Musings on Hay

 

I'm off to the Tuesday Northampton Farmers Market to sell our lamb meat this afternoon in the sweltering heat. The Farmer is in haying mode doing his first cutting of the fields he mows. It is a massive job and very time consuming. Because it is me there at the market and not him, everyone is curious where he is. I tell them he is "haying" and almost every single person looks at me with a quizzical expression. I ask them if they know what that is and of course, most don't. I explain that if you raise grass fed animals, what do you think they eat in the winter? Grass. I get the funniest responses from people. Farmers market shoppers have many of the buzz words down - grass fed, local, sustainably grown..... but most of them don't know what anyone of them mean. They are clueless as to what really goes into a grass fed animal product. 

 

I don't fault any of them for it. If they are interested, I will explain more. In actuality, most of them don't care. Like my sister says, "I just want to buy it, know I can cook it tonight, and then hope it is good." Because I am so darn involved in all this farming biz I find it all somewhat amusing.

Anyway, the other morning on the way to move sheep, I stopped at a field before the rain came and snapped these photos of some wildflowers. The flowers will all be mown in a week or so and be bundled up into haybales. I suppose that is a marketing opportunity - oh yes, our sheep eat wildflowers. Must think about that one! 

Enjoy the photos and the day!

Scottish Crewel Tapestry !WOW! Do You Want to Learn to Make My Crewelwork Zippered Bag?

First off, I know I have mentioned The Great Tapestry of Scotland before but here I go again. I'm so into my Crewel Embroidery now and then there is this astounding project completed by other Crewel Embroiderers from around the world. Check out their website here. 

Kate Davies, author, knitwear designer, and blogger, got the chance to actually visit The Great Tapestry. She has been posting photos this week of close-ups of the individual panels. It has been so much fun to see these because as a knitter and stitcher, I am drawn to the elements she has photographed and chosen to include on her blog. Thank you Kate. Check it out here. 

Now for you in the States. Here's what you will be making if you come to the Farm for the Crewel Embroidery Retreat on July 19th.

We will be learning 18 stitches that are not included in my Craftsy.com Crewel Embroidery class - link on the sidebar. The stitches will be done in a sampler fashion. You will be provided with linen fabric and crewel wool and although you will not be able to finish the entire sampler, I'll send you off with a good start.
 
Over the past weekend, I sewed my piece of crewelwork embroidery into this little zippered bag. I used the directions which are available in a free PDF download from Christina Haynes blog. This style bag is super popular at the moment and is very easy to make. (I did not interface that outside layer of the bag (the one with all the crewel stitching) but I did use a product called "Heat'n Bond Lite" to make a double layer lining which adds stiffness and body to the bag.)

The sampler could also be turned into a pillow or a pocket on a canvas bag. We won't be sewing the bag at the class but you will be able to make it when you finish your sampler. I chose a chartreuse zipper.

I'm dying to use it for my needles and stitching supplies but I think I will keep it pristine. So often I use my Crewel Embroidery on pillows for my home so this was a fun departure to use it on a bag I could/will use often.

All info on the retreat here. More info about our area, where to stay and eat HERE.  You can come for the day or make a weekend out of it. This is an extremely beautiful area of New England with many other fun things to see and do. My favorite things are outlined on my website here. We are 2 hours from Boston, 3 1/2 hours from NYC and a little over an hour from Hartford. Any questions, email me at kristinnicholas AT gmail DOT com.

Peonies! Yes! + The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers Book Giveaway

It is peony season here at the farm. And as usually happens, rain is always a threat to the life of the blooms. 

 

After working in my gardens some yesterday, I harvested as many peonies as I could for the house. 

There really is no other flower that rivals the peony - the incredibly short bloom period makes them extra special. 

 And that smell. Just incredible.

I wish you could smell them through your screen.  Here are my bouquets that I will be spreading around the house to perfume our rooms.

With all this talk of flowers, it is a perfect time to introduce you all to a fantastic new book called The The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers: A Guide to Making Unbelievably Realistic Paper Blooms published by STC/MelanieFalick Books. You can see a small slideshow with more photos here.  

Paper flowers are having their time in the sun right now and it is because of incredible artists such as Livia Cetti, the author. You can see a Studio Tour of her place here on Design*Sponge. She has taken what could be a hokey kind of craft and turned it into a real art. And the best thing is she wrote a book for all of us to learn her tricks from. 

The above photo is the chapter opener where Livia lets you in on what kinds of paper to buy and all the other little things you will need - many of which you already own. She goes very indepth - giving brand names - which is quite helpful if you want to have the success with making the flowers. 

 

The instructions look excellent - with all kinds of tips. I have not had the chance to actually make any paper flowers but I am hoping to get to it this summer.  Get out the crepe paper, the tissue paper, the glue gun and the bleach! You'll have to read the book to find out about how to use the bleach.

