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Author: Marilyn aka Pandagirl

A Glimpse of Free Motion Class Projects

A Glimpse of Free Motion Class Projects

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I took Ruth’s Free Motion Stitching on Felt class in March. While I have done some free motion before,  it was good for me to stay on task to practice and learn some more about it.  We covered the basics of the machine, moving the fabric, supplies and set up.

At first we practiced a lot of lines, loops and circles to get used to moving the fabric and felt around under the needle.  I definitely needed a lot of practice.

The first piece of felt I practiced on to create dimension was a sample I had done a while back using some scraps of silk paper. If you look closely you can see circles.  However, the felt was just a bit too thick to create too much dimension.

Here is the sample of machine lace I did.  I used a flower pattern which turned out to be too open.   It looked better before I felted it. It’s laying on a piece of paper, but if I were to hold it up to the light it would look like a window.

I did more of the thread sketching and started to feel more comfortable and confident.

Here is  some coral in the water.

My Bird of Paradise.  Here I filled in the back of the leaf where it turned over, but I didn’t like it so I tore out the filling which isn’t fun in felt.

I probably should have just made the leaf whole.

Cathy (Luvswool) had given me some of her felt scraps and I really liked this red piece. (Thanks!) I debated what I could put on it to make use of the red.  Then I decided on a bare tree and some  stones and birds.  I call it Red Dawn.

I used metallic thread on the stones because I felt if they were dewy they would probably reflect differently in the red dawn.

I haven’t finished my final project, but will share that when I do.  It was a great class and it helped me gain confidence and skill.  I still need more practice but feel I made progress.

More Crochet Adventures

More Crochet Adventures

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I took up Lyn’s challenge to crochet a wool bowl then felt it.  I got as far as making a small bowl.  I haven’t had time to felt it yet, but will show you the results when I do.  It’s a little floppy now, but should be firmer after felting.

Then I’ve continued to try new stitches.  Here is the Box stitch which is alike on both sides.

The Crocodile Scale stitch was a bit of a challenge but  definitely has interesting dimension.  It looks like little tongues or leaves, too.

Of course, I had to try a hexagon, this one has a flower center.

Spring is finally here in the Midwest, so I couldn’t resist the Tulip stitch.  Here it is in one color.

 

Then I tried another Tulip stitch and learned how to change colors. It looks entirely different. I decided to finish it with the same stitching as the bottom.

 

Here is the back.

The front really looks like like mini tulips.

My sister Carol’s ewe Dusty recently had a new lamb.  13 lbs. 12 oz!

Happy Spring! (For those of you that are experiencing it now.)

So What Have I Made Lately?

So What Have I Made Lately?

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I know I’ve been a little crochet sample crazy lately.  But I have actually made some crochet beanies.

On April 11, our newest Grandson Ken arrived about 8 weeks early.  So, I was inspired to make some little hats.

Not knowing what size his head was, I made several different ones. And of course, I had to make a couple for my Granddaughter Lisa. I didn’t know her size either, but as it turned out a couple fit her.

Unfortunately,  because he was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) they would not allow him to wear anything from outside.

The first one I made was blue.  It entailed crocheting in the round and using a couple of different stitches.

Then I made a  green one with basically one stitch.

I figured if it was too big the bottom could be folded up.

Then I made a bigger lightweight yellow which is Lisa’s favorite color at the moment.

 

I thought these last two might fit Lisa so I put a flower on each.

Without upturned brim.

So, I shipped them all off. And here is the real model.

Ken came home this week. I don’t know if they have tried the hats yet, but here is our new bundle of joy.  Fortunately, now all the tubes are gone, but he really looks happy.

Here you can see the size differences.  It will be interesting to see which one, if any fit him.

More Crochet Textures

More Crochet Textures

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I continue to be fascinated with the variety of textures that be created with crochet.

While some look similar there are subtle variations that make them unique.

This is the Crunch stitch.  It is a tight pattern that looks similar on both sides. I especially like it with the shiny yarn.

