Our forsythia blooms for about a week.
This is the week!
#flowersforfriday
Friday, April 12, 2019
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Throwback Thursday - 2004 (Part 11)
In September 2004, I finished these four lovely projects:
Rose Pillow
Pretty Autumn Bookmark
Rose Pillow
One of my online friends decided to try stitching a design on a pre-finished pillow sham. This means the front of the pillow is made of cross-stitch fabric, and the back is a plain fabric with an opening in which the pillow is inserted. The pillow sham is already completed, so you stitch the front through the opening on the back. It's a little tricky at first.
I mentioned to my friend that I also had a project in my stash that was stitched on a pre-finished pillow sham. We decided to have an informal stitch-along where we would each work on different patterns, but on this "new-to-us" item.
This pillow took a little longer than my usual "year of the small project" where I complete the stitchery in five days or less, but it was still a fairly quick piece to stitch. Best of all, I got around to stitching a project that had been waiting for me for a nine years.
It matches the Rose Bellpull I stitched in 1995.
Halloween Whimsie
I started this simple project one night simply because I had a headache. This appeared to be a pattern I'd be able to stitch without having to think too hard.
It's a simple, small hanging decoration, stitched on perforated plastic. It came as a complete kit from Dimensions. It's got pretty detailed shading for such an easy piece.
I still have this Whimsie and display it on my front porch each October.
Pretty Heart Bookmark
I fell in love with this leaflet called Pretty Bookmarks by Leisure Arts through an online auction. This is the first of three bookmarks I stitched for October birthday for women in my quilt group.
This bookmark is made from the same leaflet as the Pretty Heart Bookmark above, but I made a few changes from what the pattern called for.
First, I picked some nice autumn colors instead of using the pastel colors called for in the chart. I also added a 5th color to give it more pizzazz.
Next, I decided to make this bookmark shorter. I used three motifs instead of four.
Finally, I decided to make this bookmark with a point at the bottom. So I took the gold "dividing line" and adapted it into a stitched point that follows the point of the completed bookmark.
It's amazing to me that such little changes can make a big difference in how the finished pattern looks.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Step Forward and Identify Yourself
What in the world? Is that a tortilla chip?
Lumps and bumps and dead things.
Looks like raisins and croutons. But what's with the purple and pink and yellow stuff?
Ah!
I'll admit that I've never looked this closely at loose tea before. Reading through the ingredients list, I can identify each element in the pile now. Including "Love" and "Gratitude."
It smells heavenly and has a bold flavor.
One of my 19 in 2019 goals is to use up my tea stash.
#teafortuesday
Lumps and bumps and dead things.
Looks like raisins and croutons. But what's with the purple and pink and yellow stuff?
Ah!
I'll admit that I've never looked this closely at loose tea before. Reading through the ingredients list, I can identify each element in the pile now. Including "Love" and "Gratitude."
It smells heavenly and has a bold flavor.
One of my 19 in 2019 goals is to use up my tea stash.
#teafortuesday
Monday, April 8, 2019
Grass Widow
The forest floor is starting to bloom.
There will soon be a sea of purple beneath the pines.
#macromonday
There will soon be a sea of purple beneath the pines.
#macromonday
Sunday, April 7, 2019
What's the Point?
This box make me inextricably happy.
Sewing needle organization!
I had one of those tomato pincushions full of hand sewing needles. I'd go to it each time I needed to sew on a button or hem some pants or tack down a facing. But I was starting to go mildly insane each time I had to pick the proper needle for the job at hand. Over the decades - honestly decades, not years - this pincushion filled up with needles of all sizes.
The smaller, more useful needles would sink all the way into the depths of the pincushion. Most of the needles that were left were longer, thicker needles that simply weren't right for the job. I even got to the point of simply buying new needles in the sizes I need more often. But the environmentalist in me had trouble with the idea of throwing away perfectly good needles. A little nuts, right? I mean ... they're only sewing needles!
So I found this sewing needle size chart online:
I took my pincushion and matched each needle up with the chart by type of needle and by size. I was even able to push those small needles buried deep in the pincushion back out into the light of day ... with only a few poked fingers. Honestly, my system is even more organized than the new batch of needles I bought because mine are sorted by numerical size; the new cards are not. They are only sorted visually. This makes my pea-pickin' heart so happy!
