Fairyland and Watercolor Dreams and Dancing in the Twilight Rain

Fun Stuff

2012-01-28T12:44:00.004+01:00

I am back in the studio and having so much fun. Wow, do I love to play with my dyes. I found this site that I just love called ColourLovers and I am just starting to play around with it. I made this palette today from one of my pieces

Color by COLOURlovers

And color returns...

2012-01-23T14:52:00.002+01:00

My studio is finally set up and I have been a busy bee this last week. Lots of pretty colors flowing and more to come. I am also working hard at updating my etsy shop and beginning work on a store front to be connected to my website. It's a fresh year and I am ready to make things happen! Thank you everyone for your well wishes. I appreciate each and every one of you!

I'm Back!!

2012-01-08T11:44:00.003+01:00

I'm sure many of you thought I was gone for good. It's been way too long for sure. We are now comfortable settled into our new home and all the guests have come and gone. The holidays are over and the house is finally settling. I am spending this week setting up my studio and trying to get ready to create again. It's been so long since I have done anything creative I feel lost.

I went to Strasbourg by train last month and had the eye doctor test my eyes to check the progress of the bubble. She was happy to report that the bubble has receded to almost nothing and believes that will be the end of it. I have an appointment next month to check and make sure it is not coming back. I have hope though. The stain that I saw before has diminished to almost nothing. I have to try very hard to see it now and it is more like a memory of what was there than an actually spot, if that makes sense. 2011 was a very scary year for me and I look forward to turning the page to a fresh new year with good eyes to see and create with. I can't imagine a life without being able to see, I think it is an artists greatest nightmare, that or losing their hands.

My new home is very different from the last. Though I thought that Oberhausbergen was quaint and homely it was also small and quiet. Our apartment was always cold even in the hotest days of summer. Here we are right in the middle of the city, there is something going on at all times. We sit way up above everyone being in a tower that is surrounded by much lower buildings (20 stories as opposed to 2-3) I have a bird's eye view of everything around me. I walk out and I am only a short walk from parks, stores, the canal, the train station. Just two blocks away is the pedestrian only shopping streets with many a boutique, bakery and restaurant all with cobbled streets and christmas lights everywhere. I love the soft quiet of the country but there is a part of me that revels in the hustle and bustle of the city. So here I am in my new life, ready to start creating again and excited to see what comes next!

A New Apartment

2011-10-23T17:57:00.006+02:00

Well I hope you haven't given up on me. It's been a rough few weeks and I have put off coming here.

First off, we didn't get the apartment we applied for, there was a previous applicant and they got it. We had to make another trip down to Mulhouse and do more apartment searching. This time though we were successful and we found a place that both of us love...

Bright and open, the view is breathtaking AND it has a wonderful kitchen fully equipped and full of cabinets!

I won't know how to act with all this storage space. I have a nice room for my studio with a bathroom right off of it for my dyeing. It is so much easier when a sink is handy! Plus it has a nice walk in closet for storing all my stash. Now to just finish packing and get myself there.

I have my studio completely packed and stopped dyeing last week. I am slowly but surely making my way through the rest of the house, tossing stuff as I go. I feel like I have been packing forever but it's ok because this time I am doing it right and making sure everything is sorted. It's amazing how much you can accumulate in a short period of time.

I go back to the eye doctor Wednesday for a checkup. I have had severe headaches since the surgery and I am hoping she tells me everything is fine. Unfortunately my spot is back in the other eye so I have left off with my embroidery until she has a look at it. Last time I got the spot I was put on a rest for quite awhile. It doesn't seem quite as bad this time so I hope we can catch it early and reverse the process. For now I am afraid I wont have any embroidery or dyeing updates to show you so I doubt I will post again till after the move. I have been messing around with a little needle felting

It's something I can do that doesn't require a lot of strain to my eyes and it's easy to pick up for a few minutes. I am also thinking about doing a bit of velvet ribbon weaving. Even when I cant do what I want, I just can't NOT do something.

Hope you all are well and enjoying this fall weather!

Blackwork Fill and Eye Surgery

2011-09-29T17:40:00.004+02:00

First off I just want to say that yesterday my eye surgery went without a hitch. I am already feeling much better and even the light sensitivity is almost gone. I am so glad to have that chapter finished and behind me! I get the jeebies just thinking about someone touching my eye so you can imagine how difficult it was for me.

Last weekend we did manage to make it to Mulhouse and not only did we look at an apartment, we looked at four! We ruled out all but one for various reasons and applied for the other. Unfortunately there are other applicants so we have to sit back and cross our fingers, hoping we get it. I know I don't want a repeat of last weekend searching when it comes to my hip. No matter how much I think I am healed up any kind of strenuous activity and I am right back down again. One thing I have noticed though is I seem to heal back up quicker now so I guess it is all just a process. I know I will never again take for granted the ability to walk. It is a precious thing indeed!

So I wanted to post a few pics of my progress on the coif. I have started filling in the area that I outlined and I am loving it. I get reminded over and over how much I love the blackwork effect. Hubby has decided that he likes it too! I am loving this thread a lot more than the other too. I am so glad I decided to dye this batch. It is much smoother and stronger than the commercially dyed thread I bought, and really isn't hand dyed better...even when it's black?

Blackwork Coif

2011-09-22T17:41:00.003+02:00

Hello Everyone! I have been a bit under the weather but am feeling better now. I wanted to make a quick post to show you the beginning of my blackwork coif. I traced part of the design onto a piece of linen and started the outline of the design. I am using a fairly heavy silk thread and using the split stitch with this. The thread is so heavy it actually resembles a chain stitch which is fine by me. That is a common stitch from that time. I wanted to use the heavier thread for the outline to create a nice contrast with the blackwork fill in that I plan on doing later. All in all I am quite satisfied with how this is coming along so far. I feel so unsure of everything I am doing with this. I want it to be as authentic to period as possible but with never having the opportunity to study any pieces up close myself I find myself questioning everything I do from the fabric to the weight of the threads to the stitches. Hopefully some day I will have the opportunity to see some pieces myself up close and personal.

This weekend we are going down to Mulhouse to look at an apartment, or possibly more than one if we get calls back on any others. If not then we will spend the rest of the day exploring the city. I am getting excited about the move. I am slowly packing to make it easier on me. The studio is a room of boxes and now the packing is moving out into the other rooms. This week I took the trellis down and trimmed back all my vines. They will be going with me to my new home where they can grown with abandon hopefully! I will try to keep updating this blog as i go along but things are a bit crazy around here so it probably wont be often. In the meantime I hope you have a wonderful creative time at whatever you are doing :)

Project Updates

2011-09-12T16:07:00.005+02:00

Thought I should do a catch up post since it's been awhile since I have updated the blog. I have managed to pack away most of the studio, after going through all of the material and tossing several garbage bags full of stuff. It was a good feeling knowing I will be moving with a lighter load. I still have the other five rooms to go through but they aren't quite the challenge my studio was. It is now a room full of boxes with one corner still reserved for any dyeing I have to do. I will pack that at the very end.

In the meantime I have found time to do a bit of stitching and planning although the jacobean bunny project ground to a halt. With the sewing machine not being set up anymore I will probably not work on it until we are moved. I did change my mind on the material I want to use with it. My wild sense of color took over with the embroidery and the piece I had intended to use just didn't seem suitable anymore. I chose this piece instead. It looks like I made it for it I think!

I finished up the blackwork cuffs and collar and think they turned out very well even though I didn't like that silk thread. I have since dyed some new thread to use with my new project. I hope the new doesn't want to snag like the other. I had to use shorter piece and change frequently to keep this piece looking good.

I worked for several evenings on this flower study, sketching pieces from the painting that I mentioned previously. I wanted to get the feel of the style. I found it very fantastical and that pleased me much. It was much looser and more free form than I expected and so I started my new piece with excitement.

My new design is very much based on period motifs. Although the placement and overall design is mine I made sure every form and shape is used in this period as well as the overall feel is in keeping with this period. I just didn't want to copy some piece from a museum or from a painting. After all I am sure people from that period didn't want the same thing as their neighbor either. They all wanted something new and different. I wanted to keep with the feel and look yet make it different enough that it could be considered an original piece.

Now I just need to get started on it. I have dyed two different weights of silk for it. I plan on doing the stems and outline of the flowers in the heavier silk and then do fill in black work patterns with the lighter thread. I don't want to venture into gold work or spangles yet. I want to get the techniques down with these two and then I will investigate what I need to do more elaborate work. My next piece after this will probably involve gradient colors which were often used in the 16th century also.

So that's what I have been up too besides looking at apartments non-stop. It looks like we should be able to find a decent place without too much effort. The prices seem reasonable there and lots of nice big places. Now just to hope I can find a place with a bathtub, a dishwasher connection AND nice big balcony or garden. *fingers crossed*

Blackwork Cuffs and Collar

2011-08-17T14:19:00.003+02:00

Hello Everyone! The embroidery on Jacobean Bunny is finished. I haven't taken a photo yet but will soon. I am thinking about doing a tutorial and drafting out the pattern for anyone interested IF it comes out ok. My first stuffed animal so not sure what the results will be. I am quite happy with the embroidery part though.

In the meantime I have started on my blackwork. I just couldn't wait. Since the studio is a mess with packing I had an excuse. I cant even get to my sewing machine right now! I haven't done black work in years so I decided to start with a practice piece, but one that could be useful anyway. I picked out a set of cuffs and collar from Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion View 12 the 1580-1600 Men's Shirt. I realize that the entire piece is embroidered but to start out I thought I would stick with something small and simple. I chose a few geometric fill patterns and combined them to make a band pattern. I think they go well together and I am already zipping along with it.

I laid out the two cuffs on one piece of linen with plenty of seam allowance around them. The linen I am using is not perfectly even count. I prefer this and my reasoning is this. I highly doubt that weaving methods in the 16th century were exact enough to produce perfect even weave linen. this linen is barely off but just enough that I feel good about it, if that makes sense. I can't remember the exact thread count but I believe it is 52x54 per inch. I did my stitches over four threads. this seemed to be a nice choice making the motifs small but not TOO delicate. I already have ideas bouncing around for designing a coif based on the blackwork in this painting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_I_Jesus_College_Oxford_1590.jpg I just love the free flowing flowery vines and the blackwork fill is just exquisite!

Back Side

WIP Update

2011-08-10T14:08:00.003+02:00

Jacobean Bunny is coming along well, in fact I am on the edge of finishing it! It has been a crazy last few weeks and my mind has been elsewhere but each night I try to spend some time stitching on this piece.

I love how it has come alive and I can't wait to put the piece together and make my bunny.

After this is done I will turn my attention to the Blackwork stitching. I have everything ready except my decision on where to start *grin*

I will have to squeeze my stitching in though, as I will be packing once again. Yes, we are off to a new home, this time I get to take my time though!

I See Rainbows!

