mixing it up

i wrote this awhile ago, but hadn't posted it.

i started my trained art life in illustration, using paint and paper. since graduating, i've slowly leaned towards fibers, and have focused on them in the last few years. every now and then i would take out the paints and canvas, work on a piece, and once complete, put the paints away again.

 the other day i had an inclination to do some needle lace, so i grabbed a scrap of linen, and practiced some lace edging. it was a small piece, and i wasn't really sure what to do with it other than find some way of framing it. riffling around under my bed, i came across two canvases i've had forever. ah, inspiration! i took out the paints again, and have completed two canvas's incorporating my fiber work. i like the texture of fiber, the color of paint, the mixture of flat 2-dimensional and the slightly more dimensional fabric.

is this the beginning? who knows, but it is fun.

lace is fantastic

while glancing through a piecework magazine i came across some needlelace. i'm always entranced by needlelace when i see it; it's really pretty, with delicate webbing, curving arabesques, tiny areas of transparency. venetian rose point lace, italian reticella, 17th/18th century italian lace, coraline, 17th century gros point de venise, point de neige, punto in aria, are all gorgeous examples. i decided to try my hand at making some, and found it quite mesmerizing, with lots of possibilities (you can't get more travel easy, it's just a needle and thread). my first tries are a little wonky, but i find them charming anyways.

one of the pieces i wove awhile back needed something more; needlelace in green would be just the thing. i went for a bit of playful flora, and attached it with a small brad which i painted with nail polish. i find it strange that antique lace was mostly made in white thread (some exceptions being black lace for mourning, and spanish mantilla lace). it would make it easier to change between clothing, and it would be punchier against the rich hues of the fabric, but i think lace could be so much more modern if it were done in color.

little weavings

i've been struggling with my last couple of warps. i get an image in my head, not clear or precise, just go with it, and put planning aside. pretty much just warping first and thinking about the weft later. with this set of weavings it worked out well, as i was able to experiment with a variety of warp threads and techniques.

using a fine paper yarn and a strip of bunny fur created a light, tiny weave with open spaces woven in silk. i need to frame this one, but am still working on that part.

this one was a mixture of kasuri remnants from a previous piece; very speckled.

the curly weft threads all but lost the linen warp, which is cool, as it brought focus to the pile weavings. it was quite fun to try these surface embellishments, hopefully i can use them in future pieces.

linen on linen can be boring, but the pattern really comes through, and the shots of cochineal dyed cotton add interest.

this yellow thread was really fun, so chunky, and made the pattern huge compared to the first one. i played with some pile weaves and a chain stitch like weave in purple yarn.

there was a tiny bit of warp left, so i finished off with some cottolin and bamboo.

i have another linen warp now on the loom, but i'm a little lost as to what weft will be going on it. i had wanted to use a tsumugi silk yarn, but it completely overwhelms the warp, so i need to do some planning. i shall spin some wool, and think some more.

fixing what one doesn't finish

i've been entirely too fascinated with the internet lately. but sometimes i come across an answer to something i've been stuck on. i haven't been completely satisfied with the linen skirt i made awhile ago; it just didn't feel finished. so, i ripped out half of the elastic, pleated the waistband in front, and dragged my box of embellishments out. what caused this sudden activity? why, the work of christine mayer as seen in selvedge.

i loved the label prints which are so characteristic of old linen, and felt inspired to applique a vibrant chartreuse silk no. 5 to the side. the back was so plain in contrast to the front, so i also sewed some mina perhonen embroidered fabric circles and grey sequins. then, the front was missing some glam, so three rhinestones were added to the embroidered monogram, and some clear sequins scattered amongst the pleats.

i definitely feel better about it now, and love that i was able to incorporate some of my prized mina perhonen fabric. which leads me to my second fascination, acquiring the particle of mina perhonen book. ah, love. i desperately want this book. and some more scraps from kyoto.

blue velvet

i created a second cushion pin the other day, with embellishments of swarovski crystals; because a touch of sparkly goes so well with the softness and dappled light of velvet. the other side of the pin is of humble natural linen, which is my queen of all fibers.

during the day, i have begun work on my weaving project, tying off areas that are not to be dyed, and mordanting the fiber. today i will dye the fibers, and hopefully i will be ready to start weaving sometime next week. first, though, i have to finish the sample piece which is on my loom now.

isn't this little guy adorable? he's definitely up to something mischievous, though. very likely a sprite in disguise. he once belonged to my great aunts, but he's mine now, as they are both gone. you could say, "further up and further in".

mini quilt in progress

i was a little bored the other day, so i put together the lottis jansdotter lavender sachet i received as a subscription gift from selvedge. the linen is so soft and fine, i wish i could have more of it.

i also started on a miniature quilt that i had been mentally processing for awhile. i felt it was time. so i cut the scrap pieces i had, rather randomly into squares and rectangles, arranged them nicely and hand sewed them together. it went together quickly and i was able to reuse the natural linen pouch my gift came in as the backing.

now that i have it pinned together i'm rather at a loss for what to do. should i quilt it with little crosses, use a sashiko technique of scallops, hand stitch rectangles and squares in mimic of the patches?

