Winding Down

from a long weekend, and definitely not ready to go back to work.  Oh well.  

The cotton knit I had in the dyepot Saturday is now a tee.  Having cut the fabric on the fold limited the choice of patterns I had, so this is what I ended up with.  

 

It has a bit more white than I'd intended, but I decided against overdyeing the fabric.  I just didn't want to mess with the nice twisted pattern I got.  And, I really like the color.

I have another tee cut out from commercial fabric- I want to test the pattern before I use any hand dyed.  And, I have no more cotton knit to dye- I'll have to wait until I can get some more sent from Reno.

The weather here is cooling off, and the days are shorter.  I'm an early riser whether it's a workday or not, and it's dark now when I get up. I've been looking at the trees on the mountains to check for any color changes, but none yet.  It won't be long, though.

Injured on the Job

Sewing, that is.  Yes, today I joined that select group of sewists who have sewn completely through their finger with the sewing machine!

Doesn't look that bad, does it?  And amazingly enough, I've had more painful injuries.  I wasn't even sure what I'd done until I saw that I was attached to my machine.  DJ had to pull out the part of the needle that was still embedded in my finger.  I suspect it will be very sore for awhile, and my funky nail will look even funkier after this- but hey, at least I didn't hit the bone.

And I still managed to get this tee done, using the blue dyed and printed knit I did a couple of weeks ago.

I now have no projects on the horizon, which is just as well since all next week will be an intense dye workshop  I hope I have enough brain cells and energy left with warm weather to get some fabric dyed using my exponentially expanded dye knowledge!

Happy Fourth!

We did most of our celebrating on Saturday, heading up to Scofield where friends have a home on the lake.  We visit, drink, eat (too much), and finish off the evening sitting in their yard watching the fireworks over the lake.  A really fun day!!

But I have also been spending lots of time in the studio.  I made more card holder for DIL Marly--

 

I dyed a piece of silk I bought on my recent trip to Reno.  I really had to think about what color to do, since the fabric wasn't white.  I finally decided on a pastel green.  I was really happy how it turned out.  There's patterning, but it is subtle.  It will make a gorgeous summer blouse.

 

I made a tee with some cotton knit I bought- a vibrant lime green.  I think I have found my new favorite top pattern!  Three pieces (front, back, and neckband), and two hours start to finish.  Love it!  The vee is deep, so if I want to wear it to work, I"ll just wear a cami under it.

I made some beaded jewelry- I've been wanting something in green.  I think this necklace and earrings go great with the top!

 

And I am reconsidering finishing the lavender top I started last weekend.  I think I can salvage it with some buttons to hold the gapping edges of the front.  What do you think?

I will make the pattern again, but with a lighter weight knit, and something on the edge of the V to stabilize it.  I've already got a hot pink cotton/lycra knit, and found some twill tape in my sewing stash.  Maybe next weekend?

I've also got the white cotton/lycra knit I bought in Reno for a song.  I'm thinking I'm going to parfait dye it in my favorite combination (gold, fuschia, purple) in pale tones, and make three of that first top with them.  So I think I've already got my next weekend's projects planned!

Summer Fun, and Almost Done

We've had multiple consecutive days of WARM weather!  Today the whole family is going to Lagoon, the closest thing Utah has to Disneyland.  Should be fun, although I don't know how many of the wild roller coaster rides I'll be doing.

I have also been working hard on my Tangled Textiles piece.  It is mostly done, I just have to add some embellishments by hand, and finish the edge.  I think I'm going to use the zigzagged edge with perle cotton.  Easy to do, and I like the look.

The creative muse seems to be returning to the studio in fits and starts, but I can feel her presence more and more.  I'm planning a dyeing day soon, either with my WAQ friends or at home.  I've got some clothes I want to make with fabric ready to go.  And I have at least two quilts to get quilted!

