New Work in the Studio

Here's what's happening at Nestle And Soar this week...

A huge shipment of celadon green wool roving arrived and my hands could not stop until I played with this elegant color! I read a reference to the word celadon, commonly used to describe a delicate green, earlier, used to describe a tender lover, after Celadon, the hero in a romance by d'Urfe. I believe that there is a romantic quality to this green, and hopefully, to these three pieces on my worktable. Oh, my sweet Celadon.

English Garden, hand needle felt, embroidery, beading on linen

Love Birds, hand needle felt on linen

Piece 4 in series of 6, patchwork with needle felting

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

American Robin Moves Back into the Neighborhood

Here in Colorado, we are all a little giddy about the next week of weather, as some warmth of Springtime in the Rockies has begun! If you share my love of this time of year, I can also share my excitement about the Robin family that has already returned to scope out their nest on my front porch. This is the fourth annual homecoming for these robins, and I like to believe this romantic couple will raise another successful family under my watchful eye.

The American Robin is one of the earliest bird species to lay eggs, beginning to breed shortly after returning from its winter range. Robins make their nests from long coarse grass, twigs, paper, and feathers, with a little gooey mud as the finishing touch. There are abundant robins in our part of Colorado, and I have learned that the American Robin ranks behind only the Red-winged Blackbird as the most abundant land bird in North America.

Harmony Point Needle Felt Pillow

It is exciting to watch this couple inspect the remains of last year's nest. The colorful male is beginning to hang out in the trees near the porch most of the day, where I suppose he is guarding his home from other prospective nesters. Robins are most active during the day, and before the eggs are laid, assemble into large flocks at night. They eat a lot of bugs: beetle grubs, earthworms, and caterpillars, which is fine by me, along with fruits and berries. Once all the snow that is on our lawn melts, these birds will have a feast on earthworms that pull up easily from the wet grass! One of my favorite parts of Spring is sitting on my porch with that early morning cup of coffee and listing to the cheerful, almost continuous Robin song!

I have made many Robin-inspired fiber art items over the years, and I am sharing one of those items in this post. I would love to hear about your bird nesting joy in the weeks ahead. Spring fever is by far the best kind of fever, don't you think?

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

New Website for Eco-Chic Fiber Art Lovers

The past six months of my life here in Colorado have been electronically creative for me! A strong focus on online technologies is an unnatural devotion, and I tease by telling others that I am high fiber, not high tech. Luckily, this huge technology project has been managed by a team of experts who have guided me and educated me in the ways of the web. I am pleased to announce the launch of my newly designed website, Nestle And Soar, a colorful and fun resource for those who love to fill their home with original and elegant home decor.

One of the most exciting features of my new website is the Customize It! page. Many of my collectors have asked me to make a fiber art piece especially for them, in colors and finishes that exactly match their home's decor. With this feature at Nestle And Soar, we've made it easy for folks to order their own special item. It's very exciting!

Do you love lush textiles and pops of color? Green luxury in home decor means dressing up your space with statement pieces that reflect the beauty of nature without damaging our ecosystem in process. My fiber art pieces showcase hand needle-felting and embroidery created with organic fabrics, hand-dyed wools and sustainable, fair-trade business practices. I invite everyone who loves to decorate with limited-edition fiber art designed and master-crafted in America to visit Nestle And Soar online!

I also invite each of you to subscribe to my simply elegant newsletter. Published monthly and filled with gorgeous photos and artisan interviews, you will also be among the first to learn about reader discounts and new Nestle And Soar fiber art collections! I hope to hear from you: would you tell me about your love of textiles, nature-inspired art or how you add to the green luxury in your home?

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Color or Craftmanship in Needlework: Which is more important?

Robin Pillow by Georgianne Holland

The pursuit of simple elegance in hand-stitched needle arts is an important part of my life as an artist and business woman. I often find my most satisfying expression of fine craft skills as I fill my entire worktable with piles of colorful wool roving, wool crewel yarn, and sketches of lovely birds! Creating unique textiles, like my line of Bird Pillows in the Nestle and Soar studio, is my joy and my work. Isn't it lovely to have both joy and work fill the same spot in life?

Many of the eco-chic pillows I make showcase birds that come from my whimsical imagination, and others are my needle-felt depiction of real birds, like the Western Tanager or every one's favorite Bluebird. I am a devotee of the iconic bird drawings and paintings of John J. Audubon, so some of my designs are meant to pay tribute to him as well as the fine artists who were his apprentices during his artistic adventures. Are you a fan of Audubon? Do you have a favorite bird that always catches your eye in art and fine craft designs?

Tree Party Pillow by Georgianne Holland

The process of needle felting birds, trees or any living thing is an energetic and exciting process! There is always an eagerness when I assemble all of the colors and materials I will be using for a project. Even after many years as a fiber artist, there is a passion for the process because I'm actually holding the colors, feeling the texture of the fibers, and laying them down layer by colorful layer as I work. There's a lot of physical energy that goes into the fine craft of needle felting, especially work that is done by hand...I have never tried to use a felting machine. I'm sure it would speed up the process and perhaps make me more productive, but I'm not convinced that the passion for the art form would be honored.

Western Tanager Pillow by Georgianne Holland

If I were to name the single most important element in the process of making limited-edition art pillows, I'd have to think long and hard between choosing COLOR or choosing CRAFTSMANSHIP. Because I work with forms found in nature, the coloring of most elements in my work are standard-issue blues, greens, and shades of brown. I can absolutely be the "bringer of zing" when I work with the brightest yellows, oranges,and purples that are part of male birds we all long to welcome for a visit. So while my color choices may be somewhat predictable, I believe they are still an amazing part of the joy that becomes stitched into these textile forms. I certainly feel great with the color play, and I hear that enjoying the pop of color that these pillows bring to my client's homes is great fun!

Would you agree with me that craftsmanship is the binding element that sets a family heirloom apart from a one-season, somewhat disposable room accessory? While the on-trend colors of interior design change over time, the impeccable quality of workmanship in a handmade textile is the kind of quality that makes a handmade item a family treasure. Many people also love the lineage of items that were loved by their family in years past, items like quilts or tailored clothing come to mind. The Western Tanager Pillow I've made began as a pristine vintage hankie that was hand embroidered and tatted in the 1940s by another woman who loved the needle arts! I've re-purposed that hankie into a sweet pillow that marries my love of Audubon art with my desire to make a new family heirloom that will bring a graceful note to a special family home.

What is the single most important element in the process of your creative endeavors? I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne