a new embroidered pouch

and this one is for me. i showed you sections of it in my last post. it's what i've been working on in Karen Ruane's lace class. i finished it today and i'm real pleased with the way it turned out. i filled it with small pieces of white cotton that i always pull out for embroidery and sampling. click on the images for close-ups.

the front is complete

joined to the back with a double ruffle at the bottom

the inside is lined with white cotton lawn and trimmed with lace

the back is a weaving i did in one of Jude Hill's early classes

filled with white cloth and added ties as a closure

Karen Ruane has listed a new class, Simply Stitch, that starts on June 17th. check it out here.


i also did some dyeing this week. a quilting friend had given me 2 pieces of a beautiful silk damask that were part of a blouse. it was a cream color and it dyed beautifully just using oak leaves and  tin cans.

the leaf under the string made the best marking

i'm pleased with the markings on the cloth. this one might get some lace work on it.

i've been spending some time in the garden this week. things are growing quickly since we had some rain this week. the rain water is very magical. i opened my front door the other day and standing right there, not 12" from me was this baby blue jay. he did not move...just stood there while i took his picture and walked around and went back into the house. i opened the door a bit later to check on him but he was gone. will need to sketch this one.

it was 95 degrees today. hope it's cooler where you are. have a great weekend.

lots of experimenting...

i'm enjoying using the basket i showed you last time to hold bits and pieces of experiments and things i'm working on.

 Karen Ruane's lace class started this week so that is what most of the experimenting and stitching is about right now.  you can see what others in the class are working on over here.

lots more embroidery to be done on this lace piece

a ruffle with a hint of pink

a cross stitched heart hidden beneath

i'm always working on more than one thing at a time so i did spend a bit of evening time with crocheting the edge of an embroidered cloth...

and knitting some more on the felted bag.

on the second ball of yarn...2 more to go

i finally got out into the garden this week and planted mostly flowers but did plant some radishes and lemon cucumbers. never planted the lemon cucumbers before but that's all i could find in the garden center. it's a bit later than usual so i didn't want to do the seeds. another experiment. we had a thunder shower this morning and more promised for this afternoon. saves me from going out and watering the garden.

haven't been getting to as many of your blogs as i usually do and i'm sorry about that. there just aren't enough hours in the day. hope to catch up sometime soon. wishing you all a good weekend.

a vintage basket

my grandma taught me to embroider when i was very young. she always had this basket around with embroidery threads, needles and pins. at some point, she gifted it to me so i've had it for about 65 years. i'm not sure how long she had it and until a couple of days ago, i didn't realize that it was probably gifted to her filled with chocolates. on the back of the basket, it says 'Barricini' which is a very well known chocolate company in NY. it measure 9" x 5" x 3"... a perfect size to carry around small projects i'm working on. it's kind of scratchy on the inside so i decided to decorate it with some of the pieces i made in Karen Ruane's class.

 CLICK ON THE IMAGES FOR CLOSE UPS

grandma's basket measures 9"x5"x3"

Barricini label on back

decorated with lace and embroidered cloth. silk ties added to hold things in place.

pink velvet ribbon around the bottom edge trimmed with stitch

i took advantage of  the holes created from all the circles i cut out from the toile fabric for the funky puffs i showed you last week. you can see them here if you missed that post.

some cross-stitching within the toile that will be part of a new cloth started.

not much else to show right now. wishing you some wonderful days this week. we have had the past 2 days start out in the 40s which is unheard of in May in these parts. we'll be in the 90s in no time which is a bit too hot for my liking but that's the way it is.

funky puffs, toile and some interesting videos

i've always loved toile fabric. i found some pink, cotton toile this week and used it in making some puffs...taught by Karen Ruane. i did soak some of the pink toile in a bleach bath for a while to lighten it up a bit.   CLICK ON THE IMAGES FOR CLOSE-UPS.

the theme of this toile was children's nursery rhymes

not much else going on this week as far as stitching. i've been watching some TED videos while stitching these puffs and thought i'd share some of them with you. i learn so much from some of these videos and they also expand my way of thinking and seeing things. these 3 are all very short. hope you enjoy them.

on the first video, David Pogue talks about some real cool short cuts you can use on your computer, smartphone, and camera. it's just 5 minutes long and you can find it here.

the second video talks about the power of the written word and spoken language. it is about 3 minutes long and is here.

and finally, the third one drew me in with the question..."what color is a mirror?". Michael Stevens spends his day asking quirky questions. the video is about 7 minutes long and is here.

wishing you all a week of creative thought and activity.

all about white...

in organization mode here but only with things white...i've always loved white and have lots of bits and pieces of things that needed some organization and deconstructing. in the past couple of years i have been very influenced by Karen Ruane's stitching. she works almost exclusively in white. she posted a ruffle/flounce yesterday...you can see it here...that sent me rummaging through my stash. i found one that is from an old wedding dress gifted to me by a friend. it was not in great condition and needed some mending. i think i will be able to use it for what i have planned.

click on the images for close-ups.

