Saturday, January 12, 2013

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.

17 comments:

Els said...

Ha Deanna "you're up to a lot of good" (ha, variation on Harry Potter)
Interested in what Karen's new class will bring .... have fun !

Lynn Holland said...

Loving what you are doing on Alchemy Deanna. Isn't it good fun
Lynn

Jeannie said...

This post just made my day a little sunnier. Looking through old photos and handwork are favorite pastimes of mine. (In fact, the scanner is packed for the trip west tomorrow.) I love what plans you have made to start the new year. Have fun!

blandina said...

I love what you did with the silk hankies, it seems that it is time for experimentation for both of us: a very good way to start the year!

Rachel said...

That pale coffee colour for lace and embroidery against a cream fabric seems to have been very popular at one time - I have some family pieces which are very similar.

Saskia said...

just seeing you being busy, makes me feel happier

SUSAN HEMANN said...

I bought a drop spindle and have yet to spin. Not sure how to begin.

deanna7trees said...

Susan...craftsy.com has a great spindling class to learn how to use the drop spindle. it's Spindling from fluff to Stuff with Drucilla Pettibone. you work on your own time and the videos are available to you forever. there's also a forum where you can ask questions of the instructor. if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me.

ali said...

great fun--and lovely fun, too!

Nancy said...

Deanna~ Love the beautiful, delicate history cloths...and finding old photos with story included! What a treat :)
The drop-spindled cloth is fantastic! Nice to see all of your fun activities!

Nat Palaskas said...

Lots of inspirations here in your post. It took me to Karen Ruans and her Alchemy workshop. I do have some silk hankies I brought back from Japan, but they are still safely in the bag. I got myself a drop spindle at the weekend. A kind lady at the spinning and weaving guild showed me how to do it so i bought a beginner drop spindle from the shop there. Can't wait to try it - Hugs Nat

Anonymous said...

the photos are fun, and look to be part of something rich. I've got a couple of silk hankies for spinning, but my hands are too cracked & snag them. Look forward to seeing your creations from the new class.

Anonymous said...

Some fabulous ideas. I've always wondered what to do with silk hankies... :o)

Mo Crow said...

love what you are up to with the silk hankie layering and gathering for the alchemy class, thank you for sharing!

karen said...

and now you have me fascinated by fringes!!!

Montse Llamas said...

What a delicate textile! Looks like it is about to disintegrate.
Hugs.

Anita said...

Looking forward to see your progress and experiments in Karen's class this year.Lovely doily and the fringes! It's always fun to look at old family photos...

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