ONWARD INTO THE NEW YEAR

As long as I'm on a roll with my blog posts, it would probably be a good idea to keep up the momentum and bring everything up to date on my thread and needle journeys in a timely manner.  2015 ended with my thoughts on delving into some felting and working with shibori ribbon.  

FELTING

So, a friend and I went on a thrift store shopping spree in February to find wool clothing I could use for felting practice.  I found several sweaters in different colors and wools.  What an experience!!  Most of the websites I visited for simple felting instructions said to wash the items to be felted in with regular wash.  Well, I did the washing several weeks ago and my husband is still picking up lint balls around the house and out of his dark clothes!   Not good.  Most of the items felted nicely after two washings, but the ones that shed the most lint still need a couple more washings.....not with my husband's clothes this time.  Then, I found a wool supplier that sold inexpensive grab bags of wool roving, so now I also have bits of color to work with on the needle felting.  My progress, so far into felting.  

SHIBORI RIBBON

I've made more progress using the shibori ribbon.  I found a wonderful shop on Etsy, Shibori Girl, and purchased one of her grab bags. Nice lengths of ribbon and a beautiful color selection. 

                 

          

 So, here is my first finished project using a short length of ribbon.

A little shibori butterfly heart sachet enhanced with beading, an applique heart, a little hand embroidery and beads.

A little closer look

I am working another little shibori heart piece.  This one I would like to include more hand embroidery and better coordinated use of the beads.  At least in my head the design is pretty.  

QUILTING

In March my quilting friend and I will be making another trip to Asilomar, CA for a quilting class put on by Empty Spools Seminars.  This year I am taking  RaNae Merrill's class on creating Spiral Mandala quilts. 

This is the book we will be using.  I think I will be using one of her templates instead of creating my own design as this is only a 5 day class. 

On that same quilting thought.......last year I started an heirloom quilt, but set it aside as I was not satisfied with the quality of the stitching.  I thought I would try making the quilt based on the book, How To Create An Heirloom Quilt, by Pauline Ineson.  All the techniques used in the book can be accomplished using the decorative stitches on a basic sewing machine.  The author uses several different colors silk fabric.  The center medallion fabric pieces are quite small and I was having problems making nice corners.  Good thing I started with some sample muslin instead of the silk.   So, I am thinking this year I will try to do the embroidery using hand embroidery stitches.  There are many nice stitches used in crazy quilting that would be perfect.  

This is the book I am using and can be found on Amazon

So, in addition to these projects, I am still making a few items to sell in the local gallery and also accepting commission pieces.  My embroidery machine is sitting idle for most of this year again. 

Hopefully, there will be no catastrophes in 2016 to inhibit progress on my endeavors.  But, then one can never predict the future.  Our Super El Nino that was talked about all last summer is turning out to be a Super Dry Winter carrying over into another drought year.  And, my friends, that may translate into another horrendous fire season and less water for our farmers. 

Bright and sunny days to all,

Jan

2015 A RECAP

Well now, moving right along into 2016 after 2015 just rolled right through.  Didn't get much accomplished last year.  Too many distractions and disasters.  Seems life has to throw some challenges in the pathways.  Our major construction projects are almost finished since we moved to our country home.  One carryover into 2016 is to have our contractor finish the generator and propane tank housing unit.  Long story on that one.

After my last post in May 2015, we spent the month of June purchasing a rental home in a nearby community.

In July we enjoyed a family vacation on the California coast near Fort Bragg.  The grandchildren and big children thoroughly enjoyed playing around glass beach, outrigger canoeing on the Big River and taking advantage of the rental house amenities.
 

Treasures found on Glass Beach

More Treasures found on Glass Beach

 

Fun canoeing on the Big River

Sunset over the Pacific Ocean

 August I was finally able to start and finish some knit and crochet shawls and scarves to put up for sale in the local gallery.

