another August project finished

When I was in the felting mood

I tried another plan that I had for some time

but didn't get to.

I wanted to make a shawl with holes

or rather a collar.

I layed out the wool rovings on the paper pattern

that I made in the right (bigger) size

It was not very easy because I didn't want the fibres

to go in only one direction

well I finally managed to get it to my liking

and started felting

... keeping an eye on the size ...

So far it looked alright

but the largest hole in the middle was kind of sagging,

and I was not pleased with that.

Some holes had turned out too big and had a wrong shape.

( so I did some other things, as I mostly do in a situation like this,

before I decided what to do next )

I had to close some of these holes,

so up with the machine and some fabric

Then again some waiting and musing ...

there the internet is sometimes helpful with ideas

Cécile makes wonderful embroidery on felt

and the little bag of Corinna with hér embroidery on it

were just the little push I needed

So yesterday I started with swirls and spirals

( since long my personal  favourites )

on the collar

and finished it today

The other holes will stay open to be able to tie up the cords

( in fact the colour is more purple than in this photo )

*

btw .... another feather

feathers after the storm

August is rushing to it's end already.

The storm at the US East Coast has blown away

so it's a safe time to think about some more feathers

for Jude's Magic Feather Project.

In the attic I found a paint stained shirt of Man

that I was about to throw away untill I noticed the shirt pocket :

in one corner was the tiniest embroidered horse.

Well thát deserved another life !

Washed, ironed and basted, it was ready to recieve a feather.

 Was that Pegasus perhaps ???

... it might be ...

Then today I prepared two other pieces of my procion dyed fabric

The yellow one (a bit bright perhaps, but Jude probably will find a place for it) got a sun,

the blue one a discharge moon ...

... the feathers are still in the making.

When they're finished they will fly over the ocean to Jude



something new

Always when I'm floating around on the internet

I find new interesting things and ideas.

Quite some times I'm amazed

what people are making :

so many beautiful things are being made !

In the "felting business" I like very much what Gabi is doing :

I love her animals and "persons"

they're friendly and funny !

( I love it when people put some humour in their art,

like Annette Quentin-Stoll who wrote two wonderful books about felting )

I did my first try-out on figures a few days ago :

a little chicken

... and admired Gabi's work a lot more after that !

She gave a lot of good advise on her site

( but I had to cheat at the comb and the tail :

sorry, I used a felting needle ...! )

Although this wet-felting figures technique isn't quite so easy

I had another go today.

... started wrong, cheated again, this time with thread and needle ...

... had some better wool to fit all together ...

( a lot depends on the kind of wool you work with ! )

... and here the little fella finally was after some good hours of work

in his own soapy swimming pool !

I like him ( her ? )

although there isn't a real face yet.

That will come later

( and hair and cloths ofcourse .... )

change of season ?

A few days ago I found the first bright red leaf

of one of the trees in our garden.

I thought that a bit early

for halfway August !

But you never know for sure with this time of the year

all of a sudden the earth smells different,

a lot more spiders hanging around

(to catch you in the morning, when you're not aware of them yet)

a little earlier dark in the evening

...

Yes, certainly the first signs

of the change from summer to autumn.

Perhaps thát's why I chose these colours for a new bag

the day before yesterday

flaming autumn colours

( well ... I also like red hair ! )

And for this bag Fiona gave me a little push towards "nuno" felting again.

Daughter and I collected a lot of thin vintage shawls

in all different colours, but most of the time

we use them for nuno felted shawls or wraps.

For this bag I found a matching colour shawl

and although it's not silk, it did okay.

On the bottom and on the flap I joined some felted "tails"

For the front and the back I used four thin layers of wool roving

so now the size turned out better than with the red "Kaffe Fassett" bag

one third shrinkage is what we get most of the time

when we do all things right

( that's why we make the template so much bigger )

 So after rinsing out the soap properly

and a bit of vinegar in the last rinsing water

I left it drying a bit in the bathroom

But I had to look how it fits to my new socks

( up till the toe in yesterday's Stitch'nBitch company and on the fast ferry,

and the last tip this morning )

well .. quite a match

( but if someone might like it very much I might sell it )

The strap for this bag is still in the making,

like the one for the red "not - a - clutch" bag.

feather Friday

When I looked at all the gathered feathers

of the Magic Feather Project

I saw that mine arrived safely in New York at last

so 

 here is the first

and here is the little extra : a felted one

I love how all these different feathers

are flying in from all over the world to Jude

so she can make them into something special

for the hurt children that Wendy Golden-Levitt

is taking care of as a therapist.

