Gone To Earth

Neighbours, bumblebees and chocolate......

I have a lovely neighbour who lives at the bottom of the drive. That sounds a little grand but it's just the way the houses are offset. Most weeks when the re-cycling has been collected she returns the various boxes to my front door. I return the favour when I can but she's definately ahead in the 'return the boxes' stakes. I caught her in the act yesterday and went out to thank her. We chatted as you do. 'Oh, she said you're bit of a hippy.' 'Am I?' (Should I be offended? Actually it made me smile.) 'Yes' she said 'Just look at what you've got growing in your front garden.' I turn around curious about what has crept into the garden that has earned me such a title. 'Those are drugs you know!' Points determindly at the garden... 'Arhhhh!' Now I understand.... It was these,

Echinacea purpura

She continued.. 'I take them every winter you know - I swear that's why I never get a cold!' I wouldn't have a clue what would you would have to do these plants to benefit from them? and she carries on.... "I've been showing them to people when they visit us.' (!?) Do they extract an oil from the plant to make medicine or ... ? I really have no idea. I just grow them because they fascinate me. When the flowers form they have quite flat centres and then as the flower itself ages a 'cone' grows upwards. (Is that why they're called cone flowers? Duh!)

They look all soft but they're got they've really got quite a spiky feel.

It's confession time. I really grow them because the bumblebees absolutely adore them and I adore bunblebees. It's no secret! I don't care who knows. I just love they way they well 'bumble' between flowers sometimes you could believe that they were quite drunk. I love their fat, round fluffiness and to hear them when you're out and about. On the echinacea plants you quite often find them seemingly asleep. Lovely little creatures.

She knows more about me than you do however and for her this 'making stuff', growing herbs and strange plants in my front garden and then this .......

... she'd found an empty wrapper in the re-cycling box...... oh dear! It's only a little indulgence. See, you have to be careful about what you throw away people use it form opinions about you. You get labelled as a 'hippy'. (I'm sorry that's just so funny.) I'd better stay away from the next village meeting in case she has me burned for a witch. She hasn't seen what's growing in the back garden.....

This weeks mystery photo (there probably won't be one next week) is this

Whatever was he doing?

and from this;

I now have 'Permission to'......

.....Investigate. That might help me with the bag tutorial I suppose (It's taking ages, as usual.) ..... think I'd rather have had the ... 'Wish'..... perhaps tomorrow!

and one last picture of pure, floaty pinkiness (just indulge me a little more.. pretty please!)

Simply gorgeous ....

Things to finish...

Today I'm sitting with slightly singed fingers and injured dignity/pride/self confidence that sort of thing from a little exploration of selling my bits and pieces through a local shop. I'll just steam away quietly .... doesn't seem a positive way to start a Friday before a bank holiday does it? Best do something. I know I'll get on with some sewing. Just look at what needs finishing....

This is one of those work in progress things(WIP's). This one speaks for itself. It's a quilt top, log cabin (you knew that didn't you) and I'm absolutely in love with the way the colours have worked out. It's a bit of a departure from the normal designs I make but you have to try different things sometimes. It was quite therapeutic; cutting out so many little bits, (Oh! the back ache.) stitching them all together (that needed a lot of organisation. ), to make the blocks. Stitching the blocks together to get to this.....

The decision and if you've any suggestions they just might help, is what to do with the borders? I can't decide whether to have one fairly wide border, 3 inches or so (sorry, I always think in inches when I'm quilting) of dark red and quilt into that. Or have two borders; a narrower dark blue one and a slightly wider dark red one. I'd love to see it finished...... it's making the decision that's hard.

Coming next is ......

,

'Apparently these blocks are called 'a flying geese variation!' I've used some Amy Butler fabrics and a gorgeous flowery blousy print designed by Kaffe Fassett and the spotty one from Anna Maria Horner All lovely Rowan fabrics!

It's quite bright isn't it? When I began these blocks of blousy floweryness, I was looking out at my garden. The resemblance is quite uncanny. (No! it isn't a magic garden that grows fabric, I'm referring to the colours.) Really though, I was experimenting with using large fabric designs. It intrigues me the number of different looks you can achieve from one fabric, just by the way you cut it out, isolate bits of pattern motifs creating something which is sometimes, brighter and more complex than the original fabric. That'll probably be a continued fascination/ exploration for me - I hope so.

It is quite LOUD, but I love it's brightness. I'm sure it won't end up being put in a cupboard to protect our eyes! What stands in the way of it's 'completeness' is that I need to decide whether or not to use the two sets of four blocks to make one cushion cover and button it through the centre? That centre square just cries out for something doesn't it? Or whether to applique a flower in the middle and make two cushion covers with an envelope back? (Two cushions is probably best, the children will be more fairly/equally armed for those cushion fights they swear they do not have! Like I believe them!)

My third sewing project on the go.... (or maybe it isn't quite.... is this.

