New birds for Eco Flora

I like how the nests turned out.  You can see the clothes pin the
bird has for "feet."  That makes it so he or she can perch comfortably
just about anywhere!

Valintine trinkets

Just made these--an old spool, a bit of wire, and a thick wool felt heart.

I think I need to make a mommy a daddy and two boys to represent the whole family. Big red for the daddy, big pink for the mommy, and two little red for the two little boys.   No I'm not going to make them for the cats and the dog....   They look sweet on the kitchen window.

Happy New Year

My sewing machine is waiting for a part--and I foolishly ordered the lowest priced part I could find on the internet and I believe it was a scam.  So I reordered from a company I've done business with in the past and filed my paypal complaint.  All part of doing business online. 

Meanwhile, I'm cleaning and organizing.  Hoping to make sense of the disarray that surrounds my sewing machine.  Looking forward to spring and summer outdoor shows.  Loving this new crafty/artsy life I'm creating for myself.

Wookie Wookie Christmas

I was planning a star wars theme gift for some special boys using the patterns from this Etsy Shop.  I finished Yoda.  Darn cute!  Buy her patterns.   I started Chewbacca, but didn't have the right yarn.  Since I'm too stubborn to BUY yarn, but wanted to find a good sweater to unravel, I kept my eyes open.  Low and behold I found the PERFECT sweater last week.  It is an old wool mohair blend.  It is a truly hideous sweater that I can only imagine a very old man wearing.   I ended up sewing my Wookie instead of crocheting him.  I may or may not make the bag from the Chewbacca pattern-I think he is sweet without the bag  as a generic wookie.  And if he is a generic wookie I can make several and these dear boys can have a little wookie party.  With Yoda supervising. 

Black Bear Cubs

I love these guys.  They are made from a vintage coat.  I debated long and hard before I cut the coat, but the lining was worn beyond repair, and to get the coat into wearable shape was a bigger project.  Besides, I could just see what great bears the fabric would make.  I'm not disappointed.

I've just scaled the pattern I'm using up a bit and down a bit so I can make a mama with 1 or 2 cubs.   These are about 10 inches long from nose to backside.

  I wish I had an unlimited supply of this fabric.  I may make the mama cub pattern out of something less precious to be sure I have the size difference right before I cut anymore of this fabulous nubby black wool!

It is hard to get a decent photo of something black...   

we need whimsy

I'm working on editing my craft life.  I've spent the past 18 months crafting with some purpose and no purpose.  Doing what I love as much as I want--chasing shiny things--planing--playing--having a ball.  I'm planning a big transition in life next March when I officially take early retirement.  I've let the idea set for more than a year, and what started as a dream morphed into a maybe and finally became a plan.  Now I can't imagine turning back.  I realize that my chosen career wasn't so much a choice for me, but a default.  Here I am I guess I'll do this.  Some of it was great, some not so much.  I'm choosing to retire and do what I love. 

My official line is that I'm retiring to be a stay at home mom.  Two teenagers with special needs need me as much as they did when they were 5 or 6.  Or so it seems.

The truth is that I'm retiring so I can spend every spare moment in my sewing room.  My favorite place on earth.  Especially when I can hear happy sounds in the rest of the house.   Or when the rest of the house is quiet because the boys are at school. 

Creating is such great therapy.  But either I need a LOT of therapy, or I'm getting carried away.  I've tried to do everything that can be done with wool:  knit, crochet, felt, needle felt, sew, stuff,  bears, monsters, kitties, mittens, slippers, hats, scarves, dogs, mice, baskets, rugs, flowers, hair pretties, birds, owls--  You name it, I've either tried it or thought about trying it, or bought something at a thrift store so I can try it.  Then I got interested in cotton silk and linen...  quilts....   fabrics...   pillows...   oh my...


As the weather starts to hint at fall, I'm tempted to make some more mittens and hats.  But maybe not this year.  Maybe this year I'll stick with the things that bring me the most joy as I make them...   The stuffed creatures of all types, and the flowers.  The whimsical.  We need warmth and necessities, but we also need whimsy.  And recycled, reclaimed whimsy is the best kind. 

I just had a great meeting with a young woman starting a new shop  (Ecoflora  her webpage and her facebook  She is carrying my stuffed creatures and my flowers.   All the things I love to make.  I'm hoping she has great success.  She has a great location, a huge shop, and a lot of energy and enthusiasm.

I'm also looking forward to visiting Judith from Bloomsbury Loft at the Columbus Country Living Fair.  She has many of my things with her.   If she sells everything, I'll make a tidy sum to put in my rainy day fund for after retirement!  I browsed some of the vendors...  Great stuff but high prices.

Monsters