Sew.......What's Up?

Okay, I know I said I'd try to get better at keeping up with the blog, and I was........until I found Ravelry. Oh Ravelry, you have stolen my heart! Think of it as Facebook for knitters/crocheters/spinners. It's amazing. So many projects! In fact, the reason I haven't been keeping up with the blog is because I can't seem to get away from Ravelry long enough to write up a post! But, I will try really, really hard. I promise. <_<;; No seriously.

Okay, so since updates kinda fell by the wayside, I'll fill you in on some of the things I've been doing lately!

First up are the first pieces of clothing I've ever made! Okay, yes they're for historical re-enactment, but they're still garments!

I really like this one. I happened to get really freaking lucky with the mix of fabrics I had, and I just so happened to have the perfect color yarn to weave the trim and sash with! It couldn't have turned out better!

Now this one is sooo comfortable. It's a really light-weight fabric and the facing for the neck is fleece. I LOOVE it! I can't wait to wear it more often! The sash was a bit of an experiment. I made it out of Patons Silk Bamboo yarn. It's really soft, but it has the tendency to shed a bit. It's nothing too extreme. Just something I've noticed.

Okay, I'm really excited about this bag. It's made out of leftover fabric from the first tunic, and is perfect for knitting projects or anything else I need to put in there! It has gotten a lot of use already, and I foresee it getting a lot more in the future.

This Week In Craft Land

My new workspace! I'm in love

Alrighty, time to show you inquisitive people what's been going on this week! There's quite a few projects that were warped (and finally finished), some great buys to help me later down the road, and some other projects as well! Well, what are you waiting for, come check it out!

Alright, first up, is a sash I wove with silk bamboo. I love how this piece turned out, and this is one I think I'm putting up in my Etsy store. Not sure though. Colors are Black/Burgundy/White. One of my favorite patterns to be sure.

Yeah, I definitely like this sash. The tassels on it are the longest I've done to date, and they're so cool. I will definitely have to make more like this. Although, I'll do different colors to keep it fun and fresh.  ^_^

Next, time for something I've never made before, and as such, makes me extremely proud that I could. I made a bag! And it's one that I sewed together all by myself! Hehe

Speaking of Sewing; I'm making a tunic with the help of Mistress Sine. It's going to be the same fabric as the bag above (in fact the bag is made from the scraps left over from the tunic) and some trim I've made! So, there's the trim I made to go around the collar and (if I calculated take-up correctly) the cuffs of the tunic. 

You can't really see the pattern 100% clearly, but I still really like it. I can't wait until it's on the tunic and ready to be shown off!

Now for something I've wanted for months. Like, around the time I joined the SCA. A ball winder. These little contraptions are amazing, and this makes some projects sooo much easier! Having a huge skein of yarn that I want to do something with is great, but when I need to seperate it out into smaller balls for other projects, things got annoying. This way, I can always have the amount of yarn I need, when I need it! Mwahaha! +_+

Oh, did I mention that I'm spinning? No? Well I am. And it's awesome. I recently recieved some wool/mohair that can be spun, and I'm thuroughly enjoying it. I love the colors, even though Etienne doesn't. hehe. It's a seafoam/peach mix, and I think it's going to make great yarn. Even better, now that I have a ball winder, I can put it into a center pull skein when I'm done spinning it! How awesome is that!?

Temptation Tuesday: Green With Envy

Edit: Oops! I accidentally forgot to hit Publish instead of saving this as a draft. ^_^;; Here it is a few hours late.

Eek! I almost forgot about TT! However, I shall prevail! This week I'm going green with my TT picks. Check them out! All of these items are from my Etsy Treasury list, Green With Envy. To see the rest of my treasury, click here!

If you love handmade leather journals like it do, Kreativlink is the shop for you! I want pretty much everything they have to sell. Man I need to win the lottery. *sigh*

Next is this beautiful lampwork bead keychain thing. I could so see myself using something like this for a Kumihimo weight. Stunning and simple. Check out DaisygatorDesigns for more beautiful items!

Now, now. What do we have here? Something I have decided I am going to make a bazillion of once I get a loom. These woven bags are awesome! Simple, stunning and the effect of a woven bag is hard to beat. Yeah, I am so jealous of The1919 for their woven items.

Finally is something I had to include. Hand-dyed, hand-spun yarn. I ADORE these colors. The teals, greens and sages are perfection. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find where Debland makes their fantastic yarns and........maybe add to my stash some more. Or just drool over their HUGE collection of yarns.

