Happy New Year

I guess this is the newest in knitted scarves, my mother-in-law saw one and asked if I could make her one. The yarn is made by Red Heart and is called Boutique Sashay, under $5 a skein, you only need one and it comes in many colors. The yarn looks like lace and you use the top loops to knit with. It turns out to be this lacy looking scarf.  Directions are inside of the label.

It's kind of putsy to make, looking for the right hole to use, but is very easy otherwise.

I put 6 stitches on my size 10.5 needles.

This is my "Official" New Years Eve pin, I made this several years ago with an old watch set to 12:00 midnight and several stars and a moon around it.

Speaking of Stars tonight at midnight will be a good time to star watch. Sirius in the constellation Canis Major-the legendary Dog Star- should be called the New year's Star. This Star-the brightest one in our sky-celebrates the birth of 2013 and every New Year by reaching it's highest point in the sky around the stroke of midnight. That the case this year and every year.
This information came from the web site earthsky.org/tonight/star-sirius-torchbearer-of-the-year, click on "tonight".
If your interested there is information on how to locate the star on the web site (and a lot of other great sky watching information.

Have a Wonderful New Years Eve. I'll see you soon.

Wolf Moon

Today I feel like the news media, for the next couple of weeks it's all about looking back at the news stories from the past year. Mine will only be this blog though, today I'll share with you this past years moon block. The Full moon is tomorrow and with the second full moon in August it kind of messed up my year of moons that's why I'm showing the January block. (if that doesn't make any sense I understand). For my new moon watching friends this was last years January moon, the Wolf Moon, I embroidered him and added crystal beads for his cold breath.

American Indians admired and respected the gray wolf for its cunning intelligence, cooperative spirit and well-ordered lifestyle. When midwinter temperatures dipped below freezing, heavy snow blanketed the ground and the moon shone bright in the frosty sky above, their hungry howls could be heard as they lingered about the outskirts of American Indian villages. Hence, the name Full Wolf Moon. 
Magical Moon & Seasonal Circles
Susan Betz

I quickly pinned up all my Earth/Moon blocks on my designed wall this morning, their all hand-appliqued and quilted someday to be joined together with pieced filler strips in between.
But my journal is not done, there are star constellations and celestrail happenings I want to add and of course a few more summer solsice suns need to be recorded. I love this little quilt and have enjoyed working on each little block.

It all started April 2010 with my center Earth block, my daughter marbleized the fabric years ago, we  always thought it looked like "twilight". One day I embroidered on our four grandsons, then appliqued it to some hand-batiked fabric I bought in the Bahamas. The Native Americans believe the Earth is on the back of a turtle shell. The fabric was perfect with it's batiked turtles and dark blue water. I started with the first full moon in May also called Pink Moon, so named because of the pink Spring blossoming trees. Our old, old apple tree was blooming at the same time and received its own block. For the next year I recorded a few more moons and celestrial happenings. The quilt reads from that first Pink Moon block down and then around and around to the Full Wolf Moon block that starts the 2012 year of moons.
With all this in mind and our grandsons new telescope were off for another year of sky gazing and I'll be sharing our adventures with you though fabric, my favorite way to journal.

Just a quick few pictures of my Christmas table with my new quilted table runner and my Christmas arrangement with candy canes.

This is before all the food was placed on the table.

My birch bark dessert tray with snowy coconut trees and peppermint brownies.

The night before my daughter decorated the kitchen light with wire edge ribbon and gold wire stars.

And the dining room lights with sheer ribbon and glittery silver snowflakes and white ceramic snowflakes hanging through the ribbon.

Have a wonderful New Year holiday and take a minute to look at the Full Moon tomorrow night. I'll see you next "Year"!

I didn't quite know how to honor the victims of the shooting tragedy, should I skip my Christmas blog this week or just do a short one, I wasn't sure. I decided just to hug my family a little more and appreciate everyone a little more and to pass on acts on kindness a little more. And that's what I'm doing.
The following are a few pictures from my Christmas parties with my girlfriends. This party was at Mary's, only at a quilters party would there be rolls of batting as wrapping paper under the tree.

Only on a quilters tree would the ribbon have machine embroidered words added on.

Mary also covered and made all the ornaments with machine embroidered doilies, angels etc.

Of course she also made a spectacular tree skirt.

We each showed our challenge quilts for the year, everyone used the same pattern but in different layouts. (the colors in the pictures are not looking a pretty as they are). Judy's,

Deb C.,

mine, the yellow has wonderful brown polka dots on it.

