They're At It Again...........................!

Expatchers gathered for another day of sharing--

we swap stories of our adventures as we work on our current project.

Sometimes, there are sad tales but most of the time we laugh till we cry;

give encouraging hugs all around for the tough times--

Here's what went down on this day!

Brenda was working on her half square triangles

to create magically pinwheels

Everything is cut and ready for assembling

Here is her goal--

Our hostess Judy is quilting either Ronald MacDonald or Binky quilts

Here she's hand stitching the binding on this colorful children's quilt

All lined up and ready to sew--Debby is working on our friendship square swap quilt

Annette has her paper pieced grandmother's square pieces all ready for stitching

Karen was doing the binding on her finished quilt--Trip Around The World

Then we take a trip around Judy's wonderful studio to enjoy the festivities of the season

She always has the most wonderful creations in her studio

Ready for fall holidays

No witches here!  Just friends who are 'bewitchingly ' blessed!

The Bird Did What??

I think you'll find this a fascinating read, much as I did!

This is small excerpts from Hyperallergic post on how the bird based

color system became Patone 

An effort to describe the diversity of birds led to one of the first modern color systems. Published by Smithsonian ornithologist Robert Ridgway in 1886, A Nomenclature of Colors for Naturalists categorizes 186 colors alongside diagrams of birds. In 1912, Ridgway self-published an expanded version for a broader audience — Color Standards and Color Nomenclature — that included 1,115 colors. Some referenced birds, like “Warbler Green” and “Jay Blue,” while others corresponded to other elements of nature, as in “Bone Brown” and “Storm Gray.”

Ridgway’s scientific work was inspired by Milton Bradley, who, along with selling board games, was a proponent of color education. He published Elementary Color in 1895 and manufactured a color wheel that, when spun, visually mixed different hues. Daniel Lewis, author of a 2012 biography of Ridgway, wrote in an article for Smithsonian magazine that the ornithologist paid tribute to Bradley in his color system with “Bradley’s Blue” and “Bradley’s Violet.” Lewis added that Ridgway’s “book evolved into the Pantone color chart,” the first edition of which was printed in 1963.

Math and Knitting

When I saw this--I was blown away!  I know math is involved in most aspects of our lives, but 

to think Pat Ashforth & Steve Plummer - Mathekniticians did this with knitting--

like oh WOW!

Plunge yourself into their world of Woolly Thoughts and you'll be magically transported

I've down some Illusion knitting, but this takes the cake!

This is their fanciful afghan--okay, my brain is in overload!  I'm so glad

their brains are working for me!

Waulking The Cloth

I was walking through my memory album the other day--this album contains all my memories of adventures, trials and tribulations.  I came across the photos of the days when we would Waulk cloth for a demonstration at a local plantation.  In those days, I would weave wool yardage in traditional Scottish fashion to be Waulked at these demos.  And we would waulk the cloth with our Scottish friend singing a Gaelic song for us to keep time and pound the cloth!  

  

Waulking (in Gaelic ruadh) is the technique of finishing the newly-woven tweed by soaking it and thumping it rhythmically to shrink and soften it - all done by hand in the old days. The songs served to keep the rhythm and lighten the work.

Here you have the sounds of waulking with gaelic song.

Here are some of my photos from 1996 when we did several rounds of waulking with Norman Kennedy at Oakley Plantation, Audubon State Park (the location where John Jay Audubon painted his famous bird scenes--but there's another time for the blog on that)

The wool fabric is wetted, waulked around the table and once fulled to the master's satisfaction, laid out and wound around a board that allows it to dry.  Norman, or the master waulker, blesses the blankets for future generations.  These blanket was woven for my grandkids.

An article was written on this topic for Handwoven magazine--Waulking The Web--

if you ever have a chance to participate in waulking, jump right in!

I've retired from weaving blankets--I've done my 12 as required for the Acadian hope chest.

The Power of Color

We live in a vibrant and colourful world, but few of us truly appreciate the sheer power of the hues around us. This course will lift the lid on the world of colour: exploring the science behind the shades, the theories beyond the tints and the cultural impact of colour.

Join for Free

Future Learn

Seven week course that begins October 17

Understand the science behind colour

On the course we’ll take a closer look at how humans interpret colour - examining the physics and biology that determine our colour perception and getting to grips with how the brain processes colour.

