Happy Easter!

The Easter centerpiece in preparation for the Grandchildren - love to have lots of things for them to see at their eye level and plenty of goodies as well (I'm still a little girl at heart so I love creating little fantasies whenever they come for dinner!). The special fancy dyed Easter eggs are still to be added. This year Mom and I will be making their little Easter basket cupcakes again - baked in flat bottomed ice cream cones, iced with pink frosting, topped with pale green "grass" (coconut), jelly bean "eggs" and a licorice twist handles - the children (six of them) just love these and can hardly eat their dinner with anticipation.

On a more serious note, I'm so grateful that God sent his only Son to let us know the Good News and our family has been very Blessed so we have a lot to be thankful for.

New Felt Challenge (to myself!)

This project was all machine needle felted then stitched prior to being wet felted - I love combining my two passions! and I'm officially predicting that it will become a future trend. The color began with the yellows previously dyed (I had been thinking and planning in yellow) . . . . . . . . . some vibrant and some soft hues in layers over a saffron shade of silk gauze . . . and then it began "talking" to me and telling me to add some pink as some of the yellow roving had tiny tinges of pink . . . and tiny bits of orangy silk gauze . . . and some soft "peachy" silk velvet. I love mixing colors that shouldn't really be together or unusual combinations; sometimes it works.

Things learned from this experience: do a small sample using the same materials and measure the shrinkage before beginning such a large undertaking.

This is the back and the first piece; the top portion is more yellow than the picture, in fact it matches the front perfectly; HOWEVER, it shrunk so much that I'll have to do it over.

Never give up! I'll use this for something else as it is so very pretty! Perhaps a vest back for one of my girls.

(Note: I've had to purchase more wool on line which is no easy task considering colorways can look quite different on line and the original purchases were made at a show a long time ago - it HAS to match the front; the saving grace is that I used three layers so I can probably "wing" it)

This is a close up of some detail placement where you get a better idea of the colors used.

Success with the jacket front -- these are the two fronts and the shrinkage and design match which was no easy task and I'm very excited! -- now if I can only get the back right! . . . and then there are the sleeves; those will be another challenge. The colorway is actually much softer than is shown here; it matches the back perfectly. I added just a little detail to what is planned to be the lapel area.

Although it is a nuno felt with a wonderful drape, it is quite sturdy! When held up to the light, the light shows through the silk gauze which is also very "puckery."

A close up of the lapel detail. I do love tiny detail.

Shibori Play

Isn't this fun? It's wool felted on to a cotton gauze and although I think silk will work better, I loved this green that another friend, Stephanie, kindly sent to me. I met her in Nashville when she was my helper during class teaching the Embellisher and one day several months later I got a lovely bag of dyed silks, rayons and scrim in every hue imaginable as a surprise - aren't I lucky to know such talented and kind people? I'm absolutely obsessed with doing more of this work - have just about every Shibori book and lots of supplies. Now I need to practice! Where are the extra arms and hours that I'll need to make all the ideas rolling around in my head! To me this looks like something you'd come across in the woods (in Spring, of course!). It's getting late. . . . of to my colorful dreams so I can play more tomorrow . . . .

Spring is Here!

I also have some ideas for this green silk and wool - it isn't quite lime as I added a few drops of brown and that really keeps it from being too bright and makes for a richer hue; with touches of apricot and soft yellow fiber, it has the feel of a Spring meadow. (you can see in the sample in an earlier post) .

Pure Sunshine

The creative juices are flowing and I've spent many nights in colorful dreams conjuring up new ideas - I always make small samples before I delve in to a larger project - last week I dyed some soft buttery yellow silk gauze in preparation for some nuno work but instead of looking soft and appealing, the sample looked rather sad and insipid so I took the plunge and overdyed the gauze in several shades of yellow and goldenrod with touches of pumpkin here and there which gave it just the right punch!

Affirmation Gift Bag

This little "Affirmation" gift bag was made to hang over a doorknob and holds dozens of strips of paper listing special qualities and memories for a really special person that I hope she'll like - sort of like a giant fortune cookie except it isn't about the future, it's about the past and present!