Showing posts with label magpie's nest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label magpie's nest. Show all posts

Hussif, Hussif, Who's Got a HUSSIF....?????

                                        


                                    Does anyone know what a HUSSIF is?

                                           I may be in the minority, but I sure didn't!

This morning, I saw a FB post by famous doll maker extraordinaire, Patti Culea- about an intriguing "hussif" she created. Here is her link.

I love hers, having dabbled a teensy bit in doll making myself, years ago..........her creation is the best of both worlds- it's a doll, and it serves a purpose in sewing organization!

In researching what a "hussif" was,  I found this blog - a hussif  is, simply put, a needle case. Could be a roll up, could be fashioned in almost any shape to suit the sewer's needs for whatever  needs to be  stored and/or carried.

  You know how it goes - one link leads to another, then you find the wee hours have slipped away (literally- I was up at 3:50am today!) - all spent in the cyber space! This 2nd blog (link below) gave me the definition of the word HUSSIF.

Its origin is Olde English - meaning "housewife". A word that appears to be coming full circle, from the days of women's lib (when it was a bad word!) to the present, where alot of women (including myself) appear to be  embracing the back to basics and relearning the skills (and they are skills!) of housewifely "drudgery" combined with the arts of fine handiwork- sewing, knitting, spinning, weaving, etc..Altho', I must admit - I do NOT categorize washing dishes as an art!! That is still drudgery - unless I can escape to an imaginary world in my mind, while gazing out the window, and mindlessly scrubbing pots!!!LOL..... 

You can read about the definition of the word Hussif - here

Curiosity just got the best of me - I could see what it was that Patti Culea created - and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE  it- but did not know the origin of the word she used to describe it! Now, I do!

So, as always, GOOGLE to the rescue!!!!!

I also found photos - click here
 
                                                  Oh sooooo many photos!!!



I have made several needle cases over the years- and have swapped needlecases online. I have a ton of them - well, maybe not a TON- but I have alot!!! What I need to create now, is an artsy storage case of sorts, to hold all the needlecases in a semi organized way!!!

blogger decided it looked better this way! My own wool envelope- I love the teeny pewter basket pin cushion!Lined with  vintage feedsack.
(Obviously having another photo placement blogger issue again today.......sigh)

One hussif  that I do NOT have is a larger roll up style, similar to Patti's creation..

I do have several wool applique envelope styles - 2 or three of these inspired and created while in The Woolie Nuts group with Pat Sloan, Lennie, Judy, Ann Weber, Debbie, Joanne, Patty, when we did some round robins. I admit being only a sporadic member, as work and kids allowed! Now distance separates...

Woolie Nuts- late 1990's ?- from left, Judy Post , Lennie Stimpson, Pat Sloan,Ann Weber, Deb MacDougal Conway, and me (on the floor)photo probably taken by the ever elusive Patty!!!
 This is one of the needlecases - mine- from the Woolie Nuts Round robin. I think my base wool was one hand dyed by Patty.www.bitze.wordpress.com, back when she was into that sort of thing!! She created the best wool colors ever!!!

sideways pic - but you get the idea- each person in the round robin added another wool applique


back view


Others are small folder or book styles - created and swapped in an online group with Judy and several others.

this is the outside of Judy's- all recycled fabric - the outer is from her dad's old sweater, I believe - how sweet!



and the inside



a gorgeous burnt fabric method- needlecase by London artist Rosemarie McLavy for the online Art4Mail swap in 2011

After seeing Patti's wonder-full creation, I have a feeling I need to create a fantasy roll- up. Maybe borrowing the from the theme of  Pat Sloan's  recent workshop at my Mountain Meadows Quilters Retreat,  and use up the rest of my stash fabric to put together a new all encompassing hussif !

If you have made any hussifs - and I am SURE you all have - under a different name, perhaps ????- leave a comment - share a link with a picture of your creation!

                               I'd love to see them!! As would we all!!!! We can all become hussies!!!LOL

                                                   Inspiration comes from sharing!!!


Tea on Tuesday



I am enjoying some ginger tea, all the way from Finland.

