Unpacking and Organizing

 

When we return to our winter home, it always takes me some time to unpack and revamp myself to the location.  I think it gets worse with age, too!  During the summer, I've worked on a few quilt blocks that need to be blanket stitched so I wait till I get to my Bernia machine to do that work; which means there are hours of sitting at the machine doing nothing but blanket stitch.

Finally!  finished all the blocks for this Fatcat Patterns quilt top.  Why I do these I don't know?  Or yes I do--these make such great quilts.

The owls of the wild are ready to be together so I lay the blocks on the floor to get the whole view--it's also exercise from one room to the other!

These fellows are just darn whoooting great!! 

I have three orphan block quilt tops to border and decide on a backing--I'm thinking the backs should be orphan fabrics too.

Okay, here we go at the machine; ready for that blanket stitch as I work on The Quilt Show  2014 BOM (block of the month).

I have the majority of the center finished; just need to work on the border--which includes lots of applique

Another Row of the month (ROM) mystery top--look on the sidebar to find the link

First row is finished--easy to do with paper piecing instructions

Still working on the Penguins from Sindy's website.  Such jolly birds!  Okay, I really should stop making these--maybe, next year--if she doesn't post anything really clever or cute!  I promise!

Weavers' EYE CANDY..............................................

The First of the Month is a brimming with weavers gatherings and along with those meetings come much delicious hand wovens with rich bright colors!

 

Connie is another weaver that was fortunate to travel with five other weavers to Sweden for a super duper trip  and what do weavers do but find textiles--all sorts of wonderful textiles!  Here are two of the pieces that Connie purchased--don't you love the rich reds and greens?!

Here is a towel--

and this is their washcloth--linen! 

and sponges!!  how great is this!

more linen towels--Connie purchased unhemmed so she can add her personal touch

M's & O's pattern on this linen towel--the beige on the left is one of Connie's hand-woven towels so we could compare the handle of before and after washing

a feast for the eyes

Connie is also a spinner so she inquired about flax and here is what she bought--nice long staple and ready to spin.

Each Jacquard woven towel has the designers name on the info card along with other pertinent information

Such a lively woven towel

Not only do we show off our wovens, we have knits to drape around our shoulders.  This is Susan's latest scarf from cotton yarn

Susan is mastering cables and did nicely with this soft scarf for her granddaughter

Pat said she was swearing off weaving--NOT!  She is back at the loom with this delightful draw string bag.

Don't you think this one yarn is brown in color?  No, says Pat--but purple.  Amazing how colors change with other colors in the warp

our creative Dotty had this needle punched pouch to show off--

We'd love to have one of these in our stash!

Penny, co-owner of Skyloom Weavers, presented her towels for touching and admiring!

In this warp she used a space dyed linen as weft

Same warp, different wefts

What a bargain for these towels! 

Penny will have these in our guild sale mid November

Penny's handspun wool is shown off in this dramatic moss stitch scarf!  WOW!  Soft and drapey! 

What a super morning spent with weavers--now, to get to my loom and weave!!  I'm inspired!!

Weavers--WOW!

 

It's FALL! And October means I'm back at Texas winter home and can touch base with my weaver friends.  They have been busy through the summer and it's always a treat to see and touch their accomplishments!  I just LOVE 'show and tell'!

 

First--'show-off' is Barbara with her interesting turned twill towels.  Aren't these colors good together?  I would never had thought about placing green with the coral, but it definitely works!

Barbara has a good eye for color combinations.

Do you like this side?

Or this side?  Barbara was trying to decide which side in order to turn the hem.

And lovely scarves!! Woven Shibori is the technique

check out her blog to see how she weaves these scarves  

Such a wild look...................

and her fringe treatment is just super great!

Tracy, recently returned from a Sweden trip with other weaver friends, had textiles to share with the group.  This piece is a table runner

So colorful!

packaging is what it's all about!

such a nice goose eye weave structure

believe it or not--this was a 'second' table runner

love the slight details

Tracy purchased some wonderful tapes

cute sheep tape

and she bought gifts!! oh, to be on her gift list!  this a cotton towel

Are you ready to weave some Swedish inspired towels for your kitchen?  Don't forget the tape for hanging--very traditional

Linda showed off her nice cottolin towels--

from this popular publication--do you have this booklet in your stash?  I wove the above pattern many moons ago for gifts.  The one I gave to my mother-in-law was used on the back of a chair!  Appalling for me--I wanted her use it in the kitchen!  She said it was just too pretty to dry dishes with.  Do you have someone in your family that doesn't 'use' your wovens but puts them away in a drawer?

Linda had taken a summer trip to Minnesota and enjoyed the sights along with the woolen fibers.  She bought this lovely skein of wool from an "Indie" dyer.

Okay, I'm inspired to weave--but, first--need to check the stash closet.....................