a walk in the mushroom patch

I spent my morning out in the woods, walking some of the trails that were still rather damp from the last couple of days of heavy rain. My eyes slid along the path as they usually do, the first of the autumn leaf fall coloring the trail ahead of me. I usually find mushrooms as I walk, but today, well, I found more-- and a wider variety-- than I usually do. It became a treasure hunt of sorts!

Also found a bit of time to spend with my tree.

 

Yeah, it's been a good start to the day.

Now, coffee and crochet.

old trees and fabulous fungus

He is a kind old tree, as his face will tell you. Sentinel of the river valley, watcher of the wood.

His arms gnarled, his skin wrinkled, but what wisdom he holds. Secrets kept within, shared only with those that would listen very closely to the telling and promise to keep the tales safe.

The oyster mushrooms clinging, providing an odd little staircase, perhaps, for the fae folk to climb up into the arms of their old friend for one more story before day would come.

camping weekend

This weekend was our annual camping trip with my sister and her family. As usual, a delightful time!  Time around the campfire with peach sangria...

...and the morning after harvesting charcoal for drawing!

There was time for stitching, which in this case was some random goofing around.

And lots of amazing time wandering through the woods on the banks of the Minnesota River.

The rain came last night, and the temperatures never got above 70 and it was just perfect. 

We also found our way to a few thrift shops and the radar was on for garage sales on the way to the campground, and I found new-old drapes for my living room. Burlap with an interesting print of trees on them. Will photograph tomorrow!  A bunch of fabrics, including this amazing hunk of oatmeal linen and an evergreen-hued wool, both measuring several yards. 

walk about and waves

I finally got out to the woods. It was wonderful and breezy and just so grounding, and I realized just how terribly I needed to be wandering. 

So many of the plants are suffering from our drought conditions this year, and yet they still whispered to me of their beauty.

Petals clinging tenaciously to stems

thistle and cockle burr sharp as much as they are beautiful

Broad leaves sunning themselves, catching what sun filtered through the thinning canopy

Dead wood giving way, breaking and falling to decay so that new life might find way to surface

Make a wish and blow the milk thistle fluff to the breeze.

I also spent some time with my Elm Tree. When I visited last, I was worried because his canopy was not filling out as I thought it should, and his energy did not feel right. There was a sadness surrounding him.  This visit did not leave me feeling as concerned, but things still were not as they had been when I first found him in 2009. 

It makes my heart heavy, but perhaps it is just the lack of rain that has my friend suffering this year.  I will continue to visit, far more regularly than I have, and hopefully after his long winter's sleep, next spring will find him healthy and thriving again. 

I have been searching for some direction in my textile art work. As I've been working with silk and surface design,  some interesting  things have been developing.  I am finding  a lot of my pieces floating, very liquid and ever-changing. Water.  I am going to explore this further. This idea of waves and what happens each time I lay the fabric out. It's never the same surface twice.

Camping this weekend, and I hope to return with a sketchbook full of this, that and the other thing. Nothing like charcoal from the campfire to sketch landscapes.

Creative 365: Days 91 & 92 Spinning and Stitching and Contemplating

Next week I plan on doing some more fabric painting.  I took a few pictures at Rasmussen Woods earlier this spring and I've finally had some time to sort some of them. They've given me some fresh inspiration. (That and the new jars of paint I recently picked up with a whole lot of juicy greens and bright, fun floral-themed colors!)

I started stitching "Walking the Cat" as well this week. I am having a hard time getting excited about it. I think it is too early to be thinking about end of October designs! Once I get going it will move along as I really do like the design. 

The new website is finished! CM Designs  I am really pleased with how it looks. Far more consistent than the old site, and an easier web address to remember!

And, as expected, more spinning!  

This one is 2-ply, using the same fabric throughout, a heavier cotton that was a table cloth in a pretty buttery yellow with pastel, abstract shapes throughout. I ripped it into strips about 1/2" each and plied those with two different colorful yarns, alternating about every seven yards.  One of the yarns was recycled from a scarf I pulled apart, the other two tangled bunches I rescued from a local thrift shop.  100 yards total of this one!

This one is really unique. There are eight different fabrics in this one, so there are a lot of knots and loose threads tangling throughout. I plied it with a multi-colored yarn that was a wool blend in a scarf. I just love the texture in this one.  85 yards.

I probably won't get to much the rest of the weekend as the family has plans involving lots of food, campfires and miniature golf games. (weather permitting! raining AGAIN)  So I guess my seafood pasta salad creation will have to suffice for Day 93!

Fall!

What a wonderful morning. A walk through Rasmussen Woods taken and I do not think I have ever seen so many dragonflies in one place at the same time! The prairie restoration area was their picnic area and there wasn't a wing that did not sparkle beneath the sun. I will have pictures to share once I have edited them.

I also found a bit of time in between homework assignments to play with a few more images and create seamless tiles, and here are three results that I was sort of drawn to. 

And now, off to try to finish off the newest cross-stitch design. I hope to have if finished and posted tomorrow.  I realized this afternoon that I do not have anything esle charted to start on, but do have some illustrations to scan. Looks like I will be charting tomorrow.

Friday Morning Walk About

Cone Flowers

My daughter and I went out hiking this morning with cameras in hand. It was a beautiful morning even with the bugs. A few dragonflies stopped to say hello though!

Butterfly Bushes

I also took some more "texture" shots for textile inspiration