One of the Luna Moths I embroidered using the “Free Standing Lace” technique!

The month of January was a very cold one in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Snow Full Moon brought an abundance of snowflakes, yummy soup and fun creative vibes. Winter is a sacred time to reflect, recover and rest… (and also a fun time to find new hobbies and creative endeavors while spending more time indoors). Oh… and lots of cat cuddles. Duh.

My most recent skill that I have begun learning with embroidery is called Free Standing Lace. This entails embroidering intricate designs that can stay three dimensional on their own, without the use of fabric backing. It has been so much fun to experiment with different designs and create lots of butterflies. The butterflies, moths and colorful creations have brought so much light, spring vibes and joy into my studio. So far, the earrings have received rave reviews and I am absolutely obsessed! The very first Free Standing Lace design I attempted was a Yule stocking made of lace. These are fun gifts to give throughout the Yule season. What better way to spread the love and cheer?

The Free Standing Lace has been a fun journey to begin. It entails winding my own color bobbins (with my brand new bobbin winder!) to match the color of thread for the back of my designs. I love how the jewelry and butterflies turn out, the amazing textures and fiber arts quality has been extremely satisfying to learn. As a perfectionist, I’m intricately cutting the tiny threads to create an effortless look — some of the designs even look like real butterflies! So… this is crazy but… I think I’ve made hundreds of butterflies and wings so far?! I’ve just had so much fun with this process, experimenting with different designs and colors. I love the idea of wearable art and now that I have unlocked this Free Standing Lace goal, there are so many infinite possibilities! Let me know if you have any ideas for what to embroider for Free Standing Lace. Some ideas I’ve had are for masquerade masks, clothing embellishments (like collars, sleeves, pockets), coasters, more butterflies and moths (obviously) and suncatchers/ornaments.

A few of my other winter hobbies this year included creating Yule wreaths, needle felting and collaging. These wreaths were made with harvested branches, plants and organic fibers. I then made tiny mushrooms out of Clay to attach in the center of the wreaths. Some of them included pussywillow branches from my own backyard, cedar, lavender and rosemary sprigs, juniper branches and hemp. I love making sacred, one of a kind pieces out of natural objects. The needle felting is my absolute new FAVORITE hobby. Thanks to a friend who gifted me an amazing needle felting kit. It’s surprisingly a relaxing way to unwind, and I love the ability to work on a design and come back to it days later! So far I’ve created gnomes, tiny acorns, succulents, mushrooms, tiny bird nests and little spooky eyeballs.

While it’s nature’s clear message that this time of year enables us to rest our mind, body and soul, I find it to be a quiet time to get in tune with my indoor creative energy. It has felt so healing and serene to be in touch with my creative side this winter, snuggle with my cats, drink lots of warming teas and learn a new hobby…. Yes…. Another new hobby (lol!). This new fun craft I have been experimenting with is the art of Quilling. No, not quilting! QUILLING! It’s creating fun paper crafts mixing floral designs, spirals and various fun shapes to create unique gift cards, decorations, mixed media designs and art pieces. It’s so cool that you can repurpose old magazines, cardstock and random paper lying around the house into strips for Quilling pieces. You can layer them, experiment with designs and gift them as cards, art pieces or ornaments. Yes, I’m that weird friend that will give you a Christmas gift of only handmade things. Is there ever such a thing as having too many hobbies? No. The answer is no.

I also started playing piano again! It’s been awhile since I’ve recorded music. Lately, I’ve been writing a lot of lyrics and tunes and mixing them on a MIDI controller to create cinematic effects. A lot of ambient, meditational and relaxing vibes. The creative juices are flowing, the tea is flowing, and I’m so excited for Spring to come. We have lots of plans for the homestead and flower farm this year like building another raised bed for medicinal herbs, building a mini greenhouse and curating our own hydro system! While I’ve been enjoying being cooped up in my crafts studio, the garden is calling me and I can’t wait to be digging in the dirt again soon!

I look forward to sharing more with you soon, and thanks for tuning into my new blog!

Each day, I like to practice mindfulness and gratitude. I am beyond grateful for my cats, my family and friends who support my endeavors, water, my cute little embroidery studio, snacks, the sun, the moon, my hands to create, heart to feel, eyes to see and for all you creators out there keeping it real.

Oh, by the way, hello to you sweet souls out there, my name is Diana and I’m a creator.

Threads and Gratitude

Appalachia Angel

snowy days and embroidery praise