Monday, August 29, 2011

Pins and Needles

Recently, I have been doing a lot of hand sewing. Trying to find the right needle was getting a little frustrating. I have a billion pin cushions and I love every one of them, but it takes forever to find the needle I am looking for. I started sticking my "working" needles into a little quilted piece that I had left over. That way, I could fold the needles up in the pad and put it with the thread I was using. Very convenient. That started me thinking about something.

When I was a little girl, I had a summer sewing class with the lady next door. Several of us went to her house a couple of times a week and sat in the living room with our sewing on our laps. I remember this specifically, because I sewed the apron we were making out of handkerchiefs, to my skirt! I was so embarrassed. Also, I remember this because they had a pet monkey that once threw a whole case of full coke bottles all over their carport!

But, back to sewing, the first thing we made, was a "Needle Book". This was made out of a couple of scraps of felt with pinked edges and we stored our needles (and pins) in these little books. Recently, I was looking for something in my Mother's sewing basket, and there was a Needle Book someone had made for her. This one had a Christmas decoration on it and so was probably a present from some little child. My girls made them for me. I snatched it right up. I even think I will make some more of them. What a great idea.

 

 The perfect place to store project needles. 


Friday, August 26, 2011

Monday, August 22, 2011

Free Form Knitting and More String


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Ruffled Scarf

You may remember this yarn. I bought it as a coil of pencil roving, spun it and then plied it with itself. The roving was dyed in shades of blue grey, lime green, lavender and dark grey. I am thinking maybe I shouldn't have plied them together? Too late now.....
Here is the scarf I made from the yarn I spun. Aren't the colors strange? I don't know whether it is really horrid or I have just looked at it too long. Or maybe it is really cool and different? It is strange to me that the ball I wound off the spindle came out with the light blue on each end and the green and dark grey in the middle. The scarf is knit of the merino wool on size 3 needles.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

A Different Crowd

As you can see from the new "header", I am hanging with a different crowd at the beach!

The guy on the left is really thirsty.
The one in the middle has sand in his ears.
The one on the right is waiting for a chance to
run off with the ball.

Friday, August 19, 2011

STRING


Here is the string I made from the directions in India Flint's new book, Second Skin. I tried it first with the muslin I had unsuccessfully dyed in the pickled beet juice and then with some commercial batik fabric that I had stripped for Locker Hooking. It took a while to get the hang of it, but it is really easy once you get going, except for the joins. Adding in a new strip will take some practise. I tried some silk too, but I didn't really like how that came out. I will try it again, but for now anyway, I like the cotton better. I found it easier if I kept the fabric pretty wet and rolled the strip against my leg.

My Dad suffered from dementia and was in a care center the last five years of his life. Once when I went to see him, he took some loose threads out of his pocket. He had twisted them together and told me that "these were good for fishing". I thought about him while I was making my string. I think I will make some more. It might be good for fishing.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Out Of the Vat

T-shirt yarn from the Indigo vat.

Wool Yarn


At the Thrift store yesterday, I found three wool sweaters to unravel. Up until now, I haven't seen anything wool. But Fall is approaching and even though it is still 100 degrees outside, I imagine they decided it was a good time to bring out the sweaters.
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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

New Book

Too excited.
My copy of India Flint's new book,
Second Skin,
arrived today.
I know what I will be doing this afternoon
and tomorrow and
the day after that and
the day..........

Monday, August 15, 2011

Still Stitching

Can you feel the end of your finger tips?
I think I have killed every nerve in mine and then
 I prick them again and I know I still have some.
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Friday, August 12, 2011

Just For Fun


Here is a funky bracelet made out of crocheted T-shirt yarn
and a large button.
The crocheted chain is about thirty six inches long
and wraps around the
wrist,
head 
neck!
It takes about five minutes to make something fun.
 Maybe that could be a challenge project.
 Make something fun in five minutes!


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Hand Sewing






I'm taking a break from spinning and weaving to work on another project. These are hand sewn and quilted (will be!) panels that I will put together.  They have been waiting patiently for me to get back to them. It is so hot, I think I will enjoy working on something that is not fuzzy........... 
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Sampler in Black, White and Grey








Woven sampler. Funny how crooked it looks in the photo!
The edges are better, but still need work......
I think I may add some black buttons or something across the top.
My favorite part is the wavy black and white lines.
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Thursday, August 11, 2011

Birthday


My beautiful
MOM
 has a birthday this week.
She will be
91
Two weeks ago, she slipped and fell
breaking her left arm and cracking her pelvis.
She is in a Rehab center now.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Paper Yarn

"Casey's Birthday"
Yarn spun from recycled birthday tissue paper
plyed with a synthetic glitter yarn.

Thinking about you Casey!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Watercolor and Weaving

This woven piece should have been included in the July review
but I forgot about it! I am still experimenting here with weaving
on previously painted paper. I am not sure about this one. I like the red one better, but I like it enough to keep playing around with
the process.
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