Spring, New Fabric for Mom and Make And Decorate Podcast

Spring has been nice and long here in western Mass. The grass is just starting to grow - it isn't long enough to put the sheep on it yet but it will be within a couple weeks. We will need to get the temporary fences set up which is a job. The Farmer isn't very steady on his legs yet -- that will take having the second hip replaced. We are hoping we can find some help with that project -- someone who doesn't mind the ticks that are ravenous this time of year. Yuk. 

I have been working on a project for Mom. She wants to recover her porch furniture and wanted to use one of my fabric designs. Because I can, I designed 4 new colorways for her of my Bird and Flower Pattern - all the while thinking about Mom's lovely screened in porch and the many hours we have spent there together as a family. I designed 4 colorways - light green, brown, leaf green and gold - and then resized the pattern 4 times so that she can pick the colorway and scale she needs for her particular cushions on her couch. 

I have sent the fabric off and I look forward to hearing her choice. I like them all and I think she will be happy with one of them. Once she decides, I will re-do the computer files and order the fabric for her at Spoonflower. I will also put the pattern up for sale in my Spoonflower shop. 

As you can see, Henry had to get into the photo action as cats are bound to do. We have a litter of kittens due soon and we are hoping that Henry is the dad to some of them. He has such a great personality and is a beautiful boy so fingers crossed he did his job. Unlike some male cats I have had, he hasn't been marking territory. I will get him neutered but want to see the type of babies he fathers. He came from an island in Maine so it is good to have some new blood. Like with our sheep, the male is half the progeny. 

Lastly, I want to let you all know that I am on a podcast hosted by Stephanie Socha called Make and Decorate. I taped the interview several weeks ago and it is now available to listen to. Stephanie started her podcast not that long ago and she is such a fun chat. She is a very enthusiastic conversationalist with lots of different interests that we had in common. Stephanie has been an interior decorator for several years, quilts, crochets, sews and hails from the midwest. We talked about all kinds of fun things including quilting, color, fabric, pattern and more. Have a listen here. 

I listen to podcasts a lot while I work on my ceramics and sew. I use the app on my phone or ipad called Stitcher although there are many options for listening including on a browser. There is so much to learn out there. Click here to listen to my interview on Make and Decorate. 

Have a great week everyone!

Reflections, A Few Days Away in Maine + Henry + More

Thanks to everyone for all the comments and thoughts on Monday's post. I am still processing my thoughts on the "world without Classic Elite Yarns." I left there many years ago (2000) but I still had many connections with the new owner Betsy Perry and many of the original staff I worked with many years ago. 

It is very sad to see a long term business disappear - especially when it has been part of the basics and core of the knitting and yarn store community for over 30 years. Perhaps that is why it could not survive - because it was always deemed as steady and would always be there and not the hot young thing. Consumers almost always rush to the newest greatest thing with their dollars - that is just human nature. Yarn companies cannot continue to build new lines and inventory without moving the old inventory out. That is why yarn lines don't hang around for very long - products have to be moved out to make room for the new inventory. If not, more and more space would need to be rented to store it all. As knitters and fiber artists, we all know the problem - use up the old in order to make room for the new. Using up can be donating to a charity, giving it away, having a yard sale, selling it on-line, or just tossing it because the moths have eaten it. 

I know that the folks at Classic Elite Yarns must be happy to be hearing from so many of their long time fans. If you have a moment and you feel like it, post a comment on their blog post "Saying Good-by is Hard."

Last week, Julia and I had a chance to get away from the farm. We drove hours and hours to the coast of Maine and then took a ferry seven miles out into the ocean. We stayed with our good friend Sally and had a wonderful time. I thought I would get tons of work done. I did dig out my gouache and worked on a few paintings. I made more crochet hexies every evening as we sat watching favorite movies. The weather was overcast and cold until the last two days. We did get to the beach for a nice picnic on the rocks. But mostly - this is bizarro I know - I dug through Sally's pile of old issues of The World of Interiors looking at photos and articles that I had forgotten and reading stories about fascinating houses and places I will never go. I very easily could have done this at home with my piles of magazines but I am always distracted with other things to do. 

Look what we came home with..... A new little male island kitten we have named Henry Lee Mackerel Cove. 

I know - why do we need a new kitten you ask? Well we probably don't but we have a few older cats that probably are getting to the end of their days. I have always wanted an island cat and now we have one. He is very sweet and is settling in with the rest of the cats. We have a new litter of kittens and their mama Mittens is letting Henry nurse with her other 3 babes. He is the largest kitten in the photo below. He is having fun playing with the babies even if he is 3 weeks older. They are learning to stick up for themselves and fight him back. I think he is going to be a big guy and I am hoping he will have long hair. Time will tell. 

