Lettergirl

Recycled Friday.

This week's recycled project is a purchased jacket embellished with little hand-stitched squares. Each square is a bit different -- with applique or beads. I made a stash of squares, laid them out on the jacket, took a photo for reference, and then stitched them on.  (I think of this one as my "Lord of the Rings jacket" because I made this while we watched the extended version one winter. I've seen it enough times that I knew when to stop stitching & look up, and when I could just listen!)

 
The style of the jacket is a bit boxy, so I don't wear it all that often.  But I think it could keep me cozy while I'm working, and I am still trying to wear something I've made everyday (though some days I just plain forget).

My first newsletter went out on Wednesday; if you didn't receive it, check your spam folder or email me & I'll get another sent your way.  It was so much fun to put together.  I'd love to hear how you used the free mailing label download!

This morning I'm off to learn about nuno-felting.  Thanks Marjorie!

Recycled Friday.

 
One pair of boots on clearance + embroidery floss = style.  (I drew the design on with a silver gel pen, any spare bits washed right off.)

 

In process.

One of my goals in the mentoring program is to handsew a larger scale piece, in a similar method to the way I created the skirt.  Ultimately I'd like to sew an entire quilt by hand (and actually use it), but I'm starting with a -- more manageable -- table runner.

My original idea was to use blue-greens and greys, and with that in mind I feverishly dyed a stack of old t-shirts, with  mixed results.  Meanwhile, I happened to have a stack of miscellaneous bits of red and grey sitting on a chair in my studio.  I walked past it for the twentieth time before I realized I could work with reds instead of blue-greens.

My first step was to sketch out my idea, then I cut swatches of my fabrics -- some hand-dyed, some old t-shirts, some new -- and stuck them onto my design board:

 
I made another draft out of paper scraps so I could write on it (with grey, white, and red, to mimic the applique & reverse applique techniques I'll be using):

 
 
That step also allowed me to start painting right away.  Since each section is small, it's also portable.

 
 
 
 

I'm attempting to balance the colors, the lettering styles, the texture -- all while keeping it simple (but not too simple) and allowing the poem itself to shine.  I can see already that I may end up choosing to redo a section or two, as I won't really know how they all fit together until I'm pretty far along.  Hopefully I'll have more complete photos to share in a few weeks!

Recycled Friday.

 
Remember the circles on last Friday's project?   I used a strip of the same t-shirt and pile of green buttons to make this cuff.  (It's not attached to the sweater.)  In my attempt to wear something handmade everyday, this has already become a go-to staple.

Thank you for modeling this one for me in your gorgeous house, Jhna!

Recycled Friday.

 
This is one of my first hand-stitched projects, completed in Fall of 2008.  The bodice & sleeves are from a Textile Studio pattern, one with just a front, back, and raglan sleeve -- so easy to manipulate that I've probably made half a dozen garments based on that one pattern.  I added the flared cuff and embellished them with circles cut out of an old t-shirt.  I learned a good lesson about the weight of knits with this project, as the t-shirt I used was fairly lightweight and about 1/3 of the circles came off (partially or completely) in the wash.  It won't take long to redo them, with deeper stitches, but for now it's getting nice & cozy in the mending pile.

Draping, and then some.

Remember in January, when I shared that I had joined a mentoring program at the Textile Center?  It occurs to me now, I haven't said much more about it.  We've had a couple of large group meetings, I've been meeting one-on-one with my mentor, and the proteges have been teaching each other as well.  At the end of last week, I got to spend two glorious days devoted to draping -- learning to use a dress form to create patterns in three dimensions (as opposed to flat patterning, which is what I've done my whole life). 

 
I had a lot on my plate going into it, didn't really give it much thought other than that draping was something I should learn.  I don't know that I ever thought it consciously, but I guess I assumed it would be a bit tedious.  So I don't say those days were glorious lightly. 

 
I learned how to fit a rectangular piece of muslin onto a dress form to create a bodice.  I learned to take that muslin and make it into a paper pattern.  I learned to drape from scratch, with only fabric and ideas in hand (whether the idea is a picture in your head or one torn from a magazine).  I learned to use a dress form like a three-dimensional design wall.  I learned why sleeve patterns are that particular shape.  I learned the best way to make a pattern from an existing garment.  I learned to pin a piece in-progress onto the form, stand back & make adjustments...or change my mind...or just admire.  I learned that all of it was fun.

 
And more than that, a community was formed, if only for a couple of days, with other like-minded artists.  Years ago, I visited the studio of our instructor, Anna Carlson, during an art crawl in St. Paul.  I've often thought that was the first seed planted in my brain about wearable art.  So it was a pleasure to meet her, and learn about the transitions in her own career.  (After years in fashion design, she's working on an MFA in graphic design.  Isn't that fabulous?  I love stories of reinvention.)

 
Linda, another participant, commented that she has challenged herself to wear something every day that she has made herself -- whether a piece of jewelry, a scarf, or a garment -- as a means of being confident in her own self-expression.  I kept dwelling on that idea all morning until I realized that I have been waiting to achieve a critical mass of handmade garments before I make them a part of my daily life. I was drawn to hand-stitching in the first place because everything about it seemed a perfect match for me -- comfortable, easy to care for, expressive, flattering, sustainable, portable, meditative.  But I've also been stockpiling, building up a wardrobe, waiting for the day when my closet is full of my own handmade things and little else.  Guess what?  I don't really have to wait.  I could start today.

Recycled Friday.

 
This bag is one of the rare projects I've made right from the pattern -- it was in a Kaffe Fassett book I checked out of the library.  (He's written a lot of them, and unfortunately, I can't remember which book it was in!)  All the ovals are hand-appliqued onto the background; I used scraps from Forest's quilt and did a lot of the stitching while Juliet was in dance class.  The back of the bag is solid, and the inside is a fun Heather Bailey print with a pocket.  (A pencap slipped off while inside this bag so there is a big ink stain near the bottom of the lining...typical for me.  I'm so very thankful it didn't leak through to the outside!)

 

Recycled Friday.

Friday (and a grey, misty one at that) seems like the perfect day to reacquaint myself with some of the projects hanging in my closet.  Today, a skirt, which I sewed by machine and then embroidered by hand a few years ago.  It's made from a two-way-stretch knit, and I had just enough left over to make a fitted tank to wear with it.  (I'll try to snap a photo of that before next Friday).

 
 

Love at first sight.

 

First thing after getting my new iphone was to make a home for her.  This little sleeve is made from cotton jersey scraps and I can easily see through the single-layer "g" on the front to see if the screen is on.  I'm going to test run the design for awhile, and then I'm considering adding these to my etsy shop. 

Since I'm new to the whole smartphone culture (I tried a droid last spring and it wasn't a good fit), I'm hoping you'll divulge all your tips and tricks with me:  What's your favorite app?  Have any smartphone guilty pleasures?  Since I'm still infatuated, I'd prefer to know what you love about your phone (rather than what it doesn't do).

 
 

 

3 studies.

 
 
 
Learning to use fiber reactive dyes in January, combined with my continued obsession with using knits has really informed -- and energized -- my textile work lately.  I've begun making little studies (about 8x10) to explore some of my ideas before I commit to larger projects.

And don't forget the giveaway ends Sunday night!