Saturday, May 18, 2013
Nature Journal: Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)
A while back, I posted a photo of what I thought was poison ivy, here. A kind and helpful reader corrected me and suggested I look up Virginia creeper. So I did – and I’m relieved to say that my beautiful vine is, indeed, Virginia creeper – and now I don’t have to worry about eradicating it.
When I researched Virginia creeper, I learned that poison ivy is almost always found growing nearby, and sure enough, it is! Here is a page from my nature journal depicting poison ivy.
Wednesday, April 03, 2013
Leucism
I had been
trying to get a photo of this leucistic Junco (snowbird) all winter. Every time I’d get the camera, he’d take
off. This is the best I could do a few
weeks ago, shooting quickly through double glass. I had never seen one like him before and, at
first, I thought he was a different species of bird. Then I did a little research on the web and
learned about leucism, a genetic condition that affects proper pigmentation,
causing varying degrees of white feathers to occur.
I haven’t
seen him in a while so I presume he has headed north to breed. I keep thinking he’ll soon be in someone
else’s backyard perplexing them as to his identification…
Monday, February 25, 2013
Caroline's Dress
Here’s the
promised photo of the dress I made for Caroline. I used a commercial pattern as a general
guide for size, but adapted it by shortening the bodice and making it more
close-fitting, redesigning the sleeves
and lowering the neckline. The skirt is
also much fuller. The trim is made from
vintage ribbon stitched to the lower edge of the skirt with invisible
thread. The hem is sewn by hand. I made her a pair of lace-trimmed pantaloons
to wear underneath. I’m currently
working on a matching bonnet.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
A Drawstring Bag for Caroline
I made a Regency era dress for my AG doll Caroline (photo
later) and wanted to make her a dainty little bag to match. This one is lined and embroidered by machine. Although it was simple
to sew, stitching the casing was a bit tricky due to the small size. Having never made a drawstring pouch before,
I searched the web and found quite a few wonderful tutorials and YouTube videos
showing how to make several variations.
Friday, February 01, 2013
Bird Nursery
I was delighted to come upon this old nest nestled in the catbrier on my walk the other day. It would have been well hidden in the thick foliage in the summer. It's beautifully engineered with a plastic outer layer and sweetly decorated with lots of pink Easter grass. Mom and Dad must have been expecting girls!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Nature Journal: Pinecones
I was inspired by Jane LaFazio’s tutorial on painting pinecones so I thought I’d give it a try. I don’t know why I never did it before. I had a great time mixing greys and browns! Our yard is littered with pinecones from many big old pitch pine trees - so willing models are plentiful…
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
Another New Doll
This is one of several My Twinn dolls I got for Christmas. I never intended to collect them, but they are just so darned cute and difficult to resist, especially when they are on sale at half price! She is known to collectors as the “Cookie” sculpt. The piano is also from My Twinn and makes a nice prop I think.
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