The next two are the Spider stitch. Both were made with the same hook, but because of the difference in yarn, look slightly different.

The Raised Treble Diagonal stitch.  I completed this sample with the same first row just to give it a finished look.  The back of this one is plain.

 

Another favorite is the Primrose stitch or maybe its the color.

 

The Aligned Cobble stitch has two different sides. Its been overcast here, so the photos aren’t the greatest.  The second one on the dark background is the back.

 

The Textured Combo stitch has an interesting texture and is the same both front and back.

 

So, my crochet adventure continues.

 

Finishing a Vase Cover

Finishing a Vase Cover

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Last year I made a couple of vase covers using hand dyed Domestic 56 wool from Cathy (Luvswool).  Normally, I like the bright colors, but I really liked these subtle natural colors. Here is front and back.

But it seemed like it needed something. So, it has been sitting in the UFO pile waiting for some inspiration on how to finish it.

A few weeks ago when I wrote about crochet, Lyn provided a link to make a rose. https://feltingandfiberstudio.com/2017/03/19/discovering-textures-in-crochet/

So, I tried it. It was very easy, thanks Lyn!

Then of course, I had to learn to make leaves and a stem.

When I laid it on the vase cover, I really liked it.

Then I sewed it on.  Here it is finished.

What UFOs have you finished recently?

Shaping up the Crochet

Shaping up the Crochet

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Now that I’ve learned the crochet basics, I’ve challenged myself to follow instructions to learn to make shapes.

I guess I’m really thinking spring because I first tried flowers using two different methods.  I like the yellow one better since the hole is less noticeable.

A little fancier flower which wasn’t as hard as I thought.

Then a circle.

Feeling more confident I did a triangle motif. Since I’m using medium weight yarn it ended up larger than I expected and kind of floppy.  I may try again with a smaller hook and tighter yarn.

Of course, I needed to try  a heart.

And my favorite shape an octagon.

By accident in making an octagon,  I made a nonagon (a nine sided polygon) which I didn’t know existed.   There is a cool animation of how a nonogon is calculated here. It’s not perfectly balanced, but I like it.

All of these were made with combinations of the basic stitches.  It was interesting re-learning how to follow instructions to create these shapes.  I thought the videos would be better, but found I kept referring to written instruction. Probably because I could reread instead of rewinding. That is if the written instructions are accurate which in a couple cases they weren’t.  I did a lot of tearing out and redoing, but that’s how we learn.

Have you tried something new recently?

 

Finishing an Eco Piece

Finishing an Eco Piece

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Last year Cathy (Luvswool) and I did some eco dyeing.  https://feltingandfiberstudio.com/2016/11/03/eco-printing/

They pieces have been hanging around and I was going through them again and decided I liked the heavy cotton one in particular.  It was time to finish it.  Of course, it wasn’t that easy to decide what to do.  At first I thought I’d stitch the flowers and leaves, but I’m not that great at embroidery. So it sat for awhile again.

I really liked the straggly edges. Besides, if I turned the edges over I’d lose some of the nice design. Here is part of the design.  You can see at the top the ragged edge.  The two long sides were not that way, but I spent some time in front of the TV pulling out strands so they would all look the same.

I chose some embroidery threads that reflected the colors of the imprints, but subtle enough not to fight the design.

I did three rows of stitching around the whole piece.

I had decided it would be a wall hanging so I attached a small dowel with loops on the back.

The next question is where would I hang it so it would really look good.  I have a lot of dark walls and some light gold.  It’s hard to see the gold here, but there was some contrast.

My kitchen is teal and generally sunny.

The living room is a deep bronze color.

The family room is deep moss.

We’ve had a lot of dark days here, so I know the photos aren’t the best.

What do you think?

 

Just a quick addition.  This past weekend I met with my siblings in Madison, WI for lunch.  My sister Car brought me a fleece from one of the twin boys born last year – Little Will.  Here’s a quick peek at the open bag which was quite heavy.