2011-08-02T14:16:00.002+02:00

Bunny Update

2011-07-27T16:59:00.003+02:00

I have been lost in blackwork research. Reading pages and pages on period pieces and looking at examples till I feel like I am going blind. Put a few questions out there on forums but answers are slow in coming. I hope to start on a piece soon. Just getting my ducks in a row so to speak

I am not allowing myself to do anything though, not until the Jacobean Bunny is done. Fortunately he is coming along great and I hope to have the embroidery done soon. I am really enjoying this method of embroidery. I have learned several new stitches and that's always fun. If I keep going at this pace I will have a bunny before you know it~

Success!

2011-07-25T13:27:00.004+02:00

Yesterday I dyed the biggest piece of fabric I have ever dyed with this method. I couldn't do big work before because I didn't have adequate containers. Now I have some nice big dye vats so I managed to do this 4.5 yard piece. I still had room enough to fit another yard in if I wanted too! I am quite happy about this. I can see so many more possibilities now.

HandMadeNews Feature!

2011-07-21T12:00:00.003+02:00

First off I want to say that I am so proud to be the featured artist on HandMadeNews and ask you all to check out the wonderful article that Jennifer Mercer wrote about me. What a sweetheart!

Spotlight on Cymberrain

Secondly, I just wanted to show you a few progress photos on the Jacobean Bunny. I have been lost in learning copywriting and keywords and lots of not so fun stuff but still made a little time to stitch!

More Jacobean

2011-07-15T13:52:00.003+02:00

Hello Everyone, I hope you all had an enjoyable week. I have still been busy with ribbons. I finally have them all wrapped and under control, that was a chore! I have also been working some more on my Jacobean Bunny Project. I still haven't received my crewelwork book in the mail but I don't think it's going to have to many things in it that I don't already know. I have done as much research as I can online and have learned quite a bit.

I am doing this work in cotton embroidery floss instead of wool because I like the sheen of the thread and feel it ends something to the piece. I am still cursing the velvet though. The even stitching is quite difficult and believe it or not, the green part of this flower was eyeballed. There is no way I could mark the fabric for these thinner stitches so I just have to do my best. The linen would definitely be a better choice as I would have the threads as a guide This flower is not quite done but I like how it's coming along. I probably should have stuck with the purple and green only a but it is begging for a little more variety in the colors. I hope in the end it all comes together ok!

Wishing you all a wonderful creative weekend!

Photo Overload

2011-07-09T18:36:00.000+02:00

I have been a busy bee finishing up these last 8 colorways. I ironed, wrapped and photographed tons of ribbons and fabric the last several days. I have uploaded all of the photos onto my flickr photostream except the last few I needed to reshoot. I will be slowly adding these to Etsy and Artfire as I can. I have a lot of specialty threads I will be including, among them slinky rayon chainette and raggedy silk satin bias. Also a bit of cotton lace. I will be glad when this is all done though and I can get back to my stitching. For some reason I am not in the mood to play with my dyes right now. I am much stronger though and full of energy. I almost feel like myself again. The hip still has not healed but I believe in time it will also recover. I have lost almost 25 pounds and if that doesn't help the healing I don't know what will!

Here is a quick shot of the Jacobean Bunny Project. It is slow going but fun. I am not so sure I will ever pick velvet to do this type of work on again. It is hard to do counted and precise work on such a fabric. I want to play on the linen!

A possible side trip

2011-07-03T19:55:00.003+02:00

A friend recently commented, after viewing the drawing for my jacobean bunny piece that I should consider making pieces for RSA renaissance members. I absolutely adore blackwork and although I havent done any Jacobean work before I love every sort I have ever tried, and will probably pick up my needle tonight to try this one for the first time!

It is a very enticing idea and I am strongly considering doing just that. I realize that all of my work in the past has been on the more colorful and fantastical side but there is also a love of tiny precise stitches inside of me, I can see myself happily stitching away for hours working on such a piece.

For those of you who dont know me, I was actually a cross stitcher for many years, working on many large involved pieces. I even brought several of them with me to France to finish as seen above. I always wanted to make things that were used though, it's one of the reasons that many of the items I have made in the last year are bags, belts, brooches and scarves. There is only so much wall space in anyone's home but clothing accessories are worn as the fancy strikes. I also like designing my own items. Although I loved to paint the canvas with my stitches they were someone else's creation. I think that working on some period pieces would satisfy my love of tiny precise stitching and also my want of making things that are useful. After some study of the period patterns I even hope to design some of my own that are true to that era.

Color

2011-07-01T22:22:00.002+02:00

And color has bloomed once again in my studio...

Jacobean Bunny

2011-06-30T18:53:00.004+02:00

I have to admit, I've never done Jacobean Embroidery before but I like it a lot. I spent the last several days studying some of the stitches used in the technique and familiarizing myself with it.
I was unable to find a hoop quite big enough to avoid pressing the velvet in it so I wrapped and prepared my hood to make it less damaging. I then traced my design onto the velvet. I dont usually trace things when I work but the Jacobean images will be so heavy that I dont think there is any worry about lines showing through:

I then picked out a color palette to go with the fabric of the main portion of the body. The fabric I am using is the fabric in the background of this picture

I am now ready to start stitching!

Preparing For The Next Dye Batch

2011-06-28T16:44:00.000+02:00

Bunny Belly

2011-06-27T14:41:00.004+02:00

Mutant Fat Bunny has been hacked to pieces. Each stitch removed and the pieces laid out to make a pattern. After the pattern was drafted I moved onto the next step, designing the bunnies belly. I thought about it for awhile and settled on a Jacobean style embroidery. For some reason it just seems to fit. I only hope I feel the same way after it's done. So today I spent drawing the design and here it is:

Now if I could just decide what material to do it on. Hmmm!

Mutant Fat Bunny

2011-06-26T17:22:00.004+02:00

I've been working real hard this week to get things back on course with my shops. This involved a lot of inventory and planning. The boring parts of my work. I am also planning a new dye batch which one of the exciting parts. I hope to have lots of pretties by this time next week!

In the meantime I need something to stitch again. I could finish up an old project but instead for some reason I got it in my head to make a bunny. Maybe it was my friends trip to the Steiff or more likely the adorable tutorial for a bunny another friend posted on plurk that set me off. All I know is I couldnt get it out of my mind yesterday so I set out to make a bunny. This is quite an endeavor for me because I am not a stuffed animal maker. I only have a vague idea how to go about this task but I was determined and here are the results:

My Mutant Fat Bunny!

He is just a mock up and pinned up like a voodoo doll. I think though with much pushing and prodding and figuring that he is finally starting to look like a bunny. I finished ripping him apart this afternoon and making a pattern. So now I am onto my new stitching adventure. It starts with his tummy and I hope to have pics up for you to see soon!

Have great weekend!

Back in the Studio

2011-06-24T11:35:00.004+02:00

After almost three months of inactivity I am trying to unearth my studio and get it back into some semblance of order. I am amazed at how piled up things are. I have spent the last week sorting and organizing and it is slowly beginning to look like a place I can work in again. I found these beauties in two different boxes, half wrapped, all needing some attention. I spent a few evenings wrapping them all. I had completely forgot that I even made them! I really feel like my life took a big detour there for awhile and I am so glad to be back again!

2011-06-19T19:15:00.010+02:00

Hello Everybody! I am finally back from my jaunt in the South of France and let me tell you did I have a time of it. SO much fun, good food, good wine, wonderful friends and beautiful breathtaking countryside.

I got to play with this handsome young man

and play in the water mirror in Bordeaux

Drank excellent wine in the wine bar "La Parcelle" all night one night

Had fantastic seafood in a restaurant right by the sea

Picked up sea glass on the beach

rode down scary little skinny roads up on the edge of way high mountains

crawled through crumbled ruins of old monestaries and castles

watched amazing sunsets

wandered down skinny walkways full of colorful shops

and just soaked up all the beauty of the scenery.

I am now a whooped puppy but I will be back to work shortly. Did you miss me?

Stitching in color

2011-06-02T19:53:00.003+02:00

Improvements

2011-05-17T20:39:00.003+02:00

An interesting house we saw out on our walk the other night. This is a common form of architecture here and I love it!

My eye appointment went very well, better than expected. The bubble behind my retina is gone! The doctor told me the outline I am still seeing is just where it hasn't completely set back in. I am so thrilled with this news. It is a big relief. I go back in a month for a checkup and to set up a date for the laser surgery on the other eye. I will also be getting a new prescription for my glasses. Soon hopefully my eyes will be much happier. I can hardly wait.
This has been such a long process I have lost myself along the way. Now that I have permission to work again I find myself confused on how to "get back on the horse". I find myself distraceted and wandering about unsure where to start or even what to start on. I am sure I will find my way back soon. I am not completely idle though. I have been spring cleaning the house. It is in sore need of some attention. Being on restricted activity will make any house look in sad shape. It is starting to look clean again.

I did a small batch of specialty trims and satin silk ribbon last week, only to find that the ribbon wasnt silk after. I should have tested it because I had my suspicions. Next time I will know better. I have never worked with silk satin ribbons before so they fooled me.

I've also been working on my embroidery. Still working on the yoke for my shirt. I really hope to get this done by vacation time. I need to kick it into high gear though. I keep dawdling. I only have three weeks left. I am so excited. I am really looking forward to this trip. I think I need a little change of scenery, I have went kinda crazy in this house!

Hubby took me shopping in Germany for a few things I was in sore need of for the vacation. I found the greatest pair of Birkenstocks and I LOVE them. For once I was paying a reasonable price for a pair and not the $100 price tag you see in the states. I guess there are a few advantages to living next to Germany :) I also picked up a few pair of capris since I have no shorts to speak of. Now if I just get my new top done I will be set!
~Hope you are all having a great week~

I have a crush...

2011-05-08T15:03:00.004+02:00

A big big crush...on velvet. I am just so in love with my new bias velvet ribbon. I started making it a while back but since then with all the problems I never had an opportunity to use any of it. Well I rectified that and now that I have I am never going back. It is just so lush and yummi! I love the depth it puts in my work and I just want to paper my whole world with velvet. Why not when it's so soft and vibrant and just wonderful! Am I gushing enough? Here are a few progress photos of the shirt I am working on, see what I mean?

In other news, I am off to the eye doc Tuesday for a progress report. Please keep me in your thoughts. I am nervous but very positive about this visit. My eye seems to be doing so much better!

New work

2011-05-04T13:59:00.005+02:00

Hello Again, still taking it easy but slowly adding more activity. I go to docs next week and really expect a good progress report. I can barely detect the spot in my eye now. I think it really shrunk! In other news, my thyroid is refusing to cooperate and I guess it's going to take a bit to get it under control, but that and a severe Vitamin D defeciency explain most of my fatigue away. I think by this time next month I will be well on my way to a new me!
SO I did another dye batch this weekend. Lots of luscious colors of floss. I recreated some oldies but goodies and also added on a few new ones. Here is a pic of a few of them and when I finally get them all wrapped and processed they will eventually make their way into my shop:

I also started a new embroidery piece. This one is for me! Hubby is taking me to the mediterranean again next month. We are going to the same place we went a few years back and I just adored it. So I wanted a pretty top to wear while I walked on the beach so this is it! It will be all white cotton gauze but I am embroidering the yoke. Here is a peek at my beginnings.

