The project for this weekend, when I should have been finishing the laundry and vacuuming up all the dog hair:

I needed a bag to haul stuff to and from work-lunch, unopened mail, knitting, magazines, books-you know, all that stuff that doesn’t fit in a purse. I picked up these curtains at a thrift store a few months ago, not knowing what I would use them for, and this was the perfect project. I lined it with some natural linen. If I had a signature fabric, linen would be it. Maybe I should have a signature fabric! I now declare and state that linen, especially natural linen is my signature fabric. What is your signature fabric? Please share!

I also made a flower from the Japanese book. It was very easy, and I like the way it came out. I used a vintage button (from the 40’s, according to the card it was on) for the center. I think it needs some friends, it would probably look even cuter if there were 3 flowers.

I’ve been wanting to make some art for our walls for a long time. I was thinking that it would be fun to make some yo-yo’s the other day, and then I thought that they would be cute as little flowers in a tiny wall quilt. So I decided to take a break from the great decluttering project and make a new mess and do some sewing:

I also took a trip to the Japanese market, which has a pretty good sized bookstore and found a few fun craft books, the one on the lower right is called "Flower accessory" and has some really great, imaginative fabric flowers-perfect for gifts, I think. I also got one on teddy bears and another about felting. They are really well illustrated, so I don’t think it will be hard to follow the instructions.

I worked like crazy on my work space over the weekend:

How beautiful is that floor? It just needs a little sweeping. I still have to tackle that pile on the end of my desk. Well, that and the organized piles I made in the other part of the guest house as I pulled all the junk out:

There are a few more piles that you can’t see too. I’ll go through a stack every night and it shouldn’t be too painful. It feels so good in my little room. I just sat in there for a while last night going through a magazine and tearing out pages and planning new projects and feeling creative.

Also, Bear would like you to know that he has a stick:

And Spring has come to Pine Valley:

I haven’t spent much time in my creative space (studio/guesthouse/craft closet) lately. How long has it been, you may be asking. Let me give you an illustration:

Do you see that orange thing on the ground? What is it? If you guessed a pumpkin, you’d be half right:

Give me a break, it’s been raining every weekend since December. I can’t go out in that kind of weather to pick up rotting pumpkins.

I use this little walled off area (used by the previous owners to grow, uh, hemp or something) to make stuff that’s not knitted or sewn or electronic. I wasn’t cleaning up after myself for awhile, and things have been piling up:

I actually managed to clear off a little space on the top of the desk, so I can try to do some painting. The floor, however, is scaring me. I’m setting a goal right now to have this mess cleaned up by my birthday, which is the end of March. I’ll post the after pictures then.

I’ve been wanting to participate in the Month of Softies, so this is my last minute contribution:

I’m afraid she looks more like a mouse than a cat. But her little eyes are tiny vintage beads, and her bow and sash are vintage rayon ribbon, so at least I got the vintage part in there, even if she isn’t very cat-like. I wanted to try something tiny, so she is about 5″ tall, and my fingers are sore. I sewed her completely by hand, and I’m not the best hand sewer. She doesn’t have a name yet, I’ll have to work on that. Next month my softie will be much bigger, I think.