This Week's Projects

Here is a batch of cute fabric luggage tags that I made this week. I was looking for something relatively quick and easy to make that I could sell on my artisan tour and through the shop. This is a fun way to use small bits of fabric and you will definitely be able to spot your baggage at the airport!

Here is my latest version of a market tote. I have been slowly parting with my bits of vintage fabric by making these. It is fun to combine all the different pieces of textiles that I own.

Autumn Scenes

I had the great pleasure of visiting our local apple orchard during the most glorious fall day recently. It is located at the top of a hill overlooking the Connecticut River valley and the hills of Vermont. I feel so fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world and days like this really make me appreciate it even more. This apple tree laden with fruit has a least three varities of apples!

Love ghourds... can never get enough of them.

Here is my front doorstep. I use my french garden cart all year round to contain whatever is appropriate to the season. I just recently planted these mums before it gets too frosty so they will come back next year if I am lucky. The little iron pot holder works well to hold pumpkins too!

I made these legs last year and they were a bit hit with the neighborhood. I got the idea from this wonderful blog. Her ideas are always so inspirational.

This is the setting for a most delightful 50th birthday party that we recently attended for my friend Sharyn's hubby. She had the best day for weather and the nicest crowd of folks... and of course great food! I ate too much but it was worth it. That cute little red barn is her studio. Sharyn is a wonderful potter who is in my local artisan group.

This was all set up for a game of checkers... there were lots of kids at the party and I thought this was a wonderful idea.

My good friend Carol with one of her signature dishes: Zebra Cheesecake. She is a heavenly cook and always a welcome guest at a potluck!

Here is a little witch that I just finished made from a beautiful black and white toile sateen fabric. I've had a small piece of this for a while and was waiting for just the right project. Her neck ruffle is fashioned from a vintage lei. I love the faded colors.

Violet Poppy Purse and Trick or Treat

I love working with wool and fortunately I have a plethora of it! I carry this type of purse most all of the time. It slings nicely around the body so you have hands free shopping. It is just big enough to carry the essentials so you don't collect too much junk (always a challenge for me). I thought it would be fun to combine these lovely pastel colors. The print was from a nice cheery tablecloth that my Mom gave me recently.

The posy was created from old felted sweaters. And of course, my signature tags which is always the fun part to make. They are never the same and I love them as a finishing touch! This purse will go in the gallery but I may make another to put in my etsy shop.

This is my newest Halloween card creation. They are fun to make and fun to sell.

New Halloween Cards

I've been crafting some cute Halloween cards from some of my vintage images, hand-dyed fabric and gorgeous blank Crane stationary. I have a stash of beautiful, high quality Crane paper that I have been fortunate to use over the years for my paper crafting. The quality of this paper cannot be matched and most of the envelopes are lined as well.

If you like these, they are in my shop... check it out! More to come later.

Harvest Folk Angel

I had an idea that I wanted to use some of my wool to make an angel and I had this pattern lying around that I had bought ages ago from Sweet Meadow Farm so I decided to use it as a basis for this "Harvest Angel". I do like the way she is flying through the air but there is something not authentic about it because she doesn't look or feel like most of my other work. It's more work to create your own patterns and sometimes I am just lazy and try one that is already worked out but the finished product never feels right to me... even though others usually appreciate the work. There is a lesson in that....

Here is that lovely orange wool that I dyed the other day. I do love working with wool especially when the weather gets colder. My studio has a faint smell of mothballs and I know it's not good for you but I kind of like that too!

Hues of Autumn

I've been busy dying some fabric in this lovely sunshine orange... can you tell what holiday is just around the corner? The old white woolen blanket is almost used up and it surely looks beautiful dyed this orange color. I have used that blanket for so many projects. I will have to be on the look-out for another.

These pieces will be used for an upcoming project or projects depending on my ability to stay on task!

Something New

I've been busy working on home improvement projects (actually the same hallway that I've been working on for months) so I haven't spent much time in the studio. I recently got this book and it was kind of a disappointment but I did like this project which was featured on the cover and the reason I got the book in the first place. These felted flowers were fun to do and a tiny bit of stiffener makes them hold their shape. I can see lots of possibilities with these so I will definitely be making more to attach to other types of projects.

The book calls for the necklace to be made from twisted ribbon yarn but I couldn't find any that I liked so I crocheted a chain with this Suede chenille and wove a strand of glass seed bead through. My talented daughter helped me crimp the ends and attach to the toggle clasp. I know very little about beading techniques but she is a whiz!