Throwback Thursday: ribbon bookmarks

On By CarynIn Craft, throwback

Here is a great throwback for Thursday! I used to make so many of these braided bookmarks. This picture is from December of 2014, and I love the way the red and white book marks have a secondary pattern effect.

Photo description: six green and yellow braided bookmarks, and four red and white

I make these with 1/4” flat ribbon and usually braid a long length, then iron the long ribbon before applying more ribbon as a band with some white glue and cutting sections a good bookmark length, usually about 8”. The trick to these is that the ribbon is never folded as I braid. The seven-strand plait stays flat and the bias weave of the ribbon lets it lay in smooth curves.

It is a fun braiding project, and inexpensive. Materials needed are: 1/4” satin ribbon, scissors, white glue, parchment paper (to protect the ribbon while ironing), and an iron.

Woodpeckers

On By CarynIn Wildlife

Here are some more pictures from the back yard, woodpecker edition. I was surprised to see that we have two different species.

Photo description: Downy woodpecker (ID by iNaturalist) clinging to the rim of a hanging bird feeder
Photo description: Red-bellied Woodpecker (ID from iNaturalist community) clinging to the side of a Post Oak tree

It is neat to watch the woodpeckers hop around the bark of a tree, listening. Even though my feeders target squirrels, we have had an increase in woodpecker sightings since installing the hanging feeders.

Eastern Phoebe

On By CarynIn photography, Wildlife

Here is another set of pictures taking from my kitchen with my digital camera. I watched this little Eastern Phoebe beat the katydid against the railing several times, then swallow it whole. Wow.

Photo description: Eastern Phoebe with a green katydid in its beak
Photo description: Eastern Phoebe with a green katydid in its beak, different angle
Photo description: Eastern Phoebe swallowing the katydid, the insect parts can just be seen inside the beak
Photo description: Eastern Phoebe finishing swallowing
Photo description: Deed done. Phoebe fed.

Oh deer!

On By CarynIn photography, Wildlife

We have been taking pictures with my Canon digital camera out the back door but I only just downloaded for the last month. Hm. I found the deer pictures my eldest took, when she spotted a doe in the back woods!

Photo description: deer in the backwoods, squirrel tree circus in foreground
Photo description: Zoom in on the deer, watching the house

Do I ever see deer in the yard with my own eyes? No. I see them on camera: either the trail cam or someone else’s picture. Hm.

This may be a deep one

On By CarynIn Craft identification

I have stated before that this blog is a collection of rabbit holes, a written account of my exploration of craft related warrens. I have never been a frilly kind of person, not into ruffles and ribbons, but that might change as I have found a reason to be interested in lace.

Photo description: two pieces of lacy fabric, on the left a crocheted square made from natural colored cotton yarn, on the right a section of machine made lace curtain made from white synthetic thread

I have a few pieces of inherited lace in my craft room. Mostly crocheted doilies and machine made lace. My husband and I went antiquing and I found a couple new-to-me kinds of lace examples. It made me want to know how to tell hand made lace from machine made lace. Here is the rabbit hole. I was lumping machine made lace into one big discardable pile, but not only are there varying ratios of hand/machine made, there are different machines that produce different lace, and ways to tell them apart. Ooo, craft identification: lace edition. I see the rabbit hole, have taken a peek, and there are more tunnels. I need to do more reading, but hope to scratch the surface enough to share my findings.