Cleveland Rocks!! Part 1

From the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

 

Check out this saturated color!

 

James Tissot, I love you!

 

This modern-looking 'Star-Gazing Woman' was actually carved around
3000 BC!!

 

One of my favorite nudes in the museum...I love the expression on his face (pride and a little bit of wonder, too).

 

Eeek!

 

Auguste Rodin's bronze 'The Thinker'.

 

Although I've been an 'East Coast girl' for a number of years, now...

...I'm still a true Midwesterner at heart.

This weekend, we spent a lovely day in my hometown, Cleveland, Ohio...

...and had a wonderful time!

For those of you who've never had the opportunity to visit this delightful city or museum...

...I say, put it on your 'to do' list NOW!! :)

The Cleveland Museum of Art has an amazing, eclectic collection...

...that's sure to have something for everyone!

Since it's currently under renovation, some of my favorite pieces have been squirreled away for a time...

...but here are a few tasty morsels! :)

Next time: Sandwiches that will make you weep with joy!

Light-As-Air Summer Cobweb Shawl

A thin layer of variegated, hand-dyed roving, plus hand-spun yarn.

 

Adding clouds of silk caps.

 

The finished shawl.

 

A close-up view of its yarn-filled edge.

 

With the oppressive heat of this summer's weather...

...a lightweight wrap seemed 'just the thing' for a friend's August birthday.

Since I can count the number of cobweb projects I've made on just a few fingers...

...I found myself experimenting even more than usual!

I laid out a mat and some netting...

...then added one thin, shingled layer of this variegated roving...

...taking time with my layout, and trying to cover the entire surface evenly.

In order to have an edge that would be firm and relatively straight...

...I laid a length of my hand-spun yarn a few centimeters in...

...along the entire perimeter.

For both shimmer and a bit of structural support...

...I teased apart sections of a silk cap...

...and added them like fluffy, white clouds in a summer sky.

I wetted out the project...

...and folded the roving over the yarn to encase it...

...kind of like a stuffed-crust pizza! :)

I plan to make more cobweb projects while the 'heat is on'...

...and in the next week or so, I'll be showing you another shawl which I think you'll find quite unusual!! Grin.

2 Daughters + 2 Felted Projects

Laying out her bird design with sari silk bits and pencil roving.

 

H's finished pillow.

 

Laying out her scarf with striped silk and a glitzy art batt.

 

L's finished scarf.

 

Two of my daughters made projects in June...

...for which I was merely consultant and occasional assistant! Grin.

H wanted to make an accent pillow for her dorm room...

...and decided to use pencil roving and sari silk waste for the design.

She is a wonderful representational artist with a sure style and process...

...so I mostly kept well out of her way! :)

Unfortunately, she didn't take into account the need for a border around her design...

...and she's a little disappointed that the beak seems to disappear into the pillow edge...

...but I think it's quite nice.

****************************************************************

My other daughter wanted to try a quick project, and travels a lot...

...in fact, she's been in Norway the entire month of July with a group of young children at a 'peace camp'.

(You can imagine how my heart skipped a beat last week when I first heard the news...

...and although I now know that she and all of her charges are safe...

...how I grieve for those other children and families!)

She thought that a nuno scarf would be a fun and useful thing to try...

...and she chose the striped silk that I used for this messenger bag.

She added fiber from a wonderful art batt that my friend, Linda, brought me when she visited...

...and made a quite festive and feminine scarf.

I think that the rather stiff texture of the striped silk that leant itself so well to the bag...

...resulted in a scarf that feels a little 'crunchy'...

...but it is lovely, and it will be quite nice in the fall, wrapped around the collar of a thin jacket.

Forgotten Swap Scarf

Aren't these colors divine?

 

It's the perfect shape, size and weight to tuck into the neck opening of a blazer or jacket when the 'wind blows free'. :)

 

Close up detail.

 

A gorgeous gradation of color!

 

While I was sorting through my photos for today's post...

...I realized that I had somehow forgotten to blog about this wonderful swap present from my friend, C.

This scarf was a labor of love...

...and I couldn't be happier with it!!

Because she was in a hurry to get it in the mail, she neglected to take photos for Ravelry...

...and when she examined the photos that I sent her for that purpose...

...she noticed something quite strange.

She very gently informed me that in nearly all of the photos I had taken...

...the wrong side of the scarf was showing!!

Now, not being a knitter, myself...

...I didn't realize that there could even be a 'right' and a 'wrong' side to flat knitting!

(How embarrassing!)

So for all of you 'in the know'...

...please ignore any 'backwards' photos in this post!

And please, please, be gentle with me if we ever meet on the street...

...and you notice that I'm wearing any of my garments inside out!! :)

Negative/Positive Bags- Part 5 of 5

'Bling'.

 

A smattering of clear glass beads (double click to enlarge).

 

The bag back.

 

The finished purse.

 

I applaud those of you who've managed to stay with this rather lengthy series...

...and I promise to give you a break with my next set!

As you can see, the two bags are very much alike, and yet...not...