Rectangles of felt were stapled to 3" x 5" index cards. Each card was labeled by type and size of needle. Needles are easily held in place by the craft felt.
Machine needles also found a home. Since they are already packaged by size and type, I trimmed some tiny plastic bags in a way that I could stable the bag to the card, and the sewing machine needles slip upright into the bags. Sewing machine needles in their original packaging found a home behind the sewing machine needles attached to the 3" x 5" cards.
I have some vintage packets of needles that belonged to my mom and my grandmother! The old packaging is beautiful. I adore the graphics. So I kept them, tucking them behind the sewing needles.
I kept the needle sizing chart, too, for future reference. I folded it and tucked it behind the vintage needle cards.
Finally I made extra 3" x 5" cards to hold future random needles, and some extra dividers. I tucked these along the side of the box.
Now. Just. Look. At. This. Object. Of. Organization. And. Beauty!
As a bonus, all the materials for this project were items I had on hand -- the box (from Christmas 5 years ago), the 3" x 5" cards, the pink cardstock from leftover from our wedding invitations (28 years ago!), the gold craft felt (from at least 35 years ago), the markers for making the labels, the tiny plastic bags, the staples, and of course, the needles. I did toss any bent, dull (more poked fingers), or rusty needles. So along with my great organization project, I also was able to whittle a little.
Win/win!
No.
Win/win/win/win/win/win/win/win ...
Many, many thanks to my daughter Jeanne who helped me with this project. We enjoyed playing in my Studio that day. When I was stuck for ideas, she helped me brainstorm ways we could make this project viable.
Sewing needle organization!
I had one of those tomato pincushions full of hand sewing needles. I'd go to it each time I needed to sew on a button or hem some pants or tack down a facing. But I was starting to go mildly insane each time I had to pick the proper needle for the job at hand. Over the decades - honestly decades, not years - this pincushion filled up with needles of all sizes.
 |
| Dramatization. Mine was much much much worse. I forgot to take a "before" picture. |
The smaller, more useful needles would sink all the way into the depths of the pincushion. Most of the needles that were left were longer, thicker needles that simply weren't right for the job. I even got to the point of simply buying new needles in the sizes I need more often. But the environmentalist in me had trouble with the idea of throwing away perfectly good needles. A little nuts, right? I mean ... they're only sewing needles!
So I found this sewing needle size chart online:
I took my pincushion and matched each needle up with the chart by type of needle and by size. I was even able to push those small needles buried deep in the pincushion back out into the light of day ... with only a few poked fingers. Honestly, my system is even more organized than the new batch of needles I bought because mine are sorted by numerical size; the new cards are not. They are only sorted visually. This makes my pea-pickin' heart so happy!
Rectangles of felt were stapled to 3" x 5" index cards. Each card was labeled by type and size of needle. Needles are easily held in place by the craft felt.
Machine needles also found a home. Since they are already packaged by size and type, I trimmed some tiny plastic bags in a way that I could stable the bag to the card, and the sewing machine needles slip upright into the bags. Sewing machine needles in their original packaging found a home behind the sewing machine needles attached to the 3" x 5" cards.
I have some vintage packets of needles that belonged to my mom and my grandmother! The old packaging is beautiful. I adore the graphics. So I kept them, tucking them behind the sewing needles.
I kept the needle sizing chart, too, for future reference. I folded it and tucked it behind the vintage needle cards.
Finally I made extra 3" x 5" cards to hold future random needles, and some extra dividers. I tucked these along the side of the box.
Now. Just. Look. At. This. Object. Of. Organization. And. Beauty!
As a bonus, all the materials for this project were items I had on hand -- the box (from Christmas 5 years ago), the 3" x 5" cards, the pink cardstock from leftover from our wedding invitations (28 years ago!), the gold craft felt (from at least 35 years ago), the markers for making the labels, the tiny plastic bags, the staples, and of course, the needles. I did toss any bent, dull (more poked fingers), or rusty needles. So along with my great organization project, I also was able to whittle a little.
Win/win!
No.
Win/win/win/win/win/win/win/win ...
Many, many thanks to my daughter Jeanne who helped me with this project. We enjoyed playing in my Studio that day. When I was stuck for ideas, she helped me brainstorm ways we could make this project viable.
