been doing this and that....

The front and back of a pouch made with a gifted fat quarter and some of my hand dyed cloth.

click on the images for close-ups.

a bit of gifted lace stitched on after crocheting an edge

some woven thread cards for a page in a family album being worked on in Karen Ruane's Alchemy class

...and a new Knitting and Crochet book has me testing out some samples.

I read about this Korean paper making technique called Joomchi so I thought I'd give it a try....just experimenting right now. Don't know very much about it. Google Joomchi, if you're interested in seeing some beautiful work.

layers of paper...lots of possibilities

We had some wonderful rain this week...almost 6" so the garden is looking good.
Until next time....be creative and enjoy.

A Science Experiment is finished....

not really. That's just the name of the piece. It started out with pattern paper and bits of eco-dyed fabric and some scraps from a cut up quilt. Not much to tell about it. It just developed and I guess there are lots of stories that can be told after looking at it for a while, but I'll leave the story telling to you. I know you will all see something different within.

click on the images for close-ups.

the center section was framed with a blanket stitch and then a single crochet

hand stitching done on the pattern paper and the fabric within

the hexagon cloth at the base was dyed with a rusty grid and then over stitched and some steampunk elements were added

a spiral of french knots leading down to the bottom

the piece was stretched and hand stitched over mounting board and an old curtain that was dyed with onion skins was hem stitched on for the backing.

the back of  ' A Science Experiment'

The Downton Abbey coat is moving along. I'm working on both sleeves at once and then it will just be the collar and the tab for the back. I was reading the instructions today and the finishing doesn't sound too easy. It's going to be difficult to block such a big piece. I've never done that before. I am anxious to get it finished.

We had a good amount of rain early this week and the garden just loves it. Radishes and Lettuce were picked from the garden this evening for my salad. We are back into a dry spell but hoping the rain decides to visit again soon.

You might not see me online as much. I'm trying to scale back sitting at the computer. I'll still be visiting blogs but it might not be as often. I do love seeing what you all are doing and I have to keep up with all of my online classes.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

some more knitting...

I finished up a bag I've been knitting on and off for over a year. I thought it would shrink more when felted but since it didn't, I cut off a section and made a little bag as well. They are both lined with a soft pink flannel and have an i-cord handle. I did put a cording within the i-cord so that the handle would not stretch. That little bag might wind up in a giveaway sometime soon.

click on the images for close-ups.

I've done a bit more work on the leaf scarf. I'm so anxious to get to the berry color in the variegation...maybe another leaf or two...

I finished up a small bobbin lace piece that didn't turn out great and I haven't yet decided how I'll finish it up....maybe a pin cushion.

the gray thread is a silk and stainless steel that's nice to lace with but not easy to stitch with needle and thread.

Karen Ruane has started up the Alchemy class again so I'm back to finishing my family memory album. I'm working on a page of my mom. The picture is of my mom modeling a bathrobe from the time she worked for Matsil Bros. (a bathrobe company) in NYC in the 1930s. I did some line marking on the image...something I learned from Lisa Congdon on Creativebug.com.

some line markings on an old image of my mom

Wishing all the moms out there a Happy Mother's Day. Hope it's a great weekend.

finishing up things...

I'm getting better at finishing up projects and not putting them aside when I start something new. I did finish up this travel sewing pillow that has a place for all the tools and the project I'm working on.

click on the images for close-ups...

the front and back of the travel sewing pillow

the silk ribbons on the left hold thread cards and the wool stitched onto the pocket holds pins and needles. there is a little scissors case within the pocket and it's big enough to hold a small project.

Here are the results of the dyeing I talked about last time on the linen/silk cloth.

rose leaves, lots of frozen flowers, turmeric, steel wool bits over a copper pipe

the yellow from the turmeric is quite strong in spots

if you click on the image, you can see the beautiful weave of the cloth

...and I managed to do another bundle this week...

rose leaves, eucalyptus leaves, curry, turmeric, copper pipe and wire, steel wool

in a eucalyptus bath

results on habotai silk

I've also started a sweet potato to put in a hanging basket. It took this one a long time to get started but it already has some leaves since I took this picture.

Update on the Downton Abbey coat...the left side is finished on schedule, however, I realized that I did something wrong when knitting the right side, so I have to undo some of it to make it right...not a whole lot, so it shouldn't take long and then I can start on the sleeves.

The weather has been beautiful this week....very cool mornings and afternoons in the 70s...my kind of weather.

Have a great weekend.