I have the pattern sketched out and the paisleys placed. Today I start stitching! I really hope I can get it done in time.

A Fresh Start

2011-04-20T15:00:00.003+02:00

Although my days were spent with many an indolent hour while I was away from here, I did manage to accomplish a few things. I covered some of my pillow finally and I love the squishy soft comfort they give me. Someday I will get them all done!

I also finally came up with an idea I liked for the ends of my paisley belt I made last year. I did the embroidery and really like how it looks but ran into a snafu with the eyelets for the ties, I am working now on redoing the eyelet part to make loops instead. I think it will look fine either way so I don't mind so much

I planted lots of seeds and tried to nurture them into baby plants. I'm afraid many refused to show their faces to the light of day. I do have a nice big pot of basil going now and a few gorgeous hot pink Morning Glories starting to grow. All of my plants survived the winter except one mint. the fuchsia and the thyme. I thought I had killed both mints (which in my mind is neigh on impossible) but when I went to replant in that pot there were tiny leaves peeking out. It's hard to kill that stuff! I was real sorry to see the fuchsia go, I love them so.

My eye gets better every day it seems. I dont have my next appointment for a few weeks but the spot seems to be fading and my eyes dont tire as easily. I have been doing a bit of work each day. Not too much as I dont want to overtax myself but I have much catching up to do. I did a big shop update a few days ago adding many of the ribbons that have been sitting here since before my rest and quite a few pieces of linen. I am working now on making another set of listings. My goal is to list all these finished items so I can stow them away in their little cabinets, clear the space off my counters and tables and finally feel like I can have a fresh start. I have ideas floating around in my head. I want to dye some of these cotton prints here, maybe many of them in the same colorway and then make myself a patchwork piece that I can turn into a top. I don't know. I just know that my hands are itching to do again. I also have my indigo pot sitting here waiting for me to get it going. I have many ideas for play with it. I want to do some shibori velvets. I am just thankful that my health continues to improve and I will once again be able to spend my days amidst my beloved fibers.

Surviving

2011-04-17T16:02:00.003+02:00

Hello Everyone! I am here and slowly making my way back to a more normal life. Last time I spoke with you all I told you of the problems with my eyes and that I would be doing as the doc instructed. Well, she put me on work restriction, and so that is what I did. Nothing. I was already on restriction from my other doc, being told no physical activity, now I could do no other activity. So I have sat here for a month, no work, no sewing to speak of, nothing. I was bored to tears! I have watched enough tv to last a life time, and filled my days with meaningless drivel. It was all worth it though. My last appointment doc said the bubble behind my retina had receded by 1/3, now a week later it seems that the spot is not so prevelant in my vision. I think it is receding more. I have been given permission to slowly return to work. I am supposed to take it very easy and not allow any stress into my life right now and rest, rest, REST! I will certainly do that too. I want my eyes back to normal. I want my hip back to normal. I am happy to say it is also benefitting from this long rest. I did well for two weeks with little pain at all until I decided on Friday to try a bit more exercise than I should of. It quickly reminded me that I was NOT supposed to be exercising. I will behave.

This weekend I did my first dye batch since my restirctions. It was so fun to play with my dyes again..and soon I hope to pick up my needle again :)

And More Rest

2011-03-14T20:33:00.003+01:00

Sorry I have been quiet again. I've been very tired. I haven't really wanted to do anything lately. Every morning I get up and I just feel too tired to do anything. I go to my PT appointments, come home, clean a bit, cook a bit and maybe dye a bit but I haven't sewn a thing.
I thought I was just exhausted from lack of sleep. My hip bothers me every night and so my sleep is little. Today though, I found out that I have another reason for feeling reluctant to do any close up work. I went to the eye doctor. I have noticed an area in my vision where everything was blurred. It is very similar to when you get a spot in front of your eye from a flash bulb, except it never goes away. She did a lot of tests on me and discovered a few disturbing things. First off, I have a pocket of water behind my retina in my right eye. This is what is causing the strange spot in my vision. It's like when a movie screen would have a bulge on the surface. Everything reflecting on that area is blurred. Problem is..it's right in the middle of my eye. I cant see anything clearly up close with it. Secondly, and this one took me completely by surprise, my left eye has a weak area, she is very concerned that it will cause retinal detatchment. So I am to have eye surgery. She says the water pocket is often caused by fatigue and also cortisone in someone as young as me. Seeing as I have had no sleep and I also have had cortisone injections recently I think she might be onto something. So as of today I am stepping back for awhile. I go back on Wednesday for tests and possibly surgery. I will be resting till then and possibly for awhile afterwards. I am not sure how long I will feel like this. The doctor says that treatment on the pocket is usual held off in hopes it will resolve on it's own. I am thankful that this is not more serious and I plan on following any orders my doctor gives me to the letter. My sight is to precious to me to mess this up. I hope to be seeing for a long time in the future!
In the meantime, I will give you a peek at a few of the things coming from my dye pot. Thankfully I can still dye without straining my eyes!

Rainbow Silk Embroidery Thread

Cotton Lace Trim

Hobbs, you stole my heart!

2011-03-04T23:01:00.001+01:00

Alas I cannot crochet, but I want him, I want him, really I WANT HIM! http://sukigirl74.blogspot.com/2011/03/free-hobbes-crochet-pattern.html
check out this wonderful FREE pattrern by sukigirl. She is amazing and...I want him!

Lovely Linen!

2011-02-28T17:15:00.002+01:00

I have been a busy bee this week. I dyed some more linen and these two pieces I just fell in love with! So happy with this wonderful stuff. I cant wait to dye more of it. I also have been dyeing a pile of ribbons and several new velvet pieces. I so love playing with my dyes!

I have also been working on my rose choker and it is coming along nicely. I have the three component that I plan on using finished and now I just need to join them...although still not sure if the top piece will work out. I guess I will know soon :)

Hope you all have been enjoying a creative and restful week so far!

ribbons and lace

2011-02-25T15:24:00.003+01:00

I have been working on this beaded lace. This is my second version and I will probably stick with it. It's not perfect in my opinion but seeing as I have little skill with beading and this is a pattern I altered, it would probably take many revisions before I got what I considered perfect. This will be added to the Rose Choker I am working on. I cant wait to get that piece finished.

Today I cut ribbons to dye...lots of ribbons!

Bracelets

2011-02-20T18:18:00.004+01:00

Been a little busy this week. I am going to Physical Therapy three times a week now so that sucks up some of my time. Also trying to brush up on my french as I am going to apply for my ten year carte de sojour. Other than that I have been playing with ribbons and beads. I made these two bracelets and I really like both, what do you think?

New Stuff

2011-02-15T16:40:00.002+01:00

I've been playing with linen!

Hope Springs Eternal

2011-02-13T13:59:00.004+01:00

It's been a week of hope here. As many of you know, I fell a little over a year ago in December which started me on my decline. Slowly over time my hip has become increasingly painful and my ability to get around has greatly decreased. I had great hope in this last December when I visited a new doctor who gave me cortisone shots. I felt no pain for 5 days. I had forgotten what no pain felt like. It was pure bliss to be able to maneuver again, get off the bed without an effort,etc. I think the pain was even more devastating when it came back. I learned the hard truth that this form of injury does not heal easily. That even walking, getting out of a chair or climbing stairs is irritating it. All this time I had thought if I only exercise more it will go away. This time it's not that easy though.
So this last week I went for the first time to visit my new physical/massage therapist. HE worked on my back and set me up for three appointments this coming week. The pain is still here, and I know this will be a slow road but I now know WHAT is the problem and also what I can do to help fix it. I have learned the exercises that can help correct it and what NOT to do (which I think might be the most important thing to know) SO I have hope that this can be fixed, and that is much better than having nothing!

So besides therapy sessions this week I have been sewing. I worked on my moon choker last night, learning to bead a cabochon for the first time. I am loving this piece and plan to add more beads to it!

I also went into town with my honey as I needed to buy more dyes. We stopped at a wonderful restaurant and had sushi. It was the best I have had here, very fresh! He also bought me these...aren't they cute?!

Beads Galore

2011-02-10T12:57:00.004+01:00

I started using Plurk. If you don't know what Plurk is, it's similar to twitter, but not really. I have met a lot of really great and wonderful people on there and a lot of them are jewelers. I have seen some amazing work and I have to admit they have piqued my interest. Now I dont ever see myself becoming a jeweler but I have always had a passion for beads. A lot of my work is heavy with it.

I decided to explore this passion a little further when I started working on this choker of mine. So yesterday I tried my hand at beadweaving. Now this is just an experimental piece but similar to the one I hope to make for this choker. I really like how it turned out and can't wait to get the beads to finish this. It wont be quite the same but it gives you an idea. What do you think?

I got my muse back!

2011-02-09T13:55:00.003+01:00

So surprise, surprise...it didn't take long with my needle in hand for my muse to come creeping back too. Did I say creeping? I mean out and out knocking the breath out of my body gale force speed. I have been bowled over with ideas and hoping I can catch even a few of them!
It started out when I brought Small World out of deep sleep. It is now hanging on my board looking down on me. I worked two days non-stop and now the border is finished. The only thing that remains is the back mounting. It's journey is almost done.

After I finished I picked up some of my new velvet ribbon and started to play with it. This is a few of the WIP photos. It is only a small beginning...but it IS a beginning!

An Old Friend

2011-02-07T16:15:00.002+01:00

I was hit with the flu again this week, third time this winter...I am waiting for the sun to return. Spring will chase these bugs away I'm sure! In the meantime I have been determined to get back to my needlework so...

I pulled out an old friend. This piece has been waiting patiently for me to give it some attention again and I am gladly doing so now!

The needle calls

2011-01-30T14:06:00.003+01:00

Lately it is always calling. I havent had time! I am so crazy busy with dyeing I don't have time. I need the time though. It is my sanity. Those long quiet hours pulling the thread through the cloth. the calm repetition. The feel of the cloth and the magic of the thread, my paint, building the image. I need it, it's as simple as that!

SO I am busy with dyeing, and I continue to be busy with dyeing. So I must come to a balance with the two. I want to fill my shop as full as I can so I can maintain it with more ease. Then I can devote at least part of my day to my stitching...my evenings more likely. I just received a huge order of fabric. Dupioni, habotai, charmeuse, linen, bubble cotton gauze, silk ribbons, so many goodies to dye. I will be adding new things as I can but....I will be stitching too!

