Gathering Dust

Art Quilts and Samplers, No Brainer Books, and the Woolies

I've been using the month of January, cabin fever and winter weather to spend more time crafting.  I've used this excuse even if it was 72 degrees on Monday- it snowed yesterday and today, so winter weather is a very valid reason to want to stay hunkered down in your crafting chair and play with wool. 

This stitched sampler reminds me of the cross stitch patterns published by Vanessa Ann in the 1980's.  Does anyone else remember those?  I think the darker colors give it a kind of folk art feel.

I used wool I got from Lisa- she has more in her Etsy Shop.

Here's a freestyle embroidery sampler that I stitched using an old dinner napkin. 

The finished edge and hem stitch border made it an easy piece to finish.  The back is an old baby blanket.

Both of these pieces are in my Etsy Shop- Gathering Dust.

And I'm still working with paper- a couple of journals I made yesterday. 

I was particularly proud of myself for finally stitching paper into a journal- the one on the right.  I had the holes in the cover all poked and lined up with the paper and went to find some quilting thread to stitch in the pages. I couldn't find any, so I used dental floss, and my book has a minty fresh smell.

It's just 10 pieces of nice paper, a piece of folded cardboard and some...dental floss, but it did give me a very satisfied feeling.  Who knows what's next- 20 pages, 30 pages, full size books--- the possibilities are unlimited!

But first, I have to finish this.  Its a patchwork of different colors and weaves of wools.  It sounded like such a good idea, but it's getting to be HARD.  I stitched the wool squares to a piece of batting and the batting is STIFF and not fun to stitch through. 

I wish I could shave the layer of batting in half.  There must be some kind of tool I could use- the first thing that comes to mind is a really SHARP cheese cutter...

I think if I could get a bit more stitching, some appliques, lace, buttons etc on it, it might be something I'd be really happy I finished. 

That is the risk of trying a new project- they don't always go the way you planned, but sometimes they turn out better.

Crossing my fingers (and my embroidery needles) for better.

 

Hudson Bay Cut and Sew

Right before Christmas, I showed you this stack of wool pieces I'd salvaged from a Hudson Bay blanket.  It was an old, worn blanket with holes that my friend Susan had received in a box lot at an auction.  She didn't want it and knew I liked to play with wool, so she gave it to me.

If it had been just any wool blanket, I probably wouldn't have been as interested, but I've always loved the iconic look of a Hudson Bay blanket.

(The blanket pictured is from LL Bean and is priced at $495!)

I cut it in the direction of  the stripes, and then cut out and got rid of sections with the holes.  Then I sewed it back together in strips, and sewed the strips together.  It was really a pretty fast project.

No way does it look like the original, but I like the way it turned out.  It really doesn't fit the style of my house (because I don't live in a log cabin) but we'll use it for a nap blanket or a TV blanket.

Do you think I should finish the edges? A satin blanket binding might feel nice, but take away from the rustic feel of the blanket.

I did manage to salvage just a bit of the original label, in case anyone wonders where did this blanket come from.

(on a completely different subject- new jewelry and sewing notions in my Etsy shop, SugarPinkMoon

A (Revamped) Apron and an Antique Show

Thanks for all comments and emails about my last post.  Sounds like "what do I do next?" run through a lot of our minds.  I'm feeling better healthwise, planned a getaway trip to NYC, and finished up selling at my favorite antique show.


I wore a "new" old nail apron I'd embellished.  I love the contrast of the utilitarian lumber yard apron with lace and daisies.  I added celluloid pin, a dog license on a bow and, on the right- an 1901 fraternal ribbon.  Unfortunatly, the silk of the ribbon was too fragile to hold up to even one antique show- so all that's left is the outline.

Some of my favorite things from the show- hearts made by Ginger Schrader.

Botanical book.

Cork ball- I'm not sure what it is, but I like it.

Old paper.

Haberdashery display.

Sewing basket- with spools- (I BOUGHT this one.)

Pretty spring look vignette.

And of course, high top button baby shoes-in my opinion,  a staple at any good antique show.

Could Someone Hand Me the Map Please?

My blog hasn't been updated in awhile because 1.  I've been sick with a bronchial pneumonia thing- it hasn't killed me, but it's kind of taken the wind out of my sails.  2. I haven't know what to blog about. 

It's one of those situations where I'm not sure what to do next.  When I look back on 2012, it was an ok year.  Certainly nothing really bad happened.  I stayed warm and dry, well fed, entertained by good friends and had lots of chances to craft and search for junk and have (relative) economic security.  I'm grateful for that and know I'm better off than so many.

I do know that if I keep on doing what I'm doing, I'll get the same results.  And that's ok, but I just think if I knew how to look, I could find more.

I'd like 2013 to be a better year.  I'm not even sure what I mean by better.  I have an idea that some of it will involve me being less passive about life. 

It's so easy to get up, go to work, come home, watch TV, eat dinner, go to bed. And then just  throw in the occasional "make something" or "hunt for some junk".  I know how to do it, it's low stress and requires very little effort.

On some blogs, I've seen people say what their "word for the year" is. "Fierce".  "Determined."  "Open." 

Oh my gosh, that requires so much thought and gumption.  I'm thinking my words for the year should just be "wake up".

I know I've told many people, follow your heart- but what if your heart is kind of just plodding around with the rest of you?

When I was younger, I was a great goal setter- and I got a lot done.  I had lists, diagrams, and my life was run by a Franklin planner.  I devoted an hour every Sunday to mapping out my life with my planner and all of its gadgets and inserts.  Sounds a little "Stepford Wives" doesn't it?  But it did work.

Maybe I need to do a more laid back version of the same thing for 2013.  I've been playing in my guerilla journal. Maybe I should make room for some lists in it.

I call it guerilla because it's not pretty- mostly spit, string and rubber bands. Ok, I'm kidding, but it is rag-tag recycled. It's a desk calendar with heavy pages and a nice thick cover.  I've just randomly slapped paper on the pages- pictures I like, things I see in the newspaper, sheet music, wallpaper...whatevers close at hand.  I doodle a little, too- it's very relaxing even if its not pretty.

Maybe a little bit of writing,planning and goal setting would lead me to a more inspired 2013.  (Maybe just getting off my butt would, too.)

I just went back and read what I've written and I think my malaise falls into two categories:

1.  If you want some excitement, you have to take some risk.

2.  You have to figure out what risks are going to give you the most bang for you buck- what is it that's going to make you happy.  Something that, even if it doesn't go the way you planned, you're glad you tried it anyway.