Birthdays Keep Me Busy!

I just can't buy a present.  Not when I have a roomful of supplies with which to create.  Jeremy got a potholder, Arwen got an eye mask, and Tina got a string of bunting.  Sounds boring you say?

Jeremy cooks.  Hence the potholder.  And just what do you make for guys?  He is a bass player.  Electric, not acoustic, but I don't hold it against him.  And he loves the Beatles.  Who doesn't?  And I just happen to have a small print of Beatles fabric.  Ta da!  But no, I couldn't do a rectangle.  I had to shape it like one of Paul McCartney's Hofner left-handed bass.  It has a loop for hanging, strings, but no neck.  LOL












Arwen suffers from migraines, less than before, thank the gods.  Have an old royal blue silk dress from a thrift store and some wonderful peacock fabric that matches.  She likes.  Yea! I think I'll make the other for me.  ;)

Tina saw one of my bunting strings (?) that I gave to her neices and immediately claimed that she wanted one.  So instead of giving her one that was already put together, I searched through my stash for all my blues to match her bedroom.  She was ecstatic!  And after the dinner party at her mom's house, she and one of her friends went to her room to do nails & hang the bunting.  They were happy.

 

And then there is the baby, our first grandchild, granddaughter.  She loves books.  Any book her parents read to her.  Even scientific articles on robotics!  They live in a small apartment, and what kid needs tons of toys and stuffed animals anyway.  So how about some 2-D Book Buddies!  I'm hoping you recognize these guys, but if not:  Llama Llama, Hungry Caterpillar, One Fish, Two Fish.  (Need to do some finishing touches on the bag.  It is too tall for someone so short.)

 

I've always wanted a girl to make dresses for.  But I learned that as she crawls, they get in the way.  So I made her two shirt length to wear over pants.  And then found one of my own to share.  Can't believe my mother saved it.

This pink & grey paper bag dress became one of two matching cupcake dresses for Athena and her 3-year old cousin.  Missed opportunity to get photo of both in matching dresses.  :(  Thank you www.cailamade.com for the pattern.

 

My Friend Teaches 5-year olds!

My new friend Laurie has her hands full.  And she has recruited me to help her with ideas for the kids.  The theme is a yellow submarine, a rainbow fish, and ocean life in general.  She has already made the sub and will post photos of each kid in a porthole.  Cool!  So out came the scraps to make scales.  I had just cut up some old pants of my husbands that were beyond donating, which became the backing.  Here is my 3-D version of the colorful fish.  And yes, it would be too difficult for the kids to make.  But I had so much FUN!  When was the last time you made something silly?

Finally, My Etsy Store

I started this store long ago, longer than I will admit.  And I've finally posted four newly crafted items.  Unique vintage (mostly) button earrings from a collection gifted to me by a friend.    

SeaSageSister - Creations & Collections

LOST, Again - But Found in the Trash

I can't even begin to explain where I've been, so I'll spare you the details.  I'm now in another state, and state of mind.  Savannah, GA, to be exact.  I have been spending lots of time organizing my studio and checking out Pinterest.  Thanks to my friend Annie, I have discovered another form of Sashiko that I had to try.  It enabled me to get out of my left brain and let go of it all - just mix this and that, pay no attention to color, hue, intensity, uniformity, details of any kind. What a freeing experience.  It pushed my happy button!

My inspiration is the work by Japanese artist Akiko Ike, featured in Quiltmania.  She calls her style 'chiku chiku' for the sound the needle/thread make during stitches. Her work is more reminiscent of the historic use of this technique: fishermen in old Japan would use sashiko stitching to reinforce and add strength and warmth to layered garments. 

This link is in French, but I think you will understand the photos. What do you think???  http://misst.canalblog.com/archives/2014/05/04/29775556.html#utm_medium=email&utm_source=notification&utm_campaign=misst

Another great link on same subject:  http://aquilterbynight.blogspot.com/2012/04/remarkable-hands-of-japan.html

So, wouldn't you know...I was about to toss the old valance and scraps in the trash!  Ha!  Now they are hanging in my window to hide the darn blinds.  I used what I had for thread, which turned out to be embroidery thread.  Not such a good idea, but for a sampler, it worked.  Here it is!

