Revisiting the Silk Road

I have a stash of silk sales samples, given to my by my darling niece.  She has this lovely friend that sees very high echelon furniture designers and sells he very beautiful fabrics.  And sometimes she offers my niece "last year's" samples.  And then I am given some wonderful fabric.  How I love these offerings.

These silk samples have  embroidery and applique on them.  I chose these fabrics to compliment the dark "Oriental" handle.  I lined the purse with cream colored raw silk and put two pockets made from a few embroidery pieces.  Because I used different pieces and colors, the sides are different. 

Silk has such a soft, compelling feel.  It is a pleasure and honor to sew with silk.  I have a clear understanding why it has been so fascinating all these many, many years.

Do I Have To Much Time On My Hands?

My charming, stylish cats..........It does amuse me to decorate these beauties.

My "Used To Be" Garden

 This is the reason I used to garden.  Then, about four or five years ago life intervened.  The shop required all my time and psychic energy just to keep it going.  Then I was able to sell and it took two years to unwind.  Also, since I hadn't sewn in so long, all I wanted to do was sew.  I had this built up this desire to sit at my machine and sew.
Now, I still want to sew but I must recover my garden.  I looked at it about three weeks ago and I could not find any beauty and it was then I knew I had to reclaim it.  I tried to find someone to weed but a willing weeder is like hen's teeth.  I know, I don't like to weed and to hire is incredibly expensive and maybe a mutilation of the spirit of the garden.  I did receive a quote for $800.00 and I thought of all the lovely things I could do with $800.00 and decided I had to buckle under and do it myself.

 It really hasn't been so bad.  I do about two hours a day.  I don't pitch my self into doing more than I can clean up.  That, for me is a major deal.  Do and then clean up.  Then I can see what I uncover.  It is amazing what is there.  I know that I also have a statue of Buddha and a Magical Chinese Guard Dog.  I will find both when the time is right.

It really is calming setting the garden back to its former beauty.


This is what I have been doing.   And the final picture is what every garden needs...............
This is TomCat.  He is wild but is beginning to realize that free food is a good thing.