I am becoming a real thrift store junkie.  While we were in Reno, Sean jokingly asked me to buy him a shirt- a Tommy Bahama silk shirt that retailed for $110.  Ha ha!!  Then when my brother and I were checking out the Saver's in Reno, he found a beautiful blue Tommy Bahama shirt in Sean's size- for $12.  I bought it, the look on Sean's face when he saw it was priceless.  I scored another one in our store a week ago that just got mailed off to him.  Then Friday, I found this-

Sorry the picture is fuzzy, but I took it with my phone and I'm not very good with it.  I scored a TB silk shirt for me, in a lovely black/blue/sage green flower print.  Love it!  It's gotten to be like a treasure hunt, you never know what you'll find.  I'll bet three-quarters of my closet is now recycled treasures from Saver's.  I have four or five silk shirts, all from Saver's.  Unbelievable!

And a monumental event that any woman could relate to- I went shopping for a swimsuit for the first time in over ten years, and found one I like at a price I'm willing to pay.  I look pretty good in it, sixty years old or not!!

Time for breakfast, hope your weekend is a fun, warm one!

Springing Forward!!

Unlike many, I love it when daylight savings time finally arrives.  I love the longer days, love the promise of warmer weather- and I love setting my toesies free from winter shoes and socks!!

 

While I know we could still see snow here, I'm enjoying the warmer days we've had- in the low sixties.  Why does that temperature feel so much warmer in March than it does in October??

I am taking a temporary hiatus from art quilts.  My brain needs a break after a solid year of coming up with a new design each month.  I have been sewing, however- I made some cute little nine patch blocks for Debra, and also dug up a smallish quilt top I made at a workshop several years ago that I hadn't a clue what to do with.  Debra has a new longarm, so it was a perfect gift for her.

And I've been sewing clothes.  Having reached my goal weight, clothes shopping is fun again!  Remember that rust dyed silk I did?

It's now a lovely, semi-fitted tunic.

Rust dyeing is fun, but I've learned that it is a pain to sew on- this is the one and only garment I'll ever make with rust dyed fabric.  After this, I'll stick to rust dyeing silk scarves and maybe a few pieces of fabric  to use in collages or something.

And that tee I cut down?  It looks so good on- I am so glad I took the time to remake it!  Yeah, I already posted a picture of the tee- but it looks so much better on me than sitting on the table!!

 

Next, I have a simple quilt to make for my SIL.  She gave me some printed blocks she bought in Oregon years ago- they have pictures of different lighthouses on them.  All I have to do is square them up, cut some sashings, and put it all together.  Sidney, who helped me quilt the gift quilt for my younger son's girlfriend, has already said we can do this one on her computerized machine also.  Maybe by the time that one is done my creative brain will show some signs of return!

And maybe now my son will believe me when I say he has a skinny mom now!!

Travel, and Repurposing

I have been gone for the past week in southern Utah- not fun, work.  But it was gorgeous in St. George at least one of the days I was there- it was hard to leave to come back to the cold.  Winter is supposed to return this week, and I am heartily sick of it.

I did get some hand stitching done on a sample piece for a larger work I'm doing.  I've dyed, overdyed, stenciled and stamped this fabric.  I knew I wanted to add hand stitching, so I managed to get some done during meetings.  It's already sandwiched, once the handwork is done I'll be figuring out the quilting.  Yes, I know, sounds backwards but it was what would work for me.

 

Seed stitch adds such lovely texture!  A detail--

I also stayed up late last night, working on a tee.  I dyed and printed this tee from Dharma a couple of years ago.

It was big and baggy back then, and it was even bigger and baggier now that I've lost a bunch of weight.  I've been going through my closet, weeding out clothes to sell at our annual garage sale this spring.  I decided I didn't want to get rid of a couple of tees I dyed, though.  So I found a Burda pattern for a basic tee, used some I already have that fit well to help determine measurements and sizing, and altered the pattern.  I had to redraft the necklines a bit to make them fit on the fabric pieces- finally found a use for those French curves I bought!!  Then I picked out the hems, took off the ribbing at the neck, and cut the shirt apart.  I couldn't make it long sleeved- the sleeves are very different.  The original had a flat cap, the pattern has a more fitted cap, so there wasn't enough length for long sleeves.  But I am happy to say it worked, and was well worth the effort!!

It fits really well- skims my body without being overly clingy.  I think it shows off my printing even better than the original.  I even managed to reuse the ribbing around the neckline!

I have another tee to alter- I think I'm going to try something a little different.  We'll see-- but boy am I having fun being skinny again!