Forest Muse

she is finished and hanging on my wall. ( well, o.k. the sleeve is not yet attached but will be soon ) I love the irregular shape, not too far off but a bit organic in feel. The chenille yarn edges add a wonderful softness to this. I am very happy with this one.

Perfect Edges!

What you see above are the wonderful yarns that Nellie sent to me. These are the perfect finish for the edges of the Forest Muse. The backing fabric is attached and the chenille yarns are being couched to the edges. Tomorrow is the reveal!

spring signs

I know spring is coming. Even as the snow keeps falling.

I know because this is what I am seeing in the forest...

Young bucks with one antler. As spring approaches they drop the antlers. I have yet to find any of the shed antlers in all these years! I think the squirrels get to them quickly.

And there are plenty of squirrels... More then enough to gather together all the shed antlers and still have empty handed ( pawed?) squirrels.

Also in the great Chicago tradition, the chairs that mark dibs on shoveled out spaces are now all lined up curbside as the snow has melted. Of course it is replaced with more snow but nowhere near the 25 inches that dropped all at once! This photo was taken only a day or so before the thaw. We now have clear streets and much easier parking. At least until the next snowfall.

nearing the finish

finale stitching on leaves...nearly done...

Happy Valentines Day

                                                                       Crazy Love
                                                                     16x 16 inches

Joyful gifts

This was a big surprise for me from my daughter at Christmas. I had mentioned on facebook that these vases would make a wonderful Christmas present. My dear daughter saw that and ordered up a pair for me from Paula . Let me tell you how wonderful these are. they are heavy,made from repurposed pipes. They are nearly impossible to knock over so they make a wonderful addition to my work table where they hold brushes and pencils etc. I love how they look with a delicate flower in them. A contrast of delicate and substantial. She makes these in various sizes and colors from small votive to tall vases. A real joy!

stitching up my own spring

stitching up spring. All these wonderful greens and purples. Colors of springtime. hills and valleys as it lays in my hands. the texture just calls for a brush with fingertips.

I stitch while I watch the snow. Willing it to melt. knowing it is not yet warm enough.

every stitch bringing me that much closer to spring. soon enough...soon enough I say. But no, it is not nearly soon enough.

gifts from the heart

My brother recently got married. And he has uprooted himself and his wife to move across country to take care of our ailing father.

I decided that I wanted to make something nice for them.

Something functional.

I knew that for Sylvia I wanted to use a Ginkgo leaf design. I had been playing around with the idea of using a real leaf and stamping it onto fabric with fabric paints.

But for heavens sake it was January in Chicago...lots a luck right?

Well...Coming out of a store with my husband on a cold day with a light snow falling what do I see at our feet?

Yep. A real honest to goodness Ginkgo leaf. Just one. Right there. At our feet.

Oh Yeah.

 This is the leaf now. That is the test print. Photos will be taken later of what I did with it. I just love the way it looks now all gold and gleaming. It has become a treasure that I will keep here on my wall by my work space. A reminder how sometimes things are just amazing. Amazing.

For my brother Asante, I have embroidered this bird on some sky dyed fabric. Made into something useful - again whole photos later. I do love making gifts!

snowed in

yes, we got snow. deep snow. The kind of snow that strands you. Wind sending the 23 inches of snow fall into 4 - 6 foot drifts. My car sits stuck in the alley. Waiting on the plows to clear a path so I can go to work.  Though from what I am hearing, not much mail is getting through. I have a clear path from front porch to sidewalk but there is no way a letter carrier is getting to most of the mailboxes here! I get tired just looking at all this snow let alone trying to actually trudge through it.

this is the view down my alley...

storm warnings

A big bad snow storm, or really a blizzard as they are calling it, is going to hit us today. It has been a long time since we have had one this bad. Hoping that the forecast is all wrong but the radar looks nasty! Days like this one I wonder why I choose to have an outside job!! I would love to huddle down and wait it all out in the comfort of my living room. The deer on the other hand are hunkering down under the trees and out of the storm. This weather just has to be so difficult for the wild animals survival...