This is a quick pic of some of the ribbons I just finished. I am really loving these velvet ribbons. The bias makes them so versatile and the colors are so rich and gorgeous. I cant wait till my needle meets these new lovelies!

Where I learn how delicate silk can be.

2011-01-22T10:52:00.003+01:00

One thing I have learned working with all these amazing fabrics is just how strong silk is. It is amazingly strong. I was always taught when I was young that silk is very delicate. That it is a very fussy fabric. I have not really found those things to be true. I iron it on high and it turns out beautifully. I twist it, scrunch it, smash it..oh the things that poor fabric goes through to get the results I want. It always holds up beautifully. Well that is, until yesterday. I have to admit right from the start though...it was MY fault. I was busy. I was distracted. I had grown complacent with my silk.
I came home from the doctor in a bad mood. I was sore and tired and wanted to get this last dye batch washed quickly so I could sit in my chair and iron ribbons all afternoon. Doc said I had to sit so that would be the perfect occupation while I did so. In my hurry and distraction I put my machine on the strongest setting. When it was finished and I opened the machine I knew there was something horribly wrong. My lingerie bag looked gray. I unzipped it and dumped the contents onto my cutting table. Here is what I found:

All those pretty little 1/4" ribbons had been decimated. No matter how strong my silk is...little bias cut ribbons cannot hold up to the fury of a turbo wash. Poor babies! I could see that they were going to be so pretty too :(
All is not lost though. I learned a good lesson yesterday. That no matter how strong you think something is...sometimes you have to be gentle. These ribbons are so beautiful and under normal circumstances they are strong too, but even strong things can be abused.

I will make more tiny ribbons but I doubt I will go that small anymore. Although I do know the reason I lost them is the machine, I will feel more comfortable sticking with 3/8" and bigger. I have a pile now waiting for dyes and soon they will be going in the wash too..but on a much gentler setting!

I am finishing ironing and packaging my other velvets I dyed yesterday. This rainbow set brightened my day. It was such fun to iron it and place them side by side to see this beautiful rainbow emerge. I am making this into 7" silk square packs. People seem to like being able to buy these packs. They are great for making art quilts. Having a little bit of several colors to embellish with. I know I enjoy my big drawer of silk velvet scraps. Whenever I am sewing it is so nice to be able to reach down into that drawer and pull out a rainbow of bits and pieces...hunting for that perfect piece, that treasure, that will fit right where I need it!

more fun stuff

2011-01-13T19:36:00.004+01:00

So I wanted to show you a few new things I have been working on. This is my latest project. I dont really have the set up I need to do this properly yet, as I dont have a good 80 cm straight edge so I have to go buy one before I really get to work on this but...keep your eyes peeled. I will soon be offering bias cut hand dyed silk velvet ribbons in the shop. I am so thrilled with how they are turning out too! The edges are nice and tight with no fraying at all. I expected a small amount of feathering but this velvet is so tightly woven it isn't noticeable. I also cut the ribbons all the way down to 1/4 inch thickness without any loss of integrity. This is very exciting to me. I see wonderful hand dyed velvet borders in our future!

I also finally got my moon bone piece for the choker I started long ago. I will be beading this onto the choker and then who knows where I will go with this after...I have ideas ;)

Full Speed Ahead

2011-01-09T16:30:00.004+01:00

So my shop has been taking up a lot of my time lately. I am not complaining. I do love playing with my fabrics and the dyeing. I have had little time to stitch though. Administrative tasks can be long and drawn out with little to show for it. I have several new things that I will be adding soon to the shop. Also a few I am going to play with to decide if I want to add them or not. One thing I am definitely adding is linen. I have a big order coming in soon and I cant wait to start experimenting on it. Also I just bought the mat and cutter to start cutting bias velvet ribbon. I am quite excited about this as I know a lot of it will be going straight into my stash! I will be playing with some silk dupioni and deciding if it is something I want to add also.

I spent a a little time last week making up a nice batch of yummi valentine pinks and reds to cut up into valentine velvet square packs. Those are available now in my shop for all those little valentine projects.

I also for the first time started listing some larger pieces of gauze and habotai, for people who want more than just a little taste. I will start slicing ribbons this week. Not sure which sizes I will be cutting but will probably start with 1 inch.

The only thing I have been stitching on is my table runner. It has been taking a lot longer than I expected but I do like how its turning out.

I ran out of black embroidery floss part way through this next section.

I am doing two sections with the black tshirt material with multi-colored threads over it and then the new section has multi-colored t-shirt material with black thread over it. I love how they look.

The sections are separated with velvet pieces with shishka mirrors and embroidery embellishments. I can't wait to finish this and put it in my livingroom. I am quite happy with how it's turning out. I have a lot of ideas for my next projects and will be starting on some of them soon. I've been sketching ;)

Have a creative week!

There Be Bears Everywhere!

2010-12-30T17:09:00.005+01:00

Once again I get caught up in the flurry and rush of daily life (and Christmas festivities) and find myself neglecting this blog. If I make any resolutions at all this year it will be to get better at posting here. It's not like I have a lack of things to post about. I have been very busy!

Today's post I wanted to show you a bit of the decorations in downtown Strasbourg for the holidays. It was a very beautiful and I really enjoyed going there. We made several visits the last few weeks. One thing I noticed that i just really loved is their use of polar bears in their christmas decorations. It is very popular here and I think the effect is adorable!

There were trees and banners everywhere

and lots of windows to peek into

carousels and Christmas booths galore.

Strasbourg is truly a wonderful city to visit. I also did a post over on the Handmade in Europe Guild blog about my visit to the Strasbourg Christmas Market. Lots of pictures of their wonderful wares. It was such a fun visit! Be sure and drop over there and check them out.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and I am wishing everyone a peaceful and prosperous New Year!

Much Love, Diane

Redecorating the Living Room

2010-12-13T15:37:00.003+01:00

Since we moved here we haven't been happy with our livingroom. The dining room and living room are actually one long L shaped room and it never seemed to be set up properly. So the last few months D and I have brainstormed how to make the room flow better and make it so we used it more. I spend a lot of time in my studio and he at his computer. We just weren't comfortable in the living room.
So we completely rearranged things two weeks ago. I can't believe the difference in there now. We switched the dining room into the living room area and it made everything better. I decided that with the change we needed new curtains, lots of pillows and a table runner. I went right to work on them. I want this finished by next week when the family arrives so it will look nice and be comfy for Christmas.

I dug around in my shelves full of clothes to be used in projects. (I try to reuse and recycle every chance I get) I came up with an old pair of jeans, several black tshirts and an old velvet shirt that already had part of it used in something else.

These I will be using to make a coffee table runner. I have it all planned and well into halfway completed for the two wrap sections. I hope to finish this by the end of the week. I have a trade going with a wonderful felting artist who is creating a table runner for the dinigroom table to match everything. I am excitedly waiting for it to arrive!

I also dyed yards of this beautiful colorway to make curtains. They sit here patiently waiting for me to sew them. I am making simple panels that I will tie with black scarves. I think this fabric is gorgoeus enough that it will look perfect like that.

And last but not least I have a few yards of this. I will be covering several pillows with this to toss about the room. I am considering some saffron pillows also but haven't decided. The room is decorated in blacks, whites, reds and golds so I think these items will really bring a nice finishing touch to the room. I can't wait till it's done!

I promise once I get it finished I will post pics for you all!

The Northern Winds Blow

2010-12-07T12:32:00.003+01:00

I bought a winter coat last month. I havent really had one since I came here. Mainly relying on my lovely wool cape and a jacket underneath. I found something in the style I wanted and a price I could afford but it wasn't very warm. I decided that instead of continuing to search for another coat that I liked that I would buy this one and add some extra lining. After all, I have tons of old sweatshirts and such in the studio just waiting to be used for something useful. So I spent a few evenings this week working on my coat. I cut up a nice thick sweatshirt and pined it to the inside of my coat and then took bits from another sweatshirt to fill in the blanks. I stitched it all in by hand and found it very enjoyable. I know I could have just taken the satin lining out and apart and made new pieces to sew togethr on the machine and then slapped it back in. It would have worked but would I have had the satisfaction I got from this project? I dont think so. I just enjoy the neat stitches, the way it all joins together and knowing the job is well done. Will anyone ever see it now? No. But I know its there :)

Winter Flowers

2010-12-02T10:21:00.003+01:00

Outside here it is a winter wonderland. So freezy cold and nice fluffy snow everywhere.
Inside is another story though. I was marvelling at my pretty flowers today

The fuchsia is just blooming away, bringing such bright and cheery color to the room.

The rose has a bud on it! I know this is a bad photo but you can still see it there. Soon I will have a rose too!

Even the rosemary is blooming

But what was the most surprising was this: Under my plant table was the pot with the hyacinth bulbs. I didn't even realize we had brought it in, since it is supposed to be hibernating. Look what has happened...fat little blooms nestled inside of those leaves, I do hope they pop out of there. The smell coming from inside there is heavenly though. What a treat!

Lovely lacy christmas trees...

2010-11-29T14:26:00.002+01:00

Hello Everyone! I posted a tutorial on this lacy Christmas tree over on my guild blog. Go have a peek if it interest you.
Hope you are all having a great week!

RainbowFingers Giveaway and Dye Experiments

2010-11-26T17:34:00.004+01:00

Before I say anything else, I want to congratulate Cat's Wire for winning the giveaway today. I will be sending out your goodies as soon as I get your address :)

So this week has been a busy one for expermentation but I think I finally have a handle on how to get nice dark colors on habotai. I learned a lot of things about dyeing this week and that is a good thing to me. I want to know everything I can learn about what I do. I dont like running into brick walls, standing there scratching my head and thinking, "Now what do I do?" Never a good feeling.

So after lots of research (because I always have to do LOTS OF research before I do something) I did some experiments with little bits of silk.

I did a lot with my MX dyes and vinegar because I knew that using soda ash and vinegar gives distinctly different results with some colors. Then after finishing with those, I did some Dupont dye experiments.

Now everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, I read said I HAD to steam these dyes for something like 3 hours. I wondered how on earth I could accomplish this. Then I decided to throw caution to the wind and try the microwave instead.

Now the microwave seems to work well with the procion. I do get dye run off when I rinse but very little, the colors are set well. I even ran them though a hot wash after with no change in the results. The dupont, which was what I was worried about has NO dye run off. It was completely stable after a very short stay in the microwave.

I have yet to try doing a 2 1/2 yard piece of silk in there so I guess that will be my next experiment, but the results so far are VERY pleasing! I only have the three colors in dupont but I will probably get a few more. Truthfully just using the vinegar with the Procion MX will satisfy more of my needs. Silk doesnt like a lot of the deep blues and greens with Procion MX and soda ash and will not dye the black no matter what. Well now I can get great black...and brown and the beautiful black brown mix there in the middle was what I was shooting for. Perfect!

Something warm this way comes...

