Bird on a Wire

This is Timothy.  I don't know his real name because he speaks so quietly that, for me, it is hard to understand what he tells me.  But still I listen and nod my head.
Every afternoon he is near my house.  Sometimes he sits on the telephone wire that I can see from my studio.  Sometimes he sits in the tree and yes, sometimes he sits on the Cyclone fence.  He sits for about five minutes.  I think that he is catching his breath.  Or maybe he is enjoying the end of the day.
I once had a discussion with someone about Hummingbirds.  I said that a Hummingbird came to visit me in the afternoons.  Of course, this is hard to prove.  But her response was that Hummingbirds did not rest.  They flew and flew around looking for delicate, red flowers to "sup" from.  This is why I took this picture.  I have immortalized the resting of a Hummingbird.
And I am rather glad that it is Timothy!

The Preppy Pajamas for a Great Boy

 These are "cozy" pajamas for my grandson, Hollis.  They are made of fleece, which is really easy to sew.  But I wanted to use the elasticize ribbing for the cuffs and neckline.  Therein lies the problem.  I had no experience in using this ribbing and it was experiment the whole way.  I think that the colors are very preppy but since they have cats and cat hair, the camel color is a good choice.

This is why when I photograph my work, I should close the door and keep the cats out.

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.

My Copy Cat Outfit

It has been one of those days when everything (and I mean everything) goes just a smidgen off.  I wanted to show the skirt and top that I had purchased at FIDM a couple of weeks ago.  But I couldn't rotate the photo for the top, so please just imagine the adult version. It was a tube top with allowances for the breast.

The Scholarship store had a rack outside and on the rack were items that were imperfect at two (2) for a dollar.  Being a person that  has a very hard time passing up a bargin I stopped.  There were about 15 skirts that looked just like the one above but much, much longer and the top was (I think) a cutoff dress.  The bottom of the green tube top was just whacked off with big scissors.  The top of the skirt was gathered with elastic.  Just like the tube top.  I really like the color combination, so I purchased it with the intention of making my granddaughter Lucy a Anthropologie look alike.  I thought that would only be an afternoon of work.

The top had to be completer dis-assembled.  I could not cut the fabric because I needed all the pieces to reassemble in the mode that provided her with capped sleeves.  I always enjoy climbing mountains and it took about three days to finish.

I hope that she will enjoy all the colors.

Oh, by the way I had help from Chester.  I couldn't persuade him to go away!

Homage to Georgia O'Keefe

My First Successful Amaryllis.   Happy Valentine's Day.