Sun, Moon and Stars

Well all of my fabric has been unpacked. I played with it yesterday, sorting it into different piles. Feeling the softness of the velvet, the slickness of the silk. I forgot how much I had, how many pieces I truly loved What brought me to this place was a post done by a much admired fiber artist that I have followed for almost ten years now. I saw her post on my facebook timeline and clicked over to read it and when I did something happened. I don't know if it was the distress of the day or something else I can't define but I decided I couldn't spend the rest of my life not sewing. Life is too short and I hold it too dear. So right then and there, in the blink of an eye, I told myself enough is enough. It is time to sew again.

She is giving a class that one can follow along with and make something similar to what she is doing. I decided I am going to do this class. It is a way to find myself back to where I was so long ago when I had to put down my needles and 'REST'. Well that advice wasn't much good as I still have the same problem I did when my doctor told me that, so here I go...

She starts with a nine piece square, something I have never done. I picked out my pieces of fabric last night and ironed them all, today I will stitch them together. It is cold out and it feels good, curled up here with my blanket and my cloth on my lap. Good times!

Fairie Bleu

I have been under the weather all week and not able to finish any of the jobs I had planned for the house. It's very frustrating when my body doesn't cooperate with me. All the willpower in the world doesn't help when you have a fever. So I have been spending many days quiet. I have had a lot of nice long naps. I also have had a lot of bowls of oatmeal. It's amazing how comforting oatmeal can be. It really is a healing food! Today I graduated to oatmeal with bananas, I am moving up in the world!

So since I am being so quiet and not really having energy to do anything much, I picked up this piece I have been working on since October. I haven't really had a chance to work on it lately but I really want to get it done because this will go on the wall in my bedroom. I already have the frame bought!


I really love the delicate feel to it and hope to copy this feel through out the room. I know my kitchen and living room are bright and modern and colorful but that is not the only side of me! I have this bohemian hippy chick side hiding but not for long! Someday I will start working in my bedroom and you will get to see a whole other side of me!

Until then I hope you all have a beautiful rest of the week. Remember the weekend is upon us!

DIY Table Runner Made With Recycled Jeans and T-shirts

Today I wanted to show you my new table runner. This actually started out as a plan for my coffee table but after finishing it I decided I like it on the dining room table as much as on the coffee table. The great thing about this piece? It uses up some old clothes. I am all about recycling as much as possible and I have a big cabinet just full of old clothes to use for my projects.

To make this piece you need an old pair of jeans, about 5 t-shirts in the colorway you want. I chose reds, yellow, orange and black, some stiff lining material, another shirt in a coordinating fabric, I had an old stretchy black velvet shirt I used. 

Some shishka mirrors or fancy buttons, 

embroidery thread in the same coordinating colors, some liner material and some backing material. The sizes are dependent on how wide you want to make your piece.

I started out by cutting three rectangles from the legs of the jeans. Mine were 20" long and 8" wide. Then I cut the tshirts into strips from side to side about 1-3/4 inches wide.

I then took the strips and folded each side into the middle and then folded them again, so they are long strips like bias tape. 

I pinned these shut with safety pins so they would be easier to work with. 

I then placed the strip of tshirt at the top corner of thejean rectangle and using 3 ply of  embroidery thread started sewing it on. I simply wrapped the floss over the top, pulled the needle through to the back and came up about 1/8 of an inch further down and do it again. 

This is a very easy stitch to do and I made most of these while watching tv. I made two with the colored t-shirts using black thread and one with the black t-shirt and the different colored flosses. 

I would just sew a long piece of thread and then switch to another color.

After you finish your t-shirt pieces you can make your other two pieces. 

I used a thick lining material like you would use inside a belt, like buckram but you could also use jeans for this. I cut them the same size as the other pieces. I then cut out the velvet about 1/2 inch larger all the way around, I wrapped it around the lining material and slip stitched it all the way around. 

I then took the shishka mirrors and scattered a few across the top and slip stitched them onto the fabric. When I finished with this I took the yellow floss and made simple criss cross stars all over the two pieces.

When all the stars were done I laid the five pieces across my lining material and cut it out to the same size. 