2010-11-22T15:45:00.007+01:00

One of the things I have been putting a lot of work into lately is different scarves. I have been making all of this beautiful fabric and wanted to do something with it. Since I love scarves so much and I know other people do to, I decided to make several kinds. I know I talked about this a few times back when I was first thinking about it but I dont think I have shown you the results. I thought I would show you a few pics of some of the finished items. I have just started listing these in the cymberrain shop on Artfire

I started out making these long and sinky scarves and I think I showed you a photo of a few of these:

Then I went on to making some larger scarves with the silk velvet and these I lined in silk charmeuse. These scarves are so wonderfully plush and the charmeuse is softer than butter. Just lovely!

I have also been making some yummi warm double thick flannel scarves. I just LOVE this one!

Besides these I have made a rainbow of cotton scarves that are still sitting here waiting to be photographed. Hopefully soon but with everything I have piled up it might take awhile!

I am chipping away at the piles as fast as I can. I have a mountain of silk ribbons to list in my shop, more floss and some lovely silk habotai pieces and larger silk gauze pieces for the nuno felters out there. I am also starting to experiment with some silk dyes and might show you some pics of my experiments. I want to be able to get some nice deep blacks and super bright brights on the silk habotai and gauze and that will never happen with procion mx so I must expand my horizons.

Lastly I just wanted to send you all a reminder: Dont forget I am having a giveaway on my Artfire Blog and you are almost out of time to sign up. Go there now if you dont want to miss out!
Have a great week and a Happy Thanksgiving!

Recovery

2010-11-18T14:12:00.003+01:00

Well I did it, I pushed to hard and down I went. I got the worst case of the flu that I have had since Talence. Lots of coughing, sneezing, sniffling, tea drinking, sleepless night cause I can't breathe, and then...just when I thought I was starting to get better...another bug, Stomach flu and all the fun involved with that. So ten days later, I am here, still a bit slow and sore, and definitely ten pounds lighter! I plan on continuing to take lots of time to rest for awhile but hope to start getting something accomplished again. I have been working a bit when I could but most days I simply had no energy and could care less what was happening.
It seems this year more people have been down sick than I remember in a long time. Not just sick, but sick for days on end sick. I hope everyone out there is keeping well. Get your flu shot. Take your vitamins. Whatever you can do to stay healthy. You don't want what I've had. Trust me!

RainbowFingers Giveaway

2010-11-07T22:17:00.004+01:00

Hello all, hope you are keeping warm! As you all know I have been a busy bee here in my studio, sewing, dyeing and all kinds of busywork. I have finally completed my first group of Silk Velvet Square Packs and in celebration I am having a giveaway over on my RainbowFingers shop blog Head on over there if you are interested in winning a rainbow silk velvet square pack and be sure to check out all the new items there, including all my velvet square packs.

I am getting closer to finishing the big update to that shop. I finally got my business cards and new packaging for my items. I really like how they turned out. I still have a large backlog of ribbons to add to the shop and some silk gauze but once thats finished I can start concentrating on my sewing again. I have been working on lots of scarves and such but right now they are all buried under stacks of pretty hand dyes. It has been a bit of an elephant, these tasks I have been tackling these last few weeks, I am slowly conquering them though! When I am finished I will have things streamlined and easier to go forward.

I rearranged the studio because no matter how well you think it out at the beginning you find after you work there awhile that things would just work better a little differently. D also set up some different lights to make things brighter in here. The dye studio was just too dark. I also set up a photography corner. I can already tell even though things are still a mess that it is going to be easier to get my work done. We all know that the easier it is to get our work done means the more time there is for SEWING!

So I know I have been absent a lot these days but soon things should be a lot calmer (who am I kidding with Christmas heading our way) I have been promising myself time to stitch for quite awhile now and keep pushing it away, I am going to put my foot down soon and just insist. I love my dyes. They are beautiful and they inspire me but my first love is my sewing and no matter how much I love my dyes I will not allow them to push everything else out of my life! So keep your eye out and you will see some stitching content returning soon, really!

Dont forget to check out my giveaway!

Halloween...where?

2010-10-31T10:30:00.004+01:00

Me as a tattooed lady one year for Halloween

Here in France Halloween is not really celebrated. Too many people here view it as a commercial holiday and have no interest in it. If you are lucky you might see a few children wondering to and fro, hoping to find someone with some candy. Occasionally you will find a store that actually has a selection of costumes and decorations, but for the most part it just isn't happening. I miss it, a lot. When I lived in Seattle it was all out craziness. Everyone I knew dressed up. There were costume parties on every block. Decorations galore! It has always been my favorite holiday and my friends and I would sometimes plan months in advance for our costumes. My favorite one was the dark fairy costume I made with the mini skirt made from iridescent taffeta leaves, black fish nets and combat boots. It was a blast!
So today I guess I am feeling a little bit homesick. I am wondering what everyone will be up to, what they dressed up as and anticipating great photos on facebook later this week. I am finding comfort though in my studio. I come in here and find myself surrounded by the things I love. I have been so hard at work and I see it in evidence everywhere I look:

The scarves hanging on the door patiently waiting their turn at the sewing machine,
which is patiently waiting for...

My new walking foot! It finally arrived :)

Piles of velvet squares sorted into packs, waiting for their photography session.

And pretty little pieces waiting to be made into tarot card bags.

I finally have these two finished and mounted on velvet, all they need is a session with the sewing machine, ties and tassels.

So I may not have Halloween this year..again, but I have this wonderful studio full of beautiful materials to play with to my hearts content. I let a little spookiness shine through with my last few pieces and that was fun!

And we pass into autumn

2010-10-26T16:14:00.003+02:00

The days are growing shorter and the leaves are finally starting to change color. The heat is on and I keep my blanket on my lap while I work these days. I love this time of year though. Mother Earth prepares for sleep and I see long quiet days ahead of me. Time to create. I no longer cringe at the thought of the holidays. They are not so hectic here. The crazy shopping frenzies are behind me.

I have still been busy with the last dye batch . In fact I still have things waiting for their dose of dye but all in good time. I have wrapped piles of floss and took lots of pictures and I am happy for it, but my mind is turning away from all of that. I find myself looking at my pieces that are waiting for my attention. "Soon" I tell them.

Last night I played with this little piece. It is fun and I like it. Soon it will also be mounted on a silk velvet bag...a place for someones treasures.

Explosion of color

2010-10-22T12:01:00.003+02:00

I have been working myself silly here, so much so that the days have just flown by. I was kinda shocked to realize that it was Friday already and I hadn't posted here all week. I went a little dye crazy...well actually a LOT dye crazy, and I'm not even done yet. I still have a pile of ribbons in the soda ash waiting their turn on the dye table. I have spent days ironing and photographing. I have made a promise to myself though. Once this batch is finished I am done for awhile. Seriously. I hadn't planned on doing this batch, I really wanted to get to sewing two weeks ago but realized I needed to dye more velvet for tarot bags or steal some from my shops inventory. Since I am trying to build up my inventory that didnt make sense. Then I sold a bunch of ribbon and gauze so I decided I needed to dye more of that too. Next thing you know this happened:

and this happened:

and I'm not even going to show you all the gauze and charmeuse and velvet...LOL! Just take my word on it, this studio is like an explosion of color right now. I have to say though, I am LOVING these silk ribbons. So pretty! And some of my new floss colors are just dreamy. I worked on a new method to try dyeing 8 skeins at once instead of 4 and I was quite happy with the results. I dont know if it will work as well for stripped floss but it does for the mottled effect. This is good news because some of my customers are interested in several skeins of one color lot and now I can provide them with ones I know are an exact match.

This last pic is for my sis. She wanted to see Old Man Sun and Star Dreams side by side. Quite a contrast if you ask me. I am still resisting ripping up Old Man Sun. I do think I just need to leave him alone for awhile. There are certain things that I am definitely changing but I think it might not be so drastic if I wait for awhile. I like a lot of it so...later.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Dye experiments and more quilting

2010-10-17T14:30:00.003+02:00

I have been busy at my dye table. First off I decided to make color samples on velvet so I have a reference point. I will be working up combination recipes also. I like the convenience of quick mix colors but I started with a few colors and learned to combine them into more, and I like to have a nice list of known colors that I can make in an instant. I will never stop my experimenting and love just throwing colors willy nilly and seeing what comes of it but there are times when I want a bit more control. So this has been one project I have been busy with this week.

I also did a color experiment on this piece of flannel. This is wonderful thick soft fluffy flannel. It is a double weave and a double wide cut. I have decided to make some nice warm scarves from it and wanted to gauge the color depth to know how to proceed. I was quite happy with the richness of this piece. Flannel does seem to lend a dreamy note to it though, doesn't it? I ripped off four scarf lengths to dye, the first one going to my dear daughter. I think they will have a fringed edge all around, the sides being about 1/4 inch and the ends longer. I washed them and though they seem to matt enough to keep the fringe from fraying I am wondering if I should stitch them anyway just to ensure they stay in place. Cotton isn't wool for sure so I guess it is better to be safe than sorry. Anyone have any experience with this type of flannel?

I also ripped a pile of velvet, cut lots of ribbon and gauze, some quarters and some scarf blanks. I never did get any input on different sizes of gauze so I will continue with those two sizes for now. I have a nice batch of all of them washing away right now in the machine. I cant wait to see what comes out!

Lastly, I have been spending my evenings quilting on this. I am really enjoying this piece and the peace that comes with it!

Hope you are having a peaceful and creative weekend!

Variegated Embroidery Floss

2010-10-14T13:20:00.002+02:00

I made a small sampler (by small, I mean REAL small) to show people how my variegated embroidery floss looks as a cross stitch or as an embroidery stitch. I just used a few simple stitches, chain stitch, feather stitch and cross stitch. I then posted this to my ArtFire blog. I plan on posting short articles over there dealing mainly with my hand dyed items and possibly a series on the different types of silks. Still pondering over that idea. Anyway, feel free to wander over and check it out if you are curious how they look stitched up. I just realized the other day that I have shown lots of my stitch work here with my threads but since I don't cross stitch anymore people haven't seen how pretty it looks with that method.

Star Dreams WIP

2010-10-11T17:02:00.004+02:00

Spent this last evening quilting on this piece. It has grown quite heavy but the work is still soothing. I love how this is turning out. Each stitch is another peaceful moment. I look back at the last several months, how scattered I have been, and feel that my thoughts, just like this cloth, are finally coming back together.

Full moon out my window

2010-10-09T12:23:00.003+02:00

This is my latest little piece. I had a lot of fun making this. I fell back into the groove quickly, and found myself happily stitching away without a care in the world. I love how this came out so far and can't wait to see it mounted on a piece of velvet with the edging around it. Another silk velvet bag in the making. I plan on doing several different bags this next month or so. I really enjoy these little stitch works. The piece of velvet I used turned out perfect for this full moon piece. A soft glowing pale yellow. I made enough of this color to make squares for my velvet square packs. I will be including it in some of the color schemes. Those will be coming soon to my new shop!
Have a great weekend everyone!

