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Here is the wool bag I made yesterday. The directions called for boiled wool, but I had some wool felt fat quarters and used those instead. There is some piecing, but it will be ok. There is no boiled wool at my fabric store, and if there were it would be very expensive. The bowl is lined with more wool felt. Viking January Project by Marie Duncan.
Last night, this picture appeared on my facebook timeline with this pitiful post:
"Dearest Gran B. I wish you were here. No one will feed me. Around December 4 I ate a corn cob in a dark alley. Not much was thought of it until I puked part of it out a couple of nights ago. Now I have to get an x-ray tomorrow and was told I must "fast." I have demanded food many times and tried my best to remind my people to feed me. They are just staring off into space watching their pet box (his name is Teevee) which has no fur and isn't cute at all."
Oh, dear. So far this morning, there is no news about Lucy, except that the x-ray showed that her stomach was enlarged so it was on to more tests.
There are a lot of sewing machine feet in their designated basket at my house, and some come out more often than others. For some reason, though, this three hole yarn foot had never made its debut until today. You'll notice that there are three holes in the front of the foot, and the yarn/cord goes in from the front to the back. There is the usual sewing thread in the needle and bobbin.
The sewing thread couches the yarn/cord and the only thing I needed to do was make sure that the cords stayed in the right order. Easy. For Viking folks, the stitch is X1:17 but a wide zig zag would work too. You'll notice that there is a tear-away stabilizer behind the fabric.
Sometimes I like to volunteer to make work samples just because it challenges me to try things I usually wouldn't, like using this foot and sewing with wool. You'll see the completed project tomorrow. I'm almost finished.
On March 1, I'm teaching a class featuring this Anita Goodesign jewelry roll. It has a large pocket plus a separate smaller zippered pocket and a ribbon holder for rings. Except for just a teense bit of machine and hand sewing, it's all done in the embroidery hoop, including the zipper.
This is how it looks rolled up with the embroidery showing. I'm thinking about how the zipper feature could be used in other bags, not that putting in a zipper is all that hard, but this is really, really easy. This design calls for a 200 x 360 embroidery hoop, so my next project will be a little smaller, to fit in a 200 x 260 hoop, for people who just have that size hoop.
Last night Aaron called me, laughing, to tell me that he'd just seen my identical twin in the parking lot at Frisch's. Glasses just like mine, blond hair, similar build, jeans, and a purple coat like mine. At first he and Nora were sure it was me. They thought it was hilarious. I'd like to have seen this person.
My friend Carrye and I had the nicest afternoon yesterday, but I forgot to take pictures. We went to my church in Oakley to change out the Advent decorations, then on to Sewn Studio just down the street. Lunch was at Essencha Tea Shop, next to the fabric store, really a relaxing treat. Then back to Newport where our friend Ginny was having a sale of her fabrics, which are usually available only at quilt shows around the country. She has the most beautiful hand dyes and commercial fabrics, very unique. And, we got to see some quilt samples she's made to show them off.
Every day I've been doing a little more cleaning in my sewing areas. I knew that it was in disray by the time Christmas came, but I really didn't appreciate just how much.
This Christmas I seriously ran up against a wall in getting my holiday sewing completed. I love, love handmade gifts and enjoy making them, but I ran out of both time and energy. So, one of my goals this year is to make a gift every month. It can be big, it can be small, but when the holidays come around next year I want to be able to pull things out of a tote and wrap them prettily. With ribbon.
And, I figure that if I show them now the recipients will have forgotten all about them by next Christmas, if they even read this blog. So, here is my January project,which photographed pretty yellow when there is in fact lots of pale green. It is made with 1 1/2 charm packs of Bernatex's Basically Holidays, no special piecing, just nice fabrics and close organic quilting. A lap quilt for throwing over a sofa.
This is big enough that it actually won't go in the tote but will be carefully stored wrapped around a pool noodle so it will be uncreased when the wrapping-and-ribbon time comes.
A lot of things come out of my sewing studio, but almost none are for me. So, one of my many goals this year is to make a little something for me every month, even if it's only some machine embroidery on a flour sack towel. Which this is.
I love the vintage-type designs on flour sack, and with a little hanging loop this was quickly finished and in my kitchen. Then, I realized that it really wanted to live in my bathroom instead. Design from Embroidery Library.
The outside lights are down, the peripheral decorations packed away, but I'm not yet willing to give up the Christmas trees. Not yet. I keep them lit day and night and they are so comforting on these dark days. Part of me is pulled toward putting the ornaments back in their little boxes and one of these days that part of me will take over. But not yet.
I am searching for some sort of low energy project for these winter evenings. I am not a tv watcher, not much of a knitter. I always end up reading in bed far too early, and that's not what I'm looking for.
Last night Aaron was scheduled for an only-child sleepover while Nora enjoyed her own sleepover with the one little girl who couldn't make it to Nora's December birthday party. Because of the bad roads, Aaron had to stay home once again, although the little girl did arrive. I saw a picture of Aaron battling with light sabers, so I'm sure he had his own good time.
Today we're scheduled to go to the Museum Center if the roads are clear. I haven't seen the Duke trains yet this year, and that could be part of the visit.
Happy New Year, everybody.
Let's get creative!
