I’m slowly working my way through some Royal School of Needlework classes. Here’s my Whitework class project underway. I am pretty pleased with the way the satin stitch turned out on that bee.
Family Masks
I haven’t been anywhere since March 13 and have been struggling to focus on any creative work after finishing the Spring Fever Quilt. Now that we will be needing masks to go out in public when things open up again, my daughter and I worked to make some masks for our family. She did the cutting and I sewed them.
Sewing together was just what I needed.
I used the Craft Passion mask pattern. I like that it comes in different sizes so you can make for all of your family members.
I am now feeling like I can work on some more creative sewing.
Spring Fever
Spring Fever - 80’ x 80”
I’m happy to share this quilt, Spring Fever now that it’s in its new home in New Mexico.
I designed the block for Summer Sampler Boot Camp 2019 . I liked the first block so much that I made another, and, another. I couldn’t stop until I made a queen size quilt!
The block starts as a square of print scraps, and is then surrounded by triangles of bright color solids. I think it’s a happy quilt.
It has wool batting and is only quilted in the ditch to make it light and fluffy. I love the geometric pattern it makes on the back.
This was a good project for early in our safe at home time because the top was already complete and the quilting plan had already been made. My brain has been having a hard time concentrating and making decisions with all of the stress and news of Covid 19.
Special thanks to my photo helpers.
Fear - domestic abuse quilt # 17
Fear 16 x 16
Fear plays a large part in the life of an abused person. There is fear in staying and fear in leaving.
There is fear of appearing to be weak/a victim/naïve/etc in addition to fear of what the abuser might say or do at any given time. There is a fear of what other people might say or think when they find out about the abuse. A person can be unprepared to deal with the situation, but also fearful of losing face and being seen as having been duped or manipulated. Pride may not let them admit the truth for a long time. Someone can be a capable person in many areas of life all of his/her life, and when face to face with abuse, be fearful of being viewed as not capable, which is a vicious circle to be in.
An abused person can become paralyzed by their fear.
There is also fear of the unknown for folks who love someone experiencing abuse and aren't able to know what their reality is like.
If you have a friend or family member who is experiencing abuse here are some things you can do to help. The most important thing to remember is that the choice to leave or not is theirs. You can't make them leave a bad situation but you can be supportive and helpful in their choice. They will need someone they can count on when/if they do decide to end or leave the abusive relationship.
Domestic Violence knows no boundaries when it comes to race/gender/sexuality/age/socioeconomic status/geographic location/culture.
Remember, domestic abuse affects ten million people in the US every year. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, please know that the folks at the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1 800 799 SAFE or thehotline.org) are ready to listen and support you, as well as refer you to a local program or organization. If you observe someone being abused, you can also call the hotline. A good samaritan call can save a life!
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All of the quilts in the Domestic Abuse series so far can be viewed here.
Thoughtful Sunday
"If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person." - Fred Rogers
Mending Workshops at Old School Sewing
I’m happy to announce that I’m pairing up with Chelsea’s Zero Waste Coalition and will be offering two mending classes in March. I have been wanting to host mending workshops and this will be a great start.
Sewing Repair DIY Workshops
March 11 and March 25
9-11 AM
118 S. Main St. Chelsea, MI
Do you have clothing hanging in your closet in need of repair but don’t know where to begin? Lynn Carson Harris of Old School Sewing in Chelsea and Stephanie Doll from Chelsea’s Zero Waste Coalition will provide instruction on basic sewing skills so you can do your own minor repairs and give those clothes a second life! This is not a course with a curriculum. Instead, bring your item to Old School Sewing’s studio in town and learn through doing: sew a button, repair a ripped seam, fix a hole, hide frayed edges, replace elastic, etc. You may opt for a simple fix to make your garment wearable or decide to be creative with a visible mending technique for a fun new look! Sewing machines are available in studio, though many repairs will be done by hand. If you have sewing tools (needles, scissors, etc.) and supplies (thread, buttons, material, etc.), please bring, otherwise some will be available for use. Walk-ins are welcome. Though if you can register in advance, we can try to evaluate what tools and/or supplies might be needed.
Ages 10 and up.
RSVP to LynnCarsonHarris@gmail.com. Please give name, description of garment and repair needed.
No charge for instruction and use of sewing tools, but donations appreciated to offset cost of any supplies used such as thread, material, etc.
Royal School of Needlework
This year I decided to take some time for myself and focus on creating for no particular reason other than to create and to learn some new skills.
I signed up for some online classes through the Royal School of Needlework. The first class I’m working through is Jacobean Embroidery. I learned about the waste knot and anchor stitches as well as some new to me embroidery stitches. They also recommend using a hoop on a stand. It’s very different to be able to use both hand for stitching and thread manipulation.
Traveling with two fifty pound suitcases of quilts can be exhausting! It is nice to have this relaxed time at home to focus on my own work and spend more time with my kids and grandkids. I am excited to see how the new embroidery skills may show up in my future work, for now I’m having fun learning.
Star Update
I’ve been slowly adding stars to the wall for this WIP and I ALMOST have enough for the quilt I’m making. Here’s a closer look at some of the reproduction prints I’m using.
Toledo Museum of Art
Once a month my friend, Debbie Grifka, and I try to have an art and inspiration outing. This month we went to the Toledo Museum of Art. We had advance tickets to see “Fireflies on the Water” by Yayoi Kusama.
While there we also got tickets to see “Between Light and Shadow: by Anila Quayyum Agha.
We also saw/listened to "Everything is Rhythm", pairings of mid-century art and music - well done and interesting.
Trying Something New
I’m trying something new with this project. I’m free form quilting which I have done before but this time I’m leaving the knots on the top. I think it suits the theme of this little quilt.
In looking at the photo it also appears to me that I should try adding some variation in the density of stitching.
