A rainy day…

It took a rainy day to finally get the last coat of urethane on these patio tables that I constructed this winter.  My kitchen remodel took over once the weather got nice since I have to work on my kitchen cabinets outside.  One day I’ll have an amazing shop and won't have that problem…

I’ve strayed a bit from fiber and rabbits but not from upcycling!  I made these tables from cedar paneling taken down from my studio walls.  I have two walls of paneling yet to take down so there will be more projects in the works!

Thank you bunnies!

Vacationing bunnies are great!  They have a lot of discovering to do.  They have escape plans to map out.  And they shed!  Over the past year I've had a paper bag in the bunny playroom where I collected miscellaneous bunny fur.  Three color piles blended with a bit of supersoft merino, cormo and alpaca fur to give the yarn stability.  My plan is to Navaho ply the single to keep the striped color in the finished yarn.  Dreaming that I will be able to weave the yarn...maybe there's a loom out there for me...

Street Musician Rabbit

Billy is a long, lean bunny that loves to stand on his hind legs. Given a choice of musical instruments his first pick is the cello. He loves to play at the street corner on cool evenings while other bunnies look on. Sometimes a passer by will drop a carrot in his tin which Billy shares with his friends later in the evening.

This is an original lino-cut designed from a photo of one of my former foster rabbits, Billy. He was with me for only a short time before he was adopted. He loved cuddles and playtime! I do believe he had a hankering for playing the drums as well..

Original prints are available on my Etsy site:
www.etsy.com/shop/GreenSheepGallery

Fasten-ating Scarf!

I’m a bit behind in my postings but since it snowed here on the first day of spring, a winter scarf still seems appropriate.  After receiving a gift of a jumbo flyer and bobbin for my spinning wheel I wanted to incorporate something over-sized in my next spinning project.  After rummaging through supplies I decided to spin buttons and zipper parts into a soft merino wool roving.  I’m not much of a planner and ran out of the purple yarn long before I wanted my knitting to end.  I like the asymmetrical stripes!

Have you any wool?

I don't know if the question was "what should I do with the cedar paneling that came down in my home remodel" or "how do I store my wool roving," but here's the answer: a very green cedar sheep made from recycled cardboard tubing and cedar that also serves to repel moths.

I was excited to be able put my new router to work on this project and one of my favorite power tools, my jigsaw.  A few coats of polyurethane only around the perimeter of the tubes enhanced the beauty of the cedar while retaining its moth deterrent properties inside the tubes.  Using ebony stain instead of paint was perfect to preserve the beauty of the grain while adding color.

I'm in need of just a bit more wool storage.  Any ideas?

Winter Birds

I miss lazy summer mornings, daydreaming, sipping coffee and watching the birds on my bird feeder.  Maybe these exotic birds clinging to my living room lamp are the next best thing?   If I don't change my mind...again...the decoration of birds will be the needle felted project that I demonstrate at my guild meeting next month.  The linen bird is sewn but the rest of the construction is done completely with a felting needle. 

Fallen Leaf

After the autumn winds blow,
And the trees are bare,
There will remain this token of the season
To take you through
To a much awaited spring.

When it comes to weather in Chicago there are just a few things we can count on.  The leaves will fall in autumn and return to us in the spring.  My favorites are the maple tree leaves which are bountiful in my yard.  Their colors are stunning!  This stitching was done directly on a leaf, following its color pattern until I had a replica of what nature had given me. 

Click HERE to see a fallen leaf at the Green Sheep Gallery