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Friday 30 December 2011

Learn And Re-Learn

The holidays are almost over. We have a few more plans for today and tomorrow and then life will return to normal. I love the start of the new year, so full of possibility and promise. Being as goal oriented as I am - naturally - I have goals for next year only I'll save those for another posting and use this one to share some of the things that I learned, or re-learned, in 2011.




Although you've seen it a few times recently, other than black t-shirts, my most worn garment of 2011 has been the Vogue 8499 skirt. It's fun to wear, unique in shape, comfortable, and garners constant compliments especially when combined with the right accessories. Fun, unique, and comfortable are key words for the clothes that I enjoy. A realization this year is that I over-fit my garments and would do better if I choose shapes that appeared fitted and allowed me room to breath and fluctuate like this skirt. Flattering - but not old lady - elastic waists are part of that scenario.




Even though I absolutely love color, I wear a lot of black and, if not black, other medium to dark colors like navy and denim. When I sew something more colorful, the garment is likely to go with black like the earlier skirt or these Burda 7400 pants, both of which I wear at least once a week. The denim version of the skirt that was sewn recently has already gotten a good wear-out. I used to think that it was my years of working from home in jeans and a black t-shirt that created my color preferences only now, after several years back fashion sewing with the plenty of potential for change and little progress, I've come to the conclusion that I prefer dark clothing, simple lines, and quirky details and that's good because...





... one of the best decisions I've made this year is a recent one - to pick a path, (jewelry design) walk in that direction, and let God enable. The jewelry I love is typically big and gaudy and looks great against black clothing like the favourite piece above bought in May.




Wearing my own jewelry and seeing how people react to it is going to be my marketing program. It's a win-win plan. I may need to sew new garments to go with each piece or at least that can be my excuse and what fun that would be.

I still haven't opened a package of clay and that's okay. I will as soon as the holidays are over and there is time to play. It will take time and experimenting, failure and success, to learn about polymer clay and even so this feels like exactly the right choice at exactly the right time. This is the first time ever that I will intensely study a new medium since choosing fabric. That's hugely energizing. How absolutely positive I feel having made this decision is hard to explain but it reminds me of how important it is to me to always be learning and growing and to have a sense of purpose and direction. My two and a half years of wandering around lost were quite difficult. I don't know where I'm going with this business but I know it's forward and that's good and enough.

For all of you who thought the pasta maker was for cooking, I should have re-mentioned that I'd asked for it to condition clay. LOL - my family knows better than to buy me a kitchen appliance for Christmas.




Blouses and I do not get along. I've sewn five this past year and they hang in the closet unworn even though I have - for the most part - conquered the sizing and fit. It's possible that I'll like a blouse sewn from a knit fabric and I may try that but otherwise...




... I'll stick with knit tops - of which I need more - especially in a quality black knit - and with some interesting lines - like Marcy Tilton's Vogue 8582 pattern.

Once again this year I have concluded that my preference is for clean lines, an interesting mix of fabrics, and gourmet details. In June 2012, I'll be studying with Marcy Tilton in Oregon and will have a chance to learn from someone who has an amazing ability to mix texture and design. I'm really looking forward to the workshop. This past February, I took a workshop with Ron Collins otherwise 2011 was devoid of workshops, something I really missed. Books and blogs are fabulous and even so  I need to get out of the studio, mix with other women who love what I love, and stretch my abilities.

One take away from my time at Fabricland was how small of a world some women have created for themselves. While I worked there, the store moved from one section of town to another. The distance was the same for me - thirteen minutes - but for some people it extended their drive to about twenty minutes. There was not one but many women who came into the store and said something along the lines of they would only be coming once a year now that we'd moved because it was too far to go and yet when I asked them where they lived, it was simply across town. Many needed their husband to drive them that far.

This is not a big town. It doesn't take more than twenty-five minutes in "heavy" traffic to get anywhere. That some women have not left their neighbourhood, or do not travel a twenty minute drive more than once a year, or have not been in the Fabricland area of town in over twenty years, or need someone else to drive them, astounded me. I'm so grateful that I am able to drive hours, out of town, to another province, even to another country and state, by myself, without a friend or a husband. I think it's vitally important to being all that I can be and I plan to keep right on practicing. I do not want to live in a small world.

Another take away is that I like being in business for myself rather than working for someone else. To that end, it's important to reach but not too far and to aim but not too high nor too low, and to walk forward in small but stretching steps with expectation. I'm glad that I stopped attempting to wait patiently and have started waiting in expectation with the business and with moving. We've packed even more boxes and have taken down the cupboards from my studio and Howard's office. They're ready to move. They're ready for a new studio and new adventures and so am I.

That's some of what I learned this year. How about you? What did you learn that really resonated? How will that discovery change 2012 for you?

HAPPY NEW YEAR - talk soon - Myrna

Grateful
- to end the year on a positive note

Monday 26 December 2011

The Pasta Machine

Our Christmas Day was lovely - peaceful, co-operative, and filled with fun, food, and laughter. It's the first time in twenty-five years that Howard and I have woken up in a childless house and that was a bit strange but not horribly so. We had coffee together, talked, went for a walk, read, knit, and moved slow until our sons arrived around ten. After that, we spent the day doing the things that we normally do. They stayed until seven that night by which time four introverts had had enough together time - LOL - and were ready to go to their corners. Our daughter and son-in-law weren't here but thankfully we had several phone calls throughout the day which is good and they'll be here tomorrow and that's even better.




GarnStudio.com is a fabulous site for free knitting patterns. I started the one above - Drops 110-28 - a few days ago using the re-balled black and hand-dyed yarn mix only mine is different, of course. I don't ever seem to knit anything exactly like the pattern. Instead of the berry stitch, I'm using a seed stitch for the main body. It's equally textured, knits up to the same stitch count, and is less involved making is much easier to stitch while knitting in a group. Since I mostly knit at knit night, that's an important factor.

