Finished Feather Hoops and A Guest...

Bluebird Feather Hoops

I finished finished the bluebird feathers yesterday and took pictures to share with you. I've done eight in all, and they'll be flying to new homes soon. The hoops each measure 3-1/2" in diameter.

Back of Bluebird Feather Hoops

Once they were completed, I backed each with muslin and rehooped them. Then, I gathered and secured them in the smaller part of the hoop to be sure they wouldn't loosen. I assembled the hoop and added ribbons and the bluebird verse from the Blackbird Designs selvage to each one.

Bluebird Feather Hoops Detail

Here's a closeup of one of the hoops to show you the verse, which I printed on vellum. I used enough thread to attach it that the recipient can have the option to either keep the verse in front or slide it around to the back. I'm quite happy with how they turned out!

Hickory Hill Farm Brown Creeper

Wednesday morning, I was making our bed when I heard a bird strike the window. One of the cats immediately jumped toward the pane hoping to "get it", but I quickly shooed her away from the window so I could see if the bird was okay.

What I saw was this little bird (I'd never seen one like it before), sitting on the window sill, obviously stunned and blinking. Once I made sure the cats were out of the room, I carefully opened the window, put my hands outside and picked up the wee thing. 

I stroked it and warmed it in my hand for at least ten minutes, letting it regain its senses, and it finally flew off. Then I went to my Facebook friends to see if anyone knew what kind of bird it was.

The response came quickly from one of my Portage friends. Linda P. told me it's called a Brown Creeper. They're small woodland songbirds native to Wisconsin. They have long tails that support them as the cling to the bark of trees in search of grubs and bugs that reside in the bark. Their long beaks help them reach in to extract tasty morsels for food.

While it was in my hand, I took photos from all angles to help me remember just what it looks like up close. You know that I'll be adding this one to my list of future bird embroideries! I'm telling you, holding it in my hand was like cradling a little miracle. I've never seen one before, but certainly will be looking for them in the future!

Four More Finished Feathers...

Well, technically, they're not finished until they're finished. I still have to put the backing muslin on them, cinch them into the hoop, attach the felt back, ribbons and verses. Then, they'll be finished.

It was dangerously cold outside yesterday, but sunny, so it was a perfect day to plop myself in front of my favorite window and stitch the day away.

Today, I'll be going back to work. We'll see how that goes. I'm feeling much better, and I'm not gasping for air when I walk around, so I think I'll be fine. Even so, I'm planning to come home, change into my sweats and share a meal with Handsome that my coworker Teresa prepared in the store before I bring it home. I don't want to work all day (my first day back), and then come home and make dinner, too!

It's good to have a plan. Don't you think? See you tomorrow. 

What I'm Working On...

Feather Ornaments

I'm making feather ornaments right now. I have a few more to do before they fly off to new homes. They can have cording attached to make ornaments, they can hang from hooks on the wall, sit on small easels, or whatever the recipient decides.

Once these are finished and mailed, I'm going to create a few new Something Blue Wedding Brooches, and then update my Etsy shop. I think it's time for a sale, don't you? I'm going to plan a big one for Valentine's Day. My goal is to sell out the current inventory, and then add a lot of new things after that. I'll be a little busy with that for a while, but you know I have to continue with my needlework! 

Oh, and I need a new word for the new year. I'll be contemplating something I can put into action right away. I'll debut my new word on New Years' Day. 

For now, I'm off to work, so I'll be back tomorrow with another update. 

Fluffing Feathers Again...

I'm working on the feathers, but only sharing a partially completed one today. I'll have all of them finished by Monday's post.

In addition to doing my needlework, I also made two loaves of bread which Handsome baked after it rose. I needed to take him to pick up his truck which had been at the dealership for two days because something prevented it from even starting, but I didn't want to leave the house with the oven going, so he took over where I left off once he got back home. I went on to work after I dropped him off. I was definitely multi-tasking all day.

Work went really well. We were insanely busy, and I was definitely flitting around until about the last half hour of my shift. It was great though, as the time flew by.

Handsome has a concert in town tomorrow, so he's helping set up at the venue this morning. I'll be working on feathers as soon as I take care of Bella and Carly. My binding fabric should be arriving today, which means that I'll be able to start the assembly process as soon as I finish stitching these corners. I'm going to try to do that this weekend, but with Handsome's concert in the middle of the day, I may not get to it until Monday. We'll just have to see.

Today marks two years since my younger sister, Lyn left us. I'll be checking in with her daughters and my remaining sisters today as we take extra care of each other as we continue to grieve her passing. I just couldn't close out today's post without recognizing the fact that we will always miss her terribly. I know she's rejoicing with our Savior, and knowing we'll be together again some day gives us all a measure of comfort. Our faith carries us when our hearts are hurting. I'll be back on Monday.

What Was Misplaced Is Found

Once again, I was problem solving in my sleep. The night I told you I couldn't locate the last piece of fabric that was part of the background for the bluebirds, I went to sleep thinking about where it might be. Two places came to me overnight.

I woke up yesterday and immediately went to the first place. I pulled out a drawer and moved the contents that were toward the front. There it was, safely tucked under one of my small notebooks. Waiting for me.

