I've gone over the deep end.....

don't really know how this happened but once I got started, I just had to continue until it was 'finished'... I started out with a print of an optical illusion and it took off from there... the finished piece measures 9"x12".

click on the images...

I cut out a triangle...added a zipper, some bullion knots, french knots and some snippet cloth in the background.

cut out sections and backed with cloth and embroidery

more french knots all around to enhance the circular motion. bordered with a silver shiny fabric and some gimp.

a fun experiment with paper and stitch

This was the final piece created in Karen Ruane's class....Doodle, gather, create....so much fun.

....and now I must finish my Downton Abbey coat. All the pieces are complete and I steam blocked the collar so I could do the scrollwork but it will need to be wet blocked when that's completed.

collar steam blocked....it's huge as the front of the coat is a deep v-neck.

scroll work completed on one side. determined to finish the collar today.

....and there's a new 'toy' to play with. I've been thinking of buying one of these kick spindles and one of my lace friends was selling hers. I tried it out and I love it. It's much easier to use than my drop spindle so hopefully I'll be spinning a bit more in the days to come.

Little Meggie kick spindle

Here's a link to the Woolery website where there's a video showing how it works for those of you interested...click HERE

Stay warm and have a good week.

it's a wild one....

I had some bulky yarn that I had found at a thrift store quite a while ago. I really wanted to do something with it so I decided to knit another one of those Multi-directional scarves. I knew it would be kind of wild considering the colors I had.....but I do love it. I added some crocheted flowers on one end. It's very warm and cozy. This one is for me.

click on the images...

Before....

and After....

wishing for a cold day so I can wear it...

Karen Ruane's Doodle class continues to be lots of fun. Wish you could see what inspiring work is being done there but I can show you my work...

beginning second piece

acrylic paper, hand dyed fabric, shell beads, hand dyed perle cotton, stencil, ink pen

I've started a third paper project. Will show you that next time.
Hope all of you who are having snow and extremely cold weather are staying safe and warm.
See you next time.

mostly about paper this week....

Having so much fun in Karen Ruane's class that started this week, Doodle, gather, create. It's not too late to sign up. Great instructional videos that you have access to forever and a wonderful group of students who share and inspire each other on a dedicated Flickr group.Read about the class HERE. Here are some pictures of what I've created so far...

click on the images...

started out with some pen and ink doodling over a pattern printed on paper from fabric

building on the base with another layer

another layer with fabric and embroidery stitched onto mulberry paper

adding more pen and ink and embroidery

getting a peek through the openings to the different layers below

I didn't want this piece that you've seen before to be forgotten so I did some planning for the next section...a sun setting over a bridge.

hope to do some embroidery on this piece tonight

I did try painting with those huge brushes I showed you last week but the onion dye bath was not strong enough to give any color. I will have to buy some proper ink.

I read a very interesting book that I'd like to recommend. It has recently been made into a Broadway play and gives great insight into the mind of a special needs child.....The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. You can read about it HERE.

We had our first freeze last night and the temperature went down to 25 degrees (F). It will warm back up in a few days but it looks like winter is here.

Wishing you all a great weekend and a productive week.

stars and pockets and phases of the moon...

I've made some progress on the crazy hanky patchwork block. There is now an area with stars and phases of the moon created by coloring in parts of the circles with a black inktense pencil.

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phases of the moon

the stars are out and the grass has grown

There is a little pocket created by an open edge of  an embroidered cloth bit and i decided to hide a couple of stars inside. A friend reminded me of the song from long ago....CATCH A FALLING STAR....and it follows with...AND PUT IT IN YOUR POCKET.  so appropriate here and I used to sing that song all the time. I know I'm dating myself here. A wonderful song....it's HERE.

created 2 stars with sparkly beads all along the edge

Hope to finally use these brushes this week using a left over onion skin dye bath. I figure if I tell you about it here, it will force me to do it. I've been wanting to for a long time.

hand made in Asia for Chinese Calligraphy

...and this is on the way to the birthday girl. I do love it and may have to make one for myself.

made with Noro Silk Garden Lite yarn

Have a great weekend.

the first cold morning....

It was 48 degrees (F) this morning and i couldn't resist....i turned up the heat just to take the chill out of the air....and to make sure it is in working order. The cold front came in right after Halloween which was celebrated here in the US last night. I'm not much of a holiday person but I heard this one thing that I'd thought I'd share with you....
....a little girl was asked what she was going to dress up as for Halloween. she said, "I'm going to dress up as a lion that looks like a giraffe."  isn't that wonderful. what an imagination.

I finished up that Noro scarf I showed you last week and am now trying to finish up the Downton Abbey coat since it will soon be cold enough to wear it. I'm working on the last piece which is the collar and then I can start putting it all together. I can't wait to finish so I can start on some other knitting projects that are waiting in the wings...

click on the images....

the collar for the Downton Abbey coat

I did a bit more stitching on the crazy hanky patchwork piece that will become a pillow. I cut out some circles from a  linen embroidered doily but didn't want to waste the scrap left so I did some free motion stitching in the spaces and will add some stitching embellishment so it can be used on the back of the pillow.

the left over of a linen doily

added scrim and hanky scraps with free motion embroidery

a flower garden created on one corner of the crazy hanky patch

....and finally, I've decided to create a dress out of this top I've had for years but hardly ever wear. I removed the bottom ruffle of a black and white skirt that I do not wear and will add it to the top and it will be the perfect length for an easy slip on dress. The symbol on the dress is for the word OM which is used in meditation to create a vibrational frequency of harmony in the body. You can read about that here.

the top with the OM symbol

ruffle taken off of the bottom of a skirt.

Hope you all have a great week.