Yarn Bag and Project

Dear Person-Who-Lost-Your-Grocery-Store-Stuff- Sack-Purse. I found it. It took my fancy and I am using it. I feel badly for you. I am sorry if you are looking for it. I wanted to do a post on Facebook: I have taken to stealing. Because it is true. 

And I continue to move labels around and misrepresent items in my possession. 

 

Who doesn’t need a Knitters Ruck Sack? This bag will be a regular ‘wear’ over our jaunt to Seattle. It has two neat coils of Malabrigo sock yarn in aguas color. I am making Boardwalk.

At which time, I want to knit this. I need both sweaters and this one will need to be made out of Jared’s line. I tried both sweaters on while visiting Purl in Soho. I need both!

I am determined to have this sweater complete and worn in one months time. OK? Do you hear me? I am verbalizing a commitment to self, publicly. I want that sweater. I would love to fall in love with a ‘look’ and to create a few choices pieces to flesh out that look. I am a textile artist. I print cloth, I have a great stash, it is time to start making things! Fixing and updating vintage blouses? Yup, got that too. I am hoping this sweater will look cute over printed button up shirts (like this one, oh my! That one needs some green to tame it!).

I am on a mission to dress creatively!

My Man and I are off to a much needed vacation! Seattle here we come.

Project bag?

My Man and I are planning a trip to Seattle next week and I need soft, easy to carry, project bags. In fact, I care more about packing my projects than I do clothing! This bag is made of cotton kimono scrap and is lined in cotton kimono cloth. It is not as ‘sturdy’ as the ‘market bag’ I made earlier in the week. But it is basically the same design. Perhaps it needs some boro stitching and patching, which would give the cloth more body.

I do like the strap tab detail at the lower left. 

I think it is kind of funny. I have had this ability since I was a child. I could not for the life of me, figure out how to sew the straps into the bag while I was lining it. This bag also cinches shut with the weight of what it carries and the strap emerges from a button hole middle top sack. The strap and buttonhole just mussed up my ability to think! So I stopped, got my book, went into the other room. Read for a while. Closed my eyes and saw it! So I hopped up and finished sewing the sack.

My friend Cricket can’t see pictures in her head, I can, can you? It would bum me out not to be able to see things in my minds’ eye.

 

Oh Gosh. Does this mean that each of my Sew-plies purses needs its own project bag? I think that is going a bit too far.

That’s that.

Socks, toes, skirt? That is all I have to say about that.

I have been wanting a RED sew-plies  purse and this is it. There is a bit of kimono fabric under and Inspired to Quilt style poppy on organza. I found the dragon while walking here in Carroll Gardens, last November and it has been a magnet on the fridge ever since. Now the dragons outline will be embroidered here.  I may use some hand dyed red velvet for the straps and flap, I don’t know but this bag will be very rich indeed.

A Project Bag in the Making.

I have been making Gather your Sew-plies purses left and right. The entire plan in making these bags is to be able to sew wherever I go, the subway, the coffee shop, the Promenade, you get the idea. As I have been doing this, I have been thinking, what about a project bag?

I love a good backpack, having my hands free is important to me. I have been designing this backpack for quite a long while. I wanted it to be soft, meaning, I want to experience the cloth I use as part of the design. I wanted the straps to cinch it shut and keep it shut by way of using the weight of what the bag holds to keep it closed; the entire top edge of the purse is a drawstring compartment and the arm straps are the ‘cinch’ that keeps the bag closed. 

I had one yard of this fabulous cloth. I think of it as a ‘market print’ There are flowers, cherries, strawberries, garlic, peaches, the print is crisp and clean and pretty. To give the cloth some body, I doubled the cloth and sewed straight lines along the grain using Aurifil Lana#12. The buckle you see is just for show, it does not function to shorten the straps.

And, well, of course you need another bag to hold all the little things, thread, the project itself. This draw string bag came with a long sleeved t shirt which is also printed with the word ‘frock’. I embroidered over the printed ‘frock’ on this bag and use it almost like a stuff sack.

And here is a peek into the bag itself.

I have bought a snap setter and I intend to set some snaps into the pockets (check out the first photo to see one of the two pockets, there is one on the outside and one on the inside) but, that is scary. I will need to punch a hole into the pocket and the purse itself, and I don’t want to mess up.

I need to practice my snap setting skills first.

Here is the man cat, tuning into a few good z’s. He looks happy, doesn’t he?

A wondrous day.

Ah.

I feel a confessional coming on. 