Temptation Tuesday

Huzzah! It looks like I might just be able to stick to a schedule of sorts when it comes to posting certain things! That's really good news since it helps me keep the days straight. ^_^;;

Without further ado, let's check out what's got my mouth watering this week!

Oh what dreams I allow myself to have! I stumbled upon this beauty and one day I will have one.

 

The   Schacht Baby Wolf Weaving Loom is a beauty of a loom. I've watched various videos on weaving with it, and it looks marvelous. I can't wait to get my hands on one down the road. Until then, I think I'll set my sights on something a little more reasonable. 

Introducing the Leclerc Bergere Rigid Heddle Weaving Loom! At 24inches of width, I can easily say that this would be more than enough to keep my hunger for a good loom at bay. Check out the beauty this thing is!

Now for my Etsy pick! For those of you who didn't know, there's an SCA group on Etsy, and it's marvelous. The variety of items that are available just through that group alone is mind-boggling. This weeks pick comes from Etsy seller Woodsholme and wow. Just wow. The hand embroidered patches that she is able to create are beautiful! 

How awesome is that!? Answer: Pretty freaking awesome. Who wouldn't want one of these beauties on, let's say that cloak you just made? I know I would!

Yay for weaving patterns!

 What a great resource I have found for all you weavers out there! Now, by weavers, I mean those who use more than just an inkle loom. Sadly, this particular website (founded in 2004) doesn't have any inkle woven patterns. Oh well, maybe someday they'll carry such things. After all, the items you can create with an inkle loom and some ingenuity can be just as complex and beautiful as any rigid heddle loom.

Check out Handweaving.net for some great ideas for your next project. I know once I get a rigid heddle loom, this is going to be my first stop. :D

Hand Weaving Drafts - Handweaving.net Hand Weaving and Draft Archive

If you sneezed while reading this little snippet of an entry, bless your face.

Mmmm, Fiber-y Goodness And Other Delicious Projects

Hey everyone! What an amazing weekend! For those of you who don't know, this past saturday (July 9) was A Day in the Park, and it was AWESOME! I could have done without the 2 hour drive there and back, but it was well worth the trip! Classes were attended, friends were made, and good food was had. What more could a guy ask for!?

Well, first off let my gawk about the classes (formal and informal) that I took! First was learning how to spin wool on a drop spindle by Mistress Lydia. It was sooooo much fun! My only regret is that I didn't take a picture of the first yarn I spun. Oh well......... There will be more, and I hope it will be just as fun! I also watcher Mistress Lydia spin on a wheel. I didn't actually try it myself this time, but I got the concept and the theoretical motions down. All that I need to develop now is the muscle memory and technique!

Next was the lampwork bead class! Yes, I took another one and had just as much fun. ^_^ That's always a good sign. I have learned that I like the thicker mandrils for making beads on. They're just so much easier for me to turn. The thinner ones take waaaaay too much concentration for me right now. A funny thing I've noticed though, bead release has a really bad habit of not releasing my beads. I think it should be re-named. Just sayin'. Once they finish soaking so I can get them off the mandrils, I'll take pictures of them. I made three this time. One of them has this AWESOME metallic black glass. Two words; LOVE IT! 

I also took some time later on in the day to learn some viking wire weaving from Lady Serena. It was so cool! You think I'd realize the things you could make with loops, but somehow this snuck up on me! 

Now, you might be wondering what Etienne was doing this whole time. Well, fret not, I shall answer your question, you inquisitive grasshopper, you. He made a basket! It's so freaking cool!! It's most likely going to be used to store my weaving yarn, which I am totally okay with. I mean, come on, awesome basket, for my yarn, uh.......duh! I'd be stupid not to jump on that like white on me. 

Then there was the food.........*drifts off, drooling* Oh the food was so delicious! Egill Gullbjarnarson was kind enough to open up his home to host the BBQ/Potluck extravaganza! BBQ pig, various fruits and veggies and salads, and who can forget the desserts? I still want more pie <_<. Just sayin'. 

Oh!! I almost forgot! I learned how to use a marudai! It was so freaking cool!!! The ease and flow of using this device compared to the foam disk is night and day! I was able to make a lanyard on the marudai in about 1/3 of the time it  would have taken me on the foam disk. I am a convert, and I will get one now.

