Spinning Wheel

I feel as if I have always known my spinning wheel.

We are a perfect fit.

Each part of her is lovely.

Spinning is magical!

Shhh...

Shhh....it's a surprise!

I made a little something for my friend for her birthday.

I hope she likes it!

I have been so involved these last weeks I have not made anything.
This birthday surprise was just what I needed to create again!

I have a few projects started...a box for February is drying and
a little beaded cover for my cream pitcher is on the table almost ready to put over my creamer..
Show and tell when I finish up!

Etsy Pledge

My husband helped me set up a spot
in the basement to work on my
Jack-o-lantern.



I decided since I was all set up
I would also spray finish a few gourds.



I sanded four dried gourds and put one
coat of spray polyurethane on them.


The other gourds I left outside.
They are dry and I could start work on them.
Not sure what I want to do just yet.

Some of my fiber friends have an Etsy shop.

I took the pledge to buy handmade.
I took a pledge to support artists.
Etsy is a fun way to do both.

Do you shop Etsy?

Fiber Friends

I am keeping track of my fiber meetings in my fiber "spirit" journal.
I am writing down the names and telephone numbers of my new fiber friends.
I am recording my purchases.
I am writing down the dates of all the fiber events.
I want to go to them all.


This is a photograph of some llama roving.
My friends say it felts nicely.


Today I met an Alpaca rancher.
She sells alpaca yarn and roving.
I ordered some.
It also felts nicely.


An alpaca show is coming to my city in March.
I am planning on going.



One of the members of the felting group makes wood scarf pins.
I bought this one today.
It is made out of Osage Orange wood.



Bowling balls spring up all over my friend's gardens.
Her husband seems to grow them.

Every where I looked today I saw felt.

I am gathering junk mail to make paper.

I am reading about how to make silk paper.

The forced tulips are in bloom.

I did not do any project today.

I played with fiber friends.

I laughed and had fun.

Inspiration

I bought this card last year because I loved it.
I thought it would inspire me.
Instead it has languished in the drawer,
unseen and uninspiring.

My family has inspired me.

My daughter created a lovely birthday card.



She sewed the envelope too!




My husband created an origami butterfly for me.

He used a picture from an ad that came in the mail
for the front of my card.

My son sent an art card and a bracelet he made.
I want to make cards and bracelets too!

I remembered the butterfly girl card.
I had to hunt for her but I found her!

I want to do paper crafts.
I gathered some supplies. I started to make a mess!
Paper, scissors and paste...so fun. Art class in the kitchen.

My first project is to cover a box for 2009's small bits of keepsake paper that comes my way.

I have done scrapbooks for many years.

For 2009 I want to keep a memory box.

While my box was drying I put together a movable "paper works" studio.

I need places for the tiny bits of paper I will need to make cards. I need paper organization!

I still am working on felted hats and bags...Thursday is the first meeting of the year for the Weavers and Fiber Guild. I plan on attending.

I love being artsy....I love creating....I love making a mess!

Gingerbread Man

My friend brought over an old wool coat.
She thought I could could use it for felting.
I saw Gingerbread Men!

I cut the coat apart and machine felted the camel wool.

I cut out 12 gingerbread men,
enough for 6 ornaments.

While the wool was felting I shaped a brim for my lime green angora hat.
I re-felted it and now she is drying on Hannah, the hat form.
I have been reading about how to wire a brim.
I think I will try it next week on this soft brim.
I also want to do some beading on the crown.

My forced bulbs are beginning to show green.

My tree

My tree is coming along.

I am remembering how to do embroidery stitches.
I am making a braided trim for the edge from the pieces left over from my slippers.

After I make a project
I am using the scrapes for tree ornaments.

There are sixteen panels to fill on my tree.
Lots of space to practice stitches.
Lots of space for soft sculptures.

My tree is a story tree.
It is coming right along.
I have the rest of my life to finish it.

I am in no hurry.

Gift hat

My friend is coming to visit on Friday.
I thought she might like a pretty blue hat.
I enjoy making the head wraps with felted fabric.
They sew up so quickly and are fun and warm to wear.



Making the embellishment is fun too.
I soft sculptured a little something for the front of this one
and added a button from my Grandmother's button tin.

I had so much fun making my friend a hat
I decided to make me one!

More embellishments!

There was just enough blue angora left to make two ornaments for the felted Christmas tree. I will attach those and take a few pictures of the tree.
She is becoming a beautiful story of my felting projects.
We will have two posts this week!

Felted Christmas Tree

I have been looking forward to today.
I have been thinking about how I wanted to make my felted
Christmas Tree.
I cut 14 triangles out of the forest green merino wool sweater
I felted last week.
I sewed them together and refelted the fabric in the kitchen sink.

I created a drying frame from a dowel and some florist foam that I put in a pot.
While the tree began to dry I felted some of the scrapes in my scrap box.

I began to soft sculpture little ornaments.
I did balls for the tree tips. These I hope to needle felt onto my tree.
I bought the small drying frame at the thrift store yesterday. I thought it would be an attractive way to dry small felted things. I am out of room so everything has to be decoarative as well as useable!

A felted rose from a scrap! I think I will add some small seed pearls or beads to Miss Rose.

All this month I will be working on the felted Christmas tree.
I think needle felting ornaments will be so fun!
I also can do some stumpwork embroidery ornaments.
I think making a tree is a great way to learn!

I will share each week as the felted Christmas Tree

grows and becomes

a sampler.

I am closing up the sewing machine until January.

I am bringing out my sewing box.

Out of space!

My hat books arrived yesterday.
I am looking for a class on the art of millinery.

Hannah's hat band form also arrived.
I hung it on the wall. I am out of space!
I need a studio!

I felted five green sweaters today.
They are drying.
I am thinking of making a felted Christmas tree.

I needed moth chasers for the orange wool hats.
I did up three small bags of lavender and rosemary for the hat boxes.
I like to do these for all the wool hats and sweaters.
I also am gathering my craft books.
I need to get organized!

I contacted the Weavers and Fiber Guild of Kansas City.
They met once a month.
If the weather permits I would like to join them in January.
I would like to be with other people who love fiber.