dyeing, round 2, and a bit of sparkly stitching

I was really tickled with how the thrift store scarf took the silk tie dyes. However, there were a few spots where the tie pieces shifted, and the transfer didn't cover quite like I wanted it. The drift of my eye was broken up by spots where no transfer had occurred at all, or it was very washed out which isn't a horrible thing really. Problem was, there was too much of the watercolory thing in a few spots.  So I went for round two.

Very happy with the results. The ties I used for the second transfer really took well to the scarf.  The coverage is much better, and the scarf overall has taken on a darker lavender. I had thought to put this one in the shop, but have since decided to keep it for myself.  I've become rather partial to scarves, and I've a nice collection started.

And of course there was Sunday morning stitching to be had. I am making progress on the first of the SnowAngelz Collection. It's a beautiful day, finally a break in the heat and jello-like humidity. I think I might have to wander out to the deck with coffee and string and work for awhile in some natural sunlight. The herbs are happy as it rained, and they're all smelling delightful after their long awaited bath.

silk tie dyeing

So I was wondering if the lavender scarf I found at the thrift shop the other day was silk. There wasn't a tag, and it *felt* like silk, but it's tough to tell sometimes, even though my fingertips have gotten pretty good at picking out natural vs. man-made fibers.

Seeing as I spent a whole dollar on the scarf, what did I have to lose? I chopped up a few men's silk ties, rolled them up with the scarf and set up the boiling pot, and waited with breath held.

Yep, it's silk. And I am quite pleased with the end result!

thrift storin' finds

I finished up my errands a little earlier than I thought I would today, and so I was afforded some time to make a stop at the thrift shops.  Rather disappointed at the first two, not finding anything that really said 'gotta have it, you know, for *that* project' But the last shop I wandered through made up for the first two.

A ziplock baggie full of these little gems. They appear to have been made by hand. Wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors. They are so dainty and fragile. 

 A really long powdery lavender scarf was snatched up for a whole dollar. I think it might even be silk.  This one is just begging to be emboidered.  It is in need of a good handwashing though. The edges are a little dirty, like it hung in a dusty room for too long. 

And finally...maybe even my favorite find for the day, this book with thick blank handmade pages of paper. It's not very big, but it is just all texture and color and with pages sturdy enough for me to create the embroidery stitch book that I wanted to putz with. Perfect purse/duffle bag size. 

The book itself almost looks like someone's attempt at repurposing. There are no markings anywhere in it to indicate that it was commercially made. 

A stop at JoAnn's Fabric as well, their snowflake sequins were all on sale and so I stocked up on those (as I sometimes have a hard time finding them! Go figure. Minnesota. Snow. Should have flakes all year round!!) 

Now off to stitch!

freeform embroidered scarf & sketchy stuff

While working on my starry-night-meets-coral-reef scarf, I discovered a couple of tiny holes. With the fabric being what it is and what I wanted to do with this piece, darning the holes wasn't an option. SO. I worked one as an eyelet hole, and another, and pretty soon I was cutting more holes on purpose.  There is a ton of scarf surface left to stitch, but I am quite pleased with how this is coming along. 

I was at doctor's appointment this morning with my son, and while he was in visiting with his doctor, I sat and doodled. I'm not sure why these two came to mind, but I've a few others of them as well in recent pen scratchings. Kind of rough, but it feels good to be doing some random sketchy kinds of things. 

This guys eyes got way out of hand, but I was kind of digging the 'stache. 

Now I'm off to finish up block 3 of the Irish Quilting Magazine piece, and to look through fabric swatches for the traditional quilt blocks so I can order the fabric. I'm very excited about it!

Stitching & A New Book

I spent my morning stitching, and I hope to get a bit more done this afternoon.  I took a break to take my textbooks to the book store for buy-back,  and I found myself with a little more money  then I thought I would. So, I made a trip to JoAnns for some odds and ends I needed to finish up a few things for the craft shows, and as I usually do, I stopped to look at the books. (And drooled a little.)

This book, Crafter's Devotional 365 Days of Tips, Tricks & Techniques for Unlocking Your Creative Spirit by Barbara Call just jumped out at me. Well, actually, it fell on the floor as I tipped it forward to see what was behind it.

I picked it back up and paged through it, and immediately stuck it in my basket!  I have attempted a 365 Days of Creativity thing before on this blog, and gave up about 100 days in as things just got too busy for me to try and do something separate from my usual work every day.  I think I might try to experiment a little with the new year and at least be thinking about something creative every day if nothing else!  There are some really neat things in this book and I look forward to exploring it further.  I have a few other books with daily inspiration and ways to put art into your life every day. I like to think I have done a pretty good job of that already, but I know there is so much more out there that I want to dig into and learn about, even if I never actually *do* some of it.

Book Description:  "There is something elemental shared among artists and crafters, regardless of chosen medium: creative energy. Crafters dabble, collaborate, muse, and make, all in their own way and on their own timeline. For all crafts, there are established techniques to follow but wild, innumerable ways to experiment, using the basics to launch crafters to new heights. Crafter’s Devotional can aid that launch. Each day of the year is given its own focus, on which the reader will find a daily dose of craft content that inspires, instructs, and illuminates."


I also stopped at Michaels for some yarn as they had the Loops & Threads Country Loom brand on sale. I created a new scarf with the skein I had and really liked the way it finished. So now its off to crochet some more even though I said I was done and ready for the shows!

two new scarves

I completed two scarves over the weekend.  The charcoal and black scarf above is made with recycled yarns, ribbons that I hand painted and embellished with a handful of black mother of pearl buttons. Some real, some faux.  The second scarf shown below is another I made with my hand twisted/spun fabric and fiber art yarns, one large skein and another smaller one that I had worked beads into.

As soon as I can get good photos, they will both be going on Etsy.

Lots of stitching going on right now too!