Millie In The Making

 

 Millie is a old girl who loves her quiet life on the sheep farm.  She is kind, introspective and always willing to help a neighbor in need.  This time of year she is anxious for the snowflakes to subside and to see stubby green growth of the daffodils peeking their leaves through the crispy leaves that cover her gardens.  She wanted to see what life was like in New England, so she made the trip from Texas with me.

 

Millie is made from a doll form I found at a garage sale.  I coffee stained her for proper age, needle sculpted her features and finished her with local goods here in Connecticut. I gave her a head of alpaca wool hair from Sixpaca, farm up the road in Bozrah, Connecticut.  Her simple dress is made from fabrics purchased at Colchester Mills while on my visit here. 

 

 

Millie will get a few more details on today's flight back to Texas, and will be completed back in my studio tomorrow.  She has an important debut on Olde Primitive Peddler on the 15th- so I better keep my needle cranked up to zoooom speed!

 

I have so enjoyed my time in Connecticut and sad to see it come to an end.  I know Millie is sad to leave as well.  She had grown fond of the alpaca farm.  But just like me, Millie will always have Connecticut in her heart and soul.

 

LOVE  &  TIME TO FLY!

Everywhere A Hare

As certain as freshly sprouting garden seeds, rabbits are also a sure sign of spring!  Here in the studio bunnies of all shapes and sizes are peeking their noses through the embellishment bins and finding their way through my primitive whimsy process.

 

There are bunny busts in grungy velveteen and painted linen picking our their baskets in which to nestle.  The velveteen addition is new this year and I am just loving the texture!  Her basket is a perfectly romantic one- but her finish will be a surprise debut in Olde Primitve Peddler mid March.

 

 

One of my all time fave bunnies is from Robyn Pandolph's Stitched With Love quilting genius! I was so spoiled to have her studio shop right here in Galveston until last year!  I loved to pop in just to chat, see her works in progress, and sneak a peek at her latest fabric line. Because I am not a quilter, I adapt elements of her patterns to wool applique.

 

Spring is not the same without one fat bunny!  This roly-poly rabbit is made from up-cycled wool and wool roving.  I haven't quite figured out her feet situation so for now she stands a bit like a weeble. 

 

Then there are the smalls.  If you ever wonder why something so small is so expensive- ask an artist!  It's so much easier to make something bigger with easily stitched corners and ample stuffing cavities! Add using an old mohair blend fabric and oh what a tangled web it weaves!  There was some satisfaction in impaling this wee bunny with a stick!  And covering a wooden egg with paper maiche? Holy Mother Mary Vodka!

 

 

These are just a few of the projects awaiting completion in today's work basket.  What's on your table today?

 

LOVE  &  COTTON TAILS!