fantastic mr. felix: a foxy finished quilt

"Even though so much of modern life and theology insists that what matters is my mind, my soul, my inner self, my heart, there is still this nagging part of me that knows on some deep level that the things we see and touch and hear and taste are spiritual, too." 

--Shauna Niequist

I spend a long time picking out fabrics. The perfect shade of aqua, the happiest-looking foxes I can find. And perhaps it's because I expect so much of them. I expect these strips of cotton to communicate years of friendship. I expect them to sum up love and hope and joy. I expect them to act as a promise of support -- that if ever life is difficult, we are here to help, and if ever life gives cause to celebrate, we are here to join in the excitement.

It's a lot to ask.

But I hope that the new little life who'll be wrapped up in these bright triangles will feel some of that -- the emotion wound up in woolly batting -- seeping out through the stitches.

{designed by you}

Over the past few weeks, I've worked with a number of lovely people on custom orders for all sorts of animals. What fun! Though the foxes, bears and deer never get old, it's refreshing to have a big old wolf to sink my teeth into.

It's been so much fun, in fact, that I've got a permanent spot now for anyone wanting to design their own custom piece of art. What will it be next -- armadillos? meerkats? wombats? I can't wait...

P.S. As it's the last week to order before December, all advent calendars in the shop are now 15% off! 

Felicity Fauxwood

Another fox has appeared, magically, from my box of scraps.

This is Felicity Fauxwood, in a paisley dress that matches our bench cushion, and turquoise cowboy boots made from an old shirt of mine.

She is the last of the foxes for right now, but I've enjoyed making them so much, no doubt there'll be more coming in the future! For now, I'll be working on making Tilly a mobile... which will be completely from materials I already have (and already have unpacked, at that!), as I don't really feel up to a trek round the craft shop. I do like a challenge!

Remington Fauxwood

It's not easy to just sit down when you've got a garage full of boxes waiting to be unpacked. But, after getting into trouble with Justin for building an IKEA bookshelf while he was at work, I've found a way to keep myself away from the heavy lifting, and occupied on the couch. Its name is Remington Fauxwood:

Yes, the pattern comes from the new book I told you about, "Sew Me, Love Me". (Although, in the spirit of handmadeness, I didn't actually use the patterns she provides, but drew my own wonky versions!)

Remington is made from a lot of recycled old clothes, including a jacket Justin used to lend me on camping trips when we were first dating, and an extra extra extra large yellow shirt that Justin's Dad passed down, and I refuse to keep around for Justin to "grow into"!

I called him "Fauxwood" in honour of how Justin pronounced the type of blinds we have ("fox wood")... he really was very disappointed to find out what "faux" really means!

I'm ready to get started on Mrs. Foxy today... feet up, drinking plenty of water, enjoying the time to rest!

Fox Riding and Other Hobbies

Yesterday, I stumbled upon Mareika Auer's artwork (above) for the first time.

And maybe it's because I'm completely hooked on Mad Men at the moment, or because I love that kind of Aimee Bender alternate world of equal parts weirdness and humour, but I can't seem to get that man on a fox out of my head!

I think it's because their poses are so lifelike... the way he sits on that fox, with his knees forward so his feet don't drag, just mixes the fantastical with the normalcy so perfectly!

But Mareika isn't all about the animals (although her animal prints might be my favourites... check out her print of business men walking different animals)...

This man is knitting his hair! It makes me so happy I could cry, not just because he looks so sweet, all cross-legged, but because the knitting, of course, has to be RED! I think Mareika went to the same school of Art Theory as me... without that red element, it just wouldn't be the same.

One more:

Gnomes! Well, really I sort of love it because they all look like Nisse men (which are the little Christmas elves that the Danes credit with present-giving, and who were always a big presence in our house at Christmas time). And I love them because you can SEE their personalities! What a character in the middle!

Mareika is selling prints of these, and if I can get around to working out how much, exactly, a Euro is, then I might think about spluringing. How often do you see something that makes you that happy and inspired? Rarely. The only problem, if I may be so bold, is that there are actually TOO MANY prints that I love... :)

Thanks, Mareika, for brightening my week. The world needs more business men riding foxes.