Star Dreams and new work

2010-10-07T14:28:00.003+02:00

So I spent the evening dreaming of stars and stitching new things.
It has a calming effect on me. My body is still sore and my thoughts
still tangled but I am working in the right direction I think.

I have pushed too hard and expected too much
and now it's time let go of the expectations, take some time to just sit,
relax and enjoy the cloth and the thread.

I like these two pieces. They both speak to me, and that's what I want.

I don't like when my work is silent, This is driving me crazy and
I often have thoughts of tearing it to pieces.

Parts of it I love, others I hate. It seems so garish to me right now.
I have left it on the board until it speaks to me again.

Introspection

2010-10-06T14:29:00.002+02:00

I am in a bit of a melancholy mood today and can't seem to shake it. It started out by waking up to a pain day, after going to bed from a pain day yesterday. Then going into the studio and turning on my computer to find that it died again last night. Did I not learn my lessons the last time? Why have I not backed up my files for over a month? All my plans, schedules, photos, notes, etc. Gone.
Most of all though, is this nagging feeling that has been following me around for awhile now. What am I trying to accomplish here? Why am I doing what I am doing? Does what I do have any feeling behind it at all? Does it really say anything?
I pick up one of the pieces I have been working on but put it right back down again. What am I trying to do with this? I hang it on the board to look at it. I go to the next and don't even bother to pick it up. Everything seems stale right now, and none of it says anything to me. Some days I wonder if I am even an artist, or just a fake.

Slow stitching

2010-10-02T15:15:00.002+02:00

It has been quiet here. Hubby drowses on the couch, healing slowly. I putter around trying to make sense of my vast pile of To-Dos. Yesterday I spent the larger part of the day setting up the new shop and starting to list but in the evening I turned to my cloth.
This cloth has brought me much solace. The slow regular stitching bringing comfort and peace in this time of much distress. When I look at it, it calms me.

I have been wanting to work with these methods for awhile. I love the crisp regularity of tiny pieced squares (not added yet, I will post a pic with these soon), the lovely patterns and texture created with the kantha stitching and the bold contrast of the wrapped pieces.

Hope you are all having a peaceful and creative weekend <3

Things Are Looking Up!

2010-10-01T17:06:00.003+02:00

My honey returned home yesterday and I finally quit holding my breath.He is a little worse for the wear but nothing time wont heal. I have him plumped up with lots of pillows upon the couch and it is good to see his face here again. It is a lonely place, this house, without him here.

The Rainbow Fingers of cymberrain Goes Live!

I have tried to keep busy as much as possible even with this upset. Today was the opening of my new ArtFire shop. I will now have a shop there just devoted to my dyed fibers. It is still bare bones but I will be adding all my items there a bit at a time. I think it will help to keep my hand stitched items and my dyed items seperate.

I also just finished unwrapping this lovely bit. I just love it!

Velvet Squares

2010-09-29T21:59:00.002+02:00

Do you think I have enough?

Playing with squares

2010-09-26T16:10:00.002+02:00

Quiet Stitching

2010-09-24T20:00:00.001+02:00

Quiet Stitching, originally uploaded by cymberrain.

Quietly stitching, contemplating. Thankful for the ones I love, thankful for life.

A Pause

2010-09-21T17:59:00.003+02:00

Sorry but once again I must call a pause. Unfortunately, Monday my dear husband was rushed to the hospital suffering from what the doctors believe was a stroke. They still arent sure and are running a gamut of tests on him. They say he will be there for at least a week so that is where I will be as much as possible. I hope to return soon, with a healthy husband nearby.
Thank you all for stopping by. I really appreciate you all so much!

Progress on the velvet projects and a nice surprise

2010-09-19T14:10:00.002+02:00

So here is the last batch I pulled from the washer, all lined up to dry. Nice darks to add to the pile of colors that are slowly building up. Soon I will have what I need to start compiling my packs. Quite excited!

And this little beauty still fresh from the wash...what a nice surprise. Just an old piece of cotton used to catch the drips. Lovely!

Velvet Squares

2010-09-17T14:12:00.002+02:00

I hope to finish the shop update today. I have finished listing everything except the silk ribbons, which shouldnt take long. I can't believe how much stuff I have went through this week. I am glad it is almost over.

I am starting work on my new idea of the velvet squares packs. I want to make up several this week so will start dyeing probably tomorrow. I already preshrunk the velvet and decided on a 7" square as the size. It seems just about right for what I would want. If anyone has a good reason why they should be a different size please let me know. I want this to be a useful item for people. I know it is going to be useful for me!

I have been working on a list of colors I need to make up the packs I already have in mind but I wanted to ask you all...what would your idea of a good theme be? What colors would you like to see in a pack? I still have a pile of velvet here so I can make up quite a bit before I run out so send me some ideas! I have a nice gradient of blue going already and will use part of them for the Forest & Sky packs I am making. Now onto the rest of the colors....

Goodies!

2010-09-16T11:18:00.002+02:00

All the organizing is finally done (except a few labels) My price list is figured out. The photographs are taken. All in all, when I finished I had 54 new items to list in my shop. My goodness I had no idea I still had so much sitting here waiting for my attention. SO today I will try to get all of this stuff listed, which might take me more than a day. It will feel so good to put them all on their shelves and in their boxes and have some nice open space in here. I still have my new project for the shop to work on, the velvet squares. It wont be as crazy or time consuming though. I plan on working on that also the next week. After this is all done though I am seriously going to take some time to work on all these big fiber projects that are just sitting being neglected. I miss my evenings stitching. I think that from now on it will be much easier to find time for my needles. It is where I find my peace. It is what I enjoy the most, so I will make time for it!

Stars!

2010-09-15T12:15:00.001+02:00

Last few days have found me knee deep in velvets and silk, trying to get everything organized for a BIG shop update. I will be glad when this is all organized and I can find my way out of my studio again. I dont think I even realized just how much I had sitting here needing attention. The more I go through the more I find. I think I might be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel though and after this I am contemplating many long hours stitching once again. D is helping me streamline my processes so I dont get this backed up again. I have to admit, I can be a terribly disorganized person. I find though, that once I get a system in place I can usually follow it to help me keep it straight. I am one lucky girl to be married to someone with such a skill set!

So while I plug away at organizing photos, taking photos, and all the other fun stuff involved in getting this stuff out to the public....I thought I would give you a peek at something I am particularly proud of. This wonderful splendiferous starry confection.....

I am in LOOOOVE!! :)

As I pick up the needle again...

2010-09-14T12:15:00.000+02:00

Some late night stitching.

Studio Play

2010-09-13T15:48:00.003+02:00

I have been playing, a lot. Lots of dyeing with all kinds of goodies as the results. I have to admit to a bit of down time the other day as my shibori scarf was quite a disappointment. I thought I was getting a handle on my techniques but after snipping the knots on this piece and seeing nothing like I expected I went over my procedure and what I had learned to try and figure out where I had went wrong. Then it hit me like a brick wall. Everything I have done so far has been with heavier fabrics. Cotton knits and velvets. NO wonder I had different results, This silk is light as a feather! So I chalk this one up to experience. It's ok, I still love it very much now that I let it sit there next to me a few days and grow on me. Now that I am past my expectations, I recognize it as the beauty that it is anyway....

I am working diligently on the rest of my dyes. I have so many things going on around here that my head is kinda spinning. I have a PILE of things to list in the shop as soon as I have satisfactory pictures for them all. I also have a new idea. An idea I love. Since this idea hit me I haven't been able to get it out of my head. So I am working toward making it a reality. I want to offer a new product in my shop. Velvet squares in different color schemes. I was thinking along the lines of themes like Sky and Forest, Sunset, Rainbow. Several colors in each pack, all made up of small squares. The problem is, how big should I make the squares? Because I know there are many of you out there like me. You like to make art pieces and dont need a huge piece in one color. I often take one of my velvet quarters, cut a small piece out of it and the rest sits in my drawer for months because I just dont need that much of it. So please give me some advice!! What size do you all think would be the optimum size for color packs?

New Colors

2010-09-08T20:02:00.003+02:00

Just wanted to give you a peek at some of the new floss I just finished!

Sorting Silk Cocoons

2010-09-08T11:39:00.000+02:00

This video shows the double worm cocoon which is where the silk comes from that they make silk dupioni from. When these cocoons are unwound the silk thread has slubs in it which is the main characteristic of sik dupioni. This thread is much weaker and rougher than the thread from single worm cocoons so it is woven with regular silk thread as the warp to give it strength.

Shibori

2010-09-07T19:24:00.002+02:00

So...what comes after shibori stitching?

Lots....

and lots....

of tying!

I have put this into a lovely bath of reds and browns and oranges and hopefully tomorrow when I snip the threads a beauty will arrive :)

Fresh from the wash

2010-09-04T14:40:00.002+02:00

What goodies will we find in here?

Shibori Stitching

2010-09-03T14:24:00.002+02:00

I have been spending my evenings working on this scarf. It is a different type of stitching, but only in the sense that it is not permanent. Such an amazing craft, and a peaceful one. As always I can never start out small with something. Always I have to do the most detailed and intricate. It is a curse and a blessing. I hope with this one I have not bit off more than I can chew....we will see.

Life Returns to Normal

2010-08-30T20:19:00.002+02:00

It's been a long hectic summer and I have had little time to think, rest or create. Returning from vacation was a great relief but things did not slow down after that. We have had house guests for a week and although our activities were much more low key we still did quite a bit. I found myself having a hard time keeping up with everyone and had to just sit and rest often. I think I have just exhausted myself and plan on taking the next few weeks to recuperate.
I still plan on doing some dyeing but I am not planning anything outside of the house except needed errands. I want to spend long evenings curled in my chair, watching tv and stitching away. I still have this stack of scarves needing to be stitched for their shibori dyeing.
I am readying my fabrics and threads for a big dye bath this week. I plan on doing much velvet, silk and floss. That is all I have planned. It feels good to have some empty time stretching ahead of me. Long quiet moments to restore myself.
I will not be so quiet here anymore. I am really, really back this time!

Hohenzolern Castle and Lorelei Rock

2010-08-26T19:25:00.005+02:00

Goodies in a shop window in Little France

Little France, here in Strasbourg

I told you I would post a few photos of the trip. I have only touched the tip of the iceberg though. These were a few of the places we went at the beginning of our trip. A drive down into the Black Forest and the castle there. Another drive up to the Lorelei Rock. Both places are located in Germany. I will try to post some more photos in the future of other places we went. we took at least 600 photos if not more and I am finding it a challenge to wade through them all!

A view of the castle from the distance. Doesn't it look like a scene from a fairy tale?

In the inner courtyard

A little hidden garden, so enchanting.

A view of the valley below.

