Studio View -- Vertical Storage

I am working on new ways to display my nature-inspired pillows and thought I would group them in the studio today as step number one. The display idea that has kept me awake since 4am is to use a clear acrylic shelf-like box that attaches to the wall like a picture frame. I could place the pillow inside the clear box for easy viewing, and the pillows would not be able to shift or fall over. Don't you love the idea of vertical storage? This idea would allow me to display dozens of pillows in minimal space! This is a great project for this snowy day in Colorado....Georgianne

Western Tanager Needle Felt Pillow

Aspen Grove Needle Felt Pillow

Red Bird Tree Needle Felt Pillow

Photographic Adventures at Nestle and Soar

As a gal who never took a photography class, it is somewhat frightening to rely so heavily on great photos to operate my business! Kind of gutsy, even. Now I know that improving my photos on my own website, in my Etsy shop, and all along the Internet highways is the right thing to do, so I decided to learn from my good friend Kelly, who is quite patient with me. Today there are a few progress shots of pillows I am working on that have me kind of excited! I know that I still have a lot to learn, but each effort has a marked improvement, so that feels good. What is the one skill you know you need to improve to make your work or life more "just right"? I'd love to hear!

Soft Sunflower Pillow ©2010 Georgianne Holland

Coexist Tree ©2011 Georgianne Holland

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Studio Scene at Nestle and Soar

This week in the studio has been all about tree pillows. I love needle felting trees! This week I made multiples of a fan favorite design, my Spring Tree pillow. Trees will start looking like this, with tiny green buds and a bird visit or two, just any time now!

I also finished my new favorite, the Red Bird tree pillow. I think this tree looks like a lovely lady, but I didn't notice that until I started taking photos...what do you think? I'm really fond of trees that have taken on unusual shapes because of the wind: I have to admit though, I'm not a big fan of wind. Anyone who lives in Colorado this week can sympathize with me regarding heavy wind!

Well, I'm back to the studio for sewing pillows and inserting pillow forms! The windy week has now turned into a snowy day, and that's a good day to stay warm in my studio.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Studio Scene -- Nestle and Soar Supports the Arbor Day Foundation

Fantastical Wool Tree Folk Art Pillow, ©2010, Georgianne Holland

The love of trees is a huge motivator for my work here at Nestle and Soar. Do you see this time of year large oak trees that stand over 40-feet with their intricate, leafless canopy, which looks like lace to me, against the blue sky? I love happening upon old trees like this in winter, and they take my breath away! Because of my love of trees, and my love of needle felt pillows, I sought out the work of the Arbor Day Foundation and their Plant a Tree Program. 

When folks purchase one of my tree pillows at www.nestleandsoar.com, I arrange for a tree to be planted in their honor in an American national forest. These trees are young saplings that will add to the health of the national forests that we all love and can visit. The life cycle of forests along with diseases that kill trees make human intervention through planting an important part of forest management. I like to think that this contribution on behalf of my customers adds to the new relationship we share: as they enjoy their tree pillow they will remember that the planted tree will forever connect us as it grows to create shade, give a home to songbirds, creates oxygen, and marks the change of seasons. There are so many benefits to planting trees!

The Beauty of Trees

• Trees keep our water clean, reduce soil erosion, clean the air we breathe, and fight global warming.

•  Planting trees is something we can do to beautify our community and help the environment.

• It is important to know the type of tree we are caring for; this enables us to plant the right kind of tree in the right place.

• Trees are one of nature’s great wonders!

•  Trees are touchstones…do you remember climbing a tree as a child and feeling powerful and free?

•  Tree pillows are a family heirloom: they can signify special events like weddings and the birth of a baby.

• Fiber art tree pillows are handmade in limited editions in Colorado. Natural beauty surrounds the Nestle and Soar studio, and this natural beauty informs these tree pillow designs.

• You can support the Arbor Day Foundation at Nestle and Soar…it is easy and satisfying. They not only plant trees in forests but also provide environmental education and support tree programs throughout the United States.

I would love to hear about your favorite kind of tree or memory of trees in childhood! Comment to this post and I will be sending out a tree-lover's thanks to you!

Thanks for stopping by,

Georgianne

Cherry Blossom Bird Needle Felt Pillow -- New Design from Nestle and Soar

Cherry Blossom Tree Decorative Pillow, ©2012 Nestle and Soar

I am pleased to introduce you to the latest original needle felt design from my fiber folk art studio, Cherry Blossom Tree, a handmade tree pillow. I had a great time creating this wool on organic linen accent pillow. Handmade embroidered pillows are one of my favorite mediums, and this limited-edition design really puts me in a good mood!

 

I was an 8th-grade class chaperon to Washington, DC for my daughter's school years ago. This was my first experience seeing Cherry trees in person...I loved it! I remember being absolutely exhausted at the end of that school trip, yet these trees have always been a happy memory for me. I knew that one day I would try to recreate their beauty in my art.

Bluebird is ready for her close-up!

I like to think of my handmade tree pillows as soft art for the home. No two pillows by Nestle and Soar are exactly alike, even when I am following my original designs! Next up on my work table is a yellow version of this tree with a Cardinal in residence. I have always loved red and yellow together, and red birds of any species are among my favorite. What color bird would you like to have in a blossoming tree like this?

 

The blossoms in this tree are hundreds of French knots sewn by hand with Paternayan-brand 100% wool yarn. The sweet bluebird is young and ready for Spring weather and nest building; or so she says. I personally think she is mostly ready to enjoy her point of view. 

 

Thanks for stopping by, Georgianne

Embroidered Pillows at Nestle and Soar Studio

Folk Art Flower Pillow on linen, Georgianne Holland ©2011

When I was a young woman setting up my first home, I didn't really know what I was doing, but I did know what I wanted: a superior home with elegant decor.

This was a tall order for a time in my life when my furnishings consisted of hand-me-downs and cinder block/pine board bookshelves!

The dreams of youth are a great way to start building a life, and over the years, I have learned to make home decor as well as learned how to earn money to buy the wonderful decorative elements that grace my home. One good example of this is the hand embroidered pillows I make at Nestle and Soar, like this Folk Art Flower Pillow. My taste in home decor now leans more toward finely crafted fiber folk art than it does anything gilded or elegant, and in my way of thinking, this is superior in every way!

The wool felt circles used in this decorative pillow design are stacked and hand-embroidered. The bright colors are very popular in home decor today. This design is my fun take on the ever-popular Penny Rug design in folk art, where concentric circles are hand embroidered into delightful designs. I've added bead work and buttons to some of the hand embroidered pillows I sell in limited edition at www.nestleandsoar.com. Each month I offer a unique assortment of colors, types, and sizes of decorative pillows. 

Spring Tree Needle Felt Pillow, © 2010

Do you also dream of decorating a first home or redecorating your long-loved home for the new year? My clients are stocking up on decorative pillows and pillow covers that reflect their love of nature. I've seen this same trend everywhere! What isn't everywhere are handmade bird pillows and tree pillows that are handmade in America in limited editions. Making special home decor using time-honored needle art skills is the joy of my professional life as a fiber artist! That is also one of my favorite ways to focus my Needle Felting fine craft at Nestle and Soar. The handmade bird pillows and tree pillows I create come in ever-changing designs and are an absolute thrill for me to create!

Setting up a home is not new to me, and perhaps it is not new to you, either. Do you agree that sometimes, it is not the big-ticket item that makes a home cozy and special, but instead, it is the little things that make home comfortable...and that works whether you are making your home feel superior for the first time or the 100th time!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne