Some dear friends of mine just had a beautiful baby boy, and asked if I would make a wall hanging as a gift for their midwife. She had told them about her dreams to one day have a little homestead with a garden, fruit trees, chickens and a cow. Being a homestead dreamer myself, I was happy to work on this project and had a lot of fun doing it. When I was finished, I thought, "I wouldn't mind ...
Mountain Hearth Handcrafts
Campfire at Sunset
Nothing is more peaceful than an evening campfire as the sun sets over the mountains. The cheery, crackling glow casts little dancing shadows all about, and the smell of woodsmoke puts a mind at ease. It would be wonderful to end every day with just such a campfire. I made this needlefelted wool wall hanging of a sunset in the mountains a while ago, but lately I felt like ...
Mujeres De Maiz Raffle
After hearing a lot of interest from readers in the benefit raffle for Mujeres de Maiz Opportunity Foundation for which I created this wall hanging, "The Women of the Corn", I looked into it and folks are indeed able to enter the raffle who live out of the Olympic Peninsula area. Tickets are 2$ each or 3 for 5$ and all proceeds benefit the work of Mujeres de Maiz ...
The Mushroom Kingdom of King and Queen Bolete
Deep in the misty forest, King Bolete and Queen Bolete stand tall and regal in purple cloaks on their stump throne. All the other Chanterelles, Amanitas and little mushroom subjects are gathered around to listen to their royal decree. With this warm, wet fall in Oregon, it's a good year to be a mushroom! ...
Women of the Corn
My latest needlefelting project is this wall hanging for a raffle fundraiser benefiting Mujeres de Maiz Opportunity Foundation, a grassroots non-profit organization based in Sequim, Washington helping young women in Chiapas, Mexico. Mujeres de Maiz provides access to education for indigenous women in a seamstress cooperative, including literacy training, secondary school, vocational ...
Harvest Maidens
When the Autumn comes rolling in, I love changing our seasons table to honor all of the abundant fruits and vegetables, and the fiery leaves outside. Seasons table figures are an idea I got from Waldorf classroom seasons tables, and I have loved making many Lady Springs, Queen Winters, and Harvest Maidens over the past few years (I still haven't made one for summer, likely because we're out ...
Beneath the Apple Tree
Underneath the apple tree, a little gnome is taking a well-deserved rest. He gathered all the apples he could pile in his basket, and now it's time for the squirrels to do their harvesting. I wonder what sorts of dreams he is having, nestled in those roots... ...
A Little Family
I made this little family of sunflower faeries for my friend's birthday. Taryn and Jeff, are expecting a baby in the coming weeks, and I wanted to make her something honoring the beautiful little family they are creating. Sunflowers are very special to these folks. They had them in their wedding, they have beautiful photographs of them in their house, and they pop up from time to ...
Wave Rider
I just finished this needle felted wool wall hanging as a custom order. The parents from a Kindergarten class at our Waldorf school wanted to give their teacher a gift that honored her other big passion in life, surfing. Although I have never surfed myself, as I was working on this, I thought to myself that it looked like a lot of fun! Standing there on the shore with the waves spread ...
Homestead Mornings
It's that wonderful time of year again. When I go out in the morning to feed the chickens, the air is cool and crisp, the roosters are crowing, and it feels like fall is here. This is my favorite time of day, full of the possibilities of the golden autumn day to come. Soon the smell of wood smoke will fill the air from our neighbors chimneys and our own. Squirrels are busy ...