Nostepinne & Handpainted Wool Carded Sliver

Nostepinne & Handpainted Wool Carded Sliver, originally uploaded by stelladanza's confections.

Handpainted fiber and the resulting spindle-spun yarn wound onto a walnut nostepinne by Craftiness of Austin, Texas.

Spinning at Starbucks for the Tour de Fleece

Spinning at Starbucks for the Tour de Fleece, originally uploaded by confections.

As part of my participation in the 2010 Tour de Fleece (contemporaneous with the Tour de France), I have been spinning every day, and most days in public at one of my local cafes. On Monday I visited a local Starbucks and took my kick spindle with me. On the spindle: hand-dyed merino wool singles....

Edmund Dulac's "Queen of the Ebony Isles"

 

A haunting image of "The Queen of the Ebony Isles" by Edmund Dulac (1882-1953), created for Stories from the Arabian Nights....

Valentine's Day Gifts from Etsy's Old World Shoppes

Here is a selection of handmade goodies for your sweet Valentine from Etsy's Old World Shoppes.

Ragamuffin of the Day

 

I've been preparing and spinning lots of Ragamuffin yarn this week, some of it from my new "Chiffon" line of true rag yarn with knots and tails and all. More on that later this week.

I love the soft hand of this "Allspice Tapestry" print by Joanna Figueroa; it knits up beautifully on size 11 to 13 needles (or larger if you want a looser look). One skein would make a great coffee cozy or protective iPod case.

Maid Maleen by Arthur Rackham

 

Maid Maleen Vintage Green Tiger Press Postcard by Arthur Rackham from a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm.

"The waiting maid sprang down first and Maid Maleen followed."

This illustration from "Little Brother and Little Sister" (1917) by Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) was reproduced by the Green Tiger Press as a postcard.

Preparing to Weave (Wrapped Yarns)

Preparing to Weave (Wrapped Yarns), originally uploaded by confections.

A group of yarns--some handpainted, a number handspun--wrapped and up on my inspiration board. I'm about to warp one of my looms for a late fall project.

Collage of Vintage Japanese Salt & Pepper Shakers

Collage of Vintage Japanese Salt & Pepper Shakers, originally uploaded by confections.

I kept seeing this little set at one of my favorite antique malls on my jaunts.

Finally, I brought them home; they fit very well into my growing collection of pink-and-green kitchen items.

They complement my wedding dishes, which are the discontinued pattern Metlox Poppy Trail "Sculptured Berry".

Extraordinary Desserts--Cakes

Extraordinary Desserts--Cakes, originally uploaded by confections.

Yummy, exquisite cakes fill the display case at Karen Krasne's Extraordinary Desserts on Union Street in San Diego, California.

Enough said! Where's my Valrhona mocha?

Handspun Yarn on the Lendrum Bobbin

Handspun Yarn on the Lendrum Bobbin, originally uploaded by confections.

I had two small batts (1.75 oz. total) from terrabellaspun in my stash that were begging to be spun. Here is the result.

The skein will be plied with a thread to become a balanced two-ply yarn. I'm not sure yet if I will knit it up, but I'm considering a small amulet bag.

Home is in My Mother's Eyes by Jessie Willcox Smith

Home is in My Mother's Eyes by Jessie Willcox Smith, originally uploaded by confections.

One of my favorites by Jessie Willcox Smith from my Green Tiger Press archives.

Detail of Handwoven Placemat, Twill Weave

Detail of Handwoven Placemat, Twill Weave, originally uploaded by confections.

This is a detail shot of my first finished cloth from a weaving class taken a few years back, cotton weft and warp, woven on a Schacht 4-shaft table loom rented from my weaving guild. I now own quite a few looms--both table and rigid heddle looms and one beautiful cherry wood floor loom.

Robin's Egg Blue Manual Typewriter by Remington

Robin's Egg Blue Manual Typewriter by Remington, originally uploaded by confections.

I found this beauty back in March at a local Salvation Army Thrift Store. She needs a bit of work (the platen seems to be stuck), but I'm sure I can get her back into working condition. The base of the typewriter forms the bottom of the carrying case.

There's nothing like an old writing machine like this to motivate me to continue editing my Great American Novel!

Latest Fabric Stash Acquisitions

Latest Fabric Stash Acquisitions, originally uploaded by confections.

My sister and I visited two of our favorite quilt fabric stores on Saturday and this is the partial result. My sister's goodies are not in this stack....

The fat quarters are so tempting. There is a bundle of fat eighths here, too. The William Morris Workshop packet of squares is destined to become medium-sized yo-yo's.

My Blythe dolls will probably get a few new dresses from this stash as well. Lucky girls!

New Handknit Dress for Blythe in Progress

New Handknit Dress for Blythe in Progress, originally uploaded by confections.

Isadora Reiko (Frosty Frock) had lots of fun trying on her new handknit dress-in-progress. It's made of cotton yarn and was a swatch I made in a knitting class a few years back.

The little shawl is another swatch of Cotton Classic yarn and her hair adornment is a silk ribbon rosette I handmade. Her boots are from The Valley of the Dolls in Hollywood (now at Royal T in Culver City, California).

Isadora Reiko is Ready for Paris

Isadora Reiko is Ready for Paris, originally uploaded by confections.

My lovely Frosty Frock (Isadora Reiko) is wearing a dress with a Parisian theme by dollymolly under her wool felt top. I made the felt wool top and her crocheted hat. The hat is from a free pattern by q.d.patooties.

Not to be outdone, Isadora's sister Clementine also got a new dollymolly frock made up in a delicious Heather Bailey print:

Clementine Louisa Sporting Her New Handknit Sweater

Clementine Louisa Sporting Her New Handknit Sweater, originally uploaded by confections.

I knit this miniature version of Sally Melville's "best friend jacket" a number of years ago when I took a workshop with her. I made two versions in different yarns, one hand-dyed, the other hand-dyed and handspun.

Of the two, this one is closest to fitting Blythe, but I will have to tweak the pattern and yarn to make another that will fit better.

My sister and I are going to an informal "dolly meet-up" with our friend KittyKatDance this Saturday. We'll have our dollies in tow, along with new outfits and works-in-progress.

Confections Sign

Made with My Cool Signs.Net

Explore Photos

Explore Photos, originally uploaded by confections.

Here is a poster of my photos that have made it to the Explore page on flickr over the course of the two-and-a-half years I've been a member.

Click on the photo to see it completely at original size.

The Woodland Fairy

"The Woodland Fairy" is one of my favorite images that was reproduced by the Green Tiger Press back in the 1980's.

This black-and-white image by artist Ida Rentoul Outhwaite (1888 - 1960) is from "Bush Songs of Australia", published in 1910. A Melbourne, Victoria, Australia native, Outhwaite worked primarily in pen and ink and watercolor and one of her favorite subjects was fairies.

Here we have the barefoot Woodland Fairy, complete with butterfly wings and gossamer gown, seated on a vine swing and surrounded by blooms and a magnificent spider web.

Now available in very limited quantities in any one of my three online shops, Etsy, ArtFire, and LolliShops.