Long Weekend; Take-It-Further

Things are still busy and 12 hour days are taking their toll--I have things to say but am rather scattered. But as of this moment I'm on holiday! I'm taking a long weekend to attend a niece's college graduation. No computer (I'm feeling some separation anxiety about that, which is making me more happy I decided to leave it all behind for a few days.)

I do have more thoughts on my June TIF and conversations with Jane on Monday helped me focus my thoughts. The first thing I did last weekend was wander through my stash and make a representative collection. My plan was to do a collage and I have fabrics, trims, paper, beads, and general stuff (no fibers yet). I was pleased with the combination--in the pile here--but it just wasn't quite right.

I also had an idea for an embroidery. I use antique cotton pillowcases. I love how they feel. I'm not allergic to them. And the antiques are a nice cotton, and less expensive, than new ones. In the way of things, they wear out and a pillowcase I love has done so--it just ripped along the folds the last time I washed it. I has a lovely monogram M on it.

I thought it would make a nice background for an embroidery. I could pull some of Rita's silks from my stash and embroider a flower from one of my antique magazines. Perhaps add some bead flowers. I made a sketch, based around the triangle surrounding the monogram. I decided on bead flowers using round and oblong pearls from SJ Designs, a floral spray from a WWII era British magazine from Jenny's mum, a crewel leaf, just because I want to do some crewel, and perhaps add some beaded, jeweled and sequined wire flower centers that I used on favors for a niece's wedding and have leftovers. Here's my sketch and some notes. Not brilliant design but okay.

I transferred the design by the simple means of turning the tissue over and rubbing the back of it so the pencil transferred to the fabric. Here's the fabric. Sorry for the bad scan. I only had a B&W scanner available. The M in the middle is actually embroidered but I had to make the scan so dark to read the white on white it looks no different than the pencil lines. It's not quite this dark in real life but the pencil transferred to the cotton really well!

But that's not my new plan in it's entirety. I decided the best way to explore the possibilities of my stash is to do a two-sided project. Side one will show the end result of what the stash can create (with my help, of course). And side two will be a more or less collaged homage to my stash.

I have no idea how I'm going to get this done with my life going wild as it is now, but it's the story my stash wants to tell.

Frantic Tuesday

With a small but last-minute conference next week and a huge one in a month, things are certainly busy here. I'm finding it hard to focus on anything else but work.

We had a scare with the weather on Saturday. As we were heading home from an outing we saw low black clouds over the road ahead. About a mile from our exit the rains and winds were so bad we pulled over to the side of the expressway. The first thing we heard when we turned on the radio is that there were funnel clouds over our town--those low black clouds we were seeing.

We sat there until the storm was out over the lake and then drove home. We were incredibly lucky--the twisters did not touch down near us. They did some nasty damage in neighboring areas. Streets flooded but nothing like the flooding in Indiana and Wisconsin. Very scary. My sympathies go out to everyone with damage and loss.

My show and tell today is not things I've done. (I've still been making some felt finger-pincushions from plastic pull tabs in odd moments and struggling with ideas for the TIF project this month.) First, I have a lovely example of shadow embroidery on a sheer cloth. I think it might be a 1950s cocktail napkin. What do you think? My friend Terry sent me this lovely piece. The embroidery is absolutely minute but it looks to me like it was done by hand. Shadow work is something I've always had trouble with. This is perfect.

On our Saturday excursion we did some antiquing. I got this photo of young ladies in hats. I love the flowers tucked under their brims. I also found the bow-knot buttons shown at the top of the page. They look like the two pieces were made to hook and unhook but I'm afraid the plastic has become to brittle to experiment. I was most excited to find this package of Battenberg lace tape. It's much finer than any I've seen before. It's about 1/8" and just beautiful. Now I want to go back to the exhibit at the Illinois State Museum's Lockport Gallery, Urge to Embellish, and compare the tape to that used on the exquisite Edwardian lace dress that is a focal point for the exhibit. I think this may be smaller.

The Battenberg tape I've used for lace pieces, mostly holiday ornaments, has been much larger, usually 1/4" to 3/8" I'd say. I'm thinking this would make some lovely jewelry pieces. Right now I just love it in it's bright blue wrapper. I wonder what the person who originally purchased it was going to make with it.

