While She Naps

Happy Fourth of July!

Have a great day.

baby birds in a nest

Three baby birds peeking curiously from their nest.

I made this last night.  It was a good way to use up all those torn strips of fabric leftover from making wings and it was fun to imagine the lives of these little fabric nestlings. It is now up in my shop. 

The chickens had to be picked up (by Charlie) and deposited in the enclosed portion of their roost last night at dusk because they didn't seem to know where to go.  Now they've figured it out and go in and out on their own. 

Roxanne drew a this picture in her chicken journal of the delivery. I love the comb and wattle.

And back to the make-along, Charlie pointed out to me that in the book Eric Carle's Animals Animals there is an illustration of an Emily Dickinson poem about a bee.  I thought I'd show it here in case it might inspire you as you work on your own project.

arrivals

This truck pulled up at 7 pm

And a very nice guy from the farm unloaded two beautiful chickens and a homemade coop.  Roxanne inspected them in her nightgown.

We got some instructions on how to feed them and make them comfortable and then we just celebrated the arrival of our guests.  They'll be with us for two weeks here in our suburban backyard. 

The kids are keeping chicken journals and taking photos with their own cameras.  And we got a big armload of chicken books from the library. This is going to be a very fun chicken adventure.

art for the vending machine

Today I made six 4"x3"x.75" bird assemblages.  I used old rolodex folders, some mesh origami paper, thread, wire, cotton fabrics, wool stuffing and embroidery floss. 

I made these in response to Kim's call for teeny tiny artwork.  Kim own Three Graces Gallery in Portsmouth, NH.  She recently found an old vending machine that she is refurbishing and she has put a call out to artists to create teeny tiny artwork that will sell from the machine for either $5 or $10,  depending on the dimensions.  Sound interesting?  Anyone can apply.  See Kim's call for artists here.

chicken camp

First, a new Springtime bird is up in the shop today.

And also it looks like we will be borrowing two chickens from Land's Sake, our CSA farm, for two weeks.  They will arrive on Monday evening in their own coop and they will live in our backyard.  I called our neighbor this morning to be sure that it was okay with her and she said it was like the chickens were going to camp.  Chicken camp.  I'm totally excited.  Fresh eggs every morning.  Lots of clucking and feathers.  Hooray!

a new owl today

Talons.

Wings.

A wise face.

A new owl today. I used the fabric left over from making the bumble bee.  I love making owls. They are the largest of the birds I am making right now and have just the right amount of detail to sink my teeth into.  This new guy is in the shop now.

The make-along Flickr pool is starting to grow.  How are you doing with your project?

 

making along

 
This was a really good challenge. I've never made an insect before - the closest I've come was the Maryland crab.  There were several iterations of this bee before this final one.

The flower, on the other hand, came together right away. I am going to make more of these. They are so fun.  This is why I love challenges like the make-along. I push myself to try something new.  And now I have fabric flowers in my head and that is really good.

So this is my submission to our make-along.  The bee and the flower are my illustrations in fabric of this poem by Emily Dickinson:

#1755

To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee,
One clover, and a bee.
And revery.
The revery alone will do,
If bees are few.

Come and  join us.  Give it a try.  And if you do you just might win a big package of vintage fabric.  First, join our Flickr pool. Then, interpret the poem any way you'd like, as long as it is in fiber. Take a picture so we can see what you came up with and post it to the pool.  On July 13 I will draw a name from everyone who has entered and yummy fabric will arrive at the winner's doorstep.  I hope you'll give it a try.  You can do this, I promise!

In other news, we are phasing out Stella's nap this weekend and we are moving onto a really good summer schedule. The kids will have day camp in the morning, until 1:00, and we will spend the afternoons together playing and biking and swimming at the pond.  A really good balance for everyone I think.

making progress on the make-along

I am working today on my project for the make-along.  It is always an interesting process designing something totally new.  Lots of little problems to solve and lots of stitches to tear out and sew again a different way. I did buy some new fabrics to play with (I started a make-along!  I get to buy fabric now!). 

I hope some inspiration is striking you, too.  And while we are working I think I'll post some photos and pictures of handmade fiber projects that seem to go well with the poem we've chosen. These pieces were not done specifically for this project, but they could have been and they certainly give me good ideas.  A brooch - that would be an excellent project for this make-along!  Anyway, I hope you are having a great day today.

