February Wool Projects

 I love working with wool in the winter & when I saw Sarah Peel of Cool Crafting's Highland cow called Hamish, I had to make him! This was from her fourth book, Luna Lapin and Friends - A Year Of Making. Such a wonderful book as it has all the patterns & they are all full-sized!!

Isn't Hamish adorable in his Buchanan Kilt?!

On his tie of Grandpa Richardson's tie clip, I think it adds a finishing touch to his outfit!

I was so pleased with the pleated kilt & it was a challenge as I had never made one before & his thespian tunic was made twice before I got it done right.

His hair tuff to the top of his head & tail was made from a shifted scarf that I took apart for the fabric, I love how it turned out!

His cute tail shows through from under his kilt!

His horns were difficult & on the third try, I got it right!

Highland cows are so popular right now & I smile & laugh at the videos of the small ones that people have, they are so cute!

This present is 2"x2" finished, it is a free OOM(Ornament Of the Month) with Stitch Along With  Attic Heirlooms, each month two ornaments are given free until the next reveal of the next month. This is from the January reveal.

This is the second one for January.

Then I made a wool feather tree with a pattern that I've had from Legacy & Bill made my baser for the tree to stand freely.

The tree and the stand are 23", it is a good size!

I've made February's ornaments, I like the orange one, and each one is embellished with embroidery & beads.

I used wired ribbon & tie string ends for the top of the bulb, it gives them a good weight & they hang nicely.

For Valentine's Day, I made a white tree to decorate & It is smaller at 16". I used an old pewter brooch for the topper. I used to wear it years ago on a blazer at work when it was Valentine's Day.

I used some vintage cookie cutters on it & some hanging cupid lockets.

Bill made my birch tree base from a limb of a tree he had cut down. 

I also had a hair scrunchie made of hearts that the elastic gave way so I took it apart to make a heart trim to go around the tree.

I think I like the white tree better, it is so beautiful & looks like our frosted trees here!

It is hard to capture the beauty of a morning frost on the trees.

The blue skies are being more frequent now and it makes my heart sing! Nature is glorious!!

We still have snow but nothing like the other Atlantic provinces, it is an unusually warm year here.

We are seeing the thaw around the trees, this photo was taken today.

The Miramichi Bay has lots of grey spots to it & further up the bay the water is now open!

We are not out of winter's rath yet but it has been an easy winter here in Hardwicke NB.

Bill has been restoring this 1850 piece and the details are coming through! 

The red mahogany is there as he cleans the many years of history off it.

Thank you for stopping by & we will be turning the clocks ahead on March 10th and the days of sunshine will be upon us. Although so many days have the feeling of the March thaw this February, unusually warm this month.

Take care and do come back to see me virtually with a visit again.

Cynthia xXx

It will be a very large beautiful piece once it is restored.

February Fresh Start

 It is now February, and I'm happy to put January in my memory.

We lost Gordo the English Bulldog on January 17th, he had touched our hearts in many ways. He was a sick puppy and is now where all good dogs go, Gordo is in heaven.

He was rescued by Donald and had a good life with him for 1 1/2 years of love from all of us.

Gordo was quite the character and we all smile when we speak of him or think of him. RIP Gordo. X

Now onto February, it is the leap year this year & I remember back in 1988 being very pregnant with the second son Mitchell, with a due date in late February and so relieved when he made his debut on the 18th of February not holding out to be a Leap Year baby. lol

February is also Valentine's Day & I decorated the dining room with some love.

The crow I made now wears red gingham & holds the velvet heart that Bill gave me one year for Valentine's Day.

The dining room bay window is the focal point for that special day with beadwork decorations.

These were purchased years ago at La Cache in London ON. The sale prices made them affordable and I would use them each year thereafter.

The beaded birds were purchased at the same time and I had purchased three hearts & three birds. 

The large silver hearts were a sale find at Urban Nest in Miramichi NB last year with their after-Christmas sale...I saw them as a Valentine's decor!

I put the heart-shaped Love that I made years back in the window, you can see the ice on the window from a sleet of rain that went through our area that day. All northeast windows looked like they had a stained glass texture that day, could not see in, could not see out!

This is a lumbar pillow I made from all the scraps from the William Morris fabric table runner.

The back is made of a light tan striped chintz from a sample package I had purchased many years back. I finished it with a zipper on the bottom for easy removal and did a binding in The Strawberry Thief fabric which matches my Pumpernickel placemats that I purchased at Parkland in Miramichi NB,  On The Square in Newcastle.

We've brought the two Louis XV chairs in to cozy the dining room up this winter. I do miss not having the sunporch, I would sip my morning coffee and enjoy the waterfront view. Winter migrates us inside where it is warm and cozy.

Here is the table runner that I made with Morris Co. fabric, I love all William Morris designs!

I added five inches or one design block more to make the length fit the table. This is a new free pattern on the Connecting Threads website called Labybrith Tablerunner, under the free patterns. www.connectingthreads.com

His designs have such movement to them, like a summer breeze. The Strawberry Thief is one of my favourite prints in red and blue, the scale of this print is the same as the placemats!

The gingerbread house is now finished & the roof is put the right way too! lol

I crotched four strands of roving in a loose chain stitch to create the icing effect.

And love the idea Bill had having a hinged roof, thank you Bill for being patient with me & bringing this to life! This is finished and ready for this Christmas!

Don brought me his Bulldog pillow & asked for the feather pillow to be replaced with a polyester one as his allergies are through the roof with feathers. So I pulled out my chintz sample pieces of fabric & made a dark red striped pillow for Valentine's Day!

Since these are sample pieces I had only enough for one side, so this side was done with Valentine's Day in mind too with a soft pink. The scraps were then used for a removable band to go around it!

The band can be used vertically or horizontally, this pillow is in the foyer on the bench.

When Bill comes home with the truck & backs up to the house, this is what happens each time!!

I thought it was beautiful to share with Valentine's Day just weeks away.

We say that his truck loves coming home! lol

Here is the progress on the Pokemon I Spy Quilt, I have two more rows to finish to bring all the 168 blocks together. This is truly a labour of love for Nicholas. xXx

Thank you for stopping by to visit. I hope you are enjoying your winter as much as we are. It is a very unusual winter in the northeast New Brunswick area but it's just the beginning of February & another 6 weeks of potential storms to come blanket us with the Canadian winter that we all know.

Stay warm and healthy and come for a virtual visit again.

Cynthia xXx