Lovely World

little bit of handwork

I made these little felt brooches over the past week. They are about 2 inches in diameter, and have a clasp pin sewn to the back. I had made a few over the summer, and remembered how relaxing they were to make. I was reminded of them when I saw the embroidered felt pendants that the talented Margie of Resurrection Fern posted recently. I think these are great on a coat or sweater, or pinned onto a tote bag. I think I'll be giving some for gifts.

snowflake

It has been fairly warm here in Western Massachusetts. Today, it is 60 degrees F. But, I know very well that snow will be with us before too long. My children are craving that first big snowfall. I have been a bit lazy about making sure that the kids have snowpants and jackets that fit. I should put that on my to-do list.

In anticipation for snow, I have been thinking about snowflakes. My daughter Miriam and I just attended a paperfolding workshop yesterday at our public library. One of the things we made was a pop-up snowflake card. As you can see in the photos, the cover is held closed by a ribbon cinched by a bead. When the bead is released, the cover opens and a snowflake unfolds. The snowflake is constructed with five separate sheets of folded paper glued together. Lovely, isn't it? I think I might post a tutorial on making one so you can try. It is not difficult. It just takes time and precision.

This old doily reminds me of a snowflake. So beautifully made. It is about ten inches wide. I don't see doilies around people's homes much anymore. Perhaps they will make a comeback.

french song books

 

Check out these lovely old French song books. The covers are fabric-covered board with letterpress type and illustration. Inside, each song is beautifully illustrated. I'm enchanted. I'm not sure what the publication date of these was. They are obviously quite old, and I found this listing on Amazon that gives a date of 1917. They were my bedtime reading last night. I fell asleep to the sweet illustrations.

humpty dumpty babies

Wow. It has been a bit quiet here in the blog for a few days. I got caught up in Thanksgiving and all the accompanying activities of the holiday. We saw two good movies. The 3-D "A Christmas Carol" was pretty fabulous, but even better was "The Fantastic Mr. Fox." I loved the homemade quality of the Mr. Fox movie, and it was very funny to boot. Go see it if you can.

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I have been getting my sewing projects ready for the upcoming craft sale I'm participating in (this coming Sunday!). The photos above are of what my daughter and I have been fondly calling the humpty-dumpty babies. (A special thanks to Barbara for the backdrop in the first two photos.)

Hope the week starts off well for everyone!

little books

I like these reprints of antique children's books I found the other day. I would say that children's book illustration has got to be one of the top sources of inspiration for me.

new beds

In an effort to ease my six-year-old son into some semblance of independent sleep, we recently put two twin beds into his room, and removed the king-sized "family" bed that had been there. One school day, I moved everything about and had it looking good for his arrival home. I was thrilled to see how happy he was, and the way in which he took ownership by choosing which bed he would sleep in. So far so good. I am sleeping in the other bed until he settles in. He hasn't gotten out of his bed to crawl in with me until the sun comes up.

It's funny, the way this transition has been bitter-sweet for me. I miss the constant closeness at night. But, I don't miss his inflexibility with sleep if I'm not there, nor the kicking in his sleep that sometimes woke me in the night. My job as a parent is to love my son fiercely and hold him close, but also to teach him how to care for himself as he grows. His new beds are part of this work.

By the way, the lamb's wool rug on the floor, also new, is absolutely luxurious. And the sweet dog prints above each bed are by the talented Amy Blackwell.

belated vintage quilt blocks

I missed posting on Friday. I had a few more quilt blocks I wanted to share, so here they are. I love the play of colors in these simple three by three squares. The bottom is my favorite. Dots, stripes, plaid, and that orangey-red. Most likely recycled from old clothing.

Be well, and hope the week is off to a good start.

 

1950s design

I love this old book, published in 1953 by Louis Wolchonok. "Design for Artists and Craftsmen" emphasizes geometry and pattern in design, covering everything from animals, birds, the human figure, flowers and plants, and man-made forms (i.e. architecture). The images are modern, certainly influenced by cubism. Hence, they also echo back to ancient art forms from around the world.

 

inspiration

I am always collecting little pieces of paper - images, words, it doesn't much matter - that speak to me in some way. I gather much inspiration this way. It isn't uncommon for me to have a library book, usually an art or craft book, but just as often a nature book, at my bedside. I stare at the images and gather many ideas for my own creative work. As an art teacher back in college once said, "All art is a re-expression of things that have come before." We all learn and pull inspiration from what has come before us.

The top photo shows some current images on my bulletin board (If you click the photo it should be reproduced larger for better viewing). The top left blue and green gocco print is by Melissa. The photo next to it showing two women's laps is by Abby. The small photo of two women stuck in the far right side is of Camilla and Elisabeth of Studio Violet. Camilla is playing the accordian. How cool is that? The framed piece to the right of the bulletin board is a painting on fabric that I did when I was 17 years old. I have kept it all these years.

The bottom photo is of a postcard from a storefront artist project down the road in Pittsfield, MA. I love the children's school chairs hanging on the back wall. Pittsfield has attempted to re-create itself as a friendly home for artists. It has had some success. You can see more here.

sweethearts

I finished a few more dolls. One went off yesterday to my niece in honor of her seventh birthday. The others I will have for sale at the upcoming craft fair here in town. Over the weekend I visited the Twist fair in Northampton, MA. Lots of very cool vendors - all handmade and heavy on the indie crowd. Plus, I got to eat dinner at a great noodle shop with my family. I hope your weekend was a good one as well.