While She Naps

a rooster, some preparations and my birthday is coming

This rooster was for sale at Blue Bottle Gallery and Boutique in Seattle and is now back home. Welcome back, rooster!  He is up in my Etsy shop.

My birthday is on Monday. I will be 34.  Although 34 seems old to me, like the mid-30s are here and I'm beginning to find gray hairs,  I think I'm in a pretty good spot right now.  I'm really thankful for my two smart, funny and interesting children and for Charlie, my best friend and companion.  And I am really happy knowing that I have this book to work on during my 34th year.  I love a big project. 

We are going to Oleana tonight to celebrate. And my sister just sent me an amazing package of goodies, including this cookbook.  And from my in-laws I'm getting a most awesome gift - a new iron. A really good, professional grade iron. I don't iron clothes so don't get any ideas. This is for the craft room only.

My editor and I went over the very detailed shot list yesterday and I think I'm almost ready to mail out the big package of supplies and pre-made bird parts. I want to be sure everything arrives in Colorado by next Wednesday. The photo shoot is on Thursday and Friday.  I still have some wings to sew and a few patterns to redraw so that everything will look fresh in the photos. I'm a bit stressed right now, wanting to be sure I remember to bring everything.  And I'm going to miss my girls while I'm away.  Three nights away.  But daddy will be here taking good care of everyone.

but why?

I've been saving the little tabs from milk and bags of bread for two years.  My collection is rather large and all I know is that I just really like these things.  They're pretty and they have a nice shape. I know there is something I'm supposed to do with them, but I just don't know what yet. Any ideas?

that was quick

The last tiny bird assemblage sold so very quickly I made another. This one is listed in my Etsy shop now.

We had a busy weekend. On Saturday we went to the Wellesley Public Library to see Stella's idol, children's author Kevin Henkes, read his new book and give a little talk. Before we went Stella told us that Kevin would have a "blue body with white stripes."  Interestingly he looks like a normal guy, although he was wearing blue jeans. Anyway, he was very sweet and very interesting. Did you know that he had his first book published at 19 and has never had any other job except writing and illustrating children's books, a career he began to be interested in as a junior in high school. 

And today we took a day trip to Portsmouth, NH.  We visited Strawbery Banke and especially liked seeing the Shapiro house a house of an immigrant family from the Ukraine that has been preserved to show life in the 1920's.  The dining room table is set for Shabbat and there is a recording of what their blessings and conversation would have sounded like.  It is rare in a museum of historical preservation like Strawbery Banke to be able to see and learn about the Jewish people who lived there.  We really enjoyed it.

And after lunch at the amazing Flatbread, we shopped on Market Street. We stopped at Three Graces to visit Kim and see the artist vending machine she has set up.The idea of the tiny bird assemblages originated for her vending machine and she has now sold out of all of them!

I hope you had a good weekend, too. 

My editor is away until Wednesday, but when she gets back we are putting together a list of shots that need to be taken next week at photo shoot. I have a feeling that once this list is created I will be crazy busy getting everything ready. 

a little something in between

In between working on projects for the book and my mom being here for nearly a week I made this tiny bird assemblage. It is up in my shop now. 

working away

Friday night I cleaned up my workspace. All the fabric for book projects is in a red rubber tote on the floor.

When I start a new project I lay it all out on the bed and pick from those fabrics so that everything will look cohesive in the end.  I printed out the table of contents and hung it up on my white board so that I can see what needs to be done and check things off once they are completed. 

Saturday night I started the fourth project, but I forgot to take pictures of it as I was going along. I have to take pictures of every step so that the illustrator can make the hand drawn step-by-step illustrations that will show how to make each project.  I need to make him again, and this time with the camera over my shoulder.

I am getting a big box ready to ship out to Colorado in advance of the photo shoot in two weeks. Samples of all my materials and birds and bird parts sewn to various stages are all bagged and ready to go.  I have a few more bird parts to make. And I want to redraw my patterns so they won't look so ragged in the pictures.

