She Brews

What's Next?

 

The last few weeks I had to move things back into the house to work. It was cold enough that I needed to heat my studio and since I needed to re-fuel, I decided to cut that cost this year and work in the house. This will take some doing........

For the last two shows, I just dragged stuff in as I needed it, and it is draped all over the dining and living room. This week I will begin to empty an extra bedroom and set up my work space there. It will be great exercise in being that it is upstairs.

Since I won't be in the shop, nor heating it, I worry that mice will move in, and so, I must remove all the fabric. I have cats in the house, so no worry there, except that they might decide the fabric needs "ownership". I solve that by tubs with covers.

 

I made a serious mess this week, but it paid off. I did a show on Saturday and did really well. So much well that I did, I was worried about the show I did yesterday, as I had no re-couping time. But, to my amazement, I did as well yesterday as I did on Saturday......imagine. Our trailor was the emptiest I have ever seen it.  I think we could have fit everything in the back of the Yukon, except the display panels. 

Today, I am going back to Stevens Point to Herrschners Thanksgiving Sale. We went last year and found some really fun things. I am looking forward to getting some Wizard of Oz fabrics. Last year I got Dick and Jane fabric really marked down.

I have so many things I am looking forward to doing now that the shows are done. Of course, this week being Thanksgiving will interrupt some of that........

Also, look for the new things I will be listing in my Etsy shop and my other, ShebrewsAttic etsy shop. (I do not know why the link doesn't work, but if you go to etsy and under user name, type, Shebrewsattic.  Also, I plan on starting a photo album for my people I meet at shows to purchase the things I bring to shows. I will blog about it separately when I am ready to set it up. 

Thanks to all of you lurkers and all you commenters. I appreciate you all!!!

Vintage Feedsack Projects

 

Oh, the patterns of this vintage material! I know they are duplicating them now, but even the feel of the fabric makes you wonder about their story.........

I am making little things from scraps of vintage feedsack I have collected. I have quilt pieces that have been hand stitched but never made it to a quilt.....I thought they were really pretty ornaments for a quilter's tree.......

 

This style I used vintage buttons. I layered batting in between and zigag stitched and pinked the edges. They are really quite showy on the tree..... 

 

 

This style I added the cloth daisy in the center because I didn't have so many colored vintage buttons, and besides, I thought it gave it a different look.

 

You can see how bright and showy they are. I am wondering if I should display them with little twinkle lights on the tree, too. I will be taking them to the show this weekend, and then they will be offered in my etsy shop for $3.00 each. I will give a break on multiples. I only have so many, so I don't know what I will have left after two shows.......

Also, tomorrow I will show you a surprise! Make sure you come back to see!

Japanese Craft Books in my Etsy

Hi Everybody! I just wanted to let you know that I got my eye on some things to purchase, but I can only do that if I let go of some of the things I already have. I will be going through my Japanese Craft books that I have been collecting and offer them at a reduced rate in my Shebrews Attic Etsy.

I have listed three so far, but I will be adding some more as I get the courage to let them go......be sure to check if you are looking for something special. Also, there will be other pattern books, patterns and books I will be adding. Here are the three that are in my etsy.....

  

  

 

These are all written in Japanese, but have wonderful illustrations and patterns that can be easily figured out if you sew at all and have some knowledge of how things are put together. The shoe book has full size patterns in all sizes. I love all three of these books, but I got my eye on Yoko Saito's patchwork books, and I want them more!!!

Help me out, will ya? thanks.

Crochet Today.......one day projects

So, I tell myself that I purchase way too many magazines and books----but, I LOVE THEM. I don't know why, but I stopped to look at magazines at my last grocery trip......

I picked up this lovely, and I HAD TO HAVE IT, I just had to.

 

There are lots of one day projects that can be used for gift giving. I almost purchased a hat at the last craft show--it was $24.00---but, I thought, if I could find a pattern I could make one. This takes one skein of yarn, and the little extra for the other color.

I made one of these hats last night while watching Greys Anatomy, and the other one this morning--don't remember what I watched--I think lots of distractions. They crochet in no time and the directions are so simple---no tricky stitches, just sc and hdc. Imagine that!

Here is a little more eye candy for you. I haven't made these yet, but they were helpful to sell the magazine for me......

