Breaking the Silence

My blog has been silent for much too long, but it has been silent because I've had to choose between stitching and writing time, and I chose to stitch. Unfortunately, some of my stitching time was interrupted by sore shoulders and other minor illnesses, but I have been making progress on many fronts.

At home in Rhode Island with my sewing machine, I made my husband a padded envelope for his new (bigger) iPad. Unfortunately, it took two tries to get one to fit correctly and then I accidentally stitched a seam twice, making it rather lopsided. As a result, I am not showing a photo. But even if it isn't perfect, my husband is using it. It makes me happy to know his tablet is safe from accidental drops and scratches, even if I need to practice more to perfect the art of sewing what should be an easy little project.

But all is not lost. I can sew a straight line, because I also sewed new curtains for our newly painted guest room, using some commercial valences in another room as a pattern. I wanted a light airy feel, so the toppers are cream colored and airy and the sheer is a silk/linen panel. I was told over and over that I should not use it for a curtain because silk rots in the light, but it is just what I wanted, and the guest room blinds are lowered unless we have guests, so I think they will be ok. Additionally, the linen will help hold it together.

The reason I wanted a nice fabric is because I want to stitch shadow work butterflies on the sheers. I saw the pattern in Inspirations, and have been dying to work it ever since. I have only experimented with shadow work once and in a much cruder format that will be needed on these sheers, so I worked up a practice piece to see how best to manipulate curves in the pattern and to determine which colors to use. I tried two variegated threads and white. I think I will use all of them in the curtains. I learned a lot in my practice piece, but it took several nights of work. In the end, I liked it so much, that I added a floral garland and framed it against a piece of tie dyed blue fabric. It is a nice little addition to the guest room while I stitch the sheers, which will, I think, take quite awhile to finish!

This is not all that I've been working on, but I'll save more for later blogs so I don't go silent for such a long time again.

New valences and sheers in our guest room.

Here is the sheer with my practice piece pinned to it to see how it will look when I begin embroidering the sheers.

A close up of the practice piece.

My practice piece framed as an accent for our antique dresser. It is nice to find a use for the hours that it too to stitch the piece! And doesn't it go well with the antique dresser scarf I found that was already embroidered with butterflies?!

 

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Tea time

I made one final Christmas gift--a tea cozy for my neighbor who is starting a tea catering business out of her home. She's moving slowly with it, researching all the state food service regulations and practicing her menus. In the meantime, my husband and I are recipients of her experiments. It is great to have a neighbor who bakes!

The original name of her proposed business was Come Have Tea With Me, hence the saying on the cozy. She has already sent me some Pinterest ideas for more cosies. I am looking forward to working on them later this year!

 

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JOY

The hand-made Christmas presents weren't numerous this year, but I did make Christmas banners for over the fireplace--four in all. I made one for each step son, one for my parents, and one for my husband and me. I sent my husband a photo of the two I made for his sons and when he said he wanted one as well, I told him that there was no possible way I could make any more before I came home. Then I proceeded to do just that!

I had seen similar banners in a craft book that I borrowed from the library, but when I went back to look for the book, I couldn't find it, so I had the fun job of designing them myself. I printed the letters out on my computer along with a triangle template and was soon off and running.

Since the letters are machine appliquéd and really have to look nice, I was terrified, but I didn't have to redo any of them. They aren't perfect, but I am satisfied with how they turned out.

 

Four sets turned out to be the perfect number for the fabric I had bought too. I had no waste!

A banner hanging over my parent's hearth.

 

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Dracen's new pillow

It has been a long time since I picked up a needle, but I am back in Denver for three weeks and realized that if I want any home sewn Christmas gifts, I will need to make them before I return to New England. My first project was a new pillow for our two and a half year old grandson.

Last month he stayed over night at our house, but his usual soft pillow was in the laundry. We gave him a small pillow, but it was quite firm. As a result, he didn't sleep well. The next morning I vowed to make him a new pillow to leave at our house.

