Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas!

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

-Christina Rossetti


Poem for Solstice

Dawn and dusk merge to
one, whether the days are short
or night never comes.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Happy Winter Solstice!

Today the sun rose at 10:58 am and set at 2:30 pm. There was six hours and thirty-two minutes of visible light. Tomorrow will be nine seconds longer. Not a lot, but an improvement.
It's been negative twenty below or colder for most of December. The holidays make the lack of light and cold easier. The goats and I have been stuck inside most of the time. I feel so blah. I can't seem to get anything done. The cold and dark seem to seep inside my head and I can't think straight. I'd prefer to hibernate most of the time.

TTFN!

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Friday, October 15, 2010

Winter Cometh

Winter settles like
a default setting. Once here,
it's always been here.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Not so busy (anymore)

I've been very busy these last couple months. I have many drafts that are saved that need to be finished and posted (including the posts about the three new kids!). 
But my summer job is finished now, so I should have more time to do things like sewing,writing and goat herding.

TTFN!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Surprise, surprise!

                     Ladybug kidded on Thursday night. We were expecting one kid. And we got two.

Junebug

Firefly

Monday, June 7, 2010

Birth Anoucment!

Uno finally kidded yesterday morning at 11:17 a.m. We were expecting twins, or maybe even triplets.
But this is all that came out!
We named him Peter, because we were expecting a Hedi too. And maybe even a Klara :) Oh, well, there's next time.
Human babies have nothing on goat kids. He was cute from the moment he was born! And he was trying to walk within fifteen minutes. Seems very strong and healthy!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Birthday!

I decided to wish myself a happy birthday :) I was born fifteen minutes before the rose parade in the city of my birth, and the wild roses on the prickly bushes always bloom around my birthday.
Hope to post pictures of blooming flowers tomorrow.

TTFN!

P.S. No kids from Uno yet.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Nothing.

No goat kids yet.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Expecting Goat Kids Any Day Now...

Uno the goat has been in labor for over a day. She may be getting closer. We'll see!
Sorry for the short post, but I've been very busy of late.

TTFN!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Five things I must do on Saturday...

1.) Milk goats (that's a given!)
2.) Vacum
3.)Clean
4.) Sew
5.) Blog!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Alaska Weather

So, it was greenup on Tuesday. It snowed most of the day on Wednesday. And then on Thursday, I woke up to this.




Snow and fog. It was very lovely, though unexpected. However, snow in May is not uncommon. I've even seen it snow in June.
Evantually, the fog burned off and the sky became clear. It turned out to be a warm spring day!
TTFN!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Happy Star Wars Day!

May the 4th be with you. ;)

Greenup!

It's greenup today! The birches have a faint yellow-green flush to them.
As well as working on the "Eyes of the World" bag, I'm also working on making a dress using a corset cover I found in an antique shop as a bodice. Since I couldn't decide what material to use for a skirt, I'm trying to make it fully detachable.

TTFN!

Friday, April 30, 2010

Breakup

This is an old vignette I wrote when I was fourteen for a high school project. It was the only project I managed to get an A+++ on in school. Not sure I deserved it, but it was nice.
I did edit it ever so slightly.. It's interesting to think about how I would write this now.


Where I live, we have five seasons. Spring, summer, fall, winter and breakup. Spring is normally lovely and beautiful, cool and clear, the sun's elusive rays warm. Summer here is glorious, but resembles a green desert. The end of summer is sort of a rainy season; which lasts from August 1st, till whenever school starts. Fall is magnificent. The yellow leaves glide to the ground into a sheet, and them comes with the coverlet of winter. Winter is gorgeous, but it is frigid, and sometimes very much so. And there is never enough sun. Here, it may drop to -50F, but this does not happen too often, only once or twice every couple of years.
Breakup is the season when the sun, the source of heat and light, ceases to hibernate. And the sun's gravitational pull pulls every one's refuse to the surface of the gray snow. Perhaps it is more of a magnetic attraction, but somehow, the sun manages to melt anywhere from one foot of snow to four, and fill those lucky people's homes with a couple feet of liquid ice crystals, dragging along any lovely nutrients it has with it. Breakup lasts about a month and a half or two.
Then it is spring.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Eyes of the World


Outside of bag. In the flower, I sewed part of Alaska The trim for the inside pocket is a chain stich.
(even St. Lawrance Island!) and Russia.