Since I mentioned her name, I must share Annie's work with you.  Here's a sample:

Please visit her site.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/bohemiannie/with/18127342004/

Hard Times Require Furious Dancing

How could I forget?  I found this quote on Facebook then found someone to make a necklace for me!

Sharing the Craft of Pillowcase Making

A dear friend's daughters found themselves without home or possessions after a house fire.  Money, clothes, etc. poured in from friends and family.  But it wasn't just 2 daughters.  There were 7 grandchildren.  My first thought was their thoughts - not exactly scary monsters under the bed, but similar enough.  So, each one got a pillowcase.  I started with the 4 youngest, and procrastinated long enough until one mother asked to learn how to make them.  Some call it delegation by luck.  For me it was an opportunity to pass a skill along.  Hope you enjoy the photos as much as I did the day.

Did I Mention Green Therapy?

I love gardening, and unlike sewing, you can get as dirty as you want.  All you need is soap!  So I thought I'd share a few photos to brighten your day, hopefully.

Pillowcase Time Again

My History With the Hot Dog or Burrito Method for Pillowcases: 
I'm about to leave town to share with friends the craft of making pillowcases with French seams and no raw edges inside that would invariable ravel in the wash.  This I learned from a group of women in Lee County, Florida, who produce an incredible number of quilts for a national organization called Quilts for Kids.  The quilts are distributed to kids in the hospital and hospice, and at holidays throughout the year they get pillowcases - Christmas, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, etc.


As for me, I've made quite a few themed pillowcases for family & friends:  peacocks, Star Wars, college football teams, planets, historic maritime maps, etc.  In addition, I've made a special seven pillowcases for my dear friend's grandchildren after a house fire.  Photos???



Now the Method:  This method, sometimes called the "hot dog" or "burrito" method, is found on the Internet, but I want to add some "Lessons Learned" to help you make a better quality product.

From Anina @ www.twiddletails.blogspot.com

First, how much fabric do you need?  Generally, for a standard size pillow case, you'll need 27" (3/4 yd) for main, 9" (1/4 yd) for cuff, and 2.5" for trim.  (See St. Pat's examples above.)  Anina from www.twiddletails.blogspot.com uses different lengths:  she cuts 12" for the cuff and 1.5" for the trim.  I've noticed that the pillowcases are often a tad short.  So adding a few inches to the main or cuff sections is up to you.  What I like is the difference in the trim length - just a think strip/stripe for contrast.  

A table of fabric required for these versions, plus king-size pillowcases will be provided below.

This piece was cut at 12" and reduced to about 10.75".

Second, do I prewash?  If you have ever prewashed your fabric before, you know what to expect when you put a thin strip in the wash.  Therefore, I would recommend 4" for the trim strip and recommend washing by hand.  Plus, if it is cut off grain, you will loose even more when you align the weave.


Also, I recently read that some prewash in hot water.  Ever since most of us started washing in cold water, I prewash in cold.  But I'm finding that I'm washing linens in warm now.  With this in mind, you may want to alter the quantity.  Food for thought.    Do a test...


Third, what do I do about differing widths?  There's not much you can do unless you spend extra time choosing matching fabrics of same widths.  Usually it's not a problem.  The narrowest one determines the width.

In this case, the green end fabric is the narrowest.

In this case, the main fabric is the narrowest.

Fourth, which style of trim fabric is best?  I have been sewing all my pillowcases with the 2.5" strip, and what I have discovered is that after washing/drying, the trip is all over the place.  And since I mostly iron when sewing or going to a job interview, I have no plans of ironing pillowcases at this point in my life.  So, I use one of the decorative stitches on my machine and secure the trim.

On the other hand, and this I really like as it saves a step, is the 1.5" strip that Anina uses.  It gives the appearance of piping but without the need for ironing.

Fifth, what did I learn about French seams?  Once fabric has been cut, there will be loose threads.  Always.  So, when you sew your seams, be sure the first is smaller than the second.  Huh?  See what happens if not?  And believe me you really don't want to go around the perimeter of the pillowcase and trim these threads.  Try 1/4" for first seam, the 3/8-1/2" for second seam.

Finally, have you all been waiting for the steps to making your own pillowcase?  Sorry for the delay!  Here you go: 

What Have I Been Doing, 6 Weeks Later?

