Song of the Minstrel

Soon after our trip to Tennessee, where I ordered my Kromski Minstrel from Beth at Three Creeks Farm, it arrived!

I received a pound of beautiful merino wool and a Kromski niddy noddy thatwere included  with my wheel.

Each piece was wrapped in Polish newspaper which I carefully smoothed and set aside for a friend who will love to translate them!  

Unable to wait for the handyman (my husband) to get home and assemble it for me, I  carefully set out each piece.  I actually found  a great youtube video on how to assemble it and used that to complete the project!  Is there anything that is NOT on youtube?

 

There was  a period of getting acquainted and now I am really enjoying this wheel and could not be happier with my choice!

Three Creeks Farm

Many months ago  while travelling thru Tennessee visiting friends and family we stopped in  at Three Creeks Farm in Charlotte Tennessee.  I was in the market for a new spinning wheel and after much research was looking for a Kromski and really wanted to see and test one in person.  The  farm is listed on the Kromski website as a dealer and after making a call we were invited to stop by and meet all the farm animals and of course test some spinning wheels.


After following a winding road and wondering if we might be lost, we suddenly saw the sign!  As we drove up we were greeted by a lovely pack of dogs.  This furry welcome wagon was quite an assortment of friendly creatures.  When I opened my car door a giant head landed right in my lap. That head was attached to one of the biggest dogs I have ever seen and his whole body was wagging as he gave me his sweet slobbery welcome.  I haven't ever seen a mastiff that close up before but he was very gentle.

Upon exiting the car we were greeted by the lady of the farm, Beth,  and as she was speaking I realized that there was snorting coming from the surrounding  pack and right in the middle of it was a little pig.

We were taken on a tour to meet all of the animals then into the little workshop to talk about spinning wheels.  I ended up ordering a Kromski Minstrel and having it shipped home since we would be flying back and not able to carry it with us.

I am thankful to Beth for her graciousness in allowing us to come with very little notice and also her patience in talking with me about spinning.  She and her husband,who is a blacksmith, teach classes, do period re-enactments and demonstrations and also organize the Middle Tennessee Fiber Fair.  I wish I lived closer to benefit from the classes but am hoping to time my next trip so that I can attend the fiber fair!

This post is sadly lacking in pictures I wish I had taken more!
If you happen across my little blog and are interested you can find the website for Three Creeks Farm here:  http://www.3creeksfarm.com/    where you can find information on classes and workshops and farm tours.  They also have a facebook page that often has additional information.

More to come on the Kromski Minstrel!

Woven with Love

I recently made a rug for a dear friend and got the chance to deliver it in person a few states away.  Now that it is in its new home I can post pictures here.

 As usual I had plenty of corgi assistance.











Her home is decorated in earth tones and it was a bit of a challenge to find just the right shades for this project.

Spinning Wheel Makeover

I recently purchased an purchased an Ashford Country Spinner. 

  

The wood had not been sealed and so I headed to Home Depot to purchase some clear polyurethane...despite my husbands best efforts, that is not what I came home with.

I found a gorgeous stain whose shade was named Blue Hawaii.  After getting all the pieces painted, I couldn't resist a little artwork too.  Sadly, my drawing abilities have not progressed since kindergarten...but I had fun with this.  Definitely made it mine.  

I will admit to experiencing a great deal of anxiety about taking my wheel apart, but thankfully my husband is always willing to be my partner in crime when I come up with a harebrained scheme.  He helped me disassemble and meticulously label each part.  

This was a very time-consuming project mainly due to the length of time for the stain and sealer to dry.  I was relieved to get it put back to gather and in fine working order!!

The Country House

We occasionally house sit for friends who live in a beautiful farmhouse out in the country.  It is picturesque and peaceful with a variety of critters to contend with.

Snow was knee deep in some places making it a challenge to get a round.

Sunrise was lovely

She is a Komondor and most of the time I wasn't sure who was the boss when we went walking! Actually she is sweet natured and very obedient...unlike a chubby little corgi I have at home!

Birthday Project

One day my husband and I stopped at a thrift shop to take a quick look around.  This particular shop is located on an Air Force base and has very limited hours so I try to stop in if I am lucky enough to catch it open.

  I love to go to thrift shops and estate sales and on this day I came across an item that really called to me.  It was an old Singer Sewing machine and table set that was in excellent condition.   My husband was very skeptical so I decided to go finish my other shopping and mull it over.  

I was only a block away in the other store but the longer I was there, the more anxious I became that someone else would snap it up.  I messaged a trusted friend who also likes to sew and asked if she thought I had totally lost my mind to be obsessing over this idea.  She did some quick research for me and encouraged me to go with my instincts.  I rushed back over to the thrift shop and laid claim on my prize in the name of  my birthday present for this year.  It took some doing to figure out how to remove the machine and get that heavy table loaded into the van but somehow we managed!

Once I got it home, I decided to refinish the desk with chalk paint.  I love that it can be applied to a piece without having to strip old varnish or do any sanding.  I was able to find several fantastic videos on YouTube for advice and feeling confident I set out to gather materials.

I found Annie Sloane chalk paint at a great little store called "Keep the Piece" in Omaha, Nebraska.  If you live in or near this area it is well worth a visit to this fantastic place.  They had examples of all the paint shades along with a demonstration of what they looked like with the clear or dark wax and it really helped me decide just what I needed without trial and error!  The lady that assisted me was incredibly friendly and had plenty of advice and ideas...I will be back there soon! 

The color I chose was Emperor's Silk which is a beautiful deep red.  I also opted to use a dark wax on it to give a more antique look and was very happy with how it turned out!  I won't go into a blow by blow of the process because there are so many great videos and blogs out there dedicated specifically to that, but I will share a few pics of the process ;)

After painting and applying wax, I opted to replace the hardware with some I found in Hobby Lobby that I loved!  I painted them an ivory color then sanded a bit to show through some of the metal

Even though the drawers were in great shape I decided to decoupage fabric into them instead of putting in lining and was very pleased with how it all came out!

I noticed my little furry  friend thought a new den had been created just for her so I put a quilt under there to cater to her comfort. Poppy has given her stamp of approval!

Quilt completed!

I do a little bit of quilting now and then.  I don't consider myself a quilter like my good friend Carol.  She eats, sleeps and breaths quilting...living for that next fabric fix.  I tend to quilt in small spurts...but we do share that love of fabric which results in visits to the amazing "Marshall's Dry Goods" in Batesville, AR. 

I currently live in the Midwest, but make the trek south every chance I get to avail myself of the good company and amazing quilting machine and of course to stock up on fabrics.  My last trip I managed to complete a quilt I had pieced ages ago with an Asian theme.

 

Here is the finished quilt hanging in my room.  Since we lived in northern japan for 8 years, I have my bedroom decorated with things from my time there. 

 Yes, that is a torii, which is a gate found at the entrance to most Shinto Shrines.  

If you are wondering what in the world that is doing in my house...well...I love hgtv which led to a surprise room makeover when my husband was out of town...but that is another story haha