Saturday, August 12, 2023

New stitching thoughts, Ash and Alabama Chanin

 I was out this morning,redraping the morning glory foliage, now climbing all over after I removed it from the Japanese maple



Then noticed yet again the lovely leaf shape. 

Between watching Ash on YouTube recreate a leaf dress, large leaf shapes hanging from a tunic, jury's out, and  today's MDK newsletter talking about the upcoming Alabama Chanin hand stitched appliqued clothing workshop, often using natural leaf forms, I was ready for this.


So I used the herb garden as a design source, all the leaves so different and purposeful.





This is the spice bush next to the herbs


and zinnia leaves.

I'm going to pick samples of each, create stencils and silhouettes from the shapes, the cut outs becoming the silhouettes. I'll use them for sashiko embroidery,  and direct applique and reverse applique, maybe on new items, maybe applied to clothes I already have.  

You never know when ideas will get around and meet each other and result in cool new ideas. Baby ideas! Some of these new ideas may come to rest on that embroidered robe, with all sorts of embroidery already in place, reviving it, remember that?

So that's what happens when I'm starting one project I'm unsure about, another,  further along,  comes up. I'll finish threading the heddle for the rug, then get into weaving, which might be a fairly quick project.

I haven't been at my knitting group for a while, between hot weather and fridges, and find these days my tolerance for people has decreased. A few minutes is fine, but I get impatient with hearing the same things. 

I abandoned the discussion group at the other library once I realized people simply repeated the same points no matter where the topic started. And that some believed all sorts of unlikely things about politics. I felt disturbed, and thought I'd better preserve my peace of mind, rather than get enmeshed.

Maybe I'll return in September to the knitting folks, no rush. Meanwhile I am occupied. Handsome Son is visiting next Saturday for his birthday, finally. I did caution him that it's tea and dessert, my energy not being equal to more cooking in this weather, which seems fine by him.

Jane Parr, alternating with A Glass of Blessings, by Barbara Pym, is an odd reading program but it's working. I've read the Pym many times, never fails.

I'm st the end of season two of Suits, and wondering if I'm up for more seasons of conflict and high tension. I may need a hiatus!

Happy day, or hiatus, everyone.

 



23 comments:

  1. what great ideas to use those leaf designs, right out of your garden, turning into pretties of applique or embroidery. very creative idea.

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    1. I do like cutting stencils from my ideas, yes.

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  2. It seems that Morning Glory borders on being a weed, but I htink it is a pretty controllable weed, and I like it.

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    1. It's considered a terrible nuisance in regions without a winter freeze. Here it's just an annual, easy to clear up in fall.

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  3. In the year or so I've known you there has never been a time without a making project or three! I don't know if it is because of the pandemic or just me, but I also have lower tolerance for people. I'm an old hermit.

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    1. I think the pandemic made a lot of us more of what we are. Sociable people went mad wanting to open up and be in groups. I was happy to have a legitimate reason not to!
      I think in my lifetime there's never been a time without making. It's hardwired.

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  4. I have no patience with discussion groups I'm afraid. As you say the same topics are covered by the same people over and over, and minds are frequently closed.
    Re Suits, are you curious about how women can walk in those skirts and shoes? Or breathe come to that

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    1. The shoes! Are they all dancers, used to going on pointe? I could never.

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  5. My favorite old baggy shorts with lots of pockets ripped recently so I mended them with my first attempt at sashiko. I was more impressed at the end than I expected to be but it is only parallel lines of tiny running stitches - no attempt at design of embellishment. Can't wait to see yours with shapes and colour and all.

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    1. Blogger inserted Debra's comment while mine was waiting to publish. Scroll down a bit for your reply.

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  6. Yes indeed, there are so many beautiful and unique leaf shapes -- a great idea for a project!

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    1. I've drawn and painted them so much, why not just outright swipe them, I say!

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  7. Sashiko is a favorite stitch, so good for reinforcement and repair, as well as decoration. Very Japanese idea, why not make the functional also beautiful. Good for you for trying it, but knowing something of your skills, I think you're being a bit modest about the results.

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  8. I guess I do a lot of Sashiko in my own mending but I would like to spend some time looking at images of many examples. I think your upcoming project sounds absolutely right.

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  9. I love the idea of leaves as a skirt.
    Reminds me of woodland fairies. Maybe that’s just my over active imagination lol
    Yes. I too have been going sporadically to my knitting group. Sitting at home alone with my yarn sounds just too blissful

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    1. The leaf dress was a fantasy cosplay idea, so you're right on the point.

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  10. Beautiful display of leaf shapes! Nothing can compete with Nature's elements!

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  11. I like your leaf designs idea. I remember my two forays into applique fondly. Straight applique (OK) and reverse (the hardest thing I ever did). I gave up the fine needlework to me mother, an accomplished seamstress. I believe I mentioned that--over and over.

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  12. What a great idea regarding the leaf shapes. You are so creative, Boud.

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  13. That's the best thing about being a creative person - the ideas we manage to come up with that keep us interested and engaged. Case in point for me recently was the hexie sky I used for the current landscape. Resident Chef thought I'd really gone off the deep end on that one but he's coming around now. I think part of being creative is the fact that we tend to easily get bored with doing the same things over and over and need to change it up.
    Going to be interested in seeing what you do with the leaf shapes!

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