Can you work out why it's quite brown...russet like.... bark cloth? No! Well, it's going to be, when I haul my sorry self back in front of the sewing machine an

Amy Butler messenger bag and it's for Mr Primrose. (He chose the fabric :)) He's getting a little wary and weary or those rucksack for laptop type things which shout 'Hello, I'm a laptop come steal me.....' and he wanted something quite ... well different. So, I'm about to begin stitching it together. It's like all of Amy's patterns lots of fantastically clear instructions, more unusually it has lots of pieces, heaps of them actually.

I'm going to use interlining instead of cotton canvas that is recommended on the pattern sleeve but I'm confident (!) that it'll support the bark cloth better. I'll report back how I get on - at the moment I can't quite fathom the pencil pocket but It'll probably become clearer when I start assembly.

Let me have your thoughts on the borders! Pretty please! Have a wonderful bank holiday weekend and may the sun shine bright!

... and the result was....

A spread of candy-like colour

If I said that dyeing fabric is easy and straighforward I'd probably be lying! If I claimed to have this dyeing obssession completely nailed I'd probably have my fingers crossed behind my back. How do people do this for a living? Do they age prematurely? There seems to be so many variables and so much unpredictability I mean what's a girl supposed to do?

I was using Procion dyes with a medium weave calico. It was PFD - (prepared for dyeing just in case you haven't encountered that term before) but I washed it anyway. I ironed it and I don't do that without there being a real need. Strangely, (I'd ironed it for goodness sake!) I twisted, folded and scrunched the squares because I wanted a little bit of patterning across the fabric.

It's such an exciting process all that anticipation.......

Red, yellow and blue dye baths(?) were straightforward because I was just using the neat colours. and I love the results. The yellow is lemon yellow.

It's not a colour I like very much and you can't see much patterning across the fabric but I wanted a yellow and this is it.

The blue and magenta red also worked well enough.

Magenta

Blue

... and look at these gorgeous threads!

One is a braided linen and the flatter looking yarn is a woven cotton.

I'm now thinking about getting myself a couching foot for my sewing machine just so that I can use them ......well pretty threads anyway! Advice is welcome.

Mixing...... oh boy! I was dyeing in plastic bags so I didn't add the cloth to the bag until I mixed the colour I wanted (Does that sound as if I'm in control ?) I tested the colour on kitchen towel and all looked good. This is the orange ......

This is a fine boucle linen yarn and the orange is just slightly darker on the 'lumpy' bits.

... and the orange threads. Pleased with these.

Here's my experiment with purple........

What do you think - more sort of raspberry coloured isn't it. Try number two. I think I'd call this purple

.... and look at these lovely marks. It's almost marbled with colour.

It was between the red, the raspberry and the purple that I suddently twigged that I needed to keep some notes because my little brain couldn't remember exactly what I'd put in the orignal mess mix (that was a bit Freudian!) after 24 hours had passed by.

With renewed scientific vigour I moved onto green surely this is just blue + yellow? Well... yes of course it is but just look at this!!!!

You can't even tell it has any colour unless you put it next to something very pale such as white. It's hard to believe there was any dye in the bag at all.

But look at this thread .... just look at it.

It's lovely. It's a twisted linen thread and it's taken on a beautifully delicate variegation. (See there was dye in that bag! How could you doubt me!)

Green number two - I resorted to tearing up old sheets (retired cot sheets - so hardly used) at this point. But the disppointment..... what colour would you call that apart from horrible?

It has a strange blue tinge and almost blobs of yellow on it - whatever went wrong? There's no way that it's green. Back to the drawing board.

Green was definately giving me the 'evilies' as my son would say. Green and I have definately had a bit of a row. We may never speak again. That won't work though I NEED green to get this activity done. Think.........

Next attempt...... smaller bag (from the Co-op this time. The Waitrose ones kept leaking. That's it I'll blame them for my lack of success.)

Same fabric, same basic chemicals, slightly adjusted colour mix, tiny drop of washing up liquid and a teaspoon of Calgon (We have very hard water here and I thought the washing up liquid might make the mixture actually mix. It bubbled interestingly anyway.). Tested it with the kitchen roll and it looked like a gorgeous emerald green the kind of green a leprechaun would be proud of and feel at home with.

And look......

It's not emerald green but it's pretty, sort of forest green in the early part of the year. (Increasing poetic descriptions = relief )

Now for a bit of space dyeing.....

Alchemy - well kind of

It's a beautiful, sunny day just the opportunity for a little bit of fabric dyeing.

Take a pile of white fabric, chopped up into fat quarters, plastic bags

.... and a heap of different yarns.

Step 1 - Turn the utility room into a laboratory

Step 2 - Mix up the dyes.

Handy jam jar collection and salvaged plastic box lids for trays. Notice the marks to aid accurate 'ingredient' measuring for the short sighted.

I need red, blue and yellow and I need to mix a green, orange and a purple. Deep breath, summon up courage and continue.

