Rooted in Mississippi

Well, the leak is fixed and our water is back on again! Thankfully it was outside of the house and not in the slab. They were able to dig up the yard and replace the broken pipe. I was even able to get to the gym and do my walking!

I also made this jointed little bunny. I am really enjoying needle felting. I am glad that this time it seems to have sparked something for me.

I am still bummed out about the classes being cancelled, but I plan to try to have a good Labor Day weekend despite it all.

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Wow, this post marks the halfway point in this series of blog entries!

When you find something that interests you, allow yourself the time to explore it, even if you have other stitching obligations.

I enjoyed needle felting Bennie Bear so much, that I started another project right away, a larger project with more details. The “White Rabbit” stands nearly twelve inches tall. I used pink carded fiber to line the ears and create paw pads.

I was not as interested in needle felting before I did the bear. I mean, I did it, but somehow it did not capture my attention fully until now. Maybe it is a reaction to not wanting to work on my Master Craftsman Program. Of course, it could be the fun of creating something dimensional. I am having fun creating faces and examining features and taking a wad of wool, poking it with a sharp needle until it looks like something. I get that now this is fun feeling when I see these things start to take shape.

I think that often, it is all about timing.

It helps to try things that appear to be outside of your comfort zone, because every once in a while you might discover something that you really enjoy.

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Dyeing your own…

One of the Perfect Baggie Swap recipients asked about the lace I included. It was some that I had dyed with fiber reactive dyes. When I dye in a small batch, I use OzCraft Dyes or occasionally microwave dyes, but if I am dyeing large batches of fabric and lace, I used Fiber Reactive Dyes. I have a large stash of Dylon Cold Water Fabric Dyes (they are also sold at some fabric stores), which come neatly packaged with the dye powder and cold water fixative.

Follow the directions on the packaging! However, I thought I would give a run down of the process for the uninitiated. Maybe this will encourage you to try this method of dyeing. Even thought most fiber reactive dyes are not toxic, I would never use them in my actual cook ware. I have a dye pot (just a very large stock pot) and wooden tools marked “not for food use.” The dye is really only dangerous in powder form, because it is bad for your lungs. Kool-Aid powder is also a respiratory irritant. A smart person would only work with these materials with a mask. Gloves (or finger cots) are also recommended.

Wash the fabric before starting, then put the wet fiber into the dye pot and cover with cold water. In a separate jar, mix the fiber reactive dye power with hot water. Pour the wetted dye into the dye pot and add your Cold Water Fixative and salt (I prefer Kosher salt). Stir the dye pot often for the first ten minutes, then less frequently, but regularly for the next fifty minutes. At the end of the hour, discard the dye solution and rinse the fabric until the water runs clear. Then put the fabric into a lingerie bag and wash on the delicate cycle using synthrapol or other detergent/surfracant. Take the whole batch out of the washing machine and iron it damp. The ironing does nothing to set it color, but it will help set the shape of the material and prevent permanent creases.

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I had another post ready for today, but this is the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and I thought something light-hearted was in order. With luck, Bennie Bear will make you giggle. Some of you (especially those of you who need the laugh the most on this somber anniversary) will probably spew coffee/soda/water out of your nose.

This past weekend, when Lisa was over, one of the projects I showed her was the start of a needle felted bear. He did not look like much, a small ball on top of a large ball with one spindly arm and partially formed leg. I was feeling grumpy about my Master Craftsman Program, because I bristle at rules. Lisa and I were talking about me doing something I really wanted to do and although the MCP is something I need to do, it is not something I am enjoying at all.

Fast forward to this morning and I pick up the little beginning of a bear body and start to work on it. The longer I work, the more I like it and the more fun I start to have. He is whimsical and funny and anatomically correct! So if you don’t have a well developed sense of humor, don’t scroll down any farther.

I still have to put on the finishing touches, but he definitely has a distinct personality. But best of all, I really had a lot of fun making him! So other than the details on the bear, what is the Detail here? When you start to get that burned-out feeling, move on to another project, preferably one that generates warm, fuzzy feelings or sparks your imagination.

If you are wondering why I am awake at this unseemly hour, it is because I woke up to the sound of running water. We could not locate the source, but the ground outside the master bath is soaking wet and we had to cut off the water to the house and call the plumber.

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Froggie is one of my favorite beaded motifs. The frog is done in a combination of backstitch and lazy stitch to simulate bullion embroidery. I charted this Beaded Frog Motif for a past issue of CQMagOnline. You can find a diagram for Lazy Stitch at the link above or click here for the graphic from my stitch dictionary.

Be forewarned, Froggie can be addictive. I have beaded and bullion frogs on so many projects!

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This kimono design is worked using a variety of techniques. The bugle bead branches were worked first, then the faux pearl flowers, with the main sections of the kimono filled in from largest to smallest.

The bugle beads are worked using 1-Bead Backstitch, the thread is worked through each bugle and then brought back through the bugle before it before securing the next one. The faux pearls are attached one at a time using single stitch. Once those base elements are worked, the surrounding beads are added using Beaded Backstitch. See previous entries for graphics or check out my stitch dictionary.

I have gotten lots of feedback from the CyberStitchers Chapter about the need for a Bead Embroidery educational project. I need to put my thinking cap on and come up with something for them.

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These are motifs I created for a bead embroidery class I taught several times in the past. They are the exact same drawing of an apple, using the same beads, but done in two different bead embroidery styles. The first one is done using the method I referred to as Beaded Backstitch in the previous post. I used my own sensibilities to determine direction for an organic look.

The second motif is worked in spiral rounds, known as a “rosette”, common to Native American Beadwork. The beads are attached using 2-Needle Applique, which is just a form of couching. Click here to see a diagram of the stitch process. The strung beads are held taut on the top of the fabric and a second threaded needle is used to couch the beads. When I am working rosettes, I never load more than a handful of the beads at a time, because of the color changes. I find the spiral diagrams tedious to plot and use. Maybe I am lazy or maybe I am just set in my ways.

If I am working a diagrammed rosette, I use something like flat circular brick stitch to create the design and then couch the finished motif to cloth. Actually, I often do free form motifs using this method too. Because the advantage to this method is that I can create motifs and send them to friends, so they can use them in their own Crazy Quilting. See some examples below:

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I am participating in a “Perfect Baggie Swap” on the CQInternational Yahoo Group. These are the three baggies that I made up for my three victims. I am a little nervous about what the folks will think. It was actually harder to do than I expected. I even dyed two giant batches of lace and some ribbon for this swap. I definitely went over-kill. I included more fabric and lace than needed, because I was worried about colors. I also threw in a lot of ribbon, threads and other odds and ends.

The question is, would any of these be the perfect baggie for you? Two are in the mail already, one is waiting on a final destination.

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