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.

vintage quilt block friday

10 inch block in the "Grandmother's Flower Garden" pattern, created with 19 interlocking hexagons. This pattern is also known as "French Bouquet," "Mosaic," or "Honeycomb." This particular square was made by Velma in 1932, as she has so brightly embroidered around the center hexagon. The fabric is cotton, and it is hand stitched.

This is a fun square. It is one of many signed blocks I have in this pattern. It appears that a woman's group was attempting to make a quilt together, which was never finished. I like that each woman signed her piece, and that some dated it. So much of women's craft work from the past is anonymous. We should all consider adding at least our initials to our work.

Please check out these other participants in the "Vintage Quilt Block Friday":

Heather

Courtney

You? - Please join us!

 

donkey, and a blog birthday

It is not a deer (thank goodness), and not quite a horse. Here is my version of the little donkey designed by Myra Masuda for the book "Softies Only a Mother Could Love." The kangaroos with little joey puppets I have been making are designed by Myra as well. The donkey's ears are my favorite part. Just right.

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Hello! I do believe that today marks my blog's first birthday. It is hard to believe that it was just a year ago that I sat at my computer and started what has become a place of both creativity and comfort for myself. I have met such great people through this blog. I truly appreciate every one of you who takes time from your day to visit here. Thank you all so much.

XOXO MARIBETH

seasons round

It has been a bit quiet around here. So many things to attend to.

I am participating in the Seasons Round exchange. Each member of the group is making or collecting items for another member's seasonal nature table. Nature tables are a Waldorf-inspired display of objects that reflect the current season. Some inspiration can be found on this Flickr set.

The theme this go-around for the exchange is autumn/harvest. For me, autumn means both bright and earthy color. I got out my watercolors and made a series of paintings exploring the colorful landscape of autumn. Two of them are above. I also made a banner with the word "harvest" embroidered on it, one letter on each triangle of the banner. I used an earthy color palette for this project: moss green, brown, deep orange. The triangles are made of wool felt, double thickness to cover the back of the embroidered letters. They are strung on a piece of brown polka-dotted cotton bias tape. From end to end, the banner measures 2 feet.

I'll be adding a couple of other items to my package, which I mail out tomorrow. The project has got me thinking about the coming season, a season that brings Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and my birthday. It is a nice time of reflection and renewal for me.

locket

I was happy to receive this lovely locket in the mail the other day. I had pre-ordered it from the Black Apple back in July. Emily Martin offered a limited quantity of lockets in varying designs, and I chose this one with a little bee perched on a pensive lady's shoulder. There is space inside to insert two small photos or drawings.

The box is almost as good as the locket. "The Black Apple Presents Social and Sentimental Fancy Wearables." It's almost too good.

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I have managed to put together a few pairs of baby shoes. I'm hoping for more concentrated work time starting next week as the kids start school. I love these little embroidered flowers.

handwork

I needed a little bit of handwork to occupy my evenings while we were at the beach these past two weeks. I had planned on bringing some knitting, but at the last minute grabbed my embroidery basket instead. These felt badges are about 2 inches wide. The first photo shows flowers that were growing in the garden of the house we stayed in. The second photo is a piece of seaweed seen on the beach. The third photo includes a red cross, inspired I think by the life guard stations. The final photo is a starfish. I didn't find any of these creatures on the shore, but I did read about them in my "Golden Guide to Seashores" book.

Badges have been on my mind. My kids are participating in our public library's summer reading program. Each week they have received a small embroidered badge for reading a certain number of books. You can see one here that I stitched onto my son's new explorer bag. I have also loved these Mama Merit Badges I came across a while back. A wonderful twist on the Girl Scout merit badges I earned as a young girl.

abc

This is an alphabet sampler I embroidered on linen. I found the pattern on Orange Flower's tutorial blog. It is about 8 x 11 inches. I was able to print the pattern onto my fabric with my computer printer. Orange Flower backed her piece and bound it with a contrasting fabric. I think I am going to frame mine, when I get around to it. Luckily, it looks nice the way it is, hanging on the wall of my work room.

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I'll be taking a little break for the rest of the week. We are on the beach. Hope everyone has a nice week.

XO Maribeth

more tiny shoes

I made a few more pairs of shoes like the ones here. I embroidered on these, which I think makes them quite sweet indeed. 

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The rain has given us a little reprieve this week (when I say little, I mean maybe just a severe, isolated thunderstorm or some occasional hail as opposed to constant steady downpours). I have been able to appreciate the gardens a bit, and get out and pick some berries. Here is some of what I saw today.

craft sale

I spent Saturday at the Little Red School House Craft Sale. You can see my table in the above photo. I was selling my dolls, bags, purses, zipper pouches, and baby quilts. I was pleased with how my table looked, including a vase of lilacs and bleeding heart that my daughter picked for me that morning. I enjoyed talking with folks about my work, and meeting some of the other crafters. Some of the experienced craft-show-crafters told me that they didn't feel that this show was well-attended. I was pleased to sell what I did, and have already had two folks email me to purchase some dolls. Making connections and getting your work out into the community can be a challenge, and I felt that this show helped me do that.

Here is a view of the embroidered "Lovely World Handmade" sign I made for the table. Next to it is a basket of my new business cards.

I'm looking ahead to other sale possibilities. The Berkshires is a busy place in the summer, with many tourists visiting the area for the art, theater, music, and dance festivals that occur here. There will certainly be opportunities to take advantage of.

fern

The fiddleheads are emerging from their winter slumber. Our local food co-op has them for sale, and there are plenty for the picking in the woods about the house. You can boil or steam them, then toss with olive oil or butter and salt and pepper to make a quick green for the eating. They are not a regular part of our diet, but my husband likes to tell about eating fiddleheads and other edible wild greens while low on food during his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. It's hard to believe that those greens gave him many calories to carry on with his hike, but there is a certain romance in imagining him foraging for his food.

I found this bright green, delicate fern growing along the shady side of the house. It inspired a small embroidery on some blue linen. This rectangle may become part of a handbag. I'm not sure yet.