Sunday, January 31, 2010

Hanging the Library quilt show

Friday, members of the Coconino Quilters' Guild met with a crew from the city to hang our Bi-annual Library Quilt Show at the Flagstaff Main library. We got there about 8, and by noon the job was done! Here are some shots of the work in progress:
City crew checking their progress
Looking at the East side
So far, so good!
City worker on the cherry picker
This side is almost done!

Working on the display case

Group shot of all the worker bees!
This is a very popular event in our town... people love to come in and browse, admiring the work of so many talented people! I hope to get back in soon to take more pictures, and will post the other side of the library and the small pieces soon.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Embellishing the comet

I spent some time this past week adding slight embellishment to the comet I posted about earlier. I am using metallic embroidery floss... single strand... and adding lines to the arms and tail of the comet:

I'm thinking now of adding 'sparks' to the tips of each arm, but haven't decided if I want to use metallic floss or beads. And maybe a cluster of beading in the center to increase the 'glow' of the burning mass. I'm getting a better feel for the 'Slow Cloth' concept with this piece, since I am doing a lot of the designing as I go. And I'm in no hurry to finish! It's more about connecting to the piece and letting it dictate what I need to do next.
On another note, we are in the midst of 3 storms, with the biggest one due tonite thru tomorrow, so I have plenty of projects lined up to keep me entertained!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Knitting update

I haven't posted much about my knitting projects lately, but I've been plugging along. The last project I worked on was a knitted scarf using circular needles. I had to overcome the feeling of awkwardness I experienced at first, and had a couple of occasions where I had to rip out rows because I forgot to turn the work! Guess it'll become more natural as I go along. At any rate, I am pleased with my progress, and thought I would share my latest:

I confess that I have no urge to plunge into more complex projects at this time. My reason for wanting to learn how to knit was simply to have 'handwork' to do when I am watching TV, and don't want anything I have to give a great deal of thought to. On the other hand, I love working with fiber, and find simple projects to be very satisfying, especially if I can end up with a usable item. So don't be looking for me to get into sweaters, sox, or hats any time soon!

Slowly...

I haven't had much time this week to work on my slow cloth project, but did get some work done yesterday on one of the comets:

Earlier in the week, I began outlining the points with 2 shades of floss, then decided to turn under the raw edges to finish the edges. I am about half-way done with the applique, and I'm getting some idea of what I will do to enhance the comet itself. This is a piece of rust-dyed fabric I did over a year ago, using rebar and wire to create the rust design on a loose weave fabric. Don't remember where the fabric came from... either something I bought long ago, or fabric from my Step-mom's stash that I brought home in '97 after she passed. Either way, I like the feel, and love the pattern. This was one of the best rust-dyed pieces I did, and I'm glad to be finally putting it to use.
Before I started the area with the comet, I did quite a bit of embellishment on the Milky Way section:

I originally did a lot of quilting here, but added beads, metallic thread, and some sequins to highlight the 'stars'. I like this project because it is indeed 'slow cloth', and I have no deadline or concern about when I will finish... don't even have a clear idea of how I will know when it IS finished! It's just something I can pick up and work on when I have a need to slow down.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Another goal for 2010!

Okay, I know... I'm such an over-achiever! There are just sooooo many things I want to do. This is something I have been wanting to do for awhile, and I just decided I am going to at least make a start this year. When I was first trying to learn how to tie-dye, there was very little available in the way of instruction... I found a few small booklets showing a series of basic folds, with general instructions on how to apply the dye. It was enough for me to get started, but I found it very frustrating not to be able to actually see someone do the folds, dye the item... it's just the way I learn best. Over time, I experimented, but the big 'aha' for me was when I got my first video showing how to do various designs. First off, I learned to dampen my garment before tying the design. Then I learned a better way to tie the design than I had been using. Then I learned new designs... it blew my mind! Since then I have found a few more videos, joined some dyers' forums, and built up my skillsets so that I think I am finally ready to try my hand at creating some simple video instructions to post on my 'Hippiewear' blog, where almost everyone who visits is looking for tie-dye patterns! I have posted some links on the blog to forums and other sources of information, but would love to share some of what I have learned with other dyers that takes the encounter beyond the written word, into the world of visual demonstration. Probably sounds impossibly ambitious, but I think it can be done in a simple manner... wish me luck! And stay tuned... this could be good for a few laughs!