The pattern requires casting on a specific number of stitches, knitting the main body, and then picking up the exact same number of stitches to knit the ribbed edging. It would make more sense to use a provisional cast on for that edge - which is what I did - over a cable - using the second method demonstrated in this video with Eunny Jang from Knitting Daily.




After three rows of garter stitch, the stitch count is decreased by 24. The instructions say to decrease every fifth and sixth stitch by which they mean eliminate stitch 5, 11, 16, 22 and so on only when you're knitting, you count to five, stitch two together, count to six, stitch two together and so on which shuffles the decreases toward the end meaning that when you get there you haven't decreased nearly enough. I used twenty-four stitch markers to spread the decreases evenly rather than try to count and add at the same time. It works with way less frustration.

All the gifts I received this year celebrated my individuality or creativity in some way. I haven't opened the one from our daughter and son-in-law yet. It's coming on Wednesday. However, she told me they had a really fun time picking out all sorts of interesting things for me that are - I believe - to do with working with polymer clay. Howard's gifts also had to do with making things as did Kyle's and Aryck's was a silky scarf in me colors and a coffee card. I drink a LOT of coffee. I really appreciated that they worked hard to find things that were me. That in itself - that the gift matches the person - means a lot. IMHO it's a critical element of gift giving.




Howard bought me a pasta maker with nine different thickness settings that can be motorized if desired. Possibly. It depends how things go. So far, I've only looked at the machine, figured out how to operate it, and watched some how to videos. We're quite busy over the next few days so I'm waiting until after the holidays to get started. I prefer time and space and quiet when I'm attempting to learn something new PLUS... there are still a few supplies to get before I can start, like clay.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a lovely Christmas Day

Friday 23 December 2011

Surprisingly On Trend

Once the shawl was far enough along to see how it looked, I added cable extenders, stretched it out, and wrapped it around Millicent. It didn't look so great. On the off chance that this would be the time I came out ahead, I wrapped it around me and... not... neither sophisticated nor elegant. The triangle shape wasn't long enough to throw over the shoulder and stay and by the time it would be long enough, the point would be far too long. As you can see...




...it's back in ball. I'm frequently teased for my propensity for ripping out knitting projects although I'm not sure why - LOL - as it's certainly one way to amuse yourself for cheap. I'm in good company.




Costco is selling this skirt for $18.99 which I won't say is less expensive than sewing it since most of my fabric is bought inexpensive HOWEVER, it's a price worth paying especially as it's neatly sewn and has a wonderful hand. Yesterday....




... while I was digging in the stash, I came across this check fabric. I'm not a person who pays a tremendous amount of attention to what's in style which makes me surprisingly on trend. The fabric is virtually...




... identical. It's basically a dye lot difference. It's a rayon, polyester, spandex blend with a soft almost flannel finish. Very drapey. Flattering. The waistband is...




... a wide, smooth, elastic. The casing is sewn on. As easy as it is to fold down and stitch in place an elastic casing, that method doesn't work the best for my figure. The back of the skirt will ride up and the front drag down. Waistbands and I have a history what with my tipped waist and fluctuating waist size. After trying this and that way of working, my conclusion is that an elastic waistband that's snuggly fitted with a zipper that allows the waist size to be smaller than the hip size gives me the best fit. If there's an elastic casing...




... sewn on is best with the zipper coming to the top of the elastic as it does with the black and white version of the V8499 skirt. Just yesterday, I was reading on one blog about needing a wider elastic because the width of the one used wasn't strong enough to support the weight of the fabric. That's a concept I had never come across. I typically use a narrower elastic because I'm extremely short waisted with barely time to indent between the bottom of my rib cage and the top of my hips BUT THEN...




... last night when I was attempting another version of the Tablecloth Skirt, I found exactly that. This fabric is a lightweight, rayon challis and even still the combined weight was stretching out the elastic which in this case isn't going to be a problem because the resulting skirt - even though I actually paid attention to the paisley print this time - isn't appealing. I'd planned to wear it to coffee with a friend this morning and instead wore...




... the bell shaped blob for the second day in a row. I WAS WRONG - highlighted for those of my family who will want to record this admonition for posterity - the skirt is fabulous, comfortable, with just enough texture - but not too much - to work well with other garments. It's a goes with everything just like jeans kind of skirt. Add upper garment interest and heels of some kind and the shape balances out beautifully. I imagine I'll be wearing it frequently. With the paisley...




... there's lots left. The tablecloth skirt takes about five meters, there's a meter and a half left, and I've already sewn a garment with this fabric once before which leads me to believe I had bought ten meters. I know it was $2.00 a meter so that makes sense. I'd have "allowed" myself twenty dollars worth which even so would have been substantially less than retail. It might sound a bit ridiculous but this is inexpensive enough to experiment with, fabulous if the experiment works, and cheaper than broadcloth if needed for muslins. That works for me.




And - bonus - I now get to play with it and see what I can come up with inspired by the pleats and tucks of this Vogue 8637 Marcy Tilton skirt. That's another thing I've really noted this year. I actually like "mistakes" because when the garment doesn't go as anticipated, it's an opportunity for me to sew in a way that is reminiscent of how I used to create textile pieces, which is a way of working - start, do one thing, and see where it leads - that I really enjoy. It gives me energy, something my friend noted this morning when I was telling her about moving into jewelry design next year. She said it's good to hear the excitement in your voice again. Yes.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - that I'm not running around in a frenzy. I'm sewing in my studio, one of my favourite things to do.

Thursday 22 December 2011

A Bell Shaped Blob On My Bottom

In the last few weeks, I've been thinking a lot about traditions. On one hand, they're a comforting ritual and on the other, somewhat of a prison especially when traditions lead to expectations. Just because we've always done things that way doesn't mean that we'll always do them that way and yet how do we decide which rituals to change and which to keep? It's an interesting question especially for someone like myself who likes change but not too much. To a certain extent, I think the answer develops on its own as life shifts in that way that it always does.