 

I have so many instructions in Japanese (amigurumi), from the books I collected, I thought this might help to understand some of them....lol. Actually, years ago I crochet'd Bert and Ernie for my first born. That was in the 70's. They were about ten inch dolls. I was so proud of them, no one else was doing anything like that then.......

 

Again, in the 70's, I crochet'd a pair of these for my husband. I felt so accomplished. I think I still have the pattern torn from a Woman's Day Magazine. These are adorable in the baby size, don't you think? I haven't made these yet, either, but I know I can since I made the adult size ones already.

If you crochet, this is definitely worth the ten dollars it cost. Also, www.redheart.com  had a lot of examples of their free crochet patterns---and they are really practical and nice. I can't wait to spend some time on their site.

I don't know why I picked up my crochet hook again, except that I have been spending time with my cousin and aunt who are big doily crochet'ers......I USED to crochet doilies, back when I picked hickory nuts, too........oh, when did time become so expensive? Now, I feel like I have to get my money's worth in time.....except, of course, when it comes to people----money ain't anything----I will spend my time on people, no questions asked.........

I believe this is the latest issue from Crochet Today (thinking about subscribing, again, money issue). This has an isbn 7098938788 and says display until 01-05-10. Seriously, this is worth every dollar. 

Here is a list of things included: necklace, scarves, mask, wrap, carryall, tote, glass case, motifs, table topper, baskets, baby accessories, pet pad, afgan, and more......

There's no need for this.......

WELL, I HOPE THERE IS.........

  

i got this brain storm when I found these cloth shot bags in a resale shop two days ago. Yeah, I know they are rather long and large, ......but, hey........I'm just saying......maybe there is a need for camouflage Christmas stockings........

I'm taking them to the show tomorrow and I will let you know what the reaction was.....let me know what you think. They are for sale at $18.00 each. 

 

I even got to use the vintage shotgun shells that my hubby was saving for "whatever" reasons.........

Maybe I will see you tomorrow at Brookfield High School Art and Craft Fair.

Just the facts, ma'am

This line is from "Dragnet", an American sitcom from the early 60's, where the police have to ask questions and the women habitually go into too much detail.......heh, heh.( I  have never liked being referred to as "ma'am", but since I gave away that I knew lines from tv shows from the sixties, my guess is that you will know I am old enough to be called, "ma'am" especially by some real cute young men.....pooh. )

When I was trying to think of a title, I thought of all the little things I want to talk about, but the biggest circle, covering it all, is: "'how much detail?" 

Most of my favorite embroiderers are hugely detailists.  Spiritcloth, Mairuru, Gerdiary

, Hens Teeth, RuthRae, just to name a few......

  

The above picture at this point is" "just the facts," .These are two small collages in progress. They measure 3" high by 10" wide. Unfortunately, when I finished them, they did not fit into those frames, I lost too much detail---so, I will have to come up with another idea for them.....

The top picture shows the new trees I am attempting to embroider. The bottom picture shows the step before embroidering the trees.

 

Click on the image to get a bigger picture to see what details I am speaking about. I embroidered the path in front of two cottages. I made a little fencing around the small cottage. I embroidered the one word "peace". To embroider on the houses is always a question---sometimes, I just need to introduce another color on them, and that is a good way to do it. I liked laying the tree branches over the sun, and thinking ahead, if I did a night scene, that would look pretty cool over a full moon.

My question is: How much detail is appreciated on such a small piece? I seem to keep wanting to add detail until it says what I need it to say.....but, then, I couldn't let it speak for itself, I had to add the word "peace".  *sigh*

Well, I have a few more ideas to show you later.

Don't Fence Me In....

  

Just playing with details. THis time I embroidered a fence before putting in the cottages and trees. You can see the piecework up close with this photo.

  

After viewing the pictures, I think I may have to put another tree in the far left.....it seems to be calling for one.

  

Still feeling my way around color choices and contrast......

  

I like the bright orangey-red of these little cottages.

 

Anyway, these are what I have been working on the last couple of days. I also have a couple of small 5" x7" I am doing. Not finished yet, but I will show them perhaps tomorrow.

I HAD to do it........

 

After  days trying to accomplish traditional quilting, I was losing my confidence.....Quite frankly, I was becoming discouraged and disappointed that I could not master traditional patchwork quilting.......No matter how many times I try, my stuff just gets wonky.......

Today, I just had to get back to what I know.....to remember that I could do somethings that made me happy with the results.......Here are the two latest.

