fiber mayhem

most people enjoy seeing what others collect during their travels, and me being no different, i will post that which i came home with. i didn't get much of a chance to see asheville, as my stay was so short and the weather was dire at times. but, i still managed to acquire a nice hoard.

one shop in particular stood out, this being a fabric admirers delight, waechters fine fabric, where i found some lovely double faced wool coating which i had been thinking of for a warm and lovely wrap, a woven silk which felt like paper, and some cream dupioni to dye. i will shop here again i think, as it is hard to find such lovely and drapey material to make into clothing.

for the most part i bought fiber, yarn, fabric, a button, and a very unusual tool from the bygone weaving industry. asheville is so much a place for folk art, that i went with a small list of things to look for; fiber, a summer tea cup, and paper to spin. luckily, these things were found and i will be going back for saff in the fall i am sure.

quilts as comfort food

i finished the quilt yesterday, and was quite proud of my work. the entire piece was hand quilted, as well as the binding. it went surprisingly quick despite my none traditional quilt stitching method. i love the feel of a quilt; it's warm, and bumpy, but soft despite that.

i photographed it on my bed, but that's not where it's staying; my cat meiko is having hairball/bulimia issues right now, and let's say she does a bit of sleeping in my bed. in fact, that's her right there in the top photo. sneaky kitty. i had to stand on a chair to get all of the blocks in the photograph. they remind me of birds, some going that way, and some going this way.

i incorporated a lot of my favorite prints into the pinwheels, quite a few of heather ross, and some nani iro, along with several prints i've had for over 10 years (originally intended for my dollhouse as the prints are small). these are my favorite blocks, i think it's the colors. not that i don't like the others, but that's the thing with the rainbow, we all have a favorite group of hues we're drawn to.

while i was quilting, i thought it would be nice to make quilts out of silks, linen, my own woven cloth; something tactile, more neutrals and subdued colors. i've been on the hedge about getting the book 1000 artisan textiles but perhaps it would be really inspirational, and if nothing else it may be able to help me take better textile photos.

pins and other things

while i was in kyoto, i stopped in at mina perhonen on several occasions to obsess over and then purchase little baggies of remnant fabric from the designers workshop. the quality, colors, and designs are utterly fantastic; i'm just sorry i didn't buy a higher quantity, and don't have access to the store anymore.

one of the things i did with the pieces was make an inspiration book. i made the cover from a shopping bag, the pages from a stiff fabric, and embroidered the butterfly logo on the first and last page, i used yellow thread to sew in the pages, which matches the yellow ties. it's nice to have access to such a wonderful source of inspiration.

luckily, i had some duplicate pieces so i added them to my small stockpile of scraps. yesterday i felt like sewing a puffy pin to take advantage of the materials texture. i can think of it as an evolution on the white small puffs i've done in the past. the weather has gotten chilly here, and all i can think about is fluffy beds, warm fibers, and fuzzy textures.

red = green?

i'm in the middle of prepping fabric for the dye pot, so i thought i'd post a photo of my red onion skin results. i used alum as a premordant, and with the exception of the two lighter colored bits, they are all cotton. the triangle wedge is a scrap of wool felt and the other is a scrap of unknown fabric i had at hand, both of which i just threw in the dyepot to see what would happen.

i used an organic red onion, just the outer dry skins, boiled it for five minutes and then removed the skins and dunked in the fabric. the fabric just drew up the color so quickly; the longest any of them were in the pot was fifteen minutes. i really like this green gold color, it's very pretty.

well, off to check on my fabric pots!

i've fallen in love

with dyeing, natural dyeing that is. my experiments with marigold and avocado turned out beautifully.

i cut some sample swatches from various cotton fabrics, some cotton yarn, and a length of cream wool. first i scoured them in a soapnuts concentrate and soda ash, then using aluminum sulfate as the mordant, i simmered the fabric for an hour, rinsed and left wet. both the marigold and the avocado skins were boiled for a short time in separate pots, petals and skin were removed, and fabric immersed. i simmered the marigold pot for an hour, rinsed and dried the fabric. however, the avocado i let sit for a day, just soaking. the pinks were very light, with a slight brown cast. so i decided i would then simmer them for an hour as well. the pinks developed a much brighter tone. to see the difference; the bundle of wool i removed from the pot before simmering, the brighter segment i left in the pot and simmered. i then removed the fabric, rinsed, and let air dry.

i am very happy with both results! the idea to dye with avocados came from the lovely gerfotos, and really helped inspire me to try dyeing. i plan on dyeing with a natural teal concentrate i purchased from dt craft & design, next. or maybe combining these two colors to get a peachy color.

