THESE LITTLE STOCKING SACHETS ARE SO FUN FOR ME TO MAKE. THESE ARE MADE FROM SOME VERY OLD FRENCH TICKING AND I REALLY LOVE HOW THEY TURNED OUT. I ALMOST DIDN'T MAKE THEM BECAUSE BLUE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A VERY POPULAR COLOR IN THIS AREA OF THE COUNTRY, BUT I'M GLAD I DID, BECAUSE I LOVE HOW THEY LOOK. AND...................................

JUST WHEN YOU MIGHT HAVE HOPED THAT YOU HAD SEEN THE LAST OF THINGYS MADE OUT OF BITS OF OLD WOOL..........TA-DA.......A GARLAND! FA...LA...LA!!!

LITTLE STOCKINGS

THESE LITTLE STOCKINGS ARE SCENTED SACHETS THAT CAN BE USED AS AN ORNIE, A TIE ON OR JUST TO PILE IN A BASKET. THEY ARE MADE OF RAW SILK , ARE SLIGHTLY STUFFED AND HAVE SOME SCENTED WAX SHAVINGS ADDED FOR A YUMMY PINE SCENT. I HAVE ALSO MADE THEM OUT OF BURLAP, LINSEY-WOOLSEY, OLD FRENCH TICKING, AND LINEN. THEY WERE A SELL OUT AT A RECENT HOLIDAY SHOW BEFORE I GOT A CHANCE TO TAKE SOME PICTURES OF THEM, SO I AM WORKING ON MORE NOW AND WILL TAKE PHOTOS OF THEM BEFORE I TAKE THEM TO MY SHOP. THEY ARE 6" TALL AND SELL FOR 10.00.

WHITE WEDNESDAY ON A THURSDAY........

JUST SOME MORE THINGS I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE HOLIDAYS. ( THE GREY,COLD AND DAMP WEATHER WE HAVE BEEN HAVING LATELY INSPIRES ME. I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT VIEWING THE BONES OF NATURE MAKES ME FEEL LIKE MAKING THINGS THAT CAN COZY UP THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSE. I LOVE TO TRAMP THROUGH THE WOODS ON GREY, CLOUDY DAYS AND COLLECT THE REMNANTS OF THE SEASON PAST TO ADORN MY HOUSE. WHILE I LOVE THE GREENNESS OF SPRING AND SUMMER, LATE AUTUMN AND EARLY WINTER ALLOW ONE TO SEE ALL THE TEXTURES, LINES AND SUBTLE COLORS OF NATURE. EVEN THE GREY SKY ENHANCES THESE FEATURES THAT THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE SUN MIGHT HIDE. NATURE AND VINTAGE THINGS JUST SEEM TO COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER.) THE GLASS ORNIES SEEM TO BE THE PERFECT WAY TO ENJOY ALL THOSE TEENY, TINY WHITE BUTTONS AND LOOSE PEARLS THAT ARE TREASURED BY MANY OF US. I FOUND A FEW GLASS HEARTS TO ADORN IN ADDITION TO THE GLASS BALLS.

AND JUST IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ENOUGH OF THE WOOL WREATHS, I MADE MORE AND ADDED BUTTON INSTEAD OF VINTAGE ORNAMENT.

MORE WOOL WREATHS

AS PROMISED, HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS OF WREATHS USING GREEN WOOLS FROM OLD BLANKETS. THOUGH THEY ARE VERY SIMPLE, THEY ARE VERY WARM AND CHARMING, THEIR COLORS ACHIEVED BY THE PASSAGE OF TIME. I'VE ALSO INCLUDED A PIC OF ONE OF THE WHEAT COLORED TREES, NOW ADORNED WITH JUST A FEW VINTAGE GLASS BALLS.

I'VE BEEN HAVING SO MUCH FUN THIS PAST WEEK CUTTING UP FELTED SWEATERS AND OLD WOOL BLANKETS TO MAKE CHRISTMAS THINGYS. I MADE MANY SMALL WREATHS, AND SOME LARGE ONES FOR A HOLIDAY SHOW I WAS IN. THEY WERE A BIG HIT AND I WAS SOON ALMOST CLEANED OUT. I COULDN'T WAIT TO MAKE MORE! THEN I MADE SOME TREES AND I LOVE THEM! THE PICS DON'T DO THEM JUSTICE AS THEY ARE CHARMING IN REAL LIFE. CAN'T WAIT TO DISPLAY THEM IN THE SHOP. SOME I WILL PUT A FEW VINTAGE BALL ORNIES ON AND SOME I WILL LEAVE PLAIN. I AM ALSO CUTTING UP AN OLD WOOL GREEN BLANKET THAT IS A LOVELY PALE SHADE AND I WILL POST THOSE PICS SOON.