I decided to try to make this pillow using only my stash. I didn't quite make it. I was out of fusible webbing, and while I was at the fabric store I decided that rickrack would be a good addition. Other than that, I had everything on hand. The fabric for the pillow actually comes from an old pair of fleece pajamas that never fit right, but is nice and cozy.

The little dragon appliqué is inspired by Dracen's name. It is an English name that means dragon. I looked online for pictures of sleeping dragons and free-handed a cartoon dragon that appealed to me. My version is simpler than the online dragon, but perfect for machine embroidery.

I am not a great machine embroider, but this actually worked pretty well without a lot of heartache. I'm pleased at how it turned out. A few hand embroidered details and, in about an hour, I had the first home made Christmas gift of the year!

 

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Pennants in the garden

We've been working hard on our garden, learning the ropes of what it takes to make a high yield organic garden produce to its maximum extent. We're still trying to figure out what grows best with what and how to keep our plants from bolting, but we have a bumper crop of tomatoes. While I was in Colorado, I was missing the garden and decided that we needed some colorful pennants to celebrate all of our hard work. Mine are simplified from the ones I made Dad last year. Instead of embroidering them and finishing the seams, I just used pinked triangles sewn together back to back and strung on twine. But don't they look festive? I've been home for a week and a half, but guests, rain, and work kept me from stringing them up until today. I think that they look pretty good--and so did the hummingbird who came along to admire them right after I finished! Next year I'll make a few more to decorate the expanded garden section behind the garage.

 

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Happy Birthday Dracen

Today is our grandson's second birthday! I'm a lucky grandma--falling into the role a few years after I married my husband. I've got all the fun of being a grandparent and none of the pain of raising my own children. Unfortunately, May is my Colorado month, so I wasn't home for his party yesterday. He did not go without a homemade gift, however. I was thinking ahead this Spring. I made his present in March and brought it home in my suitcase in April.

I hope that this car caddy is useful. Dracen's car seat will be turning around to face front soon and I have my fingers crossed that he will be able to reach books and bottles in the caddy. The bad thing about never having been a mother is that I am really not sure about the abilities and usefulness of this type of thing for kids and mothers. I made a caddy for my nephew when he was little, but I don't know how it faired--my sister never told me and she lives in yet a third state, so I don't see him often. It may not be the most exciting present, but I think that two year olds have short attention spans, so maybe useful is as good as fun. Besides, he has two other grandmas who are all about fun! This little boy is very blessed to have so many people loving him.

 

 

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Tea for four

For Christmas my husband gave me a gift certificate for four for tea at a local tea shop. I immediately began organizing my tea for February. I secured the date with my girlfriends and then sent hand written invitations. Immediately these women, most who have met each other, but don't know each other well, began discussing the dress code. Should we wear dresses? Hats? Gloves? Full Victorian gear? It got a little out of hand! I wound up telling everyone that they could get as dressed up or not as they wished and that no one should think hats or gloves were necessary.

Now I love hats. I've got a closet full that I hardly wear because if you wear a hat indoors nowadays, people laugh at you. They do--it has happened to me! But in looking at my wardrobe, I discovered I only had one hat that was appropriate for a tea party, and it was from the 50s and not very flattering on me--especially since I cut my hair short this fall.

After a few hours of searching online for an appropriate hat, I stumbled on a hat pattern on Craftsy that I thought would work. I downloaded the pattern, and voila, a new hat!

My adorable new hat was designed by Wendy Talene of Elsewhen Millinery. You can buy the pattern on either Craftsy or at her Etsy shop. If you aren't a sewer, you can buy her ready made creations from Etsy as well.

The pattern was remarkably easy to follow and I am thrilled with the result. The only thing I changed was that for the interior hat band, I used twill tape rather than preparing my own fabric strip. Attaching the tape was the only difficult part of the project. Mine is a bit wonky, so it is good that it is inside the hat. When I make another, and I will, I will top stitch the body around the brim and then attach the hat band by hand. I may also shorten the body panels slightly by taking out the seam allowance. I am only doing this because I don't have a lot of hair now. If I still had longer hair, it would fit perfectly as designed.