Good question.  Filling orders for holiday gifts.  Too busy to make holiday gifts?  Feeling guilty about NOT making holiday gifts?  Feeling anxious about all of the above?  YES!

The holidays aren't easy times for many of us.  As we grow older we find ourselves in the sandwich era - kids/grandkids to keep us young and parents to help through their final years.  Of course, from what my friends tell me, some kids can be more trouble than aging parents.  Then there is the loss of the latter, as I cannot speak about the loss of the former.  This holiday season was the second without my father, my (BF) friend's mother, and my (BFF) friend's father.  It was also the the first since my (BFF) friend's mother was almost late - in reading Alexander McCall Smith's Ladies' The No. 1 Detective Agency Series (a must read), the dead are referred to as "late."  I like that.  So last year, there was not Christmas dinner; this year there was.  And it was wonderful to see Mom so happy and pretty in red.  And dinner was served at my (BFF) friend's home for the very first time in family history!!!

Mma Ramotswe, The No. 1 Lady Detective in Botswana now in DVD!!!

(As with all series, start at the beginning)

Some good news is that my BFF, BF, and BFF's sister have been keeping me busy.  My BF had me $ew counter curtains for her new-and-improved kitchen.  And my BFF"s sister had me $ew 25 cloth bags for plastic bags for her boss to give to all employees for the holidays!  And another friend ordered 4 bag$ for her family.  Sure, I can share the photos.  

I started teaching sewing classes last week, which I really enjoy doing.  One student wants to make a new wardrobe, and the other wants to make items for her grandchildren.  And there's a second cousin who is expecting her first baby the end of May to think about.  Since she reads this blog, I'm not giving away the secret.  Ha Freckles, won't find a clue here!!!

Any comments???  Please share your pearls of wisdom.  Namaste.
  

This I Have to Share

I received a small gift yesterday in a small bag with drawstring.  I hate sewing these.  Especially the casing for the string(s).  Will you look at how the Japanese do this - I am converting for sure.

So, What Have I Been Doing?

NOTE:  This was drafted on Nov 4th, so some items have already been posted.

It appears that I haven't sewn anything since my husband's Dr Who's scarf-inspired wall hanging (which is still in UFO status).  I have been distracted by www.500px.com, a website that allows you to post your photos, get comments, and perhaps sell them.  I've always wanted to put together a portfolio and share with my late cousin Don, but that didn't happen.  Now I have strangers commenting because they want to not because they feel like they have to.  I guess photography could be considered fiber art if you really want to stretch the word fiber.  Pictures are printed on paper, and paper comes from trees (or other plants).  But when you are formatting digital photos and uploading to a website, you really don't deal with paper.  So, back to fabric it is!

I've had two more deadlines to get me going.  One, a possible commission from a doctor.  I "drafted" two samples to show him at my last appointment to be totally knocked over because the blank space on his wall was no longer blank.  Procrastination and communication kicked my in the butt again.  That's all.  (But you already know about this project.)  Two, I needed to make a witch costume for a winery tour that some friends have been doing for years while I've been in Florida.  I made a blue cape and a blue/purple hat.  The hat was so much fun to make.  I'll post of pic of that soon.

Now that winter is approaching, and we're no longer in Kansas, I mean Florida, I need to make more curtains.  So I started today, thinking I had more yardage for the color scheme I was using.  So I pieced strips of about 7 different fabrics together to make 3 small curtains.  And then one strip wasn't wide enough, so I pieced some more to fill in the gap.  They look more like aprons than curtains, but I like the colors.  Patchwork is fun, but slow.  Can't really say tomorrow that I "whipped up" some curtains last night because they aren't finished.  But I had fun.  Isn't that what it's all about?

Introducing My Assistant

     A blog like this can't be complete 

without sharing photos of my partner, Rosie.

Fiber Anyone?

Words are good.  That's what blogging is about, eh?  But what about my fiber therapy?  

Has anyone ever experienced procrastination?  Well, if not, here's a good example why not to do it. One of my doctors recently changed offices and had a big blank wall.  Well, that had to be resolved. So I told him at each appointment that I could fix that.  Months went by before I finally did something. I prepared two samples to show him at my next appointment and voila!  His wife filled the void.  So I showed him anyway.  And now I'll show you too!  Mind you, they are "drafts" and are basically the background (or first layer on a canvas) for more to come.  There are two sets:  in each, first, my inspiration; second, my version.  (Don't know how to place these side-by-side.)

