Irma

Irma - (Old German for "Noble Person")
... (and twin sister to Alfred)


Enjoys blueberry picking and tea parties.
Likes writing short stories.
Hopes to be a librarian someday.
Wants to know what the ocean smells like.


Irma, her brother Alfred and some of their other school pals are currently available in my Silly BooDilly shop.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Searching for New Paths to Explore

(Local country farm path.)

I've been growing restless again. I finished making the School Photo series, (I will be showing the final ones in the next few posts) and have been hungering for something new to explore. I close my eyes to see what pops up in my imagination and my brain is filled with foggy bits of stitched and patched textile work. Try as I might I couldn't get what I was imagining into focus, and I wasn't sure what to do. I searched the internet, typing in everything I could think of to hopefully find some existing imagery of what I was only being teased with in my mind.

And then finally, yesterday, I found it:


Japanese Boro.
(Patched and mended folk textiles of Japan).

Maybe I should have already known about it, but I am self taught in the school of textiles and still have much to learn.
(Thank goodness, as that keeps it fun!)


These images came from Sri Threads an amazing resource of antique Japanese folk textiles located in Brooklyn, New York. (I must go!)

Finding these images made the fog lift from my head. I think they are beautiful.


I am struck by similarities between the Japanese Boro textiles and the quilts of Gee's Bend.


I am not sure what will come of it, or how long the excitement will last, (I know I can be rather fickle) but for now, (and what else is there?) I know I want to go play and explore this new/old path a bit... who knows where it will lead?

Giveaway Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered the Quilts, BABY! Giveaway! I loved reading all of your comments on what your most prized childhood possession was. Lots brought back memories, such as "Chatty Cathy", (which for you who were born after the 60's was a rather tall doll that came with tiny records which you stuck into her side, making her talk. My sister had one, and we'd play with her for hours!) Some were funny, such as "my thumb"... I love the simplicity in that one! And many others were just very, very sweet.

Cheryl of Naptime Quilter was the randomly picked lucky winner. Congratulations Cheryl! I with be contacting you today for your address and passing on your shipping info to Lark Books who were the sponsors of this giveaway.

Alfred's School Photo

ALFRED - (Old English for "Wise Counsel"):


Articulate and responsible.
Worries about injustice.
Enjoys solving puzzles.
Wants to be a social worker.



Alfred is currently available in my Silly BooDillyshop along with some of his other stitched School Photos classmates

If you haven't already, be sure to enter my Giveaway for a free copy of Quilts, BABY! The Giveaway is open until 11pm Sunday night and I will be announcing the winner Monday the 25th. Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone!

Note: Giveaway is now closed!

Alice and Harman

More stitched School Photos...

Alice- (Greek for "Truth")


Excellent in math.
Takes ballet lessons every Tuesday afternoon.
Hopes to be president of the United States one day.
Likes the mingled smell of honeysuckle and wild roses that grow in her grandmother's back yard.


Each School Photo ornament is stitched onto a piece of vintage table linen, (a vintage cloth napkin to be exact) which was backed with some fusible interfacing. Afterwards I paint each one with Japanese made Tsukineko's All purpose Ink, which are great to use on fabric as the colors are nice and vivid, but not thick like regular fabric paint. They act more like a watercolor and come with a pencil like applicator that makes applying the color to small areas very easy.

HARMAN - (Old English for "A Deer Keeper"):


Silent and strong.
Likes cornflakes.
Believes in diplomacy.
Hopes to one day be a forest ranger and to live high up in a tree house.


After stitching, painting and heat setting each piece, the same vintage fabric was used for the back side. A small slit was cut in the backside through which I used to turn the piece right side out, and to stuff the piece. A small cord loop was hand stitched to the backside along with one more piece of the vintage fabric, which was used to neatly cover up the slit and the cord ends. Each piece is signed on the back.


Harman and Alice plus a few of their classmates are currently available in my shop. More next post!

If you haven't already, don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY and win a free copy of Quilts, BABY! from Lark Books!