white trim

white cloth and old garments that need deconstructing

mending a white ruffle...will add some tatting to the band

 i also did some crocheting in white over some lace made with cheesecloth and free motion embroidery.

the crochet was done on a white cording that was incorporated into the lace

and finally...even my bobbin lace is being done in white as i hope to include it in a white cloth and lace piece sometime in the future. bobbin lace is a very slow craft for me as i usually only work on it when i am in lace class on Tuesdays.

bobbin lace in white 30 weight cotton thread

our weather here in Austin, TX has been unusual for this time of year but very pleasant. we have even gotten some rain which is desperately needed. the flowers are blooming and there is green everywhere. there was a very interesting segment on CBS Sunday Morning today called 'Flower Power'. it's only 6 minutes long and i think you will find it interesting. even flowers have the sense of sight and touch. the video is here.  have a good week and stay safe.

spinning in many directions...

you might remember the wool i was unraveling back here in February. well, i've finally started spinning it. my goal is to spin one ball every night so that i can ply it and actually make something with it. it felt good to be spinning again.
click on the images for a close-up view.

have no idea how much i'll wind up with after plying

still working with white over at Judes What If Workshop so i played a bit with a white cotton rag that Home Depot sells in small bundles. loved making the eyelets. i now want to make eyelets in every piece of fabric i pick up. after manipulation, the cloth wound up to be a diamond shape and just hangs on my design wall.

stitched false seams on front and back with lace and cording

love the cording extensions

and still doing embroidery with lace in continuation of my Alchemy Journal. this piece will be a header for a page with old memories. i had lots of trouble photographing this as it is see through and the layers of ribbon have a metallic quality.

cross stitch, free motion embroidery, hand embroidery

this piece measures 8½" x 3½"

the weather is getting warmer each day so summer is on its way. we never have much of a spring but we do have mild winters. i have to get out there and do some planting but i can't seem to pull myself away from all my indoor projects. wishing you all a productive week.

finally got back here...

i've been busy these past 2 weeks but didn't have much to show you. we are playing with 'white' over at Jude's What If forum so i did some experimenting. click on images for a better view.

with a prism...

playing with the light coming through the kitchen window

love the curved rainbow up above

turned a dyed piece into black and white and printed it on cotton cloth...

cut out the center and added some white lace. planned on stitching on this but the cotton was too tough for the needle so i gave up on that.

 here is the actual dyed piece that will become the top part of a hassock/stool i am covering.

not too much stitching ...maybe just a little bit more needed around the center circle.

and there has been some knitting happening as well.

a pinwheel purse with some sewing equipment within to carry for emergencies. i made 8 of these for my quilting friends.

the pinwheel purse opens up origami style and the pattern is here on Ravelry, if you want to try it.

and i also started knitting a purse that will be felted when finished...

this yarn is a wonderfully soft wool

i was thinking this week how lucky i am to be doing exactly what i love doing every day. it took some planning through the years to get here but it was so well worth some of the struggles. wishing the same for all of you.

mostly white this week...

Jude has been Whispering White in her latest What If workshop and that fit right in with the lace work i'm doing in Karen Ruane's Alchemy class. so not too many words just a few pics.
click on the images for close-ups.

cheese cloth, cording and free motion embroidery

a piece of lace, cheese cloth and free motion embroidery

 some more white on white work.

a new cell phone case from a thrift store table runner

the drought we've been having for the past 2 years is showing itself lately with limbs and trees just breaking off and falling to the ground. it's taking me lots of time to trim this up so i can put it out for recycling. hope this is it for awhile.

this youpon just broke in half. hope the rest of the tree survives and puts out new shoots.

more next time. have a great week.

just a bit of stitching this week...

trying to finish up this and that to eliminate some of the clutter in every room.
this will be the last pouch with bobbin lace for a while. it's a small one lined in silk. it just needs a closure...maybe a bead or a button...and then it will be gifted.

embellished with bobbin lace...measures 5" x 5½"

lined in pure silk

getting toward the end of Karen Ruane's Alchemy class and my ledger isn't anywhere near finished. i'm determined to continue working on it to completion. i did a piece of embroidery this week that i thought would be included but it's turning out to be a piece that will stand on its own...i think.

the embroidery is finished but it will sit within an embellished piece of acrylic paper that will be hole punched and stitched.  embroidered section measures about 7" x 8".

we've been having temperatures ranging from the 40s in the morning to the mid 80s in the afternoon and it's only March. looks like it will be another one of those very hot summers with very little rain. need to get all those seeds planted. have a good week.

the piano is finished...

now to create a setting for it in my journal....
click on the images for a close-up view.

a stitching done based on an abstract drawing i did many years ago

 my bobbin lace pear with a weaving now has a place on another pouch.

stitched on brown velveteen

and a cotton lining

stitching on watercolor paper...

3 shades of pink floche thread

and a great find at the thrift store. it had several stains but i've been able to get all but one out. will have to work a bit harder on that last one. this will make a great light throw. it measures 52" x 64".

we've had some rain here for the past couple of days and spring is on its way. i'm anxious to plant some seeds and flowers.