the 100 Aker Wood
who could resist an adventure with that silly old bear?
and as yesterday was my birthday I received a very appropriate card
and now there is only one more page to finish
oh no! here’s the haiku
“hand in paw we walk
in the 100 Aker Wood
Pooh and Piglet and me”
day 90
the back cover is finished – only two more pages to go!
the “P” is bent out of shape – signed and dated
I actually looked at the signs – and took pictures – on my walks around the neighborhood
this is my favorite
on a 20 foot stump on the Bowker Creek trail – a wildlife tree
and this one is not uncommon on West Coast trails
here is the original
“read the signs
pay attention, stay safe
and don’t get lost”
guest speaker at the guild
Kimberly Nelson – the artful acorn
http://www.facebook.com/theartfulacorn/
she has a passion for wild, natural, unusual fibres
she gathers them from her garden, from the roadside and anywhere else she has permission to do so
she gets them from her mother, friends and even her two teenagers
she has tried everything – she hangs them in every room in her house to dry
and then she twists the fibres to make cordage
(click on the picture to see them clearly and read the labels)
these are tiny, some of them just fit around a baby finger
fibre from celery, rhubarb, lavender, corn husk, seaweed and dandelion are just a few
and then she weaves baskets – teeny, tiny baskets no bigger than your thumb
and a backpack for a fairy – the base is a button she makes from sliced avocado pits
dandelion cordage with the remnants of the flowers woven in
and a basket/pot with an acorn for a lid – it fits perfectly
see the avocado button – I brought one home, have to think of something special to use it on
do you think a bear would like a new sweater?
the creativity is impressive, I am enchanted
the presentation was as perfect as the work- everything labeled so you knew what the fibres were
individually displayed in little boxes
she works full time and has two kids at home
you can tell when someone has a passion for their work – it shines – thank you Kimberley
Scrap Happy April 2024
there are more scraps in this one project than any other project
but they are small and make even smaller scraps
which doesn’t do much to decrease the scrap stash
page 12 and 17 are stitched together leaving a 1.5 inch space at the top and bottom
this is called the tab
the same is done with pages 18 and 11
they are then stitched together – right sides together
corners are carefully trimmed, then it is turned right side out through the small slot
you now have a unit of four pages
the technique is called slot and tab
five of these units slip together to create the book – 3 slot units and two tab units
after a serious steam pressing I buttonhole stitch, with thrums, around the top and bottom tabs
if you want to try this Ann Wood’s video is excellent
here are the units slotted together with one more set of four pages left to finish
Here are the links for everyone who joins ScrapHappy from time to time (they may not post every time, but their blogs are still worth looking at).
Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan,
Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera,
Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Nóilin, Viv, Karrin, Amo, Alissa,
Lynn, Tierney and Hannah
moving forward
a labyrinth
on the 85th day – going in circles
there is a reason 100 days is called a challenge – because sometimes it really is challenging
I’m running out of ideas
finding time has been difficult the past two weeks, even 15 minutes
but I can see the end!
“walking the sacred path
a journey to the center and back
calm the mind”
I have finally got back to weaving, tea towels have been waiting on the loom for far too long
once upon a time I wove every single day but I’ve become distracted with other pursuits
hoping/planing to do better
a home map
as the weather improves I’m spending more time in the garden
and so – here is a map of the backyard – so I don’t get lost!
the pond is larger than it really is and the bridge looks bigger
the tree canopy covers more space and the veggie patch, at the top, is much bigger
in other words it is definitely all out of proportion
the stitching top right is black bamboo – which requires constant cutting back
here is the bridge over the pond
Spring is springing and here is the proof
looking towards the veggies and the back fence – the deer haven’t found the tulips yet
the checkered lilies survived the winter
and the neighbor’s magnolia is flourishing
“planting Spring veggies
flowers bloom, the birds sing joyfully
my heart sings with them”
a pocket page
another page finished – this one with a pocket
it will be page #19 when the book is put together
an imaginary neighborhood stitched on the pocket
the fabric streets are a very old kimono silk
I plan to write a description for each page and possibly the haiku and a pocket is needed to keep them in
when the stitching time – 15 minutes each day – is finished I have been continuing by making Lucy a Spring outfit
the Happy Gang were feeling neglected while I have been focused on the book
Lucy is the only bear without a choice of outfits
so she got a lined top and drawstring shorts
no frills and lace for this girl
but next we will make a dress for Summer parties
“a walk in the woods
a pocketful of memories
fresh air and sunshine”
Happy Easter
the garden is waking up
and the Happy Gang are on an Easter egg hunt
Happy Easter
best wishes for a bountiful gardening season
photo challenge
I’m joining Sue in this month’s photo challenge – almost too late!
http://www.goingbattyinwales.wordpress.com
and she is joining http://www.nanacathydotcom.wordpress.com
this month’s subjects are fences and post boxes
not very artistic!
the split rail fence behind the high school and beside Bowker Creek
the challenge gets me out in the neighborhood
time – drifts on
another 5 days have slipped by and another page is finished
Ross Bay Cemetery – it faces the Strait of Juan de Fuca and across to the Olympic Mountains in Washington State
it has been in continuous use since 1872 — and tells the story of the city and the brave travelers from around the world who built the city
the trees are magnificent, impressive in the Autumn
some intriguing monuments
and a resident herd of deer
it has been designated a Municipal Heritage Site
starting my page I wanted a patchwork background
I drew a map from one online and transferred it to the fabric with dressmaker’s tracing paper
each new page is an experiment of fabrics, stitches and design
sometimes it is easier and/or works better than previous pages
this one took more time than is intended
all those tiny back stitches!
taking time to stitch straight, and the rounded corners are slow
all the time I was stitching I was walking the paths in my mind
“headstones covered in lichen
time drifts on endlessly
rest in peace”
www.onesmallstitch.Wordpress.com u 