Saturday, March 29, 2014

a week chock full of stuff...

I can always tell how much I've accomplished during the week by the mess in my craft's room. It is piled high right now with things I've pulled out and used during the week. Need to do some decluttering today before I do anything else.

click on the images for close-ups.

I was gifted some beautiful lace from my knitting teacher. One piece is more gorgeous than the next and that round doily up front has some turtle lace worked into the piece. You might remember that I bought some turtle lace on ebay awhile back. 

crocheted, tatted, hand and machine made...all so beautiful

I have already used one piece of lace on this piece I'm putting together with scraps from here and there and some pattern paper backed with interfacing.

it started out this way

grew into this with more scraps and hand stitching added

and now with a piece of lace. there is a compass penciled in but not yet stitched.

I led my quilting friends through Katie Davies' button tutorial on Thursday at quilt bee. I think they all enjoyed it as they immediately started making a second one after the first was finished. It really is fun and easy and there's always use for a fancy button.

some of the buttons made at quilt bee

I've started another knitting project that is a real challenge since the needles are a size 0000. The needles are so small that I'm able to use tiny beads as stitch holders on the ends. I do like the way it's turning out. It will be a pin ball when finished. They were made for friends way back when....

knitting a pin ball on size 0000 needles

and some more Line Drawing taught by Lisa Congdon over on creativebug.com. I started out with an old picture of Lena and Esther. Lena was my grandmother's best friend and Esther was Lena's daughter. This picture is probably from the 1930s. I printed off a copy of the picture and worked on the background with a black micron pen. I love the way it turned out. I'll definitely be doing more of these.

Lena and Esther

line drawing on the background

Well, there's also some crochet work and some pillow making in Karen Ruane's class Pillows and Pages, but I'll save that for next time.

The trees have all been trimmed and the gardening has started. We've moved into days of 70 - 90F degree temperatures with very little rain. It seems like Spring is passing us by and we're going right into Summer.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

17 comments:

Rachel said...

It was indeed a productive week, and in such a variety of projects!

Nancy said...

The pin ball is really so very fine :)

liniecat said...

Gosh those needles are miniature/dolls house knitting sizes..........but the pin ball is a lovely idea!
Love the way you've embellished the photo, what smashing dresses they wore for it. Wonder what colours they might have been?

karen said...

your addition to the photograph is stunning, inspired. It makes for a perfect background. I am amazed at how fine your needles are for the knitting.....I know you will be taking breaks so as not to strain your eyes....I can't imagine how delicate the finished piece will be.

Jeannie said...

What a wonderful week you had! The lace is gorgeous! I love what you did with the photo. I have been a huge fan of Lisa's for years. I think her blog was one of the first I started reading. I love what you are doing with the pattern and stitch. I made a little thimble holder bag that was beaded using those needles - time comsuming, but so beautiful. I thought of you today. Our library hosted a Renaissance and Medieval craft fair. There was wire weaving, card weaving, embroidery, gold leafing, nalbinding (knitting) and much more. I was fascinated. Have a wonderful week!

Ms. said...

truly 'coice' lace...and interesting projects too. I am especially drawn to the enhanced photograph. Your headed for summer and we are still cold raining. Spring will be in May here.

margaret said...

you have been busy this week, those little buttons are so pretty, knitting looks interesting, I have a friend who is knitting on tiny needles for her dolls house she is refurbishing says it grows so very slowly.

Jane said...

I really love how your stitched piece is developing, it really makes you want to touch it and see all that's going on. I've never heard of a pin ball before, can't wait to see yours

susan hemann said...

Such beautiful lace! I have a large collection of antique lace. It is so important to remember the work women did, a thread history. I took the drawing class also. It was a lot of fun. Thank you for telling me about it last week.We are buried under a foot of snow in Cleveland. My studio is a disaster and I haven't made anything all week! Your work is so lovely. You are fortunate to have stitching
friends. Have a great week!

Mosaic Magpie said...

What a wonderful fun filled week you have had. Such a lovely gift of all the crocheted pieces. The link to the buttons looks like fun. The pin ball....what size do the end up being? Thanks for all the links!

silk said...

Deanna, I love your "Scraps from Here and There" piece. Such a wonderful accumulation of disparate items that you are bringing together. The piece has such an out-of-the-box feel to it (both as in gathering stuff out of a box and the composition goes beyond traditional boundaries). And those buttons are addictive aren't they? You reminded me that I actually have a copy of Kate Davies book. I really like the height dimension that can be achieved by her method.

Have a great week. I'll look forward to your next post. Your weeks are always so full.

Anonymous said...

Your photo almost certainly dates from the 1920's. It still features the dropped waist on the dresses.

eva a(r)t work said...

Hi Deanna,
wow, those temperatures are amazing for this time of the year, aren't they?
I love the piece you started from fabric scraps. Very interesting start. I'm not much of a knitter These days...I was as a student. You could say, I knitted my way through university.
I like the lace!What a treasure!
Have a great day, eva

Peggy said...

A wonderful week you've had, Deanna. I love everything here, especially the pin ball knitting which is exquisite and the line drawing which is so cool! :)

Anonymous said...

I love the background drawing of the old photo- it gives it such a cool twist! I could've used a pin ball while working with the kids, I ended up using my sleeve for pins and needles.

Stitching Lady said...

I was now on your very interesting post. I would like to sit at your table with all those laces and tatted and crocheted beauties. The line drawing...... must read it again - I love the old photo - it could also be the twenties.

Jillayne said...

lol - I'm just the opposite Deanna - the less time I have in my sewing room the messier it gets! seems I just drop things and run and lately I've had little time in there and it's loaded to the gunnels again!
I love what you are doing with your line drawing, and it's really interesting to see how you pull from one technique into another, creating and combining them in such wonderful ways. The work you did on the photograph is fabulous...

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