The Silly BooDilly

Random Stitching

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:24:00 +0000

I know I have been pretty quiet here...

been feeling that way all around.

I think winter does that to me.

I have also been a bit preoccupied with planning for some upcoming travel, (fun!)

as well as for some upcoming surgery, (not fun.)

To keep my sense of calm,

(Often easier said then done in regards to myself)

I have just been allowing myself the joy of random stitching.

I am usually so focused on making things, (and very results oriented) that I am finding this to be a very soothing place... the act of simply stitching for the sake of wanting to stitch.

Hope each one of you is finding happiness in whatever you are doing! xo

Life is Full of Lovely Surprises!

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:50:00 +0000

Directly after publishing my last post titled, When Door # 1 Does Not Deliver What You Expected, (which I posted just a few hours ago) I received a lovely surprise from the post office... proving that yes, sometimes door #1 does not deliver what you want but that sometimes door #2 delivers exactly what you want...

For there at my front door was a box with my name on it. A surprise care package sent by my sweet friend Michelle Engel Bencsko, filled with a selection of her beautiful Cloud 9 Fabrics!

I am going to assume that you are all familiar with the talented Michelle and Cloud 9 Fabrics, which Michelle co-created and runs with her partner Gina Pantastico. However, if you are not then let me tell you that Cloud 9 Fabrics are truly lovely and very special.

Offering an ever growing selection of various collections designed by Michelle, such as Across the Pond and Maman, (the latter of which Michelle used the delightful illustrations of her beloved grandmother Anne-Marie Murphy) as well as collections created by other wonderfully talented artists such as Miscellany, designed by Julia Rothman; Cut Out & Keep, designed by Heather Moore and the new and soon to be released collections Alegria, designed by Geninne D. Zlatkis and the Monsterz, created by Michéle Brummer Everett, Cloud 9 Fabrics manages to hit it out of the ball park every time.

Cloud 9 Fabrics is dedicated to doing it right. Not only are all the designs terrific and very original, (along with all of the colors being spot on) but all of the base fabric is 100% certified organic cotton and the dyes used for printing and dying are eco-responsible low impact dyes. The combined results is that while these fabrics are modern, they also have a vintage look, feel and sensibility to them, which I adore. Quality, quality, quality. And let me tell you, these fabrics are soft. They feel as good as they look, and they look damn good.

Thank you, Michelle! Your care package has lifted me right out of the doldrums. Perfect medicine and just what I needed! xo

When Door # 1 Does Not Deliver What You Expected.

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:13:00 +0000

Fate Awaits

The original plan for the last 6 weeks or so were to be ones of great productivity, with little breaks and holiday family time sprinkled in. That is what I fully expected.

Ha Ha! Joke's on me again!
You never really know what lies behind life's doorways. Despite my good intentions to have nose to the grindstone, (speaking of which, see those steps leading up to the door... I believe they are very old grindstones) the reality of the last 6 weeks or so have been anything but. Family time took top billing, (which I am grateful for. No complaints at all!) However, all that planned productivity was put further on the back burner due to a lot of just feeling and being under the weather... from an array of head and chest colds to what I assume is a peri-menopausal caused train wreak of a cycle that continually takes me by surprise, knocks me to my knees, and throws my creative cycle off the tracks.

So for now I have zilch to show! And truth be told I don't like that. Low productivity gets me on edge. But that's how it goes sometimes, and that is where I am right now. The upside is I have some time to think, and dream, and plan... all good seeds for future creative productivity!

Wherever you are in your creative cycle I wish you well. xo

All Tied Up - Make Your Own Twine Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:27:00 +0000

If you find yourself with some last minute gift wrapping to do, (confession... haven't even started mine yet) and want something other then the standard ribbon to tie your gifts up in, here's a simple way to make your own lovely twine...

First you will need to cut several individual lengths of yarn. Any yarn will do, just keep in mind that the thicker the yarn, the thicker the twine will be. I like to use a thin perle cotton yarn.

For this example I am making a thin multicolored twine and am using just three strands of yarn, one in pink, one in green and one in off-white. (Note that the more individual lengths you use, the thicker the twine will be. Want rope? Just use thick yarn and more individual pieces!)

Cut the individual pieces of yarn about three times the length you would like your finished twine to be. I tend to cut my individual pieces of yarn about 6 yards long, which gives me a finished piece of twine just over a yard long. If you want a longer strand that's fine, but you may need some one to assist you towards the end so things don't get too knotted up... I will explain more later.

Next you will need some device to help you as you tightly twist the individual strands of yarn together. Pictured above are three things that I have used to make twine. The first item is that odd looking wood thing... it's used to wind boat shuttle bobbins for loom weaving, and does the job of twisting super quick. The next item is an old vintage hand drill that belonged to my grandfather. It also works great in twisting the strands of yarn together. And last but not least is the humble pencil, which is what I used for many years and works just dandy... just a bit slower then the other devices.

Whichever item you have on hand, simply tie one end of the yarn strands to the chosen tool. Take the other end of the yarn strands and tie them in a knot. Then tie them to a stationary object like a door handle or a drawer pull. You can also tie them to a clothes pin and drop the clothes pin into a drawer. Shut the drawer and the clothes pin and yarn ends stay inside.