Because we have no extended family in town, the five of us developed house decorating, and tree decorating, and Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day traditions that we've carried over from year to year. When Jessica married, her husband joined our traditions and things continued along pretty much the same with an additional "child". This year - with no kids living at home - we are both forced into change and have the opportunity to create change. And that's okay. Things do need adjusting every once in a while.

This Christmas Eve, Howard and I plan to attend the early service at church, eat dinner out, and go to the wildlife park to see the Wild Lights - if it's warm enough - otherwise we'll drive around and look from the car - I'm not willing to freeze. This is not our typical Christmas Eve tradition and yet it is something we have done before just not without children in the past twenty-five years. In the last month, we've been developing couple things again and even as we do, I'm cautious. We're aging. One of us is not completely well. We won't always be a couple.

Although they no longer live here, the "boys" will come over later on Christmas morning and the day will look virtually as it always has with stockings and cinnamon buns and three gifts each, a movie, games, and a low stress but still special dinner except that the day will be minus our daughter and son-in-law who will arrive on the 27th. We'll miss them. This will be only the second time that Jessica hasn't been home for Christmas and it reminds me that soon the boys will have families of their own and on some Christmas Days we will visit them and on some we will be home alone - doing couple things.

We'll have turkey on the 28th, not the 25th, and that's not so strange. We never have turkey on Christmas Day. Years ago I decided that I was not spending my holiday in the kitchen. Typically, we have something that can be made ahead or thrown in the crock pot. This year, it's roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. I did such a good job a few weeks ago that we're having it again - LOL. Some years we've had a bowl of soup ! ! ! although special soup - the kids favourite.

Christmas is not about the rituals as wonderful as they are and it's not about the gifts and it's not about getting together with family and friends even though it's a fabulous opportunity to do so. Christmas for me is about my faith and what I believe. Keeping that in mind, I've been thinking about gifts. I love giving gifts. I love receiving them. I love spoiling my family with all kinds of special things however - if the day is not about the gifts than not receiving any gifts should not make the day less wonderful - and even so it would - which means thinking and talking about what's reasonable and what's ridiculous.

I'm debating what gift giving changes we should make for next year. It's a topic that I've evaluated in terms of how I spend on friends and a discussion that Howard and I have already had and made some decisions around for the two of us. Now, we need to talk it over with the others and figure out what will work for them. I remember when we used to exchange gifts with our siblings and why we quit and while I think it's a way of staying connected, I also think it needs to be meaningful in that you know something about the person you are giving the gift to and the gift fits or why bother? It's a swirling emotionally laden, touchy topic which is probably why I've been thinking about it so much. What does your family do?




Switching topics - as you know, I am weak in the face of fabric. My stash is extensive enough that I'm either incredibly in love with that piece and willing to pay full price which almost never happens or I see potential on sale and feel compelled to buy it, typically in the bargain center, typically half price, typically at $2.50 or less per meter. When I see potential, I buy lots, enough to sew duplicates of my duplicates as you can see above.

I was looking through the stash for the purple linen that I knew was there to make yet still another attempt at the Marcy Tilton Vogue 8499 skirt when I saw this fabric and thought why not use what the pattern calls for  - stretch denim. Since what I really wanted to do with the linen was to embellish it with stamping and paint and that's better done outside in the summer, using the denim worked for me and I have more than enough.




How many times have you sewn something and thought it'd be better done a different way or in a different fabric? That happens to me often but not with this skirt. Apparently the black and white version I sewed in the summer was the perfect choice and everything else since has been not nearly as nice. This version is comfortable and I'll enjoy wearing it however, it's a bell shaped blob on my bottom that could be more flattering. Definitely, it needs an interesting top, accessories, and shoes to give it more pizazz. I can do that.

Last Friday, at coffee, while I was holding a tissue wrapped gift in my hand about to open it, my friend said it's a bit over the top but then so are you. I thought that was funny and then I opened the gift and thought it wasn't over the top at all which means two things. I'm far more out there than my friend thinks and I need to be careful when I buy gifts for others since what I find not too much they may find extreme. I love how we're all the same and yet so different. It fascinates me.

It also dawned on me that my blog doesn't really represent me well since you see the individual garments which are more understated and not the final looks with the "gaudy" as my daughter says accessories. Something to think about.




I still haven't managed to figure out how Marcy wants these pockets sewn. Normally instructions make sense to me but these ones aren't clicking for some reason. Before the next time, I planned to stitch some broadcloth test versions to get it right but now have decided to alter how they're done to a way that works for me instead - probably with darts for shaping - so that the pocket piece actually fits on the skirt piece. That sounds a lot easier and would add some fun lines.

When she's reviewing a pattern, Erica B often says that she won't be sewing it again because it's too distinctive and that's probably a good choice and not the one I seem to make. I've sewn the Burda 7400 pants in grey stripes and in Guatemalan fabric and I'd sew another pair if one of my friends hadn't said that two is enough. They're really comfortable. I could wear them every day. I think I need seven pairs.

This skirt is equally comfortable. I'd like to sew a few more and I think I've found a way. As so many of us do at the turn of the year, one of my plans for 2012 is to lose weight and get into better shape. I've said it before and I'll probably say it again but hopefully this is the year when it will actually come true since I've put some weight back on recently and there's turning fifty as a motivating factor. If I shrink, I can sew the pants and the skirt again - LOL - maybe twice each!

This morning, I'm having breakfast with a friend and then I need to clean house. That's the easier kind of exercise for me - bending and twisting and lifting and leaning while you do something else.

Talk soon - Myrna


Grateful
- rituals and change

Wednesday 21 December 2011

The Precious Piece

Today is my daughter's twenty-fifth birthday. It's occasions like this that make me wish I had more money. I'd hop on a plane and surprise her at the office for lunch - a thought that just struck me as terribly funny when I wrote it because I am absolutely awful at taking a surprise. It's not a good idea. I get cranky. So cranky I come with a warning. BUT... she's a better woman and I imagine she'd have taken it wonderfully. If I could hop a plane. And I can't. Perhaps the thought counts in some way. Have a fabulous day Jessica. I'm incredibly proud of you and LOVE YOU LOTS.

