Making and Marking

There’s snow on the ground, a biting wind whistling outside my window and the sun disappeared around 4:00, so it must really, truly be December.

So since November?

• Open Studios was fun and it was wonderful connecting with so many delightful visitors! I didn’t get many photos, but I did snap one of my table above. Every once in awhile, I scan Craigslist for commercial rentals, with daydreams of a shop in mind. It’s most definitely not in the cards at the moment, but someday/someway I’d love to open a brick and mortar storefront.

• I’m about 2/3 way through The Saboteur: The Aristocrat Who Became France’s Most Daring Anti-Nazi Commando, by Paul Kix. Parachuting! Car chases! Disguises! Explosives! A page-turner for sure, made all the more mind-boggling when you realize Robert de La Rochefoucauld was inflicting mayhem on the Nazis at the ripe old age of 20.

• I knit this shawl earlier in the fall and it’s a terrific pattern. I’m itching to knit a second (especially with January on the horizon).

Stitch and Sip

I finally finished this piece and if it were possible, would very much like to live inside this painting. The bathroom the floor above me flooded and I’ve just spent the past hour doing battle with a printer, so needless to say, time to sit, stitch and sip coffee looks pretty grand at the moment. Thank goodness for the weekend! I’ve also added this illustration to Society6, so there’s prints available over there now.

Randomly:

* I watched The Bookshop recently and loved it. It’s a quiet film, beautifully shot, with a wonderful, twist ending.

*If you’re local, I’ll be participating in the 5th Annual Woodman Artisan Craft Faire over the holidays. It’s a terrific show and Elena from Pine Tree Pop-Up does a wonderful job curating.

Plaid Ponderings

A little sketch from earlier this week, indulging in some 90’s flannel nostalgia.

And Happy All Hallows’ Eve!

Little Bay

Something I painted recently, while daydreaming about Newfoundland. I’m slowly adding original artwork to my shop (including this cliff climbing adventurer).

And if you’re looking for something to do next month, I’ll be participating in the Artists of Salmon Falls Open Studio, November 23 and 24. I’ll be there all day Saturday and again from noon ‘till closing on Sunday. I’ll have prints, fabric, original embroideries, books and more. If you’re in the area, drop by!

Autumnal Blooms

Some messing around last week with ink, paints and a healthy coating of Photoshop over the whole thing. Monday was the Autumnal Equinox and now I’m ready to wear sweaters, paint ghostly blooms and drink ALL THE PUMPKIN SPICE THINGS!

Aside from being overly excited about gourd-flavored beverages, I’m knitting this sweater, want to bake these Halloween cookies and am eagerly awaiting the new season of “The Durrells in Corfu.”

Common Threads

Slowly, the seasons are shifting. I realized a few weeks back it wasn’t light past 8:00 at night any longer. And cardigans have gradually become needed in the early morning and late night. But since it’s still technically summer for a few more days, I’m relishing the last bits of the season.

I’m working on book sketches right now and I’m finishing up an illustration to have available as a print. And Open Studios will be in November, so I’ve already started planning goods to have available. Aside from that, I’ve been working on pacing myself this summer, getting done what has to get done and then stepping away from my drafting table (hence far less posting here). It’s definitely been a huge help in dealing with burnout and now that autumn is here, I’m feeling far more inspired.

*I finished sewing Butterick B5982 (there’s more pictures on Instagram). It’s my third time sewing this pattern and I love it: it comes together quickly, offers a couple different variations and fits perfectly. For fabric, I used a print from Eloise’s Garden, in rayon. Although I’ve been sewing since high school, I’ve never worked with rayon before. If you’re a rayon newbie too, the tips over on Megan Nielsen’s blog are so helpful.

* I’m working on this Alabama Chanin skirt pattern, embellishing it with a stencil I designed. I’m loving the slow, measured pace that hand sewing encourages and sitting out on the porch with this and a beverage is a pretty terrific past time.

* Assorted other late summer things? My Spanish Flag vine is blooming and it was well-worth the effort. The pumpkins, unfortunately, not so much (still grinding my teeth over that). Maigret mysteries continue keeping me up far too late. And I’m going apple picking this week, which means one thing: pie. And speaking of apples, if you’re in or around southern Maine, Giles in Alfred is my go to orchard for apples. It’s a beautiful spot and the nearby bakery an added bonus.

Harvesting and Winnowing

This summer I’ve:

* Been working on half-finished projects, trying to bring to completion drawings and embroideries that have sat undone for far too long. I’m saving new ideas for Fall, when fresh starts seem more fitting. This embroidery was one I started back in December, right around the shortest day of the year. It feels good to finish it when the days are so much longer. And greener.

* I’m fussing over the pumpkins and don’t have any yet. But I have Swiss Chard in spades and am planning to make with it this pesto.

* I’ve just started diving into the Maigret mystery novels.

* I’m excited to finally share the cover for the book I spent this past winter working on, Itzhak: A Boy Who Loved the Violin. Written by Tracy Newman and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, I can’t wait for this to come out next Spring.