I feel like I am just about landing in my body and settling into my life right now. The cancer treatments are behind me. I go for my monthly check ups I am getting to know the nurses, it is becoming normal. I am moving into regular old life. I am slower than I used to be, I can’t seem to keep up with my email or blog. Sitting in front of ‘The Computer’ almost feels toxic, I am in the mood to make! 

I bought some yarn and I am going to be knitting this (ravelry link), in this. We are taking a short vacation soon, and I am preparing for the creative time I will have! Sew-plie purse, check, knitting project, check! Some hand sewing too, but I have the goal of finishing the sweater during this time.

I am taking a creative break and challenging myself to try out new ideas. I am dreaming up projects and scenarios, like sewing with thread on buckram out in the wild, Sew-plies purses, walks, exercise. Tomorrow,  my Man and I plan to walk to the Promenade, while there is a chill in the air, then off the Matt Umanov for music supplies… I love to encourage David in musical purchases! Maybe we will go out for lunch.

I want a new power strip with the rocker switch in a particular orientation.

Tonights’ dinner, homemade eggplant sauce oover pasta. Fresh, good, yum.

I am hoping you might get a chuckle at seeing this, Elliot and Alex are snuffling my ears while we wait for a scoop of ice cream at Farmacy. 

Sewing what I see.

I have been making the Gather your Sew-plies purses obsessively. I am on #8 and I have set a goal of making 30 of them. Really I have made 9, but I gave one away. 🙂 I have also been at home and focused for quite a few weeks, and it is time to stretch my creative muscles and to see what change will bring. So I packed up the latest Sew-plies purse along with some buckram and thread and I walked up to the Promenade to ‘sew (I mean draw) what I see’.

This little drawing took about 3 hours to do. The buckram provided a ‘grid’, which helped in ‘drawing’ straight lines. I brought two types of thread, straight sewing machine thread and #12 Aurifil Mako’ (which has become my favorite hand sewing thread), both in black. I don’t think this drawing is complete and I would love to try using the #12 Aurifil thread in this drawing. The two different sizes of thread will compliment one another nicely, I think.

On the walk home, I began to wonder if I need to paint the sky a light blue… hmmm.

I will be doing this again. I would love to stitch/draw some people, crowds, horizon lines. I need more buckram.

It is magical.

This weekend we went to our friend Clark’s house for a picnic. Clark lives in a home that has been in his family for 110 years. The house was 60 to 70 years old when they bought it. It is an amazing house. There is a creamery, they used to sell milk. A barn, several acres of land, farming machines-rusted and dilapidated, two swings, trees and lots of shade. It was a fabulous weekend. We relaxed, we ate, we chatted. I sewed.

This sew-plies purse is coming to a stage of completion, but because it explores ideas of graffiti, it may just be waiting for the next step, I am not certain.

This purse is a big(ger) one. I should have perhaps measured it before I went ahead and sewed it shut. I don’t mind though. I even kind of like it, the one change I think I will make is shifting the snap placement. Do you see when it is closed that the right side of the purse has more cloth than the left?  Part of me likes this, part doesn’t. The part that likes it says, it is almost like the proud city boys who wear their baseball caps off to the side. The part that doesn’t like it? I do get off on symmetry sometimes! 

I have figured out a great way to make the scissor pocket. This week I am going to update and expand the Gather your Sew-plies pattern, I have begun working on it already.

This cane stand sits just inside the front door of Clark’s house. How tidy. What an amazing collection.

Clark has clothing from his great grandmother in his home. I snuck around and peeked into the closets and drawers. I found lace, beaded lace, a sewing kit (!!!), a velvet cape!

Look at that peplum. That had to be part of a bustle, I wish he had the skirt that went with this jacket. The cloth was probably cotton flannel, though it may have been a very light weight wool. I was sneaking around, so I didn’t linger to find out! Clark didn’t mind. But I was still sneaking!

Look at those beautiful buttonholes.

Gather your Sew-plies!! Class at The City Quilter.

Here is a cut and paste from The City Quilter‘s web site:

 GATHER YOUR SEW-PLIES!

Hand sewing requires few tools: scissors, a thimble, perhaps

a piece of wax and some thread. While making a

‘Gather your Sew-plies’ purse, we will explore hand sewing

themes in embroidery while creating our own purses. Each

purse has a scissor pocket, a thimble holder, and an area

to keep a few choice items. It will sit tidily against your

body so that you can easily move around and carry your

tools with you. This class will explore embroidery and composition

in an interesting, offbeat and artistic manner.

