.  


Even though I prune my lists fairly regularly, I also continue to add more blogs.  There is simply too much inspiration to keep up with each day; some days, I try to visit a few blogs on each list and to leave a comment when something charms me, but often not even that gets done.  If I weren't so darned nosy, being unable to visit all of the blogs I love each day wouldn't be a problem, but I AM nosy and hate to feel like I'm missing something.


I've also found that between this blog and my book blog, only one takes precedence.  Sometimes one, sometimes the other--but they never get equal time.  Usually, this blog gets the most time because writing the review of the books I read always seems more of a chore. 
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Henry Deulberg salvia  (this morning, a hummingbird was worrying the heck out of the salvias)

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Each morning, I drink my coffee outside and write a little "to do" list in my journal.  The list always include a mixture of what needs to be done (laundry, vacuuming, groceries, etc.) and what I want to do (try a new embroidery technique, start a new prayer flag, experiment with....).  Guess which items get marked off.


Yesterday, I knocked off one item that has shown up over and over for about two weeks:  Put suitcases on top closet shelf.  For two weeks this task seemed like too much trouble (to get the stepladder and take the very few minutes required to get this done??).  But I finally did it, and my self-congratulations knew no bounds. 


This small success has encouraged me to do some of the other items that I've avoided.    The bill and junk mail drawer is now clean and ready for a fresh accumulation, the laundry has been put away, the check deposited, cat toys retrieved from under the sofa and stashed in little hide-aways for them to search out, holes drilled in the new planter....


I've accomplished several of the past couple of weeks' procrastinated chores, and now, instead of continuing, it is time to rest on my laurels! 
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I do not like the new blogger template.  Not at all.  Running through my mind is the old nursery rhyme:  "I do not like thee, Dr. Fell/ The reason why, I cannot tell,/ But this I know, and know full well, I do not like thee, Dr. Fell."
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Commentably Speaking

All of a sudden, I can't post replies to comments.  Keep getting an error message.  Now, I realize that I can't comment on other blogs, either.  Different error message.  Frustrating.

Given the state of affairs, I'm going to have to move on to other things.  However, I do want to share this article with you from Martha Beck:  Spring Cleaning:  Walk Away Clutter.  (via not all those who wander are lost)

I had to laugh when I saw the following phrases:
“But I can still wear that!”
 “I have to go through those,”  and “Someone could use that”


I've yet to do the closet clean-out that I talked about in January.  And just yesterday, I was mentally complaining about the time it takes to clear out paper clutter.  The newspaper, the daily junk mail, the mail order catalogs, the genuinely important mail.  Such a waste of paper and time.

Then there is the book clutter.  I receive new books from publishers as Advanced Reading Copies several times a week.   I'm familiar with some of the publishers and media people, but some show up from unknown sources, and I wonder how they got my address.

I'm a book junkie.  It's true.  There are all of my own books, books from publishers, and of course, the library books.  The book clutter alone is overwhelming.  There are two stacks nearly 5 feet tall next to the bookcase, which is full.  There are books in progress scattered throughout the house.  Something does need to be done.

It is time to make my rounds and donate books to the library and to an assisted living home near my home; the rest go to Goodwill.
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And the problem of the commenting is cured.  After my post on Blogger Help, there were at least 10 more complaints about the same thing.  Blogger got to this problem quickly.

Middle of the Week Already

I love this post by Michele:  With Heart and Hands: Coloring Outside the Lines.

From the garden...

Sunny oranges in my favorite blue bowl.

I'm finally beginning to make a bit of transition from Wu style tai chi to Yang style.  This has been a great deal more difficult than I first imagined, but my body has begun to follow the larger more expansive moves with less resistance.  I skipped a week of classes and returned on Monday to discover that the break was actually a beneficial one.  Sort of the plateau phenomenon.  This morning's class should help integrate the process.

Haven't been doing much sewing or embroidery lately--still working on the same projects, just very slowly and in a haphazard manner.  But I have been reading, reading, reading.

Right now, I'm struggling to keep Edgar's paws off the computer.  He has become very persistent lately about getting in my lap when I sit down to post.  Now, he's decided to gently paw my face, switching from one paw to the other.  Very sweet.  Very annoying.  He wants all of the attention.  Shoo!

Wednesday Plans

Fee got home last night and immediately settled in for his favorite shows on the History Channel.  You will know one of them if I mention Chumlee...

 Today, after tai chi, I'm going to begin a new project.  I'll continue with the prayer flags, but I need to begin something new.  Or at least finish something that lies languishing on the design board or on the cutting table.

I was picking through my eco scraps yesterday for a new prayer flag and pulled out the spinach and rosemary dyed pieces.  The leaf print is a funny one--I'm not sure now what I did on that dye batch, but the leaf came out white with dark outlines.  I think it was from some fabric I wrapped on copper pipe for dyeing, but I'm not sure.

The scraps include muslin, flour sacking, silk, cheese cloth, gauze, and some very thin, loosely woven fabric from I don't know where.  All these scrappy pieces will become a prayer flag at some point.

