Backyard, beyond, and back again

Hello everyone!  I've been busy preparing things to sell at an open studios event that happened a little more than a week ago.  Now I have to replenish my stock of feltings!  Being occupied thusly has kept me from being here with you, so this is a catching up of sorts.  One of my favorite backyard birds is the California towhee...they do a little dance to stir up bugs and other fine edibles.  They are related to the speckled towhee which only visit the neighborhood occasionally...here is one from the big park nearby:

I'm sorry it's a little out of focus, but look at his charming beard that looks like upside down flames.

In the beginning of the month, I went on a trip to Mt. Lassen, which was hiding behind a cloak of fog and rain, so I'll have to return in better weather, but I found a place with a good cup of coffee; out behind was this old Ford with charming flames...

I wandered in the woods a bit and came upon these lovely horses, waiting for riders:

Now, back to the hummingbird...here is the one who built a nest in the apple tree, then fled because of a nasty encounter with a crow.  She abandoned her nest but came back one day to say hello and pick up some stuffing from the old nest to take to her new abode, but she didn't disclose the location:

And here is how that story played out in my imagination.  It's called "Hummingbird considering the risks of living in a neighborhood with crows."  I'm happy to say this piece has gone to live with a good friend.

That's all for now...

Wardrobe work!

Hello everyone.  My bathrobe has needed help for quite a while.  First I thought Replacement...but I'm so fond of it.  Then I asked myself what is its worst feature and could I fix it.  The answer...sleeves! and yes...
So...here are the sleeve ends which I cut off:

And here is the improved version:

To do this I deconstructed an old nightie that also needed help...the rest of it is going to become a summer skirt eventually, maybe soon!  Jude's classes have definitely helped me become braver about this sort of thing; my classmates have all been inspirational, particularly Deb and Grace. Thank you!

Next, sigh.  The little hummingbird from my last post has gone away...she was sitting on her beautiful little nest, but the neighborhood crow ended that happy story.  Not that there is just one crow...there are many, many.  This happened last year also...the squirrels and the crows are very dominant here.

Here is another trivet/prayer mat,  "bee star":

It's one of several prayers for the underdog, for example, that the hummingbird might evolve to not so easily attract the crow.  I just finished reading River of Doubt by Candice Millard, about Theodore Roosevelt's harrowing adventures in the Amazonian type jungle, and how life in the jungle there evolved.  So, it's easy to see how a crow can find a hummingbird nest...I wish mother nature could assist the hummingbird a little more here.  Seems like I should be able to help. 

That's all for now!

Hidden treasure

Hello everyone.  I've been a bit absent lately.  Not sure why. Just because, I guess.  Here, but not here.  Anyway, I've missed you and I want to show you a discovery from my last train trip which took me through Grand Junction, Colorado.  There is a beautiful old station there that has been partially renovated, but the work seems to have stopped...this is a view of it from the upper level of the train:

Walk around back and look through a grimy old window...(this is a reflection of me doing that):

See the little arch above the camera? That is this:

You can't see this from the outside, for some reason.  It's one of the windows in the top photo.  If only someone would buy this building and finish restoring it.  Another nice thing about Grand Junction is there is a little store there that sells interesting items.  They used to have produce, but that stopped.  One of my wishes is that Amtrak let local craft people and farmers sell good things at the stations.

Here is a backyard visitor!

and Voila!... something I've been working on...the bluebird of happiness taking a night flight...

There is an opportunity to sell things coming up, so I've been making a little collection, to see what will happen.

That's all for now!

A small hanging and a visitor

This is a very small hanging...8 inches square, that I created to show in our library.  They used to have an annual big-quilt show but space became a factor, so they turned it into a mini-quilt show.  Mine is called "Romance at the dog park" and uses hand-dyed fabrics.  I made it several months ago, during Glennis' Shibori workshop, and before Jude's Cloth to Cloth workshop, where I have learned skills that will enhance this sort of cloth in the future.

Lately, when I sit outside to sew, a hummingbird instantly appears and I have been thinking, Oh how nice to be appreciated by a hummingbird.  Several times the little bird seemed to be acting a little less friendly and perhaps even a bit aggressive, but Oh well, I thought, it's still nice to be appreciated by nature in this way.  Then, today, as I got up to leave, my eye was drawn to a patch of green in the apple tree, and what did I see but her nest...with her in it.  Can you see her eye and her tiny beak pointing skyward?  The nest is miniscule and has lichens decorating it!  I think she was saying "Hello and keep your distance."

AND, I'm starting to create a shop!  You'll see it on the sidebar.  Feedback is welcome, as I have limited experience with this sort of thing.