I was especially proud of my top stitching on this hat. It came out perfectly. Unfortunately, the brim is a little off kilter. Not much, but enough for me to notice. Even so, I've gotten a lot of complements. When I try another, I am thinking of using the fake fur craft felt. It looks a little like the curly wool used in the 20s and 30s and has the consistency to hold up nicely. I hope it looks good! I'd use that wool if I knew what it was called and where to find it, but I'm not sure that my sewing machine can get through that many layers.

Yesterday was our tea party. Here we all are at Fancy That in Walpole, MA enjoying ourselves while it snows outside. The piece of resistance was not the antique china or the fantastic food, but the bell that we were given to call our host--the owner's husband--whenever we needed anything. My girlfriends LOVED that!

In all, a perfect afternoon and a very good excuse for a new hat!

 

 

 

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The Christmas present that wasn't

The weekend before Thanksgiving I was sewing away like crazy trying to finish a few last minute gifts. One of these gifts was an iPad case for my husband. I got the pattern off of Craftsy and was excited to be able to sew the case without calculating my own measurements. Roger previously had a case--one of those super duper full enclosure cases that keep your electronics safe from spills and drops. Recently though, the case he had began turning the sound up and down by itself and preventing him from using the touch screen. So the case came off, and my anxiety went up. He likes to carry it on road trips and stuffing it in the car caddy without a cover sounded like a recipe for disaster to me.

I bought some nice soft suiting and went to work. Despite working from a pattern, the pieces didn't fit perfectly and the lining wrinkled. Plus I didn't trim the seams nearly enough, so when I got back to Rhode Island and fit the iPad into the case for the first time, I was dismayed to see that the flap didn't close all the way. I decided it wasn't Christmas gift worthy after all and would need to treat this one as a mock up.

Sine we were leaving for western New York for the Thanksgiving holiday the next day, I left the iPad in the case and put it out for him to find as we packed. I didn't want it to get all scratched up during the road trip after all.

But, it turned out that my husband LOVED it and was disappointed I hadn't waited until Christmas to give it to him. Plus, after some use, the lining is sitting better and the fabric has stretched and molds better around the iPad. I'm still not pleased with it, but it does its job and I am grateful for that. At least I know the iPad is safe until I make another case. Roger has already told me what improvements he would like to see in the new case, so I'll be working on that this month!

 

 

 

 

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A few finished projects

While I've been in Denver, I've taken advantage of being near my sewing machine to finish up a few projects.

 

First, I did as I promised and turned my crazy quilt patch into a purse. It is more of a prototype than a professional project. I didn't think it through from beginning to end, so there are quite a few things I would do differently. Most importantly, the narrow sides should have been made of one piece. If I had had my edging book with me, I could have looked up how to make a neat fit around the corners, but the book is back in Rhode Island. Instead, I struggled with piecing each side and it isn't all that neat. I also should have made a facing with a snap closure and made my interior pocket smaller. But live and learn. It isn't something I would give as a gift, but I am enjoying using it.

 

Two weeks ago, I also mentioned bringing home some fabric for a skirt. Here is the almost finished product. I may need to take out a little fullness and adjust the elastic to get a better fit.

 

Finally, remember the embroidered North Woods panels I did last winter? One of them disappeared when I moved some of my things home in May. I expect I will find it sometime. But the other one in sewn up and will be my brother-in-law's Christmas present this year. Unlike my purse, this turned out exactly as I planned. It will look great in their Adirondack cabin!

 

 

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Needlework fiction--The Time In Between

The Time In Between Maria Duenas (2009)

Also published under the title of The Seamstress

**** 4/5 stars Check out GoodReads for more reviews of this novel.

 

This book transported me to a time and place I had never before visited in historical fiction and makes me want to travel there again. It is 1935 and a young Spanish seamstress makes the bad choice to abandon her fiancé and her country for rouge who steels her heart and fortune. Stranded in the Spanish protectorate of Morocco while her country is plunged into civil war, she makes the best of it and in the process makes the choice to work for what she believes is right even though it leads her back to war torn Europe.

