Her Felted Garden

Mom became a felting fool week before last. She was a spinning fool last week, but that's another post.
She's using a mix of natural corriedale wool along with merino wool and silk hand dyed by Aunt Carin.

Mom has always been inspired by nature in her art and I think these are a fine example of that inspiration. I'm excited to say that she will be teaching a class on wet felting flower wall hangings, place mats and coasters! If you're local you can find more info on the class here.



This last one is my favorite! I just love the color palette!

In other news.... we all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mom and most of the fam were up in Downieville at the cabin while Chris and I stayed home and opted for a quieter holiday at our new house! (I know, I still owe you pictures!) I cooked dinner for Chris and his parents and his grandmother. It was a lot of fun! I cooked a "Chris approved" meal - that means no flour, no sugar, no dairy along with a list of various other fruits, nuts, and vegetables. I took the challenge willingly and I must say, dinner was fantastic! You never would have known that I had such criteria! ..... not to toot my own horn. I was just pleased that he didn't have to break any rules AND was able to enjoy a tasty holiday meal. How was your Thanksgiving?

We had a fantastic time at The Mountain Mandarin Festival! It was very well attended and we passed out SO MANY class schedules and flyers! We're already seeing the results of the advertising. Gary Gilligan and company - you put on a great Festival!

The Mandarin Festival Clown

Mom has been slaving away at a costume for the Mandarin Festival Clown and it is adorable! I never thought I'd say that about a clown costume!


And there's a hat! It's not done yet though - I'll have a picture later.

Outside of my box

So for the last two years Chris and I have been invited to teach at a swing dance camp in the Mendocino Woodlands called "Camp Swing" and both years it has been an absolute blast! We have met some of the nicest swing dancers (and swing dancers are already notoriously NICE), we've met great instructors, there's good food and it's just an overall great experience. And.....it is camp tradition that all of the girl instructors perform in the variety show each year and there really isn't an option. The girl instructors at the camp perform in the variety show. So I smile and nod, learn the choreography and do my best to put together a costume which it seems tend to involve very little clothing. And both years they have successfully pulled me outside of my fairly small box.


That's all for now. I'm still working on pictures of the house.

Brazilian Embroidery

Oh my gosh! I had never seen Brazilian Embroidery before! Isn't this gorgeous? We are so excited to have Beth Kauffman, an absolutely darling lady, come and teach a free class in this technique. She called us weeks ago and said that she wanted to give back to community that had given her so much and that she wanted to volunteer her time teaching lessons! How wonderful is that? Visit www.thetinthimble.com/lessons.html if you're interested in taking the class - all of the details are there.


I haven't forgotten my promise of pictures! I'll get there, I promise! :-)

Craziness & a NEW HOUSE!

I can't believe how old that last post is!  I was on such a roll blogging every day and then insanity set in!  I have so many things to share but Chris and I are headed to Mendocino tomorrow morning and I have to go pack.  So I will share pictures of the new house that we're moving into and pictures from the dance camp in Mendo and hopefully the vacation in Mendo following the camp.  See you soon!

The Alice Top

We finally finished the pattern for Hannah's "Alice Top". The pattern is for stretch fabrics only and it's so simple to sew and easy to wear too! I already have two in my closet. The one pictured here is made from bamboo knit and is oh so soft and flattering!

The pattern is available for sale here.

More bundles of scrappy happiness!

Oh! I had so much fun today putting together bundles of vintage and antique linens and handkerchiefs that have been piling themselves up in our storage. These pieces are absolutely gorgeous and I am so excited to see what everyone is going to do with them!




These are so beautiful - I'm glad that they've already been cut into or I could never do it! Have you ever used old linens in your projects? What have you used them for?