Denim Statement Piece

Here's another pendant made using the basic ideas gleaned during the "Make a Statement" multi-media course presented online by Gwenn Lafleur. This particular one is my version of the "medicine bag". It forms a pocket for whatever special trinkets a person might wish to carry. 

I made the base of mine from an Inkle band that had been woven on my Saori CH60 floor loom for another purpose, but it turned out too wide. I repurposed it, and through some folding, fashioned it into an open pocket on the back. To form a "bezel" for the top of the pendant I folded the fabric over a plastic straw creating a reinforced casing. A tubular Inkle band, created on my Windhaven Ukulele Inkle Loom, passes through the straw in the casing. 

Both Inkle bands made use of weaving cotton given to me by a friend when she was moving to a new community. I believe it was originally part of the stash of another mutual friend and former guild member. In fact, all components of the pendant have special meaning to me.

All three of the buttons used came from a huge button jar that originally belonged to my grandmother and was handed down to my mother, and now to me. The buttons themselves may or may not be old since each of us has added to the collection over the years.

The pale blue lace surrounding the stacked buttons is a scrap leftover from making tiny doll clothing, another hobby of mine.

The frayed denim at the bottom edge is the hem of a discarded pair of my husband's jeans.

The large silver beads along the top, just below the casing, are from a broken necklace. Those beads are nestled into a small piece of tatting that I did years ago while learning shuttle tatting.

The thin blue fabric with white polka dots in the upper right corner is an ancient old, completely worn to tatters, handkerchief that belonged to my husband and perhaps might have originally been my dad's?

The little silver dragonfly was a gift from a friend that knows I have a special affection for dragonflies.

The small dark blue beads scattered beside the dragonfly are leftovers from an intricate beaded shawl that took many months to knit.

Arching down the left side is a piece of an heirloom crocheted doily. It was stained and there were holes in it so it had just been tucked away, unused. I'm hoping this use is more honoring of the original craftswoman.

The embroidery embellishing the fabric that runs diagonally across the middle of the piece was done using floss inherited from my mother.

I'm very pleased with this pendant. I think I'll wear it a lot, denim being such a wardrobe staple. 

Sugarless But Sweet

These cookies won't cause me to gain any weight. 

The cupcakes are sweet but calorie free too.



A couple of handfuls of sugar free candy ---

And a few candy canes to add to the collection.

And then I was hit with the very vague direction to "fasten to the wreath as shown in the photo". No how to at all. I'll be back tomorrow with the finished wreath to show you how that came out. 

Gingerbread Girl

Another wee addition to the felt applique wreath. 

She was created during another 3 morning coffee periods. Today I started on a heart shaped cookie with a ridiculous number of individually applied stripes, each with the addition of a sequin and a bead. I'll get a photo up of that when it is completed -- but don't hold your breath. It will be a while!

Handwoven White Tunic

That white warp I wrote about in February practically wove itself.

I had a compulsive desire to weave, weave, weave the entire time it was on the loom.

It only took about 2 days to weave the entire six metre length.

from the pompoms inserted at the very beginning, 

to the serendipitous evolving of a corded neckline trim, 

and beaded lace accents,

the warping, weaving, sewing and embellishing,

was a joy filled experience.

Try, Try, and Try Again

I spent much of the day playing with copper wire. I started off using a tutorial and attempting a design that required a lot of hammering. The results were ---

--- lets just say "less than optimal"! Tricky little thing. It has extra, separate pieces that have to be wired in. I see now that attempting a symmetrical design while learning wire work is not such a great idea!

When I was finished I couldn't help laughing. This looks so much like those funny Pinterest posts were the novice creates a disasterous project that looks very little like the example and then exclaims, "Nailed it!".

After finally completing the hammered medallion I decided that I don't really care for that technique and will avoid it for awhile at least. I won't say "never again", but I think a lesson or at least more wire working experience should come first.

So after dinner I moved on to wire weaving and though this piece still uses three separate base wires it all fits together a little easier.

That still doesn't mean it was EASY. Nope, I found this one difficult too. Again with the symmetry problem.

I thought it wasn't too terribly bad until I took the picture. Why is it that the camera is always so eager to point out the flaws? Looking at these photos I realize that when I transitioned from single wire wrapping to wrapping 2 wires I made the same wrapping mistake EVERY time! Sheesh! Well at least I was consistent.

I'm not giving up!           Yet.

