fox – Karen Greaves Photography & Fibre Art

Sweet dreams, little one

Published on April 29, 2022 by greavesadmin8 Comments

Our home is wonderfully tucked into an acreage of birches which fills our view from every window. We are blessed to share the space with many, many birds (we’ve named a resident partridge ‘Danny’) as well as an assortment of critters including turtles, otters, beaver, rabbits and fox. I’m delighted to catch a glimpse of any and all but most recently have been captivated by the sight of fox.

When I came across this adorable Foundation pattern for Sleepy Fox from Andrea Tsang Jackson of 3rd Story Workshop, I purchased the pattern and set about a plan to incorporate it into something special. Andrea explains the story behind the pattern and the quilt in which she made it. She also shared how she made improv birch trees. With all that information and the birch out my window for more inspiration, I ‘grew’ some of my own.

For the quilters out there, I decided to appliqué the trees on the background rather than piecing them in. My version of the fox pattern includes black and white pieces of Minky in the ears, black vinyl for the nose and white Berber stabilized with fusible interfacing in the tail. I reworked the tail section of the pattern to remove a seam so that a single piece of Berber filled the space.

Call of the Wild

Published on May 18, 2021 by greavesadminLeave a comment

Have you ever heard such a sound?

I first heard this noise a few years ago, while picking blueberries. It was not as close or clear as this cry so didn’t really bother me; just peaked my curiosity. This call, however, had me unsettled. This was in my backyard, after-al! I was certain a bobcat or lynx was entangled in some brush.

While hubby and I set off to follow the sound, my wise biologist friend (I keep on speed dial) informed me it was the ‘bark’ of a fox! Indeed, we caught sight of the fox pacing along a ridge of dirt just inside the treeline. It’s possible he/she was looking for date, staking territory or calling the kits in for bedtime.

My folks who lived here previously said they often saw and heard fox near their house seemingly wanting but avoiding engagement with their Husky. Our big, silver/brown Lab was not at all interested in join us on our search for the source of the bark. He offered to stay home and protect his food dish.

Wanna play?

Published on February 7, 2014 by greavesadmin4 Comments

The other morning we spotted a pair of foxes interacting with black birds on the frozen lake in front of our house. I quickly grabbed my DSLR and longest lense, dressed for the cold and snuck outside. I planted my elbow on the top of a snowbank to stabilize the camera looking very much like a sharpshooter I imagine. It was such fun to watch them play; tag, I’m guessing.