I'm getting closer to finishing this bag. But I do bags so slow. Artistry and inspiration are very important to me.
Often, I have to have a picture in my head of what I want before I even start something. From there, these creations evolve almost organicly. With this bag, I wasn't exactly sure what I would do. I rust dyed the cog, but then got stuck. Someone suggested to me that the cog looked like a flower pot, so I used the flower pattern on the lining as a pattern for the flower.
The outside was an tea towel or napkin from an antique shop, and the cloth of the lining is called "Eyes of the World", by Harmony Art.

TTFN!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Today...

I've been slacking on blogging. Been tired lately, and haven't gotten much done. Today has been insane. I locked myself out of the house while taking care of the goats this morning (at least I had a nice walk; it was a lovely spring morning) We got a new dog. Then we lost the new dog. Then we found him.
However, I have been working on a really interesting purse that I hope to take photos of and post.
Off to bed now :)

TTFN!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Creative Chaos

Well, my sewing area is now organized stacks. I have yet to clean the desk; that will be more involved.
I think what I really need is a wardrobe, with drawers for the fabric and other supplies, and a place to hang finished items. Maybe I should peruse through the "Knock off Wood" blog looking for plans, though I don't have the time right now to build something.
Organization is awfully frustrating for me. I've improved over the years, and have been able to keep my room neat enough. I feel more at ease when everything is clean, organized, and my bed is made. However, my mind is always chaotic. I wish each thought could take a turn, one at a time, instead 127 thoughts going all at once. I'd get more done that way. But that's were I get my ideas from.

TTFN!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Winter's Revenge

Milking bowl in hand
I step into the snowflakes.
But it smells like rain!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Spring Cleaning

I'm afraid I haven't gotten that much done this week. Since I have been unable to even start a project, I think I will clean my sewing area. It's a MESS! I have never been an exactly organized person, but I think my piles are discouraging me to do anything.



Oddly, it doesn't look so bad in person. I just don't know how I'm going to fit all those supplies into that little corner. I will be sorting through and hope to get rid of some things that I'll never use.

TTFN!

Monday, April 5, 2010

Birdie Chorus, aka 4/5 Update

When I took a walk this afternoon, the birds were making quite the racket. Though load, it's a welcome change from winter, when the birds were rarely heard.
On Saterday, I took several camisoles and a purse to a new local foods market. They are going to sell them for me at no charge and take no cut. Hopefully, I will sell some this next week. The owner already bought the purse for his wife as a nice Easter gift!
I am trying to figure out what to work on next. I have two corset covers from an antique shop that I hope to make into dresses or shirts. I have a list of things I wanted to make for late-winter/spring, so I should choose some items from that.

TTFN!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Spring is in the Air

I think spring decided to come early this year. It's been warm and sunny for the past several weeks. Of course, we could still get a cold snap, but it probably won't be forty below.
Today I finally finished a kuspuk prototype. It was made from some old flannel that has been around for a long while. It has many kinks to work out, but I was so exited, I wore it before it was finished. I haven't had a kuspuk since I was a little girl in Nome (many years ago). I made it short sleeved (a modern version!). Normally, they are long sleeved with a cuff. I made this one with a skirt on the bottom to keep my legs warmer.
I'm sorry I can't post pictures, the computer refuses to upload them :(
Here is great article on kuspuks from Tundra Medicine Dreams.

TTFN!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Another Lovely Day...

