Brynwood Nantucket Table Runner - Front

Time to share my completed table runner. I'm happy with how If turned out. It finished at 16" wide x 64" long.

Brynwood Nantucket Table Runner - Reverse

I was such a smarty pants that I thought I didn't need to read all the pattern instructions. I was wrong. By the time I figured it out, I had two completed blocks that were wrong. Note that there was no green or black anywhere on these blocks.

I started frogging my stitches, but ended up thinking I can cut and resew faster, so I set those blocks aside and recut the lighter colored fabrics. In no time I had all the blocks sewn for the front, and would have chosen a whole cloth backing...until MA (Magpie Mumblings) suggested I make the runner reversible.

I grabbed the blocks I'd set aside, made two more, and sewed them together for the back. Once I added the batting, I quilted the front, batting, and back together  I added the binding, and by 11pm Thursday night, I placed the last stitch in the binding to complete my table runner.

It appears schedules prohibit us getting together with the Birthday Girl, so I've boxed it up and will mail it off.

Today is Craft Day, so I'm in Portage this morning. I have no idea what we're making today, but I'll have photos to share on Monday. Gotta run. See you later!

Take The Day Off...

I finished my table runner yesterday, but my last stitch was placed at 11 pm, so I decided to wait until daylight to take photos. I'll do that this morning, and promise to share them with you tomorrow.

Nantucket Table Runner Top...

Nantucket Table Runner Top

I completed the top for the table runner I'm making as a gift. There are two more blocks just like these that make up the entire top. Each block is 16" square, for a length of 64", which will be perfect for their large table.

I'll finish the putting it together today. I'm going to use black for the binding, but I'll decide what will be on the back side when I do the assembly.

I'm going to get it quilted today, too, so it will be ready to wrap and gift. I hope she likes it!

 

Table Runner Fabrics...

Nantucket Table Runner

I finally decided my direction for the birthday gift I'm making for our daughter-in-law. We traveled to Nantucket as a family years ago, and she was always taken with the island. She has whale decor all over their home, so as I hung out in my fabric room trying to choose fabrics, this whale fabric got my attention.

Once I pulled that fabric, the other fabrics fell in line as they were perfect coordinates. I also have a canvas in classic Nantucket Red, and I'm debating whether or not to make that the backing. I'm still mulling that over.

Cutting and sewing begins today, and I'll share photos tomorrow. I may make a second one for my shop, too  we shall see. 

I'll be adding more items to my shop this week, too. More fibers and books, and perhaps a kit or two. Be sure to check back the end of the week for new listings.

 

Nantucket Red...

Brynwood Needleworks - Brynwood "ACK" Clutch and Accessories

I've completed another addition to my Brynwood Exclusive clutch wallets. This one is called "ACK", which is the airport designation for Nantucket Island.

I've chosen a fabulous Nantucket Red canvas for this set, and digitized my own design for the outline of the island for the exterior flap. I embroidered "ACK" on the key fob to finish the set.

Brynwood Needleworks - Brynwood "ACK" Clutch Interior

 

Of course, there had to be whales on the inside! How could I not choose this fabric with Nantucket's rich whaling heritage?

I've already listed this wallet on my website and in my Etsy shop (HERE & HERE), in case you'd like to see more photos of it. I love how it turned out! This one will have a matching handbag and Retreat Bag available (very soon), too.

Miss Destiny is in the shop for the weekend. She's nearly a year old and, because I use her every day, she was due for a spa day. Kenny's going to step in for her over the weekend, so I can keep busy.

Trying To Decide...

I've shown you this armoire before. I used it as a display piece

in my Wisconsin needlework shop so many years ago. Another

time...Another place. It was useful and served its purpose there,

but it doesn't go with any much of our furniture now in Florida.

With the exception of pieces of antique oak furniture that are better

suited to my "too small" studio, it's otherwise an orphan. But, here's the

deal. I just can't bring myself to part with it yet. I've photographed it

multiple times with the idea that I'd sell it, and then set that plan aside.

See? I've taken photos of the outside and inside of it. It's all cleaned

up and standing, pretty-as-you-please on the covered part of our lanai.

So, I started to think about how I could "populate" it for where it's

  situated right now...until I can come to terms with

where, what, how and when I might do something different with it.

So, for now at least, I've placed some of our Nantucket baskets,

seashells and special pottery pieces inside. Then I topped it with

lots of hydrangea blooms to continue that "island theme" (even if

it's Nantucket Island - one of our favorite family places to visit!). 

Do you like what I've done? I'm still working on the rest of the lanai

arrangement, but I think I'm off to a nice start. I'm looking for a new

 seating set, and that might take a while to find. What we have is fine

for now though, and it's really time for me to get back to the studio.

I do get side-tracked sometimes. You, too?

I Can't Believe I Missed This...

There was a fabulous needlework exhibit at the Nantucket Whaling Museum while we were on the island...and I can't believe I missed it!!!