All in all, I had so much fun. I met a lot of people and got to know others much more. I wouldn't have traded the experiences I had this Saturday for anything. It was perfection.


Edit: Holy crap! How did I even forget that I had a display!? I displayed 7 of my woven pieces. 3 belts, 3 pieces of trip and 1 brocaded bookmark. I feel sooo silly for not remembering to put that in. >_< Quitting smoking has really made my short-term memory get messed up. Also, I got my second commission there! YAY!!

Inspiration!

Have you ever had one of those moments where you just HAD to try something? Has it nagged you constantly until you finally gave in and tried that cruel seductress? Well, I was having one of those days today after getting my new book in the mail today!

So, for those of you who don't know, this is the book I got:

 

(This picture is of Baroness Sine's copy, not mine ^_^)

I am in love with it. There are so many things to learn, and ways to help me get the most out of weaving. Now, I haven't read through the book yet, but I have skimmed and just so happened to stumble upon, Chapter VI. Pick It Up.

JACKPOT!!

This is what I've been trying to learn for at least a month now, but online sources are scarce and videos are even harder to come by. You see why I was itching to get something done today. This something. Well......more specifically;

this something. It's a pretty little tree!

(hopefully you didn't need the explanation or else I have more work to do)

Here's the warping, excuse the heating pads under the bed <_<;;

I'm really proud of how it's turning out so far. I can't wait to try more patterns that are in the book. There are 4 different types of pick-up; Brocade, Basket weave background, spotted background (Andean Pebble Weave me thinks?) and horizontal stripe background. Each style has many different selections of patterns to choose from! So much to do, so little time!!

I should be off! Time to head to A&S night where I can get some of these patterns written down to finish this piece!

Trim!!!

Weee! Ever since I got my inkle loom the weekend of Sapphire Joust (May 27-30) this year, I can't stop weaving on it! I have to admit, some of my other projects have fallen a bit by the wayside, but worry not ye of little faith, I shall finish them (eventually <_<;;)!!!



I really love how simple and relaxing weaving can be. Not to mention the fact that it's inspiring to watch little cones of thread become fabric! It's always so amazing and beautiful to me. That process is something that I have come to love about the fiber arts. Being able to transform one product and through some simple manipulations, create something beautiful is something that I hope I never lose the love of. I think at the heart of every fiber art enthusiast, there needs to be that raw passion to create and manipulate, watching something new come into the world through hard work, patience (sometimes a lot of patience) and a steady hand. I hope I never lose this sense of wonder for what I do. It's what keeps me wanting to do more and dig deeper.

Now, enough about that, wanna see what I've been making!? Cool! Me too! ^_^


This is the first trim that I made! I'm so proud of it. I got the thread I use for weaving at Earth Guild and it's amazing. A little on the pricy side, but for 800 yards per tube, I think it's well worth the investment.

Here's where I started experimenting with patterns! I love how you can make chains with inkle weaving! Such a simple design, but it has a great effect! 

Alright, this one took some time to get done. With how wide it is, advancing the warp was at times tricky, but I managed to do it! The pattern took some real concentration to warp, but it was well worth the effort in my humble opinion. :D

I loved making this trim. Clean and simple (notice it's the same pattern as the second picture?). I love how changing colors can change the look and feel of a completed piece. *swoon* I didn't really have any plans for this trim and one of my friends mentioned that they were his heraldic colors, so it became a gift! Hopefully he'll get some good use out of it. 

 Ahh, the belt...........*stab*. I joke. Kinda. At the request of Etienne, I wove him a belt. With silk/bamboo thread. Working with the nice smooth cotton is really awesome, the sticky, temperamental and cranky silk/bamboo? Not so much. Oh well, the finished product was beautiful and soft, and I guess it's a good starting place for when I start to weave with wool.  

 I'm really proud of this trim. It's the first thing I've made for a gift basket for another Kingdom (Caid, to be specific)! In fact, I've only made one other thing for a gift basket and that was at the baronial level. *shrugs* Oh well, at least now I know that I can make and give stuff to other kingdoms that they'll (hopefully) enjoy! I decided to use a different color for the weft threads on this trim. I wanted it to stand out and be unique, and I think I achieved that.

After a few commissions get finished and I make a belt for myself, I'll probably finish up my other projects. I still have a bag to knit for a friend and of course start getting ready for WoW and In The Phoenix Eye. So much to do!!

Until next time!
Bless your face