Explore different colour theories

Throughout the course we’ll explore and evaluate different colour theories and apply them in real-world situations. We’ll also meet an eclectic and inspirational group of creative professionals and hear about their personal relationships with colour, as well as examining the use of colour in different disciplines like graphic design and art.

Learn about colour and culture

Broadening our scope, we’ll look at colour from a global and cultural perspective - examining colour preferences in different countries and even looking at the colours of 2016. We’ll then zoom in further to see colour in a more local sense: examining the colours of London and inviting you to share and contrast the colours of your home location.

Get confident using colours

As this course continues your appreciation of colour, and confidence in using colours, will grow. You’ll learn about digital tools that support colour discovery and manipulation and how these are employed in interior design specifically, giving insight into combining colours to achieve a desired effect and create drama and impact in the home.

We hope you’ll finish the course inspired and ready to express yourself confidently through your colour choices; presenting your work, your world and yourself with colourful and creative originality!

C

design, to the colours of 2016.

J

Knitting For Cool Weather--Scarf!

Can we say 'FAB-U-LOUS!  Love it! 

Knitty has the most awesome patterns for any season.

And this pattern is super duper using variegated sock yarn--can you

believe that you use only one skein!

Pincha by Pinpilan Wangsai

The Mighty Structo Lives On!

Our Weaver Study Group is weaving away on Structos!  Those mighty little but powerful looms are ringing out with warp and weft.  The group is working on mug mats for the state conference to be held in 2017.  We have promised 170 mats for the brunch meal.

These wonderful looms are quite portable, easy to carry to workshops or meetings.

at one time I bought a lot of 5 of these gems but I sold them

all--it's okay though--other weavers are enjoying the delights of weaving

The warp of the mats will be 4.5" wide by 4.5" in the state conference colors

There has been much discussion about the sett of the warp--either 36 epi or 30 epi,

so both are being woven using 5/2 cotton or 10/2 doubled.  We'll see where they land.

Several had taken a rep weave workshop earlier this year so using that knowledge to

create this layout.  The weft is one shot of thin and one shot of thick.

Weaving is slow work, but the weavers trudge on

Gerry bought an eight harness Structo and this information booklet came with it.

Dated 1959 

And take a look at the price list--in 1959, you could purchase one of these looms

for $22.50 for 4 harness or $37.50 for 8 harness.  Gerry said she paid $300 for 

her 8 harness!  My, my how things to go up with value.

If you have one of these structo looms, you have a good deal!

Columbus Day--

Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries in the Americas and elsewhere which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in and the discovery of the American Continent on October 12, 1492. The landing is celebrated as "Columbus Day" in the United States, as "Día de la Raza" ("Day of the Race") in many countries in Latin America and as "Día de la Hispanidad" and "Fiesta Nacional" in Spain, where it is also the religious festivity of la Virgen del Pilar. It is also celebrated as Día de las Américas (Day of the Americas) in Belize and Uruguay, as Discovery Day in the Bahamas, as Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural (Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity) in Argentina and as Giornata Nazionale di Cristoforo Colombo or Festa Nazionale di Cristoforo Colombo in Italy and in the Little Italys around the world.^[1][2] These holidays have been celebrated unofficially since the late 18th century and officially in various countries since the early 20th century.

Columbus Day first became an official state holiday in Colorado in 1906, and became a federal holiday in the United States in 1937, though people have celebrated Columbus's voyage since the colonial period. In 1792, New York City and other U.S. cities celebrated the 300th anniversary of his landing in the New World. President Benjamin Harrison called upon the people of the United States to celebrate Columbus Day on the 400th anniversary of the event. During the four hundredth anniversary in 1892, teachers, preachers, poets and politicians used Columbus Day rituals to teach ideals of patriotism. These patriotic rituals took themes such as citizenship boundaries, the importance of loyalty to the nation, and celebrating social progress.^[3][4][5]

Many Italian-Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of their heritage, the first occasion being in New York City on October 12, 1866.^[6] Columbus Day was first enshrined as a legal holiday in the United States through the lobbying of Angelo Noce, a first generation Italian, in Denver. The first statewide Columbus Day holiday was proclaimed by Colorado governor Jesse F. McDonald in 1905, and it was made a statutory holiday in 1907.^[7] In April 1934, as a result of lobbying by the Knights of Columbus and New York City Italian leader Generoso Pope, Congress and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt proclaimed October 12 a federal holidayunder the name Columbus Day.^[7][8][9]

Since 1970 (Oct. 12), the holiday has been fixed to the second Monday in October,^[10] coincidentally exactly the same day as Thanksgiving in neighboring Canada fixed since 1959. It is generally observed nowadays by banks, the bond market, the U.S. Postal Service, other federal agencies, most state government offices, many businesses, and most school districts. Some businesses and some stock exchanges remain open, and some states and municipalities abstain from observing the holiday.^[11] The traditional date of the holiday also adjoins the anniversary of the United States Navy (founded October 13, 1775), and thus both occasions are customarily observed by the Navy (and usually the Marine Corps as well) with either a 72- or 96-hour liberty period.

