new pieces are in the shop... SURPRISE!

Phew. Time has been short these last few weeks but these few pieces are a labor of love. I can't let the Christmas season pass without making a few little things... so here they are!

new... soon.

I've been working on a few new things for the shop, it's all I can manage right now, just a few- but they are shaping up to be right nice if I do say so myself. I hope to post them over the weekend... so stay tuned!

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today....

working on a few gifts and a couple surprises for the shop. This little kitty won't be there, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't make an appearance here. HELLO ALL.

I've been asked about the studio lately- sorry for the drop off in info- I'm in! it's still a mess, and I'm just figuring out how I want to work in this new space. I imagine I'll have it all set up after Christmas when I can take a breath again. For now, my shelves are full, tables are in place, but there are projects in various states all over the space. I'm making lots of gifts for my family and friends, working in the studio when I can, and spending lots of time with the family as is to be expected. This is the first year Claude really understands what it means that Christmas is coming, and he's got me so excited about all that the season brings. I've gathered recipes and I'm getting ready to bake, and host, and be Santa, and bask in the joy of togetherness- that's my goal anyway- basking in the joy (not stressing and in the season)!

beginning...

first snow

Last night the snow started coming down. When I went to bed I heard the storm would bring a few inches. When I woke up we had about 2 and then it started to come down in big floating flakes. It's snowed the whole day and hasn't let up yet. As I write this I can hear heavy slides falling off the branches outside my window and onto the 10+ inches we have on the ground now. Claude played outside twice today- and for the first time became a Minnesota kid- rolling and jumping in the snow with the sort of joy that should accompany this much of it. Vita with the first ever snowflakes falling on her long eyelashes, loved watching it come down. We took a walk around the neighborhood and later ventured out to see friends handmade goods across town. The roads were messy and slow going but all the white made me happy. Winter has arrived in earnest.

found while cleaning...

While working on my studio I found some of the clay pieces I worked on years ago. Some of them ultimately became the Frozen Charlottes (the blog linked to here is Alyssa... she and I went to school together). Nice to find these bits and pieces, more fragile, rough, and unfinished than those that were ultimately sold, but good to see these old friends again.

feeling thankful...

This Thanksgiving I saved my money and cut the skeletons from our garden for the table. Before dinner, we all wrote things that we're thankful for on pieces of colored paper and stuck them onto the branches. Claude and his cousin Hazel wrote out their own. Hazel asked for the spelling of each word and Claude wrote his out in a series of O's, L's, C's and T's- the only letters he's currently writing. He'd tell me what each said: "Mama", "Home", "butterflies","Vita's chupi" (her pacifier)...

I'm thankful for so very many things these days. There has been a lot of life around me lately... Life, Death, Birth- it makes one so keenly aware of how very brief but profoundly our time is. So, I've been deeply taking-in my time with my young children, family, and loved ones- trying to enjoy even the trying times. And when I'm away in the studio like today, I'm so very grateful for this work. Thank you, for keeping me in the studio, for enjoying what I make, and for all the kind notes, thoughts, and even far off goodness sent my way. I'll take all of it, and send it right back to you.... did you feel that?

PATTERN SALE!

I'd hoped to get a whole bunch of pieces up in the shop for this holiday season, but it seems my hands are more than full with my new little baby and moving my studio into it's new space. Very full indeed. So, if I can't make you something special for the Holidays, I thought at least I could help you to make something special for someone on your list... or for yourself!

25% off all patterns now through Wednesday in my webshop:

coupon code HAPPYSEWING 

and I've resumed shipping on all supplies!

HAPPY SEWING INDEED.

piles.

One space is clean and slowly filling up with ordered supplies. The other space, the one I'm moving out of, is a terrifying all out mess. Piles of completely unordered items are scattered floor to ceiling. I'm trying to breath through it - not get too overwhelmed. Time is short, no use in dwelling on the project ahead. One momentary idea: a dumpster, a big one. On second thought, I'll just dive back in- too many diamonds left in all that rough.

now! tables and shelves

things are happening.