I then pinned it all down (I used a lot of pins to make sure nothing slipped around) I then stitched the pieces onto the lining material first stitching the velvet pieces down onto the striped pieces and then all the way around the edge.

After this was done I laid the piece out on top of my backing material and cut it 2" wider all the way around. 

Then I folded the edge of the backing material twice and then up and over the edge and pinned it down. Then I machine stitched all the way around the edge. 

Voila, finished!

Finished Bag

So here it is, all finished, soon to be on a trip across the sea. I hope she loves it as much as I do. I plan on doing a short tutorial on how to make these simple cotton tassels soon so be on the look out.

The owl will soon take flight!

I have been busy the last month on finishing the two bags for a custom order. I wrote about the Mermaid Bag last week and showed you some pictures. Today I plan on finishing the second bag, a treasure bag. I am so happy to finally finish these two. It was an enjoyable work. It has been a long time since I embroidered and it was good to do it again. I plan on doing a lot more now!

Where did the time go?

Wow I can't believe I haven't written in my blog in three months! How did that happen? I thought I made posts...did the internet eat them?

I think maybe I am unconsciously avoiding this blog. It needs a complete overhaul and I really need to do that soon.

Anyway. I have been busy. I spent the Christmas season cross stitching away. I made several things:

A few Christmas ornaments,

A New Adventure

     

  As many of you know, I have been down ill for a month and a half. One afternoon feeling a tickle in my nose blossomed into a full fledged bronchial attack with all it's complications. After three (really four)antibiotic treatments, allergic reactions to two and many side effects I am slowly coming back to myself. It's amazing the difference you can feel in such a short period of time. I spent weeks in a brain fog where i couldn't even put 2 and 2 together! I am working hard on regaining my health and getting back on track.

The Dreaded Scourge

Last time I talked to you I was happily plugging away, making all kinds of pretties and just generally being happy. Setting up my studio, unpacking boxes I haven't opened in a year and really enjoying seeing my studio come together.
Since then it has been anything but! I have been down now for over two weeks with a terrible nose running, throat burning, lung congesting, head pounding, stomach plummeting flu. UGH!
But...I am recovering, hooray!
The last few days I have been waking up with less and less congestion and not as many head spinning headaches. I may survive after all :)

Summer Fun

Hello again! I hope the summer is treating you well. We had quite a hot streak awhile back but things have cooled back down again and I can enjoy the weather a bit more. We have been up to the mountains again and love it up there so much we might even move there. You never know!

The van is shaping up quite nicely. Frenchie still needs to work on the shelving storage system but other than that we are good to go. We took a trip up last week to a new lake and it was quite nice. When I got tired I just climbed into the van and out like a light! It's so beautiful and I am thankful for the opportunity to spend some time up there among all the nature.
   So this month I have started on my journey of learning to make at home natural products for the home and body. The first two things I made were toothpaste and deodorant. I am pleased to say that I am VERY happy with both. In fact I won't ever go back to store bought. Why did I wait so long? Next in line is homemade sunscreen. I hope to make that today or tomorrow. I have a big long list of things I want to make including cleaners and balms, etc. Having the balcony garden is a help as I do have some herbs out there to use as ingredients. I hope to keep adding beneficial herbs as I go. i also planted 6 new tubs of fall veggies: greens, broccoli, carrots, cauli, etc. They are already peeking their little heads out of the soil and I hope they continue to grow unmolested. I have had quite a few battles with the aphids and now caterpillars. Who knew they could find me up here so high in the sky? I haven't had a large harvest off my garden yet though I have had a steady small supply of lettuce coming in and a small handful of cherry tomatoes every day or so. It's not much but it is a beginning and I think next year I will do much better now that I am learning. I also managed to make 6 more bottles of red current cordial and one very concentrated bottle of black current cordial. They are both simply delicious! I ordered some water kefir this week and want to start making kefir sodas. I will probably try some ginger and cream flavored sodas with the kefir. I can't wait to try it! Why put junk in your body when you can drink such wonderful healthy drinks?

