Christmas snowflakes, cakes, and a peek into my studio

 These snowflakes with the embroidered centers are some that I made years ago, and are my personal favorites. All embroidery and tatting done completely by hand, beads strung onto the thread and worked in place while making. I buttonhole stitched the edges of the fabric centers (the fabric is double, with embroidery on both sides) and attached the tatting to the stitching. Shown hanging on a real tree.

Also, I couldn't resist showing off my Christmas cakes! Dear husband "volunteered" me to make a dessert for a party where he works, so I made Jello Poke Cake. The cake that's been cut, with the cards in back is the one I made for the family The one with the holly leaves (made from gumdrops) is the one that went to the party.

My cello and I will be part of the music at church on Christmas eve, so have been going to rehearsals and sorting out music for that. Our instrumental group will be accompanying the choir for the Mass parts, and also we will be playing by ourselves during the prelude: Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming, Away in a Manger, and Ding Dong Merrily On High. I got the music scores for free from free-scores.com.

So, all the hustle and bustle has kept me very busy, which explains why I haven't had time to add any new hand dyed thread to my Etsy shop lately. But, will get back to it after Christmas. The bottom photo shows a peek into my studio! See, I have some thread already skeined for the next dye batch. I do wind all my skeins by hand, which is a large part of the reason that hand dyeing thread is so time-consuming. Hanging on the wall are some of my original handwoven tapestries from the days when I was a handweaver (at the back is the original "yarnplayer" with cello, that was my first avatar).

I've been looking ahead to 2013, and one of my sons has advised me to make "expensive stuff with real emeralds and rubies". I'm not sure that's a cost-effective way to go, but I think the intention is to make art pieces with an air of prestige and "wow" factor that won't become patterns. I guess he sees how hard his mom works and wants people to admire, but doesn't want everything sold! 

My Studio