Sun embroidery c. 1978

                               

I'm sure this is an old picture I've shared before.  I stitched it early in my embroidering life.  I should really do something with it rather than let it sit here in the Treehouse collecting dust.  But what? I think I'll just let that question percolate and see what bubbles up.  Solutions to most of my dilemmas reveal themselves if I just sit with them for a while.

In fact, just such a thing happened last week.  I was trying to decide whether or not to put a few of my needle-felted pieces in a new shop that is about to open around the corner.  It's a coffee place...with extras.  Chocolate, pastries, and a few handcrafts.  I have a feeling it's destined for success.  I mean, who doesn't love chocolate?  The owner was willing to take some of my work and it seemed like a winning situation for me with the shop's location being so very convenient.  Unfortunately, I had no items to give her.  I quickly started to ramp up production but then remembered my first rule of crafting: 1) I will not burn the midnight oil.

So, for now at least, I won't be doing that gig, although the shop is really cute and I'd love to be part of it.  I did recently learn, however,  that the old hotel will be holding its fall craft fairs this year after having cancelled them during the pandemic. So my efforts will be directed in that direction through the summer.  Meanwhile, I'll be popping in to the new shop now and then for a cup of coffee and a piece of chocolate.  I'll be anxious to test their tasty treats and check out their handcrafted offerings.  It'll be a tough job but I'm qualified!

Librarians of yore

 If only we had a few vintage librarians in charge.  Everyone would wear their mask, get their vaccine, and just ssshhhh!  And what about the mask litterers?  What kind of a person throws their used mask on the ground?  Littering has risen to a whole new level.

So Mr. Gadget and I are at the Calcondo for a brief stay.  After a year away, we had to check on things.  And I'm happy to report that things are in good shape, and the car has a new battery.  We'll be returning to the east coast tomorrow and to a beautiful spring with no snow and lots of flowers and green trees.

I've been trying to finish my patchwork jacket. It's a rebel-- vexing me at every turn.  It doesn't seem to realize that I have some very nice fabric lying in wait to become another jacket that will be even more exciting.  Maybe it fears being upstaged.

I've been spending a lot of time browsing the internet to see what other jacket makers are doing.  I've looked at so many that now I can pretty much identify their creators. Some are selling their creations for a pretty penny.  I don't think I want to make them to sell, but I guess if someone wrestled me to the ground and made me a great offer I'd consider it.  They are really fun to make.....well, until they get finicky.....and I have a huge scrap stash.  I may need a bulldozer....

Lasagna!

 

Here's a little chef I made during my doll-making phase.  I just sent him to my cousin who's in the midst of a kitchen remodel.  How could she not want to put him center stage on her counter?  Or....possibly pass him on to another member of the family who has just the right color combo.  I've been teasing her about her kitchen re-do because she doesn't like to cook and does very little. I sent her the chair too.  It's time I downsized some furniture.

So, there's something that's amusing me.  Mr. Gadget and I are big fans of UConn women's basketball and we've been watching the tournament.  Some of the players are wearing big flashy false eyelashes.  Whatever for?  They must be sweat-resistant.  One of them had the longest and curliest....and pigtails to go with.  I'm sorry to say she got hurt and had to leave the game. Maybe she couldn't see where she was going...

Back in the day I wore false eyelashes.  I can't believe I put them on every morning before work.  After all, once you start wearing them it's hard to go without because....what would people say?  I never wore the big flashies though.  Mine were what you might call understated.  Just enough to accentuate my small eyes.  And to look more professional.  Now, in my older age, I can't be bothered.  Especially during this year of not going anywhere.  I think I will just wear my mask forever.

 UConn will be playing Arizona in the Final Four.  It should be a no-eyelash zone.  But when Stanford plays South Carolina, there will probably be some eyelashes.  But it's only a guess...

Ooops!

 

A cat and cat stuff

I probably told you that Big City Girl now has a cat.  She wanted a roommate, but not one that would leave the toilet seat up or dirty undies on the floor.  A litter box was acceptable.  And she seems ok with one that sits on her nightstand and quietly stares at her every morning at 6 a.m. until she gets up to put breakfast in a dish.

Tiny is the girl cat's name.  It's the name she came with.  Tiny is teeny.  She's a nice little cat and she and BCG get along famously. She's even helped transform BCG into a very good housekeeper. Running the vacuum every so often keeps Tiny looking like a little furball rather than a dust bunny. Here's a picture of Tiny getting acquainted with her paper collage image.

I decided soon after Tiny moved in that she needed a cat bed.  So I set about looking for a pattern.  I found a crocheted version that I was sure would be well-received, and that Tiny would love because of its cave-like design where she could hide out.  Cats like to hide out, I believed. 

Here it is with one of my cat dolls demonstrating what a fine job I did.  I even provided a little flannel blanket with a chocolate-chip cookie print--in case the yarn was just too scratchy.  I mailed it down to Brooklyn priority mail.  It's been a couple of months now and Tiny has yet to get in it.  I think she was terribly disappointed when she discovered it was only a bed.  I think what she really wanted was one of those battery-operated jumping fish.  But I refuse to spoil her.

