Pecan Stems and Silk

I love the impression that the stems
make on the fabric when they have been steamed.

Hints of the print that the pecan will create.

Beautiful, beautiful color, and shapes.

This silk fabric is still wet. I rolled it back up and will allow it to dry as an intact bundle.
Can't wait to see what it looks like!

Baby Eucalyptus

My husband and I (mostly he) planted three eucalyptus trees in our yard this year.
I cannot believe how quickly they are growing!
I have tried to be patient and not pick too many leaves or stems but...
I have not always been able to resist.

A few days ago, I clipped a few stems and rolled them into a pieces of (some kind of) silk fabric.
I forget the exact type - I'll have to look on the invoice.
I rolled one piece onto a copper pipe and popped it into my rice steamer (less than $25 on eBay!) for about an hour.
Then I left it sitting in the steamer for a few days (I was busy but then forget about it).
It was still wet but I couldn't resist having a peek at it.

This is what my baby eucalyptus is capable of!

I love the darker areas where the fabric
is in direct contact with the copper pipe.

The pipe was too short for the width of the fabric
so I folded the edges of the fabric in.

The resulting design (on the edges) is looking pretty good.

I did show enough restraint to roll the fabric back up on the pipe (without looking inside!).
I'll allow it to dry on the pipe and unroll if after I get back from Colorado - or when I remember.
I love the surprises that tiny organisms create inside the wet fabric if you allow it sit awhile. But it sure is difficult to wait that long!

I'm off to Colorado tomorrow.
I'll be teaching two really fun and creative classes. I do love to share what I do and how I do it.
But what I love the most is when people (who think they are not "the creative type") realize that they have a well of untapped creativity right inside of them!
I do believe that we can all be creative, we all can be artistic and that we all can learn to look at things around you in a more creative manner.
Sometime you just need a nudge in the right direction.
At an art festival a couple of years ago, I heard my husband talking to a woman about my classes. She said that she was not "the artsy type" and the classes would be wasted on her.
My husband said "Oh no, my wife specializes in working with people just like you. You will surprise yourself in one of her classes."
What an awesome thing to eavesdrop and hear about you!
He did convince the woman that she could create something in one of my classes and after I had time to talk to her, she had more hope that she could be a maker of really cool things.
And what a fabulous honor it is to assist people in finding that hidden (or stifled) part of themselves.

I hope that you all are exercising your creativity.
Just like our muscles will atrophy if they are not used - our creativity will also waste away.

Rusty Goodness

I love the color of rust.
I love the depth of color that you can get when rusting fabric.
Here is a sampling of what I did with some of the rust that I have collected.

This is cotton jersey with a bit of spandex.
I am making scarves out of the fabric - they are beautiful.
And so soft after washing, no hard particles of rust on/in these.
I have several scarves made from the fabric and I love them all. A couple of them are embellished with a technique that I wrote a magazine article about. It's coming out later this year.
These are about 9 inches and the length varies (shortest one is about 70 inches).
If you're interested in purchasing one, shoot me an email.
I will send you photos of the finished scarf.
The price is $45.

Upcoming Classes

I will be teaching a couple of classes in a couple of weeks in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the wonderful "Blue Twig Studio", owned and operated by Deb Prewitt.
These may be the only classes that I teach this year so grab them while you can!

The first one is a short evening class.
We will be making what my father in law refers to as "hobo gloves", more commonly known as fingerless gloves (I like the other name better).
I made them after I found a book by Natalie Chanin in the library.
Imagine my surprise when her third book had a pattern for a similar pair in it!
Great minds and all that, right?
I did use portions of the stencils in her books (or website) on some of my gloves. Some of the designs are my thermofax screens.

This is actually a skirt made using the same technique.

It will be a fun-filled, learning extravaganza...I assure you.
Check it out here.


The second class is one of my favorite classes.
A handmade book.

Collage making, textiles, papers, fibers, threads and vintage ephemera.
Hand stitched pages.
Beautiful story telling in a book.
I have spoken of this class before - here and here.
Please join us as we craft a one of a kind handmade book that will be the envy of all of your friends (and enemies).