2020! My 10th year blogging started strong with publishing my 500th post.
2018 featured my progress reading the Bible in one year. Our mission to handle personal property from an estate took priority over posting.
December 2017 begins blogging year seven. Added the STEM_meme page to develop concepts and reference for Science Technology Engineering Math leveraging my BSIE degree and career in Manufacturing Engineering.
November 2016 begins blogging year six. Added the Nina Bay Farm page. Several revisions were made to our home page including “Twitter feed”, “Book reviews” and a new header.
In 2015 Website page “1915” was added to commemorate several centennial celebrations near and dear to my heart. New in 2015 was “Friday Photos” featuring “alphabet photography” and “I Ching Inspired”. Photography 101 was challenging and fun with interactions from the blogging community.
For Elfcroft, blogging is:
- Antidote to demands of a career in manufacturing and presently enriches retirement
- “OJT” or On the Job Training
- A laboratory and experiments
- New “playground” to meet longtime friend
- Discovery process of my “inner” writer
- Practice making the “ordinary” interesting with photos and storytelling
If Elfcroft did not post these photos and stories…the projects would surely slip from recall…as I focus on the next thing at home and in the garden.
Original Elfcroft Header Image: Fabrics for Yoga Mat Bag project
Elfcroft is a legacy best represented by this quilt made by my great-grandmother Hall in the early 1950s. Love of flowers, handmade, recycled materials, original and creative.
Made with love by Great Grandmother Hall
Stitched Service is one of Elfcroft’s themes manifested in prayer shawls, children’s clothes and aprons. Recent projects are feminine hygiene kits, shower caddies and yoga mat bags.
- 2014: 45 kits shipped (360 reversible, top stitched, tri-fold flannel pads; 90 liners with wings&pockets and 45 drawstring bags)
- 2015: 560 reversible, top stitched, tri-fold flannel pads; 110 liners with wings&pockets and 20 drawstring bags
- 2016: 640 reversible, top stitched, tri-fold flannel pads, 160 liners with wings&pockets
- 2017: 840 reversible, top stitched, tri-fold flannel pads, 240 liners with wings&pockets, 25 bags
- 2018: 880 reversible, top stitched, tri-fold flannel pads, 220 liners with wings&pockets
- 2019: 1040 reversible, top stitched, trifold flannel pads, 260 liners with wings & pockets….Woo!Hoo! First 8 serged flannel pads
- 2020: 1600 serged tri-fold flannel pads, 400 liners with wings & pockets
- 2021: 720 serged tri-fold flannel pads, 180 liners with wings & pockets
- Total: 6560 pads, 1640 liners, 90 bags = 8290 sewn items for 820 kits
Sheltering Wings, Hendricks Co.
- 2016: 40 Yoga Mat Bags (with mats)
- 2009: 12 aprons from recycled curtains
- 2010: 6 aprons from gifted fabric plus coördinated crocheted pot holders
- 2011: 6 striped aprons for summer and 5 aprons with autumn theme plus coördinated crocheted pot holders
- 2015: 73 Shower caddies for the lady residents
- 2016: 73 Shower caddies for the lady residents
- 2017: 72 Shower caddies for the lady residents
- 2020: 72 Shower caddies for the lady residents
- 2014: One each for Kathy L, Melody, Sandy, Erin H., Jamie, Julie, Danielle, Sherry, Margie and Cora. Six for the women in Wheeler Mission addiction recovery at Christmas.
- 2011: One each for Kathy, Laura, Barb, Claire and self, plus one
- 2012: One for Mom
- 2016: One for Aunt Pauline (KL)
- 2017: Thirteen for Hospice ministry ACC (Four knit skull caps.)
- 2010: 8 boys shorts (size 3 and 4), 22 girls dresses (sizes 4, 6, 8 and 14)
- 2011: 16 girls dresses (sizes 4, 8 and 10) plus 4 tote bags from upholstery fabric
- 2012: 6 girls dresses (size 4)
- 2013: 9 girls skirts and crop tops (sizes 7-12); 4 girls dresses (sizes 6 and 10); and 4 boys shorts (size 4)
- Total items: 82
- “A picture is worth a thousand words.” My years experience with photography projects have captured vacations, events, nature, etc. When Women & Hi Tech sponsored a silent auction in 2010 for Aspiration Awards for high school girls interested in college degrees and careers in technology, I boldly chose to give ten of my photos printed professionally 8X10 with single 11X14 mats. They all sold! Ditto for 2011. Ditto for 2012. Ditto for 2014. (That makes a first, second, third and fourth.)
- My gardening experience began in earnest in 2003 with professional service from Avon Perennial Gardens followed by projects in 2004 and 2009. Plants blooming in my yard are the subjects of many Elfcroft photos.
- “Heart of Art” workshops with Liza Hyatt inspired and challenged me in the late 1990s. (I could only indulge myself one weekend day a month at that time.) Liza is an art therapist by education and occupation. Her experience and practice has evolved. Link to her blog.
- HGTV was a refreshing change of pace for me from my career in manufacturing.
elfcroft 
So how did you come up with the name “elfcroft”?
Good question! I explained that on my website and neglected to include in this blog.
I was playing with letters from “Elizabeth Frazee’s craft loft” after seeing the photo of myself at work sewing for “Helping Hands Touching Hearts” and got “Elfcroft”. It is generally understood that elves are fun and industrious. I found that croft refers to a small Scottish farm. BTW Frazee is a Scottish surname. That’s my naming story. EF
The name seems very fitting. I love your crewel work.