For the early birds

 What is this mess you say?  Nesting supplies for the early birds.  It's all contained in a little metal birdhouse I bought for a buck a while back.  I had planned to use it for a felting project, but couldn't get my mojo going.  Then I realized it would work very well for the backyard birds.  I stuffed it with fiber, twigs and a few yarn scraps and hung it in the pine tree on the side of the deck.  It should be hidden well enough to protect it from the prying eyes of the condo code enforcers...I'm pretty sure.

So yesterday I took the train down to Manhattan to meet Big City Girl for a birthday lunch.  Feeling adequately (but who knows?) protected now that I'm 3 weeks out from my second shot, I was more than ready for a little outing.  The passenger load was light and I had a row to myself.  I met BCG by the Grand Central clock and gave her a big hug!  It felt wonderful.

We walked a short ways up Park Avenue to our usual spot for lunch--the Park Avenue Tavern--and we both had the BEC.  That's the bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on a big fresh croissant--with a side of their special home fries.  Apparently, it's well known to be the NYC hangover remedy--not that I needed it.  It's been a mostly-sober pandemic.

Then off we went, following behind a man and his so-ugly-he-was-cute bulldog, to Bryant Park next to the NYC library.  BCG had told me the two lions had been wearing masks, but no longer.  I think that's a good sign.

We sat in the park and chatted for a couple of hours and got all caught up on stuff.  She has a new cat since last I blogged.  She named her Tiny--the name she came with, and very descriptive.  I have, maybe sadly, become like Tiny's grandmother.  She has a crocheted cat cave, and a felted catnip mouse--both thanks to me.  She doesn't use the cave, and I guess she's one of those cats that's not affected by catnip.  But if you know how cats are, she'll probably try out the cave in her own good time.  Or it will become a wastebasket.

The train ride home was also sparse of passengers, and I was happily expecting some quiet time.  But as soon as we rolled out a couple of young women in the back began to sing and giggle, and the train wheels started squeaking.  I was just too tired to get up and walk to another car so I sat there and pretended I was at the symphony...

The day after

 I've been a little neglectful.  And now I find that my recent pictures are not where I've been putting all of my pictures for years.  I had to call in Mr. Gadget, and even he couldn't find them.  But, unlike me, he has persistence.  He found them.  And now I can show you a couple of my needle-felted pieces from this year.

Note to readers (if you haven't all left and you'd have good reason):  This post was started right after last Christmas and has been hanging around as a draft.  I'm finally getting around to finishing it.  And I think Santa is never out of style.

I hope you've all stayed healthy and sane during this unprecedented time and have used an abundance of caution in everything you've done.  I'm happy to report I'm all vaxxed up and feeling the push to get among 'em.  It's been a long haul.

In the meantime, I'm heading back to my recliner....

Fall heads for the exit

 Mr. Gadget and I took a little stroll around the neighborhood this morning--with heavy coats and gloves.  After a rare week of warm temperatures, things are starting to cool off.

"Please don't make me go!"

Looks a little like Target.

A lovely pink carpet

A little much.

He needs a mask.  I'm making plans....

He has a brother.  He's working graveyard.

One pumpkin, four squash, and me!

He refuses to make a smooth transition.

The nicest one on the block...on my own front porch.

Simple, tasteful, just right! 

Sewing machine meets table saw

 I've been sewing more patchwork.  This time on behalf of Mr. Gadget.

He built a lovely new table out of red oak for the basement entryway.  And he requested a patchwork table runner.  He left the fabric selections to me so I chose Christmas prints.  Which means, of course, that there will be more table-runner sewing in my future after the seasons change.

There are an abundance of Mr. Gadget's tables around our house.  Many of them are handy for my various piles of interest.  Sometimes new hobbies require new tables.  If lined up in a row they would likely stretch to the end of the driveway and back.

Now I'm thinking about making a runner for the dining room table.  I think I've still got my patchwork mojo working and I've got my piles of Christmas fabric at the ready.  If only I had a table for them. 

RBG

 She lives on in felt.

You've gotta know she's rolling over in her grave.

This one is a gift for someone who's a big fan.  It should be arriving today with the speed of a mail-in ballot.

A mixed bag

 A short walk around the neighborhood this morning gave me quite a fright.  A snake among the pumpkins!  But not to worry.  It was a squash, or a gourd, or something.  Guaranteed to keep the little goblins away.

After a road trip earlier this week to visit my friend other Marcia for some of her great homemade pizza, and an envelope-making tutorial, I came home and made these:

It was a chance to recycle some of my old craft magazines.  Now I'm going to have to send more cards and write more letters.  Thanks, Marcia, for a new hobby!

