Sewing Studio reorganized

I reworked the whole space this week. It's been a year since I started sewing and I am a lot more focused on how the space should work and what I need and don't need in it. It's a real pleasure to come in now and get to work. Unfortunately the domino effect means I have to rework my office now to incorporate a space for shooting artwork, which just got booted out of the sewing studio.

First tomato harvest of the year

Besides the tomato in our garden, which there are quite a lot just starting to come in, this week we have gotten a wind fall from a wonder friend's garden that Jerry helps tend. We are very grateful for food gardens this year as almost all of our fruits and vegetables have been coming from ours or neighbors yards. While our next door neighbor has been on vacation, I've been harvesting masses of black berries and red raspberries freezing them along with the tomatoes for the fall and winter. Vacationers garden care is something I want to do alot more of!

Everything being fresh and perfectly ripe and unusual varietals compared to the grocery store and all the fresh herbs which are truely inspiring for putting together flavors is part of it. Living so satisfyingly and cheaply in very tight times or more precisely experiencing the true value of your labor and it's relation ship to well being is just as important perhaps.

A new batch of pot holders

I found some printed tea towel calendars from the 60's and thought they would make great pot holders and found a big piece of fat woven blue cotton material for padding, so I've got alot of blue related pot holders now.

Installing the window

Jerry fooling around, which is good to see as he has been working hard for days.


Pedro and Wayne were wonderful enough to came over to help with final prep and heavy lifting. There was a lot of dance in the window frame work.

It turns out there are 3 layers of siding on this little house. German Lathe, cedar shingle and aluminum siding.


The main event.


Securing the window.

A new batch of bags

Finally some new bags! These will go to the Book Crossing down the street from me. Then I'll start working on filling up my beleaguered Etsy shop.

Big progress on the new window

Jo stopped by to help out.


They're getting the header into position.


Jerry did all the new framing for the window today, lot's of work! There's a lot of previous termite damage in the wall.


Enough work, it's way past cocktail hour.

Dear C&O park service

It is very curious to me that this would be more interesting than cattails and the other wetland plants that were growing here just days ago.

Close up of area.

Some of the cattails and lillys that remain.

Studio Garden

This is my most wonderful surprise. I thought I was getting a deep red gladiola, but this most amazing deep purple has bloomed. I love it.


The 17 year old cat. He has decide to eschew bathing and since he is the King he does as he pleases and that's okay.

p.s. Brunswick has been getting some press recognizing some of the creative people who live here.

The beginning of the next phase of renovation

We rescued this wonderful window with a central picture window flanked by casement windows. It will become the dinning room window looking out on the grotto garden.

The before view, with the almost finished bump out with french doors.

Getting started by removing siding (revealing cedar shingles) to make the cut for the larger window.

Chesapeake Bay 6/26/09

A beautiful and peaceful walk after a very sad and surreal funeral.

coffee grounds

One year of putting coffee grounds at the base of the hydrangea to make it blue didn't really work. However, they've shifted to a more brilliant pink.

lot's of great salads this year

making pot holders

Brunswick's first Garden Tour

My studio garden will be on the garden tour. It's only taken me 24 years to get it looking okay. I am very grateful for who ever dreamt this up and made it happen, it's a great idea and I really hope it goes well and gets bigger every year.

please email me to RSVP

Check out this story!

in the garden

These photos are from Jerry's and my garden, going into it's 3rd season and looking good. I am taking care of 3 gardens this wonderful cool rainy spring.

Art in Brunswick

"Rain" 10" x 14" $150
"Bloom" 10" x 14" $200 SOLD
"Dreams of Plans to Come" 12" x 16" $300
all three are acrylic paint on linen, unframed

These paintings will be on view at Sundance Art & Framing, 18W. Potomac St, Brunswick Md, May through June. An openning reception will be held on May 1st, 2009, 6-9 pm to meet the Artists.

Seattle city scape

Seattle trip

The week we were there it rained a lot. It was different than the east, the light was always changing and the rain never stopped us from going outside.

The Glass Museum, Tacoma Washington

Our trip last week to Tacoma/Seattle was quiet wonderful. Tacoma, which I had never been to, was such as surprise, a wonderful town and this is what greets you if you arrive like we did on the city bus.

Waste Not Expo

I will be a vendor at this event selling pot holders and bags made with recycled fabrics.

"The Marriage"

Well it's done with the exception of a a little tweaking. Yesterday, I had to tear out the lower left corner, a very time consuming stitch to make and also to tear out! Quite frustrating as I was so close to being done yesterday and the work to get ready for handmade shows this week end and next is really pressing on me.

Progression VI

Progression V

If your wondering why there are no new bags in my Etsy shop it's because I've been working like crazy to finish this piece asap. More on that later. I think maybe a day or two more and it will be done. Today I am calling it The Marriage, however it's had a few other names ...maybe more on that later, too.

Progression IV

This photo certainly does not do justice. Basically, I feel all the work so far has set the stage something to happen.

Progression III

I am really liking how this piece is going. it's not out of the woods yet, we'll see what happens next.

Lots of Pot Holders

Mostly making pot holders this week.

Late February early March Bloom