The General Advances With Good News...

Day Two of my French General quilt...
When I showed it to Handsome, he really liked it!

Another cool thing is that, when I'm finished, I'll
still have enough fabric left for another project or two.

I just saw that Brynwood has 400 followers.
I can't tell you how much this means to me.
So, you know what that means for you, right?
A Four Hundredth Follower Giveaway!!!

I'm going to draw a name to win a Strawberry Rose tonight
for the Where Bloggers Create II studio hop. If you haven't
entered that drawing yet,click here to enter.
The drawing will close at midnight tonight.

I'll announce the winner in my post tomorrow.
After I announce the winner of that giveaway, I'll
show you what I'll be offering to celebrate my newest milestone.
I hope you'll come back to visit and enter.

Happy Father's Day...

Bryn's first litter. Bannor is the darkest puppy in the middle.
I hope you get to spend the day celebrating a special father in your life.
I'll share my day with Handsome,
grateful for our two sons and their families.
I'll also call Dad Burt later today to send him a long distance hug.

If you haven't toured Brynwood studio yet,
you're invited to take a peek in the previous post.
Don't forget to click on the image of the sleeping squirrel
to see my entire Flickr album with LOTS of photos.
Be sure to enter my drawing while you're there, too!

Happy Father's Day!

Brynwood Joins Where Bloggers Create II...

Welcome One and All!

We've been waiting for your visit.
(You can click on each of the images to enlarge them.)Kes is really glad to see you today!

She's been so excited at the prospect of helping me
welcome you to our studio as we celebrate
Where Bloggers Create II,
hosted by the beautiful and talented
Karen Valentine of My Desert Cottage.

Kes would like you to notice the brand, new track lighting system
added to the studio recently. No more working by lamplight!

You can't miss my wall of fabric when you walk through the studio door, and on clear days, I have lots of natural light spilling into my space. Now, I have plenty of light, even on days when the sun was hidden behind rain clouds.

If you look to the left as you enter the studio door, you'll find an entire wall of deep cabinets, which are stuffed with fabric, trims, and other paraphernalia. (You can click on the link at the end of my tour to find more photos and see what's inside the cabinets.)

At the end of the cabinets, I've hung sweet, vintage, baby dresses.

This is the left wall of the studio. More storage, a long shelf to display treasured pincushions and other items, pattern and thread cabinets, and my Babylock machines, now dressed in their new party finery. (I've made new covers for each of my machines to protect them from dust and light, and so they have something pretty to wear when they're not in use.)

A favorite mirror, mounted above the pattern cabinet, bounces additional light around the room and holds court above other treasures...acorns sent from around the country by my blog friends; assorted white buttons; and pincushions made by two beautiful and talented blog friends, Dawn Edmonds and Shell May. Don't miss the tiny birds sitting on top of the mirror, too! I've added little touches like the birds - reflecting my love of the outdoors - to fuel my creative muse.

In keeping with my Brynwood acorns theme, I commissioned Michelle Palmer to create these beautiful ink-on-fabric images. I then designed and created my wall organizer, so that favorite scissors and other tools would be displayed and then, close at hand when I'm sewing.

In this corner, you'll find my Espire sewing machine, nicknamed "Prissy", my iPod music dock, vintage lace and trims on display (on cardboard tubes covered with thin batting, which I mounted on tension rods used for cafe curtains), and above that, my inspiration board.

As you can see, I have an assortment of wonderful and beautiful gifts from some of my inspiring blog friends. Photographs, ornaments, tags, keyrings and charms, all given and accepted with great affection.

I'm blessed with a wonderful view of our back yard, through my beautiful windows. My chair faces my Ellisimo sewing/embroidery machine (nicknamed "Miss Ellie") and right in front of the window is my Evolve serger (yup, I've nicknamed this one, too! You can call her "Evvie"!).

 "Ikea Varde kitchen counter" with larger purchased countertop

My Ikea (Varde kitchen counter) work table, with a custom made formica top. I needed the extra work space, so I had it fabricated at our local Home Depot. It's the perfect height for when I'm standing, and the size accommodates cutting out garments and larger projects. I also have room for a few trinkets.

This is where all my creative dreams are conceived and fulfilled. My life is joyful and blessed with the love of my husband and family, but the joy has been augmented ten-fold since I became of member of this blogging community.

I am so grateful for the new friendships that have been forged in the past year and a half...all because I chose to share my creative endeavors in this wonderful online world.

Thank you for visiting Brynwood Needleworks. If you'd like to see A LOT MORE studio images, please click on the last photograph (my little, sleeping squirrel) to go to my studio Flickr album. Be sure to read the captions I've written for each photo.

I hope you'll also look at my photo galleries and the Brynwood Boutique to see some of my creations.

Leave a comment on this post and you'll automatically be entered into a drawing for one of my Strawberry Roses (similar to the one above). All are handmade by me, so no two are exactly alike. I'll choose a winner through Random.org on July 1st. Good luck!

UPDATE: July 1st Midnight...The Drawing Is Closed
Thanks everyone!
Click here to enter my 400th Follower Giveaway
until July 10th, 2010.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Don't forget to say hello to the other participants of
Where Bloggers Create II.
Thanks again, Karen, for being such a great hostess!!

Acorns And Roses...