- - - - - - - - - - -

K.Line wrote - What happened to only making children's stuff ?? :-) That purple is lovely! I'm making a shawl right now (posted on my Ravelry page) that is totally appealing. I hope it works out well. These things sure do take forever. Somehow they make sweaters seem fast.

The short answer would be that I am absolutely consistent about changing my mind. The longer one would be that after this year's dismal success, clean and easy would make for a better knitting year in 2012 and I'm all for that. The subconscious and digging deeper answer would be that with all the new things to learn with polymer clay, it seemed a good idea to back off on pushing ahead with knitting and allow it to be a creative space in which to think and ponder. For the most part, knitting is soothing. Perhaps it's one of the reasons I love the rhythm of ribbing. That said, I've got a LOT of yarn in small sweater sized lengths and plan to try some interesting scarf variations and - LOL - give them as gifts next Christmas. How's that for planning ahead!




Yesterday morning I went for coffee with the two women I met at Starbucks a few weeks ago. We talked about art and life for over two hours. It was good. One of the women had a stash of yarn she'd inherited and wanted to pass on. I agreed to take it only if I could keep what I wanted and pass the rest to my knitting group - which I did last night - and they loved. Most of the stash was in autumn colors which aren't typically colors I'd choose. The three skeins above will work for couching onto textile art pieces although the rust and the brown are strong enough to work into jewelry pieces as well. They're an acrylic chenille.




These balls are pure wool. The color is slightly more grey than I would have chosen however, I've been wanting to learn how to felt and dye wool so it's the perfect opportunity especially as...




... they were produced in 1979 to celebrate Dale of Norway's 100th anniversary. After twenty-two years in stash, it seems like someone should actually use them. Since I didn't know the previous owner, I don't know if these became precious and therefore unknittable but I think there's a real danger in that - with our yarn - with our fabric - with the "good" dishes. When items are packed away, too precious to use, they become in essence useless and that is - in my opinion - a sad fate for a luscious item.

One goal for 2012 is to de-precious even more of my stash. Using what I have and therefore using the precious piece is something that I've gotten better and better at over the years however, there are still a few pieces I'd like to - finally - cut up and create with. That's what I bought them for, not to decorate the shelves. What about you?

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - Jessica

Monday 19 December 2011

The Accumulation of Stuff

It's the week before Christmas - LOL - I guess you know. How nice that we have the full week leading up to and then a weekend to enjoy. Our friends were here this past weekend. They came to move their son into a condo that they'd bought for him to share with his roommate - our oldest son - which meant that both sets of parents spent Friday helping to move. The "boys" were really excited because they'll have a dishwasher and covered parking. Too funny. It's amazing how differently they talk with a little life experience. After barely two weeks of living on his own, our youngest son is able to price compare groceries at several stores around town and has developed a keen appreciation for the cost of milk, something we'd tried to explain to him before and that he now understands fully since he can't support his gallon a day habit. It makes me laugh. I have great kids and I love watching them grow up.

On Sunday, we decorated the Christmas tree, played games, and ate finger food. There was Howard and I, our two sons, and Colin - our adopted son and Aryck's roommate. We've been having a tree decorating party on the Sunday closest to the 15th of the month for twenty-two years. It used to take a really long time to put all the decorations on and this year, it took less than half an hour. It's a lot different when you leave the hooks on and have the help of four men who are each tall enough to reach the top of the tree and have realized that this will go faster, and they'll get to the food quicker, if they co-operate. Too fun.




I don't play long drawn out board games like Monopoly. I knit. The Boneyard Scarf is up to 283 stitches. Each row feels like a lifetime commitment so it's lucky that I made some kind of mathematical error when I calculated the end number at 650 stitches. What an epic journey that would be. I'd have to pee and eat before beginning each row - LOL. I'm on the twelfth repeat.

The pattern says to knit until the desired length which I find as useful (read useless) as cook until done on a recipe. The photo illustrates thirteen repeats and then the border. After I finish the next repeat, I'll test the size on Millicent to see how it looks while keeping in mind that Millicent is more svelte than I. As noted previously, I'm hoping for an elegant and sophisticated, throw over the shoulder, shawl as opposed to the old lady look.




The scarf that is really a shawl is far too big to stretch out. It's so big that my longest cable wasn't long enough so I purchased a 60" one and that appears to be slightly less than half the stitches. The stitches on the cable form the V point and two bottom edges which would mean that each edge is roughly 60" and the top edge is REALLY LONG. It'll take a few cables joined together to see exactly how long.




On Saturday, I sewed most of another Vogue 8499 - Marcy Tilton - skirt. I wear the black and white one from earlier this year all the time and it always gets compliments. It's the skirt that made me want to try some more funky, less classic, styles.




I was cutting out the last side of the last piece when it dawned on me that this purple paisley fabric had quite a large print that just maybe should have been matched. It was already too late so I went ahead and sewed the pieces together because I'm not the matchy matchy kind and I don't mind when the lines of a design are broken up and scattered only these lines didn't scatter. They lined themselves up in an unflattering way. The skirt is wide at the bottom and narrow at the top. It seemed there was one paisley in each top portion and another set across the hips. Not. Flattering.

The fabric is a rayon polyester spandex blend. The pattern calls for a stretch denim. It seemed the two would work together but - in reality - the fabric was too soft and the shape of the bottom would have been lost. The black and white print is much crisper and maintains its shape - something to keep in mind for next time. I bought the purple paisley for $2.00 a meter in the bargain center in Nanaimo sometime last year. This is the second time I've attempted to use it and the second failure. There's still some left. Perhaps it will be third time lucky.