And I have good news! I will get to sell my stuff at a market. The flip side though, is I need to make more! I already have ten or so camisoles and one bag. So I need to work more, and I probably won't be able to get around to the rust dye tutorial for now.
The one bag that is finished I took some photos of last week. Unforchenetly, most of them didn't turn out that well (why does that always happen?!) I did get a few nice ones, though I need one more side. I might just go outside right now.

TTFN!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Busy Day...







Dear moon, you look so
lonesome in pure azure sky,
without star, nor cloud








I'm afraid I can't post the next part to the rust dyeing today. I've been too busy today. Off course, if had managed my time better...but oh well :)
Right now, the computer is uploading photos I took today of a bag. I hope to list on it Etsy very soon (like tomorrow). I haven't listed anything since January. And I have lots to list!

TTFN!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Happy Windsday!


Winnie the Pooh: Happy "Winds-day", Piglet.
Piglet: [being blown away] Well... it isn't... very happy... f-for me.
Winnie the Pooh: Where are you going, Piglet?
Piglet: That's what I'm asking myself, where? W-Whoops! P-P-P-Pooh!
Winnie the Pooh: And what do you think you will answer yourself?
:)
(Thank you Google!)




Yesterday and today have been rather blustery (though still sunny). But perhaps not windy enough to blow Piglet away. We always seem to get a not so gentle "zephyr" about late winter-early early spring. Yesterday, the goats did not get to go outside because they are sensitive to wind and drafts. They were happy to go out today! I went out to check on them after it started getting breezy. Ladybug decided to try the camera cord. She once ate a furniture tag.


I love to take walks, and to take pictures. Here are a few photos from the past week or so...


Yep, that's a boring pic of GREEN moss. It's all in how you look at it!

Today I have been working on hemming a linen-peace silk scarf, that I made out of one yard of cloth. It had to be pieced together. Lately, I've been working on some new designs. Not so sure if this one's going to work out for selling though.

Tomorrow, I hope to post Part Two of the series on rust dyeing, in which I will explain the process. And post more walk pictures :)

TTFN!


Monday, March 22, 2010

Rust Dyeing, Part One

This past week has been absolutely GORGEOUS! Rarely a cloud in the sky; temps in the morning hovering just a bit above zero, and then soaring to fifty (in the sun) during the day. I think I will post the collected pictures taken from my afternoon walks tomorrow.
However, this post is part one in a series on rust dyeing. It is an interesting technique that I like to use in my work.
(second rust dyed project, November, 2007)

In October of 2007, my mother bought me a copy of the art clothing magazine Belle Armoire (www.bellearmoire.com), of which an article about rust dyeing was showcased. So I that's how I first started.
I've gotten many compliments on how cool it looks. And I've had much fun routing around in the dumpsters at the transfer station looking for cool metal scraps. My favorite is that broken off cog!

(Reversible tote, August, 2008. Personal collection.)


On Thursday, I hope to write about the process of rust dyeing, and I will post more pictures!

TTFN!






Thursday, March 18, 2010

Spring?
















Here is a double haiku I wrote a couple days ago.


Singing the tune of
spring, snow soaks up the vibrant
late-winter sunlight

"Is it really Spring?"
I ask the pussy willows.
"Or is it a hoax?"

Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome

Good afternoon!
After a long period of paralysis of indecision, I have decided to try blogging. I had more words to write then what Twitter would let me.

As I am a varied person, this blog will very varied. For the most part, I will stick to writing about my sewing. I have an Etsy shop, . I hope blogging will help to motivate me to list more items, and to network with other Etsians and people who are interested in my work, as well as those who are passing through.

I live on a small farm/homestead in Alaska, so I will definitely write about my goats and ducks! I also have ADHD. I might write about that. As well, I like writing poetry, so there will be a little of literature. Like I said, I'm a varied person with ADHD, so the content will reflect that.

For now, I hope to post on Mondays and Thursdays.