Welcoming Pot of Tea

Welcoming Pot of Tea, originally uploaded by confections.

I've been sifting through my archive of photos lately and turning some of them into pencil sketches with an application available at dumpr.net. Not all of them convert well; a few do. It's all a matter of experimentation.

Some of the more successful conversions are the images of tea cups and tea pots. The better to entice me to the tea table....

Restored Tintype of One of My Husband's 2nd Great-Grandfathers (?)

Restored Tintype of One of My Husband's 2nd Great-Grandfathers (?), originally uploaded by confections.

This deteriorating tintype of one of my husband's second great-grandfathers was generously restored by ericdege of flickr.

We have to do further research to verify his identity, but I suspect, based on my current research, that he may be Simpson Frazier, born 1821, who served as a Union soldier during the American Civil War and survived the Battle of Shiloh.

My Maternal Grandmother

My Maternal Grandmother, originally uploaded by confections.

This photo of my maternal grandmother, Rose Lena [Vogel] Galbraith, is a still taken from a movie made by her stepson, Robert G. Galbraith, around 1938.

I never knew my maternal grandmother except through my Mother's stories about her. The loyal dog at her elbow is the family pet, an Airedale named Jack; my Mom says he was the smartest dog she ever knew.

I have traced her family line back to the Rhineland-Palatinate town of Thaleischweiler, Germany. Rose's parents and older siblings were born there, but she was born in Pennsylvania in 1888.

Floribunda Fabric Design (Graduated Tint Green)

Floribunda Fabric Design (Graduated Tint Green), originally uploaded by confections.

Featured today is a very rough first draft, sketched and cut and pasted into a tile, for use in a fabric design to be printed at Spoonflower. Lots of tweaking and revising ahead.... The low-tech method I used to create the repeat is described at Design Sponge.

Collage of Handpainted Silk Tussah Fiber

Collage of Handpainted Silk Tussah Fiber, originally uploaded by confections.

Just a quick post to showcase some of my recent handpainted fiber: here is a bit of silk tussah that I can't wait to spin up!

My Dad with His Guitar

My Dad with His Guitar, originally uploaded by confections.

My youngest sister sent this photo to me yesterday. It is one that I had never seen, possibly from my uncle's estate originally, and dates to the mid- to late-1940's.

She included the following anonymous quotation along with the picture:

"My father's guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever."

Missing you still, Daddy, and honoring your memory.

Yin Yang Symbol (Needlepunch Embroidery)

Yin Yang Symbol (Needlepunch Embroidery), originally uploaded by confections.

My sister and I took a class in needlepunch embroidery at one of our favorite quilt shops a while back. While searching for some missing notions yesterday, I found my nearly finished project in a basket. It's a yin/yang symbol made with variegated silk floss. I think I want to "square the circle" with a background color so it will be easier to frame and hang for inspiration.