the coming end of summer

i've collected together all the various bits and pieces of natural ephemera which i've picked up over the years and put them on display. delicate and fragile, they don't do well to be handled overly much; forget dusting. i should get a small bell jar. strange seed pods, feathers, silk bits, seashells, insects, and a skeleton tree frog.

for this year's ga national fair, i've decided to submit some of the handspun i've kept. i've been parting with the majority of what i spin to sell on consignment at the lys. it would be encouraging to win some ribbons, and funds for further purchases. the deadline for submission is coming nigh and i've only two ounces of a dusty stone cashmere remaining to be plied.

i've been busy, but not necessarily creative these last months. however, i managed to sew a new cosy for my porcelain japanese tea pot. using australian merino blanket remnants, natural linen remnants, and wool fiber for stuffing, i created a subtle and tactile two-pot cosy accented with a cognac velvet ribbon and dyed shell buttons. i think it matches the aesthetic of the tea pot beautifully. it's pure pleasure to use them both in my morning tea time routine.

time makes swift progress

i've been productive, just not blogging. the local tea room commissioned 35 service tea cozies, made from a variety of fabric, reversible, and for 2-cup and 6-cup brown betty teapots, which they sell in the gift shop. i'm just finishing up the last 10. it's interesting making something that's you but not; i.e. the material isn't of my choosing, but i paired the combinations together and sewed them all. i find that i'm not at all bereft from parting with them, and though i can mentally acknowledge them, there isn't a thrill of excitement or burst of thoughts going through me when someone buys one and when i see them in the shop. perhaps there isn't the connection with them that i usually have when i create something from conception to finish. or perhaps it's because i knew from the start that they weren't "mine". hmm.

well, summer is well and truly here, with hot, humid, buggy weather and ac blasting in every building. my baby cactus has certainly grown since last featured on the blog; it's a year older and an inch taller. currently residing amongst my orchids in the window. a bit like a cuckoo bird, but strangely doing well amongst it's moisture loving fellows.

here is my handle, here is my spout...

i'm on a bit of a kick. after working out the kinks in the first knitted tea cozy, i decided to finesse the idea and created two more. both with a crocheted bottom and open top to slip the teapot into spout first. also, an excuse to use pom poms in something other than a hat.

i've had this super metallic looking teapot for awhile now. there's never been any tea in it, as it just always seemed like a showpiece, rather than a working teapot. it picks up the blues in the pom pom and is accented by the ribbon.

the other one is in yellow hues, and for a larger teapot. both were knit from an alpaca/wool blend bulky yarn and are super soft and squishy.