39 ++++Still Counting!

Happy Birth---day to Me!

Yes, I have always said I was 39 when asked "how old are you?" 

Then I add "plus x number of years".  It takes awhile to

add the two numbers together--

I enjoy my age, even with the aches and pains of the body.

No, I don't want to look my age--but, the other

day a young-er gal said to me

"I'm looking forward to having gray hair.  I figured I earned them!"

I thought what a great thought!

But, I'm still highlighting my gray head, people!!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sterling LaBosky owner of Sterling Quilt Company, has designed this super quick table runner project. Fall is her favorite season, October is Sterling's favorite month, and Halloween is a favorite holiday, and this recipe is perfect for your favorite fall mini charm pack. It’s also the perfect project to break out of your white background comfort zone. Black and…BOO!

This table runner finishes at 18″ x 34″.

1 Chestnut Street by Fig Tree & Co. mini charm pack
1/2 yard background fabric {Bella Solid Washed Black 9900 118}
1/4 yard pumpkin fabric {Bella Solid Snow 9900 11}
2/3 yard backing fabric
1/4 yard binding fabric

You can find this pattern recipe Moda Bake Shop

Stitching Christmas! Never too early.........................

Val Laird has the first of six free Christmas Tree ornaments that she will be sharing with you. There will be a new one added each fortnight. Here is the Christmas Pudding:

She has added embroidery and some crochet techniques to

her unique ornaments.

You can find this pattern along with the other forthcoming ones

in Craftsy

Weave, Wove, Woven

It was weavers gathering day!  Hurray!  Always a great time to see what my fellow

weavers are doing in their studio.

Marion showed off her inkle woven bookmarks that she gave as thank you to

her garden club members.

She used natural colored cotton (green and brown) in this tape woven lenght

She also had this 'dog' off the loom after 5 years!  It's is absolutely lovely!

Light and fluffy as a cloud with this mohair boucle yarn--hard to weave that's for sure,

but a real bonus for her sofa this winter.

Not all our talk is about wovens.  Connie was showing off the indigo dyed

napkins, stitched in patterns.  These napkins will be used for the

state conference luncheon

So many interesting and unique patterns in shibori technique

The guild is hosting stitching days where anyone can assist with these

stitchings and learn some new techniques in the process

Every napkin is different!

We'll need over 200 napkins as luncheon favors

This is my favoritef!

Connie was demonstrating how to achieve these lines in the cloth with

resist stitching

Penny showed off her woven fabrics to be used as aprons.

She used an overshot pattern between plain weave.

Look closely and you can see how the plain weave does the 'tracking' element

when washed.  This has to do with the way the fibers are twisted and spun--

nice patterning technique

Penny also had these interesting towels she wove in Cottolin.

And Penny has these wonderful linen washcloths that she makes every year for the guild sale.

These sale like hotcakes--she pairs them with goat milk soap--perfect gift!

Super duper day spent with friends of like mind.

Hats--Done!!

This was such fun to knit--I hastily picked up a ball of yarn and my needles as we

were going out of town.  I need something to do with my hands as we travel.

Knit, knit, knit--follow the pattern and soon I see that the yarn is changing colors

Well, I'll be!  This is a ball of leftovers!  yarns that have been wound together

into a ball--forgot I did that! 

 But, who cares--I like the color changes!

This was Sea Folk by Jennifer Lysen

This is the second hat off my needles--It is Picacho Peak

by  Alyssa Latuchie 

The yarn is silk and feels so soft; will be nice to stuff into a coat

pocket for anytime use.

New Publication!

a date has been set for the first issue! There are a lot of foundational instruction to write, patterning to check, and stash to organize before we go live. Plus plenty of time to contribute your ideas into the first issue. Here is what's going on behind the scenes.

