Lynn Carson Harris

Thoughtful Sunday 13

"I assure you that you can pick up more information when you are listening than when you are talking."

The Trumpet of the Swan, E. B. White, 1970

Farm Girl

P thinks she is a real farm girl. She hasn't spent much time with the chickens lately as they are full grown now and LAYING EGGS of their own. She still calls them her baby chicks. I know she will enjoy getting new chicks in the spring. We have not clued her in on one of our weekend projects which is the reason we get new chicks each year.... We will start culling the old hens and new roosters and making chicken broth for the freezer. B will do the first steps in the back yard with the drapes closed.

P's new farm "chore" that she enjoys is helping dad with tractor stuff (going on tractor rides). Sometimes there is a lot of waiting until Dad has everything ready.

It is not until now, while looking at this photo, that I see how worn her shoes are. But, they are great shoes. They come with a lot of history. I bought them years ago for D. then M. wore them. Next, they went to Virginia and were used by two of her cousins. Now, they are back where they started, on this old tractor. Having rides again with the same Dad.

Happy Lunch

Happy lunch.

Happy sewing.

I like the way the scrap buster quilt is coming along.

It is gray and rainy so the picture isn't the best.

Children's Literature in Needlework

Children's literature has always been a part of my life.  I remember my mother's voice at bed time reading our stories.  To this day I hear Captain Kangaroo's voice in my head when I read Are You My Mother, Caps for Sale, or Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel.  One year for Halloween I even dressed as  Pippi Longstocking. We put wire in my braids to make them stick out.

 

Years ago, while earning an Engineering degree at Virginia Tech, (yeah, what was I thinking?), I also took some child development classes and the ever popular "Kiddy Lit" class. I enjoyed that class even though my sister had to give my oral report because my mouth was wired closed at the time. I still believe that she sabotaged me as she got an A and I received a B!

Becoming a mother brought it full circle for me. I started reading aloud and sharing old favorites with my own children.  When D was in first grade we read Charlotte's Web and made this little sewing project together. I love that little Wilbur he cut from felt. There is also the spider web that is connected to nothing.
 
I have made a few quilts and needlework projects inspired by children's literature.
Magic at Midnight inspired by Cinderella
Mushroom Fairy Quilt from the Flower Fairies
Blueberry Apron from Blueberries for Sal

In honor of my birthday today, I have started a flickr group for needlwork inspired by Children's Literature Please add photos of your own handiwork inspired by children's stories; I'd love to see it.

Scrap Buster Quilt

This weekend I started a scrap quilt.  I love making scrap quilts and still can't get all my scraps in the one bin and have the lid close, even when everything is neatly stacked by size. I don't understand it. I mostly make quilts from the scraps, yet they still seem to multiply when I am not looking. There is fabric in there that I KNOW I have never seen before. Fabric just follows me home from garage sales, rummage sales and quilting events.  I am sorry I don't have any photos to share of the scrap bin explosion on the sewing room floor.  My sewing space is on the north (darkest) side of the house and a good photo of the ginormous pile of fabrics that ended on the floor just didn't happen. I tried. Really.

I found a lot of rich, deep colored fabric pieces and started a new quilt inspired by the antique quilt pictured on page 13 of Gwen Marston's Liberated String Quilts.

I am using a lot of "string" scraps and even some triangles on the corners of the blocks.

The blocks will be about 6 inches square.  Each one starts with a center strip of red fabric. It is not as RED as I would have liked, but it is a fabric that I already had.

I hope the red stripe grid will show up in the finished quilt and not be lost in all of the other fabrics.
P has really had fun helping me with the scraps. I am waiting to see if she is as eager when it is time to put the fabrics back in the bin. At least there will be fewer to put away!

Magical Light

Brown was the color of the day for our walk this weekend.

I love that magical time of day when the low sun makes everything glow.

Don't you love the way the milkweed seeds look like a fish?

Thoughtful Sunday 12

"Safety is all well and good: I prefer freedom."

The Trumpet of the Swan, E. B. White, 1970

Shadow Play

It is usually cloudy here in the fall so we try to get outside when the sun is shining.  The midday sun is very low.

This makes for great shadow fun.

What simple things are you enjoying this fall?

The Dressmaker's Shop

P and I recently went on an outing to The Dressmaker's Shop in Leslie, MI. The owner of the shop comes to the Pioneer Days at Waterloo Farm Museum each fall and I have been wanting to get to her shop for two years.  After P's fascination with the "stick out dresses" this year I thought it was time to go.  Leslie is a pretty small town but the shop was quite fun.  The shop is set up like an old dressmaker's shop and the owner dresses in period costume everyday. She has dresses from many decades in history. The fabric wall has reproduction fabrics arranged by decade. She carries everything needed to make a reproduction gown or bonnet. She has tons of books, trims, and reproduction and antique buttons. She offers classes and does a lot of custom work for historic reenactors. She uses a treadle sewing machine and sews by hand to make some truly beautiful gowns.
It was a lovely shop and I am sure we will be returning.
I got a pattern that includes sizes 2-14. There are lots of variations so I am sure the one pattern will do for many years.

I also bought some reproduction 1860s fabric. The pink piece on the right is what P chose for her dress.
I have no idea when I will get around to designing and making the dress; these tops are still cut and sitting on my desk. The fabric is washed, dried, folded, and waiting with the pattern. I sure hope I can find them again when the mood to make the dress hits.

New Home

Yesterday I got a great package in the mail. Remember the house swap I mentioned earlier? Well, my little house came in the mail from Camille.

I love all of the details she put in.

We both used the same tutorial but they each have their own style. This house is a little bigger. It is actually large enough that some little woodland fairy family might want to move it.

Thanks Camille, I love it.

In addition to doing great needlework, Camille has an eye for lovely vintage items; just look at the collection in her shop.