Silk, cotton, linen.
Gathering acorns, thanking the tree they fell from, creating a dye pot and simmering cloth…connecting Mother Nature with my studio and my hands…a weekend spent in meditation. Using the cloth I had dyed and some old calicos from my stash, I cut little circles, ran a running stitch around the edges, drew up the gathers and stuffed a bit of batting into each pouch. I tucked the raw edges into an acorn cap rimmed with glue…and VOILÁ…make believe acorns.
I have some acorns soaking in water, to see if any of them will split and sprout. If I have success, I’ll have a wee oak tree growing on the kitchen windowsill. If that’s not a bit of hope, I’m not sure what is. :-)
Do you remember David M Bird’s work? His acorn critters are some of my favorite whimsies.
And my dear friend Anne has posted a tutorial on how to paint acorns that’s just lovely.
The colors in Vermont are fading fast, but the beeches still sing in the woods.
Batman brush hogged the meadow a while back, and the gardens are mostly put to bed. Batman spread goat compost (from our neighbors down the road) on the beds and in the hoop house. The leeks and sage and parsley are hanging on. The sky has been heavy with mist and rain and we are snug inside.
I hope you are able to find a little thing or two in your neighborhood, to tuck in your pocket, to draw a picture of, to share with a friend…something that might ground you for a moment or two…to bring you into the present moment.
Be gentle with yourselves and those around you, friends. These are times when love and light are more important than ever. xo