resurrection fern

twas in the moon of wintertime when all the birds had fled

'Twas In
The Moon of Winter Time

'Twas in the moon of winter time, when all the birds had fled, that mighty Gitchi-Manitou sent angel choirs instead; before their light the stars grew dim, and wondering hunters heard the hymn: Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.

Within a lodge of broken bark the tender babe was found, a ragged robe of rabbit skin enwrapped his beauty round; but as the hunter braves drew nigh, the angel song rang loud and high: Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria. 

children of the forest free, O sons of Manitou, the holy child of earth and heaven is born today for you. Come, kneel before the radiant boy, who brings you beauty, peace and joy: Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.

This was the first Canadian Christmas carol written in 1643 by a Jesuit missionary living amongst the Huron people in a settlement about two hours north of where I live. It has been one of my very favorite songs at this time of year since I was a young child. When I was driving home from visiting my mom I was seeing formation after formation of birds , mainly geese, migrating south. This seemed unusually late this year as normally we see this late September and early October. I was hoping that they will make their journeys safely and this song popped into my head. A little later I heard it on the car radio and sang along. 

 

 

This is a little work in progress I started in the summer and picked up and worked on it a little bit at my mom's last weekend. I am going to make it three dimensional with a polar bear paddling the colorful canoe on the lake. The huron carol has given me some inspiration as to how to finish the piece and I will definitely show it to you again when it is completed.

Thanks so much for all your beautiful comments on the last post. I saved them all for when I got home after my very long day at work and they soothed and comforted me. 

xxoo

m   

 
 

window of opportunity

                 When a window of opportunity opens , JUMP through it!!!

 

 

Just little bits of embroidery on vintage doilies that I was working on while sitting with my mom on the weekend. I know I should have been working on my stones but I just didn't want to lug a sac of rocks on my journey. I did however manage to crochet some borders on some liberty circles to later incorporate into some patchwork stones. 

You can expect to see some small changes here in the land of resurrection-fern at the beginning of the new year.    
 

a blanketed horse

One of things that has been in my journal for the last few months has been to make a blanketed horse like the ones I have been observing in the fields on my way to and from work this autumn. I had some time to do a little quiet hand sewing this weekend as my mom slept. I finished a few little projects and started a few new ones. This faceless grey felt horse is one of the things I made. 

He will make a sweet little addition to someone's christmas stocking. 

The strangest thing happened after I took these pictures in a conservation area close to where I live. I turned around to place the horse back in my tote and what to my wondering eyes should appear but a daddy-long-legs.

I have never seen a creature like this walking in the snow but I had a feeling it was there to teach me something about strength and determination. What do you think?      

gifts to make with your own two hands

My gift to you, a list of tutorials for handmade gifts found within the archives of resurrectionfern. All of these can be made in an evening. Among this list you will find gifts that involve sewing, knitting, crochet, embroidery and some involving none of these skills. I am even planning a few extras to add to the list in the next week or so , some of which I have previewed with pictures at the end of the long list. 

 Snowflake pendant

Nahanni hat

Fabric covered button badges

Vintage lace earring display

Favorite things embroidered sampler

Liberty and a holey stone necklace

Merfish and Merfish necklaces

Rockfish

Pussy willows

Vintage hankie bunting

Heart of stone in ice

Beeswax heart garland

Sugar plum doilies in ice

Felt and Knitted Mushrooms

Knitted and Patchwork container

Knitted Rooster

Knit a Rag Nest

Knitted Bunny

Rock Babies

Crochet Covered Acorn Necklace

Crochet an Orb

Fabric Snail

Felt Embroidered Berries

Printing with Leaves and Flowers

Knit a Scarfette with Vintage Buttons

 Lazy Girls Guide to Felting Rocks

Crochet Trees

Vintage Button Mushrooms

Knit a Forest

Felt Stump

Folkloric Felt Bonnet

Crochet a Polypore

How to Whittle Gnomes from Branches

Crochet Acorns

Ice Wreaths

Floating Flower Stones

Fabric Scrap Trees

Knit a camera case

Knit and Felt a Bangle Bracelet 

Knit and Felt a Coffee Cosy

pompom pretending to be a pinecone tutorial (coming soon)

  Mathyld tassel tutorial (coming soon)

Reversible felt apple basket tutorial ( coming soon) 

Happy first bench monday of advent!!! 

 

thankful

Happy thanksgiving to all my American friends. I am thankful for all the little moments that make up a day and also for being able to share so many of them here with all of you. I left the house today at 7:30 am and returned 12 hours later. These are some of the little snapshots of my day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The picture of the embroidered button snail and stones is part of a project organized by Kathreen Ricketson and the very soft elongated alpaca pompom is the first prototype for an idea for making shaped pompoms. This one is pine cone shaped. It was a gloomy grey all day long and then the sun came out ever so briefly just before it disappeared into the horizon. 

Have a wonderful day filled with special moments. 
 
 
  
 
 
 

to Paris with love

My parcel is waiting at my door, signed and sealed and ready to drop off at the post office tomorrow. If everything works as planned it should be in the hands of Mathyld early next  week for the big event. I really wish I could attend the Supervente craft market in person because I am sure from the tiny glimpses of loveliness that I have seen I could do most of my christmas shopping there. Here are a some pictures of what I have contributed.

