The month of September is always the time for apple picking and then the wonderful baking that follows…

My friend, Laura, has a wonderful weekend farm complete with a small apple orchard. We usually visit the farm in early July and search for the little green apples that have formed imagining what the harvest will be in a few short months. September is such a busy month with the return to the school routine, that there isn’t time to return to Laura’s Orchard. Instead we sneak away for a few short sunny hours on a Sunday afternoon after church to do our apple picking at a local orchard.

Laura’s Orchard table mat is the second in a series of monthly Winding Vine Design original tablemats. The mat measures approximately 11 ˝ inches by 17 ˝ inches including the tongues. It is made of hand-dyed wools and vintage army blanket hand sewn to a solid black wool background and edged in hand-dyed faux suede yarn. The mat is backed with a botanical apple cotton print and an antique blue ticking fabric tag that says:
“Before green apples blush,
Before green nuts embrown,
Why, one day in the country
Is worth a month in town…”
-Christina Rossetti
(c) pag / wvd 2008

This mat looks wonderful as a table mat, or on an antique dry sink. Most of my mats end up on the backs of my chairs or on our velvet loveseat in front of our fireplace. The mats stick well, just by laying them against the back of the chairs – no pins are needed.

I am offering this table mat for $50 plus shipping.

By the light of the harvest moon, Winifred adds the final ingredient to her bubbling brew. At that moment, a bat arrives entranced by the rising bubbles.

I began with a midnight sky hand-dyed background. The harvest moon is also hand dyed wool. The witch, cauldron, and bat are “scherenschnitte in wool” using a solid black wool. The bubbles are glass beads. As with all my offerings, this piece is completely hand sewn without the use of a sewing machine. The piece is framed in a simple black frame with a loop for wall hanging and an easel for table top. I framed this piece without glass to appreciate the wool textures and the dimension of the glass beds. This is a standard 8 x 10 frame.

I am offering Witches Brew for $25 plus shipping.

Although our days are still warm, the slight chill in the air at night hints of the season to come. An occasional leaf is already turning, the cicadas are quieting and the chirp of the cricket can now be heard…

These pillows are based on a Maggie Bonanomi Need’l Love design. Both feature hand dyed wools and vintage army blanket hand stitched to a solid chocolate brown background. The pumpkin tendrils are a hand-dyed faux suede yarn. They are backed with coordinating cotton prints. Each of the pillows measures approximately 5 inches by 8 inches.

Consider joining my mailing list, if you like. All mailing list members receive free standard shipping this month.

I am offering these pillows for $14 each or the pair for $25 plus shipping.

If you use Web based mail, contact me directly at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com