During a conversation with one of the local artists, Peggy Silverstein (at one of the celebratory parties) I intimated that I was a needleworker. That party was the last evening of our stay on the island.
Peggy said, "Gee. I wish I'd known that about you the first night we met. I would have told you about the Boardman exhibit at the Whaling Museum." She then took out her iPhone, found the Museum site and held up a needlework image that took my breath away.
The exhibit is entitled, "Sometimes Think of Me: Notable Nantucket Women Through The Centuries" by Susan Boardman. Ms. Boardman is a full-time resident of Nantucket and is thoroughly immersed in textile art. Her recurring themes are women, family and home, as they relate to Nantucket and its rich whaling heritage.
As soon as I got back home, I went to Susan Boardman's website, and then over to the Nantucket Whaling Museum's site. I looked at their information on the exhibit, knowing that they would have a catalog of all of the items in the show.

I wasn't disappointed. I purchased the 150 page book about Susan Boardman's embroidered narratives, overflowing with images of her incredible needlework and biographies of the subjects she stitches. The book costs $35 and is worth every single cent. Of course, the other images I'm sharing with you are notecards that I also couldn't resist.

If you get a chance to see any of the Boardman needlework pieces, don't miss them. Her work is really impeccable and beyond description. These are all truly works of heart. Of course, you can use the links I've shared to purchase your own copy of "Sometimes Think of Me". You won't be sorry, I promise.

I hope you like my nod to all the beautiful, white pumpkins I've seen around Blogland. I've changed my Brynwood header for the season. Happy Fall Y'all!

One Down, One To Go...

I finished the "Nantucket" quilt by 1:30 yesterday afternoon. By 2:00, I had delivered it to Kathy at Sandy's Quilt Shop for the long-arm quilting portion of the job. I beat my deadline by a week!
One down, one to go.
I drove back home and started cutting the fabrics for the queen size quilt that's next up. I'm going to call it "Lavender Dreams". This one has to be at the shop by the second week in November, but I'm going to try to finish it by late next week. You know I'll let you know how I'm doing!

Cutting and sewing today...LOTS of half-square triangles. (You're going to love this pattern!) If I can keep Miss Snoopy Pants from sneaking a peek, I'll give you snapshots of my progress. (Just in case, I'll put them into my Flickr album for "What I'm Sewing Now". The link is in my right sidebar near the bottom. She'll never look there!)

The Chorale rehearses with the Concert Band this evening, so I'll be singing while Handsome plays in the percussion section. I'm really looking forward to it!

I hope you have a happy and creative day, too, my friends.

Blue Is The Color Of Thanks...

How do you say "thank you" to someone who has everything? Well, you know one of the ways I say thanks is to make a gift from my hands.

Our hostess on Nantucket likes the color blue. (I could tell from her decor.) I went into my groovy stash and found a roll of the most perfect batiks in a cool line called "Glacier Ice". I immediately knew that these are the fabrics I'd be using. So, I guess that, at least in this case, blue is the color of thanks!
I just found a great line of rulers, too. They're from a company called Creative Grids. They're non-slip and come in different configurations to create different blocks. The ruler I'm going to use is the 45º Double Strip Ruler. It will create the block I point out in the photo above, simply starting with two 2 1/2" jelly roll strips sewn together.

I'll be taking photographs of the process to share with you when I start on it today, so you can see how the rulers work. I'll also share my progress on this quilt as I create it.

This one will be a large lap quilt, and I'll have my friend, Kathy, do the finish quilting on her long-arm machine. Hope you'll want to follow along. I'm putting this in the line-up ahead of the Christmas projects I've got scheduled for this year. Lots to do between now and December 10th (my self-imposed deadline), and a time table to follow (of course!), so there's no time to waste.

Be sure to let me know if you have any questions. I'll answer them on the same post where your question appears, and then everyone will be able to read my replies.

A Cottage On Nantucket...

I just had to share a few images of the beautiful cottage we stayed in while we were on Nantucket. My brother-in-law and his new wife had contacted all of their friends, who graciously opened up their homes and guest cottages (free of charge) to all of us coming to the island for the wedding.

Don't you just love the little stone birdbath tucked under one of the trees in the garden? I think I might try to find something like this for our yard at home. I really liked it.
Our cottage is owned by another artist on the island and is located behind the owner's home. It's set on a little hill behind the main house's backyard, and has a lovely little stone path leading to its front door.
This is a view across the front yard of the cottage...featuring a checkerboard patio with the perfect spot to sit and enjoy a morning cup of coffee.Don't you love the lichen and age on the bench under the pergola? I don't think I'd sit there, but it was lovely to look at.
This is the view of the owner's home from the front door of the cottage. It's quite a large house, and typical of Nantucket homes, is directly on the street with no front yard. There is only a narrow brick sidewalk and a granite curb between the house and the actual roadway.And this is the sweet garden growing in the yard between the house and the cottage. You can just catch a glimpse of the gate which leads to the street from the upper yard and guest house.
When we opened the front door, this was what greeted us. A warm, friendly and thoroughly quaint interior. Hardwood floors, and all the amenities one would want in a full-time home, let alone a guest cottage! Behind those wooden doors at the end of the dining room is a laundry room, and just look at the old cabinet on the left that was built into the wall for storage!
Wicker furniture and a day bed cum sofa all sitting on a gorgeous, old rug make for a comfortable place to sit and visit, or read a book. We did both! Just behind the little blue bench is the staircase leading to the bath and two bedrooms. There was easily sleeping space for six upstairs, with a twin trundle bed and two queen size beds...all spindle beds and veeerryy nice for sleeping.