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Black Ribbon Lady
Today I'm returning to my Ladies of the Evening series with the fifth lady of the year. My criteria for adding an evening bag to my collection has little to do with whether or not they are antique, vintage or modern. I don't collect by price, either, though I do love to rescue my ladies from thrift stores. I like to collect ladies that have unique shapes, interesting beaded patterns, or are covered in a pleasing fabric.
This soft clutch is modern and made with inexpensive materials. The body is 7-1/2 inches wide, 4-1/2 inches tall, and an inch deep at it's widest point.
The center front is embellished with a strip of cardboard covered in black acetate, which is then covered in four rows of sparkly rhinestones. They're cheap, but the catch the light beautifully.
The back of the clutch, like the front, is covered in ribbon. The acetate-covered strip continues from the front of the back to the back, but is plain.
What makes the lady so soft are the six rows of box pleats that cover the entire base. From a distance, they look like a ribbon that is folded and stitched into place. But I think the fabric is a shiny acetate, cut into strips, doubled, then box pleated before being stitched onto the base. The fabric is very soft with a satin texture.
My guess is that this evening bag was used at a prom. It feels like a young woman's choice that had one glorious night out on the town, then was tossed to the back of the closet. It shows a bit of wear and the metal could use some polishing. On the inside, it's clear that this evening bag once had a chain handle. It was removed and the purse was used as a simple clutch instead.
Another bit of wear and tear? The center front embellishment has torn loose from the metal frame. It's slightly frayed where it became detached. Because of this chink in the armor, I was able to study the purse construction, get a fairly good idea of what the fabric is, how much it frays, and how the fabric ribbons were sewn.
I don't think I'll be able to sew the rhinestone embellishment into place. Instead, I'll use some Fray Check on the top edge, then glue the sparkly strip back where it belongs.
Black Ribbon Lady is one of my thrift store rescues. I bought her for $6.99 at a Goodwill store.
Some people have hearts and homes big enough to rescue cats or dogs. Me? I rescue Ladies of the Evening.
This soft clutch is modern and made with inexpensive materials. The body is 7-1/2 inches wide, 4-1/2 inches tall, and an inch deep at it's widest point.
The center front is embellished with a strip of cardboard covered in black acetate, which is then covered in four rows of sparkly rhinestones. They're cheap, but the catch the light beautifully.
The back of the clutch, like the front, is covered in ribbon. The acetate-covered strip continues from the front of the back to the back, but is plain.
What makes the lady so soft are the six rows of box pleats that cover the entire base. From a distance, they look like a ribbon that is folded and stitched into place. But I think the fabric is a shiny acetate, cut into strips, doubled, then box pleated before being stitched onto the base. The fabric is very soft with a satin texture.
My guess is that this evening bag was used at a prom. It feels like a young woman's choice that had one glorious night out on the town, then was tossed to the back of the closet. It shows a bit of wear and the metal could use some polishing. On the inside, it's clear that this evening bag once had a chain handle. It was removed and the purse was used as a simple clutch instead.
Another bit of wear and tear? The center front embellishment has torn loose from the metal frame. It's slightly frayed where it became detached. Because of this chink in the armor, I was able to study the purse construction, get a fairly good idea of what the fabric is, how much it frays, and how the fabric ribbons were sewn.
I don't think I'll be able to sew the rhinestone embellishment into place. Instead, I'll use some Fray Check on the top edge, then glue the sparkly strip back where it belongs.
Black Ribbon Lady is one of my thrift store rescues. I bought her for $6.99 at a Goodwill store.
Some people have hearts and homes big enough to rescue cats or dogs. Me? I rescue Ladies of the Evening.
Friday, April 5, 2019
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Throwback Thursday - 2004 (Part 10)
I was a busy stitcher in August of 2004! My Year of the Small Project continued with five more bookmarks, a Halloween decoration, and a Thanksgiving piece. Here's my next edition of #throwbackthursday, working toward my 19 in 2019 goal.
Bug Off, Baby!
Autumn Cornucopia
Bug Off, Baby!
This Halloween design is by Lizzie*Kate, one of my favorite designers. I bought the chart from a local needlework shop, kitted up with the fabric and sampler threads along with the cute spider charm that hangs off the tip of the moon.
This was my first time stitching with sampler threads. They are a hand-dyed fiber with subtle color variations. For best effect, you complete each cross as you stitch, rather than stitching by rows. This way the color changes gradually in your piece.
The fabric is White Birch Heatherfield by Wichelt. It felt itchy, like wool. It's pretty, with in little flecks of color sprinkled throughout the fabric.