I've been working with hand dyed yarns and fibers from Drop Spindle Yarns.  This is the Eyelash Cat's Meow colorway in a knit scarf.  Very soft yarn.

This yarn from Drop Spindle is a neutral color in the Zena category.  The pattern is a beautiful knit bobble pattern.  Another soft yarn. 

Just a fun little crochet scarf.

I just love the colors in this lacy knit shawl.  The yarn is a Patons fingering,  

This is a soft acrylic Boucle yarn done up in a Kris Basta design.  

This is another one of Kris Basta's designs, The Jefferson.

Front of the above shawl from Kris Basta designs.

Another lace shawl I knit with fingering yarn. 

Crochet Shawl.  The colors in this one are simply luscious. 

In September we were hit with disaster.  The four year California drought took its toll on our lovely foothill communities with a devastating wild fire.  Fire is one of the major risks we face living in the parched dry California foothills during the summer.  Within a few days of the start of the fire we were evacuated and endured uncertainty for a week.  Although our little community was spared, many others were not.  Many properties destroyed and lives were lost.  Here are some images I found on the Internet.  I don't think any captions are needed. 

Our home is near West Point

Our return home after the evacuation left us with clean-up duties.  Ash covered our concrete patios and yard area, the personal items we took with us had to be put away, the house thoroughly cleaned and a very smelly refrigerator sanitized, although we did manage to take most of the freezer food out and store it in our daughter's freezer.  After the cleaning we took a mini-vacation trip to Bodie, California and enjoyed strolling through the ghost town.

October, November and December I spent resurrecting some old, unfinished cross stitch designs.

Fly Me To The Moon, art by Josephine Wall.  I started this Heaven and Earth Design in 2011.  I am diligently working on this piece every night and should have it completed this year, hopefully. All that remains to be cross stitched is the lower right corner, which is most of the colorful dress underneath the moth's wing (if you can figure that out).  

I think I started this Mystic Stitch Fractal pattern around 2008 and worked on it, off and on, for a couple years.  Then it was stored for a few years and resurrected last year to finish.  The colors are off in the picture. Must have been the lighting.

Here is the finished product made into a 16 inch pillow cover.  Since these cross stitch projects take several years to complete, they are mine.  It would be cost prohibitive to try to sell such an item, unless I did this on commission.

This is a hand embroidered sewing set I made as a thank you gift for a dear friend.  I set aside the machine embroidery in 2015 in order to do more hand embroidery.  This is my foray into some Brazillian type embroidery bullion stitches. 

I just love this dainty little pincushion.  She finished beautifully, in my opinion and also the recipient's.

The set would not be complete without a scissor fob and scissor case.  The photo also showcases the front of the needle book. 

Here is another pillow cover with some simple hand embroidery.  This was another thank you gift to friends who had gifted me with a lot of fabric that was added to my stash.  The fabric I used came from that stash. 

A little better close-up of the embroidery. 

Closing out 2015 I decided I wanted to try doing some felt work and I also discovered shibori ribbon.   More on that for 2016 posts.

Bye for now.
Jan

New Beginnings - New Adventures

Well, it is coming up on a year since I last posted in my blog.  What a crazy 2014 it was.  The year started out OK, but toward the end of Spring we could tell our old well was going dry, succumbing to the great California drought.  We were just finishing up on some construction projects and then had to dig a new well.  For about three months we were living on bottled water, prepared food and driving an hour to our daughter's home to do laundry.  Fortunately, we have a good contractor who used his influence to squeeze us in on this unexpected construction.  All this craziness bumped up my blood pressure, which eventually landed me in the hospital a couple days for observation of possible heart problems.  Well, the rest of the year was spent seeing my regular doctor, a cardiologist and an opthalmologist.  The eyesight has not cleared up entirely and I try not to do night driving, we are still in a deep drought, but things could be a LOT worse.  I am thankful for life and that I am able to enjoy my fabric and thread work projects. 