  As to doing anything creative wise, I did finish my paisley necklace finally and I have started on several sewing projects.

 I am in sore need of a few dresses and had some nice material floating around in the supply closet so I decided to give it a whirl. It's been awhile since I made myself something so why not? I also have plans to make a new purse. I do tend to flit about going from one thing to another but it sure does keep life interesting!

 So how has your summer been going? Been anywhere interesting?

A little this and that...

I have been so bad about updating this blog lately. I made myself a page on Facebook and I post things that I do there and for some reason I keep forgetting to also post here. I will try to get better. Since my last post I finished the necklace and earrings I was making and made another pair, another necklace and also a pendant.


 I called a hold on anymore till I get a few new tools I need. Things to help my pieces be a bit more professional. My side cutters are not to my satisfaction as they were supposed to be flush cutters but don't seem to be holding up to their name. Also a plastic tipped hammer for hardening without flattening. Something I really need as I can be a bit overzealous with the hammer I have. Once I get all I need I will try making a few more pieces. I am finding that I really enjoy making jewelry and I am not going to stop. I really like being able to do different things. Never a dull moment here!

 I am now working at adapting my pattern for fairy shoe pin cushions into one for a fairy shoe for babies. It's a bit difficult as I don't have a baby around for trying them on so I made a shoe form from a pattern I found online and stuffed it to use as a model. So now that I have a 'baby foot' it helps a bit to make sure they are the correct size. This shoe is around the 6 month size. It will be in two layers. The outside one will have more  of the fairy boot shape and the inner liner which i made from polar fleece will be more of the normal shoe shape to keep the little ones foot from scrunching up into the toe and being uncomfortable. I am using a buckram type material to line the soles of both the inner and outer linings (though it isn't the same, the fabric store lady here had no idea what buckram was) So all in all they will be nice sturdy little cloth shoes. I also plan on buying a few tubes of fabric paint so i can put dots on the bottom so they aren't slippery. I looked into buying some non slip cloth but they were all in white fabrics and I want the bottom fabric to match the rest of the shoe.


 Here are a few pics of the prototype that I worked on to make the pattern. I have one in production right now and worked on the embroidery last night. I hope to have pics of it completed tomorrow. or the next day.
Hope you are all having a creative weekend!

Antsy

Yesterday was one of those weird days where I just couldn't settle. D slept late so I couldn't go finish my purse I was working on so I drifted about the apartment feeling all out of sorts. I messed with the Fimo. I laid out some wool to felt...but never felted it. Finally I decided to start the celestial paisleys.
I wanted a backgound of a sunny day. I wasn't sure how to achieve this. I didnt really want to sew a background. It would be to thick and heavy on what will eventually be a thick and heavy piece without that. I looked through my fabrics but nothing really suited what I wanted. I finally decided to paint it. I just wanted a simple background, no details to speak of.


So here is my background. Reminds me of something I would do in kindergarten *hehe* I think it will suit its purpose though. I also like how it makes the fabric somewhat stiff. Gives it a bit more structure then usual.

I've cut out my paisley pieces and I'm working on adding them to the background cloth..then I can be on my way!

Tomorrow D and I have talked of going into town. I haven't really been out of this house in ages except to go to doctors appointments and the grocery store. I have mapped out several craft and fabric shops in the city and I want to go wander down Rue Saint Catherine (the longest pedestrian street in europe). I would like to visit as many as possible that are near there just to get an idea of what each carries. I am tired of internet shopping, although truthfully things seem cheaper out of France for some reason. I did find two shops online today that are IN France that sell carded merino in different colors. They are even close in price to the places I buy from in England. Now a real dream come true would be to find a wool shop in Bordeaux. *crosses fingers* I want to teach myself to nuno felt...as always...wanting to know more and more!
Hope you all have a great Friday!

I'm a little bit melencholy today. I have went and caught D's cold with all it's bells and whistles. Fever? check. Nose stopped with a cement plug thats impenetrable? check. Sandpaper throat? check. Ominous rumblings in the nether regions of my lungs? Check, check, CHECK! I'm not the only one with this malicious germ either. Everyone I have seen this weekend has been in the grip of this beast >.< I just want to feel better! I want the cold gone! I want the doc to give me a treatment that fixes everything. I want to be able to sleep at night and not hurt all the time. UGH!