Aren't these flowers amazing? They look so real. Here is the step by step how to to make the cherry blossoms above. 

I think this book would be a great start to a summer of crafting with children or with friends. I can only imagine how many brides will be using The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers to make decorations for their tables. 

 

The book is laid out very nicely. It begins with the basics and then moves onto individual flowers which are photographed in pretty vases as shown below. There are 26 different flowers featured.

 

At the end of the book there is 18 different projects that use paper flowers including the flower garland below that is just incredible.  They call it 3-D wallpaper. Cute. Directions are included for all of these projects. At the very end are templates of the individual leaf and petal shapes that you would use as patterns.

Check out Livia's stunning website here. It is really hard to believe the flowers are not real and are actually made of paper. Livia Cetti also teaches on Creativebug. Check out her on-line classes here.  

One of you lucky readers is going to win a copy of Livia Cett's The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers. Here's how you enter.....

Answer the following question In the comments section...... What is your favorite flower? If you have the time, let us know why. It is so much fun for all of us to read through your stories. 

Contest ends Monday June 16th.  
As always, leave an easy way to get a hold of you. US addresses only. Good luck everyone. 

Contest is over. The winner is Carol who wrote:

Lily of the valley...we had them in profusion in the back yard of my childhood home, and my late mother wore Muguet perfume...when I smell them I am instantly transported to a different time and place...memory. Carol, ceejay on Rav

And here is a little art history for all of you. Did you know that the artist Vanessa Bell often painted photos of paper flowers? Here is one of her paintings from the Tate Museum. The Omega Workshop also made and sold paper flowers back in the 1910's. Here are some of the other paintings that feature paper flowers.

An Artful Gem in Western Mass - Good Time Stove Company

A few weeks ago, Julia and I headed over to Cummington to the Massachusetts Sheep and Wool Festival. On the way home, we stopped at The Good Time Stove Company which sits on Route 112 in Goshen. Years ago, we stopped by to see the antique stoves that are all repaired and put back into working order. It is an amazing place.

Since the last time I stopped, The Good Time Stove Company has been transformed into a major work of art. Here's what we saw. Maybe one day, you'll head this way and see it to. If you can't, watch this episode on Making It Here produced by WGBY, our local PBS station. 

Do you see the giant tin man?

Julia with the Tin Man

Julia under the archway made of bicycles

There is also a healing garden set behind the stove company called Three Sisters Sanctuary. We didn't have time to see it but will take a trip there soon. 

This place is definitely worth a trip. It is located not too far from Northampton, MA and about 40 minutes from our farm. Put it on your places to see in western Mass.

One More Day - Up To Half Off Craftsy Classes

Hi Everyone! Just a Sunday night reminder that my Craftsy Class Stitch It with Wool: Crewel Embroidery is on sale until tomorrow night June 9th at midnight Mountain Time. 

Use this link:

www.craftsy.com/extKristinNicholas_holiday

The sale is for ANY Craftsy Class - and there are hundreds including knitting, crochet, quilting, sewing, cooking, photography, art, and more. Check them out. Sale price varies depending on the class.

Sunflower Fabric Designs

Don't forget the big Up To 50% off sale over at Craftsy on my class - Stitch It With Wool: Crewel Embroidery and on ALL of their classes. Click this link to receive 50% off now through June 9th.

I've been wanting to design fabric for a while now. In my dreams I hope to be able to sell my designs to a fabric house. Those are dreams and I am realistic that there are literally thousands of people like me who want to have a fabric line. All I had to do was buy a copy of Uppercase #21 to dash those dreams away - oh the talent that is out there - astounding.

Last week, my friend Cynthia came to visit and I was showing her some fabrics that I designed and had printed for myself on Spoonflower. I used Adobe Illustrator and some drawings that I handpainted and scanned. I learned how to do a seamless repeat via a Youtube video by "Sew Heidi" - you can find it here. Thank you Heidi! I also used this book - Mastering the Art of Fabric Printing and Design by Laurie Wisburn. 

After Cynthia left, I decided to take the leap and let the public buy my fabric via Spoonflower. I'm going to slowly release some different designs. The first is called Sunflower + Stripes. It comes in both a vertical and horizontal design. It is a very large scale print. I had it printed on their linen/cotton canvas.

Here's a quilt back I made with it. It is wrinkled because it has been put away in a box - sorry - no time to iron it. 

Here is a chair pad I made with it for our kitchen chairs. 

This fabric would make a gorgeous tablecloth or a canvas bag too. Spoonflower has several different fabrics that you can purchase including cottons, linens, silks and more. They sell wrapping paper and wallpaper too! You can order samples from them - I always buy the sample first before ordering yardage to make sure I like the design. 

