I cleared the calendar for some vacation time again.  No jet plane, no road trip………..no not yet.  

The couch takes a beating.  Can’t keep the dogs off.  Chris has been known to come up from the shop at the end of the day and collapse in a cloud of sawdust.

Taking time off means giving myself time to create.  I retired two pillows from the couch this week and made two new ones.  The bird print is linen from Classic Cloth and the nubby woven silk is Bergamo.

I love camp blankets.  I have these four on the couch.  They are so cozy and so warm and they go through the washer and dryer.   We eat dinner here every night and fall asleep with the dogs watching a movie.  Married 31 years.

I have an ugly chair that’s too good to give to the Goodwill so it’s been hiding behind a bed for ten years. I’ve been planning to slipcover this for at least the last five.

Stripes…………I know, I know…………it’s just that it was free…………so I’m using it.  It’s actually a beautiful linen from Clarence House.  

Like I said………I’m on vacation.

I pleated a long strip to make the curved box edge along the top.  The whole rounded back is pin tucked half way down.

You can see all of the back now, it’s sewn into the border with a short leather fringe………….I know, I know.

That’s as far as I got today………it will take me a few more days to finish.

I’m making a lampshade for the copper sculptural lamp………….it will be back in a few days with the wiring done.

I’m liking the embroidery done with the raffia so I thought I would try it again on this project.  I drew a bug.

I’ll show you how it looks when I get the lamp back from Stephen next week.

The horse and the head vase are ready to go in the kiln for the first firing.  They both have multiple layers of underglaze brushed on and sanded off.

The three smaller pieces need more underglaze……………I’ll probably fire this group of five in another month or so.   I know, I know………the footed dish…………not very original…………..I just had to get it out of my system.  I’m moving on now.

I know I’m not very good at this but it’s so darn much fun I can’t stand it.  I was hooked when I took my first class in 2005.  

I haven’t truly found my voice in this medium…………but I’m so determined.

Kathi