OK. Rant off. Sometimes you just have to let it all out, ya know?

I have been stumbling along with these ideas I have running around in my head. I'm not sure that I'm pulling them off. They look so good on paper but when I start putting the pieces together I sometimes have to stop, scratch my head and wonder what I was thinking. I spent yesterday peacefully stitching some of the embroidery parts onto the pieces and then I stitched up a few of the components. This will be a sewing set. Somehow. How it will all come together in the end I'm not sure.
I had envisioned a sewing organizer that you would put over the arm of your chair. I wanted it to be customizable. I'm not so sure what I had in mind will work out in reality. Maybe it's just my head refusing to work under these conditions *hehe* I really don't blame it if it goes on strike.

Returning

I spent last evening in quiet stitching.


Slowly filling the spaces with imaginings of underwater things.


I also made this fun fringe for the bottom of my bag.



Soon this project will be done. I already have plans for many more. My head is always overflowing with ideas it seems, but never enough time to make them all. What's funny is all the times I come up blank...where do they all run to when you need them? *grin*

Today was my first day back to class. It was a difficult morning. My body made much protesting about the abuse I was putting it under. I made it there though and back again. It is hard to go back after so long away. The teachers words all ran together and I looked back with a blank stare. Fortunately he is a patient man and I think he understands the shock of returning. I think the activity is good for me. I have been too long indolent. Hope you all have a great Monday. I am resting this afternoon and trying to convince myself that I can do this all over again tomorrow :)

Long peaceful nights....

Stitching late into the night

The lamplight making the cloth glow

I love the richness of these late night photos.

What a contrast with the daylight!

Underwater frolic

I have had to turn away from my paisleys for awhile. Even with my new gloves too many days satin stitching makes my hands cry. I have been trying to sit still, be a good girl and follow doctors orders but I had to get out and buy some things at the store yesterday, as Dorian was gone from early til late with no chance to stop. I regretted it though. I guess they were serious when they said no strenuous activity!
Once again this morning I couldn't sit still till I cleaned a little on the house but just straightening the bedroom and sweeping the floor in there brought me to my couch. I love to sit and stitch and often when Im too busy I think to myself that if I had a chance I would just stitch forever. I am learning this week that too long at one thing and your body aches to move. It's one thing to want to rest all day, it's another to be told you have to.


So to give myself some variety and add a bit of excitement back into my life, I started working on my mermaid bag again. I have long admired Jude's method of weaving strips of raw edged fabric and this work called for something raw and natural. I am still regreting my choice of background fabric as it seems to glitzy and shiny for what I'm wanting but I have some ideas. I am already loving this piece more and more!

The calm before the storm

It is a beautiful sunny day here in southwest France. The snow has melted and the hills are a wonderful array of greens and browns across my windows. I am curled up on the couch in front of the fireplace stitching away the afternoon. Today is a peaceful day.
We had planned to have the New Years Eve party here again this year but plans changed and now it is at someone else's house nearby. Deep breath of relief. Not that I wouldn't have enjoyed it here but it would have been a lot more work. Right now D needs to just relax and enjoy himself a bit. Too much stress already with all the projects on his plate. He has spent half the holidays coding. I am looking forward to tomorrows festivities though. If it's anything like last year's party I will definitely be sleeping in the next day *grin* Ah, my holidays are drawing swiftly to an end. Sometimes I wish I could just spend all my time stitching away. 4 more months of school though....


I have done quite a bit on the fairy shoe pin cushion. I still am not done. I went to put a piece on the pin cushioin part and just didnt like how it looked. Unfortunately I didnt bring any pieces that I do like there so I will finish this piece up when I get back home and find something suitable that I like.


I had also planned on making a star garland while I was here but my pinking sheers are in terrible condition. I'm not sure what I will do about that project now. Guess I will have to get these sheers sharpened or get a new pair...might cost the same.
Hope you all have a wonderful day and an even better New Year's Eve!