Now, go back to your winding device. Holding your device, stand far enough away from the other end that the strings are not on the floor, but also leave some slack. Now, start winding. (If you are using a pencil the yarn ends will be tied around the middle of it. Just keep flipping the pencil around and around to twist the yarn together.)

Keep winding until the string is tight and taut and there is no slack. (The tighter the twist the better the end result will be.) It will look something like the photo above, (excuse the poor quality of these photos... it's been very cloudy and rainy here and the light has been dismal.)

We are almost done! Keeping the string taut, tightly pinch the ends attached to the winding device and cut them off, careful not to let the string unwind. Then start walking that end towards the other end that is attached to a knob or a drawer. You want to be careful to keep the strings from touching until the two ends can meet. (Note: As I walk to meet the other end, I run my free hand along the length of twisted string helping to keep the tension tight. When I get to the middle of the string I then bring the two ends together. If my yarn length is to long for me to comfortably do this, I have someone else stand at the middle, keeping the tension tight, as I move to join the two ends together.

As soon as the two lengths of twisted string meet they will immediately begin to twist upon themselves, as shown in the photo above. Knot both ends together and carefully run your hand down the length of the twisted twine, smoothing the twists down and evenly distributing them throughout...

And there you go, your very own twine!

Happy Holidays to all of you!

Quilted Patchwork Coasters available in my Rural Retro Design Etsy shop

The Search for Just the Right Stuffing

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:28:00 +0000

Whenever I have made pincushions in the past, I have always just used polyfil to stuff them, and it has worked out fine. But for these new tetrahedron shaped pincusions that I have been making, I wanted to use something different, and I had two goals in mind...

I wanted the material to be natural, keeping with the whole idea of rural retro living, and I also wanted the stuffing to give some weight and firmness to the pincushion, similar to the feel of those old-fashioned tomato pincushions most of us have had at one time or another.

I know that traditionally often either sawdust, sand or metal shavings were used to fill pincushions. The weight of the filling helped keep small size pincushions from moving around when inserting and pulling out the pins, and they also helped to keep the pins sharp.

Now, I have no idea where to get metal shavings and saw dust seems just plain messy to me. Sand is easy enough to come by, but it's so... well I don't know, sticky? Invasive? It just seems that if you spill some, you are sweeping it up it for days!

After I did a bit of research on the internet though, I discovered another option... pulverized english walnut shells! Have you heard of this before? I didn't know such a product even existed. From what I read this is a favorite pincushion stuffing for a lot of sewers and the tiny grains help to keep the pins sharp.(Just one word of caution... this product should not be used by folks who have nut allergies, especially walnut allergies).

Now, where do you find pulverized walnut shells? The pet store of course! It seems to be used for both bird and reptile, (in exactly what way I am not completely sure, floor and bedding I think). I found a 5.5 lb bag in the reptile section for under $8.00. Plenty enough to stuff lots of pincushions!

It's kind of pretty, isn't it? You can see in this photo that it is really ground up very well. The grains are tiny, much like sand, but not as sticky. (I spilled some and had no trouble quickly sweeping it up, and the grains never stuck to my skin as sand does).

I was worried that getting the tiny bits of walnut shell inside the opening of the pincushion would be a challenge, but all I had to do was pour some in a paper cup, pinch the edge of the cup, and pour right in. The shells packed down nicely and in no time at all I had a nice solid feeling pincushion.

It even makes for a super-duper paperweight!

...........................

In other news, you may have noticed that I now have a tab bar under my blog banner. One of the tabs is for my new Rural Retro Designs site. It's technically another blog, but I bought the domain name and will be using it sort of like a website. While I will be posting regularly and invite you all to follow and lurk to your hearts content, I have decided, (at least for now) to not have comments. This is not because I don't like comments, as I do, I do, I really do!! It's just that we are all pulled so thin, and there is only just so much time in a day, I didn't want anyone to feel that added pressure of leaving me another comment on top of all the great comments you leave me here. In other words, I don't want to be a comment hog! I simply wanted a place where anyone can visit, with no pressure what's so ever. (Now having said that, I will do a complete flip-flop and invite you all to feel free to leave a comment here and let me know what you think!)

Have a great rest of the week, everyone!

Hanging Out The Open Sign

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Yay! I know I have been gone from the this blog, (and everyone else's) for weeks now, but I am happy to say that after a month of work, (zig-zagged around a head cold that apparently likes me so much it has decided to stay indefinitely) I have finally, (as of yesterday) opened up my new Etsy shop Rural Retro Designs.

I have already had a few folks ask what the point was in opening a 2nd shop, when everything shown in this post, as well as everything else in the RRD shop, could have easily gone into my Silly BooDilly shop, and trust me, I have examined and questioned that logic myself while embarking on this new project.

Ultimately it boils down to this... It is basically an experiment in trying to find balance. As I have mentioned before, I am a bit ADD. Along with that I have a inherent rebellious side to me, (if anyone has doubts on that, they need only ask my mother!)

Together those traits can give birth to some wonderful creativeness, but they can also cause difficulty in maintaining motivation, focus, and clear direction.

And because I am someone who wants to maintain motivation, focus, and clear direction, I often find myself exhausted and at odds with myself...

Without specific boundaries, I tend to wander. Weeks can go by with no creative output, and frankly that leaves me feeling like crap.

Now in the past I have tried to rectify this by deciding I would just focus on one thing, such as art quilts, or art dolls, or mixed media, etc. etc. (because again, I looonnnggg for clear and focused direction!)

