This week's spoils....

I've always loved thrift shopping!  It's an activity that is fun to me because I just never know what I'm going to find.  This week I headed out by myself which meant I spent a good two and half hours at one shop really combing through the racks for some good finds.  I love going with other folks but, it's always relaxing to let my slow paced shopping habits have their time to shine.

 I couldn't resist this multi-patterned yarn and these brushes which are gonna be great for the fabric paints I've been experiementing with.  I also scored a bunch of new stretchy clothes to work with.  I can't wait!

And here's a sneak peek of a shirt I finished up today.  I'll be adding the finished shirt to my shop over the weekend!

Litha

Moving to a new place can sometimes be hard.  There are moments when all the changes feel like the best thing in the world and other times it can start to feel a bit overwhelming.  Luckily, the wheel of the year keeps turning and today is the solstice marking the first day of summer and the longest day of the year.

A mini solstice alter on my herb cabinet

When I'm feeling bogged down by still not being able to find things and more and more disconnected from myself it can be easy to sink into that overwhelm.  A day like midsummer offers a great moment for me to pause and do some self reflection.  I interrupted myself from just charging through the rest of my day and I tried to poke some holes into that overwhelm by making a mini alter.

This little cabinet is perfect for an my home apothecary!

 It totally helped me to accept the moments that are challenging and tell myself that it's totally o.k. to feel overwhelmed sometimes.  Plus, I got to use this super cute cabinet that I'd been holding onto waiting for the right space to tuck away my herbs with love.

My new home...

It's been just about two weeks in my new home and I'm finally starting to feel settled in.  I feel like I'm on vacation even when I'm working.  I hear it's easy to feel that way in the north country.  I'm adapting easily and quite nicely.

What a cutie!

This is the view from the porch that overlooks the front yard.  I've seen so many creatures in just two short weeks.  It is totally knocking my socks off.  The other night during dinner I looked out the window to see a fox padding slowly across the lawn.  It stopped and looked up at the house before it headed down the road. About ten minutes later, I heard the neighbor's dogs barking their heads off. hmmmm?

deer, fox, snapping turtles and more!

Now I'll take you around to the backyard.  That cute little building buried behind those trees is a wood fired sauna.  Haven't used it yet but I bet it's nice on chilly winter nights!

When I headed around to the other side of the backyard I was excited to see that the deer was out there grazing.  I don't know if I keep seeing the same deer or if there are a bunch of them, but I feel like every time I look outside there's one running about.

 

And last but not least, I'm happy to inform you that the gnomes have also relocated from the river valley to mountains with me.  The opted for a stony wall instead of their usual tree dwelling and I think they've made themselves quite at home.

 I love it here so much!

USFC Quilt is finished!

During the fall Pedal People was asked to submit a fabric square with our logo to be added to a quilt displaying a variety of worker owned cooperatives.  I created this quilt square for the Worker Cooperative Quilt Project and am happy to announce that I just found out that the quilt has been completed!

There's the Pedal People square I created!

The US Federation of Worker Cooperatives or USFWC is "a national grassroots membership organization of and for worker cooperatives, democratic workplaces, and organizations that support the growth and development of worker cooperatives."

The quilt represents over 25 organizations and it measures 80" x 60"!  It has some handstitched details and also includes the seven principles of cooperatives which is stitched into the border. 

The finished quilt!  yay!