October, wherefore art thou?

I begin this post with a head-scratching lament of what happened to October. Where did she go? Now, we are nearly done with November and I must guess the time-snatching Goblins are at work here. In North Carolina, we've had some truly glorious autumnal weather and I've wandered my local woods as much as I can. Week before last, I attended the Carolina Renaissance Festival beneath the most perfect blue sky. Some highlights from hawks to hounds.

Birds of prey show by Sky Kings.

Artemis.

Lenore, the raven.

Igor, the vulture. These birds were amazing and fly, untethered, above the audience!

Merlin, I'm sure of it!

Music as beautiful as she is - harpist, Sarah Mullen.

Guardian of the White Deer

Inspiration board for future costuming: This one an ivory-moonlight-shadow toned Guardian of the White Deer gown. 

and so I wander...

In The Forest
Oscar Wilde

Out of the mid-wood's twilight
Into the meadow's dawn,
Ivory limbed and brown-eyed,
Flashes my Faun!

He skips through the copses singing,
And his shadow dances along,
And I know not which I should follow,
Shadow or song!

O Hunter, snare me his shadow!

O Nightingale, catch me his strain!

Else moonstruck with music and madness

I track him in vain!

The perfect soundtrack for woodland wandering.

Parrish Relics SALE!!!

What's better than shopping at Parrish Relics’s Etsy? A 20% off sale.
Go over and have a look-see.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/parrishrelics

For autumn

 The Fall.
Once more the many-coloured Being pales
And falls in ruin under its own breath:
Once more the all-encircling Spirit veils
Its glorious presence in a mask of death:
Once more the tide of life in this dear land
Ebbs to stagnation: while with stricken hearts
And eyes sad fixed upon its vacant strand,
We watch and watch, until our joy departs.
Once more we strive to gain from this high scene
Of tragic woe and deep significance,
A clue to what shall be from what hath been:
Striving with Thought that leaves the mind in trance
Deep-awed, because the living mystery
Seems to resign its life and cease to be.

George Earle

Photo taken by me on 11/2007, a local wood.

Foliate Italianate

Recently finished for a Faerie Queene. This was my first time using Period Patterns and this is  No. 41 with a few modifications. The underskirt, stomacher and 2-part sleeves are made of olive green silk shantung, the overdress a green and copper foliate patterned fabric I'd bought years ago. The chemise is a tissue-thin ivory silk. The sleeves and stomacher are reversible for alternate looks.

And of course a little purse to match!

Detail of sleeve machine embroidery

Squirrel Condo

This weekend, dear friend Jen Parrish visiting from out of town, spotted this hole in one of my oak trees and said it was kitten-head shaped. Thus the name Hello Kitty Tree was born and giggled about (and other things). On Tuesday, as I went to the end of my drive to check the mail, I spotted a face in said Hello Kitty hole. To my surprise....

Cat-shaped hole in the oak tree.

One little squirrel face - seemed to be saying "hello".

To my delight, two squirrels appear!

Imagine my squealing and laughing when I spied three squirrels.

It's nuts out there!!!