Step 3 - Measure out the dyes into the plastic bags. Test the colour on pieces of kitchen towel.

Should everything resemble 'brown'? Add a little bit of this and that. Question "Is that orange?, What d' you think?" .... "Are you sure that looks like purple?"

Step 4 - Add the salt, the soda ash and the water.

Step 5 - Mix (Wobble it around.) together in a plastic bag.

Step 6 - Add aforementioned fabric

Calico, quilters muslin and some silk. Some scrunched, some twisted up, some folded. (Why did I iron them first?)

Step 7 - Add the yarns

Linen boucle, cotton chenille and wool.

Now wait and wait annnnnd wait ........ twenty-four hours !!!!!! Really?

The blue bag leaked I don't believe it - re-bag the contents. Dangerous operation but I survived more or less clean.

Little bags of colourful promise!

I know I don't absolutely need to wait that long, but some do say you get better results if you do, so who am I to argue. Anyway, I'll wait patiently (yeah, right!) and see what happens.

Connect with your inner child.

A simple bag

I hate starting with an apology but the photo's seem a little dark (It's the torrential rain, you know.) even with all my manipultions in Lightroom. (I don't know much beyond the very basics I'm afraid.) Anyway, on this dark and dreary day, here is a simple tote bag made fron Amy Butler's home decor weight, Nigella fabric and a plain (I think you're supposed to call them solids.) black fabric with a subtle basketweave pattern.

Vital statistics

It's 12 inches wide, 1 1/2 inches wide, 14 inches tall and a 28 inch fabric handle.

It has a fabric handle (28 inches finished length), Nigella fabric on one side and the plain fabric on the other. It's stitched along it's length four times for added strength. It's also interlined with a medium weight interlining which was a little bit of overkill given the heavier weight of the nigella fabric. I think I'd use a lighter interlining next time, if I felt it needed any at all.

The handle is looped through a nickel o-ring and sewn down in rectangle to try and keep everything tidy and nice.

The bag is lined with a solid dark burgundy fabric with a divided slip pocket in the same fabric. The pocket is trimmed with the main Nigella fabric. It has a magnetic snap to add a little security and help keep everything tucked safely inside.

I made and then added some black piping to the top edge of the bag, I'm not sure that I'd do this again because I don't think it's adds anything much. Perhaps in a different colour it would have made more of an impact?

I've started adding a extra piece of interlining over the back of magnetic snaps I add to my bags. To explain; in a bag like this I add the magnetic snap to the lining. The lining will also have an interlining, so that's one piece of fabric ( the lining) plus the interlining. Through this I add the magnetic snap, then insert a further square of interlining over the prongs at the back and add the 'washer' part of the snap and fold the prongs inwards . (I know a lot of people like to fold the prongs outwards.) Over this, I sew a further square piece of interlining which covers the whole magnetic snap and protects the exterior fabric (the outside of your bag), which I also interline, from any wear and tear caused by the movement of the snap against the bag fabric. It's a lot more complicted to explain than to do.

Why do I do this? Well.... it's because I lost a much loved bag to constant use - the magnetic snap constantly pulling and rubbing against the fabric began to wear it away when the rest of the bag was fine. Sad....... so very sad.

Any tips, hints, suggestions for taking photo's of bags (better than this anyway!)?

...and it grew and it grew...

This

grew... and grew.... until it became

this. A knitted wire bracelet.

I've never knitted wire before and I was surprised how straight forward it was. (I know, it's probably the simplest thing you could make but I like to start at the beginning. What does that say about me? )

O.K., I admit it, it wasn't that easy. There was the threading and generally spreading around the floor of the beads. (Have I ever mentioned how clumsy I can be?) Then there was the actual knitting of the wire. This was more a process of adjustment really, with yarn you develop a way of maintaining a tension in your work don't you. Well, this is no different except of course there is no stretch in the wire so if you pull the wire too snugly around your needles then on the next row there is absolutely no way you can either insert the needle or move the wire through the stitch. It wasn't a tough learning curve though. On the positive side you can manipulate the wire into shape, a kind of wire equivalent of blocking I suppose. The whole process of making it was a lot fun. The type of project that you can't quite put down because you just have to see what happens next.

I thought that knitted wire would be stiff, tough, snag your clothes and generally just not be that nice but it's actually quite soft, (bit bumpy with the beads, but hey what do you expect) nothing like I imagined. Having made this my mind is full of imagining what else I could make. All I need is more time but it's the summer holidays bless 'em and they're beginning to get fed up with each other. Oh dear! Trouble brewing, must think of some major diversion.. but later when I've written this.

Back to the bracelet. I'd read somewhere that knitting or crocheting wire can be very rough on the hands but I didn't find this. Perhaps, the more modern craft wires have evolved into something more friendly... Anyway, it was fun to do and as you can see it's very, very sparkly.

Now, I need to get on with some sewing..

A departure..

I wonder what this will be when it grows up......

It's a tricky customer but fun......and very, very sparkly. Can you guess?