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.

golden skies

the cocoons of the curricula moth are really fantastical; they've such a golden hue, it's simple mesmerizing to look at. they could've been spun from pure gold.

i incorporated a piece of a cocoon into my latest fiber pin, it's very lovely against the dupioni silk and aqua hues. i really enjoy making these pins, the yummy bits and pieces of cloth, a restrained color palette, working with different pleats and folds.

at liberty

i have started down the perilous road of collecting liberty tana lawn. at first i just sampled the fabric, not really being sure what it was like in person, acquiring small pieces that i could use in my patchwork projects. i was really drawn to these darker prints, something i do not have a lot of.

then, upon receiving these bits in the mail, i became enamored and needed larger widths and lengths. i turned to purl soho, which has quite a few from this years seasonal collection. i have been eying one print in particular, the pink grey haxby. so, i chose a quarter yard of this print, along with the pink caesar, and sarah's secret pastel garden. i haven't a clue what to do with these lovelies now that i have them. i really would like to make a quilt, mostly using a few white fabrics of natural fibers, so that these prints in the pink hues really stand out and shine.

looks like sorbet

i've started work on the dress that i bought the nani iro coururiere fabric for. the bodice is all pinned, i just need to pick up thread that matches the scrumptious salmon pink. it just so happens that i was also working on a cushion yesterday that could really use some of that fabric, so it kind of kick started my actions.

i made this one shorter, much more a long rectangle than the previous ones. this size is good, it's about 9.5" x 16". i'm really enjoying all of the linen material that i bought from variegated, the variety and differing thicknesses of the weave are incredibly nice.

the nani iro fabric is really very incredible, when you just have small sections of the greater piece all of the little details like the lace, dots, and hems are quite beautiful. the creative possibilities in this one print are numerous.

again with the collecting!

i came across selvedge magazine a little bit ago, then really started paying attention last month. what made me jump and get them all was an offer they have going on and i just couldn't resist. i am so very very glad i did get them; oh my, the inspiration, wealth of textile knowledge, the eye candy, the weight of each page is pure bliss.

i told myself i could get them on one condition; i would have to read, yes, actually read, every single bit even if i didn't at first want to. so ever so slowly i work my way through from cover to cover. and speaking of covers, the back ones are yummy, featuring one delicious marimekko print every issue.

nani iro goodies

whilst browsing through vogue i came across a photo of a really neat dress that reminded me of a nani iro fabric, her coururiere print. i figured i could make a similar dress which embodied the vibe i got from the one in the photo and one which fit me and my taste.

as i hunted down the fabric from her 2008 line, i also saw a new (?) book of hers that looked very interesting. luckily i was able to order both from the same person.

first, i have to say the print is much brighter than in photos, and second, the paper used in the book is absolutely brilliant. the tooth of the cover is cold press, and the vellum like mini cover and inside sheets are almost luminous. as well as there being quite a few thing i would love to create.

this bag would be one, with the three different prints. another would be the really cute ruffled apron the lady on the left is wearing. oh, so frilly, but restricted frills.

i'm working haphazardly on the dress, pining when i have the desire. i think i may end up cutting the top from the skirt and working separately on them, only to reattach when done. photos will be forthcoming sometime in the next month or so. maybe this will be a birthday dress. i'm very excited!

real life banner

i was asked a little while ago to be in a local trunk show. so, knowing i needed to be prepared i've been researching craft show photos and tips. one of the first things i realized was that one should have a banner to grab attention and identify your wares.

i got started by sketching out some ideas, creating a font, and choosing fabrics. i thought it would be nice to include a scalloped border in reference to this blogs header, as well as using fabric in the design as that is what the pincushions are about. luckily i bought some material at a basement sale that was exactly what i had in mind; a natural oatmeal colored linen.

so this week i've been drawing, cutting, ironing, cutting and ironing once more. i like how it turned out. now i have to figure out how to hang it on the table cloth. magnets, pins, velcro all come to mind. more thinking is necessary.

coral colors

i like the print and color combination of this pincushion a lot; even though it's not overly complicated in design, quite simple really. it features some of my favorite textile designers, heather ross with her mendocino line, and an australian artist that works in water based inks and organic hemp, umbrellaprints. the softness of this particular color is very soothing, and it's warm without being too bright.

this is the largest pincushion i've made to date; it's too large for my scale actually and so i haven't listed it yet. i had to move my pincushions from the drawer i was keeping them in as i ran out of room.

purses, pincushions, fabric, oh my!

i adore and am constantly being inspired by the creative work of australian artist tara badcock. her pieces are not only quite aesthetic, tactile, and gorgeous, but entirely useful as her talent takes the form of pincushions, tea cozies, purses, and pillows. her embroidery pieces are divine, excellently crafted and oftentimes bare a deeper meaning of complex social and world issues that affect her.
i've had a photo of a colorful and zany pincushion she created saved on my computer for quite some time, and finally decided to ask the artist if she still had it. luckily for me, she did, and we struck up a wonderful series of conversations. ultimately this led me to acquiring not one, but two of her lovely pieces! i was also able to feed my fabric stash with many soft and cozy cuts of wool from waverley woollen mills of australia.

as you can see, it wasn't long before meiko decided she was going to help me sort. actually, help may not be the right verb here; sabotage or hide may be more apt.

