When was the last time I was able to sit at my desk long enough to write a blog post? November, I think. We’ve done a lot since then! We did our usual December things, like school parties, a quilting ladies’ party, a band concert, and preparing for Christmas. And we also caulked and painted the inside of an entire house, organized lots of repairs and improvements on it, and filled it with furniture and other things one needs to live there. Unfortunately, it wasn’t our new earthen house, but it looks great anyway and it deserves its very own blog post.

Rag Sky Art Studio fabric millefiori earrings

So here I sit at my desk, and what do I see, but a pair of lovely earrings I bought at the Quilt Festival. Meg Hannan of Rag Sky Art Studio in Seattle made them with fiber millefiori. It’s the same idea as glass or polymer clay millefiori. For her earrings and pendants, she makes a roll of different color fabrics, fiber, and beads, soaked with liquid glue. When glue sets, she cuts the roll in cross-section to reveal designs that look like tiny, colorful fantasy worlds.

I’m planning a pinkish and salmon-colored sweater that will look great with these earrings.

Dusty’s Antique Linens and Buttons had baskets and baskets of vintage buttons that would have taken two hours to look at properly. For some reason—possibly that I’m planning a sweater in orange with teal, green, and other rich colors—I was drawn to the orange button baskets. These swirly fabulosities were cabochons from the 1970s or so, which were converted into shank buttons.

buttons from Dusty’s booth at 2010 Knit & Crochet Show

I have a sweater of moss greens on the drawing board as well. Thank goodness I already have a great selection of green Gail Hughes buttons and buttons to choose from, from a previous visit to Dusty’s.

Looks like a busy knitting year!