Musing Crow Designs

Friendships can take many forms. Some people may think that true friendship cannot exist beyond people that you actually see regularly. I can dispel that belief since I have made two, true, online friendships with Jeannie and Karen. I "met" Karen when we began trading ATC's some years ago. From there our friendship has developed. Now we are in an intimate mixed media trading group of three. Karen , Linda Wyatt and myself. Our wee group has no boundaries when it comes to mixed media. It's been a wonderful journey together so far. Today I was the lucky recipient of a wonderful, extraordinary birthday gift from my friend Karen Musgrave . Karen is an author, quilt historian, mixed media artist, quilter and, now, ceramic artist. I have been the lucky giftee of a couple of Karen's ceramics over the past year, but nothing can beat this amazing angel's wing. As a person who believes in angels this was an especially wonderful gift. I love quote that she inc

I am a bag fanatic! I love making bags and I love using them.   I was intrigued when I saw this  "Sew Together" bag pattern for sale at one of my favorite online fabric shops, Pink Castle .  Compartments- oh how I love compartments in my bags! There is a section for sewing things, a section for knitting knick-knacks and one for whatever, plus you can put some larger things (I keep a needle case and a spool of thread in the "in-between" section. The background story behind the name of this extremely talented sewist's blog is quite interesting, but I could not find the link in her new blog  - so now you have both links if you're interested. This is not what I call an "easy-go" pattern. I think that the pattern is for an intermediate-advanced, sewist.  It took reading and more reading, and going slowly, for me to get through it, but it was worth it!  I used scrap pieces in making this first of what will now, most definitely, be a series of

Our first four prayer flags exchange. Next round will be later this year. A couple of days ago I got the gentle nudge from my friend Janet. Her email was short, and red something like - "no post since June 2nd!"  Really?! Could the time really go that fast I wondered?  On June 1st something went wrong with my back. I couldn't stand up! I was in very bad pain. Of course I considered going to the doctor often over the next few days because I was concerned that something had slipped from one of fusion surgeries, but I also wanted to give it time in case it was nothing more than a bad strain. Now, two weeks later I can stand and walk, but I am still having days when I have to think about how to get out of the bed. So I may end up getting checked out, but will give it more time. All of this simply means that I was not really up to doing too much - other than sitting and stitching. SO - on to the good stuff.  First my apologies for the poor image quality. I was having

I'm just making these small 6" blocks when the thought moves me. I have a limited amount of the background flannel. I can make another 6 blocks or so I think.  I am, I fear, becoming more and more addicted to hand work, or perhaps it is returning to hand work since I did a lot of hand applique for quite some time in years past. Below is a 16" block that I donated. I should have done the quilting by hand and I regret it, but I till have more of these intricate applique blocks left. I taught myself to applique by making a Dear Jane quilt. It is so much fun, it is also very satisfying. I love doing hand work, although now that I knit, it's always a bit of a tug-of-war in the evenings as to which I will do! That was/is then - the ' woolies' are now!  Above - a close up of my little flowers . I am using Aurifil lana wool thread. Luscious  Of course I had to do a stitching block ! Close up below. I used Krenik silver braid wrapped with   a