We’ve been writing to a nurse at the hospital in Germany after she sent us a really nice email thanking the boys for the quilts they had made. It turns out she was a patient in her hospital for a short time and received one of the blankets on a particularly chilly night. Even tho [...]

While we’ve been away – we have been busy. Here are pics of the latest project: Name by our oldest son, Fort Hoochenu. The whole playhouse cost about 600.00. (Including farm fencing that we still have to put up to keep the dogs out of the future garden.) It is 8×8 inside with an 8 [...]

This is a new hangtag I’ve been working on…. based on a hand litho from 20 years ago. © 2006 J.O’Hara-Barrett

I love this site and Silver, wherever you are, Thank You!

The socks are now finished for my sister. She has tiny feet (barely a five) and I was worried they would be too big, but they fit really good. They were supposed to be for Christmas, but since they’re the first ones I’ve made and full of practice marks (aka mistakes) I decided to go [...]

The kids finished two quilts for the Soldier’s Angels group and I wanted to share one of the tags they made. Any soldiers out there – know that you are undeniably loved!

After making “elephant – sized” socks from crochet patterns gone awry, I decided to give knitting this pair a try. Being a southpaw, it’s not exactly like the pattern (in so many ways), but God Bless the lady that put up that website and others with videos to pause, at least it’s close. I love [...]

The last time I blogged, I was thinking of changing my site around. That always requires at least a week of effort that I’m just not ready to give yet. So, I took a month off to play. lol. Then, in one of those Yikes moments, it suddenly dawned on me that I’d promised Nana [...]

I ran into this pattern on crochetpatterncentral.com and decided to give it a try. It was fun to do. Accidently, I crocheted the same stitch for three rows, which made kind of a cute ruffle at each end, so I left it. It will make a great scrubber and it was fast and easy to [...]

I’ve been working on printing a colonial themed yardage. This piece is about 8 yards in length. The base fabric is what Walmart calls weaver’s cloth. It’s 100% cotton kind of a homespun white fabric (I think traditional weaver’s cloth is 50/50 for needlepunch work). I cut stencils of colonial people based on some pewter [...]

10 Days after the last post on meadow grasses, I was finally ready for more printing. 16 days now, it’s finally been rinsed and hung to dry. This was the original artwork for some loosely based designs: Challenge 1: Could only get Indigo Dye – one color (note to self: used 3 tbsp pigment to [...]

I’ve been searching out some printmaking sites lately and ran into a baren forum tonight. The postings are thin but the links to other sites are a sweet journey.

The past few weeks, I’ve been playing with fabric dyeing and painting for the first time. So for my printing journaling, this is my first project entry, based on Meadow Grasses. In her book, “Hand Block Printing and Resist Dyeing”, Susan Bosence mentions for inspiration, begin with subject matter that describes where you are. Camera [...]

I’ve been working on a new gown design for the Mercantile. This one is made from Nelona Batiste, French seam construction. It has crocheted edging, scalloped yokes front and back (similar to a calico design we already make) with hand-embroidered daisy detail and pintucking just above the 3/4 length hemline. This one has long sleeves [...]

I bought this fabric, a peachskin with butterflies on it, for a special someone with the intention of making it for her birthday, then when that passed, her mother’s day present, and then when that passed, it’s now a suprise in the mail gift. lol. Well…. At least it is finished before cold weather sets [...]

Sorry about the non-blogging…. Been chasing butterflies and other flutter-by’s this month. I’ve finally finished the new graduate’s cookbook for my youngest brother’s graduation present (three weeks overdue). It has all the recipes I used to make him while he was growing up, plus some. Also, tips for the new chef. On each page of [...]

Mom’s Jacket is finally finished and except for a few minor boogies, I am happy with it and immensley enjoyed hand sewing some details. My procrastination with the trims and buttons resulted in a huge delay. I didn’t realize just how long, until I was looking for the original fabric post and it took me [...]

About 20 years ago, I was a student at the Atlanta College of Art and monitor of the Printmaking department. We did not have majors at that time, but my interests were drawng and printmaking. I had the great fortune of being taught by Professor Norman Wagner, a master printer, and master printer Wayne Kline, [...]

I forgot to give a peak under the pocket flaps. They’ve got the white linen welts too. Gotta have a pretty place to hide a hankie when she gets the sniffles watching her baby graduate! Okay, I just really like the look of the white linen on the gray one. :^