1. Bumble Bee, 2. Charmingly Chubby, 3. New Leaves Brooch, 4. busy bee, 5. Buzzzzzz, 6. Crazy Green Flower Hat, 7. luck, 8. Alchemy Request, 9. Bumble

artist profile in Cloth Paper Scissors

I'm very excited today because I just got my July/August issue of Cloth Paper Scissors and I am featured as the Artist Profile this month! 

See the little reference on the front?  There is a five page spread inside. This is the first page.

The author of the article, Cate Prato, was great to talk to and she totally got me right away. I shared with her a bit about my artistic process and how I balance my sewing with being a mom. I think she wrote a really nice piece. I am really pleased with how they designed the layout, too. There are also some fun homework assignments on the last page of the issue, including one from me on how to break things down into basic shapes.  I hope you'll check out this issue of the magazine!

Come make-a-long with me!

Hooray!  I'm so excited to begin this make-a-long with you.  Thank you to Melissa Crowe for suggesting this wonderfully evocative Emily Dickinson poem that I think is perfect for this project.

#1755

To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee,
One clover, and a bee.
And revery.
The revery alone will do,
If bees are few.

Here is how I envision this make-a-long.  Think about the poem, maybe do some sketching, some sifting through your art materials, some readying to create.  Then, interpret the poem in fiber. Any sort of fiber art is great - crochet, knit, felt, soft sculpture, plush toy, quilt, applique, embroidery, cross stitch - whatever it is that you are enjoying right now. Make something useful like an apron, a bag, a quilt square or a pillow, or make something decorative. Keep it, sell it or give it away, but before you do, take a picture of it to post to our Flickr group.

Posting will be open any time from Monday, June 15 through Monday, July 13, 2009.  Just to sweeten the deal, on Monday, July 13, I will draw a name at random from all the Flickr users who entered and if you win I'll send you this selection of vintage fabric.  There is a lot of fabric here, collected over many years, and I think you'll find something you'll like.

 

Some come and play with me! If you have any questions or feedback for me, please email or comment here.  I can't wait to see what we make.

birds and fresh eggs and a question for you

We went to Natick Organic Farm yesterday afternoon to visit the animals.  I love this farm.  It is five minutes from Wellesley center and so low key and easy to enjoy.  The goats came right up to the fence as we parked the car so the girls ran out to pick dandelion greens from the grass to feed them.  And the goats ate from their hands.  We observed their full udders and watched them lock horns with each other. 

Then we walked through the big barn and saw the dozens of baby turkeys squaking under the warm lights.  The girls remember last fall when the farm was full of big turkeys right before Thanksgiving. 

And then we visited the rabbits, including six tiny white rabbits with red eyes.  The farmers were just collecting eggs from the hen house and I bought a dozen eggs right then to take home with us. We had great omelets this morning.

Then we watched the goats being milked, and being stubborn about returning to their pen.  Stella sang, "Baa baa black sheep" to a black sheep she was patting.  Overall, a wonderful way for the three of us to spend a cloudy and cool June afternoon.

A new Springtime bird in yellow and gold is now up in my shop.  I'm looking forward to a weekend of sunnier weather.

And now, for the question. I am considering doing a make-a-long here on my blog.  My idea is that I would select a short poem that would inspire illustration.  Anyone who wants to join in would make a soft toy or soft sculpture or other fiber-related craft (quilting, needle felting, knitting or crocheting or whatever it is that you enjoy) to interpret the poem in some way.  I think a month or so would be long enough to get our ideas flowing and finish something.  Then, you can post it to Flickr in group that I will create for the purpose and you can see what everyone has made.  How neat it will be to look at all of the interpretations of a single poem! Just to sweeten the deal, after the final date to post has passed I will draw a name from those who have posted and send you a nice big package of vintage fabric.

So, would you like to play?  I hope so.  Now, to select a poem. I am searching through my old college poetry books this morning, but  really welcome your ideas. If you have a thought, feel free to comment here or  email me.  I hope you are as excited as I am about this little make-a-long!

patchwork elephant

Yesterday and today I worked on a patchwork elephant. This was one of those projects that began while sifting through big piles of fabric.  All my cotton fabrics are sorted by color in six plastic bins in our bedroom.  Bins are great because I keep even very small pieces that cannot be neatly folded on a shelf.

I dumped out the pinks and the yellows and picked a dozen or so that seemed to go together.  I pieced them together into a large sheet of patchwork and then used that to cut out the pattern pieces for the elephant. I designed this elephant pattern a few years ago for the Softie Awards.  I loved the Softie Awards. 