However, each and every time I grow bored and restless, and once again, I feel like crap.

Silly BooDilly is vital to me as it allows me to have the open playground of fun and experimentation that I need...

If I want to create pojagi patchwork one week and whimsical embroidered little houses the next, and after that do some stitched paper, well by golly I've got a home for all of it!

And now, with Rural Retro Designs, I will also get to have the boundaries and clear focused direction that I crave. This last month was almost blissful, (even with the head cold) as everyday I had a clear focus and was able to work within specific self-imposed boundaries that kept me energized and on track. The key to all of this was that I also knew that when ever the mood struck I still had a place to go with no creative boundaries.

I understand if all of that maybe sounds a bit schizophrenic, and overly complicated, but for me it's just the opposite. Rural Retro Designs is my way of finding balance and becoming centered in a vast universe of sometimes lovely and sometimes not so lovely distraction. With this venture I get a daily reminder to hone in and focus on appreciating the simply pleasures of life, along with a way of expressing that idea creatively. Having both Silly Boodilly and Rural Retro Designs is like a having a disciplined exercise routine that still allows me to eat all the chocolate cake I want!

Now, if you are so inclined, my newly opened Rural Retro Designs shop could use a little love. Right now it's feeling like the new kid on the block and a wee bit lonely! You would make my day if would be so kind as to go and have a look, and if you like what you see add it to your favorites. Thanks so much to each of you for all of your continued support in my creative journey! xo

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Oh, and before I forget... many thanks to all who entered the the giveaway in my last post! The winner was Kim of Pokeytown Kim. Congratulations Kim! And good news... if you would still like a chance to win Candy's Dyeing to Stitch DVD, the blog tour is still going on. Go to the bottom of my post here to see where to go. Good luck!

Dyeing to Stitch: Blog Tour and GIVEAWAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:20:00 +0000

It is with great pleasure that today I get the honor of kicking off Candy Glendening's Dyeing to Stitch DVD blog tour!

I first met Candy last year when we were both in Ohio filming segments for Quilting Arts TV. Having Candy there as part of the experience was like having the sun, (with a spectacular rainbow above) right there with you; as she was that warm, that friendly, that full of energy, and that spectacularly colorful!

It was the first time for both of us, but watching Candy in front of the camera... well, you would never have known that she was a TV virgin, as she took to it like a duck to water. When her taping was over, everyone of us watching from the green room burst into applause, as we were so impressed! No wonder then that Candy was invited to come back and film her very own DVD for the Quilting Arts Workshop series.

Last week I got a chance to preview Candy's new DVD, and it was like watching an old friend... partially because it was so nice to see her in action again, but also because that is simply how Candy makes you feel... like she is an old friend... and a fun and talented one, too!

In her Dyeing to Stitch DVD, Candy walks us through the steps of her dyeing techniques. Breaking down the steps in a very user friendly way, she shows us exactly how to measure, mix and dye fabrics using the same low water immersion method that she uses to dye all of her fabrics, and provides 6 recipes to create her jewel toned color pallet.

Now, you should note that along with being a textile artist, Candy is also a scientist. Really. She teaches biology at the University of Redlands... how cool is that?! This might explain why her DVD is so absorbable. Candy knows how to present information, how to make it interesting and informative.

Watching Candy talk about color theory was great!

I was fully engaged and totally enthralled as she showed her amazing hand-dyed “Candiotic Table of Elemental Color”, pictured above. Is that not AMAZING!?!

And along with all of that great info, Candy also demonstrates, (in a very delightful way) how to combine various colors onto one cloth to achieve really cool effects. She swoops and scrunches wet cloth in almost a magical way, dribbles and pours her dyes here and there, and voilà! pulls a dyed rabbit out of her hat! (No, not really a rabbit! A super-duper piece of dyed fabric... that combines the thrill of random surprise elements with the comforting knowledge of knowing where you are going.)

And last but not least, Candy demonstrates her wonderful “free motion machine sketching” and the fun ways she uses her fabric!

Okay, and here is the best yet... Candy is offering one of my lucky blog readers a chance to win their own copy of Candy's Dyeing to Stitch DVD! Just leave a comment, and make sure I have a way to contact you should you win. I will keep the contest open for one week, and announce the winner in my next post thereafter.

Update: 11/18/11 - Giveaway is now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered! I will be announcing a winner later this week. For more chances to win a copy of Candy's DVD, follow the tour and visit the other blogs listed below!

- Friday, 11/11 – Victoria Gertenbach of The Silly BooDilly (that's me!)
- Monday, 11/14 – Susan Brubaker Knapp of Blue Moon River
- Wednesday, 11/16 – Kathy Mack of Pink Chalk Studio
- Friday, 11/18 – Melody Johnson of Fibermania
- Monday, 11/21 – Amy Ellis of Amy’s Creative Side
- Wednesday, 11/23 – Diane Doran of Ooh! Pretty Colors
- Friday, 11/25 – Vicki Welsh of Field Trips in Fiber
- Monday, 11/28/11 – Brenda Gael Smith of Serendipity and the Art of the Quilt
- Wednesday, 11/30 – Amy Webb of Amy Lou Who Sews
- Friday, 12/2 – Robin Ferrier of Simply Robin
- Tuesday, 12/6 – Natalia Bonner of Piece N Quilt
- Thursday, 12/8 – Beth and the gang from Sew Mama Sew

The Next Step: Expanding Vision, Narrowing Focus

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:35:00 +0000

After my last post, where I laid claim to and named my own personal style, (and by the way, many heartfelt thanks to each of you... your support and enthusiasm greatly touched me) I started seriously thinking more about what comes next... expanding my vision of what I would like to do, and where I might like to go with the idea of 'Rural Retro'.