LinB wrote - I am glad you are excited about new ventures. Hope that all goes as expected on the home front for you, and that next year is a happier one.

Thank you. Deciding to take a month to move slow was a good decision. It's been low stress and easy living which is a funny thing to say about December. Howard was on holidays last week and we did quite a few things together. This week, I'm exchanging gifts and catching up with friends over breakfast, lunch, or coffee. In attempting to describe this year, it's not that it was particularly unhappy. Many good things happened. And it's not that it was particularly stressful. There was stuff but there's always stuff in life. Nothing horribly bad happened although a lot of little, stressful, not fun, things did.

I seem to live a high stress life. Possibly it's that I don't deal well with stress but that's not easy to measure so who really knows. Thankfully, I deal with it a LOT better than I used to which would be because I've had lots of practice. What I think this year has suffered from is the accumulation of stuff from the last several years. Sometimes, a whole lot of little things can be worse than one major big thing.

It's wonderful to be heading into the next year with a plan. Even more jewelry design ideas are dancing in my head and I'm looking forward to getting started in the new year. I've asked my family for polymer clay supplies for Christmas so hopefully sometime soon, I'll be playing with clay. I don't plan to start out fancy. I plan to roll and cut and bake and play and experiment and see what happens.

Next to one of my favourite breakfast places downtown is the studio and shop of a metal artist. Along with his own jewelry and sculptures, he sells pieces on consignment from other artists. When I dropped by this week to have my ring cleaned, we had a long chat about my new direction and what I had planned. His idea for what I should do was interesting - that I'd need to quickly produce a lot of inventory to be ready for the summer craft fairs. No thanks. I have already decided on a pace and a path and don't feel that pressure. I intend to play first, see what happens, wait until I feel confident and have produced pieces that I'm proud of, and then sell through galleries and perhaps on-line but not at craft fairs. As I said to one friend, I'm too young to do nothing and too old to invest in any expensive long term training. In my opinion, I'm also too old for craft fairs - LOL.

Edited 10:30 p.m. - Blogspot had a glitch and posted this earlier than it was supposed to. I was still writing. I'll come back later and proof - hopefully I didn't say something really messed up. Further thoughts will have to be in another posting.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful
- a sense of direction

Thursday 15 December 2011

600 - Forward - The 2012 Word

It didn't take a whole lot of digging into my subconscious to realize that I have been putting off writing this post, the 600th. Every one hundred posts, I review how things are going and determine if I am accomplishing what I had hoped to accomplish and if I'm heading in the right direction. Re-reading the 500th post, it's apparent how bland and lost I felt at that time and one hundred posts later things were pretty much the same and that wasn't something I wanted to write about so I delayed. In retrospect, this is good.

In January, I wrote about my word for the year. I had to re-read that post to remember what it was - what they were - inspire and improve. That post sounds just a little too cheery, as if I wanted to look forward to this year of not being in business but wasn't totally sold on the idea or had no understanding of how to go about it. Either could be true and I don't know. How I really felt that day is overshadowed but the rest of the year. What I know for certain is that things didn't go the way I'd hoped they would.

Someone over the past year posted a comment predicting that I would be back in business within six months. My initial reaction was definitely not me because I was enjoying the pressure away from being "for sale" and producing what "they" wanted. Although I'm still enjoying that lack of pressure, there were many positive aspects to being in business that worked for me which is why, at the end of 2011 heading into 2012, I am once again in business. It's just another reminder to never say never.

Last Thursday, I went for coffee with one of the women from Fabricland who has always been friendly, encouraging, and supportive. She believes that I'm incredibly creative and would be successful at most anything I chose to do. How lovely to have someone believe in you like that and how heavy. After we'd talked about the non-return to hair styling, she kept offering ideas - what about this, what about that - to which I responded by listing off all the reasons why that approach wouldn't work for me. It was uncomfortable and frustrating and just the push I needed for Picking A Path - jewelry.




Over the past year, the thought of making jewelry is the only thing that has tickled my mind with any continuity. A week later, it's a relief to be even more excited about the concept and to not have changed my mind or adjusted my belief in this decision. It feels right and that's just fabulous after the kind of year I've been having - the kind where I'm falling apart in public - the kind that is NOT. PRETTY.

A few months ago, I researched the idea of jewelry with the owner of a gallery that carried my textile work. The outline of how she thought I should approach the business was not one that I wanted to follow and because I valued her opinion, I'd decided not to go there. Now, while still valuing her opinion, I'm going to do it my way. I'm not interested in following the latest trends and trying to give people what I think they want, I'm interested in creating the pieces of my heart and in trusting that I'm not so unusual that someone somewhere won't like my work. Having made that decision, my mind is dancing with ideas and I can hardly wait to start putting them together. I have a lot to learn and it's a huge relief. I am SO HAPPY to be going into the new year with this energy.

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. - Thoreau

YEARS ago, I made a decision to concentrate on things to do with fibre rather than work in multiple mediums. It's a decision that helped me to solidly develop my skills. It was good and now it's time for change. While I want fabric to be an integral part of the jewelry I create, I'm approaching it from the perspective of things that can be combined with textiles. I'm learning a new medium - polymer clay - and it's energizing, exciting, giddy, dancing inside, pure joy to be reading about, and learning, and watching videos on, and beginning to play with this new ingredient which - from what I can tell - is as never ending and possibility filled as fabric is. The two look like a good combination and one that will remove me from the rut I've been in and move me forward - my word for 2012 - forward - as in letting go of the old and moving in new and positive directions. YES YES!




Speaking of moving, I've started packing. Not because our house is sold but because our house is going to sell. Making a decision to pick a path and walk in that direction with my work felt so positive that I'm taking the same approach with moving. We are. It's a matter of time. Packing shows my commitment and my openness for God to enable in this area. I have given up on attempting to be patient. It's not my strong suit. Instead, I'm living in expectation and moving confidently in that direction even though...