So, I did not achieve much the last six months in 2014, and I wanted a new direction for 2015.  When I was working, it was a pleasure to relax in the evening with  "non thinking" projects.  Machine embroidery provided a nice interlude from hand embroidery - it was quick.  Counted cross stitch is my mainstay, however I wanted to add to my repertoire.  There is not much reward in watching a machine embroider versus the freedom of being able to create and manipulate designs by hand.  For that matter, I am always looking at traditional quilting with an eye toward manipulation, too.  Well, just as I embarked on education during my working career, I decided education was going to be my focus in retirement.


ART QUILTS
As luck would have it, one of my friends wanted to attend Empty Spools Seminars at Asilomar on the Monterey coast.  She asked if I would be interested in going with her for a 5 day seminar end of April and I leaped at the chance to not only learn a new technique, but enjoy an ocean setting.  The class I chose (there were not many choices left by the time we decided to attend) was an Innovative Organza and Mixed Media Collage class offered by Esterita Austin.  This was something totally new to me, as I don't think of myself as a fiber artist or a painter.  Well, I surprised myself with the "almost" finished product.  I want to do another version or two, or three and then choose which to finish with quilting and backing. 

We started out with our own photograph.  Naturally, for someone who has no painting experience, I chose a difficult subject for a first try.  I was about ready to scrap the whole thing, but kept at it.  The rock wall, looks like a rock wall and the roses look like roses.  I can see this spot in my garden.  I am pleased with the result for never having painted before.  This piece is about 17" x 22".  The technique is not hard.  Now to invest in some Lumeire metallic fabric paints, as these worked best in the transfer/fusing process.

 The above two photographs were the models for my art project. 

 My friend and I had so much fun this year at Asilomar, we have already chosen our 2016 seminar choices.  I do have to add that the quilt artists all step outside the norm in their creations, something I truly enjoy.  Many include embroidery (machine and hand), crochet, sequins, beads and other glitz in their quilts - and I thought I was strange.  So nice to be with kindred spirits. 


HAND EMBROIDERY
Making a decision on what to do in hand embroidery is a little harder.  I wanted to join an embroidery guild last year.  The nearest one to me is Hanging by a Thread Chapter EGA.  It is over an hour drive up and down curvy mountain roads.  The eyesight issue and not driving at night put a stop to that.  I am thinking of becoming a Member at Large, but there are other educational opportunities I am still researching.  In the meantime, the Internet is my saving grace.  I found Mary Corbett's Needle 'N Thread website and her wonderful stitch videos for a starting point.

Several years ago I picked up a copy of the "Inspirations"  embroidery magazine.  It is quite expensive, but I took the plunge and started my subscription.  I have seen so many of the premiere embroidery magazines come and go.  I hope with the resurgence of hand embroidery, this magazine will stay in publication.  The projects are absolutely beautiful.

I have also updated my library with books by needle artist Trish Burr and Hazel Blomkamp, plus several other instructional books on Candlewick, White Work, Stumpwork, Beading, Silk Ribbon Embroidery, Brazilian Embroidery and other general interest technique publications.

Now, I am all set for the next 20 years!!!

I've been playing around with my projects......nothing really in mind other than to play with stitches and thread and practice, practice practice.  I won't show my doodles, they are really messy and it takes a while to translate right handed videos to a left handed person!!!  Here are a couple practice pieces.......

A little scissor keep I made.  Practicing my bullion knots.

A couple counted cross stitch pin cushions using some odds and ends.  I did beaded Palestrina Knot stitch around the perimeter of the cushions.

Another counted cross stitch pin cushion.  I was going to put this on an embroidered and quilted project case, but it turned out too large.  It is calling for some additional embellishments to spice it up a bit, but for right now, she looks nice setting on my work table. 

                                                      

I love hearts!!   This heart has beads, a machine tatted center medallion , and some star sequins.

