Kayte Terry showed us how to make crepe paper flowers, which can be way more glamorous than I imagined. Here’s my rose:

I also made a humble terrarium, with the guidance of Gönül Yetim. I tried–with limited success–to capture my memories of last summer’s walking holiday in Ireland (complete with sheep):

The biggest surprise of the day for me was the painted bead necklace class, led by artist Christina Batch-Lee. I got far more fun and relaxation than I would have ever imagined out of the process of selecting paint colors, choosing how to apply them to beads, and then arranging the finished beads into strands.

So, what’s next for me? For the most part I’m keeping my nose to the grindstone to get my book project ready to go for my publisher, and as we start to talk about the book design it all is beginning to feel quite real. But I’ve just ordered a couple of new-to-me craft books to add to my personal library, and I’ll report on these soon.

The big event last month was QuiltCon, which has led me, a person who has never properly made a quilt before, to start scheming a couple of quilt projects AND to buy a proper machine that will enable me to machine quilt, whenever I’m ready. I’ve also knitted a shawl using Jill Draper yarns and pattern (thanks to artist Rebecca Ringquist, who introduced me to Jill’s stuff), and I’ve made a patchwork Scottie Dog for my nephew. Here’s a look at each of the Scottie’s two sides:

And speaking of dogs, I also sewed up a felted knit wool coat for Maisie:

All day Saturday I’ll be at Brooklyn Craft Camp, which promises to be an inspiring respite from day-to-day responsibilities, thanks to the creative vision and hard work of organizer Brett Bara. If you’re going, I look forward to showing you the pompoms I helped to make to decorate the campsite as we make terrariums and necklaces together! And, as things spring forward here in New York, I promise to share more news as well.

It all started with potato carving.

My design emerged in two stages. The first (on the lower right) felt a bit too evocative of Easter eggs, so I kept carving and eventually ended up with a sort of folk art version of a chrysanthemum instead.

After tackling this forgiving vegetable form, Lotta had us work on creating a stamp by carving a square of what I think was called EZ Cut. I made a leafy branch that I layered to create a strange shrubbery.

We ended our afternoon with a crash course in designing, cutting, and applying stencil patterns to textiles. I panicked a bit when it came to the design, but I finally settled on a parade of radishes that I applied to a tote bag. Here’s a close-up:

I always love being a participant, not a host (as I am at the library), at any hands-on event. But this workshop has much to recommend it specifically, and I came away enthused and excited about the work of surface printing. Lotta provided friendly encouragement and clear instruction, and her approach to teaching struck a balance between structure and freedom. My fellow students were inspiring as well, not the least for having traveled much greater distances than I (South America! Canada!) to take part in the workshop. New Yorkers are exceptionally fortunate to have such opportunities just a subway ride away, and that fact is well worth my remembering the next time I’m down on the city. Now, to start exploring the surface design books at my library.

Are there skills you wish you had that would help you to understand the sometimes mysterious process of navigating a library? Is there something you wish you knew how to do at a library? Are there kinds of materials you’d like advice on how to find? Is there a system, a process, a policy that you’ve encountered at libraries that’s confusing? Are there certain subjects that you wish were not so elusive? Do you want tricks for searching catalogs? What do you need to know when it comes to tracking down digital collections you can browse online?

Basically, what do you think would be most useful to include in the guidance section of my book? If you’ve got a suggestion, please tell me–either in a comment below or, if you feel like being private, as an emailed message just to me.

I’m always offering to help people I meet at parties with their library searches, and I appreciate becoming better at anticipating what designers, crafters, stitchers, and other creatives need to know when it comes to using libraries. Thanks so much in advance for your help and ideas. And I’ll try to return the favor by responding and sharing my own ideas here too.

The sheep coming to Bryant Park are part of Wool Week, sponsored by the Campaign for Wool. Here’s the announcement, from their website:

The Campaign for Wool is launching in the US, beginning with Wool Week from Monday September 24th 2012. 

The highlight of the week will see sheep brought in to the world’s most energetic city, New York City, to graze freely and play centre stage in a stunning installation called ‘WOOL UNCOVERED’ which will transform the famous Manhattan outdoor living space Bryant Park into an interactive, woolen wonderland!

The lawn will become the sheep’s meadow, the famous water Bryant Park Fountain will be filled with wool and the terrace will be turned in to a luxurious Wool Salon with beautiful richly colored carpet and a stunning wool bed.

Come down and ‘Join the Flock’ on Thursday September 27th when we will be giving Bryant Park the full wool treatment.

Additionally, I read on Knitty City‘s website that they’ll be there too! And since it looks like I’ll not be making the pilgrimage to Rhinebeck this year (sigh), Wool Uncovered in Bryant Park will have to suffice for my sheep peeping desires this fall. If you “join the flock” on Thursday morning, let me know!

p.s.: Since I’m on the topic of wool, here’s a peek at the sweater I’m currently working on–a sweet georgia version of the Raindrop Cardigan in Connie Chang Chinchio‘s Textured Stitches.

I used New Look 6775 as the basis of my pattern. I’ve made four dress versions of this pattern already, but this is my first top. Since I had just a single yard of fabric to work with, I had to adjust things a bit; I made my top shorter than the tunic pattern called for, I used other fabric to line the yoke, and I made a narrower belt than suggested. Despite these textile economies, it’s still definitely good in a heat wave.

Want to see some Marimekko textiles for yourself? You might browse selections of Marimekko’s design archive held by Finland’s Design Musem’s Image Archive online; the institution requires registration but it is free to browse. Marimekko had its start in post World War II Finland, and this summer’s exhibition at the Design Museum covers this critical period in Finnish design. The show’s called Builders of the Future and if you’re lucky enough to be in Helsinki be sure to visit. As for the rest of us, we can visit whatever Marimekko shop is nearest us to take in our fill of this iconic company’s unforgettable designs. The colors and patterns are bound to brighten my mood on even the most brutal of summer days, so a field trip there is definitely in my near future.

(From Wall Street Journal. Click on image to see whole slide show.)

This past week my colleagues and I were featured in the Wall Street Journal’s Work Wear series. The series, if it’s new to you, uses photographs and brief quotes to document how people at different companies and organizations dress. There’s been plenty said about library fashions, and too often coverage  falls yawningly and predictably  into one of three themes:  librarians are sexy,  librarians wallow in cat hair-covered linen, or librarians surprise us with their stylishness. So, all in all, I was pleased that after the obligatory joke about sensible shoes and cardigans, the Wall Street Journal avoided these easy routes and let the staff and their clothes speak for themselves.

I was flattered to be featured alongside some very fashion forward colleagues since, as you may guess, I make lots of my clothes and don’t even like to shop for new workwear. But chosen I was, and so I had the chance to dress as a sewist does. I wore my Lisette Passport Dress, which I’ve not reported on making here. But I recommend this pattern without reservation:  it’s quick but interesting to construct, and it was easily adjusted to fit my frame. I will make more versions of it in the future.

Apparently the library stairs pose that the Wall Street Journal photographer selected for me is a classic when it comes to library fashion spreads. Here’s a picture from the July 1960 issue of Mademoiselle (photo: Carmen Schiavone; from “New Ways to Swing the Blues,” Mademoiselle, July 1960, 266-271) that a fellow librarian sent to me after seeing my own photo. Don’t ask me why she’s rubbing that folio against her head.

Although the rolling stairs might remain constant, there is no one right style or single set of “school of librarian” fashion rules, no matter what others might say. As a profession, we contain multitudes, and that’s as it should be. As for me, I’ll keep stitching what strikes my fancy.