My "Arte y Pico" Award from Pat Winter

After my hectic week, I decided to take a few and cruise the blogosphere. And at the first blog I went to, I found I'd been presented with an award! I am blown away. I have a hard time grasping that people actually read this jumble! Here's my award!
I learned from Pat's blog, Gatherings, that the "Arte y Pico" award was created and to be given to bloggers who inspire others with their creative energy and their talents, whether it be writing, artwork in all media's. When you receive this award it is considered a "special honor". Once you have received this award, you are to pass it on to at least 5 others.

She said some really nice things about me and my blog and placed me in stellar company. At first I thought I'd have a hard time picking five other blogs and I did--I could have listed at least a dozen that inspire and enlighten me. But here's the five I've honed it down to to send the award on to:

JLC Studio is an energetic and eclectic blog. JLC is a interior designer and jewelry maker who jumped into blogging with both feet. (She also happens to be the daughter of a good (and justifiably proud) friend. Her blog is fun, colorful and charming. She has some interesting more-or-less weekly series and has posted lovely interviews with other Etsy crafters. Oh, and good giveaways.

At Spirit Cloth Jude provides a really thoughtful and almost dreamlike atmosphere as she shows her creative works in progress. It’s amazing to see the projects evolve and develop and I always leave her site feeling refreshed and peaceful.

Baumcat usually features small quilts that just hit my color and style button right on. I would love to be able to create work like this. Her pieces just sing! Family life and pets add to the cheerful mix and the Harley’s just add to the fun.

I recently began regularly reading the Beauty of Life. I love Paula’s attitude and her embroidery is gorgeous (even if she might not always think so). Her stitching posts are complemented by lovely photographs and bits of family life and full of inspiration.

Threads across the Web is a charming blog that I found because of the Japanese embroidery that Carol-Anne does. Along with needlelace, beading... She also posts some lovely inspirational pictures.

I think a common thread with these blogs is that the writers all talk about the process of what they’re doing, the ups and downs, and how life mixes in...all the while focusing on the inspiration all around us every day.

Thank you very much, Pat! You made my day.

TIF and odds and ends

As I'd expected, Jane had some very interesting thoughts on the TIF challenge and now I'm thinking much more about the issues of possibilities in addition to the stories perspective. My stash is just teeming with possibilities! Thanks, Jane!

This week has been my fiscal year end at work--I had to have all my paperwork, expenditures, and transfers in today. Phew! it's done and I think I got it all taken care of (well, except for one problem account that I'm doing my best to ignore right now). It made for a busy week and I haven't done any stitching or much thinking about stitching even.

I have two things to share, both done last weekend but I never got the pictures up. The first is the stitched Eiffel Tower for the Camp Quality project. It's not too symmetrical but I think it's a simple concept and the children will be able to have fun with it. My next project it to set up a meeting with the group to cut out the fabric shapes and decide how to package them (with needle and thread). My current inclination is to loop a length of thread through the middle hole and just park the needle in the fabric. This isn't a complex project. There's a big fluffy wool tassel that will go in the hole at the top but I think we should let the children choose their own.

The second project here is a beginning Brazilian kit I got in my goodie bag at the EGA Great Lakes regional seminar in April. When ever I get cocky about my skills, the needlework goddess comes up and smacks me down. I started this piece last Friday night (nothing like stitching at night at the end of the week when you're exhausted) thinking I've done a lot of Brazilian, this will be a piece of cake. Kiss of death.

The stem stitch went okay. The picture showed a much more variegated thread in the flower than my kit contained. I tried to pick different spots on the thread to work the inner and outer petals to no avail. My choices were limited even more because of all the ripping I had to do. The bullions weren't too bad but the cast-on stitch! Do you know what a pain that one is to pick out? I finally got reasonable looking stitches and took a Sharpie marker and colored the inner petals a darker color to match the picture. I'm not going to mention the French knots.

I cut cardboard circles, mounted the piece with a felt backing, and twisted and stitched on the cord over the weekend. Once together it looked lonely so I added the lace border (antique lace from my story-telling, potential-filled stash). I like it pretty well now. I did take a photo and didn't scan it so the details will be less discernible. I do have some pride left. It's going to go on my office door handle. My mini rebellion to our staid office.