Preface: What is THIS yarn and How to Organize Your Stash
Chapter One: Knitting
Chapter Two: Crochet
Chapter Three: Weaving
Chapter Four: Fiber Art

Every pattern will be organized by yarn texture (tailspun, coiled, etc.) and yardage (1-25, 25-50, 50-100, etc.) and weight/WPI (TBD). We are coming up with names for defining weights of "Super Bulky" that are most common in the industry. The commercial yarn industry has "Fingering" "Lace" "Worsted" "Chunky" etc. We need terms too - don't you agree? 

RE-DO!

Have you ever finished a project, stepped back and gave it a good look, and just didn't like what you see?  That happens to me all the time--wish I had a magic mirror that would tell me--"Don't do it with that fiber or fabric!"  It would be so much easier.

I finished the first block of "Be My Neighbor" by Moda, sponsored by Bear Creek Quilting Company

And I did NOT like it!  Not only did I get the chimneys off the roof, but I just didn't like the fabric

I selected.  It's always interesting how the selection of fabric makes a difference.

Then the light bulb went off in my head--why not use plaids for my neighborhood?

DUH!  I have a whole box of plaids just waiting to be accommodated--

and then went I dropped into Creations last week and saw this 

awesome PLAID quilt on their welcoming wall--I just knew 

Plaids were the way to go!

Navajo Code Talkers Quilt

I just had to buy a bundle of plaids and stripes!

This is such a neat looking quilt.  I hope to make my

Neighborhood plaid friendly!

This is the second block in the neighborhood and it's plaids.  Haven't redone the first

block yet so I'm on schedule to behind in this project!!

Pockets--Or Purse?

I began to think about pockets recently when I left my purse in a restaurant and the restaurant was closed for

three days before I could retrieve it.  What a blow!  Cancelled my credit cards right off the bat--

then I'm thinking, oh dear, new driver's license--the dread of standing in line for that...............

So, why don't I just use my pockets instead of a purse?

Can't leave a pocket, that's for sure!

Aside (I did retrieve my purse!  the server placed it in the safety vault--am I relieved--except for the credit cards I cancelled!--)

Hence, my brain went to thinking about the history of pockets, especially for women.

History of Pockets 

Once upon a time, everyone carried bags. In the Medieval era, both men and women tied their bags to the waist or wore them suspended from belts; these bags looked very much like Renfaire fanny packs. As the rural world grew more urban and criminals more sophisticated, people cunningly hid their external pockets under layers of clothing to hinder cutpurses; men’s jackets and women’s petticoats were outfitted with little slits that allowed to you access your tied-on pockets through your clothing.

The French Revolution changed everything. While the mid-eighteenth century lavished in rococo, wide skirts that screamed decadence and wealth in their yards and yards of fabric, the end of the eighteenth century whispered restraint. Skirts pulled in close to the body, the natural waist crept ever upward, and the silhouette thinned to a slender column. This neoclassical look had no room for pouchy pockets, yet women still needed to carry their stuff. The reticule, a small, highly decorated purse, was born — and like a pernicious poltergeist, it has never really gone away. On the heels of the reticule, chatelaines— waist chains that resemble big, tinkling charm bracelets for the very busy — came into the consumer consciousness in 1828. Unlike purses, which hid everything away, these fashionable belts put women’s necessities on display.Only in the late seventeenth century did pockets make their move to become part of men’s clothing, permanently sewn into coats, waistcoats, and trousers; women’s pockets, however, failed to make the same migration. Lacking built-in pockets, women continued to hide their tied-on pockets, which were large, often pendulous bags. Secreted under their petticoats, panniers, and bustles, these highly decorated pockets swung heavy with their contents. You could fit a lot in those pockets — sewing kits, food, keys, spectacles, watches, scent bottles, combs, snuffboxes, writing materials, and money all found their place.

Pockets in women’s dress hit a watershed moment in the fin-de-siècle Rational Dress campaign. Founded in 1891, the Rational Dress Society called for women to dress for health, ditching corsets in favor of boneless stays and bloomers, wearing loose trousers, and adopting clothing that allowed for movement, especially bicycling. It hit its pinnacle just around the turn of the century, a time when men’s suits sported somewhere around 15 pockets — so it’s no coincidence that pockets abound in Rational Dress. An 1899 New York Times piece makes the somewhat tongue-in-cheek claim that civilization itself is founded on pockets. "As we become more civilized, we need more pockets," the piece says, "No pocketless people has ever been great since pockets were invented, and the female sex cannot rival us while it is pocketless."