Wandering through the back streets of St.Goarshausen
Castle Cat
in St.Goarshausen

The beautiful Rhine River as seen from the rock

Hope you enjoyed the peek. It was an enjoyable trip!

More Tie Dye

2010-08-18T20:16:00.002+02:00

Right before I left on vacation I went on a huge tie dye spree. We bought 10 T-shirts and a did a few others I had lying around. I already posted on the first batch I tried. These are from the final batch and I was very pleased with them. I am considering doing even more of them. They are a lot of fun!

Home again!

2010-08-15T15:29:00.003+02:00

It's been a long time people, and I am glad to be back home. My trip was marvelous, being with my son was great. We hopped around all over the place here, in Germany, all the way down to the pyrenees and into Spain. We visited the most interesting little Artist Colony halfway between St Girons and Toulouse that I fell in love with and went blueberry picking (myrtilles) on top of a mountain. I have had an exciting, fun filled and packed holiday and it was much needed. I will post a few pics sometime soon. I dont want to overwelm you with photos so will try to pick out a handful of shots just to give you a feel of where all we went.

The whole time I was gone a barely had any time to stitch. I had packed several things I wanted to work on but most of them werent even touched. I pulled the threads to fringe one scarf but want to buy some bright wooden beads to add to the fringe before it is finished...anyone know a good resource for those type of wooden beads? (the ones with the larger holes so the fringe can go through and nice bright colors)

I worked mainly on a nice large cotton piece I am making into a shibori scarf. I started with a wide mokume band around the edges...and thats as far as I got. 12 rows of stitching around the entire edge. Its a rather large scarf, well over a meter squared. I took a measurement off of a keffiyeh I have.

I haven'tdecided exactly what design I want to set into the middle of this but find the shibori stitching to be soothing. I have a few silk scarves also that I plan on doing some tieing on but didnt get a chance to work on them while I was away.

For now I am resting up, sorting the house and unpacking. Soon I will be back in the studio...

Quiet Time

2010-07-20T16:11:00.004+02:00

This poor blog is so neglected right now! It's not going to change any time soon either. We are leaving Saturday for the Black Forest and after that onto Cologne, then Agen, the pyrenees and into Spain. I will try to stop in but it's very doubtful. We will be without internet most of the time. I cant wait to leave, we have so many fun things planned. The first night we are camping! I am really looking forward to seeing the Lorelei rock. I have heard it is a beautiful place and much good food and drink.

This last week I have spent mainly with my son but also hand rolling the hems on several scarves. I also cut out some big square scarves that I will unravel the edges after I dye and hand tie the fringe on them. We received our t-shirts we ordered and he immediately dried up on ideas for them. SO I am sitting here now trying to think up things I can do with them. One pattern he would like I am not sure how to do. which is similar to the spirals I did before but just one wide stripe of blue and red with a thin line of white in between like this :

I have a few ideas how to do this but if anyone knows for sure I would like to get it right the first time!

I am doing some shibori tyeing on one of them. I cant resist :p I might even do a few more like that one. I finished up mixing te dyes so all I need to do now is plan out what Im doing for each shirt and possibly dye tomorrow. We have to hurry because the family is arriving on Friday!

If I get a chance I will post results before we take off...if I dont I may not be back here till after August 12th. Hope you are all having a great summer!

Tie Dye fun

2010-07-13T14:50:00.004+02:00

I told my son before he came over to pack a few white t-shirts in his bag. I thought we could have some tie dye fun! I havent really done a lot of tie dye before.
I thought ths would be a good opportunity to explore the art a little more. I am highly interested in shibori and it is an extension of that art so..why not? We did four shirts. The first was an old stained shirt that D had worn working in the vineyards.

I liked the design that was on it and since it was the type that wont take dye I thought I might be able to save it.

I was so thrilled when it came out so well. I think this was the best of all four shirts. It didn't involve any tyeing though...maybe thats why LOL. This type of dyeing I am already familiar with ;)

I then tried a few different spiral designs both incorporating a 'spider' in the design.

The Hot Pink spider came out bright and well defined. I was quite happy with this one.

The Rasta Spider is not as defined or as colorful. I see I need to work harder to make sure the dye penetrates the folds well. I also will probably chose another green over 'bright green' in the future. This one seems much paler on cotton than on my velvets.

The last one I was very unhappy with. The guitar is a more difficut tie I admit but I expected better results.

I realize now that I didnt take the time with it I should of and also didnt use enough color on the guitar itself. Again the bright green was less than what I wanted.

The back turned out great though! I have retied this poor thing and will redye the guitar and bring the color up closer to the guitar itself also...instead of having it float among a sea of white and yellow.

I had a lot of fun with this experiment and I want to do more with t's. I ordered 10 more shirts and hope they arrive soon...The son and I have some more dyeing to do!

New Scarf Experiments

2010-07-09T12:42:00.004+02:00

I meant to post this before I got so busy with class and such...but these things happen. I have decided to make scarves and have a lot of different ideas that I want to try. I stocked up on a pile of silk charmeuse, silk gauze, cotton gauze and another shipment of silk velvet. I am not in a big rush with these. I will do a little at a time and find what I like doing best. Since I am not buying scarf blanks anything I do must be hemmed by hand which is a long process. I like doing it that way though as I can decide what sizes I want to do as I go. Also planning on doing some lined velvet pieces..maybe some velvet scarves with silk charmeuse lining. Those would be so yummi and lux!

So these are my first two tries. I wanted to make a couple of long slinky fun scarves. I haven't seamed these yet but they will be simple long skinny scarves just folded over so the velvet is all around.

I think they turned out perfect. So full of color and fun. I might not be able to part with them...my all time favorite scarf is a long black tube just like these will be when finished. What do you think?

French

2010-07-07T12:23:00.002+02:00

So finally, I took my test. It has taken so long to get here. Two moves, lost files, delayed classes and more but finally it's over. Such a relief. The test itself was relatively simple. It took forever. The sound system was unbearably loud. The teachers treated us like bad children. It was not a hard test though. The worst part of the whole experience, and the part that still has me cringing is the interview. After the written part of the test, each student has to have a 15 minute interview with one of the teachers where they ask you several questions, have you point out items on pictures and tell you the names of them, where they are (right, left,up,down) and other simple things like that. My problem? My nose started bleeding about 2 minutes into the interview...and DID NOT STOP the entire interview. It was stressful and embarassing. It flustered me beyond belief and probably caused me to make more than one mistake. I havent heard what my results were...and cant say I want to. As long as I passed...thats all that matters to me.
Want to hear the crazy part? I am actually considering taking the second level course. It's free and it will be my own choice. No pressure. No "you have to do this or you wont get to keep your carte de sojour" crap. I think I might enjoy it and learn more if it doesnt have all the pressure included. We will see.
And now I have time once again to create...and have fun with my son :)

No class today!

2010-06-24T13:05:00.003+02:00

I got ready for class today, I went and sat at the bus stop. I sat for a long time. My bus never came. I finally broke down and called the hubby at work. "My bus isn't coming for some reason," I said. I heard him turn away and mumble something. "Buses are on stirke," he said. I know this shouldn't have made me happy, but it did. A whole extra day to work this week, yay! Happy about work?!? Why yes, yes I am. I much prefer playing with my dyes and fabrics than travelling on a bus and two trams an hour each way to go to my french class and do drills. Now the french class I dont mind at all and I am sure it is helping me in some way. They arent really teaching me anything anymore but the drills are supposed to make you more comfortable with the test. I think that I will still do fine without this day of drills though....

So what I really wanted to talk to you all about is this: I have decided to make scarves for my shop. I love dyeing. there is no denying it. I could dye all the time I think but the fact is, I only need so much fabric for myself. I have been selling the velvet quarters online and that is fine, but I dont really sell that many of them. I sell lots of floss and I enjoy it too, but I want to branch out. I started dyeing other fabrics and I enjoy seeing how the dye takes differently, how they look, etc. Now I want to make something with them though, and I think scarves could be a good thing. Everyone loves them. Many people collect them. So why not make them?
My main problem is deciding what KIND of scarves to make. SO I decided to ask you, my readers, what kind of scarf do you like? short wispy scarves you knot around your neck? Long slinky scarves you can loop round and round? How about the new infinity scarf? Do you like that?
I thought one thing I would try is long skinny velvet scarves. They can be a lot of fun and if you want them shorter you can double them. I also thought some silk gauze scarves would be yummi. Its so light and floaty and holds the color so well. What do you all think? I'm dyeing to know *grin*

French

2010-06-21T21:28:00.000+02:00

Tomorrow i start my last leg of french classes. A week and a half cram course to prepare for my French exam. At the end of it my son arrives. A nice prize for the completion. I will not have much time and when I do I will probably be too tired to blog so you may not hear from me for awhile. Until then, you all take care :)

Shop Update

2010-06-17T13:49:00.003+02:00

Hello Everybody. I hope you are all having a pleasant week. We have had a busy week ourselves. First off we had unexpected guests. One of D's good friends has been touring the countryside with a friend. They went to Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary , Austria and Germany and when returning to France they were nearby so dropped in for a few days. It was really nice to see them and they brought along this sweet girl.

She was so much fun to be around, very well behaved and entertaining. We went into town with them last night, their last evening here and we had dinner at a Lebanese Restaurant. None of us knew what to expect but we ordered a group meal which consisted of around 20 small dishes so we could try a variety of their food. Turns out it is very similar to what I consider Turkish and Greek food. Dolmas, Hummus, Tabbouleh, Cucumber Sauce, Lemon Chicken, etc. I enjoyed it thoroughly and we will definitely be back. I really miss Pita and hummus over here so now I know where to find it!

I also woke up a few mornings back to find out I was one of the featured shops with the Firestalkers Guild over on Artfire. I have been working all the last week or so taking photos and getting things ready to list in my shop because I wanted it all to be done when my son arrives. When I heard about being featured I sat down and listed ALL of the floss I have ready, which was around 20 colorways. Talk about non-stop listing. Oh boy! I still have a PILE of velvets and silk charmeuse to list but at least I have part of it done. I am running out of days.

So sorry I havent been writing much but my week has not been that interesting. I havent had a chance to stitch in days. My Ipad covers have come to a halt while I work out design problems and try to locate materials. I have been photographing so much I want to throw the camera out the window. I had thought there was a whole pile of pictures finished then realized those had disappeared when the computer had its break down. I promise I will get back to you soon with more interesting artsy stuff but in the meantime...isn't this colorway just scrumptious?

New Website

2010-06-13T14:13:00.001+02:00

I am proud to announce that my new website is up and running! DH worked long and hard to set this up and I owe it all to him. He even translated the entire site! There is still work to do on it so it's not completely finished but it is well on it's way. Please stop by and take a gander. I would love to hear what you think!
www.cymberrain.com

Floss Candy Galore!

