Two Finishes

This weekend brought about two happy finishes.  I am going to show them in reverse order.  The second finish was a small project on my rigid heddle loom.  This is another light and airy scarf that is so different in appearance from the other three that I have made so far.  I used the colors of the ocean and the islands of the Caribbean.  There are several sparkly threads that run throughout the length of this piece although they do not show well in the photograph.

A bit of the sparkle shows up in this photo but  it is a bit more showy in person. 

As you can see, it will pair beautifully with a simple black dress or blouse. 

The first finish was the blue patchwork notebook cover.  Since you have seen the patchwork already, I didn't want to show it first.

Here it is in all its glory. 

Front of the closed notebook

Opened showing the inside pocket

Opened face-down- showing the full outside of the cover.

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Starting Another Notebook

It is time I get back into sewing mode.  This morning I pieced some handwoven fabric with some quilting cotton to make a pinwheel block.

It is shown sitting on top of a very similar blue fabric -although I am not sure it is exactly the same.  I will border it with this blue and then piece together the rest of the outer cover with quilting fabrics. Once quilted I will assemble it and have yet more more in my "for sale" pile.   While these are the for the Holiday Faire in November, I would certainly be more than happy to sell them before then. To some degree, I will custom design and make one on request.  I sell these with the notebook already in place although these "Marble Composition Book" notebooks are readily available in most US markets. It is easy to replace the notebook and continue to use the cover for years.  Here are some examples of covers I have made.

Each one has a pocket inside the front cover for a pen or other small items.

 The labels say "Gene Black Creations" and also have my website address on the reverse side.

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Weaving Scarves

After finishing the cloth that was on my loom, I decided to make some scarves.  Specifically,  I wanted to make some light airy scarves that would be suitable for all year wear.   Here in Alabama, the "warm scarf" season can be short.
After putting enough warp on my loom to weave three scarves, I started weaving.  I soon realized that I didn't particularly care for the bright yellow thread that I had put in the warp.  {Warp: threads that run lengthwise throughout a piece of fabric.}  But I kept weaving.
The first scarf was woven with shades of red fibers. Most of the fiber in these scarves is synthetic as I used a lot of novelty yarn to add a lacy delicateness to the finished product.  But the yellow and some of the red that I wove into the first scarf was cotton. 

The second scarf was woven in all black yarn/thread.  And the third was woven with a novelty yarn that is a shiny red/green/gold variegated thread.

Here are the three hanging outside on my makeshift clothesline that I mainly use for drying my cotton rugs.

You may notice that the one on the right is decidedly different. Here is the secret.  While I was still weaving the second scarf, I wrapped a small skein of the yellow thread that is in the warp.  What color it would be if I dyed it with red dye? I was seriously thinking orange.  But wonder of wonders, it turned this glorious shade of red.

So, while weaving the third scarf, I placed the first one (woven with red) into a red dye bath.  I love the result and am considering dyeing the scarf woven with black in red also.  OR I could do another sample of the yellow and see what a different color might do. I am considering purple- but since it is the complement of yellow, it could turn an ugly muddy color.  Still, it is all a grand experiment. Right?
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A little Creative Play

This week has been less than optimal for creating.  On Tuesday, my mother's oldest sister, Mary, passed from this earthly plane.  We were on our way to the hospital when she passed.  We were informed of her passing when we arrived. Needless to say the next couple of days were busy with arrangements and the funeral. 
Then the weather got cold enough that I decided to turn on my furnace. Hmmm.... my furnace decided otherwise.  Because of the funeral I was not at home for the repairman to come that day.  On Friday he arrived and checked many things before determining that the master control circuit board had bit the dust.  Hopefully it will be repaired Monday.  Fortunately, I have lots of quilts to sleep under - and the weather warmed back up also.  Right now it is 70° inside which is cool but comfortable.

On to the creativity! 

I have a couple of sets of placemats that I use on my table, but I wanted to have something different.  With a warp I created for my loom, I wove two lovely simple placemats.  (I only use two -just so you know.)

My table is an old wooden table that I painted and distressed many years ago. Over the years it has become even more distressed, but it is comfortable in the space.

Quite a while back I had woven some hand-dyed fabric to make an art quilt.  Somehow it never seemed to work for anything I tried with it.  Play Time was my answer to using it anyway.  Layering some purple fabric and a yellow scrap over it, I freemotion quilted a flower.  Actually I did two "flowers" - but one of them looked like some sort of amoeba with weird tentacles.  This one actually looks like a flower.

The circle around it was just another part of the play time.  This became a notebook cover that will go in my 'sell' pile for the Holiday Faire. 

Here is a picture of the cover opened up where you can see part of the amoeba/bug covered by another flower.

My basic rule for mistakes is this: find a creative way to cover it or use it as a design element.  Now it looks like two flowers behind the "front" flower.  Shhhh...this will be our little secret.

Sometimes sitting down and getting in the creative mode is the best escape from the events of the day that could bog you down.  Take a creative play time to soothe your soul.  And if you make a mess?  First - laugh at yourself and realize that it is NOT the end of the world. Second - tune into your creative side and see what you can do to salvage it or repurpose it.

