March 18, 2024

St. Patrick's Day...

I planned to work on my mockingbird all day yesterday, but alas...the best laid plans...

Handsome is going to Florida today for the funeral of a dear friend of ours, so instead, there was prepping to do so he could pack, and I wanted to make a nice dinner for him before he left for restaurant food for the next week.

I decided on a traditional Irish dinner featuring a loaf of homemade Irish Soda Bread to accompany corned beef, cabbage, carrots and red potatoes. I placed everything into a large dutch oven and let it cook all afternoon. 

The bread was easier than most varieties I bake. This took about fifteen minutes to mix and forty five to bake. No rise time at all. Irish Soda bread is tasty, but not as flavorful as some of the others either, but it was a perfect side for the rest of our meal. I later had a small piece, toasted, with peanut butter. Yum!

So, today the plan is to sit down to my needlework frame and get in some needle dancing to start the mockingbird. Our second - and last - session is next Saturday, so I want to get up to speed for that class. I'll share what I accomplish today when I see you again tomorrow.

March 17, 2024

March 16, 2024

Class Day...

Today, I begin my morning with a Facebook live class that I'm teaching. At 10:30, I'll share the techniques for dyeing the plastic eggs we did last weekend. I'm looking forward to showing others how simple and fun this technique is.

This afternoon, I'm taking a new class with Clara of Clara Stitching. This class is the Northern Mockingbird Brooch. I pulled this image off her website so I could show you what we're learning. You know me...rather than complete it as a brooch, I'm going to finish this one the same way we did the Blue Tit - as a hanging ornament. That way, I can display it next to the other bird in my studio. 

You can see from Clara's drawing that this bird is waiting for its legs and feet, and then it will be beautifully finished.

I'm planning to just take notes today, but will begin the work on it soon. I have a few other important pieces in line ahead of it, and this will be a two-session course. The second session is next weekend, so I'll try to get something done before then.

It's going to be a busy day, and I still have final setup to get done before the class I'm teaching begins, so I'd better head to the studio. I hope you have something fun planned for this weekend! We can compare notes on Monday. Happy Weekend!