June TIF: first thoughts

Oh, the stories my stash could tell!

Some of the things I’ve gathered have histories that I have an inkling about, like the silk threads from my friend Rita’s estate—she used to use them to embroidery delicate floral pendants, my grandmother’s tatting, Susan’s mom’s blouse in this lovely cotton print, the bits and pieces I can’t bear to discard. Some are more mysterious: the bag of lace bits sent to my by Jenny’s mum, the half-finished embroidery or the embroidered hanky found at antique shops. There are souvenirs, like the trims bought in the outdoor market in France, the fibers and fabrics purchased at the EGA National Seminar last year, and the buttons found in an antique shop on our way to Minnesota. The gifts from friends also have stories to tell.

Some of the histories have been created by me: the piece of linen purchased for a sampler that’s now smaller, the rest used for band in April’s Take-It-Further challenge. The thread I bought simply because I loved the color and had no idea what I could do with it—some of it is also in the April TIF piece

Stash isn’t only the fibers and fabrics and embellishments that fill our basement. It’s also the tools I love to accumulate, the books and magazines piled everywhere and now the great new electric stash, the Internet. All of them create a synergy that enables me to do whatever it is I do.

I definitely revel in my stash. Visit it, pet it, and bless it at midnight when I just have to have that perfect thread and there it is.

And then there are the stories to be told. Each time I visit my stash new possibilities open up. Every new thing I learn changes the palette. The question I see for this month is “What story does my stash want to tell right now?”

One of my greatest pleasures with this challenge has been to discuss it with my friend Jane. She’s collecting ideas each month for a future personal challenge and I love her insights into each month’s theme. I expect to see her tonight and am already anticipating our discussion, which will most likely continue and evolve over the next week or so.

I also really enjoy reading comments of many of the blogs about each month’s challenge. I found that now I tend to delay moving beyond thought to project until I’ve absorbed the comments of others.

So this isn't entirely text, here's a photo of my planter out front with it's new flowers. They are "Catalina Midnight Blue" Torenia. I have no idea about them but the tag says they like shade and shade we have in abundance (especially today since it's been raining all day). I bought two colors of them but I don't know what the second is called. On the back of the tag it's called "wishbone flower." They haven't had a chance to settle into the pot and are looking pretty unimpressive right now--I'm sure that will quickly change.

Fun Weekend

This weekend was a good one. We had lovely weather, not too hot. And I accomplished a lot. I got some chores done, my pots planted, and the laundry's caught up. I did some sorting and worked on projects left over from April.

In early April I spent a day at the International Quilt Festival in Chicago. I took two classes and haven't finished either project. I had been gathering things to add to my painted cloth from Judy Coates Perez. I'm much happier with the piece now, even though my additions are pretty subtle.

In looking at Judy's work I realized I'd fallen into the trap of "preciousness" (not just with this piece but with other things, too). "I've worked hard on this fabric so it's precious and should be used whole." But what on earth would I do with it? We don't use pillows and it's painted and feels like plastic--and I don't think it would stand up as a tote bag.

I noticed Judy cuts her fabric up and uses it--as fabric and not as a piece of art (and hers ARE pieces of art!). So, I'm determined to find something to make from this. Judy was making little bird houses with metal trim. I like the metal trim but don't think I want to do a birdhouse. Perhaps a box or a book cover. So I'm still thinking on this one...but pleased with my progress.

I also took a collaged pin-making class from Grinnell Fiber Works. I absolutely hated my original design and ended up ripping it up and making something from it that I'm now happy with. I reused bits from my first design but only used about half of the materials I had before. We painted and stenciled lutradur, worked with Angelina fibers, Fast-to-Fuse and Miyuki beads. It was a good class and I learned a lot and I'm fairly happy with the pin now. It's a little fragile for my tastes (whatever I wear needs to stand up to purse and backpack straps) but I'll find a place to wear it, I'm sure.

Picture This

We were discussing this book over on Stitching Fingers and I wanted a place to post it so here it is. This is a wonderfully clear design book. There aren't a lot of rules, just some principles and lots of things to think about.

With four colors (lilac, red, black and white), the author tells the story of Little Red Riding Hood. For the most part there are two shapes: tringles and long rectangles. You can see little Red off in the distance and the sharply menacing wolf looming. It's a very impressive book.