While we were having lunch Car’s Granddaughter Madison received pics of two new twins that were just born.  A little boy at 8lbs 12 oz and a girl at 9lbs 6 oz born to ewe Mary.

What a great way to celebrate the get together!

 

It’s That Time of Year

It’s That Time of Year

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Instead of doing another crochet post, I thought I’d share my sister Carol’s good news.

On March 19, I received an email with pics of the latest additions to her sheep family. Twin girls!  They were born at 5 a.m. to Secret Seven. One weighed 10 lbs 15 oz and the other weighed 11 lbs.

The Mom is Dorset & Corriedale.  She was  bred with an East Friesian & Lacaune dairy ram for these cute little lambs. Carol’s granddaughter, Madison, named them Joy and Snowflake, for now.

I had written about her new sheep acquisition last year here:

https://feltingandfiberstudio.com/2016/04/25/welcome-to-the-family/

Carol is expecting her East Friesan/Lacaune dairy ewe will deliver this week.  Her other two Corriedale & Dorest mix will deliver next month.  She has 9 older sheep and the two babies at the moment.  Three Corriedale & Dorset ewes, three Corriedale  & Dorset wethers and two East Friesian & Lucaune dairy ewes and a East Friesian & Lucaune dairy ram.  She’s hoping to get a Corriedale ram this year.

I hadn’t heard of the Friesian or Lacaune breeds. So, I looked them up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Friesian_sheep

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacaune_(sheep)

Evidently, they are both known for their milk being used for gourmet cheeses.  So, my sister plans to milk two of them to make cheese.

While they will be busy with babies, they will also be shearing the sheep soon. Yes, I will be getting fleeces to play with!

 

 

 

 

Discovering Textures in Crochet

Discovering Textures in Crochet

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After learning the basic crochet stitches, I have adventured in practicing more  complicated stitches with unique texture.  You know me always looking for texture and dimension.

The first one I tried was the Mini Bean Stitch.  It took a bit of practice to get the tension right. I like the randomness of the the yarn in this stitch.  It is the same on the front and back.

The next one is the Elizabeth stitch named after the creators daughter.  Sorry about the light.  I took the photo in the only room that had some natural light. This also is the same on both sides.

I found the Suzette stitch very interesting.

The Uneven Berry Stitch has different sides.  One side dimensional and the other flatter. They also like to curl up.

The Lemon Peel Stitch is a nice tight stitch and the same on both sides. It’s actually a nice bright yellow color.

 

It was suggested with the Waist Coat /Center Single Crochet Stitch that variegated yarn be used.  But what I had on hand was a bit too variegated.  I also tried it with a plain color to see the difference.  A lot of Vs in there.

The Slant Stitch was fun.  The recommendation for this stitch was to use a neutral yarn.  But of course, I had to see it in a solid which I think is a bit nicer.

Each stitch has its own personality and texture.  I’m hard pressed to pick a favorite.  Also, each would be practical for different projects.  For example, the Slant Stitch would make an airy scarf.  The Lemon Peel or Waist coat would make a sturdier scarf, hat or pot holder.

Here are two bracelets I crocheted for my granddaughter Lisa in two sizes since I wasn’t sure of her wrist size.  The smaller one fit so now when she grows out of it she has another one. Yellow is her favorite color.

I’m quite fond of the Suzette and Mini Bean stitches just because of the interesting texture and dimension.  What’s your favorite?

The Wild Yarns Experiment Framed

The Wild Yarns Experiment Framed

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Last month I showed you my yarn experiment.  I had woven some yarns then felted them. Many of them were synthetic. If you hadn’t seen the post, here it is:

https://feltingandfiberstudio.com/2017/02/07/wild-and-crazy-yarns-woven-then-felted/

20170205_135832Ruth suggested I put eyes in it. Which I did try.  I needle felted some marbles into the piece.

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Then I mounted it on a canvas frame. Her it’s laying on the counter.

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But when I hung it on the wall, it creeped me out. So, I removed the marbles and needlefelting.  Sorry about the dark pic, it’s been raining and snowing here all day.

 

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What do you think?