collinsstudio: Fall is definitely here today. The days are short...

collinsstudio: Fall is definitely here today.  The days are short...: Fall is definitely here today.  The days are shorter, a little cooler and some of the leaves are starting to turn on the trees.  I haven&#39...

Fall is definitely here today.  The days are shorter, a little cooler and some of the leaves are starting to turn on the trees.  I haven't had much time to stitch or paint this week, and I'm feeling the itch to stitch pretty bad, so maybe a little hand stitching this evening.
 We are getting ready to do some remodeling on our kitchen so that has been taking up most of my time.  Picking the new counter top tiles and backsplash and sink and faucet, and, and, and, on it goes.  But we're almost ready to actually start the project.  Yay!
Next weekend I'll go to Taos for a Design Outside the Lines Retreat with Diane Ericson.  I can hardly wait for the time to spend sewing and painting with friends old and new, and Taos is always beautiful in the Fall.  I'll send pics.
I decided to include a new photo of me and my studio mate, my African Grey parrot, Allee Bird ( aka Beeper).  She's great company for me in the studio, and loves having her picture taken.

Hope you're having a great Autumn and getting lots of great creative projects done.  I'll be back in the studio soon - and with a nice, new kitchen to play in.

Well Labor Day is over, so-o the unofficial end of Summer.  Fall is my fav season so I'm good with this.  I've been stashing more things into my 'stash', and I just received a package of silk things from Treenway Silks and just had to share with you.  These colors are wonderful, and their Creative Silk Packs are so fun to play and experiment with.  Full of carrier rods, hankies, cocoons and silk waste.

There is also a six pack of Silk threads, as you can see.  These will go well with my hand dyed fabrics.  You can see the colorways I'm choosing - rich, earthy tones.  Looking forward to Fall/Winter play.  Lots of stitching in my future.

collinsstudio: Cool and quiet here this morning. The kind of Fal...

collinsstudio: Cool and quiet here this morning.  The kind of Fal...: Cool and quiet here this morning.  The kind of Fall morning that I love, only 64 degrees at 10 a.m.  it will warm up later, I'm sure, bu...

Cool and quiet here this morning.  The kind of Fall morning that I love, only 64 degrees at 10 a.m.  it will warm up later, I'm sure, but for now it's lovely.  I'm nesting like crazy, as I always do this time of year, getting my dyeing done so I can take advantage of drying the fabrics outside.  I think I'll have quite a stash come winter.

This is a little piece I'm working on now.  Using little bits of silk chiffon dyed with Black Cherry, from Dharma.  Some of the pieces in the dye bath are very dark, but this one has turned out a lovely shade of burgundy.  I love it with the oranges and golds.  Perhaps some beading on this one, don't know for sure yet, I'm still moving pieces and colors around.

This is a little birthday card (cloth) made for a friend.  I added a quote from Mary Oliver, written on silk organza and then stitched on.  It was fun to make and she loved it.

Watching a little hummingbird outside my studio window - they're all headed south for the Winter now.  I'll miss them.

Hope you're having a lovely Labor Day weekend.