Remember the previous story, the one with the northern, starry sky and the bright Dipper of Ursa Major? Here's how that impression of beauty transferred onto velvet. The keychain wallet was named ‘The Constellation of Ursa Major’. Micro-sized beads are sewn one by one, and from such a mosaic, a pattern is formed. The polar star near the fermoir is Austrian crystal in the color ‘sapphire’.
Favorite constellation of the Northern Hemisphere
The phone braved the cold, and without a flash, it managed to capture the Ursa Major constellation. This was before the snowstorms came. I had longed to take such a photo, not from the internet, but by my own lens. And so that in it, like in an invisible casket, there remained inside the state and mood of beauty that we looked at in that moment. In the end, this became an inspiration for a new plot of the embroidery ‘The Constellation of Ursa Major’.
The month of Christmas stars.
Evenings by the fireside, trips for gifts, meetings with friends, wonderfully decorated century-old firs in the neighboring town, traditional New Year's travels to Karelia, the first morning of January - pure as a blank sheet of paper.
Late November
Time to wrap your nose in a warm scarf. November's fine snowstorms are coming, and soon the most magical month of bright stars and constellations will be upon the frosty sky.
Between Fall and Winter
After the fall storms, one can always find materials for future Christmas house decoration. Many old larches lose their branches, and what branches they are! Recently, a storm from the sea roared through the forests above - leaving a trail of broken trees. Hence, with morning coffee in hand, I wander to the larch grove, before snowfall blankets it, to gather bountiful boughs, heavy with cones, to put them in floor vases in December, together with small lights and paper toys. Add to this Scandinavian stars in windows glow, candles casting shadows upon tables, and a frosty landscape in the garden - and there it is, a tale sprung from nowhere, in the very spirit of a true Hygge home. This year, winter is late: there's plenty of yellow and green in the forest, larch needles turn the roads rusty, but if white frosts are still visible early in the morning, by eleven AM it's all gone.
Golden fall and the first frost
A time of glowing lanterns, pumpkin soup, and other cozy things. Recipes for cold days gradually form from walks to the farmer's market, the nearest flower shop, to a favorite café, and into the bookstore.
A week in the mountains
Ventured into the mountains and stumbled upon the blooming of gentian.
Its roster of healing virtues exceeds wealthy ancient Egyptian scrolls. Gentian happens to impart a yellowish hue to infusions, and moreover, it's incredibly bitter, which in the Middle Ages led to its inclusion in beer recipes, and in modern times, into the composition of Aperol, bitters, and even medicinal liqueurs (such were encountered in Tyrol).