...simply changing colors makes quite a difference, doesn't it?!?

You'll notice that the leaves are darker green this time...

...owing to the larger amount of green roving that I tucked between the fabric and the white roving.

I hand stitched clear glass beads to the bag with Silamide beading thread (thanks for the awesome thread, Linda!)...

...and used an eggshell-colored vintage button for the closure.

This bag has found a new home with my friend, Denise...

...and I think she is rather pleased with it. :)

Negative/Positive Bags- Part 4 of 5

Cutting out the handle.

 

Trimming the flaps and stitching the handle.

 

Sewing the fabric lining to the inner (pocket) flap (this is the back side of the fabric).

 

The completed interior of the bag with three pockets.

 

For messenger bags...

...I like to cut the strap a bit wider than I do with my purses.

After trimming out the strap...

...I carefully turn it 'right side out' and hand-stitch it along the cut edges.

When the bag has been felted a bit more...

...I cut the bag flaps to the desired size.

(I like a nice rectangular shape for the front flap on a messenger bag.)

Make sure that your inner flap is not too long...

...or it won't fit well inside the bag after you've stitched it to its fabric lining.

For this bag's three pocket interior ...

...I marked sections on the fabric's backside with a pen (one for a cell phone, one for keys and one larger pocket).

I then cut corresponding openings in the felt...

...and stitched the fabric around the flap edges and along the marked lines, segmenting the pocket.

Next time: the finished bag...

...with beading! :)

Negative/Positive Bags- Part 3 of 5

Laying out synthetic fabric with wisps of white roving around the edges (between the fabric and the resist).

 

Adding green roving to the leaf areas.

 

Encasing the resist in layers of white roving.

 

The resist with all of the fiber layers added...just prior to felting.

 

As you can see...

...this bag is merely a white version of my last bag.

I decided to use only one additional color behind the floral fabric this time...

...choosing green for the leaves, and making sure to use a lot more fiber!

I always add at least three thin layers of roving to each side of these bags...

...flipping and wrapping the wool around the edges of the resist after each layer...

...in order to ensure a smooth surface after felting.

Next time: cutting and stitching the handle...

...and the inner pocket (with cute kitten fabric!).

Negative/Positive Bags- Part 2 of 5

A close-up of the ruched synthetic fabric after felting.

 

A handmade glass button from last summer's Creative Felt Gathering.

 

The purse back.

 

The front of the purse.

 

Because I didn't realize that I had to pile the colored fiber on...

...the green roving is the only one that really showed beneath the floral fabric after felting.

I was happy that the black and white color scheme of the bag allowed me to use one of my glass buttons from last summer...

...but, you're right...the bubble should not be present (it was my first time working with fused glass.)

I used a cute, modern, black and white fabric for the pockets this time...

...making two shallow 'cell phone sized' ones on the inner flap.

As usual with messenger bags...

...I made the strap long enough to wear cross-body, or to tie in a knot, if desired.

Next time...Version 2...the negative copy of this bag!

Negative/Positive Bags- Part 1 of 5

Laying out wool roving and synthetic floral fabric.

 

Adding blue, white, green and grey roving.

 

Adding a layer of cotton gauze.

 

After trimming out and stitching the handle.

 

While my friend Linda was visiting recently...

...we decided to work on a couple of bags together.

She made one with black roving and bright, neon-dyed locks...

...and I decided to see how well a certain piece of synthetic fabric would felt.

I used my newest messenger bag resist...

...and 'built' the bag from the outside-in, as I often do.

Because I wanted to tint the flowers and leaves in the finished felt...

...(like hand-coloring an old black and white photograph)...

...I laid out areas of white, blue and grey...and green roving for the leaves.

I covered this design and the entire resist with layers of black roving...

...plus a layer of cotton gauze on the bottom half of the bag.

Next time: the finished bag with its handmade, fused-glass button.

L's Raw Fleece Rug- Part 3 of 3

The finished rug, prior to trimming.

 

The gauze side with migrated black roving.

 

A close-up of the rug's glorious texture.

 

The finished rug.

 

This rug was a labor of love...

...and I'm as happy with the end result..

...as I was while making it with my daughter, L. :)

As many of you have written to remark...

...getting to spend a real chunk of time like this with one's child...

...especially a grown one...

...is a real gift and a joy!!

This project required a long, hard, filthy day of work...

...but I think it was worth it.

I'm especially happy with the way the black roving migrated into the 'fissures' of the less golden-colored raw locks...

...giving the rug an organic, lichen-covered rock formation look.

When the rug was completely felted, rinsed and dried...

...(and boy, did it take a long time to dry)...

...I trimmed off the excess cotton gauze with small, sharp scissors.

The 'Heinz 57' variety of locks that we used...

...resulted in the lovely, multi-colored appearance of this rug.

And I think the fact that the wool started off ever-so-filthy...

...was one of the reasons that the individual locks remained as separate and springy as they did!

I know my daughter will enjoy having something warm and filled with 'Mama love' in her new apartment...

...and I think we will both remember this day as a very special one!