Monthly Archives: May 2013

Here comes the heat!!

Lots of fiber and clay happening down here in Virginia.  Despite the rising temperatures... (it was bound to happen eventually right?)

Remember the haul from Maryland Sheep and Wool?   Many of you fell in love with the two twists on the far left....




Now they are a 3 ply (Navajo plied...meaning there is some color separation...) light worsted yarn!  A three ply this thin is pretty good for me.  (That's a nickle for scale.)



Meanwhile my friend Lynette is working on items for her show in August.  I spin wool for her sculptures...and this 8 oz will become a beehive.  The colors are perfect!  We were excited to find it at Maryland.


My latest blanket.....


And I had an exciting visitor.  No pictures of course but Hannah McAndrew was in town!  She was on the long journey home to Scotland after her show with the St Croix Valley Potters in Minnesota.  She was very interested in a blanket so we made a swap.

This plate is BIG, 15 inches across and much more golden than it looks in this picture.  I love it!  And I know Hannah will enjoy her wool throw in chilly Scotland. Thanks so much Hannah!


And I have finally found my groove again in the clay studio.  It was slow going at first.  Even though I have been throwing pots for over 7 years I still often struggle with some of the basics.  I am so thankful when it starts to flow again.


I am working on getting a kiln load dry and ready to bisque in the next 2 weeks.  All those little bowls on the top two shelves of the drying rack have to be in Vermont before the end of the month!



I am SO GLAD that my little AC unit seems to be working ok in my studio.  Not nearly as efficient as the split system I had in my studio in Charlottesville.  I should have taken it with us since the buyers are simply using the space as a garage.  It is definitely cooler then the 90 degree air outside but the humidity still seems high.  Drying is going slow...

So potting, weaving, spinning and sweating on those morning walks with Layla.


She LOVES her air conditioning.

A Line Skirt

I finally finished a skirt I’d cut out months ago.

Just in time for our first campfire of the season!

05.31.13a

The fabric is a delectable avian print by Joel Dewberry.

05.31.13b

And can I say how much I enjoy having a serger to make nice finished edges?

05.31.13c

The pattern is one of my absolute favorites.  It’s Amy Butler’s Barcelona Skirt pattern, and I’ve made many of them.

05.31.13d

They’re comfortable, flattering and super easy to make.  I don’t know why it took me so long to get this one sewn up.


Tagged: Sewing

May Twilight …

Ocean Park – Oak Bluffs – Martha’s Vineyard

101_3574

…thus ends the month of May.

 - by Joan -


Giveaway! Shabby Apple

Shabby Apple is giving us the fantastic opportunity to off you a grand prize giveaway! We teamed up with them once before and both Juniper Moon Farm and Shabby Apple has such a good time doing it, that we’ve decided to do it again! They’re offering a $50 giftcard to Shabby Apple.

What can you get for $50? Here are my favorite picks!

1cherryblossom

This sweet, pink Cherry Blossom Skirt

2Freesia

This vintage-inspired lavender Freesia top. The bow and sleeves slay me!

3 Ballerina

This darling ballerina dress that is onsale and I think would be flattering to many body types. (Actually there’s a bunch of adorable things on the deep discount sales page that you could get!)

Maybe you’d prefer some accessories to go freshen up something you already own?

4slingbackflats

I’m smitten with these slingback flats.

5Belt

This faux-leather belt with cutout details could bring new life to a dress!

6Jenna

And after buying the belt, you’d have almost enough to get these 3/4 hoop lacy earrings.

7birdpearl

I know my friend Kelly would flip her lid for this pearl necklace. (Everything’s better with a bird on it!)

8nauticaldress

It would be worth the splurge to get this nautical-inspired pleated dress!

How to Enter / Rules

To enter, go to the Shabby Apple Facebook page and “like” them. Then come back here and tell us what you’d pick if you won a $50 giftcard.

Entries close at 11:59p EST on Tuesday, June 4th  and a winner will be chosen and posted right here on the morning of Wednesday, June 5th. The winner will have 24 hours to claim his/her prize by emailing us with the shipping info. If the winner doesn’t claim his/her prize, we’ll draw another name.

This contest is open only to those with a US shipping address. Sorry, rest of the world!

Giveaway! Shabby Apple

Shabby Apple is giving us the fantastic opportunity to off you a grand prize giveaway! We teamed up with them once before and both Juniper Moon Farm and Shabby Apple has such a good time doing it, that we’ve decided to do it again! They’re offering a $50 giftcard to Shabby Apple.

What can you get for $50? Here are my favorite picks!

1cherryblossom

This sweet, pink Cherry Blossom Skirt

2Freesia

This vintage-inspired lavender Freesia top. The bow and sleeves slay me!

3 Ballerina

This darling ballerina dress that is onsale and I think would be flattering to many body types. (Actually there’s a bunch of adorable things on the deep discount sales page that you could get!)

Maybe you’d prefer some accessories to go freshen up something you already own?

4slingbackflats

I’m smitten with these slingback flats.

5Belt

This faux-leather belt with cutout details could bring new life to a dress!

6Jenna

And after buying the belt, you’d have almost enough to get these 3/4 hoop lacy earrings.

7birdpearl

I know my friend Kelly would flip her lid for this pearl necklace. (Everything’s better with a bird on it!)

8nauticaldress

It would be worth the splurge to, get this nautical-inspired pleated dress!

How to Enter / Rules

To enter, go to the Shabby Apple Facebook page and “like” them. Then come back here and tell us what you’d pick if you won a $50 giftcard.

