orchids, poinsettias, and turkeys...

a muslin and cashmere orchid, just posted in the shop... hand stitched using mostly recycled materials, including pure felted wool, cotton, and burlap... in vintage stoneware pottery

i should have a poinsettia garland finished and ready to add to the shop in a few days as well... 

**p.s. if you're looking for a few, fun, family-friendly holiday projects this week, check out etsy's round-up of ten thanksgiving inspired tutorials (you may just see the needlefelted turkey tutorial that cary and i did back in 2008!)

happy tuesday

poinsettia...

stitching and painting poinsettia leaves this november morning, for holiday garlands and textile plants... from recycled wool and linen fabrics, in various shades of red and white

i'm having quite a bit of fun playing around with texture, with various painting techniques and fabrics, and with shaping each leaf using a wire core... this is proving addictive!

(as i was stitching these, a man strolled down the sidewalk by my house singing 'i'll be home for christmas'... nice of him to create a bit of ambiance while i work)

happy wednesday




**update: adding more 'in progress' photos on flickr

a little shop news...

finally settling into the new house and stitching away for the holiday season!  just listed the first of the fall/winter line... this wool wreath, stitched with recycled felted wool and cashmere

there will be several other pieces, including new orchids, listed in the shop over the coming weeks, as well...

cary and i have also had several requests to once again offer our nativity sets this season (these sold quickly last year!), so we've decided to do another limited run for the holidays... let us know if you're interested in reserving a set...

happy sunday

the house within...

a new original, mixed media piece just added to the shop... 'the house within'.  a combination of watercolour,  oil pastels, acrylic paints, and wool fiber on canvas

happy saturday

works in progress...

thought i would share a few of the pieces i've been working on... part of the collection for this weekend's fair

and, i've begun work on this new succulent today as well, with leaves of upcycled cashmere and a polka dot linen

'take you away'...

listening to song, letting the music carry me away, as i busily stitch an inventory of work for a show this coming saturday... 'the handmade market' by the paisley farmhouse




i've added a bundle of three of these needle felted wool craspedia stems, on upcycled cashmere wrapped wire, to the shop as well

happy monday!

new work in progress...

new work in progress ~ textile succulents, in a vintage bybee pottery cup (bybee, kentucky)...

working on the green succulent now, which will soon be topped with a yellow bloom...

this one should be heading into the shop in the next few days

hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

now listed in the shop... textile succulent, hand stitched (with needle and vintage cotton thread) in linen and wool, sewn onto a wool pouch filled with rice, and securely tucked into this wee vintage floral bud vase

progression of a flower...

sunday thoughts  ~ sculpture pieced together, twisting strands of thought, mental images, pulled through needle, stitched from memory... 

thinking today, as i complete this sculpture in fabric inspired by the daffodil, of the parallel between nature and art

 in nature, a flower bears seed, scattered by wind; reaching deep within the earth, grabbing hold and blossoming anew to the light, preparing to continue the cycle.

but, can the same not be said for the creativity of the mind and the resulting construction of art?  instead of sun, water, and soil, we use thoughts, dreams, tools, and hands to create.  inspiration harvested from the scattered seeds of those who created before us... built upon centuries of ideas and work, cultivating for new growth in the centuries to come

we hold onto these individual treasures for as long as we can.  in nature and in art this may last for days or for generations.  but ideas passed on can live forever... ideas waiting to plant themselves and give life to something new

'daffodil bulb' ~ wool soft sculpture

new work in progress...

busily stitching away on a new piece (and new design)... a flower bulb, with stem, roots, and bloom

the bulb is nearly complete... next step is to finish stitching and filling the stem with wool, and then on to sewing and attaching the petals.  this takes a bit of time, as each stitch is completed by hand, with needle and thread, but i hope to have this one completed and ready for listing within the next few days

really enjoying working on this one.  the colors of the wool are so delicious, with a wonderfully soft texture (the brown wool of the bulb is from purl).  still deciding between an embroidered linen or a vintage floral cotton for the petals... ahhh, decisions ;)

'arbol del amor (tree of love)'...

new fiber/textile mixed media piece... 'arbol del amor (tree of love)'

i happened upon this name, a nickname the spanish gave to the european redbud for its edible pink flowers and heart shaped leaves... also commonly referred to as the judas tree, believed to be the tree judas hanged himself from after betraying Christ (although the bible says it was a fig tree). an interesting combination... love in different forms

i've intricately hand embroidered the tree trunk, with vintage cotton thread, and stitched the antique embroidered doily onto this striped linen/cotton

looks lovely hanging together, or with the larger piece propped or hanging, while the smaller piece rests lying below... or in any way your imagination leads you

two pieces of the whole... finding one another to connect the 'arbol del amor', the tree of love

speckled egg nest...

'speckled egg nest' ~ needle felted/mixed media fiber art, now listed in the shop

originally designed and needle felted, using llama's and wool/mohair roving. bits of cotton lace and fabric intertwined around the branches and stitched into place. three wee speckled eggs tucked away inside... patiently awaiting a spring arrival

petal cottage

new soft house... 'petal cottage', originally designed and carefully hand stitched

created using a combination of hand-dyed wool and fine linen/cotton fabric (see post below!), meticulously sewn together with my own two hands, a needle, and thread. twisting vines and flowers creeping around the cottage door all hand embroidered... with a secret petal door handle

the four large flower petals, which make up the roof of the cottage, have been created using a very thick blue felted wool, intricately stitched onto this lovely embroidered linen/cotton fabric

the entire piece stands 10" tall, has been firmly filled with wool, and is initialed on the bottom