A New Pattern and A New Tower

My computer was getting very slow and also starting to get very cranky, so I decided to get a new tower for my PC. I did this without a lot of thought as to the ramifications and did I ever pay for my thoughtlessness. My new tower did not support my small, outdated wireless adapter that allows me to get internet. I had "upgraded" from Windows XP to Windows 7 and most of my software did not work. But now most of that is in the past and I am able to reorganize all of my computer stuff, if I take the time to do it.

In the meantime I got a new pattern from a friend and started making a new jackety shawl. I played with several different sizes, and varieties of color and decoration. Next I will play with the collar, removing it from the garment to change the neckline. What fun to play with such glorious colors, using the imagination, and just going with it with no constraints. I just wish that I had a thinner model to display them. My diet isn't!!!

"Old Friends"

My husband and I are going to have a garage sale, and in preparation for this we decided to clean out our attic. We have talked about this for years, but for years have put it off. Today we actually got up there and brought down all of the boxes that have been stored for years and years. Six of these boxes held some old friends of mine. I would like to introduce some of them to you.

This is Farmer Lady. She loves all farm animals big and small.

Next, to the right,  is Crazy Bug Lady. She loves to dress in bugs, live with bugs, never steps on them or kills them in any way.

And Bag Lady,  on the left,  with her always present kitty peeking out of one of her bags. 

In contrast to Bag Lady is Jewelry Lady, who has rings on every finger, earrings, and necklaces. She is never without her furs, gowns, and dress hats.


And then there is Grandma, who was left with her daughter's children while her daughter went to run an errand 3 months ago. Grandma has gotten postcards!


These are just some of the twenty some personalities that I fantasized a few years back. I had such fun making these characters.

Sometimes Husbands Are "Keepers"

Yesterday as I was working in my well organized craft room, not doing laundry, or cleaning the house, or cooking dinner, or anything else that needed doing, my husband went out and picked me a bouquet of flowers and put them in a vase on the dining room table. Is he the best, or what? He did not like it when I bought "Big Red," said that she over- powered the room, etc., etc., etc. We argued, I put her together, as she is mine, and the room is my craft room, and she has made all the difference to me. The flowers are one of his little ways of saying that maybe, just maybe, he should have left my room up to me. Aren't husbands just the most interesting and wonderful people? Mine is.

So what have I accomplished in my now more organized room? Well recently I have made a jacket, two tunic type tops, a scarf and a ??? For the last one someone will have to tell me. I made the jacket out of some wonderful soft silks, a pattern on the arms and dark purple and plum in the body. The roving is so soft that I want to cuddle up in this jacket, and the colors are much prettier than the picture shows.

I made two tunic tops, but one sold before I could get a picture of it. It was the same pattern as the one pictured, but the colors were blues and coppers, my favorites. (One of my wishes is that I had a tall thin person to model my clothing so that it looked better in pictures. Oh well, I make my clothes for me, and thin passed me by a while ago. To get near thin takes so much work and will power. So far I haven't seemed to find either of those illusive, wonderful traits.) 

I also made a deep purple and white scarf with white lace. It turned out pretty well, anyway I like it. The purple is a dark silk chiffon, and the contrast with the white is very nice.

Now the mystery garment. My husband, whom I was bragging about moments ago, said that it looked like something one would wear in the kitchen. What do you think? It is hanging on "Big Red." It isn't quite finished, but almost, and yes it is supposed to be higher in the front than in the back. No mistake. I wanted to make something with greens, something different, but something I could wear! Would you wear this?

Here's To "Big Red"

Several weeks ago I wrote about my workroom and posted one of these pictures on my blog. I told you about the mess I had and how little storage I had available other than the tubs that you can see in the background. Well I ordered a large glass doored piece of furniture from Ikea, and I put it together by myself. It came in three very heavy boxes which I had to shuffle around because my problem is, of course, space. It took me a while to figure out which little nails went where, and which holes were for the dowels. But the directions are pretty easy once you get the hang of them. Anyway you can now see "Big Red," my special name for my new wonderful storage cabinet.
It now amazes me that I was able to get anything done in my room the way it was. Having an organized space always feels so much better to me, even if I am just pretending to be organized, which I am. But my space does look and feel a whole lot nicer. Doesn't it???

A Common Malady and An Old Hobby

This weekend we went over to Central Oregon to our little house in the mountains. The house sits at the base of a giant Ponderosa Pine Tree that is over 100 feet tall. If the tree ever decides to go over, the house is gone for sure, but the house has been there since 1938. We bought the little house 10 years ago, enjoyed it for many years, and now drive 3 hours one way to pick up pine cones, needles, mow the lawn, clean the house, etc. in order to turn around two days later and head back home. We still enjoy the little house, but not with the same fervor, and now have it up for sale. 

 This weekend I took a break from felting as I am suffering from a common felting malady, a very painful arm. The muscles needed a rest, so I decided to do some bead work, something that I hadn't done for quite some time. I have a number of fun beads left from when I used to sell jewelry. I just started putting favorite colors together, turquoise with coral, turquoise again with some amber, amber with some antique crystal beads, and everything together with a variety of different stone and glass beads. I made most of the pieces stretchy so that they would be easy and fun to wear. They are just to add color to any outfit that I decide to put on.

