4.27.2010

planting color

i'll be the first to admit that i haven't much of a green thumb. some would say, black; or at least grey. my orchids have survived, for the most part. however, putting aside all that, today was a day to dig your hands into soil, rip roots loose, and arrange heights and colors in a container of clay.


we have a front porch that sits mainly in the sun, which perhaps makes it seem barren and harsh on the best of days. it's nice to sit out there once the sun falls behind the house, but at that point the mosquitoes become your bosom buddy. i've learned that the little blood suckers absolutely abhor lavender. so to my way of thinking, "lets plant lots of lavender on the front porch, thus fending off the mosquitoes". lavender loves the sun, anyways.

so into the neighborhood big box garden store, which of course, did not have a stem of lavender. but oh, there were lots of pretty smelling flowers. so i started grabbing plants which met three requirements: strong scent, either pinky purple or yellow green flowers, and of course differing heights. so these were the groupings i put together when we arrived home. i hope they like their new neighbors. this is definitely new to me, you know, gardening. better luck tomorrow as we go a'hunting for that lavender!

4.26.2010

nice and cosy

while working on one of the tutorials, i was inspired to create a case for my macbook. the color combination and fabrics were too nice together to pass up. plus, i was able to incorporate some of my nani iro stash. yum.

which reminds me, i must stock up on nani iro while i'm in japan this fall. yet one more reason to be uncontrollable excited.

the case is so soft, it's padded and has a flannel lining. every time i have to sew in a zipper it gets a little easier. i came across this really ingenious way of attaching a zipper; and i have to say it worked marvelously!

show me

tutorials are educational, clear tutorials with awesome photos even better. at the request of a fellow flickr contributor i am working on a couple of tutorials for her website, charm stitch. these will be pouches, coin purses, makeup brush bags, etc. it's all really exciting.


laura sent me some fat quarts of fabrics she's featuring, as well as some cording, and two beautiful nani iro buttons. if there's anything i love more, it's fabric.

with the rain we've had the last few days, i haven't really been able to work on them. but today the skies cleared, i had time on my hands, and the sewing gods were in my favor. i just sent over the tutorial for a pleated pouch i finished today, so we'll see how it goes.

4.22.2010

some of us just take longer to mature

i've had orchids for 10 years now, and without a scale invasion 4 years ago i would have 22 of them. sadly, i have but 6 remaining. i never got back into it after the scale devastation of '06, so i have not added a new orchid in quite some time. i have one which blooms for 4 days once a year, one which blooms off and on throughout the year, and one which bloomed 2 years ago and not a peep since, the other three have invisible blooms that only pixies can see, or so i thought.

luckily though, one of the first orchids i bought survived unscathed and gave me quite a surprise four days ago; it bloomed and has flowered into a most funny face. the reason for the surprise is that when i bought this plant 9 years ago it was but a baby and the shop owner told me it would mature in 5 years and then bloom. as you see, i had no expectation of it ever blooming once we got into year 8 and there was still no sign. it is a pretty thing to see, and has made my current "cold virus from the depths of hell" suffering brighter.

4.12.2010

seeking knowledge

once i had my loom arranged nicely into it's new home, i realized that there was a gully of information pertaining to sophy that i did not have. i would need a source, and turning to the internet i thought i had one between the covers of a book, learning to weave. but upon reading the book and having many questions i began to think that perhaps knowledge from flesh and blood would be no bad thing.
so, perceiving that a fibre guild would contain people who were experienced, knowledgeable, and willing to share, i went in search of one close to home. luckily for me there is one in savannah, the fiber guild of the savannahs. and also that they were to have a gallery opening that friday, and a monthly meeting on the following day.

the exhibit was very well attended and contained exceedingly beautiful, skillfully rendered pieces. i met one weaver, bonnie, who is willing to have me as a student. i am glad for this.
at the meeting we discussed guild business, the upcoming may workshop, and were shown how to create a beaded button, or pin. i created a moon rising into the starlit sky amongst hills of green. i am excited to be a part of this community of women, who i hope to learn much from, and who have welcomed me amongst them.

what comes from decisions

several months ago i decided that what my life needed was a loom. this decision led to another; what i needed was a schacht baby wolf loom, 4 or 8 harness. i searched the internet to no avail, checked craigslist in a sweeping 250 mile range three times a week, and after several disappointments decided to sit on this decision.

about a week ago, following a little voice inside, i searched craigslist once again. maybe my stars were in alignment, maybe i was not "a day late and dollar short", or perhaps the fibre gods were smiling, for i am now in possession of a 4-harness baby wolf.

the story goes as such; a young couple moves into a house which they purchased from an older gentleman. the home was once shared by this man and his wife, who had a loom. the wife passes, and the man is left with a loom and a too large house. he sells this abode to the young couple and leaves the loom's fate for them to decide. they, having two small children, full time jobs, and not being partial to weaving, decide to find a new home for this loom. so they post it on craigslist. and so into this story weaves my thread, 5 hours time after this posting. a phone call, an offer, a zealous explanation of my love affair with textiles, an appointment time, directions gathered, car loaded into, tank of gas filled, a five hour car trip, and the loom was there, i could touch it and see it and take it home with me. her name is sophy and we shall be friends for she is only one year younger than i.