A snake in the garden

Upon waking one morning, a few weeks back, it came to me that the stitched piece I am working on needs a snake.

Sometimes a flash of an image just shows up, fully figured out. That is always a nice way to start the day.

It took several fabric auditions, but I finally settled on this blue tie. It has a distinctive right side and a nicely softened back.

A few variations of a snake were drawn out and this long, curvy one was the winner. I decide to keep its head inside the stitching, there was a nice sized opening.

I haven't any idea why a snake. No references to evil, genesis, micro-climates or ecosystems. Just a snake.

On the topic of snakey lines, I decided to make this top from Ottbre magazine.(here)

Ottobre is a Finnish magazine,with English text, specializing in women's and children's patterns. In this issue, the focus is for women and larger sized women. There are two centre-fold pages with the patterns printed on both sides.

The patterns have to be traced out, then cut out, then used as normal pattern pieces.

The instructions are in the middle of the magazine and are fairly good. I'll know better as I get sewing and actually follow them.

This little duo of sketches are being thought out so I can keep going once the snake of above is finished. I know the watering can will be red, but appliqued or stitched or maybe, in an act of madness, painted?

 It turns out I have been invited to join the allotment garden where these sketches were made. Hurrah! Hopefully more sketches will happen in the warmer months.

Pfaff-ing along

I have bought a new sewing machine! The Pfaff passport 2.0 is now sitting merrily in my sewing area a.k.a. the dining room. The broken Pfaff, a marvelous 30 year old built in West Germany, is hopefully getting  a repair and I will save it for making lace cloth.

During the time between the two machines, I pulled out the hand stitching and remembered my pledge to respect each day. My goal is that each day, there is a general task (studio, writing, stitching, gym) that I need to make sure happens and the remainder of the list needs to come second. Even if I don't accomplish a ton on each day's task, I feel a lot better if I don't let them drift off.

I am always surprised how much I can get done in an hour when I concentrate.

I've also remembered that taking at least one picture a day for Instagram really helps me focus.

I've also remembered that other people's priorities do not have to be my priorities. Nothing specific to report there, but a little gentle pressure from some others wanting my time triggered my "No Thank you, I can't take advantage of that opportunity right now." mantra.

So now, with a lovely late winter sun shining, the sound of car tires driving through melting snow and the occasional bird song, I will pick up needle and thread and get to work on that lawn chair.

Broken sewing machine - OW

Yesterday there was a dial. I didn't remember what it did. Instead of getting up and finding the manual, I turned it. Boing!
That's it. No more zigzag, or stretch stitch, or button hole parts. Only straight stitch remains.
I guess that isn't a complete disaster. I can still stitch cottons or most other woven fabrics, but forget button holes or certain seam finishes. But worst of all, I can't sew any knits and I have a line up of knits to sew.
That took up a certain amount of my day, stomping around and trying the stitches several times to make sure they were broken.

I did manage to get a certain birthday present done and I am pleased with the outcome. This is what I call my miracle apron because it comes up high under the collar and food doesn't fall behind the apron.

 It also wraps around the hips. That way when I forget to use a towel, I can wipe my hands on my hips. That happens all the time. The apron helps the jeans last longer.

Well, that's a crummy picture. The close ups are better.

We are on our second messy blizzard. I should have been watching movies and stitching, but instead, I shoveled and watched ridiculous You Tube videos and didn't stitch. Self sabotage there. February is the month in which anything that gets done is considered a success.

Getting out of bed, feeding the cat, finding socks.... Anything that involves some physical exertion and a minor amount of thinking is a successful achievement. Last weeks sewing projects, some stitching this weekend and an apron, plus roaring around with my snowblower make this February a brilliant success.

Part of my procrastination is that I know this piece needs something significantly more beyond this image but the mind is blank. I will get this bit done and show it around a bit to some friends and see what happens. I will also head out into the freezing ice pellets in the direction of the woodpile, make a fire, make some cheese and crackers and return to You Tube. Snow ya later.

January Makes and near makes

I've noticed on a few sewing vlogs that I follow that folks are summing up the things they make every month. I had several goals, nearly all met.

Stitching on the new project has moved along nicely, I hope to have it done in a few months. As I stitch, more ideas about how to detail the parts roll in.

I purchased the fabric for Steve's shirt several months back and meant to have it done two months ago. Buttons still need to go on, but then, voila.

It is probably the best shirt I have made so far. The collar went together without any hitches, same with the cuffs.

And the knitting on the sweater also nears its final moment. I will sew the parts together and start the collar.