I smiled as I took it from the drawer, turned on my small iron, and pressed all the folds out of it. In no time, I had drawn outlines of the feather (two of them mirror image) four times, and by dinner time last night, I'd completed all my feathers. It doesn't bother me that they aren't all exactly the same, because they don't all match in nature either. 

The lines represent the two inch squares of fabric I'll need for the corner blocks when I begin cutting the coordinating fabrics to create the wall hanging. First, I have to press and square up the center blocks with the bluebirds. Then, I'll work out from there.

I may work on more of this today, but I have a few other household tasks begging for my attention. You'll have to come back tomorrow for an update!

Keeping Track...

Brynwood Needleworks - Nature Journal

 

I love watching and feeding the birds that visit the farm every day. I've taken photographs with my iPhone and my "real" camera, and I can sit in the kitchen chronicling their visits to the feeders for hours on end. I also sat on the floor in the dining room, watching raccoons, oppossums, and even stray cats during the winter.

Handsome said, "I'm surprised you don't keep a journal of all the different birds that stop in every day." It got me thinking. After our conversation, I made a side trip when I had to be in town. I picked up a nice, inexpensive journal notebook to do just that. It has nice paper inside, and a soft, suede-like cover on the outside.

 

I'm not an artist with pencil or pens, however, I'm going to make an attempt to sketch now and then. I'm also making note of daily temperatures, what's growing on the farm, and furry visitors, too.

I began mid-April, noting the first bluebird that arrived, and have even had to look up a few birds that I couldn't definitively identify. (That part's been really fun for me.) I noticed a darker version of the Baltimore Oriole, and now know that it's an Orchard Oriole. Likewise with little birds that I thought were common sparrows with redder heads. Well, those are actually Chipping Sparrows. I've also identified the larger White Crowned Sparrows. Can you tell I'm having fun?

I may also use the pages of the book to press flowers that grow wild here...the tiny violets that peek out of our lawn, and an as-yet-unidentified purple flower that spreads like wildfire around the compass barn. I'm thinking it may be a wild oregano (that's what it smells like when I mow), but I'm still working on a positive ID.

The gorgeous irridescent feather that you see in the picture is from a wild turkey. In the light, it actually changes color from the green you see to a reddish-brown. It's truly beautiful. I'll be adding this to the pages of my book, too, along with the bluejay and other feathers I've found near the feeders.

My book won't be like my blog posts with daily entries, but I will keep track of the milestones here at the farm that bring joy to my soul. I'm looking forward to filling the pages. 

Have you ever done anything like this? Can you draw? What do you write within the pages (just vaguely, not anything specific)? I'd love to know.

Fuel Stops, Rest Stops and Busy Hands...

They say "Idle hands are the devil's playground." Well, I can tell you there was no idleness around here Sunday! Handsome and I set our sights on parts North when we left home around 6 o'clock in the morning.

We packed our vehicle, and I made sure that my Blackberry and my knitting bag (in this case, renamed my crochet bag) were situated near me in the front seat. As soon as we were on our way, out came my hook and yarn and I started making granny squares. The Blackberry is handy so that I can read your comments when you leave them here. Thank you for making me smile every time I read them!

When we stopped at the first rest stop in Georgia, I had to take a couple of photos to share with you. The sign post was nearly unreadable, I understand, but don't you think it's weathered look gave it a fabulous patina? I think the flowering bushes were crepe myrtle. They had the sweetest smell and the color was vibrant. Just a simple way to rejuvenate ones senses while stretching the legs.

Handsome snagged my camera and got an "action" shot of me "hooking away", and I continued to add completed squares as we covered the miles. I did manage to sneak in a little nap, so I did take a bit of a break. Even so, when we got to our hotel room I counted my squares. Can you believe I've done thirty of them already? I was surprised. I still need to choose the color for the last round, but I'm going to do all these first and then do that last round on them later.

We had clear sailing most of the way, and fairly breezed into Georgia a mere 6 hours after leaving home. Other than a traffic jam (for apparently no good reason) just south of Atlanta, our day was uneventful.

The traffic jam really took a lot out of us, so we decided not to push for Chattanooga. We stopped just north of Atlanta in Kennesaw where we checked into a La Quinta. This hotel chain is perfect for us because they not only tolerate dogs - they welcome them. We were in a newly renovated room and Kes was happy to be there.

We brought our overnighters in, fed Kes, and then my boyfriend and I held hands as we walked to a local BBQ restaurant called Smokey Bones. It was the perfect end of the day for two weary travelers.

As we walked back to the hotel, I found scads of acorns along the sidewalk. I only picked up a few to show you (Handsome questioned my sanity, so I had to explain this "blog thing" again)...but my prize was the beautiful blue jay feather I found. I'm taking the jay feather home and will do something with it in my next art project.

We find that these road trips take a little longer these days. We used to do the drive to Wisconsin in two days - even when we each drove the trip alone. Now, even when we spell each other, it usually takes three days. No need to hurry, we say. "Enjoy the journey" is now our travel motto.

I'll update you later with my granny square count. I'm not sure what I'm going to make with them yet. Perhaps a lovely cotton cardigan. Perhaps a cozy afghan. Let me know if you have any other ideas for me. Handsome said he thought I'd made a "boatload" of coasters, but not in those exact words! He's such a funny guy.

Comments equals entries...100th Post drawing Friday, August 14, 2009!!! I promise tomorrow's post won't be so long!