Catching Up

It's hard not to be in a funk at this time of year.

We rarely see the sun, and the snow, ice and freezing temps are getting old.

This was the snow storm we had on Saturday.

I have a feeling these geese wish they had gone south.

This morning it was -15 degrees when I woke up and this is what the sky looked like.

So cold it was difficult to breathe, but the colors in the sky were amazing.

This little guy flew smack into the glass door today and was knocked senseless for an hour or so.

I scooped him up and put him on a warm towel and he eventually flew off.

I've been practicing my spinning lately.

This little corner is where you'll find me most days.

Been crocheting when I'm not spinning.

 Taught a friend how to make felt beads.

 This afternoon the dye pot was on the stove.

Testing out some new fleece and dye colors.

 I knew this vintage drying rack would come in handy one day.

Took a break from fiber on Saturday to spend some time with my Valentine.

 And last but not least, I finished reading "Adventures in Yarn Farming".

A must read if you love fiber.

I hope you've been keeping busy and beating the depression that winter seems to bring.

See you soon.

Karen

Special Gifts

On Tuesday I received the most special gifts from my friend Marcie.

The package itself was so beautifully perfect that it seemed a shame to take it all apart.

Inside was this gorgeous handmade book

made of fabric, antique lace and

old buttons

The attention to detail

is over the top.

A stack of beautiful vintage embroidered Japanese pillows was in the box as well.

And I can't forget about this lovely trim wrapped around an embellished wooden spool.

So much thought, time and work went into all of this and I will treasure these forever.
Thank you so very much Dear Marcie!
Love and Hugs
karen ann

Crewel Folder

So, I decided to go ahead and use those crewel samples this morning rather than hoarding them away.

In my last post I mentioned that they were very dusty, so after I laundered them and they were dry, I cut out my favorite parts and pieces and machine stitched them in a random pattern onto some reclaimed muslin. (2 rectangles of the same size)

I added some machine stitched text, 

 and some vintage buttons.

After I had all the crewel and embellishments stitched onto the muslin, I then stitched the crewel covered muslin panels to a larger piece of purple linen from my fabric stash. One to the left and the other to the right on the purple linen, creating a front and a back to the folder.( so the panels are side by side on the purple linen)

 I made a little flap and added a super sized snap.

 Next I cut a piece of quilt batting and another piece of muslin the same size as the purple linen. I sandwiched the batting between the linen and the muslin and layered on a smaller piece of muslin for pockets before stitching them all together.

There it is. A completed folder.

 It's just right for holding my reclaimed packing paper that I've been using for my doodles.

Here it is all loaded with paper and snapped shut.

All finished and no hoarding of materials.

karen

Waiting For Spring

As the snow continues to fall, I've been keeping busy inside in anticipation of Spring.

Waiting for the Robins to show up.

I hear they've been spotted about 40 miles south of here, but haven't seen any myself.

So, in the meantime I'm cleaning and changing up the decor a bit while the guys are working on renovations here and there.

I hung this beautiful mixed media collage from my friend Sharon, right next to my favorite chair.

I love it so much Sharon!!!  Thank you!

My daughter made this sweet little miniature sheep for me for Valentine's Day. I have it in my dining room.

Love it Jamie!!! Thank you!

Just finished reading "Home to Woefield".

Cute story about a young woman who inherits a small farm and gives up city life to make a go of it in the country.

What are you doing while you're waiting for Spring?

karen