part of me wants to save it for the long plane trip i have ahead of me in four weeks, but part of me wants to just go ahead and finish. i think perhaps i shall set it aside for now, let it simmer in the recesses of my mind, and come back to it when the time is right.

a throne!

it would seem that it has become a necessity to have a bench upon which to sit when weaving. nothing with a back, so out goes the chair, something cushy as you'll be sitting awhile, so no hardbutt stools, and it should be a nice height so your legs don't fall asleep. oh, yeah, and cheap in the dollar department, as funds dwindle with my trip to japan growing ever closer.

after several hours spent roaming through antique malls, discount furniture stores, and dusty "attic" stores, i found a bench that would fulfill the above list. but it had no seat. but the bones were good; strong and sturdy. but it needed a seat.

i figured some cushy foam, some scrap plywood cut to size and a bit of lovely linen would make it a wonderful bench. once i removed the several layers of grim, oiled it, and waxed it, that is. but of course the linen i wanted to use had a prussian blue stripe, and i really would like a light blue stripe. so then i spent several hours prying the unwanted color out of the warp with a seam ripper, then spent several more hand weaving the new color in. let's just say, i'm nuts, and i can no longer feel the side of my index finger.

then tacking the new seat together (no hammer accidents, luckily) and voila! a new (but was once old) ever so comfy (i hope) bench for my loom. now my only wish is that my cats won't decide to find it as comfy as well.

putting a new face on things

i've suped up my loom. it's almost frankenstein-ish with the different depths of wood color; warm honey on the old parts, pale cream on the new. i wonder how long it will take to age the new cherry parts so there's more harmony?

as i've been learning how to weave on some dorset looms, it's becoming habit to place your shuttles or ruler in front of you or above the loom; but the baby wolf is without a convenient flat area. so, to correct this problem i purchased the baby wolf high castle tray and the baby wolf trap (when searching, use schacht with the other words just because those three words alone bring up horrid things). and now i feel as if i've gotten a professional set-up here.

the trap came with a black nylon sling, which had to go; it would have been like having a black hole in ones lap, sucking up all the creative energy and light. i searched through my stack of selvedged linen and found a beautiful slubby bit that would be long and wide enough, cut it to shape and sewed it up. i like the softness, durability, and weave of this cloth, plus the neutral color is nice against the wood. no fighting with whatever i'm weaving.

next, time to find a bench!

repurpose

yes, another skirt. why never pants, you ask? too hard, i don't like them, and when i do they're jeans. but skirts, now those i adore! all the colors, prints, materials, details, lengths, waist band types, pockets, so many delicious things that make up a skirt.

i tried my hand at an elastic waist this time, and it is super comfy, and luckily a little easier to adjust with weight fluctuations. it's making me more aware of tucking in my shirt. and also realizing that most of my shirts are not the tucking in type. somehow i've been buying only loose fitting and flowy tops.

the nice thing about making ones own skirts is that you can add pockets. yum, nice deep pockets. and pockets that hide a fun print. also that you can make a-line and full skirts; especially because pear shapes look so marvelous in them. (it draws attention to the narrower waist, hides heavier hips and thighs, and shows the smaller part of the leg to advantage.)

i added a little button and ribbon detail to the back of the waistband, the color ties into the teal polka dot pockets. because this skirt is not lined i sewed the pockets with a french seam so there won't be any fraying.

in case any of you were wondering where the pretty grey linen material came from, it is apparently an antique crib blanket, with the initials j and a. though, looking at it, the j could be an f or a t. the openwork embroidery on the bottom is what drew my eye, along with the really beautiful silvery color of the linen. i'm really thrilled to be able to use this textile in a new way and to really appreciate the handwork of it as i wear it.

in the works

here's a snapshot of something i'm working on right now. two of my favorite textiles; nani iro, and linen. if the weather holds out i will be able to post photos tomorrow.

in other news, my trip to japan is progressing nicely. i'm learning more japanese almost daily as i commute the two hours to and from work five days a week. after breezing through survival phrases, i realized i would need to know more than how to order food, find lodgings, shop, and ask for a rest room; so i've started listening to the beginner lessons.

i survived the storm

and lived to create another day! i finished up my ode to inspiration cushion. it's very delightful, with the bright blues and cheery oranges. every time i work with natural linen i am amazed at the variety in hue that is available; from lightest tans to deep wheaten browns. the tiny bit of firmness linen gives to the shape of the cushions is very nice, not too stiff and not too slouchy.

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.

guava

there's a restaurant in savannah that deals in pizza which i've heard has a pesto pie with guava. i would really like to try this. maybe this week i'll find out and let you know how it tastes. i love guava juice, and the color of its flesh is amazing; not quite pink yet not really peach.

while thinking of this, i felt the need to put together this color combination for a cushion. i've titled it "the importance of being guava". i haven't actually seen the whole film the importance of being earnest, nor read the book. i feel it fits though, in whichever weird convoluted way works for you.

the linen that i used for the front is exceptionally awesome; the texture, the weave, it's softness, the lightness of the natural linen against the white cotton. yum. i was thinking it would be very nice to have an article of clothing in this material.

just a peek...

...at what i've been up to. it's in the cushion genealogy. quite a bit larger than the pincushions. i'll post more photos when i've figured out a nice locale to shoot them in.

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.