Entries close at 11:59p EST on Tuesday, June 4th  and a winner will be chosen and posted right here on the morning of Wednesday, June 5th. The winner will have 24 hours to claim his/her prize by emailing us with the shipping info. If the winner doesn’t claim his/her prize, we’ll draw another name.

This contest is open only to those with a US shipping address. Sorry, rest of the world!

Me-Made-May final days!

Here are the last few days of May, and I've been happily wearing me-made stuffs.  I'm kinda bummed this month is nearly over, but I'm so glad I brought out my hand-made goodies.  The weather has been so crazy, I was actually able to wear some of my winter hand-knits!

May 26th, I wore my Mod-Podge jacket.  Little did I know I spent most of the day with the snaps misaligned.  Oh well.

 May 27th, all this hand-made goodness inspired me to finish a pair of jeans!  I had the fabric ready, but was unsure it would be enough to make a full-length pair.  They're tailored and about ankle length.  I think they look rather fetching at ankle length.  I've worn them twice now, and they're quickly becoming a fave.

 May 28th, the second time I wore the jeans, I paired it with one of my favorite cardigans knit in Malabrigo Lace which is super soft and fuzzy.  I had no idea I'd be wearing hand-knits and it's nearly June.  The weather's been crazy.

 May 29th, and I think this may be my final Me-Made-May post.  I have a wedding to attend this weekend in Italy, and I don't know how likely it will be that I can photograph my wardrobe.  So, I did it!  I wore hand-made items 4 days of each week.  It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, but I did get lazy last week.  The cold weather actually helped me pull stuff from my hand-knit collection that I might not have worn.  So, today I pulled out my alpaca shell.  One of my warmest hand-knits and one of the earliest garments I knit.  I love it and it used exactly one giant skein of Alpaca with a Twist yarn.



If I dooo manage to finish the dress in the background I'll post a pic. ;)
Happy Me-Made-May!

ETA: final me-made photo.  'twas too cold to wear the dress-in-progress unfortunately.  But, I did manage to wear my nicely brightly colored loop!  Who would have thought the end of May would be so cold in Italy!
May 31st, me-made-loop/cowl, Bassano del Grappa, Italy

For Neve, On Her Birthday

A letter to my favorite girl

Neve, you are my best friend’s daughter, but in so many ways, you are mine. From the moment we met, you and I just sort of understood each other. We are so much alike. We share a sense of humor, an over-developed sense of justice and a stubborn streak a mile-wild.

A letter to my favorite girl

Having lived with that particular set of personality traits for years now, I can tell you that life is will not be easy for you. You will struggle and fight and rage, and demand a fairness that the world just doesn’t have to offer. You will, at times, feel outraged, exhausted and weary from carrying so much right around inside of you. You’ll wonder in ernest why everyone else can’t see things the way you do, why people can be so intentionally obtuse, why no one will listen.

And then, you’ll be distracted by the loveliest field of flowers or a sky full of stars, and the wonder and beauty will remind you that the world really is an amazing, intoxicating place.

A letter to my favorite girl

Not everyone will understand your sense of humor, your tendency to make a joke even at the tensest, most inappropriate times. And that’s okay. Because the people who you find who do understand you and speak your language will be the most loyal friends anyone ever had. You can’t see it yet, Neve, but you are positively bursting at the seams with personality and charm, and you will be a magnet for the people who get you. You will find your tribe.

A letter to my favorite girlIf I could spare you the hurt that’s in your future or even just prep you for it, I would. But knowing you as I do, I also know you wouldn’t listen. You would flat out refused to be briefed. You will demand to learn your own lessons, even if it’s the hard way. You will take your highs and lows as they come, wallowing in your mistakes and reveling in your victories. You will own them all. I respect that about you.

A letter to my favorite girl

But remember, when you do want advice I am always just a phone call away. Sometimes, a person just need to talk to someone who understands you.

Love,

Aunt Mommy

Victory Garden + Four Years

Back in May of 2009, I did a blog post about my Mama turning her front yard into a victory garden. Looking back at those pictures, I just can’t believe the difference that four years and a really long growing season have brought.

Here’s the view from the front back in 2009.

This is the view from the front today.

2009

2013

The transformation has been magical!

As I may have mentioned in a previous post or two (or 10), the strawberries are thriving and fruiting like crazy!

There are three varieties of edible lavender.

And so much rosemary! This isn’t the greatest picture but I need to give you something for scale. That little bit of blue peeking out at the top is a real estate for sale sign. The rosemary bushes are about waist high and there are 8 of them. And to think it all started with a little cutting.

There are blackberry bushes all along the fence. We’re only days away from ripe berries, I think.

Not everything in the garden was a roaring success. The combination of full sun all day and the drought that’s been plaguing Texas for the last few years conspired to kill every tomato plant Mama has ever put in the front garden. (She’s had more success them in the backyard.) But that just left more room for flowers which have thrived.

Turning a front lawn into an edible garden

If you have the desire to transform your lawn, Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community is a great place to start.

Ideal

btt button

I want you to think about your ideal reading experience. Think about the location. (Your bed? Favorite chair? The beach? Indoors or outdoors?). Think about the sounds. (Is there music playing? Happy children playing in the background? Utter silence?) Is there a snack or beverage nearby? Are you alone or with friends/family (presumably being quiet enough for you to read in peace)? What kind of lighting is there? Are you dressed in something ultra-comfy? What’s your position? Curled up? Stretched out?

Now … describe it so that we can all feel exactly how perfect it is … and why.


Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!


The Cliffs In May …

Gay Head cliffs – Aquinnah – Martha’s Vineyard

copyright 2013

copyright 2013

- by Joan -

(www.mvobsession.com)