by Susan | Jan 13, 2025 | Felt Patterns, Shore and Wading Bird Patterns
Sitting inside watching the snow fly, I’m clearly dreaming of warmer times as I designed my first felt bird of the year–the striking American Oystercatcher shorebird. He waded gracefully along the tide at Roque Bluffs Beach for a photo shoot. If you ignore the...
by Susan | Jan 12, 2025 | Birds and Wildlife, On the Farm
It snowed for most of Saturday, covering the landscape with a fluffy three inches of snow. I enjoy being a recluse on these snowy days, cozying up on the sofa with a book and watching nature unfold. I am particularly taken with the white-breasted nuthatch that has...
by Susan | Jan 4, 2025 | Backyard Birds, Birds and Wildlife, Dogs, Insect Patterns, On the Farm, Other Patterns, Sea Life, Woodland Patterns
Our house is tucked away in the woods. When we built it 20 years ago, I wanted to bring the outdoors inside as much as possible. If my budget had supported it, I would have had walls of windows. Instead, I have five tall cottage-style windows and a set of French doors...
by Susan | Dec 24, 2024 | On My Mind
The days leading up to Christmas have come with a bit of anxiety. Dad took a tumble on a curb. Thankfully, my brother and his family were with him and he’s okay, besides being sore. Yesterday, Dad’s emergency alert alarm went off, and I got a call from the...
by Susan | Dec 22, 2024 | Cats and Dogs, On My Mind
Winter Solstice dawned with the promise of a white Christmas. Five inches of snow dropped overnight, with more predicted on Christmas Eve. I relish the silence of the solstice as I shoveled out and wandered down to the mailbox. There’s lots to take in along our...
by Susan | Dec 8, 2024 | Bird Patterns, Odds and Ends, Projects
A few years ago, I turned my Joyful Owl into a tree topper that now sports a jaunty red scarf. This gray-colored owl looked sweet on past trees, but not this year’s Christmas tree, which has a more natural white, green, and brown theme. What to do? In October, I...
by Susan | Dec 2, 2024 | Felt Patterns, Other Patterns
This little mushroom is a departure from my normal designs. I was inspired by some mushroom Christmas ornaments I spotted while shopping last weekend with Hannah. It made the perfect project for Sunday afternoon football watching. Enjoy! Download the free pattern...
by Susan | Dec 1, 2024 | Christmas, Felt Patterns
This year, I welcome December with a new Snowman design. I used some tiny birch twigs for arms and various size buttons for the eyes and buttons. Mix up the colors as you wish. This makes a nice Christmas tree ornament or present decoration. Download the free pattern...
by Susan | Nov 30, 2024 | Backyard Birds, Family, On My Mind
Thanksgiving dawned wet and dreary in Downeast Maine. It was a quiet day filled with baking and birdwatching from the sofa. This Thanksgiving was particularly poignant for me because it was also Mom’s birthday—the second one we’ve spent without her. She...
by Susan | Nov 18, 2024 | Critter Patterns, Dogs, Felt Patterns
Melville, the mini dachshund, was the first dog that Paul and I welcomed into our new family shortly after we married. Also known as “Bud” or “Little Buckeroo,” he was as loveable as he was a challenge. The spots on my wall-to-wall carpet in that old house were a...
by Susan | Oct 27, 2024 | Bird Patterns, Felt Patterns, Owl and Raptor Patterns
Visiting Dad in Pennsylvania presents an opportunity for shopping–or, more accurately, window shopping–every day. I think there may be more stores per square mile in his town than in the entire state of Maine. I spied a snowy owl on a floral pick in the Christmas...
by Susan | Oct 21, 2024 | Christmas
Here’s a short video of the assembly of my felt Downest Thunder Farm felt Christmas Tree. Download the free pattern or the kit for purchase...
by Susan | Oct 14, 2024 | Christmas, Felt Patterns
This Felt Petal Christmas Tree idea has been sitting in my “someday” file for years. I found some craft cones from my mom’s stash of supplies, so I began experimenting with various petal sizes and gluing methods before I settled on this final...
by Susan | Oct 11, 2024 | Out and About in Maine
The northern hemisphere has been experiencing a period of high solar activity for the past few days. As we’ve had cloudy skies and rain, I didn’t think much about going out to try to see them like I did in May. Only after seeing a friend’s pictures...
by Susan | Sep 22, 2024 | On My Mind
The long days filled with sunshine have flown by, leaving me wondering where the summer has gone. In some ways, I feel the summer has passed me by, busy with work and life, but visiting my photos reminds me of the wonderful moments had. A June visit with Dad. My...
by Susan | Sep 6, 2024 | Out and About in Maine
At our house, this seems to be the year of the pumpkin. Hannah has had fun tending to her tiny pumpkin patch this summer and has begun harvesting. Orange ones. Big ones and little. Gray ones and warty ones. Her wish for this month included a visit to a pumpkin patch....
by Susan | Aug 26, 2024 | On the Farm
It is a foggy, damp, overcast day here in Maine. Snuggled up on the porch under a blanket with Murphee, I heard a scary commotion from Doodle Duck in the pond. I tossed the blanket aside and hopped up, ready to do battle. It was not her normal quacking; this was a...
by Susan | Aug 23, 2024 | Birds and Wildlife, Out and About in Maine
This morning, Hannah and I visited with our friend, Christina, who runs a Monarch Hatchery. On our first visit to Kvetina Hatchery, she was set up in a couple of tents. This year, she upgraded her setup with a little cabin–one side dedicated to caterpillars and the...
by Susan | Aug 5, 2024 | Hannah, On My Mind
Hannah spends much of the summer in Brunswick for work. She’s made it home a time or two, but I wouldn’t say I like the idea of her spending her birthday alone. She has to work on her birthday (a Monday this year) so I made the trip to Brunswick for the...
by Susan | Aug 2, 2024 | Give-a-ways, On the Farm
On this first day of my staycation, I wandered the yard in my PJs, enjoying my coffee and just being. A “plop” and then a “buzzing” sound startled me. Looking about, I finally spied this dragonfly who landed in my thankfully tepid coffee....
