cloth.paper.string

scandinavian thrift

There's no escaping the Scandinavian influence in this part of the world.  If you listen to Garrison Keillor, you know exactly what I mean.
Yesterday, on my three minute run into the thrift store, I found this huge canvas bag.  When I saw the gnome I knew that the bag would be coming home with me.  The curl-up toe shoes, the coy hands behind the back stance, the red hat with zig-zagged-all-over detail.  It was love.
There was also an embroidered message on the bag: "to gnome is to love me".  I thought it was odd and nonsensical, but didn't let it keep me from shelling out three whole dollars for the bag.  When I got into the car I realized the play on words that was going on across my newly beloved bag.  There's something about plays on words that make me cringe.  Deep down shuddering cringe.  I've been picking away with my seam ripper at the machine embroidered message.  I'm down to "gnome love" and I'll keep going until the little guy is on his own.  He's just too sweet to be muddled with words.
And if the satchel wasn't enough, the fabric bin held two yards of this tulip-ed wonder.  Once I find that perfect pair of wooden clogs, I'll make myself a skirt... to wear to the Prairie Home Companion's annual meatloaf feast and street dance, of course.

So many thanks for all of the comments on the cards!  An etsy shop may well be in my near future...

to market

The equinox leaf impressions have made their way onto cards thanks to my trusted print gocco.  Card sets will be available in Duluth at Tinderbox - a soon-to-open shop featuring local handmade goodness - next week!

a hint?

Coming home to this scene, it was clear that the time had come to get busy with this pattern.

Much better.

equinox impressions

We gathered leaves today.  Red, orange, green, yellow.  Maple, ash, basswood, birch.

Back at the dining room table, we made impressions.  Capturing the lifelines of leaves; mimicking the late September palette of the trees.

Warm equinox wishes to you and yours! 

friday sampler

A mini quilt in progress.  Repurposed soft floral linen cotton blend matched up with flannels of solid and striped greens.  With an added message inspired by the baby quilt lovingly embroidered by Marnie.

A sampling of the fantastic swap scraps that arrived in today's mail.  It's amazing how little bits of new fabric can spark one's imagination.  I already am dreaming up little patchwork projects from these pieces.  So many thanks, Jude!

A bit of a snack while out walking this morning.  And yet another reminder that there's no need to hurry along; no need to really be anywhere but here in the now.

abundance

We recently spent an afternoon out at our CSA farm, La Finca.  Frost had settled over the fields calling an end to the season for tomatoes, basil, eggplants, squash and other heat loving crops; but the root crops, brasicas and greens were still going strong.  While the little one and her da-da-da picked veggies and 'planted' pumpkin seeds in the pumpkin patch I walked around capturing the turning season with my camera.  Here are a few of my favorites. 

May you all be enjoying the plenty of the season -- and those of you in the southern hemisphere, may the seeds you sow today bring forth great abundance in the coming months.

many layers of civic pride

It's rare that I have a stretch of quiet moments of sitting still, so when I found myself with three full hours of alone-in-the-car time last week, I downloaded two Craftsanity podcasts and hit the road 'with' Amanda Soule and Amy Karol.  The interviews both inspired and renewed my excitement about finding and becoming involved in the world of craftbloggers.  I'm continually amazed by the goodness and beauty coming forth from this community.

My travels took me to a town of just a few hundred people with a courthouse that was built at a time when great care was taken in the building, detailing and design of civic places.  In a building with an intricately tiled alcove seemingly celebrating the drinking fountain, one can be certain that community members have been inspired to gather here to create greatness.   

And, upon arriving home, I discovered the upcoming opening of Tinderbox, a shop of locally made, handcrafted goodies that is inviting local crafters to sell their stuff.  I've jumped in and am feverishly trying to finish a few things before the opening later this month.  You can imagine my excitement about the opportunity to participate in this here-in-my-backyard group of folks celebrating community through the goodness of handmade.

karma

Many moons ago I received a bag of wool fleece through Good Yarn Karma.  I have yet to spin this wool into yarn, but the winters in these parts are long.  It could happen soon.  In the meantime I've been meaning to release some yarn from my stash so that it can get onto someone's needles and make that transformation from string to cloth.  Today's the day.  I just posted four skeins of a yummy chartreuse mohair blend. 

I bought the yarn right before the little one was born and I had this notion that I'd knit the Perfect Pie Shawl from Weekend Knitting as I was lolling about in those first weeks of motherhood.  Insane.  In those days I could barely count, let alone work a pattern of ssk and yo and such with slippery fuzzy yarn.  Needless to say the project was abandoned.  Each time I think of starting it up I can't help but feel that discombobulation associated my first days of mamahood.  And in my mind I'm fixated on making this yarn into that shawl.  It's clearly not meant to be.

If you're interested in my yarn, check it out.  And if you're looking to find a good home for yarn abandoned in your stash, post it over at Good Yarn Karma.  You can give it away or ask for a trade.  It's a genius set-up.   

edamame ma-me

We're on the verge of a language explosion around here.  Suddenly, syllables are being strung together and signs are being paired up with sounds.  Tonight, as we washed very dirty soybean pods from our CSA share, the mantra was ma-me ma-me; the mudra shifted back and forth from a patting of mama's arm to a patting of beans into a bowl.  Edamame, ma-me.

eyes open?

It makes me crazy when the obvious answer is right before me and I can't see it.  One right around my wrist.  And if that wasn't enough, another right in my bees nest of a bun.  Three inches of elastic cord in the form of a hairband (or baby tail holder, as I used to say).  Exactly what I needed to finish the Bend-the-Rules artsy clutch in one sitting.  But I couldn't see it.  Thanks to Jeanne's MacGyver mind, the now-finished clutch -- with repurposed silk from a dress on the outside and a shirt on the inside -- is on its way to my fancy pants sister.

Speaking of fancy pants, the little lady has been sporting sewn-by-her-mama simple light cotton pants like these for most of the summer.  Now that autumn is nipping our knees I think another batch is in order.  I'm thinking soft cordouroys and cottons with flannel lining.   And, if your eyes are open, you might see that she's found a tiny bit of green beachglass.