Fabric Collage

This is one of the fabric collage pieces that will appear in an upcoming November juried art show. In this piece I've used RibbonSmyth vintage fusible images, bits of our hand-dyed rayon vintage tape, vintage Mennonite lace doilies and lace from a RibbonSmyth lace grab bag.

RibbonSmyth's Vintage Hand-dyed rayon tape

Doesn't this look like a bowl of "Creative Fun"? Since it is Fall, I dyed a few thousand yards of rayon tape and rococo lace yesterday in coordinated colorways. The dye lots are kept small and when a color selection is sold out, the dye lot is not repeated.

Ireland, Kylemore Abbey Victorian Gardens

Entry into the Victorian Gardens, Kylemore Abbey, Ireland

Ireland Kylemore Abbey Gardner's Cottage

Gardner's Cottage in the Victorian Gardens at Kylemore Abbey

Ireland Kyelmore Abbey Victorian Plant Stand

Ireland does not receive cold weather. Very mild in September and flowers still blooming. Isn't this simply the best Victorian Plant Stand?

Ireland Kylmore Abbey

Kylemore Abbey - Once operated by the Benedictine Nuns, the beauty of the property~

Irish Landscape

The Patchwork landscapes - could never take enough photos of their beauty. Most plots had borders due to the rocky nature of the land.

Ireland Castle Carriage House

The Castle included a large carriage house, where the rest of our group stayed.

This is the entry way to the second floor.

Ireland Castle Entry with miniature horses

The castle came complete with three very sweet miniature ponies.

One was carrying a foal. While we were there, they were very well-fed and consumed large quantities of carrots, apples, blueberries and strawberries.

Ireland Castle Dining Hall

This is the dining room in the castle. It originally was used as the horse stable. The windows are narrow slits. Made large enough to position an arrow through the slit or for pouring boiling oil onto intruders.

Irish Castle Spider Web

Isn't this the grandest of all spider webs? This spider web measures approximately four feet by 6 feet across.
The web is in a window at the top of the room in the Great Room. I took the photo while standing in the Minstrel Bay, on the opposite wall.

Ireland Castle Great Room Sitting Area

Another Sitting Area in the Great Room

Ireland Castle Great Room

This was the perfect spot for stitching during the day. Settee next to the fireplace in the Great Room

Ireland Castle

Castle stairwell leading into our bedroom. Steep and uneven and if it rained, puddles to navigate.

Ireland Window Seat in Our Castle Bedroom

Doesn't this make you want to curl up with a good book? This is a window seat in our bedroom in the castle. Each floor had one bedroom. The castle was known as a round tower. Above this bedroom was the great room and above that room was the dungeon.

Ireland, County Clare, Castle Fergus

Castle Fergus

Known as Castle Fegus by the locals, this 600 year-old Castle in County Clare, Ireland was our home for six lucky travelers, for a week in September. Renamed Ballyhannon Castle when renovated 30 years ago by a family in the oil business in Houston, Texas.