The smart-mouth words on the front of this pillow had me toying with ideas on how to make the back of the pillow funny, too. I found this spider pattern on the Quiltmaker website. I then searched my fabric scraps and found some fabric that is a purple base with white dots. Three strips sewn together made the base of the pillow back.
I made a black fabric yo-yo for the spider's body, a first for me. I stuffed the yo-yo with a little fiberfill to make the body fluffy. Then I used purple buttons for the eyes.
I transferred the pattern onto the base, then stitched the chain-stitch legs with 6 strands of DMC black floss. I wanted the spider web to shimmer, though, so I chose a Kreinik metallic very fine #04 braid (032). It's stitched with an outline stitch. I tacked the stuffed yo-yo onto the fabric base between the spider legs. The finished size of my pillow is approximately 7-1/2 inches square.
This is one of those fun projects that elicits a smile each time I pick it up. I display it every year in October.
I bought the chart and frame for this tiny pattern when I was on the Stitcher's Retreat back in the spring of 2001. It was on that retreat when I learned to stitch petit point from Ruth Sparrow of Twisted Threads. That's how this piece is stitched, with one strand of floss over one thread on 32ct linen. This image is actually quite a bit bigger than actual size.
Though most of the chart is done in cross-stitch, the grapes are stitched with a colonial knot. I altered the design a bit. The chart has a star in each corner which I wasn't fond of. So I moved the cornucopia to the bottom left corner, and added the words "Give Thanks."
In all these years, I'm fairly certain that this is the only petit point piece I've ever stitched. Even with good magnification, stitches that small are too hard on my eyes. I've kept this piece for myself and display it on our mantle every November.
Stylized Vine Bookmark
I designed this bookmark myself. It was inspired by a border I saw on a chart posted on an auction site. I liked the use of blues and purple in the inspiration piece. My vine is quite a bit more angular than the original.
This was a birthday gift for one of the ladies in my quilt group.
September - Aster Bookmark
This lovely bookmark is from a flowers-of-the-month chart. All of the patterns are very pretty and detailed. This one has four shades of pink and three shades of green. That's a lot of detail [and work] for a bookmark.
But it sure is pretty. I gave it to my daughter Julie whose birthday is in September
Butterfly Fantasy
I adapted this bookmark design from a book of borders. The original pattern had five butterflies, so I picked my four favorite butterflies and stitched them.
The chart called for black backstitching and butterfly bodies. I thought that was too stark, so I substituted DMC 3371. It's a brown/black color that looks a little softer.
This was a birthday gift for one of the ladies in my quilt group.
Pansy Bookmark
I found this lovely design as an online freebie on a website written in Portuguese.
September 2004 had me stitching a slightly larger design. It's another of my favorites that I kept for myself. I'll post it in my next #throwbackthursday post.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Monday, April 1, 2019
19 in 2019 - March Update
Marching along with this year's goals
.
.
Goal #8: Go on a Celebrate Your Life retreat
I reserved my room for the retreat in June/July.
Goal #12: Learn my Enneagram
In enneagram lingo, it turns out I'm Type 3 with a 2 wing. Some of the approach the enneagram takes rubs me the wrong way. But I watched a lot of videos and learned some things that I've already found helpful. My next step to make use of this personality typing is to discover some techniques that will help me alter one of my stubborn character flaws.
Goal #16: Use up my tea stash
I've continued having hot tea most mornings. The box of Peppermint tea has been used up. I've also used some stray bags, like Lipton's Orange Gardens, which smells wonderful. Bigelow's Cozy Chamomile is lovely in the evening. I've brewed some loose (not in teabags) English Berries & Cream Black Tea that my daughter gave me. It smells heavenly, but the flavor was bolder than teas I'm used to drinking.
Goal #17: Blog at least 25 weeks of #throwbackthursday posts of my 1997 - 2007 projects
I wrote three more posts in March, bringing my total to eleven thus far. I so enjoy revisiting these projects from long ago. This one brought a tear to my eye since my adopted grandmother is no longer alive.