This Bear Has a Story

This is Olive Blazer, the bear with a past life. She comes with a bit of a story.


Olive's story begins many years ago when I ordered my husband a tweed blazer for Christmas. When the item arrived in the store the salesperson phoned our home and asked to speak with Olive Blazer. There was a confused pause at both ends of the phone until simultaneously both the salesperson and myself realized the woman's mistake. She was reading from the wrong line on the phone list. The ITEM was an olive coloured blazer. The person to speak to was the name next to it of course. The family has laughed over that one for years.

As far as I know this is the only item of clothing my husband has ever had that actually has a name.


With a family story like that behind it I just couldn't send this blazer off to a charity shop when it grew hopelessly out of style. No, Olive Blazer had to live on. I found a sewing pattern that worked with the narrow pieces I had available once I deconstructed the jacket.


The wool blend tweed was used for the exterior of the bear. Portions of the shoulder pads created the contoured stuffing for the ears, and the lining and a button from the blazer were used for the collar of her little jacket. Olive's eyes were scrounged from the family heirloom button jar.

The outside of her fancy tweed jacket is made of a remnant from our living room drapes and its lining is cut from a poly/cotton bathroom curtain. The embellishment on her jacket was done with scraps of felt, embroidery floss and a few beads I had in my stash. The only things I had to buy to bring Olive Blazer to life were the pattern and the stuffing.

Half Way

The first half of the Honeybee Stole is finished. I couldn't resist blocking it so I could really see what it looks like.



I'm very pleased with it. This is a symmetrical stole worked from the centre outward so, with the first half successfully completed, I anticipate no problems with the second half. Now I need to get busy and finish spinning that second package of Black Rainbow Glitter from Aurelia.

Here's a little close-up of a modification I am doing. I'm adding beads to the side and end edges. They are the "oil slick" colour, I think referred to as "dark aurora borealis", and they match the glitter in the handspun perfectly.

Also, instead of the "bind off loosely in knit" I'm using a great bind-off I learned when doing the Swallowtail Shawl. It makes for a very stretchy yet tidy edge.

K2, *transfer the 2 stitches on the right needle back to the left needle and then K2tog through the back loop. K1 and repeat from* around.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Toe

With the application of numerous sparkly little beads and sequins, the toe to Kaylen's Christmas stocking is now complete.



Next step is several rather intricate snowflakes --- embroidered, beaded, sequined, backed, stuffed and dangling!

But not tonight. I haven't met my self imposed daily knitting deadline yet. I'm trying to stick to knitting 20 rows of the Honeybee Stole every day.

~

100 rows

The first 100 rows are done.



100 more to go --- in this section --- of this half of the Honeybee Stole.

Well Heeled

The sparkly, beaded, stocking heel is complete.

Starting the Third

I've started on our granddaughter Kaylen's Christmas stocking. What you see is already several evenings' work. Each of the little sequins in the background are sewn on individually, starting and stopping the thread at each location rather than travelling along the back from one spot to the next. I like to keep the back of my work as neat as possible.



If you are interested, her Mommy and Daddy's stockings, done last year, can be seen here.

~

MS3 Clue 2 Complete

I may have got a late start on the knitalong, but I managed to catch up. Clue 2 is finished and now I have to wait until Friday for the next clue.



I don't normally block shawls while they are still in progress, but with the long wait until the next clue is released I thought I might as well see what I have so far.



This close-up photo shows the rainbow angelina in the handspun a little better than some of the previous ones. The beads are adding their extra sparkle too.

MS3 Clue One Complete

Clue One of the Mystery Stole Knit-a-Long was released last week, and the second clue was released yesterday, Friday the 7th. I only joined late Thursday night when I started to see pictures of the completed "clue one" around blogland. Yesterday I managed to knit up all of the first "clue", which consisted of the first two charts, a total of 100, ever increasing rows. Curious as to how well my handspun was working with this pattern I did a rudimentary blocking overnight.



I'm pleased with the results. The needle size I have chosen seems appropriate. The resulting lace is neither too dense to drape nor too airy for the design to show.



I'm happy with my bead selection too. I've tried to show a close up of some of the "oil slick" beads and capture a bit of the beautiful rainbow angelina in the spun wool. Both the black yarn and the beads are really hard to capture in a photograph though. In "real life" they show up more. In the sunshine the shawl sparkles breathtakingly!