Blue Bayou

Here is a sneak peek at my latest project. This is something I have been playing with and learning about for a while EVA foam. It has leather like properties but is very light weight.

Some heat and lots of sewing of layers.

I am sewing neon tubing as I layer the eva foam. I could just use UV resin but I prefer more stability in the final product. Only wish the battery pack was smaller. Might use solar or rechargeable neon tube lights for the next one.

 

They Call Me Mello Yellow

I was given some seeds of yellow watermelon to grow. This year I did just that and boy did they produce for me. This one was 20 pounds.

Big yellow sweet melons. But the drought was hard on the melons. Several were split by deer and overwatering. But the few I saved were over the top tasty.

The grower did not know why the skins were white but the inside is normal and yellow. I gave some starts to a fellow gardener and hers were also very sweet and white on the outside.

The seed were from a farmer in Salem, Missouri. I wanted to save this line so I did not plant any other type of melon so the seeds will carry the same dna next year.

 

Flower me

This is a hand sewn hand painted placemat set of 4 sold in the 1990's at various stores. Though it looks old, it is not. It was made in China on the back. What I love is how sturdy these are. The dye is very suspect and fugitive if wet, not practical as a placemat.

I am in the process of stabilizing these colors to use this placemat as a purse embellishment.

I had hoped these colors were wax based but they are watercolor based. 

I love the vines and flowers and the tiny stitches. I will try to copy this design using wax based colors.

Just another neat fiber project I am working on.

 

Restoration, Rest and Visitors

This was the final wax up of this very old Japanese inlay wood box. Several stripped layers down to the original patina under the barn dirt.

Rich variety of woods and inlay. I also removed and reinstalled the handles of this small box. Beeswax in a very light coat to French polish the outside and cutting board oil for to moisten the dry Japanese cedar drawers. This box still has a light scent for its age.

Frosty taking a nap on me as I read. He loves to get on my back for the rare times I take a break.

Alan's cousin came to visit our farm. This was the first visitors since the pandemic began in 2020. It is always a pleasure to share our joys of living on an Ozarks farm with others.