a skirt for mary

while visiting with my friend in michigan we decided to try out a fabric store that i had come across in the pages of thread magazine, the material girls. what a wonderful assortment of fabrics! the owner even had several rolls of nani iro cloth. i was very excited! i purchased a quarter yard of one of her linen prints, fredonner un chanson in rose, as i could use each different color area in my pincushions. another print that i purchased was a lovely medium blue print with gold dots by a textile designer hinemosu notari. it's more of an upholstery weight material.

i talked my friend into getting a yard of the double gauze nani iro coururiere in shades of olive and indigo and with it i would make her a skirt. on previous viewings online i wasn't really thrilled with this print, but upon viewing it in real life i am very enchanted with it. there is such lovely details of pattern and gold embellishing, and the olive hue really has a nice lustre to it. i had also assumed that it was green and black, which is a shade that i don't care for at all. i was happily corrected of my assumption. my friend plans on wearing the skirt to a wedding in the fall.

current books of interest

i tend to keep books that i look at frequently on my nightstand. they're within easy reach, and help me collect my thoughts when i'm exploring something new. i find that these books are also inspiring when one is in a slump. to list:

the cocktail: 200 fabulous drinks
(i love the illustrations by kat macleod)

urawaza: secret everyday tips and tricks from japan
(incredibly useful)

craft, inc.: turn your creative hobby into a business
(excellent resource)

the encyclopedia of embroidery techniques
(i've been using this for years, very good explanations)

mushrooms for dyes, paper, pigments & myco-stix
(mushroom dyes create extraordinary lightfast colors!)

printing by hand
(very clear instructions, great scandinavian designs)

the art of manipulating fabric
(just received the other day, the vast array of techniques is overwhelming and exciting!)

kay nielson
(the illustrations make me drool, such gorgeous details and patterns)

tricia guild pattern
(the colors! the variety of prints! a flocked velvet cover!)

double gauze and nani iro

of all of the fabric in my stash, i must say that my absolute favorites would be the ones from nani iro. they're soft, pretty in a most delicate way, cool, and make the best clothes. i want to collect as many yards as possible. i keep telling myself, "you need 2 yards to make an article of clothing, so figure that said article of clothing store-bought would be more than the cost of fabric, so suck it up and buy it already.", and then i put that on repeat in ones head.
at first i only bought quarter yards, then i bought half yards, now i'm at the full yard cut, so i'm hoping that the next time i purchase some i'll finally be able to get the needed two yards. as far as the rest of my collection? i really can't see wearing any of them as clothes. so that leaves one possible alternative, anyone up for some quilting?

organization...

...is key to living in a small space. i use the same two colors, various shades derived from them, and lots of white. the white acts like a resting stop for your eyes. the second thing that i find helps small spaces is organization. i'm usually drawn to organizing multiples of things in the same scale container, be it a bookcase or jars. also by arranging them in the pattern of the visible spectrum, with whites, browns, and blacks at the end.
my bookcase was getting crazy, and as it's a rather large portion of one wall something had to be done. i have a massive collection of national geographic books that are a wealth of photos that i can't bare to get rid of even though i may look at them once every ten years. luckily they're mostly white spines, and the same size. the top left square is my illustration, painting, and bookmaking reference books. the top right square is my knitting, embroidery, pattern making, general crafting, herbs, and essential oil reference books. along the bottom are books covering everything else. originally they were organized based on content, but i grew tired of that as i continued to stuff new books in any available slot, and that soon lost its function. so here's the photo of my newly organized shelves.

am also into collecting fat quarters. quarter yards of fabric that are squared rather than long rectangles. so after awhile of being stored in a tubberware, where they were mostly forgotten about until i acquired new additions, i decided they needed to be displayed. this would serve multiple purposes; so that i would be consciously aware of them, as a reminder of my sewing machine saving goal, and also hoping that this would lend itself to inspiring me to use them. i repurposed a wine shelf insert that was being tossed, spray painted it white and stacked my fat quartz by color.

some would say this organizing is neurotic, but hey, it calms the mind and the space. or that whole virgo thing i discussed earlier.

ze pillow.

i recently bought a euro sized pillow after drooling over the absurdly large pillows that kirsten dunst was sprawled across in marie antoinette. do they even make pillows that large and fluffy? i wish i had three or four of them, then i could sleep in a fluffy dream every night. yum! so anyway, i bought one pillow (they're pricey you know!), and decided to make a pillow cover from some of the hoard of fabric i collect. i used a print from the the mendocino line of heather ross; a fantastic mermaid and orange-bottomed swimmer against an ocean of palest pink.

the backing is a standard sized pillowcase that lost its mate somewhere. so i seam ripped and ironed mercillessly until i had two hemmed pieces. the pillow back needed some omph in the form of embellishment; luckily that's where my obsessive collecting comes in handy, into my ribbon stash i went. the turquoise blue ric rack matched the blue octopi very well, and now i only needed a closure. i also have a small collection of buttons, and found a large orange one that would look lovely.

when sewing most seams i love to use the french seam whenever possible. one reason is that i don't have a serger, another is that it makes a clean fray-free edge.
i wish i could be more adventuristic with my linens, but there's something about all that white softness. it's like newly laid snow, all fluffy and billowy.