Still packing up, lambs, stitching and a birthday.
I am still slowly packing up the studio. The hard part is deciding what to leave so I can still do some work while we slowly work on the new space. slow is the operative word. It has to fit in around other things that are a more immediate need. It is looking emptier. I am not sure the picture really shows that. The pile to go is different stuff.
We have had several more lambs. I think we are at about 15. So the barn needed reconfiguring to make a group pen and space for lambing pens. they are so cute and of course, they can not wait.
I signed up for a stitch camp online. It starts tomorrow (17 January). It’s free but I thought it sounded fun. It’s one video a day for 5 days and they are available for a week after that. Seemed like a fun thing to try and maybe get some creative juices going. It’s here if you’re interested. https://training.textileartist.org/stitchcamp-signup-1/In
In the meantime, while sorting and packing I found some thread I got a long time ago. It is on cardboard, old-style spools. It says FILTEX on the top of some. From what I can find online it is a 40/2 polyester embroidery thread. It is very shiny. I thought I might use it to stitch on some felt balls just for fun.
And I can’t forget that it is Ava’s Birthday on Monday, Jan 17. A big 1 year old.
24 thoughts on “Still packing up, lambs, stitching and a birthday.”
Often when clearing up, a mess seems to get worse before it gets better, and no wonder progress is slow as you certainly have your hands full with the new arrivals! Ava is so sweet and doesn’t seem to mind all that snow.
The shiny thread should look good embroidered onto felt balls – wonder what other treasures you’ll unearth during your tidy up.
Well I am good at making a mess so I guess I am in my element. LOL the felt ball should be fun. the shiny thread looks nice.
Ava doesn’t seem to care what the weather is. I am looking forward to her reaction to our coming snow storm. they are forecasting 40 -50 cm (15-20 inches) for tomorrow.
All the animals are so cute, especially Ava – she’d never get to use her legs if I was around, I’d just have to pick her up and cuddle her all the time.
Isn’t it amazing how there are so many things to rediscover in your stash. I keep finding things that have only been there a few months that I’d forgotten about. Trouble is I’m sure I’ve got Borrowers in my workshop, as I can’t find half the things I was working on or with yesterday!
That shiny thread looks gorgeous, can’t wait to see what you do with it.
Ann
Lambs are always so cute. Ava is very sweet and has a lot of energy. She loves to be outside with us and to go for walks. I think I have a large nest of borrowers at my house. How else to explain things disappearing while I am using them and I haven’t moved. They are very quick. the tread is nice and makes nice stitches but not good french knots. It is to fine I think. I will have to find other thread or do something else.
I also signed up for Gwen Hedley this week! Hope to see you there
Great. I am looking forward to it. I have never really done anything with paint.
I wonder if sorting and packing is a January thing? I’m clearing out cupboards, not destashing, that comes next, but I don’t envy your work in rearranging the studio, I do admire it though. That is a load of work!
Ava is a delight.
I think it probably is a new year sort of thing. I very seldom want to do spring cleaning in the spring. I have measurements of things and some graph paper so I hope to be able to make a good arraignment of the more permanent things. We are slow movers at the best of times, except Ava, she goes full out either playing or sleeping.
As the saying goes ‘you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs – all your work will be worth the end result Ann – just be careful not to fall down any rabbit holes in the process. We discovered that we have a leak in one of our water pipes – under the kitchen floor which is concrete. So my kitchen resembles your old work space at present and I have decided to rid myself of excess bits and bobs that have built up over the years – you know all those gadgets and ingredients that we all (I know totally presumptuous of me to believe that I am not unique in this) believe we will have use for …. some day. So figuratively speaking there are lots of broken eggs around our house at the moment!
Happy birthday Ava – she is one gorgeous pup pup.
You certainly are busy on the lambing front – do they normally come this early or did Daddy just get up to mischief earlier than expected? Do you ever have to hand rear the off-spring? Mums seem to be doing very well in the photos.
Love the shiny threads – I never actually saw cardboard spools before – looking forward to seeing the finished piece. Speaking of which, I signed up for the 5 day session. Thank you for the link Ann.
A leak under concrete that doesn’t sound like fun. I did the kitchen sort a couple of years ago and gained a lot of cupboard space.
This is very early and sneaky rams can work very fast when they need to. We do have to hand raise them sometimes. Lambs in the living room is not unusual. How long they are in the house depends on the weather and how many there are. So far moms and lambs have all been good. They will move the group( moms with lambs) pen today. Then the lambs can run and play.
The stitch camp should be fun. I haven’t done anything like that before.
Ava’s birthday is on the same day as Betty White’s! She was a lifelong animal lover, so it seems very fitting 🙂 The lambs are adorable, and don’t despair with the clearing up, it has to look worse before getting better…
That does seem appropriate. Lambs are always cute and fun to watch when they are playing.
I know it has to look a mess first. I have to do it in stages. I get overwhelmed as to which box/bag/container to put things. so much is not easily categorized.
The work space looks better to me Ann. It is a slow process but I’m sure will be well worth it in the end. The lambs are adorable as usual. Good find on the thread although I have some polyester/rayon thread and I rarely use it. I like the cotton thread much better.
Happy Birthday Ava! She looks like she enjoys running as much as Edgar does 🙂
I will get there. you don’t realize how much there is until you have to pack it up.
the thread is pretty but very fine. It makes an nice stitch but bad french knots.
Ava loves to run and play. I’m sure she would have fun with Edgar.
WOW while i was sleeping you were bissy!!
Love all the sheepy faces! are you shure you dont have any in the liveing room this time? if we get the big dump of snow tomorow you may want to add a covered portico to the barn!! as part of your to do list. i hope i can see your new space and all the lambs soon
The snow is here. Ava thinks it is a great birthday present. I posted a video of her having fun on Facebook.
Good work on the studio sorting. I know what you mean about getting overwhelmed by making decisions about what goes together and in which box. You sort of want to see everything before you decide how to group and store things but that is never an option.
I’d also joined the stitch camp but I already can’t do anything today. Hopefully I can catch up tomorrow. 🤞🏼
Thanks it is a hard to sort. so any things belong in more than one place depending on what you are doing. I am a day behind too. I can’t remember what I did with my iron so I may have to wash my background fabric and hang it to dry less wrinkled.
When I try to tidy up/sort out my workshop I keep forgetting where I’ve decided to store certain things so when I find something else in the same category I don’t know what to do with it.
I now have a drawer marked “What the H*** do I do with this” to use as a last resort. It’s the first place I look for something I can’t find – it doesn’t always work especially when that draw starts to overflow.
I need one of those draws. Sounds like the kitchen draw were everyone tries to shove anything and everything that doesn’t have a home. I am terrible for sticking things in the wrong place and then I can’t find them. the biggest lie I tell myself is : I will remember that.
Your ongoing “sort out” is revealing a little more floor space which shows progress Ann! You must have loads of energy with the studio, the family and all those adorable lambs all requiring your time and attention! I’m now picturing you cozying up in front of the tv with lambs at your feet!!
Since your last “studio” post I’ve been attacking my space (your efforts must have rubbed off on me) and can actually see my two tables again….yay! I’ve also signed up for the Stitch Camp so thanks for mentioning that.
I either seem to be going full tilt or dead stopped. I have spent many evening with a lamb on my lap, warming it up and teaching it to drink form a bottle.
I seem to be very inspiring at the moment, all the cleaning and sorting and now stitch camp too. It should be fun.
Great Puppy!
Thanks, she is a lot of fun