(Note: Nothing has to come next... my restless nature simply wants to go explore!)

After thinking of areas in which I could expand, I began to hone in on the specifics of each of those areas... narrowing my focus, breaking down the various steps.

I have a lot of ideas on expansion, but if any are to become reality, then I must go step by step and follow a path that makes sense to me.

One area of expansion would be building a line of products, (of which I am in the very early stages of creating and developing) and finding a venue to market them.

Now, seeing as I am already on Etsy and fairly comfortable there, the logical first step for me would be to open another Etsy shop, this one geared specifically to selling handmade items, (and possible some vintage items as well) all keeping with my vision of Rural Retro esthetics. (I am still keeping my Silly BooDilly shop, and will continue to sell artwork there, as not everything I do would fit into this new and more tightly focused venue... for as much as I like a tight focus, I also like room to roam when the mood strikes!)

You know, when I opened Silly BooDilly, I really just closed my eyes and jumped. It's always been a happy pool for me to swim around in and explore and I want it to stay that way.

But I have a clear focus and a specific aim in opening this other shop. I feel the need to have it separate. So with eyes wide open, I am now engaging in thought out actions, which include...

~ Conceptualizing various collections and defining what the look of each collection will be, and how they will fit into the overall theme of Rural Retro.

~ Gathering the raw materials.

~ Construction.

~ Photography.

~ Marketing and branding, which includes building the new Etsy shop, (everything from naming the shop, creating a banner, designating sections, writing shop announcements, profile and policy pages, and listing items for sale) along with creating business cards, logo, by-lines, packaging, etc. As well as deciding if I want a separate blog/website, (me thinks I would choose a blog for ease of use and simply have it function more as a website then a typical blog) and various ways to promote.

Whew. Of course, most all of these steps are a continually ongoing process, and in all truth I have second thoughts each day about if I really want to take this on... and upon reflection the answer keeps coming up, "yes" because it's really just one more act of conceptualizing and creating, and that's what keeps me excited!

Please bear with me over the next few weeks, as my posting may be on the extra sparse side while I focus on getting the new Etsy shop up and running. (I will of course let you know when it opens!) However, please make sure to stop back on Nov. 11th as I will be participating in a fun blog tour and offering a great giveaway!

And last but not least... if you are feeling a bit stuck and not exactly sure how to go from the beginning stage of learning the ins and outs of sewing/quilting, (or whatever medium you choose to express yourself in) towards moving forward into discovering your own creative voice, I happened to write a post on this very subject over at Whip Up, where I had the pleasure of being a guest blogger last week. You can find a few tips and self exploring questions to ask yourself... your answers will hopefully help to point you in the direction your heart may truly wish to go. xo

Claiming Your Own Style

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:36:00 +0000

For most of my life I have avoided categorizing or labeling myself.

Probably because I never found one that seemed to properly fit. One-size-fits-all-never worked for me, and this has been very true in the years that I have been exploring the art of quilting and stitching.

It's all been a long and wonderful learning journey for me, trying a little of this, and a little of that, seeing what I liked and what I didn't...

until finally arriving at this point in time, where after many years of exploring I have developed my own personal style that fits me comfortably.

Yesterday I met my eldest daughter in the city for the day, and during lunch we got on the topic of what style my stitched work exactly fell under.

"Hmmm" I said. "I really don't know!"

"They certainly don't fall in the traditional category" I continued, "and they aren't something that you would likely see in a contemporary art quilting show..."

"I most strongly identify with the modern quilt movement, but most of my work really doesn't fit that category either."

"Truth is" I told my daughter, " I don't think there is a category that my work fully fits in."

And that got me to thinking...

After all these years of learning my craft, honing my skills and developing my own style, I am ready to define my work, even if that means creating my own term and definition.

So I looked at my work...

and the photos I take of the things that inspire me...

I thought about my attraction to old time, make-do sensibilities...

And the beauty of off kilter lines and shapes...

And I decided to name my style Rural Retro.

So, after many years of avoiding labels, I have now created one for myself... and this excites me!

Since I am creating a brand new category of quilting, I now get to explore more in depth my definition of it...

What it means to me, and how I wish to express it.

A sort of place to hang my hat, and call my home...

A clearer view of what I want to say and how I want to say it... from creating a stronger and more cohesive look, to choosing fabrics, (it even makes this solid loving girl think more closely about what type of prints would fall into this style) to various projects and collections.

Branding my artistic style will help me move forward in a more focused direction, and I am very excited to begin this new journey.

And if I may, I'd like to offer this... If you find yourself on the newer side to quilting, (which is where I felt I was for many years as there is soooo much to learn) I wouldn't at this point concern yourself with defining an absolute style for yourself. This is a time to learn from everything that inspires you. Don't be afraid to take a bit from one esthetic and a bit from another, and mix them up. Ask yourself a lot of questions as to what attracts you and why. Don't follow trends blindly. Eventually something uniquely yours will emerge, and when it does go ahead and name it, claim it, embrace it.