And I need to get a manicure.  I can use some of my advance to get a manicure, right?  My hands will be in the photos so it is a necessary expense, don't you think? 

freshening up

Whether or not it is necessary, which is certainly debatable, I made a new pincushion today. Like wearing clean underwear when you go to the doctor, I felt it would be nice to have some fresh supplies ready for the photo shoot for my book.  So, I dragged myself over to the hardware store and the craft store this morning and got new glass-headed pins (the kind that aren't bent!) and new pliers (without rust!) and the like. And when I came home I forced myself to make this new pincushion.  I love the selvedge edge of linen and I'm always happy to include it in a project. And vintage glass buttons. Okay, now I back to real work.

Craftsanity Interview and Bird Giveaway!

 

I've mentioned before that I love craft podcasts. While I sit in my studio and sew by myself I love to listen to inerviews with artists and crafters. They keep me company and inspire and motivate me. So I was totally thrilled when Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood emailed me with an interview request. 

I have listened to Craftsanity, Jennifer's podcast, for about a year now. In fact, I have listened to all 99 of the podcasts that came before mine!  I'm so honored to be interview #100.  I feel like I know Jennifer from so many hours of listening. She is warm and heartfelt and truly interested in finding out how people came to their craft and how they have created their own success. It was a joy talking to Jennifer and I hope you'll enjoy hearing me ramble on about sewing and birds and how this all started. 

 

And in honor of the airing of this podcast, Jennifer will be giving away one of my Springtime birds. Visit her blog to see how to enter.  I've never given away a bird before. So exciting!

the winner!

Today was the last day to enter the make-along. Thank you so much for participating.  We got some really lovely entries and it was great fun for me to host.  It was interesting to see all the different sorts of fiber art people chose.  We had quilts and knitting and dolls and embroidery hoops and all kinds of things. 

Tonight I put all the names of those who entered into a bowl and Charlie closed his eyes and chose a name.  The winner is Melissa Crowe! This is kind of excellent because Melissa recommended the poem, too.  Congratulations, Melissa.  Here is a link to her blog post about what she made. Melissa, email me with your contact information and the package of vintage fabric will be in the mail to you shortly.

The truck came to pick up the chickens today.  They were so much fun to have and I think we are all missing the poultry this evening.  Their little coos and clucks and the way they snuggle in together in the evening on their roost.  Bye, chickens! 

Thank you so much for all your kind words about the book. I am beyond excited. Today I finished the third bird and the pattern and instructions for it. And I had my first talk with my editor, Elaine.  We planned out what I need to bring to Colorado for the photo shoot in three weeks.  I have lots to prepare, but it is fun stuff.

and now for some big news

Okay, I think today is the day to share some big news.  I am writing a book. Oh my gosh! I still have a hard time believing it is really true.  But I have a December deadline for the manuscript looming so I know in reality it is totally happening. 

The book will be about soft sculpture birds... what did you expect?  There will be patterns and projects and I will be showing all of my techniques. And there will be some other goodies yet to be revealed.

Not only am I totally excited to write and sew and create this book, I'm even more excited that it is going to be published by Interweave! I know, how great is that!  Amazing.

I can see from all the planning that has gone on just until now that writing a craft book like this is a huge, but tremendously exciting project.  I would really like to share some of the process here not only because my life is already consumed by it, but also because maybe you'll find it interesting to hear about.

So far one of the best parts has been fabric shopping.  Thinking overall about the color scheme and then buying everything I need, gathering all the best fabrics and seeing them together I can just imagine the birds all finished and ready for you to see. 

Another amazing part has been preparing to fly out to Colorado for a photoshoot on August 5th.  While I'm there we will photograph all of the basic techniques needed to sew a bird from start to finish.  I have a lot to prepare before my trip!

All I can say is hooray and I'm so glad to finally share my news with you.

I couldn't resist make two of these little bird assemblages for my shop.  They are just so satisfying to make.  I love tiny things.

The chickens have been pretty cool.  They seem to really love each other. They snuggle up together on their roost at night and making little cooing sounds.  And during the day they walk around their coop scratching at the ground and hanging out.  It takes them a long time to eat a piece of toast -  not at all like a dog that gobbles it all up in one bite. This is more like a slow peck peck pecking.  And they aren't the brightest bulbs around.  Again, not like a trusty dog. But they are interesting and very beautiful to watch. 

We have been enjoying the few bits of sunshine out on the patio drawing.  Stella enjoys rubbing flowers onto paper, especially spent day lillies. They make a nice orange juicy pigment that she is fond of.