I received a package in the mail yesterday. I hope the giver
doesn't mind that I'm sharing it with you today.
Christina Jackson of iCandy sent me this wonderful surprise!
I was speechless when I opened her package to find...
ACORN EARRINGS!!
Aren't they stunning? I sure think so! She also included
some beautiful laces for me to use in future projects.

You already know that I've been playing around with
French silk ribbons, but this is a new project I did yesterday.
All you need is ribbon, ground fabric for the roses, stranded
cotton (floss), wool or cotton trim fabric for leaves, and needles.

I stitched my design, sewed the piece into a cone shape and
then ran a basting stitch around the top of the cone.
I filled the cone with batting and then, once it was full, I
pulled the thread tight...and then stuffed it with more batting!

Cut some green felted wool to look like opposing leaves, sew
them over the top where you gathered the fabric. I used a
blanket stitch to secure the leaves. There you have it!
My very first Strawberry Rose.

I'm really happy with the way it turned out.
This one was stuffed with wool, but I think I may
add lavender buds to my next one.

I love the teeny tiny blossoms and the strawberry shape.
A sweet, little work of art to share with my friends.

Looks nice with my new earrings, don't you think?
I'm going to make another that doesn't have the few "little
issues" that always come from a first attempt at something new,
and then I'm going to put the next one in the mail for Christina.

Oh, by the way...This isn't the project I gave you hints for a
couple of days ago. That's something completely different, and
you'll have to wait a bit longer to see that piece. It's a surprise!

P.S. Don't forget tomorrow is the Where Women Create II studio tour! I hope you'll come back to see how I changed up my creative space for this year's event. Plan to spend a little while on the internet. There are a lot of bloggers participating this year, and you'll want to visit them all!

Bamboo Sweater Progress...

I spent Sunday working on my studio decor in anticipation of Where Bloggers Create II, so I have no photos of the quilt to show you today. However, when the studio project was finished, I just didn't have the concentration to work on the quilt. Instead, I decided I'd better get back to knitting on my Bamboo Sweater if I want to be able to wear it in Wisconsin when I travel to my cousin's wedding the end of this month.

I'll be back to sewing on the quilt today, so I promise to show you what my quilt top looks like in Tuesday's post.

Thanks to everyone for leaving messages for Kes. She really enjoyed reading what everyone had to say, and made a point of showing me how popular she was. She was so darn cute, I just didn't have the heart to holler at her. But I did make her do some recycling to teach her a lesson! (One of these days, I'll photograph her hard at work on keeping us "greener". I think you'll really get a kick out of it.)

Mirror, Mirror...

Ohhhhh, this gal was busy yesterday.
I took down everything that had been on the walls in my studio.
There was nail pulling, spackling in abundance
and painting hither and yon.
Now, I'm ready to start the redecorating!

This is a peek at another element for my studio.
Don't you love the vines and animals?
I've had this beauty in the back of a closet for years,
saving it for just the right place in our home.

I'm so anxious to show you my studio makeover,
but there's still much to do
and
Where Bloggers Create II
isn't until June 19th.
Guess we'll all just have to wait. (sigh)
Are you getting curious yet?

"D" For Donna...

The duppioni fabric for the bonnet didn't arrive in the mail yesterday,

so I decided to tackle another project that I've been contemplating.

I recently purchased this rolling office chair for the studio.
I decided it's much easier to roll from machine to machine,
rather than get up, scooch my bentwood chair into position, and
then sit down again (although I admit, it's probably
better exercise!). But, really...isn't this an u.g.l.y. chair?

You know I'm preparing for the Where Bloggers Create II Party?
I needed to do something to make it "Brynwood-worthy".

Miss Ellie and I started by embroidering the letter "D" in a soft green
thread on some of my favorite fabric, which I'm sure you'll recognize.

Then, after careful measurements, marking with pins, cutting and
re-pinning, then sewing, I assembled the new slipcover for the chair back
and a separate cover for the seat. My thinking was to finish off the chair
with a short ruffle, but those legs look out of place, don't you think?
Me, too.
So, I got out the ruffler attachment for Miss Ellie and made
a long skirt for the chair, pinned and sewed it to the seat cover, and...

VOILA!
A chair more suited to a studio/sewing room/creative space
for
Brynwood Needleworks.
A day well-spent.
How was your day today?

Decisions, Decisions...

Whether 'tis better to change the wall colors...

...remove all my wall decor and start over...
or empty the room and start over.

I did empty my shelves and reassessed
everything that was filling them.
I removed the yarns and
put them into bins in the closet.

Now, the things I use most are
most accessible when I'm at my worktable.
Novel idea, right?

I only have until June 19th for the
Where Bloggers Create party.
So much to do...
So little time!

Decisions, decisions!

Getting Squirrely In The Studio...

I recently commissioned artist, Michelle Palmer, to create
an entire woodland series for Brynwood Needleworks. I
asked her for acorns, oak leaves...and squirrels.
The only thing I specifically suggested was the
little squirrel sleeping curled up in its sweet, bushy tail.
Now, be honest. Aren't they positively fabulous?!!

I'm cleaning and redecorating the studio in anticipation
of this year's Where Bloggers Create II blogging party.
These woodland drawings are part of a new piece
that I'm creating just to hang in my studio.

Come back tomorrow and I'll share all the details
of the Where Bloggers Create II party with you.