Pulling out a rarely used teacup- Foley English china from Cotswold....I do have some Finnish Arabia teacups, which might have been more appropos- oh, well!!!



I had a bag of this ginger loose leaf tea, sent to me by a friend (Teresa!), and my bag was almost empty, try as I might, to make it last forever!!

Another friend, who is Finnish, went home to Finland for a 3 week vacation. I was watching her baby lambs (100 lb babies!) - socializing them, being a lamb whisperer. All right ! I was playing with them- while she was gone.  LOL

From left:  CJ, Spiderman, and Gaga (red on CJ is from rubbing on the red gate)


I think they are Suffolk, altho Spidey may have a little of a fleece sheep mixed in


Spidey, wondering where his after lunch clover is


The fabulous freckles that are Lady Gaga


Lady Gaga foreground- she is a sweetie and quite a looker!


CJ (aka Calamity Jane) is the one with the best conformation and show quality, and of course, the one who was the least friendly of the three( and most camera shy)!! She has come around - and towards the end of the vacation, would come to me looking for her treats,and would permit full body rubs!! I understand she is now walking on a lead, in preparation for her County Fair debut! I told myself at the onset, NOT to get attached to them - but I think I failed......


I have to admit, my favorite is Spiderman (named that because he was caught eating spider webs)- he is a love, very affectionate, and would fall asleep in my hands while I was petting him. He would also ba-a-a-a when he realized it was my car that pulled up, and ba-a-a plaintively when I left. The lanolin in the sheep's wool is so good for your hands - and made the leather in my old work gloves so supple!!!LOL I can't think of anything worse than being a lamb in the hot humid weather of Va- but surprisingly, they fared far better than I did with the heat those 3 weeks!
Spidey napping


Back to the tea - I asked Jo, if she saw any, and had a chance while in Finland, to please bring me back a bag of that wonderful ginger tea.

Well!!! Look what I got, very unexpected - all for having fun with 3 lovely lambies!!!!



3 bags of ginger tea - obviously, one from each little lamb (!), and some lovely Marimekko goodies and chocolate!!! That purple suede Marimekko wallet with goblet design is wonderful!!!! Thank you Jo!!!


On a different "note" - please enjoy this group - called - appropriately enough for today's post - 

                                              THE TEACUPS!!!


Please join us each Tuesday for tea - drop by Patty and Kim for a list of other tea lovers!!!

Tea on Tuesday- Vintage Style

I am sipping a new sample tea I got in the mail (it's delicious with local wildflower honey!).




 Even tho' my Irish mug is definitely NOT vintage, while sipping a new Twinings Orange sample tea I got in the mail (it's delicious with local wildflower honey and the pictured Beekman lemon creamed honey!), I thought I would share some vintage black and white photos found on the internet, of teas gone by..........








My grandparents used to have a swing like this at their country home in Rhinebeck, NY













Tea for two, on two..........!!




Please join us every Tuesday for tea! Share on your blog what you're having and what fancy cup or mug you are using, or just peek at what we are sipping. 

Don't forget to  leave a comment, and visit Patty and Kim for a list of other tea fanciers!!!

Tea on Tuesday



                                                              it's that time again



Tea on Tuesday-An Invitation to Tea

                      Allow me to "introduce" one of my favorite doll artists - Anna Zueva.


                                                    http://www.annazueva.com/ (English)
                                          http://www.facebook.com/annazueva.dolls
                                               http://www.annazueva.ru/ (По-русски)



                                                           An Invitation to Tea



                She is absolutely gorgeous and the perfect doll for today's tea theme!!

Every time I see a new "Anna" creation, I feel like I want to sit down and create one of my own!!

 She is made of paperclay, a medium I have been dying to try. I used to sculpt with Sculpy, 15 or 20 years ago. Not like this tho' !   Hmm, maybe a trip to the craft store is in order...... LOL


                                                                      AND

             for some BEYOND FABULOUS TEAPOTS- check out this contest!!!!! 

                I am drooling and suffering SEVERE teapot envy after looking at each and every one of these artisan created teapots!


But, TEA is a very good and soothing thing!! And, it is Tuesday!

