turkey feathers

Setting the Stage

The sun came out this morning!  Only for a few moments, but it was heavenly while it lasted.  This redbud, 'forest pansy' is still putting on a show.  It's been raining on and off for over a week now, and although I don't mind the Oregon rain, I am disappointed with the timing, as it brings down all the lovely autumn tree color with it.  Fall is short enough as it is.  A few more dry golden days would be awesome. 

As a consolation, we do have some colorful gingerbread cookies though.  And that's something right?

There's sure been a lot going on here baking, crafting and sewing-wise.  I've been helping Grace get ready for the next doll show (coming up November 10th), and have been busy building a display for her dollhouse bakery goods. 

Here she was at her very first doll show earlier this month.  Participating was sort of a last minute decision and this display was cobbled together with boxes.  It did the job, but wasn't as sturdy as she would've liked.  Since the items are so very tiny, she also needed something BIG to display them to their full advantage.  We brain-stormed a bit and came up with a design similar to this. 

So, starting last week, without a moment to waste, I got out the glue and got going.  

Here's what I've managed to build so far.  Please, don't look too close!  I had no blueprint or pattern to follow, just sort of made it up as I went along. 

This display, made entirely from core-board, can be used for a variety of things.  It's light-weight and portable and comes apart in two pieces; and it's super easy to take down and set up.  I put "hair-net" Barbie up there to show the scale, but I think Grace is planning a Christmas setting with smaller dolls (1:12 scale) around a table or something like this.  How adorable is that? 

This display piece will do for now.  At this point, I think the upper level is ready for some cute decorating.  Oh, this should be fun! 

Fall Folk Towel

More fun fall stitching!  This pattern is new to the website this month:  Finnish Folk #8012 

This old Finnish embroidery pattern was gleaned from a 1960's Woman's Day magazine.  There are six motifs in all, featuring country folk sharing chores on the farm.  I found this motif especially charming. 

 I think it was probably intended to represent spring, but with bright autumn colors it works well for fall too. 

This plain olive-green dish towel made a lovely background!  I wish I could find more soft cotton dish towels like this.  They came in a set of different colors. 

The border is optional.  I like it!

Autumn Stitching

So far this week, the weather here has been amazing!  For awhile there, I thought maybe autumn would escape us, with all the rain, wind, fog and frost.  But, it looks like we may have some more good days ahead.  I took the opportunity to get some fresh pictures of my Field & Forest quilt in progress while the light was good. I've started on the feather-stitched borders around the embroidered blocks.  It's coming along nicely.  There's something meditative about the rhythmic repetition of feather-stitching that I find rather relaxing.

The contrasting colors are so pretty too.  I rarely work with orange, gold and green for some reason.  They're not usually my first choices.  I need to break from routine more often.  Oh how I love these combinations.

As I mentioned previously, Grace and I participated in our first doll show and I am happy to report that it went well!  We really didn't know what to expect and were pleasantly surprised.  Earlier that morning, still half-awake and sipping coffee as we rambled up the old highway through a dark pre-dawn fog, we looked at each other.  I said, "Are we really doing this?"  She laughed and said, "Yes!  I think we are!" 

Somehow we got ourselves there and set up our tables.  It was actually more fun that I thought it would be.  The best part of course, is meeting so many lovely people who share your enthusiasm and passion for all things cute.  Which is why we've decided to do another show next month!

To get ready, I'm sewing new outfits for Grace's Barbie table models for her 1:6 scale dollhouse wares.  I don't mind sewing the tiny clothes, but trying to work around and manage all the hair these dolls have is a challenge.  It's everywhere. 

Before I knew it I'd made a hairnet!  It did the trick.

The thing is actually pretty cute and compliments her new bakery uniform quite nicely! 

Peek-A-Boo!

New in my etsy shop--one bundle of autumn sachet peeps!

Thanks for the quilt love.  A random pieced scrap quilt is often full of surprises, so glad it turned out nice.  I may do a little more embroidery on it before I add the backing.  While I'm thinking on that, I'm getting stuff ready for a local doll show coming up this weekend.  Trying not to procrastinate until the very last moment.  Like I usually do! 

Field & Forest Quilt Update

 

Quilt top is done!  Somehow, miraculously, all my little bits and bobs, odds and ends, and jellyroll scraps came together to make a vibrant autumn-themed patchwork. 

Greeting Autumn

Hello October!  The weather here has turned much cooler with gray skies and scattered sprinkles.  The perfect backdrop for the emerging autumnal show--which is just starting in my front yard.  It's all so exciting!

Maybe I have already shared about our redbud tree (Cercis Canadensis), also known as 'Forest Pansy' in past blog posts, but it really bears mentioning again (and again!), because it's such a gorgeous thing of beauty. 

If you are ever looking for a fast-growing landscape tree for zones 5-9, this is it (in my opinion), not only because of its lovely shape and manageable size, but mostly because of the dramatic colors it produces. 

During spring and summer the leaves are dark purple, which creates a nice contrast amongst the green foliage that surrounds it, making it a stand out feature in our front yard.  In the fall it puts on quite a show as the pretty heart-shaped leaves come alive with splashes of green, orange, deep pink, yellow, gold and red. 

Not only is this tree beautiful, it's hardy.  Because, unlike both my beloved Glory Bowers ("peanut butter" trees) that just up and died after the severe frost events three years ago (I know--so sad), this tree not only survived that frost--but much worse early on, which makes me love and appreciate it even more. 

Shortly after planting it, some eight or nine years ago, when it was putting down roots and spreading it's lovely vertical branches, a wild west-wind blew in and literally tore it from limb to limb, splitting it right down the middle!  

It looked pretty pathetic with its one side stripped off, its perfect symmetrical shape ruined.  Being that it was to be the feature and focus of the front yard landscape, we were in a bit of a quandary over what to do about it; replace or repair?  After staring at it for a few days, we decided to take the wait and see approach, did what we could to support the remaining branches and gave it another year to see what it was going to do before making a final decision about it.  

To our amazement and delight, it recovered rather quickly and within a few years had grown into a fine looking tree.

Today I'm looking at this tree, admiring its astounding colors, its cute heart-shaped leaves and its hardy constitution, so happy that we made the right decision to give it another chance.