While I was away, my garden got tilled by 86 years young Doug and his trusty tractor. On Monday, I went to my favorite plant source in the world - Walker Farm in Dummerston, Vermont. I picked up almost enough annuals to fill my half my garden with veggies and cutting flowers. The other half of the garden will have sunflowers in it - seeds are ordered and hope to get them in next week.   

I have found a new podcast that I am enjoying - it is called Hello Atelier. Thanks Abby for including a link in your newsletter. 

I have also just re-discovered a blog that has a good YouTube Channel called Quintessence: Living Well with Style and Substance. You can subscribe to it here. Here is one of their newest videos that I really enjoyed. 

This quote resonated with me: "We are definitely more is more people."

Have a good weekend everyone. 

Sew Much More Podcast with Ceil Diguglielmo + Kim's Chairs

I was delighted to be asked to be on the "Sew Much More" Podcast hosted by Ceil Diguglielmo. Ceil has been a maker of window treatments and began her podcast a few years ago as a way to branch out beyond just making. She is a great conversationalist and we had a fun chat. We talked about all kinds of things. It is a bit of a long episode - maybe I talked too much. Here is the link to the episode. 

You can check out all her podcast interviews on her site here. Thanks so much Ceil for helping to spread the word about my work. I was especially excited to be on this podcast because I would be reaching a whole new group of folks who do not know anything about what I do. The nice thing though is they are all very into fabric and design and so they might be interested in the things I am doing now. 

In other news, my friend Kim from Kim's Upsholstery is doing up a set of Victorian chairs. She purchased my new Mod Suzani Fabric for the upholstery. Here is a link to Kim's YouTube Channel where you can find many amazing DIY videos. Kim painted the chairs with a paint line I had never heard of called Debi's Design Diary's DIY Paints. There are so many great women out there doing interesting things - aren't there? 

Here is a small picture of the Mod Suzani Fabric that I designed and Kim will be using. You too can purchase it on over 25 types of fabric, wallpaper and gift wrap over on my Spoonflower shop here. 

Hope to see some of you at the Webs Tent and Fleece Sale in Northampton tomorrow. The event happens rain or shine.  I will be set up with our local lamb. I will be bringing my books and other products with me but if it starts raining like crazy, I will put them away - books, paper and rain do not do good together. 

Announcing 2016 Creative Retreats At Leyden Glen Farm

Oh my goodness - I am so psyched. Today I was on Marly BIrd's Yarn Thing podcast and I announced that I would be listing the summer classes here at Leyden Glen Farm in western Massachusetts tomorrow. You can listen to the podcast here. And enter to win a prize here on the Show Notes on Marly's blog here. I was on Marly's podcast back in 2009 so it was fun to re-visit with her. 

But, I worked my little fingers and scheduling chores to the bone and was able to release them today. I want you all - my blog readers to have a chance to sign up first. 

Drum roll PLEASE! Here are the dates and classes for 2016 at Leyden Glen Farm.

July 16-17 - Color, Fabric Printing + Lampshade Painting for Your Home

July 30-31 - Color, Fabric Printing + Embroidery

September 23-24 - Color + Embroidery for Knitters + Crocheters

This year I have done something new. I am offering a discount for Early Bird Purchases for Two Day Classes. Sign up by May 15th and you will receive a discount of $35.

Hop on over to the website here for more information. 

Prices do not include lodging or dinner time meals. You will be provided with a list of places to stay and eat upon registration. 

I really hope some of you can come to the farm and have a transformational, creative and colorful experience. I can't wait to meet old friends and make new ones. If you have any questions, please send them to me at

kristinnicholas AT gmail DOT com

Life, Spring + Upcoming Things Including MarlyBird Podcast LIVE

Last year, I planted two new varieties of daffodils on top of the graves for our farm dogs Winston and Phoebe. They are blooming now and I'm enjoying them on my kitchen windowsill. I've made this a tradition, marking the spot where our loyal dogs lay. It makes me think of them each year as the daffodils bloom. I would love to have tulips but the deer and sheep would eat them so I don't waste my money. The nice thing about daffodils is that they spread and live for several years. 

There is a lot of color popping up in my garden. I mean to document it but life has been busy. 

Two weekends ago, I took an on-line class called Pattern Camp with Jessica Swift. It was a great class on designing patterns using both Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. I did it all in one weekend but now need to go back and re-take the lessons so I don't forget. Jessica is a great teacher and was available all weekend long. There is also a closed Facebook group where she answers questions and you can get help from other students. The videos are available for one month and there are some PDFs that you have access to forever. If you are interested in designing patterns and know these two programs, you might want to give it a go too. Here is one of the half drop repeats I made. 

It's a sure sign of spring here in western Massachusetts when the Farmers Markets begin again. Yesterday I spent the day in Northampton at the Tuesday Market. It was rainy and freezing cold and needless to say the people weren't flocking to buy frozen meat. Thank goodness for lots of wool - long underwear, gloves, hat and scarves. There is always next week. 

