Art, Craft and Needlework, March, 2012

[Nancy]

I started a new project and then ended up ripping it out [a knitting project] last night. The yarn was more like rug yarn so now I'm crocheting a bag with it instead of making a hat out of it. May be doing it again as the pattern is not quite what I was picturing in my heat! LOL!

I've ripped that out and have the new one going again now third time is a charm.

[Harmony]

Got your bag done yet Nancy?

I've got all my material out again, working on the quilt. Last night I paper pieced and appliqued a palm tree in the sand area. I have 2 sides of the 4" border sewed on.

[Nancy]

I have two projects going now both in pea green yarn. The bag has taken a 2nd to the prayer shawl I'm knitting on now have not done any knitting for a while so I seem to be focusing on it for now any way.

I wonder if I'll ever be able to get all the material out for a project to sew on again. ~sigh~

[Harriet]

I wonder if I'll ever be able to get all the material out for a project to sew on again. ~sigh~

Me, too, Nancy! I never know when I will have a little space of time or not until it's passed. If I had only known my ddad wanted to sleep in this morning, I could have had a full hour to sew and it wouldn't have bothered anyone, but I must be prepared that he will be up and needing attention at any moment. I know you feel you have to stay ready for anything, too.

Harmony, are you appliqueing the traditional way, with turned-under edges hand sewn? I am starting to get amazed at your creativity - even a palm tree?

[Nancy]

http://madebyabrunnette.wordpress.com/2 ... -the-snow/

[Harmony]

Wow, Nancy, those patterns are simply beautiful! Thanks for sharing. Course, once the snow melts, those patterns go away. Just like chalk art. And Crop circles that grow out (once the aliens go away ).

Harriet, I paper-pieced the fronds at the top, one set each side of the trunk which I just cut and appliqued. The fronds made a rectangle on my sand material backing and I hand appliqued that and the trunk onto the corner of the beach. I also made a striped beach towel and appliqued that to the beach underneath the umbrella. I am doing hand applique which is easy except for juggling that huge amount of material on my lap while I'm sewing! I'm just turning the edges under and pressing first. Nothing but straight lines so far.

Right now I'm considering the sea gulls I wanted to add...all my bird patterns are different birds, and the paper pieced ones are a bit complicated. I do have a cute bird I could applique so I might do that...it's not a gull but it is a sand-type bird...after all, it's just the illusion anyway, right? The birds wouldn't be straight lines, but not complicated. Last night I got a pattern for a gull-in-flight that I think I'll quilt in the design on the sky. Now if all the scales of all these things was right...

I've been putting everything away when people come and getting it all back out...and DFamily2 are coming tonight or tomorrow morning and I will have to put away again as this is one family who doesn't know about all this yet.

Adding to my post since noone has been here yet: I appliqued 2 gull-type birds onto the sand. Had a bit of trouble with those skinny tiny beaks and they turned out a bit large, but they are grey birds and I got out my ufo embroidery and stole some dark grey for embroidered legs and black for knot "eyes". The other 2 sides of the border are on and I'm ready for final pressing and making the "sandwich".

[Nancy]

I thought I'd share this season a fav. crafting show of mine Knit and Crochet is on P.B.S. @ ten on Thurs. mornings they moved it from Wed. Just in case any of you are interested. I get a few tips from that and it's always inspiring to see new projects they come up with.

[Harriet]

Thank you, Nancy for the recommendation! Sure is a blessing to have the technology now to capture video of someone teaching the techniques or ideas we want to learn. There are times books and magazines can be frustrating.

I remember that until my late dh's aunt took the time to teach me to "Candlewick" embroider, I couldn't figure it out from written instructions at all. The first video instruction I ever saw was probably Georgia Bonesteel or Jinny Beyer on PBS. I remember nearly dropping my teeth watching Beyer's fingers hand-sewing in front of my eyes. Until those two women, any sewing I saw had been in person. Probably never saw a televised thimble until Beyer held hers up to the camera so the viewer could see what she used.

Sunny, I hope you found the last two prints without much trouble.

Harmony, adding in a striped towel sounds fun! Shhh... ... I know you are hiding your work right now... ...

~~*~~ I have something to report. ~~*~~

I spent time in the Quilt Studio (little building in my backyard) today. I bound three sides of a small project and did lettering on a half-finished label. These were set-aside projects ready for me to pick up and work on, so I wasn't re-inventing the wheel: a good way to get back into the swing.

[Nancy]

Took some time to crochet a few new colors on the bag I'm working on this evening.