*

Daughter finished her  rose - waistband

it turned out very beautiful

( she looks gorgeous, I think ) 

a job well-done

mending

The little mending problems are solved.

Often these mending-things are lying around

and get dusted over before they are done.

But these weren't mine !

First I took care of the burning accident

I chose the shape of a heart because the hole looked a bit like one

finished

When I think about "burns"

I always think of the most beautiful burns I've ever seen,

you'll find them over here at Cecilia's.

* 

Then came the second and more difficult problem

of the right-angled tear.

The fabric, some Indian cotton, is very loose and thin

so there was no way I could "wonder-under" something behind it.

I took a small thin strip of a similar colour

and used Jude's "invisible basting stitch" to attach it to the garment.

... the beginning, still with pins in it at the right side ...

... and this was what the inside looked like.

Done !

( I brought both pieces back tonight,

so M can wear her new trousers when the weather stays as warm as it is )

*

I did some machine-stitching on some little felt pieces

( I admire Jackie yet more than I already did ! )

triple birthday ...

We were invited to a triple birthday party.

There had to be presents.

One and two weren't that difficult, but the third ....?

So I started this morning with my special home made

chocolate cake

that's always a well recieved present.

Mmmmmmmmmm !

It's called Torta Caprese and found it in "Allerhande" a few years ago

(that's a two-weekly advertising journal of a great supermarket in Holland)

the recipe ( sorry in Dutch )

the egg whites, whisked nice and stiff as you can see, ha !

melted butter, dark chocolate, grinded almonds, whisked egg yolks with half of the sugar,

and the egg whites waiting ....

... and all of it in the backing form, ready for the oven.

Tah - daaaaah !

a present

It was a nice party

where I also voluntered to take home with me

some "mending" projects

a bicycle and a fire accident

*

This little fellow was hiding in the garden under some Geranium plants

tiny, tiny

on his very light coloured belly were two rows of dots with an orange stripe in between

( but he didn't like to be turned over, so I put him back again where he came from )

the circle of water

Sometimes it's not easy

to start with what you want to do :

yesterday evening I wanted to go on with "Water"

but our house guests for the weekend

were desperate in need of some T L C !

( that's what they wanted to show me I think ... )

Well, after a while I was able to do some stitching.

Today I put the backing on,

and because the actual quilting was already done,

I did so with the tiniest stitches up front, small ones on the back

and the rest went in between the layers

( like Jude taught us )

And now "The Circle of Water" is finished !

( a bit skew, but I think that's more the photo ... )

Some of the details

You might notice I didn't forget my magic thread around the sun part

and the magnificent "megamendung" cloud I got from Jude.

I like how this un-planned piece evolved

into what it is now.

*

Yesterday I also sent my feathers in the mail to Jude

for her Magic Feather Project.
It's worth while to go over there and find out all about it !!!

( others and daughters feather may follow )

flying or not flying, that's the question

Yes !

The feathers are ready for take-off

to fly all the way to New York.

First there was the looking for inspiration and sketching some ideas

( daughter brought some beautiful feathers )

but I could not decide yet.

Then later last night : bleep, the light went on, and I knew what to do!

I started stitching at about 11 pm

and stitched on and on ...

till it was finished !

Then, this morning, I made another one 

and put the two of them in an envelope with a little note for Jude.

But :

.....

daughter wants to send a feather of her own, along with mine !

The envelope is still open and waiting for the next feather for Jude.

So she'll have to wait a little bit longer

( ... and so have you all before I show them ... )

*

Later daughter came by to do some felting of her own : a waistband

on which she started a few days ago

... a rose is a rose is a rose ...

When it's finished you will see it.

*

( here she is, showing my  Kaffe "clutch" bag,

I don't know, but think I will make a rather short strap ... )