Warpping Up (in) January

 Our corner of the world has had a very mild winter up until this week. Suddenly we are experiencing below freezing temperatures overnight and well into the morning hours. There's even a chance we'll see a bit of snow in the next couple of days. I'm actually glad to have this change in the weather as it feels more appropriate to the season than what we've had until now. Still, winter has never been my favorite time of the year. 

The prompt for Tori's (KoolKookyKreatures on YouTube) postcard sew-along this January was "Snow Day!" I wasn't excited by this prompt - as you may have guessed. But I found some crazy patchwork I'd done all in white several years ago. That made for a great base.

I'd picked up that large applique somewhere along the way and it put me in mind of wind blowing. I used some bits of lace to create mounds of snow and a mini pom-pom trim along the top and bottom edges. A few snowflake sequins and a charm, some tiny white cross stitches scattered in the background, and I was done! I was pleased at how quickly it all came together once I got started. The prompt for February is "Feathered Friends." So far I don't have a clue how I will approach that one. Plenty of ideas, of course, but nothing in the planning stage yet.

The other project I've been working on this month is a little fabric book I'm calling "Just Ducky." It began with a vintage child's handkerchief. I folded it in half with a scrap of quilt batting between the layers to create the cover.

Inside I'm layering other fabrics and laces to create the pages. This is the third or fourth such book I've made so far. They began as needle books but are gradually evolving. This one will have a few pockets in it and a wool page that could be used for storing needles and pins but is less utilitarian than previous versions. (Come to think of it, I don't think I've shared previous versions with you. I'll have to make sure to do that soon.)

This is one of the embellished pages in "Just Ducky." And below is another.

When it is finished I'll share every page. I'm enjoying the challenge of working with vintage hankies. This is also giving me a place to use the charms and beads and laces I've collected over the years. It's about time I started using more of the treasures that have come into The Magpie's Nest!