inhale...exhale...relax your shoulders...repeat as often as needed

Saturday, May 23, 2020

blue and green and birch








Oh spring! The sunshine and the warmth have finally arrived in Vermont together, at the same time. We've had a magical few days, with trees leafing out, blossoms opening and plenty of outdoor projects.

But just last week, I was still hunkered down in my sewing studio, trying to conjure a touch of spring. I had been meaning to find a way to keep Cora away from any woolen yarn I may be knitting with. She is fanatically intrigued by wool, which often has a bad outcome. Ahem.

So, I scoured the internet to find a zippered project bag to my liking. I found this "Kit Supply Tote" pattern by Aneela Hoey. I used a Marimekko linen tea towel for the body of the tote, chair tape from Shaker Workshops for the handles and a variety of fabrics for the interior. One of the interior pockets is stitched from my fave birch fabric, one pocket is made from cotton I dyed last spring using birch catkins (do you see what I did there?).

I also stitched a card made with scraps of my homegrown, hand-dyed indigo and a bit of birch bark. It went via snail mail, to New Jersey to cheer a friend.

The days still tumble together, and we've started volume 2 of our "staying home" book. I don't think we ever imagined that would happen when we started the first notebook! Balance is still elusive, but solace can be found in the simplest of things.
  • nesting bluebirds and barn swallows
  • eating baby kale, spinach and lettuces from the hoop house
  • open windows at night, letting in the sounds of the woods
  • a steaming mug of tea, first thing in the morning, held close for warmth still pleases me to no end
  • walking barefoot on the wooden floors again
  • seeing photos of Maggie and Flora, texted by their mamas
Sending each of you love and hope and courage from Vermont.

xo

1 comment:

  1. Love, love, love your project bag. That is absolutely beautiful!

    ReplyDelete