INFLUENCES THAT SHAPE NEW WORK

August is usually considered the dog days of summer.....but unlike much of the country, we've had a wonderfully cool summer.  I know, I know....we live in the mountains so our daytime temps. are always cooler anyway.....but waking up to 49 degrees the other day was actually very unusual.

 ......And it feels more like autumn days.....not just the temperature either.  I've been noticing signs of fall for a week or two.  Look.....acorns are already scattered on the ground!

But unlike when it IS FALL......most are still green with their caps attached.

 Insect eaten leaves inspire intricate designs.

AND....turkey feathers, actually lots of them.  Again it's unusual to find so many at this time of the year.  I sure hope these items are not signs of an early winter.  However for now, I'll just enjoy Mother Nature at her finest.

 In the meantime, I got a hankering to recreate a small white feather I found.  Actually, I had been admiring the masterpiece of my cyber friend Robbie who has just completed a stunning beaded fall leaf. Click on her name to see this beauty for yourself.  

I've beaded many feathers before and still very much enjoy the process. It's stitched on a piece of my hand-dyed felted wool, using a simple 3 and sometimes 4 bead embroidery stitch.

The feather is now complete...with some additional bead stacking to add texture at the lower end.  Using some beautiful hand-dyed embroidery thread, gifted to me by Jill aka The Quilt Rat, I'm stitching some swirls in the background to add a bit more interest.

I keep wanting to start a 'big' project....even have the subject whispering to me....but these smaller pieces keep calling too. My fall will be super busy with my final 4 teaching trips so perhaps for now......the whispers will be ignored...but not forgotten.

Unless I can figure out how to blog from my phone......I will probably be silent for a few days......where is a teenager when you need one??