Martha's

Kay's, my favorite with new batiks and a wonderful old piece of hand printed Indonesian fabric.

Marys.

This was one of the gifts I received. The package had a hand-quilted "card" on the front with a (repro) vintage tinsel bow. My elf from the 50's looks so cute sitting next to it. His collar at one time was  bright turquoise. His outfit is wool.

And inside Deb C. bought me a hand-carved wooden stamp to use for batiking. I can't wait to use it with some indigo dyed fabric.

I was at my other quilt girlfriends Christmas party last night and although I brought my camera I completely forgot to take pictures! That is not like me but it was busy and fun. I did photograph a few of the handmade gifts this morning. Jamie made me this wonderful scissor keeper with fabric she bought while in Japan this year. The flap and back are heavily embroidered using her new machine.
(it's not your eyes this picture is out of focus)

Cathy made each of us a mug cover. It has loads and loads of little pockets to put your pens, pencils, rulers etc in. Mine will be on my desk in my quilt room.

Jodi, made us each a reusable snack bag. It fold up like an envelope with your snack inside and velcro closures,

Then opens to rinse out.

My grandson got one of the lead rolls in his schools Christmas Play. Here he is on stag with Mrs. Santa.

We wish you a Wonderful, Wonderful Holiday Season!!

We have a huge storm coming this way and hopefully I'll be snowed in at home Friday and won't be able to get to work. (I photographed this entrance on the way into a textile exhibit at our local art museum)

Friday also marks Winter Solstice the Native American's watched "nature timekeepers" the sun, moon and starts to track the passage of time o a daily, monthly and yearly basis. Winter solstice occurs on the shortest day of the year and marks the beginning of winter; the silent hermetic period in the year's cycle as the eatrth rests before awakening and growing anew.
The word solstice means standing-still-sun, a time of stillness before the sun's strength builds and the days grow longer.
Cultures the world over have long recognized and celebrated winter solstice as a turning point in the cycle of the seasons. It is a time to appreciate the return of light and the time to begin looking forward to the coming of spring. For American Indians, time was circular rather than linear, a continual cycle of life, birth, death and rebirth. The circle has neither beginning nor end and it symbolizes the sun, the moon, and the calendar year. As part of the universal circle, the tribe encircles the family and at the circle's center stands the individual who also passes through the circle of life, changing with each season.

Magical Moons &Seasonal Circles  by Susan Betz

It's looking like a Frosty Christmas

Everything is coming up frosty at our house. A little snow changes the whole look of my sun and moon stepping stones.

The moon with it's three stars.

And back to my little Lake Mi. drift wood piece,

now becoming a winter woodland scene with spun-cotton mushrooms from the 50's,

little glass ice, berries and reindeer moss,

and to finish the frosty scene glass glitter from Germany. All it needs is a tiny critter.

One grandson had to make a hand-made ornament for his class tree, we used wool felt and he hand sewed a bird (I thought a white dove would have been nice but he wanted a blue and gold "U.of M" bird.

Stuffed with lavender and a cord for hanging.

One of our trees are up, it is so beautiful in a wonderful frosty way. The grand kids think it looks like the winter trees in Narnia. (this is just the top portion of the tree)

We set up our little village on the piano. I love, love this village with all the woodland buildings and the critters living in there.

Woodland trains and a mushroom depot.

A candy shop in a red and green apple.

Christmas Arrangements

Last week I had a WHOLE day to myself! How wonderful that was. I drove to the lake and ate lunch watching the birds and waves. The snow fences are up and ready.

A storm was coming in and the waves were high.

After lunch I went to P.J.'s art studio, a group of us from Herb Society gathered and shared greens,

pine cones, moss, red dogwood twigs, vines.

dried flowers and paint to create our own table center pieces for Christmas.

We all worked hard and had a wonderful time,

planning for this to become an annual event.

Here are a few of our creations, PJ's in an old aluminum tea pot with popcorn accents.

Another made in a favorite basket.

One in a Christmas mug.

Beverly's with candles, silk roses and Christmas bulbs.

We also made door swags.

My arrangement at home with cinnamon sticks, ting, and rose hips. I'm going to finish it with  candy canes and maybe some popcorn, (cute for the kids at Christmas).

My swag on the front door.

I also began this arrangement with drift wood from Lake Michigan, I'd like to create a wintery scene (still in progress).