 

Oops, Arwen so wanted to go to Paris but I told her she wouldn't fit in the box:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There you have it on the kitchen table before being packed carefully into the box. My favorite thing was the crochet covered sea glass. When you hold it up to the light it looks very similar to the doilies in ice from last winter.

Have a great start to your week. If you happen to be out and about in Paris in early December please don't forget to attend the event of the season.

a little bit of this and that

Another long wednesday at work and of I am a little on the tired side but I still wanted to thank you all for your feedback about the slide show. It is definitely mixed. Next one I will slow it down and perhaps make it more of a regular slide show that you can stop and start if you want to spend a little more time communing with a certain picture. In my very small periods of "free time" I have been working on some small embroidered works on felt. For so long I have been using a very small number of embroidery stitches ( outline, chain, french knot and blanket stitch). With these small projects I am trying to learn some new stitches. The latest one I think I have mastered is the feather stitch. The delicate bird is made entirely of this new (to me) stitch.  I have also been working on some larger crochet covered stones (thank you nanou) for you don't know what yet. These stones were so beautiful that I chose to leave almost the entire bottoms uncovered so that the natural beauty could shine through.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one I did on my "stitching" break at work today between seeing all the H1N1 patients and my regular office appointments. Sorry for the artificial lighting in my office but I took a better picture on my short break and walk at suppertime.

 

 

I really love those folkloric style birds. One last picture of the sky just as I was leaving work this evening. I love the crescent moon.

 

Distracted by Geninne

Here it was Saturday afternoon and I was just minding my little etsy shop business trying so hard to cover some stones to offer in the pre announced etsy shop update for today when on my flickr screen what does appear but a knock you off your chair , beautiful image from my very talented friend Geninne. Here it is on her first blog update after signing off for a few weeks. I tried to love it and leave it but oh no it just kept distracting me to the point where I had to lay down my crochet hook, thread my embroidery needle with some brown thread and the rest is now history. This is how things ended. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You might recognize that bunting, it was a gift from Geninne along with a great many other fantastic paper goods. I can't wait to decorate everything with her beautiful colorful papers. Geninne, you are the best distraction a friend could ever have. Thank you so much!!

So if I am a few stones short today in my etsy shop update at 5 pm EST you now know why :)

Snowflake Pendant Tutorial

Here is the little tutorial I promised yesterday inspired by the fresh fallen snow on the deep dark brown earth. It can be made in any color and with a simpler design. It could really be adapted to any thing you or your children might be inspired to stitch onto felt.

Materials : box board, template for circles, pencil, scissors, felt, embroidery thread, needles and a length of wool, ribbon or trim.

Step 1 : Trace some circles onto your box board. I used a small espresso shot glass but a small glass would be fine. The fern snow globe one was started in my office and I used my stethoscope as a template:)

 

Step 2:  Cut out the circles.

Step 3: Using your cardboard circles cut out two felt circles for each pendant. Cut the felt about 1/8 th of a inch wider than the cardboard. You will understand why later.

 

Step 4:  You are ready to embroider your snowflake or other pattern onto one of the felt circles. My design uses three simple stitches : outline stitch, chain stitch and the fly stitch. Hint when you are using the fly stitch start at the periphery and work your way inward. A great on-line source of stitch tutorials can be found here.

 

 

Step 5: Now turn it over, place the cardboard circle in the center and cover with the second piece of felt. 

 

Step 6:  Now you are ready to do a blanket stitch all around the edge starting just to the right of the center top of your pendant. Stop about 1/2 " from completing the circle.

 

Step 7:  Take a length of yarn, trim or ribbon at least 2 feet long and tie the ends. Place this knot behind the cardboard at the opening. 

 

 

Step 8:  Now continue the blanket stitch catching the wool as you stitch.

Step 9:  Secure the end of the embroidery thread and try it on.

 

 

Hint:  This could easily become a pendant by adding a pin to the back. It would look lovely on a hat or head band or even attached to a hair clip or pony tail holder. 

 

That of course is the first snow fall version of bench monday. I adore folkloric woolens.

first snow inspired embroidery

On the last post I hinted about a first snow inspired little hand sewing project. I was thinking about how the first snow really rekindles my dwindling inspiration reserves. At the end of autumn , especially when the calendar turns to November, the time changes and the number of daylight hours I am exposed to significantly diminishes, I find myself a little listless. I often feel like curling up with the kitties and taking naps. When I experience the first snow it revives me, unfurls me and gives me the much needed energy to create.

This is how I turned this experience into a small hand sewn felt medallion. It is a resurrection fern snow globe. On one side you see the fern ( me ) curled up with the snow lying on the ground. Then you only need hold it in your hand and shake it and like magic with the snow floating everywhere the fern ( me )  unfurls and awakens.

 

 

 

 

 

The snow melted the next day and we experienced almost summer temperatures on the weekend. The snow may be gone but the inspiration isn't. I already completed my next snow inspired pendant. I love the white snow against the dark brown earth. This will be a simple little tutorial for young and old to sew up some small gifts for special friends. The first snow always means the beginning of christmas gift making in my house. I hope to update my list of tutorials soon for easy access.

 

Have a great start to your week. Remember if you are longing for snow all you need are a needle and some snow white thread and then you will be ready to sew along.