The goals...sweater and shirt finished by Friday.

To make things less challenging, ha ha, I started knitting a sweater of my own. It has a bit of a lace pattern that needs concentration. Yikes.

At the end of January, Steve and I, along with our son and his girlfriend went to Sheffield Mills to see the eagles. The farmers out there toss out the dead chickens and the eagles just love to eat them! This day, the eagles weren't hungry. They stayed in the trees and mocked the over 300 people standing in a field, watching them watch us.

I am momentarily famous

I invite you all to go to the link below and have a look. I was interviewed by the Studio Art Quilts Associations, Atlantic area. I am enjoying the kind comments from the people I have already shared this with. Feel free to adore me more, I love it.

http://saqaatlanticcanada.blogspot.com/

I've been invited to be interviewed for a blog that should be available to link to soon. The works on the photo wall below will be shown. The dolls were all made over the past few years. I call them the Vine Girls.

The three upper left pieces are themed on garden paths or flowers in a bowl. The longer piece is stitched on paper and called "A String of Spring".

I have finished "3 Sneezes Make a Wish" but still need to sort out how to mount them as a group.

I really don't know how to photograph larger pieces with small details. Is there a good You-tube video out there anyone can recommend?

The little blue girl is "Weather or Nut". The one below doens't have a name yet.

 The snake's tail was fun to do.

The "String of Spring" is over three feet long, stitched on paper.

I finally finished a skirt begun two years ago.

I had used this pattern in the past and made a skirt definitely too big, I sized it down according to the pattern's measurements, but it looked too small. Two friends gave me some advice and between the three of us, I chose a size, took a deep breath and cut. The sewing takes very little time. The sweater was knit about 5 years ago, making the outfit entirely made by me (except stockings, undies and bra) Undies are a future plan. I'm pretty happy with the outcome.

At the end of December I went a little mad with on-line shopping. Two fabric shops, a book store, a calendar and a course with Karen Ruane (link on sidebar) were bought. Then fun of fun, they all arrived a day after my birthday, making another day all about Me!

The long cotton lace piece will be added to a piece I haven't blogged about. The blue is a heavy-ish textured knit for a jumper or sweater. The creamy one and the rose-y one will be winter neutrals next year. The two books from Persephone Press in the UK are a real treat. The catalogue comes out twice a year and after a thrilling adventure with a marker and the past issues, I decide what to buy next, then buy them when I am feeling blue. This season reads are, The Far Cry by Emma Smith, and Mariana by Monica Dickens. I no longer remember the reason for choosing these books, so part of the adventure is in the re-discovery of what captured my attention.

As part of that sewing weekend, I also finished off an old, old project. This little table topper has several old fabrics from the 1940's. I wish I hadn't chosen that dark pink in the centre, it is too dense. If I find a better fabric, I will applique over it, but until then, back in the drawer it goes. Unless someone out there likes it as it is. Let me know, I'll mail it to you.

I made a set of curtains for Steve's office that I will blog about more once the other parts of the room are done.

Steve is sanding paint off of an old drafting table and refinishing it. Could be a while.

79 Photos?

I have taken 79 photos and thought I had shared them on the blog at least once since the 17th. Time flies when there are good books around.

The last piece in "3 sneezes make a wish" is done.

This was really fun to work on.

I thought I would have a lot of trouble with traveling threads or knots coming up onto the surface of the hanky, but the only problem I had was the needle sliding out of the work.

When coming up from the bottom and moving my hand to the top of the work to pick up the needle, the needle would fall down. Often. The background is very thin, the needle didn't grab into anything.
This project now needs a way to be hung as a group. There is a vague idea floating in my head.

Sometime back I moaned about outstanding projects that take up mental and physical space. One of these was a sweater I received from a dear friend, many years ago. I wear this year round. An attack of moths (twice) meant some holes in the back which my daughter darned a couple of Christmas's ago.

This Christmas break I darned the elbows. Moths or lots of leaning on elbows, I don't know, but the holes were getting pretty large. There will come a point when there is more darning than sweater, and even then, I doubt I will take this off.

My second group of three stitched images is underway.

I expect it will be a threesome, but I haven't chosen the other two.

I am using a different thread. It is called cotton a broder and it is a bugger to get hold of. The US provider is out of business, so it is off to England I shall go. In fact, that is a good reason to go to England myself. I must check out the shop that supplies it, once I find one. There is a book store that has a side space that sells amazing cakes and teas. And i want to go back to the TATE. A field trip is building.