Happy stitching!

Throw Me Some Comfort!

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:08:00 +0000

With the nip of Fall finally in the air,
I am feeling inspired to make cozy, quilted throws.

I love a beautifully quilted throw, as they are so versatile.
Large enough to be functional, but small enough to be easily portable.

They keep you comfy while reading a book or watching the tube.
And provide a great play area for a little one, or for a fun picnic lunch.
Plus they travel great, adding comfort to a long car ride, and warmth at a chilly outdoor event.

They look great slung over a chair, a stair rail, or a table.

They can even be hung on the wall as art.
What's not to love?!

When designing this particular quilted throw, (which is reversible and which I have named "Army Blues") I consciously set out to design something that would appeal to a male. (That is not to say that this is a guy only quilt, as I personally love these colors and wear them all the time! It's just that I noticed most quilts on the market seem to have a more feminine aesthetic, and I wanted something that had a more inclusive esthetic. After all boys and men need quilts that offer them comfort, too!)

For more information on this throw, please visit my Etsy shop, where I have it listed here.

I also want to give a Thank You! to the Quilt Inspiration blog. Last Friday, they did a lovely post on some of my work which you can view here. Be sure to check out the rest of their blog, as it's full of lovely eye candy!!

Now I am off to make another throw! Have a great week everyone!

R.I.P. (until springtime comes)

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 12:53:00 +0000

Thanks so much for all of the great comments in my last post concerning what to do with the eco-dyed quilt top that I was less then thrilled about, I enjoyed reading each and every one.

Despite all of the good and tempting ideas, I decided to stick with my original plan and just simply bury the thing.

So it wouldn't be lonely during its winter slumber, I buried a few other fabric and patchwork bits with it.

I buried the cloth where the tomato plants had grown this summer, and left some of the dropped cherry size ones in the hole.

To mark this temporary grave site I added a few bundles of tied fabric that I had put out in the yard a few weeks ago... more erosion experiments... and properly placed some flowers on top out of respect. For good measure, I also circled it in stones in case a wind storm came and blew the fabric bundles away.

Now we just wait, and in 6 months or so, we will dig it all up and see what transformations to the cloth have occur. Hoping for some good discoloration and lovely decaying areas, that will inspire something interesting!

I am Not in Love

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:29:00 +0000

Well, I've been cutting and sewing up the pieces of that batch of eco-dyed fabrics that I showed a glimpse of in my last post, and I believe that the bloom may already be off the rose, so to speak, for my feelings about the whole project.

Number one buzz killer is I am not as crazy about the fabric cut up as I was when it was in larger pieces. If I didn't know better I would have guessed that this quilt top was made out of earthy, looking batiks. Not appealing to me in the least. (I say "earthy" but in truth it's actually bad memories of baby poop colors which comes to my mind!)

(And let's face it... this is a pretty uninspired, been there done that, layout. Can anyone say ZZZzzzzzzz? What was I thinking???)

The second buzz kill is that I thought I better do a light fastness test. So I grabbed 3 pieces of scraps, covered them partially with a piece of paper, and taped them to a window. Here are the results after just 2 day, (and that was 2 cloudy and rainy days)...

If you look at the markers on either side and draw a straight line across, you can see that the top half is already faded. Yikes! (And yes, I used mordants). On the up side, maybe after this quilt has faded I will like it a bit better... who knows? I really don't think I could like it any worse!

And just for the record, I'm not giving up, (yet) I want to poke around a bit with rust dyeing... maybe that rose will stay blooming a wee bit longer then this one did!

P.S. As for this ugly quilt top... well, I am now thinking about digging a hole and burying it, (seriously) then digging it back up in the spring to see what happens. Years ago I saw a quilt at a show where the artist had buried the fabrics in a riverbed, and let mother nature take her course, (the natural decaying and marking that occurred was fascinating). Ever since viewing that work, I have wanted to bury fabric. Seeing as this quilt is DOA already, I mine as well give it a proper send-off and hope for a better reincarnation!

Fun With Eco Dying

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Like a lot of folks out there, I seem to be catching the eco dyeing bug. For those of you who haven't yet heard, eco dyeing is the practice of adding pigment to your cloth through eco friendly, low impact ways, which can include wrapping and bundling various plant material into cloth and leaving it outside in the elements, (the longer the better) or steaming/boiling it, as well as using natural materials to create dyes or stains.

Natural materials for brewing dye could include teas and coffees, various garden plants, as well as spices right from your kitchen cupboard. (Just remember that many garden plants can be toxic, so even though this is eco-friendly, you should still proceed with caution and educate yourself on what you are using.) A great resource to begin this experimental process is India Flint's book Eco Colour: Botanical Dyes for Beautiful Textiles.

The colors and patterns on these fabrics were achieved by various means and methods, many of which I combined, including: wrapping/bundling yard material in the cloth and leaving outside in the elements, wrapping and tying cloth around sticks, dying cloth in various combinations of ingredients, including teas and kitchen spices. (Turmeric makes an awesome yellow!) Mordants, (a substance that helps to open up the fibers and set the color into the fabric) included dyeing the fabrics in aluminum pots, (set apart only to use for fabric dying), along with adding either copper pennies, vinegar, lemon juice, or salt. Different mordants can produce different results, and technically, (from what I can tell, keeping in mind that I am still woefully ignorant on this) vinegar and lemon juice are not true mordants, they are simply acidic substances that can change the dye color, and help set it.