TRUELY A SCRAPPY CUFF

DURING THE CLASS THAT I MENTIONED IN MY LAST POST, REBBECCA SHOWED THE CLASS HOW TO USE EVEN THE SMALLEST OF BITS OF FABRIC, STRING AND THREAD TO EMBELLISH FABRIC COLLAGES. (RIGHT UP MY ALLEY!) THIS IS MY VERSION TO MAKE THOSE SCRAPS USEFUL. i TOOK LENGHTS OF VELVET RIBBON, IN THIS CASE TO FIT THE WRIST, HAD A SMALL PILE OF SCRAPS ON THE TABLE TO THE LEFT OF MY SEWING MACHINE, AND SET IT FOR A DECORATIVE STITCH PATTERN. PLACING THE RIBBON UNDER THE STITCH FOOT, I SIMPLY FED DIFFERENT PIECES OF SCRAP, (CAREFULLY) UNDER THE PRESSURE FOOT WHILE THE MACHINE WAS SLOWLY RUNNING. I SEWED UP ONE SIDE AND DOWN THE OTHER SO THAT THE SCRAP PIECES WERE SECURE. I THEN TRIMMED THE SIDES A LITTLE, ATTACHED RIBBON END CAPS, A SMALL BIT OF CHAIN AND AND A CLASP. ON A SEPARATE PIECE OF COFFEE DYED MUSLIN, I WROTE A SIMPLE WORD AND GLUED IT IN THE CENTER WITH A FEW BUTTONS. I THINK THIS METHOD WOULD ALSO MAKE SMASHING CHOKERS AND BELTS. EVEN FABRICS OF A SENTIMENTAL MEANING WOULD BE A USEFUL AND FUN WAY TO PRESERVE MEMORIES.

FABRIC COLLAGE

LAST THURSDAY I TOOK A CLASS FROM REBBECCA FOR VINTAGE LIVING. IT WAS ON FABRIC COLLAGE AND AS SHE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM AN ADVENTURE IN COLORADO WITH K.C. WILLIS, THERE WAS MAGIC IN THE AIR. REBBECCA HAS A WONDERFUL EYE AND IS VERY GENEROUS WITH HER COACHING AND SUPPLIES. IT WAS A GREAT CLASS AND I USED AN OLD PHOTO OF MY MOM WHEN SHE WAS FOUR, WITH HER MOM, HER GRANDMOTHER, AND HER GREAT GRANDMOTHER. ALSO, I USED A RECENT PHOTO OF MY GRAND DARLING, ALICE. I LOVE THE COLORS AND THE OVER ALL FEEL OF THIS WALL HANGING. I WILL BE ADDING PICTURES OF MY FOUR CHILDREN IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND PROBABLY ONE OF MYSELF AS A CHILD TO BRIDGE THE GAP. THAT WILL ENCOMPASS SEVEN GENERATIONS OF PICTURES THAT I AM BLESSED TO HAVE.

WHITE WEDNESDAY (SORT OF)

EVEN THOUGH I TOOK THESE PHOTOS IN JUNE, I WANTED TO SAVE THEM FOR THE HALLOWEEN SEASON. THE CEMETERIES IN ENGLAND ARE FILLED WITH SOME VERY ANCIENT AND BEAUTIFUL HEAD STONES. IT WAS VERY PEACEFUL PLACE TO VISIT IN THE LIGHT OF DAY,BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE ANY WHERE NEAR THEM AFTER THE SUN WENT DOWN AND THE NITE TIME FELL WITH IT'S TOTAL DARKNESS. EEUUU! JUST TO THINK OF IT MAKES THE HAIR ON THE BACK OF MY NECK STAND UP! SPOOKY!

WHITE WEDNESDAY

THESE CHOICES FOR WHITE WEDNESDAY ARE SOME OF THE NEW ITEMS IN MY SHOP THAT I HAVE MADE. THE OLD CABINET DOOR BECAME A HANDY NOTE HOLDER, (SORRY, SOLD) AND THE CANVAS TOTE BAGS ARE EMBELLISHED WITH SOME OLD BLACK AND WHITE ENGLISH PRINTS WHICH I HAVE TRANSFERRED ONTO THE CANVAS. I AM ALSO WORKING ON SOME SMALLER TOTES WITH CHRISTMAS SCENES THAT WOULD MAKE WONDERFUL GIFT BAGS. THE CHAIR IS ONE OF A PAIR THAT I PURCHASED AT A RESALE SHOP AND COVERED WITH LINEN AND A TRANSFERRED CLOCK FACE. THANKS FOR VISITING AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY.

I WON THESE.......

WONDERFUL ITEMS FROM RITA @ MAMMABELLARTE.BLOGSPOT .COM. THE PACKAGE CAME IN THE POST YESTERDAY AND I WAS SO EXCITED! RITA MAKES CUSTOM SIGNS AND BOY DO I EVER NEED TO SEE THE SIGN SHE MADE FOR ME, EVERYDAY! SO... THIS IS GOING IN MY HOME STUDIO. AND...........AS A BONUS, SHE SO GENEROUSLY ADDED THIS WONDERFUL, SOLDERED CHARM NECKLACE OF A LITTLE METAL DOVE. I JUST LOVE IT! RITA, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.