... the condo we thought was our number one choice has sold and the condo we thought was our number two choice has sold and the condo we thought was our number three choice has sold and we're not really sure which choice is which anymore but we are going to re-look at two places tomorrow. One has a separate kitchen in the basement with an oven that would be perfect for polymer clay, so perfect that I wonder if there's a message in there for me. If so, we need not only a sale but an incredible buy because right now, that house is out of our price range BUT... God is able... and what a lovely Christmas present that would be.




See those lime green markers. They're important. This knitting project starts with five stitches and increase four stitches on every right side row until the desired length which is roughly 156 rows later plus the initial rows plus the border rows which comes out to something over 650 stitches. I tried knitting without the markers and kept forgetting one or more of the increases and had rip back and knit over. I finally wised up and used the markers. They remind me that I'm supposed to be doing something when I see them - something beyond simply sliding them over and continuing on knitting.

I see the 100th, 200th, 300th, 400th, 500th, and now 600th postings on my blog in a very similar way. They're markers that remind me to stop, look, see, and adjust as necessary. It's been a long haul. It was the summer of 2009 when things started going sideways and for much of the past two and half years I have not felt like myself. I'm grateful for those markers. I'm grateful to be reaching this latest one in a more positive frame of mind. I'm grateful for those who have stuck with me and have supported and encouraged me through some really rough years. Thank you.




So long ago that I'm not even going to try and find the link, I started knitting a summer sweater from a hand dyed, bamboo yarn. Once the sweater was knit up, it was obvious that one of the skeins was not dyed identically to the other two and contained a much brighter pink. It didn't work even when I tried mixing up the skeins and knitting alternate rows so - as often happens with my knitting - the yarn ended up back in balls in the drawer. In the "marker" image above, this same yarn is combined with a plain black and knit as one creating a stained glass-like look. It has potential.

My ability to see potential creates tremendous difficulties in my stash. I see and I buy and I have far more than I need. Thankfully, I also have limits or I can't imagine how much stuff there would be in my studio. The packed boxes above are mostly fabric. There are many more. Three are yarn. Three boxes of yarn is a lot for an occasional knitter. I plan to stay out of yarn stores and fabric stores for a while to avoid purchasing more potential. I'll look for it somewhere else because seeing potential is a tremendous gift. It's one I developed in the fall of 2004 when I took a year to concentrate on moving my textile career forward and learned to begin without knowing what the end product would look like and to create without expectations of success or failure but simply to see what might happen. What if became one of my favourite questions and has made me far more creative than I ever was before.

In the past, when the sweater didn't work out, I would have thrown away the yarn and worried about the waste. Instead, I saved the balls because I knew that eventually the answer would appear. That's how I feel heading into the next year. There's so much to learn about jewelry and clay and combining clay and fibre and it's okay. It's all potential. By letting go of expectations and embracing play, I can move forward into new and uncharted, friendly but challenging, inspiring, stretching, and growing territory.




I'm knitting the Boneyard Shawl designed by Stephen West and offered as a free pattern on Ravelry or his blog. In the instructions, he says it'll look good in any weight or fibre. This is not the typical old lady kind of shawl. As you can see, it drapes nicely around his neck and I really like...




... this version of Euterpe's made from handspun yarn. It's fabulous. Mine will be a little thicker. I'm hoping it'll be the spring and fall kind of shawl that you can wrap in some elegant and sophisticated way about your shoulders while out for a walk or shopping. That's the plan anyway. What I like about the plan is that I have an idea, I'm walking in that direction, I'm willing to see what happens, and I'll adjust to what comes my way because while I have a goal in mind, I'm not married to the results. I plan to learn from them and move on. And that's a wonderful way to be feeling as I write this 600th post, move into a new year, and approach turning fifty. LIFE. IS. GOOD.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - markers

Sunday 11 December 2011

Done Differently

First, my apologies for some VERY rough diagrams. When we upgraded my computer a few months ago, the illustrating program became incompatible and I haven't invested in new software yet as I'm not sure which photography program I want HOWEVER... hopefully these instructions are still clear and if not, please feel free to ask questions. This is...




... Sham's Tablecloth Skirt done differently. Because my figure type is widest at the hip and I prefer to play up rather than downplay my smaller waist, I wanted to see if...




... I could eliminate some of the bulk present in this original version while maintaining the pointed elements of the hemline. The weight of the two fabrics used is similar. The print is a linen blend and the black is a lightweight faux suede. One just looks heavier than the other.




In Sham's instructions, you cut a 44" square and four 15" x 44" rectangles that are seamed to each side of the square. Each side is hemmed separately before sewing the short edges together. A circle is cut from the center of the square and a waistband is sewn on and elastic inserted. There is a total of four long, four short, and one waistband seam. In my adapted version, each side is also hemmed separately and there are either four long seams that turn or four curved and four short seams along with a folded down casing for the waistband.




Since my goal was to eliminate the bulk on the hips, I started by looking at the original shape differently and divided the square into four triangles. Each triangle is...




... the height of half the square, or 22" in this case, with a base the length of the square, or 44" in this case. There are mathematical ways to calculate the length of the other sides only it wasn't necessary for me to know.




Next, measure your waist and determine how much ease you would like in the waistband. Add the waist and ease measurements together and insert that number into the circumference section of this calculator and click solve others. Take the number that appears in the diameter section and divide it by two. Be as precise as possible because even a small difference can make for a substantially larger opening. In my case, the diameter is 12.5" and half that number is 6.25".

The following instructions might get confusing because I drafted my pattern on fold but hopefully I can explain it correctly.




The short horizontal line at the top of the diagram above is equal to the length of the waist plus ease divided by four for one quarter of the garment and then divided in half again because the piece is on fold. In other words, it's one eighth of the original measurement.