This cloth was made by first brewing in tea. While still wet, I laid it out on a flat surface then applied dots of mud mixed with yogurt. After allowing the mud to dry, I removed the mud mixture, (very time consuming... I thought it would just soak off, but I had to soak, scrap, repeat, repeat, repeat). The final result was a subtle large polka-dot pattern surrounded by lines created as the tea soaked fabric dried. Pretty cool, huh?

Have a great week Everyone!

New Studio!

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:24:00 +0000

Yes! I finally have a room of my very own!

For the last 15 years I have done the bulk of my work in an ever increasingly crowded and small section of our bedroom. This last year I found that it had gotten to the point where I could no longer think clearly, or create freely in that space. I had simply outgrown it.

Now, at the end of spring when my eldest daughter graduated from college and was making arrangements to officially move out on her own, I decided that it was time to make the move, turning her old room into my new studio. I was practically chomping at the bit.

But much to my surprise, the emotional act of doing so was way more difficult for me then I had ever imagined. This was her room, and claiming it as my own was a bit bitter-sweet. However, the realization that fall was right around the corner kicked my melancholy butt into high gear and I am so happy with the results!

Here's a little tour...

My goal was to create a space that: utilized furnishings which we already had on hand, provided different work spaces for various projects, be organized, and contain some open spaces. This was a challenge as the room is only 12' x 12' 10", and one wall is taken up mostly by a pair of windows, while another wall has odd angles and is taken by a closet and a door.

The above photo shows the office space; computer, printer, books, files, etc. As well as a cutting table and sewing space. The chair from the computer can easily swing around and be the chair used to sit at the sewing machine. The walls were painted a happy and calming soft yellow-green. (On my monitor they look more yellow in these shots, but in reality are actually more on the green side.)

The closet provides nice storage space for a lot of the items that cluttered up my previous space. It's wonderful to have them handy when needed, but quickly put out of view when not! As I sew I can keep the one door open and have easy access to threads, needles, presser feet, and scissors, etc. without having them strewn all over my work space.

Here is a second sewing area... perfect for small projects, or when my youngest daughter feels like sewing. Bowls of thread on top, and boxes of thread underneath. Fabrics that I use most frequently are stored on some low shelving. (Ironically the furniture in this section was bought 30 years ago by my parents when I moved out on my own and they converted my old bedroom into there new office space!) To the left of the machine, (covered in red) is my small metal vintage Structo Artcraft table top loom, which can be moved to the center of the table that it sits on and worked when the mood strikes. This area also has some open floor space, along with a nice view of our maple tree out front!

Besides just having a whole room to myself, the thing that I am most excited about is having a large design wall, which I have never had before and am oh so anxious to use! This was the only item, (besides wall paint) that I spent any money on. I pretty much followed the instructions found here, on Oh, Fransson! and am delighted with the results!

The only thing that I did different was that I substituted 8 smaller sheets of extra thick foam board, (found at the craft store) for the 2 large sheets of insulation foam board found at the hardware store. I believe this cost me a little extra cash, but as it was raining buckets at the time I went in search of materials, I was happy to forgo some savings in order to avoid the struggle of fitting long and large items into the back of my small Saturn station wagon.

The board is secured to the wall, (and believe me when I say that with held breath and crossed fingers!) with multiple strips of 3M Command Damage-Free Picture and Frame hanging strips, and for an extra gravity resistance measure I also hammered a few nails (wherever there was a wall stud) right under and along the base of the board, so it is actually able to rest on something.

Here's that odd angle I mentioned, but the space behind the door was just right for hanging my rulers. The vintage birdseye maple dresser is a favorite piece of mine, once belonging to my grandparents and provided extra storage space.

And here is Ellie, sitting on top of a matching vintage birdseye maple chair Notice the wonderful worn leather seat that replaced a broken cane seat. My grandfather put that on way before I was ever born and I just love it.

Ellie approves of the new digs and has volunteered to be the official studio mascot. Thank you Ellie!

In Need of Some Whimsy

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:50:00 +0000

I feel that in light of all that is going on in the world right now, along with a certain collective sad 6th anniversary that is today, and another 10th one soon approaching, I should, (artistically) be doing something somber and meaningful, (which I have in the past) but right now, for the sake of my mental health, (which in all truth easily slips into sadness) I am in need of a little whimsy... and I feel guilty needing it, but need it I do, and I am heeding that need.

If you too, are in need of a smile, then I hope these help...

Little Green House Camper

Little White Cottage

Little White Trailer

Little Beige House

xo

Embroidered Rocks???

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:44:00 +0000

No they're not rocks, but they look like it, don't you think?!

This week I found myself happily strolling the beaches of Cape May, NJ. gleaning for treasures washed up by the sea. There seemed to be an abundance of solid pieces of broken shells, whose edges were worn nice and smooth.

At first, I collected them as I loved the soft faded color variations found on each one. After I was back home however, I got the idea to cover some in batting and fabric, using them as a base for some small decorative objects, such as these rock buttons...

They feature reverse applique, raw edges and fun embroidered elements!

The shanks on the backsides are macraméd...

I decided that each button would be better off with two shanks, as I really prefer my buttons not to flop around, but if desired only one shank could be used as they are very sturdy.

