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.

the Bug pillow is finished...

It now has woven doors and the helicopter has a pilot. I'm terrible at drawing so the pilot you see is the best I could do. He kind of looks like Ken Burns, the producer of all those great PBS documentaries. I finished the pillow with red and black fabric and some thick piping. it measures 18"x18". Can you tell why the Bug is being chased?

click on the images for close-ups.

woven doors

the pilot

chased by a helicopter

pillow back

The only other project I worked on this week was this:

a crocheted band with beads to hold my lace bobbins in place

I did buy some new things to play with...

little rollers that make stitch like marks on paper and some marking pens for dark fabrics

and some new paper to play with. anxious to try that mulberry ribbon paper.

The paper was purchased here:   Etsy Shop---Saaper

Hope you are all having a good weekend.

a nice thrift store find...

I stopped in at the thrift store this afternoon and so glad I did. I found this lovely example of Chikan Embroidery in this blouse that looks brand new. It was only $2 and it actually fits.  I really bought it just for all the stitching that I could see close up since I'm taking a class with Anita of artistic fingers. More about that at the end of this past post. And for those of you who were interested, here are some good examples of what the stitching looks like front and back.

Chikan Embroidery---blouse front

Chikan Embroidery---back of stitches

And, of course, the experimenting continues in Karen's class:

making lace on the machine...I started blanket stitching over it for a different effect.

stitching layers

needle weaving on a small stitched sample

I started planting seeds this past weekend and really wanted to plant purple carrots for eco dyeing. Jeannie was so kind to send me some seeds and also some of her beautifully dyed indigo cloth and embroidery thread. Can't wait to dive into that pile. Thanks Jeannie.

goodies from Jeannie