 Sundays, Sept. 23, 30 from 12 – 4 PM

Instructor: Melanie Testa Fee: $ 90

 I have been working and digging on this sample, for the class. I can’t seem to finish it, or to let it go for that matter. I tried to separate myself from it today, but could not. I went to pick up the scissors from the sharpener and took it as an opportunity to drop another sample Sew-plies purse at The City Quilter. I brought this one, hoping to ‘finish it in time’. But I couldn’t hand it to Nancy. So I gave her an indigo dyed purse. One that features one of Glennis Dolce’s moons. I am so happy to have found a place for a piece of her work!

So, are if you in or around New York City and would you like to take a creative embroidery class with me? Please call the gals at (212-807-0390), email (info@cityquilter.com) or drop by the shop with your credit cards ready.  

I would like to have fun with you and some good old fashioned stitch.

 This purse uses my eye/heart stencil. I am exploring how I might embody the layered textured, interrupted, messy nature of graffiti, in cloth, with this purse. It is time for this purse to turn a corner and get another layer. Maybe on the back, I am not sure. So you will be seeing more of this purse in the next few days.

 

I have become a quiet blogger. I am learning to run The Clever Guild, I built the site! Now I have to learn to use it! Funny how that happens.

I have begun training with Marianne Kane at MyOhMyTV. I am also going to a pool program for survivors twice a week. I am doing things I would have never thought and I am really enjoying myself.

Cricket and I got mani/pedis’ this week. I told myself to get blue or green. I love looking down and seeing this color. Anyway. I have been having a hard time keeping up with myself! It is all good though.

Writing the article at Role/Reboot is an interesting experience. I wrote it (with a little help from my Mom!), I knew it was going live. When the day came? Deer in the headlights. But then, I said what I had to. So I was alright with it. It got maybe 94 likes on Facebook. 11 Tweets and 17 Shares. 

I have a favor to ask, Will you please post the link to the article on your Facebook for  a time? I would love to have as many people as possible read it and share it. Simply living without breasts should be offered as an option to breast cancer survivors, it should be accepted as part of living female in this world. No questions asked. Can you tell I feel passionate about this topic? So, please share, tweet, pinterest the article.

So, that is a quick recap from me.

Got that Off my Chest

Today an article I wrote about going flat, breast cancer and gender went live at Role/Reboot. While I feel passionate about the topic, I feel some trepidation on how it might be received too.

Being flat after treatment for breast cancer is quite an interesting experience, our society is so focused on breasts, it can feel comical, degrading, mostly just odd to experience this obsession while ‘living flat’, especially in the face of a disease that kills so many. When we focus on our looks so much, we can loose sight of the end goal, living and life! Being human, experiencing the world around us, listening to music, seeing works of art.

I will always miss my breasts, but even with reconstruction, I would not have sensations that I had before, they would not be what they were. And to rely on a doctor to give you the results you hope and wish for? And even if the doctors does everything spot on, there is no saying that your body won’t reject the implants. Me, I just think it is easier all around to step away from the status quo, take responsibility for myself and  mourn the passing of a personal era.

Does this make me stronger? More confident in my body? No, I am just like the next person. I wish I had never had to make these decisions or to think these thoughts, but I did. Geez, I bought some time and I am going to enjoy it to the best of my ability! 

I would much prefer to be who I am today, without looking back.

So please go read the article and share it, like it, pass it on. Comment on it too!

 

 

 

 

The Twilight Zone

We were out and about today and we spotted this tool chest. As you might imagine, any use of the word chest is satisfactory to me, right now. Breast Pockets, Tool Chest, You get the idea. And it is so very red.

This is our newest throw. Made of silk saris sew together by women in India. I am sewing two together as a throw for David and I and a few friends. 

This is Tim’s throw.

This cloth is dreamy. I am in love with the feel. I want a pile of ten. They are just like Jelly Rolls. Just like potato chips, you can’t have just one.

I had potato chips this week! I forgot how much I love them. I had also had a great chinotto soda, Boy! is that soda a treat cold! I love good soda. 

This Sew-plies purse is coming around. The color in this photo is quite yellow. The picture below is a better representation of the actual color. But this one shows my first attempts at needle turn appliqué. I am not great at it but it interests me.

I am now designing the flap and backpack style straps. 

 

This week I have had computer troubles, all flukey type problems. My server keeps blocking my ip address because there is a device here on premises that is attempting to contact it in quick succession. So then I can’t access my web site or The Clever Guild, I call, they, ‘white list’ the problem and it clears for a few days.

I feel like if I touch an electronic device, it is going to act up, get buggy, break, stall, something! Earlier in the week I deleted my entire email account, no idea how I achieved that one. Then I couldn’t upload video content. It has been electronics intensive week!

Geez.

So I have been trying to steer clear of the computer and limit my exposure while still getting what I need to acccomplished.