Tada!!

I love my new purse, it's the best ever!

One side is Kelly Clark's beautiful way with paisley.
http://www.kellyclarkneedlepoint.com/

The other side is me having fun with the same colors.
Don't you just love dots!

I may be set with brushes for awhile.  Painting on needle point mesh trashes a paint brush quickly. These nylon bristle brushes have become my go to.  They arrived in the mail today,
oh happy day!

I don't even remember doing this but it's fun!
Have a lovely weekend!

it's 'that' day again

Happy Valentine's Day !

Hearts & Flowers
a Kimberly design

If you have good thoughts

they will shine out of your face like sunbeams

and you will always look lovely.

~Roald Dahl

You are beautiful

You are magical

You are capable

You are wonderful

Believe it!

Nothing about needle point...

Every Saturday a.m. we happily head into town square for the Farmers Market.  It's a treat for me really.  I love getting fresh organic produce and getting to know the people.  Each week a lovely bunch of carrots, tomatoes, mint, rainbow chard, and this week sweet little peppers from Miriam.  

A block down is Scotty & Peg from the Barefoot Creek Gardner with my dozen eggs. Eggs go so fast they let you email them each week with your wants/needs, I love this.  They have the best baby arugula and curly kale ever.  And...they sell Jim's Jams too.  I bought Pineapple this morning, tastes like pineapple upside down cake on my toast!  What a treat. 

Feathers!  Treasures with my dozen this week :-)

Today I met The Guacamole Guy and bought a bottle of his Tangy Tomatillo.  Wow.  I'll be liking him of FB shortly.  

Gluten Free toast for me from Udi's.
For what would eggs be without a little toast and jam.

What a fabulous way to start the weekend.  We raced home to make breakfast. Don't want to complain but...it was a bit chilly in the shade with a breeze.  Of course, when you stepped into the sunshine, instant relief.  With the feet of snow we see in pictures on FB at my cousins in Connecticut, no whining about a little cool breeze here!

So, now you all know, it doesn't take much to make me happy.  Have a wonderful weekend.  I was relieved to read that all the snow up North is powder.  Yay, hopefully none of you will lose power.  Stay warm and make use of the time inside to be cozy with a good book, an old movie...and of course, with many of my friends there is always a stitching project to keep you happily busy.  

kumihimo...

Very cool, but something I can not talk and create at the same time.  

You can purchase the disk, nylon cord, & plastic bobbins
at your local hobby shop.
The silver end caps I found at my local bead shop.

Once finished, I threaded the loose ends through the cap.
Then I unraveled  & knotted each end.

This takes some practice.  I still continue to find I'm off count & I made the most simple braid listed.  I had to repeat in my head 'left - left, right - right'...as I wanted to go right - left and vise versa. Tension was tough to keep with the nylon cording but I wanted something super durable as I plan to carry this purse for a long long time!  Oh, and a pro at this mentioned one day...'it stretches'.  So while I was braiding, I pulled.  

In total, it's worth the effort to learn this.  My head is full of many applications for this braid down the road on future projects.  

So...an obstacle in my path...

This is what happens in my head when I can't find a fabric to back a piece....

Top center is Kelly Clark in my colors...that is the front of my new purse.
The back or maybe the front on some days...is moi.
Can't find a fabric that talks to me...I make my own :-)

I have thoroughly enjoyed stitching these pieces.  Thank you to Kelly for getting this project started.  Mostly, I used Vineyard Merino Wool, which I love.  I did pop in some of their Vineyard Classic Silk for a little shine here and there.  I love Vineyard Classic Chocolate, of course, it's dark chocolate in my book.  

Now to re teach myself the Kumihimo cord making for the strap.  If you recall in an earlier blog...I'd been exploring fabric shops in Austin and came up with the below fabrics...decision made now...going with the beautiful jade green piece.  Strap will be chocolate brown.  I can't wait to have it all put together!

Kelly Clark purse design, a blast in basketweave!

Mardi Gras....

 ...check!  Ready to ship.  Love crossing things off my 'todo' list!  Yay!

Canvas painted, fabric enclosed,
chart proofed & printed.
It's in the bag, ready for Colleen to add
all the pretty thread & beads.

A jewel of Emerald, Amethyst, & Gold, quite sparkly.

March will bring us to the
'Knot Garden Biscornu'