Little Wren is finished

seems like forever

since this piece

was started

but it's finally

finished

oops

looking at the detail

it seems

there are not feet

back to the thread bag

for a few more stitches

oh well

such is life

: D

I Made the Nice List

Since I spent several days with my daughter's family over Christmas my husband and I exchanged gifts yesterday evening after we returned home. I must have been on the nice list, because I got the only thing I asked for,a Brother 1034D serger, plus a related book.



I had looked at several sergers online, and read customer reviews before deciding which one i wanted. This machine received the highest ratings for ease of threading, reliability, and value. I am waiting on an order of thread, and then I just need lots of practice to learn to use it.

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sassafras wall hanging

i promised someone a bit ago that i would post images of this leaf pounded wall hanging

 done as a demo piece for my appalachian arts students a few years ago

 

young tender sassafrass leaves

 a single-, a double- and a triple-lobed

 were pounded onto a piece of prewashed muslin

after the piece dried it was soaked in salt water for about an hour then rinsed

a micron pen was used to add details to the leaf pounding

everything was ironded to heat set the colors

 a patchwork border of stash fabrics was sewn around the leaf pounding

 and then the entire panel was hand quilted

both the leaf contours

and concentric pattern around them

the color has survived

several years hanging on my hearth

as well as hand washing

and line drying

with no signs of fading

Magic Feathers Flying Away to Jude

our magic feathers are ready to fly off to jude...



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Location:School

Mending Lesson

Yesterday a coworker came my room with this wrap:

She had bought it the day before while in Asheville because she got cold and needed a jacket. She didn't realize it had this...

...a hole on the front near the pocket. She wanted to know if I could mend it. After telling her I might have some yarn that would match in my stash at home, I reconsidered my options.

Digging into my classroom wool stash, I found some black and white roving.

As I monitored my students drawing I blended it to create gray...

...adding bits until I was able to match the color of the wrap.

Using one of the classroom drop spindles I spun and plied a short length of lightweight yarn, which I threaded onto a darning needle. Duplicating the matching stitches as closely as possible, I closed the offending hole.

And here is the resulting mend. It worked out so well I had to put a pen on the wrap to locate it in my lens. This was a challenge, but I enjoyed it. And, it was good for my students to see that mending is a better option than tossing out things that have minor flaws. Little by little I am trying to teach by example...make, make do, reuse, recycle...hopefully they are learning something.

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Carolina Wren--coming to life

last night I spent some time with the wren

working in long and short staggered stitches

filling in color

brush strokes interpetted in thread

enjoying the meditation of quiet work

after a long day

with busy teens

on a full moon

I really need this right now

Stitching Again--One for Me

over the weekend I started a new piece of stitching

feather tree backdrop

for one of my favorite visitors

carolina wren

barred russet tail

cocked in the air

this time right side up

though he usually creeps other way around

chittering and churring

making a general fuss

- iPad photos, Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Progress Report--Magic Feathers

busy working on feathers

applique and embroidery

needles in and out of fabric

sometimes into fingers as well

learning as they go

experience is the best teacher

One Down for Magic Feathers

finished my first feather Friday while the kids worked...



....closer detail...



...second feather in progress...brighter...different but similar...

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and the fun begins..

...and the fun begins...

...from paper to fabric...

...piecing ideas together...

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Location:school

Ideas MadeVisible

today the kids were thinking in paper, marker, colored pencil...

watching thoughts become tangible is fascinating stuff....

some think very literally.....

some examine relationships....

others tell stories...

while a few examine their culture symbolically...

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Fodder for Feather Thoughts

Today we visited Jude's Magic Feather Project. The kids were very attentive throughout the tutorials. As we browsed through the collected plumage there were lots of oohs and ahs. I sent the kids home at the end of the day with ideas germinating and growing into sketches. Tomorrow we begin in earnest. Anticipating........


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Tidy Tiny Treasure

Preface: First, let me apologize for the quality of these photos. I am trying to master Photoshop Elements, and trust me, it is not the same as CS4. I think I am will be doing my photo editing at the desktop rather than on my laptop from now on, just so I can use CS4.

This tidy tiny little treasure was gifted to me

 by my daughter and son-in-law.

 Both Amber and David are talented craftspersons.

After I had admired a small wooden box he had made for Amber,

 they created one for me.

At a diminutive 4.5 x 2.5 x 1.25 inches it boasts

 a walnut base joined at mitered corners and an inlaid bottom with a sliding maple lid.

The entire box is finished to a fine handrubbed luster with David's own wax formula.

The lid opens to reveal a well appointed traveling sewing kit...

complete with tape measure,

 tiny stork embroidery scissors and

a handmade wool needle book crafted by Amber

 featuring vintage buttons from her collection...

 an assortment of the most commonly used needles...

and of course a handy dandy needle threader...

because everyone knows that after a certain age

 one simply cannot see eyes,

 in needles that is.

The entire thing fits neatly in a purse or totebag.

It surely came in handy during my graduate studies

when I was working on this and this.

David and Amber have an Etsy shop with a varying inventory of his hand crafted fiber tools.

 At the moment they have a nice selection of nostepinnes. He also takes custom orders.

 I have a nice collection of crochet hooks, drop spindles and a nostepinne.

You can look for a review of each of these on this site in the near future.