I took along a "thank-you" ghost for her to add to her collection of my other critters that she's so graciously strewn around her house.  (Sorry I didn't take some time to prepare a more colorful backdrop.)

I've added a few more pieces to my patchwork thingy.  The patches on the left are the newest ones--in fall colors.  At some point, after it reaches a certain size, I will decide what it will be.  Meanwhile, I'm giving thought to harvesting a few old garments from various closets to add to the piece.  

The weather people say the colors are at their peak here in Connecticut but Mr. Gadget and I don't agree.  There's still plenty of green in the trees.  It is beautiful though and shouldn't be long.  There are some sunny days ahead and even a couple of days forecasted to be in the 70's.  Nothing makes a California gal happier than east coast colors with west coast weather!

Fall in the Treehouse

 

Now that it's October it's time to make ghosts.  This is what I've got so far.  

So, I mentioned that Big City Girl spent this past weekend with us. A strange thing happened on Sunday morning and, since I'm already talking about ghosts, here are the spooky details.  Mr. Gadget and I were relating a few stories about interesting and unusual occurrences that happen in the condo from time to time.  One of those is the mysterious activity of the ceiling fan in the guest room. Sometimes it goes on by itself.

"Oh wow!" BCG exclaimed.  "It was on when I woke up and I don't remember turning it on."  After some discussion we concluded it was possible that someone in the condo next door (a mirror image of ours and just across a grassy area) turned one on with their remote control and it reached across the grass and turned ours on too.

Mr. Gadget, who doesn't believe in any of this nonsense, promptly got up out of his chair and walked over to turn off the wall switch.  "Now there's no power to the fan," he said.  "No way will that happen again."  But if it did, he assured us, he would be leaving the house without stopping to pack a suitcase.

Stitching squares

 

The days go by, the unfinished projects linger, and the recliner calls.  Maybe I'll sew some 2" squares together....by hand.  With the stack o' squares given away as a promotional item by my local fabric store a couple of years ago.  Maybe I'll stop in and ask if they have any more stashed in the storeroom. Maybe not.  After all, I have those lingering unfinished projects.  Now, what to do with them.  Possibly a zippered bag.

So, we had a very nice visit with Big City Girl over the weekend.  Mr. Gadget and I drove to Brooklyn to deliver a new big-screen TV.  Mr. Gadget is known to spring a surprise gift on her every now and then....even one that has to be schlepped up a rickety narrow staircase to the third floor.  She came back to Connecticut with us for a couple of days and returned home by train....with mask on, hand sanitizer at the ready, and fingers crossed.  Train to Grand Central was not crowded; subway to Brooklyn was.  Hoping she stays well, but if not at least she has a nice TV to watch.

I just finished a good book and have started another.  Similar, yet different.  Meet me at the Museum by Anne Youngson and Mrs. Bridge by Evan Connell.  My book selections vary, but I'm mostly a fan of memoirs and books about people--the quirkier the better.

Now I should get back to work on a needle-felted commission piece.  I usually don't do those--especially a duplicate--but this is for a friend who wants to gift it to a friend who she says will REALLY appreciate it.  How could I say no?  I will share it later.  Best to keep it under wraps for now.

I hope everyone is doing well and staying somewhat sane in these almost too-crazy-to-believe times.  I'm grateful for the Treehouse where I can stay safely above the monkeys.

Pencils on pencils

 It's not easy to make a decision when you have 72 colors to choose from, but I made an attempt on my black and white pencil mask.

I managed to get the last small bottle of textile medium at Joann's which, when brushed over the colors, kept my coloring crisply inside the lines.  While water works fine when coloring on paper, it doesn't do the job on fabric.  The colors wander outside the lines.  I think that's called wicking.  I am very happy with the vibrant colors I'm getting.

Here is a first attempt on paper.  My drawing isn't the greatest but I love the colors. I did this rather hurriedly so didn't worry too much about staying inside the lines, but it is do-able.  I used a fine point black pen after the page was dry.

It's a beautiful day in Connecticut and the weather is getting cooler.  Some of the trees are dropping their leaves, but there's no noticeable color change yet.  It won't be long until road trips will be in order.

Strut your stuff!

I promise this will be my last chicken post.

He's pretty much done, but I'm sure I'll add more fiber.  I'm happy with the way he turned out, and very appreciative of Mr. Gadget's engineering knowledge to insure he stays upright.  That's the chicken I mean.  Mr. Gadget is still upright....even though this is a holiday weekend and he's well-supplied with wine.

Here's something from my sketchbook.

Not a chicken, but close enough.  And good words to live by.

Now I'm moving on to play with my new toys.  A 72-pencil set of Inktense colored pencils.  Color, then brush with water to get very vibrant colors.  Or, color on fabric and brush with textile medium.  You can probably guess which of those options I will be using the most.  The pencils and I are still getting acquainted, but once I've gotten to know them I'll share the results.

Happy weekend everyone.  It's beautiful here in Connecticut, and the motorcyclists are strutting their stuff!