  There is very little color from flowers as yet up in these mountains. This year has been very cold and wet. I did, however, find one little early bloomer. This brave little beauty

was all alone in the rock garden in the front of the house. I planted it several years

ago and can't remember its name. The weekend was restful and much needed. It was good to revisit an old hobby and a great old house.

Now, What To Do With It?

A few years ago I went to Paris knowing that I would go to the textile area and pick out fabric for my living room curtains. We hadn't as yet painted the living room, but I just had the colors in mind that I wanted. I had no idea how much fabric I would need, because I had not made curtains like these before, so when I got there I just bought what I thought was a lot of fabric. As it turned out, I just squeaked by with enough material and a little bit left over. Two weeks ago as we were getting ready to have carpet put in and we were moving everything out of closets, I came across the bit of left over curtain fabric. I had loved the fabric since first seeing it in the textile district, then again hanging as curtains in my windows, but now I saw it's potential as a felted garment. I especially loved the beautiful design in the fabric, which of course I didn't mess with. I had such fun making myself a great shirt out of the remnants of that great fabric. Now if someone could just tell me how to felt a bunch of carpet remnants.
As to the title of my post. I am getting such a collection of these garments that I am running out of room for them. Am I at a point where I could sell them, and if so where? How do you establish yourself in something like that? That's what my title is all about. 

A New Metalic Top

 I had so much fun making this shirt. It is made out of metallic silk and a beautiful green silk chiffon that I purchased at a sale on Mother's Day. I trimmed it with a few metallic yarns in just a few places where the silk was a little raw. Every experiment presents adventures for me. 

Mother's Day and Little Charlie Rose

Last weekend was Mother's Day. My 2 sisters and 3 of 4 brothers came together to celebrate with my 88 year old mother. There were 5 of their children at my mothers home, and even 4 of the children's children were represented. We got to see the very youngest,  little 2 month old Charlie Rose. What a beautiful and loved little darling. She has moved into one of the best families in the world, and yes I am so very biased.

My sisters and I have a ritual with my mother, taking my mom  to Nordstroms for shopping and lunch. And we always want to buy Mom something special. We stop, look and try on shoes, check out the purses, and then hit the Bobbi Brown makeup. This time we tried so hard to buy Mom a wallet, as hers is old and looks terrible to us, but she would have none of it.


She said that if we did buy it she wouldn't use it, she already has a new one she doesn't use, and she really likes the one she has- so we passed. Who can argue with all of that?  When she says "no" with that look in her eyes, we know that she means it. She finally agreed to let us buy her a little makeup, and of course we had to have some too. The fun part is to have all of us standing around trying on different foundations, pencils, lotions, etc. while watching one of us have a makeover. This time it was Mom's turn. Her blue eyes look fantastic with just a touch of color. What fun for the three sisters, and for  Mom.
When Charlie is old enough to shop for such things as makeup, shoes, purses, etc. she will carry on the tradition. She won't have the sisters, but she will be surrounded by cousins and aunts who will spoil her and want to do things with her. She has a beautiful mother and grandmothers who will love her, take her shopping, do the "girl things", and the "boy things", and teach her what relationship is all about. It's not just the buying of things, but hanging out with people that you love, laughing, and storing up all the memories that you possibly can, because life is just too darn short for all of us. I treasure every Mother's Day that I can have.

Okay, What Is It?

This is the largest article of clothing that I have made so far, and I haven't yet decided what it should be called. Is it a duster, a bathrobe, a choir robe, a wild coat, or...?  I haven't even decided whether or not to make any closures for it. There are things that I like about it and things that I do not. This is a real dilema.
 I made the first piece of nuno felt for this some time ago, but didn't get back to it until last week. I wanted to make something spectacular, but I just don't have the sewing or design skills, let alone the experience with felt making. I do like the fabric, both the way that it looks and the feel of it. I have combined two looks, one with lace and one without. The one without the lace adds an etherial feel to the garment. It billows and flows. (Etherial has become my favorite word.)  There is still far too much fabric in this piece of clothing, but I can't yet stand to cut any more out of it than I have already. I think that that is my biggest problem, it is far too big, too bulky, too much, and therefore, too hard to name. I'll have to come back to it after visiting my mother for Mother's Day and see if I have any enlightenment.

Jacket Frenzy

This is the third nuno felted jacket I have made in three weeks time. I have been on a roll. I can't claim that they are professionally made, but each one gets better than the last.
 I had such fun making this fabric, adding reds and purples with just a dash of pinks and then came the black lace-oh goodie. I don't care what it looks like on, I am going to wear it anyway. I am at that age, well maybe just a bit young, when a woman can wear purple, and red, etc. I took this picture of the fabric up close, trying to capture the great look of the lace with the wool, but all I get is reflection. Where does that come from, the wool isn't shiny? Oh well, hopefully you get what I am trying to show. All my best for now...