And a little swirly heart with lots of stuff going on.  I have since found a technique for making beautiful dragonfly wings I want to try later on.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUILTING
Last, but not least.......I did complete one custom quilt this year, finished some hand embroidery on a full size kit quilt, and several other small custom jobs. 

This is a twin size quilt for a special little granddaughter.  Can you guess what she likes?  It is embellished with scattered rhinestones, machine embroidered princesses, lace, ribbon and a personalization.

 



That about brings me up to date.  One year in one blog post.  Hope to make a few more as I get going on my projects, not just practice pieces. 

Peace and Joy,
Jan

Bags and Pillows

Had to take a break from the lavender sachets.  I've been wanting a smaller purse for a while now since I don't carry around that much stuff anymore.  I could never find anything in my bag.  So, I decided to prowl the various craft sites on the Internet to see if I could find something easy to do.  Through clicking links, I ended up on the So Sew Easy blog and found the "Make it Yours" one piece clutch bag.  How much easier can you get? The pattern comes in a small and a larger size. I first made the smaller bag using dragonfly designs From the Needle of Ann.  Decided I needed just a little larger, so made the next size up using designs from Mountain Thread Art.  The pattern calls for magnetic clasps, but I didn't have any so Velcro came in handy.  I also used key rings for the strap and tabs and used fabric scraps from my stash. I've since ordered some magnetic clasps, so the next bags I make will be finished a little nicer.  I think I will also alter this pattern some by making the flap a little longer with more rounded corners. I will be making some for sale in our local gift gallery. 

This is the front of the dragonfly clutch I made with some scrap home decorator fabric.

And the back of the clutch.

I added a little pocket and the lining was also a piece of scrap material.

This is the larger size made with denim from my scrap stash.  Front.

Back

Well, I didn't want you to see the purse contents.....the lining is nice flower design.  Forgot to add the inside pocket on this one.

Then I was going through all my completed counted cross stitch designs and found some pansies I stitched several years ago.  Just happened to have some coordinating material on hand and decided to make a small tote bag.   This pattern is  Kwik Sew pattern 3133.  (These patterns are available in fabric stores and I believe in Walmart, too.)  Another easy pattern.  Couldn't make just one, so another one came after using Carolyn Shores Wright graphic designs from Betty's Original Embroideries.  I kind of like the simplicity of these bags as the embroidery is not obscured by highly patterned fabric.  However, I might embellish the upper bands if I use plain fabric with some coordinating designs and include more pockets and maybe a hanging key chain with charms.

Carolyn Shores Wright graphic artwork.  Designs by Betty's Original Embroideries.  Front of bag.

Back of bag.

Inside with some pockets. Nice to have articles with no unsightly seams showing. 

My counted cross stitch design.  No pockets on the inside of this one.  Just a plain carry tote.

Well, a couple small pockets on the outside.  I do like embroidery on both sides, though.

Have I told you yet that I really like the designs from Betty's Original Embroideries?   She makes some really cute designs and always includes a project or two to highlight the designs.  Each month Betty provides a complimentary set of designs for a monthly contest.  I entered her contests a couple times several years ago, and have not been following her on the Yahoo Group until this month.  For her June contest she created a "Smallest Things" set of designs.  I decided to try my hand at making a pieced pillow top using the designs.  I might make something else for the contest as the pillow top includes strawberry lace designs from Sonia Showalter Designs.  Don't think it would be appropriate to submit a project in a contest that also features another digitizer's designs. I might make another pillow cover in my heirloom style.  At any rate, I like this cheery little pillow and those strawberries look very delicious.

Front of the pillow.  This is an 18 inch pillow form.  I used fabric scraps from my stash to make this pillow.

Back of the pillow.  I added some velcro tabs to tack down the top flap.

Next on my agenda is to make some small coin purses.  Am in the process of ordering the decorative top clasps.  Hopefully, by the end of the year holidays, I will have an assorted inventory of gift items for our local gallery. 

Until the next time....

Best Regards,
Jan