Warmth

The room that holds our fireplace also has the largest and oldest window in our house. I am making a window panel to help hold in the warmth on the days we need it. When it is cold outside and the fire is lit we will move homework, dog bed, toys, work, play and whatever into this room. Today was very sunny and so I thought great to test fabrics in the light. This is a thrifted heavy canvas drop cloth and I love the texture and weight yet transparency of it. The center indigo panel was made in the wonderful springtime indigo workshop with Glennis Dolce. I like the way the sun shines through the four white squares even when overlaid on the canvas. Today this was held with rubber bands and straight pins. There is a lot of the construction to figure out.

I want to be able to roll up and secure like this on warmest sunny winter days.

The panel must include these beautiful sugar maple leaves that closely surround our house. I want to remember all of this yellow in this time of year we begin to move into this room.

be together

Thought a bit about how things might begin to fit together.

color journal :: october 2012

as leaves

It has been a pleasantly busy week. Not a lot of it involving needle and thread - but I dreamed up and laid out a few things in my head. It feels like a good start.

and this morning I saw Us - as leaves.

artifacts

I am one of many parents who have volunteered to teach local and state history to my son's 3rd grade class. The program is designed by our local museum and cultural center and the first lesson touches on artifacts. We will ask the kids questions like, "How do you know your own history and your family's history?" During the training session we talked about possible answers to this, like photographs and other family treasures - quilts, clothing and textiles were mentioned.

I would love for the things I make to be artifacts of our own family history. I have a small "to make" list that I hope to start working on soon. I want these handmade things to be silent but memorable parts of our moments within these rooms.  I want to construct them in a way that will last a long time. Some will have a seasonal purpose and may be put away and pulled out again when needed. I am thinking about all of this.

I found the needle, thread through the scrap of calendar in a box of sewing things that belonged to my grandma.

winged sumac and red

The weekend was beautiful and the leaves are starting to really show their color. Winged sumac - red!

You can see why they are so named. This one will enlarge with a click.

I had my red runner (last mentioned here) close by - to inspire some leaves in the stitching.

These are the last of the reds from the garden. Soon I will try making hot pepper jelly. It's time to bring everything in, there was honest to goodness frost this morning.

leaf love

We are walking with our eyes to the ground these days. The leaves are beautiful. I decided to just post this one - found by my youngest. A leaf within a leaf.

Have a beautiful weekend.

color journal :: September 2012

My September flowers in a quilt block. I am going to call this project "color journal" for now. I hope to make at least one block per month, but I can imagine there may be times I will be inspired by just one day.

Flower power inspiration. I can already see green wasn't represented very well in the block, but maybe I can make up for it in October - before the greens fade away. I was thinking wet soil with the dark brown. All of our rain has come in the fall and made the late season perennials very happy and green.

purple

The purple asters are beautiful this year.

I took a little bloom with me to match the colors for thread.

I think there will be more blooms.