 So, out comes my slightly more mundane teapot, as I am brewing some fresh ginger tea!

Have a cup on me, enjoy looking thru' the above links at Anna's wonder-full dolls and the equally wonder-full teapots.

 Last, but not least, drop by Patty and Kim for a list of other tea lovers.


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Countdown to Mountain Meadows Quilters Retreat 2012 - don't miss out !

Tea on Tuesday

What to write about? - TEA? Of course!
                      Maybe, happy mail that includes tea- of course!

                                              Spring flowers, of course!!!


                                      All of the above???????????????? OF COURSE!!!!!!!


I received 2 unexpected happy mails  this week - the fact that they are unexpected - makes them all the more happy!!!


First, was a delayed Xmas package - that was supposed to be delivered in person - but life got in the way....

Lovely set of tea towels, a teapot pendant, bird cage, and a hammered spoon.  I need to find that "font" for altered silverware I create!! Love it all!!! Thank you , Montte......


The next really unexpected happy mail came yesterday - just in time to be included in this tea post!!

From faerwillow of the lovely blog serendipity - a wonder-full package of goodies, from a tea swap, that I had long forgotten about. Sometimes, when life gets in the way of getting stuff in the mail (as it does with me on a regular basis!) - it makes it all the more sweeter, when the package arrives- totally unexpectedly!!!

Asian green tea w/brown rice -very yum! A tea book, 2 handmade cards, and a lovely bone china English cup and saucer

                                The tea cup is totally in synch with this post's SPRING theme!!!

                                                 Thank you so much, lady faerwillow

                             Be sure to visit her BEAUTIFUL blog- artful in both words and photos


                                               And.......................................now
                                                           
                                                            the flowers of spring


 
one of my favorites- forsythia

                                                             a white dilly

the Bradford pear, blossoms but a memory- trees now turning green....

                                                  a brilliant pink hued Easter cactus in full bloom


                                     ......not to be outdone by the phlox in my rock garden......


                                                 or my baby weeping cherry..............................


and let's not forget the distant redbud along the old road




in the distance, the vintage red quince still surrounds the rubble filled foundation of the old farmhouse
My prickly pear cactus has survived another winter, and is plumping up! I am NOT looking forward to weeding  this!!!
        The impossibly teeny wild violets await drying- to be preserved in some future art project


                And, finally, a true sign of spring - the hummingbird feeders are hung and waiting!!!



Enjoy your tea- thanks for visiting!! Be sure to drop by and visit Patty and Kim (who has a giveaway!!!), for a list of more tea loving bloggers!!! 

Tea on Tuesday and Stacks

Today's tea photos were prompted by a project that Seth from The Altered Page will be featuring tomorrow on his blog.
Over 70 artists and artsy folks will be showing stacks of ephemera, paper, journals, and the like. Seth always thinks of these fun things to do!!

Who among us, does NOT have a stack of SOMETHING???
                  I DARE you to raise your hand!!! LOL


I have many stacks - so, I included a few- the last photo being the one to be included in Seth's post.
But, first- the tea: sideways, again, for reasons only blogger knows (altho hubby thinks he's got it figured, using photoshop- but I am tired, and don't want to mess with it right now- soooooooooo)

My oolong tea and mug are sitting on my 2nd mug rug from an Art4Mail online swap. The quilter did a fabulous job with fall colors.

Mine are almost done - but today was taken up by purging the basement and  making grape jam (the reason I am too tired to fool with photoshop and why this post is late today!)

                                                                             


                                                                        STACKS



Tea on Tuesday - teacups, of course!



                             Books that are yearning for their own book shelf- or a new home elsewhere
                                                        (see a title you like? Let me know!!!)


                                                    Stuff on the couch I am reading my way thru'


Guest bath




Spell check? Nah -stacks of ancient dictionaries 
(usually neatly shelved- just posing for the "stacks" photo shoot) 


                                  Journals, book covers, vintage pages, ephemera awaiting new life....



Please drop by every Tuesday for tea - see Kimmie and Patty for a list of other tea lovers.
Don't forget to visit Seth tomorrow to see many more stacks!! I know Patty and I are playing along, and maybe Kimmie too!!!