The way Spoonflower works is if you purchase this design from them, they will print it and I will get a very small commission. Remember - this is digitally printed fabric so it is a bit different than screen-prints you purchase at the fabric store. Ask them the questions, not me because I really know nothing about the wear, washing, etc. They have an awesome help chat line and answer questions quickly if you can't find the info on their website. It is a bit pricey but not really when you think of what they are selling - small runs of custom printed fabric.

So I guess I have realized my dream - I am a fabric designer albeit very small time! Hope you like! Have a great weekend. 

Summer Possibilities + Heather Ross Book Giveaway

I'll start off with another small detail shot of some of the crewel embroidery stitches I'll be teaching at the Crewel Embroidery Retreat here at the farm this summer. We'll be learning 18 new stitches which are not included in the Craftsy on-line video which I teach. BTW, Craftsy is having a fantastic "summer holiday" sale on ALL their classes beginning today. Here is the link to enjoy HALF OFF. Sale runs through midnight June 9th.

Click here to find out about the summer retreats at the farm.

I'm always late to put my veggie/cutting garden in. The ground doesn't warm up here too early so I try to work on other things outside - like cleaning up what is left from last fall and the winter debris. Here is what a disaster it is.....

Veggie and flower garden before tilling

....... until yesterday. It was tilled and now the rush is on to get it all planted before the weeds come up again. I am headed to Walker Farm today to do my annual shop of their fabulous seedlings. I have posted about Walker Farm here and it never disappoints. I love the look of the fresh plowed earth and all the anticipation of what is to come in the next couple warm months.

I've found a new garden shoe that I like quite a bit. They are called Sloggers and come in 3 heights. I have the low style right now but want to add the two other heights because I am frequently walking around in high grasses. You can check them out here. American made too. They are quite comfy and come in fun colors and prints. Julia has terrible problems getting shoes to fit because she wears orthotics. We got her a pink print pair (her signature color) and she loves them. 

There are only two weeks left for Julia of school this year. I can feel my rush to get stuff done before she is around every day. Although she is older and more independent, she still craves my attention and wants to be entertained some. We don't generally go away on a family vacation - it is too hard to leave the animals alone. It has been years and years since I have traveled anywhere besides a free vacation at my family's or for a work destination. It's okay, really, but once in a while I dream of going to London again. This is happening in the Spitalfields area on June 7th. What a fun day in secret backyard gardens this would be. Or maybe a visit to The American Museum in Bath where Kaffe Fassett has a new exhibition. Check out the video here about the installation and design of the exhibition. It looks more than FABULOUS. On until November.

I just finished reading Heather Ross's memoir How to Catch a Frog and other stories of family, love, dysfunction, survival, and DIY. Let me start this off by saying that I do not know Heather. I have followed her work in the textile field on and off through her blog. Heather is an incredibly talented illustrator, fabric designer and teacher. This is her third book - the others are Heather Ross Prints 2012 (includes a DVD for downloading prints, many cool craft and sewing projects, and a good introduction to how to create repeating designs in Photoshop for all of you who want to design your own fabric). Her first book was Weekend Sewing: More Than 40 Projects and Ideas for Inspired Stitching (2009). She also illustrated the kids book Crafty Chloe kids series. What a talent.

Heather had an unconventional childhood in northern Vermont. The book is mostly words but is also illustrated with her incredibly sweet paintings and includes some how-to project ideas. How to Catch a Frog and other stories of family, love, dysfunction, survival and DIY is mostly stories about her childhood. Heather is a great storyteller in words - as she is in her illustrations. Her fabrics look like little stories of childhood on a piece of fabric - a childhood many people dream of in the country. Heather does not hide the fact that growing up in a rural area is not exactly what city dwellers think it is. Let me just say that and you'll have to find out more by reading. 

Heather runs Creative Retreats (including one in northern Vermont each summer). I have friends who have gone and had a fantastic time. You can check out her workshops here including an upcoming one on designing your own fabric in NYC in November. 

There is a rather in-depth review of How to Catch a Frog on Quilty Pleasures here. And yes, you will learn how Heather catches a frog - I have always been a bit squeamish around amphibians so I was interested to read the technique. This book would be a great summer read and it is also available digitally for those who prefer reading on a device.

I have a copy of How To Catch a Frog donated by the fine folks at STC/Melanie Falick Books. Would you like to win it? Here's how:

Answer the following questions in the comments section:
What is your favorite biography/memoir/ or just plain old book you loved and want to re-read this summer?

Contest ends Sunday, June 8th at 11:59 p.m. As always, please leave an easy way to get a hold of you - Rav id, blogger id or email. US addresses only.

Good luck 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.