Here's another example of embroidered fabric buttons made with inner cores of sea shell ...

This pair sort of look like exotic pea pods from another planet! The inner shell core makes the buttons lightweight yet solid, so they won't lose their shape. The various shapes of each shell fragment makes each button unique.

Once again, these buttons feature two shanks each...

Now, if you are a purist, and prefer your buttons round and with one shank, never fear, as we have that, too!

Instead of using a shell fragment as it's core I simply used, (what else) a button!

But back to the shells... as I said they were all collected this week along the beaches of Cape May, NJ., (a place very near and dear to my heart) where there is now a mandatory evacuation in place as it braces, along with much of the East Coast, for Hurricane Irene.

This embroidered talisman was formed over a heart shaped shell fragment, reminding me of what is important, as I want to lift my heads to the heavens and say, "Please, enough". I can only hope and pray for everyone in its path, that Irene continues to change course, moving farther east, back out to sea, and that people and property will be spared.

Stitching with Soft Faded Colors

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:23:00 +0000

Summer is starting to wind down and the colors in my yard are starting to fade. These two newest works in my "Patched Work:Rimmed in Red" series seem to reflect a bit of this late summer color pallet...

This first one revisits the idea of several patched layers...

It features several vintage fabrics, including the vintage linen base and that cute little flower print, as well as a couple of lovely shot cottons.

Lot's of fun embroidered elements on this one!

This second piece is very small, a mere 1.75" x 2.5".

Like previous pieces, it's also made from vintage linens and shot cottons, and along with the hand stitched touches, this one also has a cute little vintage mother-of pearl button.

For more on these works please see here and here.

Fun With Nature and New Work

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 15:04:00 +0000

Seeing as summer will be over before we know it, I thought it would be nice to do a post related to nature.

This week found me playing around with the possibilities of spinning dead leaves. Yes, dead leaves! (Dead Day Lilly leaves to be exact.) It all began when I was drooling over the beautiful yarns at Habu Textiles, admiring some of the unusual fibers used, and wondering, "what if?..." as I am prone to do.

Now, I am no expert in spinning, (I only tried it once briefly, twenty years ago in an attempt to spin wool) and I imagine my dead leaf string may appear pitiful to a true spinner, but in my novice and humble opinion, I think the results are lovely!

The spinning was done on a drop spindle, which I bought for under six bucks all those years ago for that one brief attempt that ended in total confusion, as I had no idea how a drop spindle worked. Ah, but now we have the internet, and information on anything and everything is only a click away. After a few google searches and you-tube videos on paper spinning, (yes, you can spin paper how about that?!) I felt ready to give my leaf experiment a try.

And here are the results. The con's to my attempts were that the leaves broke easily, and I was never able to get more then a satisfactory yard or so. The pro's to my attempts was that it was fun, expanded my creativity, and increased my curiosity! Along with those benefits, I now have some unique, jute like string which I can use for decoration, weaving, stitching... who knows. For now I just like how it looks wrapped around the rock and shells!

And on another note...

I am happy to report that I am staying on task with my "Rimmed in Red" series. (And that's a big YAY! for my generally ADD self.)

This one is the 6th in the series, and numbers 7 and 8 are just waiting to be mounted and photographed.

If interested in learning more about this work, please see here.

Have a happy weekend, everyone!

New Work - Series Continues

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 11:00:00 +0000

The "Patched Work - Rimmed in Red" series continues with 3 new pieces...

All the work is untitled, but for simplicities sake I will refer to each one in the order done. This piece, which can be found here, is the 3rd in the series.

I enjoyed stitching these odd little lines!

And just like the first two pieces that I showed in my last post, (both of which have been sold) these works are each hand stitched to 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper, signed and ready to frame.

This piece, which can be found here was the 4th to be made.

Quirky little bits of stitching make me happy!

And last, but not least, the piece below, which can be found here, would be the 5th in the series...

The light was fading at this point in shooting the work, and I apologize for the variations.

I know the series is called "Rimmed in Red", but I am taking some allowance with that... as long as the thread is in the red family, such as this pinkish thread, then it's okay to use!

More pieces are in the works, including some more that are multi layered like the first piece in this series, and I will post them once they are finished.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Patched Work: Rimmed in Red

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 01:59:00 +0000

The other afternoon, I was sitting in a coffee shop minding my own business, when a bright flash shot through my mind an an image of this work appeared. No kidding... it was just like a flash of bright light and in the middle of it I saw this piece, clear as day, then poof... it was gone.

I quick grabbed a napkin and jotted down the image along with a few notes, and went right home and began to stitch.

This piece has so many of the elements that intrigue me... texture, line, color, pattern, as well as that which appears old, patched, stitched and repaired. I enjoyed working on this so much that I think many more should come, different sizes and colors, bits and pieces... lots of ideas!

And yes, being the easily distracted person that I am, I know that there is a good chance by next week I will be onto something else, but I have a feeling this may actually keep me intrigued for a bit longer then my usual attention span allows!

Well, lookie there... I already did a second piece! And just like in the previous piece each patch is first hemmed under and rimmed in a red hand stitch, then it is discreetly hand stitched to a base patch, (also rimmed in red) which is made up of two layers of fabric.

The finished works are then hand stitched to a piece of 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper, making it a breeze to mat and frame!

