What I have been doing the last couple weeks.

So, what have I been doing? Well, just before Valentines weekend I dyed some lace and vintage textiles found at one (or a couple) of the many local thrift stores. I was in a green mood so inspired by one of my fellow LillStreet monitors I mixed up an immersion bath of a sort of chartreuse color. I like how the color came out.



Then for Valentines weekend my husband and I got away for a romantic weekend in Saugatuck, Michigan. There is a lovely antique mall just outside of Saugatuck in Douglas, and of course I just had to stop by. I went a little bit nuts. It was a vintage-textile-and-textile-supply-palooza! They have these nice people who wander through the mall who's only goal is to help you or run your stuff up to the front to be put in a numbered cubby (this place is huge - it takes at least an hour to walk through it if you are hurrying). Needless to say you don't realize how much you have actually collected till you get up to the front...lol. Anyway this was my haul (not sure what I am going to do with it all yet, but I will think of something).



I bought tatted and crocheted lace, a tatting shuttle, lots of thread on wooden spools, two bags of edging and piping, a vintage heart pin cushion, thread on a wooden spindle, a vintage wood grainer, and a vintage mirror and brush set (I wanted the mirror to use at craft shows so people can look at themselves wearing my scarves or my mother's hats - the mirror we have is way too big).

I also have picked up my silkscreened-embroidered piece again and have been working on that (you can see some of the progress I have made on it below)



The last thing I think I will show you is a rough sketch that I am thinking of adapting for an embroidered piece.



I am thinking of embroidering it against a green cloth. It is really kind of an organic image and green make me think organic. Maybe I will use one of the ones above that I have already dyed. I will have to think more on that. Right now I am thinking that I am pretty tired. I woke up fairly early this morning for no reason. I didn't have to work until the afternoon I could have slept in, but nooooo, my brain wanted to wake up and be active. My body said "hey more sleep would be good", but my brain would have none of it and just had to have things its own way. The result being a nightowl who is tired early. So, I say unto you "Goodnight".

My Second On-going Embroidery Project

Hi,
I thought I would toss up a picture of my other ongoing embroidery project. This one started as a practice sampler on a scrap of muslin, but I liked it, a lot. So, I put it against a background fabric and started to add bits here and there.



I still need to embroider over the roots (which are drawn in with a sharpie...hey it was what I had on hand when I started this: sketchbook, sharpies, embroidery floss, a hoop, some muslin, and a needle was all I had in my kit that day). I plan to have the roots go off the muslin and on to the background fabric and maybe even dangle off the background fabric. I am thinking of putting grass up on the soil line in Turkey Work/Stitch. I also plan to bring the sky up into the background fabric maybe weaving in between the blanket stitch (it's a thought). At this point that is as far as I have thought ahead. I am sure other things will appear as I go. The nice thing about this piece is that it was meant to be nothing but a sample, something to practice on and pass the time. That kind of gives me permission to do whatever I want to it without worrying that it be perfect. I can be as crazy or as laid back as I want to be. Below is a couple of detail pictures.




On another note, I was a guest blogger over at LillStreet Textiles at http://lillstreettextiles.blogspot.com/ . Hop over and take a look.

What I have been doing lately

The last couple weeks I have not been in the mood to do any felting or printing (though I did print one apron for a display at Lill Street. I just don't have any pictures of it yet). When that happens I do embroidery. This is the piece I have been working on (when I had time) for the last week. I originally started this last spring as part of a silkscreen/embroidery class taught by Camille Canales at Lill Street Art Center. I silk screened the ovals and circles and then outlined them in split stitch. That was as far as I got in the class.



Then after looking at it I thought it needed something more. I had this image of vines running around the circles in my head and although I got a start on that last summer, I ended up putting the piece aside for a while. So now, I have dragged it back out and continued work on it. Along with the vines done in split stitch flower buds in various colors in satin stitch have appeared too.



Sooner or later I will finish this piece, though I imagine that there may be a few more twists added before it is done.

Not much exciting going on at the moment artwise

Been working slowly on that embroidered and silk screened circle project. I still need to take a photo of it. Maybe when I get my camera back tomorrow or on Friday I will get around to it (loaned it to a friend for a bit who needed it to photograph her work). Also, at some point this week or next, I need to work on making some pre-felts for a felting class I am taking with Jorie Johnson come June at the SDA conference post-conference workshops. I am really looking forward to her class. I expect to learn a lot. I have her book. I wonder if it would be too fan-girlish if I asked her to autograph it? I also need to order some more Finn wool (from Misty Mountain Farm and maybe some dyed Finn wool from New England Felting Supply). Some Blue Faced Leicester from Marr Haven would be good too (and maybe some variegated Merino from them too). For Merino Wild Turkey Felt is a good supplier also. I think I have just listed most of my suppliers (I have also gotten carding combs for my mother from Pacific Wool and Fiber). As far as silk goes I order from either Thai Silks or Dharma. Although when I want silk immediately I go to Vogue Fabrics in Evanston. Dharma is also a good supplier for dyes and such. I have also heard good things about Pro-Chemical but have not ordered from them as of yet. Anyway, I am off to bed, so I am going to put an end to my ramblings. Oh, and one more picture for inspiration. Goodnight.

Embroidery, Life, etc.

I have been working on embroidery lately. I have a piece that I silk-screened with four groupings of circles. I split stitch around all the screened in circles and plan to fill in the empty space around the circles with something viney (if that is a word). So, I have been practicing feather stitch. So far I don't think my efforts are too bad, but they still need a little more practice. Some of my stitches were either a tad loose or a tad too tight. I was also thinking of putting in a flower, but, I need to look into how I would stitch that. So below is a scan of my efforts with feather stitch.



When the project is finished I will post a picture of the embellished silk-screened piece. On a different note, I wish everybody a happy holiday (or at least a great weekend)!