I also showed him "In Shangri-la", a work in progress that's about 90% complete, which I may share soon.  (Procrastination strikes again.)  I wanted him to see what these two could look like once more work was done.  He seemed to like them, asked if my work had been in a show and if was a member of a guild.  He observed both my excitement and let down and commented that there are more blank walls in the office as a whole.  I may have to follow up on this...like the children's story of a train trying to go up hill.  I think I can, I think I can.

Liz, My Inspiration to Start this Blog

I never really mentioned the person who gave me, unknowingly to her, the inspiration and motivation to start this blog.  Elizabeth Gilbert!  I was reading Eat Pray Love which is in fact a memoir and begins with an account of her depression.  Pretty brave I think.  And millions of copies of this book were sold, in many languages, and then it was turned into a movie.  Thanks Liz for your inspiration!!!

By the way, Liz has a Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/GilbertLiz.  And, if you make a comment, she will more than likely respond.  How many authors do that?  Gotta love her.  So, if you haven't read the book, please do.  Then you can watch the movie, but like most movies-from-books, read the book first!


And, if you have about 20 minutes, you must watch this video "Your Elusive Creative Genius" aired on TED: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86x-u-tz0MA.

Enough said about my inspiration, for now.  Namaste.

Blog Rules

One.  I don't have to blog on a regular basis, but it would be nice.
Two.  You don't have to comment, but it would be nice.
Three.  I don't have to limit my blog to projects I complete.  This new option is nice.
Four.  I can change the rules any time I want, and this is nice.
Fifth.  You can start anything new at anytime.  Never mind the stockpile of UFOs.

ART vs. Weeding, Laundry, Dishes (thank you Liz Gilbert)

Advice to Myself

by Louise Erdrich

TUESDAY, 29 MAY, 2007
Listen (RealAudio) | How to listen

Poem: "Advice to Myself" by Louise Erdrich, from Original Fire: Selected and New Poems. © Harper Collins Publishers, 2003. Reprinted with permission.(buy now)

Advice to Myself

Leave the dishes.
Let the celery rot in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator
and an earthen scum harden on the kitchen floor.
Leave the black crumbs in the bottom of the toaster.
Throw the cracked bowl out and don't patch the cup.
Don't patch anything. Don't mend. Buy safety pins.
Don't even sew on a button.
Let the wind have its way, then the earth
that invades as dust and then the dead
foaming up in gray rolls underneath the couch.
Talk to them. Tell them they are welcome.
Don't keep all the pieces of the puzzles
or the doll's tiny shoes in pairs, don't worry
who uses whose toothbrush or if anything
matches, at all.
Except one word to another. Or a thought.
Pursue the authentic-decide first
what is authentic,
then go after it with all your heart.
Your heart, that place
you don't even think of cleaning out.
That closet stuffed with savage mementos.
Don't sort the paper clips from screws from saved baby teeth
or worry if we're all eating cereal for dinner
again. Don't answer the telephone, ever,
or weep over anything at all that breaks.
Pink molds will grow within those sealed cartons
in the refrigerator. Accept new forms of life
and talk to the dead
who drift in though the screened windows, who collect
patiently on the tops of food jars and books.
Recycle the mail, don't read it, don't read anything
except what destroys
the insulation between yourself and your experience
or what pulls down or what strikes at or what shatters
this ruse you call necessity.

Deadlines Speed Up the Process

Deadlines.  A birthday.  My husband's.  I bought him a few simple gifts, one of which he had already bought for himself but didn't bother to let me know.  So, I decided to make him a fabric Dr. Who scarf.  Not to be worn, perhaps to be hung?  Of course, it is not complete.  At first I wasn't sure what to do next.  Then I got sidetracked by a related project, which failed (ouch, but it happens).  I feel like I owe myself the posting of the work "as is".  Each row is roughly approximate to the number of rows if the scarf was knit.  But as art, I can do what I want, right?  I'm going to finish it off and hang it up with, are you ready?, a knitting needle.  I'll post the final project when it is final.  Enjoy.