 

This story is straightforward, but layered with growth, self realization, and possibilities—not to mention extremely interesting places and people--that make it engrossing. I was seduced because of the haute couture angle. The. Loathing descriptions are breathtaking. Not realizing what was to come next, I found myself a little confused when the book took a radical turn into politics about half way through, but I was quickly seduced again. I liked the fact that the story kept me asking questions: What if she made this choice or that choice? What choice would I make? Who is a person down deep? How does one tell? How does one make a new start? And where does resilience come from? Fifty pages from the end of this 600 page book I was asking my husband how it might end. I had no idea.

 

There were a few flaws, but I think they are minor. 1. Not everyone is going to like the protagonist and her interesting form of passivity and innocence coupled with action. If you don’t like her, you will never get through the book. 2. There are several places where the author builds up to a meeting with people Sira is expecting, but the reader is left in the dark for a few extra beats. I found it annoying. Although it heightened the anticipation, it was a cheap trick. Since it only lasted a sentence or two, it was easily forgiven. 3. Many may not like the ending, although I didn’t have a problem with it. After reading the author’s essay on her historical sources, it was clear what her intention was for the book. What may have happened after the ending simply wasn’t of interest to her. It was a bit abrupt, but I was satisfied. I think I almost like the fact that I was left still asking questions.

 

Finally, I loved reading a book not by an American, British, or South/Central American author. Reading contemporary Spanish literature is a real twist for me and I am so happy that I took a risk on this book.

 

Resources about places and things in this novel

Here is Publisher's Weekly's review.

 

I didn't know anything about the Spanish zone in Morocco. If you are like me, here is a short history.

 

This Pinterest site has a plethora of photos of beautiful vintage dresses like the ones Sira would have made.

 

This fantastic novel is a smash hit tv series in Spain and came via Hulu to America this summer. You can find a review here. I, for one, am looking forward to watching.

 

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Strong, smart, bold

It was August 2000. I was in between full time jobs and trying to cobble together employment before the new graduate school year started, when I heard about an opportunity to pilot a two-week program in archaeology called Girls Dig It! with Girls Inc. in Lynn, Massachusetts. It was a fantastic experience. The girls were interested and willing to learn. We played games and put together pottery, had lessons in mapping, math and artifact identification. In between, the social workers who supported the class kept the girls alert and engaged. They knew when a break was needed and how to get the girls to talk. I had a great time. But I couldn't forget where these girls were coming from. Lynn is a rough city. One day I overheard two of the girls talking. On their way home from the program the day before, they had turned a corner and run into a man pulling a gun on another man. No shots were fired, but the girls were scared. Even the next day they were still terrified. They had an experience unlike anything I had ever imagined and I felt grateful for the work Girls Inc. and their fantastic social workers were doing to keep these teens safe and supported in a difficult world.

 

That experience lead me to become a Big Sister with the Big Sister Association of Boston a few years later. I met my "Little" when she was 11 years old. Vivian is now 2 years out of college and looking at graduate school. She is a fantastic, motivated young woman and I am glad to be part of her life.

 

When I moved to Denver five years ago, I inquired at Big Sisters for volunteer opportunities, but my back and forth schedule made it impossible to commit to regular volunteering.

 

So, I was excited when I looked on the Girls Inc. of Denver website last month and saw "bean bags" on their wish list. I contacted them and was told that the social workers use the bags for a number of different games and activities. They usually use about six bags at a time and the bags are six-inches square. They needed a dozen. I volunteered.

 

I wanted to make the bags special, so I thought about embroidering the Girls Inc. logo on them, but 12 logos seemed daunting.

Then I remembered their motto: "Inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold." Here's what I ended up making: six patterned bags and two bags each embroidered with "smart", "strong", or "bold". I expect that the social workers will be able to do some interesting things with them. For example, the girls could stand in a circle and toss the bags. Whoever winds up with an embroidered bag could then state why they are strong, smart or bold. Or if the girls know each other, they could say why the person they are tossing the bag to is strong, smart, or bold. I hope it works well for them.