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Back from tai chi and running errands.  Ready to head upstairs to make something.  I don't know what, but maybe it will come to me when I start straightening up and putting away a few things.

Should be a good afternoon!

2012 - Welcome!

I love the Tiny House Blog!  I've been reading if for about 3 years; since before we built our cabins.  A recent post was of such a beautiful tree house; more here.  Why are tree houses always so enchanting?

A new-to-me creative place, Crescendoh!  Lots of good stuff to browse through.


Linda of Linda's Art Quilts has made a cheerful mobile of tiny scraps--it is a perfectly charming version of the prayer flag and reminds me of Valerie's wonderful Thankfulness Installation.

I love Linda's idea.  It would be great for those lovely scraps that are too small for most projects, but that would flutter in the wind in such a pleasant and graceful way, sending prayers and gratitude out into the universe.

----

For Christmas, Erin gave me these lovely place mats, napkins, and adorable owl napkin rings! Ignore the computer.

I love the colors, and the little owls are adorable!

I have birch bark steeping for a dye bath.  Later, I'll try the red cabbage (green cabbage for the New Year's meal, but red cabbage for a dye bath).  While at the grocery store yesterday, I stuffed a lot of onion skins in the bag with one lone onion.  I gathered all the loose skins I could.  If anyone was watching, it may have appeared strange, but since no one else wants them and I can use them, I carried on.

Waiting on black eyed peas and cabbage and cornbread and apple pie!

Just for Fun

Hazel loves nature and hiking.  I'm working on her hiking boots.

These little pixies make me smile.  Found at Creativity Direct via The Magic Bean.

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Using photos of your children, you could make adorable angels like these at Plays With Needles.  It would be wonderful to eventually fill a whole tree with these and to have one of each child each year.  She offers a tutorial on bringing each one to life!














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OK -- the cutest request ever on a Christmas list comes from Ren's Chloe (who is entirely quotable on almost any occasion).  According to Ren:


"Alison used half of her Xmas list to ask for things for her mama. Chloe asked for a real life cow and a snowflake."  


Good luck with that, Chloe!


Another recent Chloe-ism:

Chloe: you know what I like about this picture?
Ren: what?
Chloe: that I'm in it.

The kid cracks me up.

Hmmm!

OK - my visit to the eye doctor determined that I have PVD, a separation of the vitreous humour from the retina, but no tears, so no immediate fear of retinal detachment.  Very common in individuals of a certain age, particularly women.  The doctor also mentioned developing glaucoma.  He didn't prescribe any medication, but I need to see him again in six weeks. 

My feelings about this are divided between "Oh, crap!" and "Boy, I'm glad it isn't worse!"  I was aware that my distance vision (something I never even had until lasik surgery a few years ago) wasn't as good as it should be because reading road signs has become more difficult. 

 All in all?  Definite relief that there is no retinal detachment and that the doctor didn't seem that concerned about the glaucoma.  I'm glad to have that out of the way, since I've worried all week.

Snippets in the studio.  Ready to apply binding to a little quilt...

 

and pondering what to do with another eco print.

Have a great weekend!

Craft: 5,4,3,2,1 things

                             

Craft has a series for the crafting community.

 

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of:
The quilt I made for my first granddaughter's first birthday.  It prompted me to become involved with quilting and quilting blogs. I'll always be proud of that first attempt because it set me on a path I've enjoyed tremendously and introduced me to a lot of creative blog friends.

Two Mistakes You've Made in the Past:
How to decide on just two.  I'll generalize:

1.)  I don't think things through--I dive in and get busy without a clear idea of where I want to go with a project.  I continue to make this mistake.

2.)  I start too many projects at once, because when I'm in the mood to create, I get carried away.

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique:
1.)  I like using vintage or found objects in my Eccentric dolls and each one is one of a kind.




2.)  I like some whimsey in my dolls, pillows, and little quilts.

I originally drew silly birds for embroidery projects, but I've used them in pillows,
and in an art quilt based on the above pillow

3.)  And maybe the fact that I don't always plan an outcome...I let the project guide my decisions.  Sometimes this is a mistake, sometimes serendipity.

Four Tools You Love:
1.)  My sewing machine.
2.)  My scissors.
3.)  My yoga mat.  It allows me to take breaks that are relaxing if I've been bent over something for too long.
4.)  My new Dremel tool.  (I haven't really used it yet, but I love it.  It was a surprise from my husband.)

Five Inspirations:
1.)  Blogs.  Oh my, the inspiration from fellow bloggers, the enthusiasm, the encouragement!
2.)  Flea markets.  All kinds of inspiration there.
3.)  Magazines.  There is a magazine for every interest.
4.)  Poetry.  I love adding text to items.  Sometimes the poetry inspires the project; sometimes the project    
      me think of a line of poetry.
5.)  My Yoga Mat.  Often when I'm doing yoga, I find solutions to problems in my work.