I'm very sad about the local peach crop this year. It seems that the buds were destroyed. From what I understand, the peach trees hadn't gone dormant because of the warm December/January weather and when we had a deep freeze in February, it killed all the buds which had already started forming. I guess we will have to eat Georgia peaches instead of local peaches.  

I have finished doing the base coats on the bedroom I am re-doing for my upcoming book Crafting A Patterned Home. I love the colors. I used a gold for most of the room, bright yellow for the closet doors, and a pretty green for the east wall where the sun rises. Now for the fun part. To plan it, I have cut out some sunflower shapes and taped them to the wall to make sure I like the scale and feeling of the design. 

Many years ago, I stayed at a beautiful little hotel in Portland, Maine called The Pomegranate Inn. The bedroom I stayed in had hand-painted walls that gave the feeling of wallpaper. At that point, I didn't have a digital camera or a phone so I had the idea just floating in my head. I did find that the hotel is still in business (but with new owners) and there are photos of the rooms. I think that they have been re-done since I was there but they are quite beautiful and an inspiration. Here is one which is quite pretty. 

Room at the Pomegranate Inn in Portland, ME

I've put some more photos on my Pinterest Board here. I've been using Pinterest to collect ideas for the book. I can see how people get addicted to it. I can also see that people can spend a whole lot of time on it. I have avoided Pinterest for years and thought that I should probably see what it is all about considering I am still blogging and it generates traffic for my blog and website. I am a slow adaptor of things for sure. There is only so much time in the day. This is a link to all my Pinterest boards if you are interested in following me. There is also a link on my right sidebar. 

Tomorrow I am going to be on the Marly Bird Podcast. It is a live show (noon Eastern time, 10 a.m. Mountain Time) and there will be prizes that I will give away. You can also listen to the podcast later and still win the prizes. Marly is so much fun and I look forward to the conversation. You can listen live and call in to chat with me. The Listener dial-in number is (347)539-5589. 

You will be able to listen to the conversation later. This is the link to the taped show.  

The WEBS Annual Fleece and Tent Sale is Saturday May 14th. I will be selling our farm raised lamb and my books. Here is the link for more info.  The Tent Sale continues on Sunday but no me or fleeces. Hope to meet some of you in Northampton on the 14th. 

The first Brimfield Flea Market of the year is May 10 to 15. Check it out here. I'm going for sure - just not sure what day. Hope to find some new things for my book project. 

Hope you all are enjoying spring!

Saturday What's Up

Popping in on a Saturday to share a few things..... Things never stop for weekends on a farm. Lambing is in full swing - 20 born on Thursday alone. I'll add some more photos of lambs at the end of this post.

I'm on the latest Webs Podcast being interviewed by Kathy Elkins. You can listen to it here. Thank you Webs for helping me get the word out about my new book Crafting a Colorful Home. Check out my website for ordering with free freight and a specially designed bookplate.

Craftsy has launched a Flash Sale until Sunday Evening 1/18. Get up to 50% off all classes over at Craftsy - including my Stitch It With Wool: Crewel Embroidery. Use this link - http://www.craftsy.com/ext/KristinNicholas_holiday to claim your discount. There are over 35 new classes including a new one by Myra Wood on Embroidery with Beads.

Speaking of Craftsy, my friend Marly Bird interviewed John Levisay, the CEO of Craftsy on her YarnThing Podcast on Thursday. Interesting interview with a visionary guy. I know I loved taping the Stitch It With Wool: Crewel Embroidery Class I did for them. All their classes are fantastically produced and you own them for life. Look - I even figured out how to embed the interview here! Wow.

Listen to internet radio with MarlyBird on BlogTalkRadio

To finish for today, here are some more photos from the lambing barns. Have a great weekend everyone!

Abby G of While She Naps and Moving Sheep (Again)

Do you know Abby Glassenberg? She is a softie designer and pattern maker, author, and podcaster. Abby is also the mom of 3 girls. I don't know how she does it all. Last week I participated in While She Naps - Abby's awesome podcast. The other guest is photographer Gale Zucker. Gale also writes the blog She Shoots Sheep Shots and is an author. It went live today. What an honor to be included in her great show.

I listen to a lot of podcasts while I am working. They make a nice break from the radio and I always learn something. I stumbled on Abby's podcast just this year. The format is great - two interesting guests and Abby all having a conversation. She asks each guest about their work and current projects. The second part of the show is like a Show and Tell on favorite products, websites, and things that the guests and Abby find helpful and interesting. This is my favorite part of the podcast because I always learn something new. 

If you are an independent designer or just interested in the business, I highly recommend Abby's While She Naps podcast. Check it out here. 

At this time of year, the sheep are on the move. Sometimes it is an organized move and sometimes they just bust out and move themselves. Here's some photos of the other day's organized move to new grazing. Kate and I were waiting for them, making sure they made the proper turn.

 

 

Have a great week everyone.