I know that the work is very simple by nature, but it is done in a slow, thoughtful, meditative way, (and takes a whole lot longer to create then one might think). What is left out is often as important as what is left in, and simplicity can be deceptively challenging!

These untitled works have been listed in my shop here and here.

More works are to come.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Different Approaches

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:48:00 +0000

Two new small stitched pieces to share with you. One in fabric and one in paper. Both take their inspiration from the local farms, but approach things from very different directions.

This cute little representational piece is called House With Red Chimney. You can't get any more clear or straight forward then that, (and yes, it's a mighty long name for such a small work!)

It measures 3" x 4" and is made from small bits of shot cotton, and quilted with a variegated cotton thread.

The other piece approaches its subject matter from a more abstract direction. This piece is called Silo, (specifically a grain silo... see all the little seed stitches inside the circle!)

For this work, instead of stitching a representational image of a silo, I've just used some of the lines and shapes of a silo, such as the round top, and the metal ladders that extend up the length of silos.

For the base of this work, I used one of the pieces of handmade paper from my first batch, (that I made from recycled manila envelopes and grass clippings) but before stitching on it, I applied a thin coating of beeswax.

To finish this work, I mounted it onto another piece of (uncoated) handmade paper, and left some of those edges peaking out from behind. The edges remind me of what I imagine an old treasure map would look like, and I think it would be fun to stitch some treasure map work!

Both of these new works, along with a few others have been added to my shop :-)

The Best of Both Worlds

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:38:00 +0000

Just a quick post to show some new pieces.

I have been flipping back and forth between stitching small works, (they all measure between 3 and 4 inches!) on both fabric and paper...

Stitching with the fabric feels old and familiar, a language I am pretty comfortable with...

Where as with the paper, making it by hand first, and then stitching into it...

feels new and exciting, (and is for now is satisfying my somewhat constant curiosity itch)!

I have listed the works shown here in my shop, and will be listing some more soon.

Hope you all have had lovely weekend and wishing you each a wonderful week! xo

Handmade Paper and Little Weavings

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Let me start off by saying how much I appreciated everybody's wonderful comments in regards to my last post. Forever restless and feeling like I am in some way flawed because I have a hard time staying on track with one thing for very long, (trust me this was a trait that met with much disapproval during my formative school years) your comments instead made me feel that this was a positive quality! That's a good thing, as I have once again moved onto something else to explore...

I awoke the other day with a sudden urge to make paper, something I haven't done in a good 15 years. Luckily, as the process is simple and the materials are easily accessible, it all came back to me very quickly, and I was off making paper in no time!

In order to make paper you first must make a pulp. To make my pulp I shredded old manila mailing envelopes and other unwanted mail and documents which I soaked in water and pulverized in a blender. After pulling some sheets of paper from this pulp mixture, I decided to add some more interest with bits of torn red tissue paper and dried grass clippings from the yard. (That's the great part of making paper, all the different things you can add to the mix!)

Once the paper was all dried, I selected a couple of pieces and did tiny little weavings directly into and on top of the paper.

For the first little weaving, I used a variegated blue perle cotton yarn. I strung the warp, (the vertical threads in a weaving) directly through the paper, then wove the weft, (that would be the horizontal threads) right on top of the surface.

A hand stitched boarder was added for the finishing touch. The piece was mounted on another piece of handmade paper the same size to give the back a nice clean look, (I never like a messy back on anything).

The next little weaving was done with a variegated sewing thread, (Sulky Cotton Blendables). I love all the different stripes created in this one.

Two hand stitched boarders were added to this piece, and then the work was mounted on a slightly larger piece of handmade paper.

Both of these works are now available in my shop...

here...

and here.

And if you would like to see some really wonderful examples of stitch work on paper, be sure to check out the work of both Contemporary Embroidery and Missouri Bend. Without a doubt they have both inspired me.

Going Inward

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:04:00 +0000

Since my last post I have found myself in a very introverted mood. I know why, and won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say that the pojagi work, light and airy in nature, and something that requires me to take lots of back and forth trips from sewing machine to iron to cutting table, just wasn't lining up to how quiet, still and inward I have been feeling.

And so I put the pojagi aside and began to work on some very small pieces that allowed me to just naturally go inward.

Something about just being able to sit at the machine, and 'paint' with little bits of fabric feels more in sync with my current state of being.

So for now, this is where I am. Not sure how long this will last, and am well aware at how swiftly my work can change direction depending upon my moods. Having this blog and sharing what I do makes me at times a bit self conscious about my how fickle I can seem about my work. My hat is off to people who can keep their focus on one area for long periods of time. Despite my best intentions, I obviously am not one of them!

Having Fun with Tea and Pojagi

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:23:00 +0000

This week as I continue to play with and explore pojagi, I turn to the humble tea bag, which only makes sense as we drink a lot of tea in this house! By letting the tea bag dry, then opening it up and removing the leaves, you are left with a delicate tea stained piece of paper that can be stitched or collaged. (If this concept is new to you, just google "tea bag art" to see some great images.)

Because the stitched paper is very delicate and prone to an easy and unwanted rip, I applied a thin coat of beeswax to the piece after it was stitched. The beeswax coating gives it some more durability, while also increasing it's transparency and color.

To make it easy to hang I sewed on little tabs from strips of folded tea bag paper and inserted a thin piece of bamboo. (And isn't that stain on the upper left corner pretty?!)