Goal #18: Blog at least 10 of my Ladies of the Evening collection (mend as needed)
Goal #19: Finish one of my eight courses
I became discouraged with The Creative License by Danny Gregory, mainly because the print in the book is so so small that it impedes my learning. I may continue reading the book, but it will likely be a slow go. Also, I find that he has some annoying biases that bother me. He claims that drawing is the best art form for getting into the moment (flow), noticing the world around you in detail, and that keeping an art journal is the best way of recording what goes on in your life. I take issue with that point of view. I think it's a matter of personality and preferences. I believe it's what may be best for him and many other visual artists. But I find photography, especially macro photography, and then blogging give me the exact same benefits. It could be he's not the right teacher at the right time for me.
Anyway, I've found that learning to draw through reading isn't the most effective method for me to acquire this skill. So I switched gears and have begun drawing cartoon characters from tutorials I found online. I get a lot of pleasure from this.
Alternate Goal: Watch 50 movies/shows from my Netflix/Amazon queues
I watched ten movies/series in March, bringing my total to seventeen:
8. Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened
.
.
Goal #8: Go on a Celebrate Your Life retreat
I reserved my room for the retreat in June/July.
In enneagram lingo, it turns out I'm Type 3 with a 2 wing. Some of the approach the enneagram takes rubs me the wrong way. But I watched a lot of videos and learned some things that I've already found helpful. My next step to make use of this personality typing is to discover some techniques that will help me alter one of my stubborn character flaws.
Goal #16: Use up my tea stash
I've continued having hot tea most mornings. The box of Peppermint tea has been used up. I've also used some stray bags, like Lipton's Orange Gardens, which smells wonderful. Bigelow's Cozy Chamomile is lovely in the evening. I've brewed some loose (not in teabags) English Berries & Cream Black Tea that my daughter gave me. It smells heavenly, but the flavor was bolder than teas I'm used to drinking.
I wrote three more posts in March, bringing my total to eleven thus far. I so enjoy revisiting these projects from long ago. This one brought a tear to my eye since my adopted grandmother is no longer alive.
I managed to take photos of four more of my Ladies. I plan to edit the photos and blog about some in April.
I became discouraged with The Creative License by Danny Gregory, mainly because the print in the book is so so small that it impedes my learning. I may continue reading the book, but it will likely be a slow go. Also, I find that he has some annoying biases that bother me. He claims that drawing is the best art form for getting into the moment (flow), noticing the world around you in detail, and that keeping an art journal is the best way of recording what goes on in your life. I take issue with that point of view. I think it's a matter of personality and preferences. I believe it's what may be best for him and many other visual artists. But I find photography, especially macro photography, and then blogging give me the exact same benefits. It could be he's not the right teacher at the right time for me.
Anyway, I've found that learning to draw through reading isn't the most effective method for me to acquire this skill. So I switched gears and have begun drawing cartoon characters from tutorials I found online. I get a lot of pleasure from this.
I watched ten movies/series in March, bringing my total to seventeen:
8. Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened
9. Dumplin'
10. Call Me By My Name
11. Mozart in the Jungle (series)
12. The Leisure Seeker
13. Tidying Up with Marie Kondo (series)
14. Blue Jasmine
15. Kominsky Method (series)
16. Blue is the Warmest Color
17. To All the Boys I Loved Before
11. Mozart in the Jungle (series)
12. The Leisure Seeker
13. Tidying Up with Marie Kondo (series)
14. Blue Jasmine
15. Kominsky Method (series)
16. Blue is the Warmest Color
17. To All the Boys I Loved Before
 |
| This was my favorite this month |
Alternate Goal: Photo Editing and Organization
I started renaming files into a standard convention, sorting some images by theme, and editing old holiday photos. This is one of my favorite finds this month. It's a photo of Dale and me that was taken last July at my mother-in-law's 80th birthday party.
I started renaming files into a standard convention, sorting some images by theme, and editing old holiday photos. This is one of my favorite finds this month. It's a photo of Dale and me that was taken last July at my mother-in-law's 80th birthday party.
I've continued my quest to Whittle a Little. This month I discarded or found new homes for over 30 items. I took two boxes of donations to a thrift store. I've made a point of using my "good" art supplies instead of holding onto them for "important" projects. I found places to recycle 16 Styrofoam mini coolers and over 30 blue ice packets. I've also enjoyed the aroma from burning a couple more candles.
Final count:
* I've completed five goals
* I have 7 of my stated goals in progress
* I have a good start on 3 of my alternate goals
Final count:
* I've completed five goals
* I have 7 of my stated goals in progress
* I have a good start on 3 of my alternate goals
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