The vertical "on fold" line is equal to the 22" of half the original square less the radius of the circle. In my case, that was 6.25 so my line is 22" - 6.25" = 15.75" PLUS the 15" drop for a total 30.75". To test my idea, there was no need to sew the drop on separately so I added it to the pattern piece. In the future, separating them could create some interesting variations. The short vertical line to the left is 15" high (the height of the drop) and the long horizontal line at the bottom is 22" long or half of the original 44" square. THEN...

... draw a curve outward from the waist to the far left edge of the pattern connecting to the short vertical line. Depending on the size of your hips, you may need to adjust this curve to fit. My hips are 8" below my waist. I measured across the pattern piece at the point 8" down and multiplied that number by 8 because this pattern piece is one eighth of the total garment. I then determined if that circumference would work for my hip measurement plus ease. It's a good number to check especially if you're hip heavy like me. AFTER THAT...

... I added 2 1/4" above the waist to create an elastic casing and a seam allowance to the curved and the 15" lengths. I didn't add a hem allowance to the pattern piece because the original skirt was plenty long enough for me. The sewing sequence was...

1. serge finish the bottom hem, the top waistband, and the 15" vertical edges
2. press up a 1" hem along the bottom
3. press down a 1 1/4" waistband casing along the top, unfold
4. stitch the hem in place
5. stitch, finish, and press the curved seams
6. stitch and press open the 15" vertical seams
7. fold the waist casing down and stitch 1" from the fold leaving an opening
7. insert 3/4" elastic and stitch the opening closed

Ta Da - FINISHED

Even on Millicent, this adaptation looks far more graceful for my figure than the original version. It may sound a little complicated but as you begin to draw the pieces, it'll start to make sense. It was time consuming to pin, cut out, un-pin, move, and re-pin the pattern piece along the fold of the fabric so I may draft a complete piece in the future and cut four layers at once. In this case, I had a squeaking amount of fabric and barely got the four sections cut out. One is upside down although the fabric is so busy that no-one would notice and if they do, good for them. I'm much happier with how this version looks on me and it still has those fun corners. YEAH!

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - enjoying following up an idea

Friday 9 December 2011

Picking A Path

From the waiting room at the acupuncturist's office, looking out over the cluttered yards and the close confines of low end housing, I could see the soaring windows, peaked roof lines, and wide decks of a newly developed, upper end, neighbourhood. At one point in my life, those roof lines would have been destination living and now they look like a heavy emotional, physical, and financial commitment, none of which I'm desirous. Give me a living that is simple and uncluttered and debt free with time to explore what interests me. That sounds perfect. Each day, I'm less and less of the workaholic I became and more like the woman I was before I owned a business. Life is like that. I'm constantly amazed at how we circle and then circle back and how today's choices are built on yesterday's experiences. While we can't do it over again, we can do today and tomorrow differently. How lovely.



The yarn order arrived this morning - all fifty-nine balls. It's absolutely luscious with some skeins more so than others. There were several I wish I'd bought adult sized amounts of and I briefly debated ordering more but - luckily - nipped that thought and clicked away. I have enough yarn. Between these and the skeins already on the yarn shelf, there's plenty to knit. What I know for sure is that I'll be buying the good stuff from now on. It feels totally different and we all know how important quality tools are which means that I'll be watching for yarn sales just as I watch for fabric sales while learning to control my yarn stash - LOL.

Talking about circling - when I ordered this yarn it was to knit small, child sized garments to both improve my workmanship and to develop my design skills. How to do something and how to do it better - as in perfecting my skill set - has always been an aspect of creativity that I've really enjoyed. While I wanted more of that kind of learning, at the same time I was debating writing a book about the process along the lines of the textile art workshops that I used to teach. Between placing and receiving the order, there was a shift and I've realized that I don't want to do that anymore. I've written books, developed patterns, and taught classes and that feels old - the beating a dead horse kind of old - the if you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got kind of old - and it's time for new and fresh, interesting and challenging, activities. As one friend put it, this time in a woman's life is "me" time.

Along those same lines, I won't be going back to hair styling. After my discussion with Tony, I put together a budget of the expenses involved and then developed a payment schedule to eliminate the initial investment based on two months of training followed by ten months of investment reduction. That would require twelve customers per day, three days a week, on a six week rotation, without fail, starting on day one. That's not going to happen and, even if it did, would mean working for free for one year with any work associated expenses coming out of my pocket. It's more likely to take the full four years to build up a client base while working Thursday evenings and Friday and Saturday days which doesn't match the life style I want to live right now. As I said to one friend, if I was hungry I would do what needed to be done and I'm not.

I appreciate the concern over my allergies and the chemical exposure that would have come with hair styling. It was definitely a factor to consider. Unfortunately, chemical exposure exists in every outside my own home activity. This week, I went to a choir performance and while the music was fabulous, the olfactory ambiance was not. Even the friend I went with wore a musk perfume because putting on perfume is part of her getting ready to go out routine and she just didn't think about it which was probably true for several members of the audience. While the awareness around scent has increased, I'm not sure there's a way to totally eliminate the issue so no matter where I worked, I would be exposed to perfumes and other smells. It's something you just have to figure out how to live with while trying to build up your system to eliminate or at least improve reactions.




A few months ago, I experimented with textile jewelry and - in my typical OCD way - I ordered a series of books on jewelry and bought numerous magazines and ordered some cuff bracelet blanks and then put that idea on the back burner. Yesterday, I talked over the concept of picking a path with a friend whose advice I really appreciated. We agreed that at a certain point you just have to pick something and get on with it and see where that leads. One of my favourite quotes, often attributed to Goethe although there's a whole debate around that, is...

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back - Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.

Even though I'd put the jewelry making concept on the back burner, the ideas haven't left me alone. They've been flowing through my mind constantly and I've realized that this is perhaps the new and fresh, interesting and challenging, activity I've been yearning for. While I intend to focus on jewelry made from textiles and particularly on cuff bracelets and necklaces, I've signed up for three workshops at ArtFest in March that focus on creating earrings, using polymer clay, and incorporating text.

