Herby heads to his new home....

The flash caught the white and makes him look startled. Either that or he saw the box I plan on shipping him in. So far, during his short life in my sewing room, he has had free range. He perches on my antique sewing machine in front of the window and watches the squirrels play outside. This has been one truly spoiled snowman. Before he leaves my home for Helen's, I believe I need to give him a nose job. Either way, I promised him I would give him a few air holes and a good book to read on his trip. I christened him Herby (in honor of the Nebraska Football Team's masket) then learned they lost today. Drats!

Pieces of Me

Helen's Snowman is finally finished and ready for his journey to her home. Tonight, I wrapped the cord for the six snowbowls heading to Texas and tomorrow will finish up the three snowbowls heading to the nice ladies at my doctor's office.

At the Guild meeting on Tuesday night, I offered to teach basketmaking at the Lauritzen Garden's event on November 14th. That has motivated me to wrap up what I have on my to-do list so I can focus on getting ready for the Garden Event.

My sewing room has been rearranged and my organizational efforts are coming together. I am always amazed at the amount of fabric I have and the limited amount of time I have to work with it.

As I write this, I have a lady bug crawling around my desktop. I believe ladybugs are an indication of good luck when found in the home. I am hoping there is more fact than myth to that. More about my life-changing events later. This weekend is all about creating and enjoying the process.

Take care,

Elaine

I can 'dish' it out - but can I take it?

Like the big pumpkins which gave over to the idea of little pumpkins, so did the snowman. The big snowman are labor intensive and fickle. You think you have a good idea forming and the snow just isn't packing right. So like any Nebraska kid who can't get the snow to hang together for the best snowman in the yard, you decide to go sledding.

This little guy seems more my style and will more than likely have a few snow bowls traveling with him to Elgin for the Craft Fair.

Snowman mania ... latest design

Meet Cartman! I have an order for a snowman and the flakes just free-formed into Cartman.

Waste not - want not ...

What is it about a box of fabric swatches that makes you think 'ooohhhh, I can make something with that!' I had just such a brain cramp at an auction last summer. I bid on a small tote filled with 1 1/2" swatches of a polyblend. When I was repackaging them for storage (yes, it was a short-lived enthusiasm), I noticed no two swatches were alike. The box was closed and the intention to make something with them was abandoned.

Flash forward to a year later and I am needing a break from designing for the craft fair... the swatches were there and the need for something mindless was great.

First, trimming off the pinked edges. (sorry vaccum-that was a nice mess of fuzzy stuff on the carpet).

Then squaring each swatch to a 1 1/2" square took some time.

Yes, the finished square is the postage stamp size of 1".

Stay tuned for the next post on this project. It will be a delayed gratification because I can only do 32 squares at a time before I start to doubt my sanity.

It takes as long to sculpt the stem and leaves as it does to wrap the basket.

My goal is to turn out a basket a night. Tonight the focus was on scultping stems and leaves. This little guy has given me a whole new appreciation for working in miniature.

Pumpkin, pumpkin

OK, last night when I finished a full-sized pumpkin basket, I was left with a 10' cord piece and a few strips of fabric. Faced with a waste not-want not dilemna, this little pumpkin dish was thought out.