Art, Craft and Needlework, March, 2016

[Harriet]

I showed the lion monkey tiger Husky to dd and she was delighted with it, Elizabeth. Her next projects in Craft and Design class will be knitting, and she says to tell your dd she just wishes she could do that well for an assignment.

I wish it could be crochet because I can do that. Neither dd or I have knitted. I don't hold out much hope for her enjoyment anyway, unless this teacher understands the yarn arts better than she does the floss arts. I would suggest that dd learn online a little bit, but she is overwhelmed with hand embroidery every spare minute right up to the project change.

Attempt to help dd hurry along with this 14x14 hand stitching project -
I had dd use Heat n' Bond light by placing a square of it underneath her project (paper side down) on my ironing board. She "traced" one of the larger, elaborate shapes using a hat pin to perforate * * * * * * * * * * * * * through the exact design line on her fabric, through the Heat 'n Bond, and into the foam of the ironing board cover. Then she could "connect the dots" on the paper side with a fine pencil.

Using my best small scissors, we cut inside the shape about 1/8th inch all around, and also left a "bridge" of the Heat 'n Bond across the middle for stability. Ironed to the wrong side of her chosen fabric (teacher had agreed to 3 cotton fabrics she brought in to show) and then cut out directly on the line, removed the little 1/8th-inch of paper, and super-carefully ironed this down in the perfect place on her project.

Just as we started to do this step, dd asked me, "Gesso doesn't suddenly burst into flames when it's heated, does it?" It seems the project was covered in Gesso - I don't know why the teacher did this - something about stiffening the project fabric (which was already pretty thick) or keeping the design lines protected? We stared at each other a while and decided to chance it. It worked. Just 1/8th-inch of edges were secured - everything else very soft - and she could cover the edges with a fancy embroidery stitch over them, knowing nothing would shift.

Adding this to all the hours of stitching she's done so far, I'd say the project is not even 1/4 done. It will probably take her the whole class period today to do this edging. But maybe with knowledge of this technique she can move forward faster now. She has more done than anyone else in the class and they are all starting to panic. She says everyone is saying they "hate" embroidery.

[Nancy]

Warped my table loom weaving on a small project this week. I have been processing some lovely light grey Romney cross long wool wool fleece to spin as soon as it is dry enough to card up. Enjoying doing samples of this on drop spindles. Got a new one with a rock base.

Finished that weaving!

[BookSaver]

The thought of pulling an embroidery needle & floss through Gesso makes my hands hurt!
What a shame that teacher's unfamiliarity with embroidery is giving students such a bad experience with the craft.

[Harriet]

Thanks, BookSaver! I need reassurance I'm not crazy! Frankly, I went to the internet to search for ANY mention of Gesso and embroidery, because I thought -"... is there some new concept out there I've missed?" There is no mention at all. It makes the fabric very s-t-i-f-f, difficult to hold in the hands to embroider. Needle is constantly sticking. And the hoop they were instructed to buy is hopeless with the stiff fabric.

She asked me to show her a blanket stitch as I do it, holding it so that I was bringing the line of stitching toward myself. But I was so awkward! My blanket stitch came out surprisingly large-scale because I couldn't manipulate the fabric. She continued it like that, though, on that part, and said it would add interest.

On the positive side, dd has started watching embroidery videos and loves them. That's bittersweet, though, because those show very easy, quick needle-ing of small projects.

[CathyS]

I am back into my cross stitching after a very long time. Dh made the very small closet in the library (which used to be a bedroom) into a storage area for my stitch stuff. You all must be getting sick of me praising this man so much, but he is always doing things for me and is always thinking of me and how to make my life better...

Back to the cross stitch... I have lined up 6 projects beside my chair on the narrow stretch of cabinet top. It used to be a credenza in an office and now it makes the base cabinet for my short library shelves. I have an Ott light on my right side, a floor light beside that and a small green Banker's light on my left side as well as the ceiling light and natural light coming from 2 windows that are on the south and east side of the house.

Today I found the project for Cat's Eyes that I had already started (when I was with x-who always belittled me for MY creative talent, while demanding that I assist him in all possible ways with his "talent" as a singer/songwriter/musician.) and I also found the floss for that project. I have a bunch of floss-away bags and I like using them. The floss for Cat's Eyes was on a cardboard thing with holes for the floss and a line beside each hole for floss number. I think the bags keep the floss cleaner and dust free.

So I have these projects lined up ready to go and a husband who has told me he wants to see my stuff hanging all over the house.

1. Cat's Eye
2. Century Farm
3. Fieldstones (old barn and silo in a snow covered field) (Almost finished)
4. Panther
5. Peachy
6. Snow Angel (Almost finished)

The next time I update, I will list the aida/linen sizes I am using. I love working on linen and love 22 count. 1. was the only pre made kit. I have almost every colour of DMC floss, so I can do numerous things. I purchased the floss for 4 and 5 so I would have new floss for each of those. 4 calls for 8 skeins of black floss. (310)

[CathyS]

1. On 14 count aida. Finished size will be 9 inches by 12 inches.

2. On 16 ct. aida. Finished size will be 13" x 9 3/4" Stitch count 208 x 154/ (Stitch count is not listed for all projects)

3. 28 ct. on linen. 8' x 4 1/3".

4. 18 ct. aida. 17" x 15".

5. 28 ct. linen. 12" x 12". Stitch count 168 w x 168 h.

6. 18 ct. aida. 9" x 9 1/2".

[Nancy]

I have the loom warped but tbe chenille is hiding the warp stripes sigh so I have stal lo ed on the project trying to decude to continue or take out this and get some thing else go I ng on it that will show the stripe better like some hand spun fir example.

[Harriet]

Cathy, you are so organized with your UFOs (unfinished fabric objects)! Nice that they are varied and each would have a different feel when working on them. It would be pleasant to pick one up when you haven't worked on it in a while. I see a frame shop in your future! I have heard good things about the Ott light.

My UFOs would not lend themselves to an organized explanation!

Nancy, I wish you could advise dd17 as she moves into the next segment of her Craft and Design class. Teacher has now changed her mind from knitting and it will be weaving. No idea what the plan is. There is talk that they will first make their own looms? Hmmm... ... of course she may change her mind about that, too. I know when I was in an Art class 40 years ago, we wove a small purse on a stiff piece of cardboard.

Maybe if I can get myself together to do it, I will photograph some of her pots and vases from Ceramics.

I'm still trying to be creative every 25th of the month in a specific Christmas direction, one way or another.

This time I did let a little garment work creep in. I embroidered at the neckline of a knit top. There was a lot of peacock blue in the top, but at the neckline the way the fabric was cut made it only off-white/taupe, which just went "into" my skin color and gave no definition. I thought about a thin binding, but I was wary of sewing a woven fabric onto a knit. So I used two blues from dd's floss stash, in 2 strands each, to make a nearly-peacock 4-strand color, and stitched a large-scale running stitch along the neckline. Then I came back along again, just winding through the stitches on the outside. Looks like a thin piece of matching trim.

[Nancy]

Re embrodery class get needke nose plyers to pull that embrodery needle through the canvas, I learned a lot about weavingand other things on U tube.