The third lumberjack is the last for now. I’ve got a lot of prep work on my desk right now- sewing, cutting, and even getting out the dyes. I’m revving up for a new year that seems so very uncertain. But I will continue to make because that’s what keeps me sane!
Spotty hair.
George Washington on his chest.
A wooden button because he is a lumberjack!
After I took all the pics, I found his axe on the floor- so I had to take some additional pics. I can’t believe that I didn’t notice! And so here he is with his axe and his hat on too.
2 faces-
His arm tats, more faces-
A ginger-haired beefy lumberjack to start off a new year.
I didn’t give him a hat because I like his hair too much to cover it up.
Classic toile tattoos on his chest and arms.
A nice old button on his belt and embroidered buttons on his shirt.
I do a review every year although sometimes it happens a little late (like this year). What a crazy day- I was a bit reluctant to post this today with the high of the win in Georgia followed by the madness in Washington. But I will do it anyway because who knows what tomorrow will bring. And honestly, maybe posting about a crazy year is best done on a crazy day.
1. Tiny World Pincushion 2, 2. Tiny World Pincushion 1, 3. Tiny World pincushion 3, 4. Tiny World Fairy House pincushion, 5. Tiny World Fairy House pincushion, 6. Cabin in the Woods Tiny World pincushion, 7. Cabin in the Woods Tiny World pincushion, 8. Tiny World pincushion- Camping, 9. tropical island tiny world, 10. tropical island tiny world, 11. Rapunzel in her Tower Tiny World, 12. Rapunzel in her Tower Tiny World, 13. Lighthouse Pincushion, 14. Lighthouse Pincushion, 15. Manor house with Topiary Garden, 16. Manor house with Topiary Garden
I made 16 Tiny Worlds and 81 dolls. This is down quite a bit from other years but, you know, 2020.
I made 6 pugs and 9 hound dogs.
1. Pug in Plaid, 2. Fancy Pug in Aqua, 3. another fancy pug, 4. Pug in Pastels, 5. Pug in a Suit, 6. Tweedy Pug, 7. School girl puppy, 8. B & W dog in a folk dress, 9. Gardener Dog, 10. Mr Detective Dog, 11. Lady Pup goes to the beach, 12. Beach Boy Hound, 13. Another Gardening Dog, 14. Adventure Pup, 15. Herringbone Hound
I made 10 cats, 4 foxes, and 6 fish.
1. White Kitty, 2. Kitty Girl #2, 3. Kitty in Pink, 4. Black and White Kitty in Plaid, 5. Kitty in a mouse dress, 6. Fancy Tuxedo Cat, 7. Herringbone Kitty, 8. Black Kitty girl in Indian print dress, 9. White Kitty in a Party dress, 10. Outdoor Cat, 11. Fox in a Corduroy Jacket, 12. Big Night Out Fox, 13. Fox girl in a Liberty dress, 14. Fox girl in a daisy dress, 15. 2 Red Fish, 16. 2 Blue Fish
I made 7 Swaddled babies and a whole lot of men dolls!
1. Yellow fish and Green fish, 2. Bird Baby, 3. Bird Baby 2, 4. Blue Flower Baby, 5. Night Bird Baby, 6. Another Bird Baby, 7. Butterflies and Flowers Baby, 8. Orange and Green Folk Art Baby, 9. Big Tattooed Man, 10. Man #2- He’s got Skeletons, 11. Blond Tattooed Man Doll, 12. Tattooed man, white hair, 13. Man 5- more skeletons, 14. Pirate with Happy Skeletons, 15. Big Man with red hair, 16. Circus Big Man, 17. Fancy Man, 18. Green Man with Boar Hunt tattoo/toile, 19. Red-Haired Man in a Kilt, 20. Red Kilt and Cherub Tattoos
Above is 9 Tattooed men, 1 Green Man, and 2 men in kilts. Below is 22 Mermen and 5 Lumberjacks.
1. Blue Merman, 2. Green Merman doll, 3. Tropical Merman, 4. Blue Merman 2, 5. Merman with Blue Tail, 6. Merman with Vintage Laura Ashley tail, 7. Big Big Merman, 8. Blond Merman, 9. Blue Merman 3, 10. Red-haired Merman, 11. Merman with Battle Tattoos, 12. Merman 2, 13. Dark Merman with Skeletons, 14. Green Merman, 15. Blue Merman with Octopus(es), 16. Red Tail Merman, 17. Blue Merman, 18. Blue Merman for November, 19. Merman with Octopus Tattoos, 20. Blue Merman 12/1, 21. Merman with Beaded Belt, 22. Blue Merman 3, 23. Lumberjack 1, 24. Lumberjack in a Cowboy Shirt, 25. Blond Lumberjack, 26. Lumberjack in Red Plaid, 27. Big Man Lumberjack
I made a quilt at the start of the year.
I made a lot of masks for family and friends. Oh yes, and 150 scrub caps. I donated 100 caps to health providers (mostly nurses) in the Boston area. Then I sold a bunch on Etsy and donated the money to local causes helping people affected by the pandemic. It relieved some of the stress to feel like I was doing something to help.
I worked on some ornament patterns but my head wasn’t in the right space. This past year I needed meditative creative work, not painfully stretching my cognitive skills! Hopefully this year I can make it happen.
My business was all conducted online this year and I am grateful that I already have an online shop and all the social media set up and didn’t have to worry about that! I have been depending on the Post Office and so thankful that I can mostly get my packages picked up right at my door. This past Fall and up until now, the pressure on the Post Office (political and Covid) has been stressful; I think all my packages made it to their destinations by now? Most have taken at least 2 extra weeks.
So Yikes, what a year. I count my blessing that I have been relatively healthy and so has my family. I am hoping that life can return to a more normal in 2021 although I don’t count on that yet. Lets hear it for a better 2021! I have hope again!
These were my most “liked” posts on Instagram this year- always kind of interesting.
Past years- links to other yearly mosaics- 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014.
It can be a real challenge to come up with titles for these posts- hence, sometimes the odd ones! This handsome fellow has cherubs on his chest!
And a stag on his back.
Here is what his hair looks like in back-
He also has a cashmere scarf because it’s winter.
His “tattoos” are a great classic toile design. Countryside idyll.
His kilt has some tiny antique 3-hole glass buttons.
And underneath…
I’m do the handwork/finishing on some tattooed men that are already sewn up so it is going to be a bit all over the place. The first fellow is fancy because of his colorful tattoos and blue-green boots!
So many skeletons! He has an antique button on his belt.
This is the last Merman for now. They’ve been so much fun but now I have to cut out more and get out the dye pots.
And here they are, all together.
I will put this last fellow in my etsy shop soon. The rest are already listed and ready to go!
He is browner than the above picture shows. I hope it is clearer in the other photos.
An epic nautical battle on his chest and arms, and a beaded belt.
Here is a close-up of the back of his hair-
There is going to be 3 blue ones in all, in case you were wondering. That was how many were in my already sewed up pile and need to be finished.
When I started working on this fellow, I was thinking he looked like a fancy Miami Beach Merman with his floral tail and coral-patterned ferns. I tried out some pinky-purple hair but it just wasn’t working for me. In the end, I choose some icy-green and it turned him into a much more serious fellow. He is is obviously from the warmer climes!
His tail is made of vintage (mid-70’s?) Laura Ashley fabric. And yes, I have had the fabric in my stash since it was new!
My photos were not showing the tail as blue-green so I tried to adjust to make it more accurate. This is a little better?