2010-06-11T21:44:00.003+02:00

I have been crazy busy the last few days with a large dye batch I did. I wasnt planning on dyeing this week but then I received a custom order for some stone floss. That was all the incentive I needed so I set to work and dyed four different sets of stone colors along with another eight colorways besides those. I also did several silk ribbons. It doesnt matter how many times I dye it never gets boring. I just LOVE to play with the colors.

Even with the new studio setup I have been having quite the problem with where to put my pieces as I dye them. When I am doing a lot at a time I run out of space quickly. So I made this stacking box.

I have a ton of boxes from the move and they are fairly sturdy cardboard. I also had a big sheet of double cardboard. So I cut out shelves and mounted them in the box and then cut pieces of cardboard big enough to slide into the shelves as trays. I had a whole role of nice thicker plastic and covered all of the trays with that. Now I can just dye my floss right on the trays and slide them into the box. I was able to do my whole dye batch and had room left over. I love it, even if it is just a bunch of cardboard it works like a dream!

A lovely day in Strasbourg

2010-06-07T15:39:00.005+02:00

DH and I wandered into Strasbourg Saturday afternoon just for. It was such a gorgeous day out and we have been missing the sun lately. What a perfect day. They were having an agricultural fair near where we got off the tram so we checked out all the tents. They had lots of baby animals on display. A bee hive, and a stand where you could milk a fake cow. The kids seemed to be having a lot of fun. They also had a huge tent where they were serving fresh flame roasted tarte flambe's which is a regional special here. Its like a cracker crust pizza with a cream sauce, onions, lardon and cheese. A whole tarte for only 5 euros! We couldnt resist and we were glad we couldn't because it was delish!.

After we left that area we came across this industrious crew of two working on this huge mural.

We took a few picks then, and also on our way back to the tram so you can see the progress.

I love exploring this city, every time I turn around I find another great viewpoint.

Peeks into alleys and gardens that are just wonderful.

The crooked rooftops are so enchanting, and the great dormer windows.

We happened upon this huge carousel that had two levels. So enchanting!

There was also a huge protest going on the whole time we were down there against Isreal. There were many youths there wearing flags as capes and parading up and down the streets and giving speeches. The police were out in force but we saw little action.
We came home tired but happy that night. I was so glad the next morning that we had gone on Saturday as we were hit with a HARD storm Sunday afternoon. I just snuggled up and finished my sugar skull...

Imagination Packs

2010-06-03T10:40:00.003+02:00

I just thought I would make a quick post since I forgot to tell you all. I now have my Imagination Packs, the Autumn Forest Fiber Arts Fabric and Trims Pack and the Undersea Fiber Arts Fabric and Trims Pack available in my ArtFire Store. I really love this idea and plan on putting together some more if people are interested.

I am also stitching away on this idea.

which will be on the cover of one of the new Ipad covers I am designing. I am trying to come up with a nice design for my covers, something a little different from what is offered out there and hope my idea can be structured that way I want. Right now I'm just having fun stitching this in some beautiful silks I dyed. Wow do I love hand dyed fabric and thread. I dont think I could ever work with flat fabric again. The depth is just amazing!

The calm is finally setting in

2010-06-01T11:39:00.005+02:00

I am falling into a routine I think. I am finally feeling at home here. I dont bump into walls in the middle of the night as often. I am finally getting a 'feel' to this house. My mind doesnt feel all cluttered and crazy like it has for the last few months. I can start letting some of the worry and stress go and start concentrating on my new life here. I have decided to spend the next month working hard to make some items to fill up my ArtFire shop We bought my son's ticket this weekend and he is coming at the end of June. I am SO excited! I want my shop running smoothly by then, nice and full of lots of pretties. Then I can spend my time with him having fun and not constantly worrying if I have enough on my shop. I have lots of ideas as always. Sometimes they just overflow my brain and I cant write them down fast enough. Having ideas is never my problem it seems. It is the making of them as each piece I make takes so long.

This piece that I showed you a glimpse of last post has progressed some more. It will be a choker with hand dyed silk ribons to tie it in back. I had in mind an elaborate celtic spiral centerpiece for it but then I saw the most lovely cabachons on an ArtFire store that I would love to feature on it that I am undecided as to what I want to do with it now.

I also started working on this, another of my favorite paisleys...the spiral sun. This will be an iphone cover and I plan on making several of these and/or ipad covers. I find it a perfect canvas for my embroidery and truthfully, I dont care what I make with it after I finish the embroidery. I just love having something to stitch.

I also have a huge pile of velvets I need to list so I plan on working on that this week. After these I am hesitating on dyeing anymore quarters. I havent been selling them much and wonder if the size is the problem? I wonder if people would enjoy my velvets in a larger size? I know the price is reasonable because I actually have it marked lower than other sellers who ARE selling their items. I dont think the colors are bad either so maybe it's just that I dont have the 'Name' that others have, or the contacts...

I just know that I want to get all this in order. So I dont need to worry about it as much. It's been such a disorganized mess since moving to Grenoble, and then on to here. I think once its all put in a managable form it will start running smoothly and I can concentrate more on my art. Because when it all comes down to it, I do this part so I can do my ART.

Silk RIbbons!

2010-05-27T14:43:00.003+02:00

Sorry I have been so sporadic with my postings lately. I plan on posting and then find the whole day has ran away. I guess that means I've been busy. I have accomplished a few things this week but not as much as I wanted to!

I finally received my order of ribbons and this is the results of my first play day with ribbons. I like it very much ^^ They are a bit different to work wit then fabric or floss so I have some learning to do. So far the results are very nice though. I especially like the rainbow =D

I also have started a new piece...more on that later...

My New Studio

2010-05-21T18:09:00.004+02:00

Finally we are finished with the studio. I am so glad it's done! Sorry I have been so quiet lately but not only did I not have the time to do any art...I had no place to do it in! Everything was a mess, and I made it worse by dumping everything out of the boxes and drawers to 'organize' it better. Not smart! :p
I thought I would show you some pics of my new place. I just love it! Now it's not fancy. We didnt buy all new fixtures or anything like that...but it IS all new to me and best of all, I finally have space to do my work. I have been surviving for quite awhile now with a shelf board balanced between two small pieces of furniture!

My room is a sort of 'L' shape and starting off, this is the dye area. I thought the shape was perfect because I can keep my sewing and my dyeing seperate. The dye table is actually our old couch! When it broke we took the bottom out, turned it on its side and voila...a workbench! Above it is one of the shelves we bought at the town sale for 5 euros! On the left is one of the shelves I found at Ikea for 40% off. I was quite excited about that. On the wall in the back we mounted whiteboard material so I can just write my notes on the wall when Im dyeing. It's so convenient and easy to use. I also set up my double boiler for when I want to make a quick batch of soap or melt some wax for batik.

DH ran a steel cable around two walls of the room so I can clip and hang whatever I please. Great for notes, inspiration and tools, I even hang my floss from there. I have lights set under the shelf so I can see better when dyeing since this part of the room is without windows.

This is the second half of the 'L'. My sewing area. I love having the tabletops all the way around. The one section of the desk even moves so I can pull it all the way up next to me or push it against the wall when its in my way.

We put a nice big cork board above the desk so I can pin up my WIP's and study them to figure out where I want to go next with them. Also real handy for notes.

On the other side is a nice storage area for my dyed fabrics and in the middle is my mailing center with drawers for my envelopes, paper, etc. The wire also runs around to this side to clip up favorite pieces I want to look at. Above is another of the shelves I bought at the town sale with my wool bits for needle felting stored in baskets and some of my books.

Down below is another set of drawers with places to store my trims, scissors and threads, etc. All in all I am thrilled with it. I finally have a place for everything which I really need since I can be so disorganized. I find if I have a place to put something I usually will put it away but I get in trouble when I dont and everything turns into a big mess!

So that's the tour. I hope you enjoyed it *^_^*. Hoping you all have a wonderful weekend. I know I'm planning on it!

Handmade Twitter Parade

2010-05-18T09:53:00.003+02:00

This is a fun thing the girls over on Artfire are doing to promote the site and make people more aware of it. There are a lot of great shops and people over there, so if you use twitter you might want to check out the hashtag. There will be lots of goodies!

The studio is almost finished!

2010-05-18T09:08:00.002+02:00

This Friday we stopped by the Ikea to pick up a few small items and as soon as we walked in we saw two of the shelves I had on my list to buy and they were displays. They were marked to 40% off so we bought them. It was kinda funny because we dont have a car and we had to take them apart and pack them into pieces of old cardboard to bring home. I had my shopping cart with me and we put a lot of the pieces on there and wrapped them tight, dragged the whole mess home. It was a bit of a chore but I love to save money! So we spent the rest of the day rearranging the studio yet again. D also hung my steel cable around two walls and set the lights on the bottom of the shelf over the dye table. I will finally have plenty of light when I work on my dyes.

Saturday we were off again to the town wide sale in Neiderhausbergen. We didnt really buy much to speak of but it was fun to visit. The sale there was almost as crazy as the one that was here so I guess it's a big deal here. All I know is man did I see a lot of junk at one time LOL!

Yesterday was my big day to go to my appointment at OFII - the immigratiom and integration office. They did a test on my french language and set me up to finish my classes here. I have 30 hours of class left and then my final test. They seemed to think I was doing well so I guess I will quit being so hard on myself. The appointment was way down on the southeast side of the city and took me half the day to go and come back. I surely hope my classes are somewhere else cause I sure wouldnt want to do that on a regular basis!

So creatively I have not done anything since I last posted. I am still busy with the studio. I emptied out every box, drawer etc. and have been slowly sorting and organizing so that when I am done it will be just as I want it. I really would like to finish it today. I also have a big order I have to start working on. Lots of dyeing. Soon though, all of this will be finished and I will have this wonderful room to come into and create to my hearts desire as much as I want. I cant wait!

Mushroom Love WIP

2010-05-13T17:01:00.003+02:00

While organizing the studio the last few weeks, I once again went through my pile of WIP's. I showed you one piece I am working on last week, the old man sun. I also pulled out this one:

'Mushroom Love'

It has been interesting going through these old projects. I am once again happily stitching away at this one. I really love the effect and have been trying to envision what I should put behind these pieces for the inside of the mushroom. I think I have plenty of time to decide that one though....it's going to be awhile just stitching these pieces *grin*

After the crash

2010-05-11T09:39:00.002+02:00

Sorry I have been silent all week. I had a rather busy schedule and I lost track of the days but thats not the only thing that happened. A few nights ago I couldnt sleep so I got out of bed and came into the studio as I am prone to do, and sat down to the computer. Hit the power button and all I saw was an error screen. I did everything I could think of...still no go. Seems it suffered a fatal crash. We thought that the hard drive was gone for sure but upon reinstalling windows it is up and working again. Such a relief! All my files and photos are gone of this last week though and that is a shame. Any WIP photos are irreplacable. Fortunately I had uploaded this before pic just a few days ago and found it resting on Flickr! I didnt like this piece when I finished it so I went back at it and worked on improving it. What do you think?