Napa valley in needlework

We are visiting A's parents this week.  Here is one of my mother-in-law's latest finished needlework creations;  she was working on this the last time she visited us.  The sky is interesting in that the thread is merely woven through the canvas instead of trying to cover it all up.   This purposefully reveals the painted canvas, thereby highlighting the gradations of color.

I also especially love the rows of lettuce - they have great texture when you examine them closely.

These are a few of my favorite buttons

Arielle inspired me to try my hand at felt ornaments... Thought it might make a fun hanging-out-with-baby-in-Montreal-winter sort of craft, so I brought a little supply kit with me and surfed Pinterest for ideas.  A perfect accompaniment to watching Downton Abbey.

The buttons are from my neighbor - she has inherited a store's worth of jewelry, scarves, knickknacks, and buttons that she has been trying to sell. She lets me take all the buttons I want, so I made her a little tree made entirely of buttons.

Great instructions and template from this blog