a little bit of everything...

i managed to put some more scraps together for another coil wrapped basket. hope to stitch it up today.
click on the images for close-ups.

a real variety of color

my focus has still been on the journaling  class with Karen Ruane. here's another glimpse of pages i'm working on.

that's mom and dad in 1939. i gathered bits and pieces of lace and put them between water soluble stabilizer and did some stitching to hold them together before washing out the stabilizer. and that's mom in the bottom picture. she loved to sing opera.

while looking for something yesterday, and being frustrated because i couldn't find it, i decided to clean out the closet. so lots of things for goodwill this week. and the thing i was looking for wound up being in another room, but it's got me started. today another room will be cleaned out and i know there will be lots more for goodwill.

filling up bags and boxes for goodwill

hope you've had a good weekend.

Gathering...

i'm still going through my accumulation of things through the years...and there are dolls...so far these...

all made at different times for different reasons

i must decide what to do with them. i'm determined to do something or they will have to go to someone who will... i'm sure there are more around that have not yet been unearthed.

haven't done much this week other than work on my journal in Karen Ruane's Alchemy class. each one of us has chosen a different theme so i'm learning so much as each person gathers and posts info that will find a place in their journal. my theme is Family so i've been going through old albums and letters and papers that i've accumulated through the years. here's just a clipped view of what i've been working on so far.

my dad and my grandmother have been the focus so far

wishing you all a good week. stay warm and stay safe.

having fun...

the days seem to be flying by at record speed these days. funny how time flows in accord with our state of mind. doing lots of experimenting...as usual.

i'm playing with some spun silk hankies. they are so delicate and fragile. i needle felted a couple to a piece of felt, layered it with bits and pieces of lace, embroidery, etc. and did some free motion stitching. now for some hand embellishing...

click on the images for a close-up view.

delicate spun silk hanky

layering, stitching and then some hand embellishment

Jude talked about fringe---one of my favorite topics---over in Diaries so i did some experimenting with my drop spindle. i could become addicted to creating fringe.

the cloth was ripped so it has created lots of texture (more fringe) on the edges

and Karen Ruane's Alchemy class started on Monday so there's lots of gathering and collecting of materials and ideas to include in my journal. we were to select a theme and mine is 'family' so i've been going through old pictures, handwork, etc. i'm finding things i forgot that i had and am enjoying the process. here are just a couple of pics showing some of my gatherings...

family photos and an old pattern book

looking through old family handmade items for design motifs to paint, sketch, stitch. and found this photo that i had forgotten all about. my dad took the picture in 1947 and wrote a letter on the front and back to his sister who was living in Israel. hard to believe how much info he included there...lots of family gossip. it measures about 2 1/2" square. my aunt gave it to me when she visited in the 1980s.

hope you're all having a good weekend.