Memorial Day!

My sister was quick to the cemetery(s)

on Saturday to decorate our 

family plots.

She chose yellow mums- because yellow shows so nicely

against green grass, red dirt and headstones.

Our Dad, and Uncle Butch are there - 

WW II Vets

Our grandparents and Aunt Helen.

Rows and rows of cousins, aunts and uncles.

Our family has lived in that area a long time.

Mom can tell story after story about each person.

She carries so many memories.

Well, that's what the day is about...

Memories.

Remembering those who walked before us.

Honoring those who fought for us.

In war-

In the hard scrabble life of the dust bowl days-

In everyday life-

Folks who paved the way...

This year it was too difficult for Mom to 

sit at the cemetery to greet and direct visitors.

She was disappointed.

Mom loves a conversation and loves the surprise

of meeting someone she hasn't seen for a while.

She loves fitting relationship puzzles together for 

those of us who stumble with our geneaology.

We had our own Memorial Day on the telephone.

She telling stories of Memorial Day's past.

Me trying to follow the maze of relationships.

Who was married to whom and bore which children

who in turn married and bore their own children.

Family events, amusing ancedotes...

Every minute of the conversation honoring the lives 

of those we love.

Memorial Day!

Trees! we've got some...

I have a "thing" for trees.

Yep, I do.

Tall trees,
 

small trees...

 trees with needles,

 

trees with leaves,
 

imitation trees.

 trees in big pots,

trees in small pots,

 thought it was dead! trees,

trees on shelves,

Trees on quilts,

(Nancy Olsen Spornitz's "Around the Schoolhouse")

In case you haven't figured it out...

I have obsessionS, with a capital "S",

and trees are one of them.

Empty nest

We don't have an empty nest, yet!

  That time is coming...soon.


Homeboy has found a new nest and is
 living without his parents:
influence,
questions,
suggestions. etc...

Adventure-gurl is - and I quote
"in a relationship with a European Vacation"
She's living in the nest til her grand adventure
starts this summer.

the nest piece is ATC size.
2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Natural corriedale wool rovings
dried grass and teeny-tiny twigs.

Well, ok - so maybe I'm not sad about the impending
"Empty nest"
Because, I work out my frustration, angst, whatever...
by poking wool roving - a lot of times - with a sharp needle.
:0)

I made these!?!

Well, yeah...

The hands and the mittens!

Hands belong to "Adventure-gurl", mittens do too...

The  mitts were so much fun to knit and fast!

My Etsy friend Fraydknot is the spinner of that 

lovely wool - 

Yum, yum, yummy...

The Forgiving Mittens pattern is Fraydknot's as well.

Oh, my gosh! 

That pattern really is forgiving...

you just knit and knit and knit and if there are

any holes from stretched out stitches 

you just patch them with a bit of extra wool.

Felt the heck out of them and 

There you are!

Finished!

Now, don't you go to Fraydknot and buy the

yarn I want...

I'm going to make a hat next.

Yes, I am.

Community

I joined two communities recently.

Ever think about that? 

Becoming a member of a virtual community?

Kinda - out-there.

So, I'm going to meet folks online who create
using fiber of one sort or another.

AND

I'm going to participate in  "challenges" and "exchanges"

Oh, my....!

This is my embroidery exchange piece - themed - Spring

This little piece is ATC size - so 3.5" x 2.5"
Ok, I said I was intermediate- hmmmm
gonna need to retract that...
For those who want to know - the background is felted wool.
Needle felted by hand and machine.
The roving background color is Lagoon
with a smittering (which is a little less than a smattering)
of moss, lavender, natural white and smoke roving
to make the background behind the flowers.
Flowers and stems and leaves are stitched using
The Gentle Arts Simply Shaker Sampler Threads
Pomegranate, Ohio Lemon Pie, Picket Fence,
Tin Bucket, Baby Spinach and Shutter Green.

Here is a line drawing of a Lily of the Valley
for you to copy and paste into a word document...
That way you can change the size for your project.

My friend Ms. beach Glass designs made this version

 

Ms. bGd used hand dyed wool for the background and buttons for flowers.
The roving used is moss, fir, and lima bean.
You can find a kit for this project -
the kit has instructions, drawn image,
wool roving and a felting needle.
You're going to have to use your own background...

After many, many, many years of watching me make "things"
with fiber of one sort or another

my Spousal Unit no longer tries to identify what I'm doing...

crocheting, knitting, embroidering, felting, punch needle,

weaving, tatting, quilting, needlepoint, 

paper projects, wood...

My S.U. calls all of it "twitting".

Should I be reading something into that term?

hmmmm.

He's nice, so probably not.

Signing off to do some "twitting".
Happy creating!

Thrifting

Simple pleasures from the thrift store...

My favorite thrift store is a 3 bus trip.

The ride is part of the fun...

Talking with people who want to talk.

Nodding heads with those who don't.

The destination area has really fun shops:

Beads, thrift, yarn, do-dads, cupcakes, picture books, 

 and a naturopathic shop with oh-so-wonderful teas.

Wow! a lot to do and see in one trip.

I use the fingertip towels in our guest loo.

A short stack of them on the counter - basket for disposal in the corner.

The beads are just nice neutral colors that feel nice.

The dress clip - Oh-la-la...

Maybe hammered aluminum...?

I don't care what it is  - I love it!