Chair restoration and a Cowgirl

Last year I found this wonderful chair at a yard sale.  $5!  I love to sit in it out back to sew or draw or read, but the paint has been steadily chipping off, so I decided to fix it up a little with some plain old string and Elmer's glue, then some paint to hold the whole thing together.  My neighbor, Emily, helped me take it to the do-it-yourself car wash and we power-sprayed it to strip it even further, and now I'm in the process of painting it.  The primer coat on the bottom is half-way done in the middle photo.  Work was called off due to the heat wave we've had, but SOON the dear old chair will be looking lovely.  That's a re-working of a square for Liam's quilt in the seat.

Lastly, here is a piece I made last year that might be in a local show.  It's called "Cowgirl's got a Bunion", and it's somewhat autobiographical.

 CC License

Weaving, wool and wild turkeys

On this day of Equinox and Full Moon, after reading Jude's posting about weaving, I noticed many many web weavings in my neighbor's yard.  The spiders had been busy...almost every available space was  taken...a mine field for flying insects.  The webs glistened in the sunlight like gossamer dinner plates.  Here is one:

Baa baa black sheep:

Then, I went to visit the pigs and chickens and geese at the Little Farm nearby, but they were all inside for the night. The wild turkeys were stopping by to see what they could glean.  Here are some feathers:

And here is a turkey portrait; she has stirred up the pebbles with her beautiful feet, hoping for some leftover seeds:

Happy Autumn, everyone...

Wild creatures and the farm cloth

While strolling through the park one day, I photographed this duck because he looked so funny and squat.

Then this fellow and I startled one another at a curve in the path...he bounded off and we considered each other at a safer distance...

I'm making the farm cloth for my farm friends and this week I added their house and began to applique their pictures on...

Alex, upper left, is 96 now.  This week his older sister Louise died.  She was a very dear friend.  Although she was 98, good-byes are hard.  The family is gathering now for the memorial...

These fish are appliqued to the bottom of the farm cloth.  Alex has fought hard for California farmers water rights.

A pansy, a parade and a beast

This year I managed to grow some flowers.  This pansy plant is still hanging on despite the cool summer we've had.

Today is the day of the annual street fair nearby...thousands of people come from all over to walk up and down Solano Avenue.  There's a parade...

The music continues all afternoon, with bands stationed at fairly close intervals...the sounds and rhythms all merge and swirl around in my little back yard.  The delicious food smells also waft about temptingly.  I could not resist...why even try?

Here is the bumblebeast...I started him before learning from Jude about patchwork beasts, and yesterday, feeling I was neglecting him, I added some stitching.  Oh and the nurses have been getting restless, so I put a couple of them in the shop...

Three creatures

The highlight of this week was a trip to the Honkey Donkey Farm...we saw many many miniature donkeys...they are very sweet creatures, healthy and quite affectionate.  Although they are small, they bray like a big donkey, and that is probably the main reason it wouldn't be wise for me to have one here.  Well, the flies would also be a problem, and it would be better to have two, so they wouldn't get lonesome.  So, it doesn't look like any mini-donks are going to be living here, but here's a photo anyway, thanks to my friend Susan, who invited me on this wonderful outing and took the picture:

And here is a baby spotted mini-donk:

I'll bet you knew this was coming...here is the Spotted Pony...he is floating down the Nile:

(not finished yet, but coming along)