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Doing Some Free Motion Quilting

A few days ago, I pulled out a UFO that was already layered and pinned and started quilting it.  This is being done in small manageable chunks of time. I am playing with lots of quilting designs and I assure you that this quilt would never win an award for the quilting on it.

About 2/3rds of it is quilted at this point.   The designs are changing randomly for sections  - although some sections are joined by larger quilting motifs.

This picture shows one of the piecing bits that is in the borders.  It allows the piecing to "run off the edge of the canvas." 

This picture shows part of the unquilted but pinned quilt. I love mixing near solids like these Connecting Threads Quilter's Candy Prints  with the prints.  These prints are Samoan fabrics that I got from Barb years ago when she was living in American Samoa.  She is now an Island Batiks Ambassador - and has many fun and delightful patterns on Craftsy.

So if you are missing me for a few days - I may be free motion quilting away on this quilt.

I am also trying to spend more time exercising. I am doing more walking but I am looking for an exercise program locally - preferably free - that will fit into my crazy schedule. I discovered that exercise helps both my blood sugar and my blood pressure.  I need to keep those in control as I want to live long enough to use up most of the fabric that I have acquired. 😄

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Recent Packages

Over the past week or so, a couple of really fun packages have come in the mail.  One of them is a needle minder from the Etsy shop of Tonya's Sewing Room.  This one was a gift to me (it arrived just in time for my birthday although it wasn't necessarily a birthday present.  I am very thankful for it as it is a delight.  The needle minder is magnetic and even has an extra magnet to attach it to your shirt or blouse.  These little magnets are strong too.  I hope this video works for you.

See how strong that magnet is??? Did you hear it POP into place?

This is a perfect needle minder for me as it is made from a guitar pick - and I am somewhat of a musician.  But, when I am hand sewing I tend to stick the needle into my clothing and freq  sometimes stick myself - or have to hunt for it. This makes it easy to find.

Now, behind the needle minder in this photo is a gorgeously lovely fat quarter of batik that I won from Rhonda at her Ravelly blog.  This blue is rich and intense.  I just love it.

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Another One - This Time with Orange

After making the oatmeal/mug mat for my friend, I decided to make another one.  Just to push myself a bit, I decided to pick "orange" as the main color. What I discovered is that while I have a few fabric pieces in orange, I have only a few values of color in orange. So I had to add some red, yellow and blue - and maybe one bit of green.

After I finished piecing without thinking too much, this is what I ended with.

A

 But which end is up?  I originally intended for the red to be the bottom ,  but I like it at the top also.

B

The blue could be at the bottom also as it is the darkest color and therefore carries more visual weight. 

C

So feel free to chime in and give reasons if possible. I like it that way is a perfectly valid reason. Still, I would prefer that you expound on your answer.  (Gee, did that sound like a high school teacher?) 

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Mug Mat -Do Over

I did finish the previous mug mat.  But I messed up the binding and I really hated it. The recipient told me to send it anyway.  - I just can't.  I will trim the binding off, finish the edges somehow and use it for something for my house. 

Meanwhile, I did a do over.  This time I did the "no binding" method that I used on the Nana's oatmeal mat back in 2012.  Wow, more than five years ago.  No wonder I didn't remember how I did it.
Here is the new one.  I am very happy with it.

This one has a much more artistic flowing look to it. I also added a bit of blue and purple to this one with just a couple of pops of yellow.  That yellow fabric with the dots, snails and starfish is leftover from my pillow cases.   I hope the sweet lady that is getting it loves it as much as I do.  I even did a tiny bit of curved piecing in it -there at the bottom.

While I was quilting it, I ran out of bobbin thread. So I started filling a bobbin from the spool- the only one I have of this color! I looked up and saw the spool showing and stopped the bobbin quickly.  Then I took a deep breath and went back to quilting.  When I was done, this is all that was left on the spool. Whew!

Here's hoping your bobbins and spools don't run out at inopportune times!
Have a great weekend.
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Crazy Piecing in Shades of Green

I am making a crazy pieced larger mug mat for a friend.

I know that yellow is not a shade of green - but it is a component of green, so I added it anyway. Once upon a time, I told one friend that I didn't like green.  Hmmm....that must not be true as I have a lot of it in my stash!  As soon as I hear back about the size she prefers I will either trim it or add borders and it will be ready to layer and quilt.
Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in posts may be affiliate links for which I am compensated if you click through and purchase.

Show Photos

I have been very absent lately while we were doing the production of Young Frankenstein the Musical.   Now that we have performed the last showing, I can share a few photos with you.

This number is "Please Don't Touch Me" 

I played the hapless Mister Hilltop.

As Mr. Hilltop, I got the knee twice a showing - allowing me to make faces and act like I was in pain.  The hospital gown was a bit large for me - just to make it a bit more comical.  The sock garters were my own creation made of simple elastic  and a couple of inexpensive suspender clips.

I was also a Romanian villager in many of the scenes.

One of the most fun numbers - although the hardest to learn- was "Join the Family Business."  Where we, the dead ancestors, are convincing Young Frankenstein to embrace his heritage and make a monster.  I am in the photo but I have on a mad scientist wig. (Good luck spotting me!)

We had so much fun bringing this show to life.  I am happy to have done it.  But I will also be happy to return somewhat to my normal routine.
Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible unless otherwise stated. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in posts may be affiliate links for which I am compensated if you click through and purchase.