Smelling great!

WOW does the studio smell fantastic! If you don't like the smell of lavender, don't come over. I just got a new shipment of amazingly fresh organic Washington lavender buds; it's truly astounding how fragrant they are.

Here's a quick shot of a large order that went out recently....

And, I seem to be on a bird binge.

I've been watching them come to the bird bath, which is now frozen every morning. As it thaws, little visitors show up for a drink and perhaps a short bath. They must know that the mountains are getting slammed with snow, and soon enough, the white stuff will be here too.

I've been drawn to red tones, as the fall ends here in Montana. Not much can compete with the brilliant red of a Cardinal in snow, but the logwood dyed red silk I use comes pretty close, don't you think?

The Robin on the right uses the same ruby red silk, and being the early bird that it is, has nabbed a ball of tweedy cotton yarn- naturally dyed by the talent Andie at Renaissance Dyeing, in France. There is a link to her site on the right of this page. These sachets, and more, are available in my etsy shop(again, see right for the link).

Back from the Summer

Well, it's been some time. No excuses, except it WAS summer, and I was keeping busy.

I had an interesting project, one I never thought I'd make. Actually, I never even thought about making one til I got a phone call. Many of us might have a need for one, living in old houses, with old interiors, and still, it had never crossed my mind. Ok, I'll say it.

A FLAT SCREEN TV COVER

Do you have one? Well, someone in my state does! Here are a few shots. I wish I could show it to you in situ, but the owner doesn't live nearby. If he ever sends me a photo, I'll post it here.

Sorry, not the greatest shot, but I had a hard time getting the entire piece. It's 70" wide. Yup, a big boy. Here's some details.

The cover is entirely lined with a high count muslin, to avoid static. You can see that in the photo on the right. Anyway, making something for the first time is always fun, and sometimes challenging.

ETSY SHOP SALE

Visit the Thistle Handwerks Etsy shop for a SALE on anything with PURPLE or BLUE. Sale ends July 31st.

My gardens are overflowing with Penstemon, Clematis, Wisteria, Veronica, Allium, Pansies, and more- in every hue of purple/blue you can imagine. I just love it!

Montana Association of Weavers and Spinners Conference

Is where you'll find me, beginning this evening, through Sunday!
I'll be a vendor there, with my small but wonderfully fragrant sachets for stash protection.

There's alot of events, workshops, classes. As a fiber freak, I'm thrilled to be taking two classes after the market is over, from Jane Fournier.

If you're in the area, stop by- the market is open to the public.
More info at www.mawsonline.org/Conference.html

Roses for Springtime!

In my studio, there is a bank of 2 large windows that look out into the gardens. Watching the yard this time of year is so exciting, after spending the winter staring at white and brown. All I want to do is embroider with bright colors, and since that isn't what just everyone wants, my little sachet project gives me the chance to go WILD. Well, sort of.

Of course, there aren't any roses blooming in my garden yet(I'm just starting to see live stems and buds)- but I can dream, can't I? I'm a patient person, I can wait. These brilliantly colored Glasgow-esque satin stitch roses will probably go into the Etsy shop soon.

Merging Hearts

are on the next sachet design I'm listing in the Etsy shop. If you don't like the smell of lavender, you can always order one without it- and fill the mini-pillow with the fragrance of your choice!