Because in the past I've had difficulty separating work and play, I would ideally like a studio outside the home in a busier environment where I'd have interaction with other artists and with clients. It'd have to be dirt cheap, like someone was gifting me with studio space, to be doable. I'm open to that possibility and at the same time looking at how to structure our home to separate my personal creativity and the creativity that would be for sale. Starting in the new year, I plan to structure making jewelry as a job putting in a specific amount of hours per week however, it's all theory and testing and see how it goes for now.

AND... because one of the things I really wanted from working was to get dressed up and get out of the house and interact with other human beings, I've decided to look for opportunities to become involved in community groups and have emailed the choir director from earlier this week to ask if they are accepting new members and have registered for singing lessons. Ideally, I want to become involved with other creative individuals so I'm looking for an art group to join, preferably one without a lot of politics and with an abundance of inspiration and commitment. I know... good luck.




SO... switching subjects... the Kwik Sew 3300 bra study is complete. It might have been the changes in body structure throughout the month but - for whatever reason - with one little tweak - the original bra fits the best. I simply stitched the upper part of the bridge narrower and that was good and perfect and pretty. Of course, I made three other prototypes in-between, which is so like me. I'm very particular about fit and have a tendency to over-fit along with an insatiable curiosity about what if that can lead me down paths better left unexplored.

My next sewing project will NOT be jeans. I've been debating a version of Sham's Tablecloth Skirt sewn with a knit fabric and I'll try that out next only I want to clean house first. There's a viewing scheduled for tomorrow that feels very positive. Howard and I have talked a lot lately about what we want over the next few years and, based on our answers, we're both committed to moving to a strata unit where someone else takes care of the maintenance and we can come and go and focus on our interests. Before, I was really committed to that idea and he was sort of committed and now that he's had a little taste of the possibilities since our son moved out, we're both there. After a long time without, there have been some sales in our neighbourhood lately. Hopefully ours will be next.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - picking a path, having a sense of direction, and feeling positive about the new year

Wednesday 7 December 2011

Miscellaneous Finishings

Things have been slow and meandering around our house. I've been getting up late and going for coffee with friends while adjusting to our new reality. It's still strange with no children at home and I'm feeling rather rudderless although I was feeling that way before my son moved out so it's less about the empty nest and more about figuring out what's next - a question I've been pondering for what seems like forever and one for which the answer is taking a REALLY long time.

In the studio, I'm working on the third prototype of the Kwik Sew 3300 bra which is coming along nicely. I always find it funny when developing a T & T pattern how we can circle back to where we started. After sewing the 36C, I sewed a 36D and it was way too big so I went back and sewed a 36C with some modifications. Narrowing the bridge only at the top worked great. Adding 1/2" to the underarm and upper band was not so good although in the end - after much pinning and pulling and prodding and thinking - I've left the 1/2" in place and have taken 3/8" off of the cup seam on the inner piece only which moves the strap 3/8" closer to center and gets rid of some puckers. Pinned, this works. Sewn, I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know. I have some butter tarts to bake tomorrow and then I can sew another one. Good thing I already have a dress for the party Saturday night - LOL.




The buttonholes are on the "girl" side of this little sweater so I added pink, polka-dot buttons for a bit of fun. There are five in total with the top one just a little too close to the edge. I'll remember to space the buttonholes starting a little higher and ending a little lower next time.




The finished sweater is cute - small - a size 3-6 months. Since I don't know anyone that small, it will be put in the drawer with the other small things I've knit. Another friend is expecting a grandchild in February. Something from the drawer might make the perfect gift.




With these small sweaters, my goal is to improve my workmanship. In particular, sleeve seams have been driving me crazy. Who knew that eight inches could be so stressful. You'd think I didn't know how to sew and...




... you might be right because this kind of sewing is vastly different than matching the raw edges and stitching by machine. It took forever - and it could be done better - and it will be in the future as I perfect the skill even more - however - I'm quite proud of this little seam. The yarn is 100% wool so I also learned about blocking with this project. It's critical, like a good press of the seam. I can tell that I'll be leaning toward natural yarns from now on.




I bought four of these polymer clay buttons at an art quilt retreat in 2003. They were made by one of the other members of the Fibre Art Network. It was nice to finally use them on...




... this size 2/3 little girl's sweater. This yarn is an acrylic/wool blend so nice but not nearly as nice for blocking although fabulous for hiding the shoulder seams because it's slightly fuzzy. I didn't stress out over them nearly as much.




The red handles on the Sandi bag are FINALLY finished. I doubled the fabric twice so they are firm and supportive. These should make it easier to carry the athletic bag along with the...




... loop at the bottom of the handle. Because it was an afterthought, I couldn't sew it into the seam without disrupting a lot of things so I stitched it to the end of the strap instead. That seems to work.

On Tuesday night, I took all of the hand bags to knit night for show and tell. Although it was off topic, many of the women also sew and found the bags interesting. I've decided to hold off on mailing them until the end of January so they don't get mixed up in Christmas and are a nice surprise in the middle of the winter blues. I'll include a disk with the other hand bag pictures on it along with a letter of explanation. Good and enough. This has been a really fun project and - unfortunately - there is now a box of scraps to be dealt with. Go figure. How to use up two things and create more.

Today, I met with Tony to discuss the hairstyling possibility. There's a lot to consider. His advice was to take several weeks of high end upgrading with a company such as Paul Mitchell and then find a smaller, three or four stylist, salon to begin working in. He estimated that it would take one to four years to build up a three day a week clientele depending on how things go and how well connected I am. I'm not. Since the upgrading would be out of town and rather expensive and I would need to buy a complete set of tools and supplies for my studies, we're talking somewhere between five and ten thousand dollars, a total that requires a LOT of consideration before making a decision. I need to know if I really want to do this or not since I'll be in it for the long haul. I don't know right now.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful
- finished projects