To make the bags easy to keep track of, I also made two carrying cases. The tutorial for these cases came from Truly Myrtle. It is a fantastic tutorial, because it provides instructions on figuring out dimensions to make whatever size boxy bag you may need. I followed the instructions and, as you can see, the bean bags fit perfectly.

I'm so glad I looked on their website. I'll have to keep checking in with my favorite charities to see how I can contribute in the future. In the meantime, may all girls get the support that they need to be strong, smart, and bold.

 

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Housework

There was no blog post last weekend because despite the progress my husband and I made on our house, we didn't finish anything until this weekend. We had a concerted burst of energy Friday and Saturday and were able to accomplish a lot before I left for Denver Sunday morning. Unfortunately, because of all the work on the house, I did almost no embroidery. Here is what we did accomplish.

 

First, we changed out the curtains in the kitchen. Here is a before shot from the previous owners. They had a nice country/farmhouse style, but unfortunately, we just aren't county.

I did not make the new curtains in the after shot, but I did have to shorten them and my husband had to hang all new hardware, so I count this as a win. It has brightened up our kitchen tremendously.

 

Then upstairs. The before shot again comes from the previous owners.

 

We were using the room as an office and a place to store unpacked boxes. Now it is our new guest room/office/craft room. It is difficult to make a room do triple duty, but with the recent addition of a sleeper sofa I think we did pretty well. The pictures need to be hung before our first guests arrive at the end of September and eventually we will paint, but it is a cosy, yet uncrowded room. The curtains were here when we moved in, but I think they are staying because they go with the new furniture perfectly.

My favorite addition is the Ikea storage unit we built in the closet. I still need to get baskets to contain my fabric and yarn stashes, but I can put my hands on everything easily now. Lest you think that the photo shows my entire stash, know that I also have fabric stored in the dresser and have a considerable amount in Denver as well!

Finally, we are almost done with our showcase room. Roger needs to put up some chair rails and we have one wall yet to paint, but we are very close to finishing our Victorian Safari dining room.

 

Here is our predecessor's country look. Pretty.

 

And here is our safari theme. As you can see, I finally finished the valances and Roger hung them. The sheers come from Ikea--as did the palms! I even was able to make a runner from left over fabric to cover the side table that my grandfather built. It turned out even better than we hoped.

 

The next task will be to wallpaper the stairs and paint the upstairs and downstairs hall. I'll need to make new curtains when we do that. I guess I better start thinking about what they should look like!

 

I never knew it took so much effort to decorate a house! But we are both pleased with the results.

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Needlework Fiction--The Day the Falls Stood Still

The Day the Falls Stood Still Cathy Marie Buchanan (2009)

*** 3/5 stars Check out GoodReads for more reviews of this novel

 

Set on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls at the beginning of World War I this novel follows a love story between middle class Bess and riverman Tom Cole. But it isn't a simple love story. Themes of industrialization, conservation, and integrity run throughout as the couple struggle with making a new life in a changing world. After her parents' fortune take a turn for the worse, Bess is left to pick up the pieces of their lives and apprentice as seamstress. Her paramours is the grandson of Niagara Falls' most beloved riverman--the man who arrived in town the day the falls stood still. Tom Cole inherited his grandfather's fame and knowledge of the Niagara River, but his business is a mixed blessing. Tom is based on real riverman and dare devil William (Red) Hill, whose exploits delighted the local population. But from Bess's vantage point, Tom's obsession with the river is often incomprehensible. Set at the height of the industrialization of the falls, the novel explores Niagara history, but also how industrialization threatened the river. This novel is not about needlework, but needlework is prominently featured. There are fascinating descriptions of garment construction, changes in fashion and how the livelihood of seamstresses changed as a result of industrialization that should captivate anyone who enjoys sewing.

 

Resources about places and people featured in the novel

Cathy Marie Buchanan's web site has a wealth of information on Niagara Falls and its history, including an interactive map of the Falls.

 

The real ice bridge disaster is fictionalized in the novel.

 

The story of William (Red) Hill , who inspired the character of Tom Cole, is fascinating.

 

I imagine Bess's sister's wedding dress looked much like this!

 

 

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