Home Sweet Home features the apple trees. Here in Wisconsin the apples are falling from the trees and they can be had by the bushels.

  

Oh, I was so happy with this one. Especially my little experiment with wadding up the fabric for the basket. Eventually I will crisp up the details, but I am wading in to the project the same way I enter a cold lake......toes first, then ankles, etc, etc. I am not a diver---or, all at once plunger. I would too easily drown if I jumped in all at once---perhaps that was my mistake with patchwork quilting.....too much too fast. I think it must take practice.

 

Once, at an art showing, the judge pointed out in my work that I was an illusionist and that I had a calligraphic style.......hmmmm. Maybe that's why traditional patchwork doesn't work for me---I am a faker....lol.

Hey, my peeps! My last show is November 22 and then I will start putting things in my etsy store. I know some of you have asked me when I was going to, or if I was going to. I just need all my stuff for the craft shows right now. 

 

what you didnt know

 

I have never really "officially" quilted. I just do my own thing. Quilting seems like such an exact science. Measure twice, cut once......Since I have problems with perfection----whether I am a perfectionist and can't stand not being able to do things perfectly, or whether I am an imperfectionist and refuse to do things by the rules, I cannot say. I can make arguements for both. Artists are rebels, after all, but we must start off with the rules before we break them.......

Last night I met with the "girls" who quilt on Tuesday nights. They are all traditional quilters and are learning by some more experienced quilters---it covers all levels.

For instance, someone came with their patchwork blocks they made all week only to find they did not keep measuring, and most of them were over size or undersize---so, she spent the night ripping them out......*sigh*.....that is the part of quilting I am afraid of. I looked at her project long and hard and decided I would have just "cut" them to fit the smallest ones.......lol. RIght or wrong, *shrug*, I dunno? I just wouldn't have the heart to rip apart 40 blocks I spent all week piecing........

Another girl brought her quilt that she constructed from vintage feedsack dresden plates she found in her mother's cedar trunk. She found 28 and spaced them on the quilt so that she could share some of the squares with the other siblings.

Someone else was working on needle turn applique using freezer paper. *sigh* Tedious. Tedious.

Well, as you know, I am in love with Yoko Saito's work and I aim to attempt some of it. So, I got out my Moda Layer Cakes stash I have been collecting and began to cut my two inch strips. I found an easy pot holder pattern from "The Impatient Patchworker" by Jayne Emerson.

  

ISBN 0-307-33658-1 

I learned things like ironing your seams toward the darkest fabric. Although it wasn't part of the directions, I topstitched my potholder after I finished all the sewing.

This winter it is my goal to attempt some of the patterns I have collected from Yoko Saito.

Today, I will sew a cosmetic bag that is also in this book. I plan to show you my journey into learning this beautiful art of Yoko Saito's. I realize that I will rebel somewhere----color choices, perhaps, which happen to be one of her trademarks---she seems to work mostly in taupe, brown, tan and black. I wonder if I can get the look by using other fabrics. We shall see. Also, the potholder I made was all machine stitched. I have the feeling that Yoko's are hand stitched. Since all the books I have are in Japanese----there are things I miss, since I can only follow illustrations. I think this will be an exciting project.

Of course, I will always be distracted from time to time. In fact, I need to come up with some fast things for my last three shows. Obviously, patchwork takes a long time. But here is one of my inspirations:

 

ISBN4-529-04098-4

This is just yummy with patchwork projects. I cannot say that Yoko has any in this book, but her style is definitely represented. I have a few books of hers on my wish list. 

Okay, well you heard it here. I am going to make winter 2010, the year I make some of Yoko Saito's patchwork projects. They will be mine when I am done, because I cannot copy something exactly, but I sure enjoy her style.

 

Don't you just want to make these?

On friends and friendship

 

I just love Winnie-the-Pooh. He just knows how it is. I will be visiting with you friends soon, via visit, email, snailmail, phonecall,  whatever----I have had a long summer and its winding down. -----though there was always a path to my door----I need to clear a path to your door..........so many distractions, so many hawkers, all clamoring for my  attention------I am even looking forward to housework....that should tell you something. I have such faithful friends, who call or write consistently-----my bad. Trying too hard to earn a living---sometimes, I let opportunity to get together get away because I am trying to be responsible.......sometime, sometime soon, I will come to you......I promise.