I stuffed her today and was reminded how big she is.  8 inches high and 12" long. That's big for me. I need to call the Amish and order more wool soon.

Her eyes are little doll buttons and she has a little sewn mouth there, between the tusks.  And her tail is swishing the flies away.

She is up in my shop now.  I hope you like her as much as I do.

flying into the shop today

A sweet Springtime bird.  Have a great day, everyone!

Springtime birds are all over the place

In my Etsy shop now. I feel good that the shop is now restocked and there are lots of things to choose from, including four new Springtime birds. 

And I wanted to share with you links to my Facebook and Twitter profiles. I hope you'll find me in these two new spots if you are there, too. Please stop by and say hello!

first strawberries

Our first CSA pick-up of the summer at Land's Sake in Weston was so wonderful. (Yes, Stella is wearing a bikini top. She insisted she was too hot, even though she was wearing a cotton tank top, and that was all that I could find in the diaper bag. And we went to the playground after the farm dressed like that. At least she has an adorable belly button). 

It is great to be back into our weekly ritual of being on the farm, filling up our big bag under the yellow CSA tent and then picking the pick-your-own parts of our share.  This week there was bok choy, arugula, tiny radishes, and broccoli rabe and then we picked rhubarb and strawberries.  There is nothing quite like watching your children enjoying that first juicy strawberry as they pop it into their mouths right from the vine, dripping with juice. Delicious.

I finished a little green bird with black and white wings. 

She is in the shop now. Lots of little Spring birds recently. Why not?

colors

I love the color combination on this bird - hot pink, yellow and grey.  So great together.  I hope you like her, too.  She is up in my shop now.

Our first CSA pick-up of the season is this afternoon. It is sunny and warm here and I can't wait to get back to the farm. We are having lamb kabobs with red onions and cherry tomatoes on the grill along with whatever our share includes this week - I'm assuming lots of leafy greens.  Warm is my favorite season.

My House is Famous! and a Springtime Bird

My house is on the Cookie magazine blog today!  We had a lot of fun photographing the rooms in our house and explaining where all the artwork and mid-century furniture came from.  I almost never show my house here so if you are interested, check it out!

 
And another Springtime bird is in the shop now. I like the bright, warm colors on this guy.

Food Processor Bread - make it today!

I was introduced to food processor bread over the winter by Jennifer Judd-McGee who, if you didn't already know, is a very talented artist and a very kind person, too.  Jennifer - thank you!  This has got to be the easiest homemade bread recipe known to man and it is so good. I think it might take 10 minutes to make, no kneading, only one rise. I've made it every other week or so since I learned about it and I just can't buy sandwich bread at the grocery store any more.

This bread is wonderful, yeasty white bread with a tiny hint of sweetness.  It makes great sandwiches and great toast and great bread crumbs if you have any of it left to go stale, which you won't.  I hope you'll make it today.

Food Processor White Bread
from breadworld via Jennifer Judd-McGee

makes 1 loaf

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbl. sugar
1 envelope RapidRise Yeast (do not use any other kind - just RapidRise)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbl. butter
1 egg
3/4 cup warm water

Insert metal blade into food processor. Add flour, sugar, undissolved yeast and salt; process 5-10 seconds. Add butter and egg.  Begin processing, then slowly pour warm water through feed tube just until dough forms a ball, about 10-15 seconds.  Continue processing for 60 seconds to knead dough (I let it go longer, more like 2-3 minutes, just for good measure).  Remove dough onto a lightly flour surface. Cover and let rest for 10 min.

Roll dough into a 12 x 7-inch rectangle. Beginning at short end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll.  Pinch ends and seam to seal.  Place, seam side down, in greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan.  Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until double in size about 30-45 minutes (I've let it go much longer than this and it is just fine).

I usually brush it with egg wash or a bit of cream to give the top a nice shine, but you don't have to.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until done (30 minutes is always just perfect for me).  Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack (be sure to remove it because otherwise the bottom will get soggy while it cools).  Slice and enjoy!

green/blue bird

It is finally a sunny and beautiful spring day today.  We went for a nature walk at Broadmoor Sanctuary this morning and saw so many turtles and a beautiful hawk, too.

I finished this little green bird last night.  She is up in my shop now.

lion

A little lion today mounted on a chubby butter-yellow canvas. He's in the shop.