We couldn't have asked for a more restful and commodious place to stay while on the island. I hope you enjoyed seeing just a bit of what we were able to enjoy while we were there.

Dinny - if you read this post, Thanks again for your generosity and hospitality. Words cannot express our gratitude for you opening your home and cottage to us for the time we were visiting.

A Great Day For A Wedding...

Sherre, walking down the path with her two nephews.

Handsome's brother married his sweetheart, Sherre, on Saturday. They were wed on Nantucket Island, MA at the beautiful Pumpkin Pond Farm. The weather threatened and it was a bit chilly, but the sun shone on the Liljegrens as Bruce and Sherre were pronounced husband and wife.

l-r: Eric (our "Wild Hogs" friend); Bruce, Sherre and Handsome

Handsome added to his resume' when he was given the honor of being the officiant for the nuptials - and was duly authorized by the State of Massachusetts - so we're certain the new couple is "legal".
Here's our latest family photo, only missing our elder son, his wife and our grandson. They were missed, to be sure.After the ceremony, all the guests retired to a large greenhouse, decorated for the reception. Handsome sat down at the drum kit and backed a fabulous group of musicians playing jazz music. He had a ball - and of course, I was tickled to watch him perform in yet another venue.
There were also famous people in our midst. In addition to my new sister-in-law, who is an accomplished artist (click here), noted author Nathaniel Philbrick (click here) attended with his wife...
Actor John Shea (click here) and his wife, Melissa are good friends of our family. (You might remember him as Lex Luthor in Superman, or from his appearances in any number of Law and Order episodes.)...
And every needle worker's heroine, Erika Wilson (click here) attended with her equally famous husband, Vladimir Kagan (click here). Erika was so gracious. We shared a long conversation about needlework, her family and our shared experiences with needlework markets, and then we had our photo taken together.

It was wonderful to spend the weekend with family and friends, and to experience a little fall weather this year, but I'm happy to be back home with Handsome, Kes and Fezzy...and our warmer Florida temperatures. Oh yes, I can't wait to get back into the studio either. I've got lots of ideas swimming around, and it's time to get started on those holiday gift projects!

Let Love Be Your Guide...

I did this needlepoint piece a few years ago. It was a Claire Murray kit. I just love her designs! It was a fun piece to stitch, and I even did the hair on the angel in auburn French knots. (Our younger son's hair is red!) The design area measures 14" square, so it's not a small piece.

Claire has a home and shop on Nantucket. You can see the Nantucket influence in her work. She loves hydrangeas and whales, and those quaint, rose-covered cottages. I've been to her shop and I really love the hardwood floors, her hand-hooked rugs, bedding, tableware and all of her designs all around the space. Who wouldn't?

I've never done anything with my finished piece because I couldn't decide if it should be framed, made into a cushion or if I should do something else with it. (I have to admit that I hesitated to make it into a cushion. Black wool background. Yellow Labrador hair. See my dilemma?) So hard to decide. What do you think I should do with it? (Disregard the yellow dog fur issue.) I really value your opinion.

PS. It turns out that I have twenty ATCs to make and it's taking a little longer than I thought. I'll write a post about the finished cards just as soon as they're done (this week, I promise!). Again, my sincere thanks to each of you who requested one. I'm honored, and this is truly a labor of love for me.

March Silver Sunday...

Welcome to another Silver Sunday, hosted by Beth at Gypsy Fish Journal. I want to share my sweet silver Nantucket Basket dish, along with my set of silver Nantucket Basket napkin rings.

Reminiscent of October days spent with loved ones on an island rich in history and quaintness. These silver pieces remind me of Candle House, The Wharf, Felicite', a family wedding, a family vacation, beef stew prepared by the Liljegren women for our men returning from a day of fishing on the cold sea. Unlike the women of old Nantucket, we awaited their return from the warmth of the kitchen, rather than the windy, widow's walk at the top of the house.

Make a cup of tea, relax and then click here to go to Gypsy Fish Journal and her list of Silver Sunday participants. We only gather once a month now, and personally, I can't wait to see the other silver goodness on display today!

Alright. I've heard you teasing for another peek at my party preparations. I always try to oblige, so here you go. One more quick peek. (Well, actually, you can click on the image and get a really good gander!)

I'm setting the table for tomorrow's party. (For those of you who don't know yet...March 15th is Brynwood's First Birthday Celebration. It's going to be an Alice In Wonderland theme!) You're all invited to join me tomorrow! Grab your fancy hat and I'll bring the rest! Don't you just love a party? I can hardly wait.