Walk in Their Shoes

We finally were able to visit Ellis Islad while on our time in NYC.  Our last trip here, the government was shut down and all were closed.  Something's it's hard to realize how it was for those who immigrated to US soils, but taking this journey we were able to walk in their shoes for a short while. 

I was happy to see in one section of education area, there was this great photo of a family weaving.

Weaving was given a small portion of  the display area, but it as there!  I can't even fathom the hardships our ancestors endured during those years, but I'm so thankful they did.  

Looking For Creativity!

We are in the "Big Apple"!  And everywhere I look I see sights that can be used to build creativity. Look at the building lines

And see how the shadows fade in and out.

Take this photo with its sharp peaks and angles 

Make it black and white and see something totally different

The streets even give off a sense of design style.

Use the color of the flashing billboards as basis for texture

Even the carpet in our room gets me a thought about quilting lines or weaving patterns

I'm loving this time in The Big Apple

Design Elements

 

When I'm traveling my eye is constantly looking for design elements everywhere! 

 

How could this design be used in your work?  How about a quilting pattern or a stencil effect as surface design?

Two together make for interesting view

Even the shelves of liquor bottles catch my eye--wonder how I could use this--besides drink it??

I liked the water shadow in the bottle as it sits on the blotter

What lines and reflections! 

Any of these will be noted in my design portfolio for future use--how about you?  Do you look at your surroundings?

Yarn Bombing!

Have you done any yarn bombing?  I know that photo bombing is popular now but I was happy to come across this yarn bombing in a city community area.  

Here is a great view of the construction and this length of knitting covers an ugly pipe giving it a soften touch.  Of course, I had to touch!  What a super way to brighten the town center.  

When Nothing Else Works-----DYE!

 

When one of our weaving friends moved to the West Coast, she had a super sale--sold everything out of her fiber closet that she wasn't taking with her.

 

I bought a few skeins of this gray or is it grey (?) alpaca/wool blend.  Although it is commercial yarn, it had a nice handle and it was good quality.  I didn't much like the color, but it was a bargain--you know how it is with a bargain!  I thought of it for awhile and then decided I could DYE it and it would be useful in one of my knitting projects

So, I skeined it off on my niddy-noddy; tied it securely for the dyepot

I selected a magenta acid dye and went for it--

I think this will be used in one of lace shawl patterns.  The tie strings, which are wool, shows the color of the primary dye.  Overall, I'm pleased!

So, when all else fails, over dye!

Add to the List--What NOT To Say...................

Listing courtesy of  California Arts Council

"why would I buy art when I can download it for free on the Internet"
 "My eight year old could do better than you."
"don't offer 25 dollars for an item that cost more than 200 dollars for material and hours of work to create!"
"How long does this take you to make?" 

What would you add? 

What is Old is Useful Again!

Recently, at one of our expatchers gatherings, Linda was pressing her fabrics for a future project. 

Press, press, press at the stand-up ironing board with a regular iron.

Judy M came to her rescue!  "Why not use the

Ironrite?"

What is an Ironrite? you ask!  The greatest invention for the ladies in the late 1940's!

The company was founded by Herman A. Sperlich and Johannes M. Uhlig in the early part of the 20th Century. They started in Detroit and eventually moved to Mt. Clemens, Michigan where they became a mainstay of the local economy, providing about 400 jobs until the factory closed in the late 1950s

Oh, yeah, you were lucky if you had one of these machines in your household--no more standing to iron large qualities of laundry--and ironing was a major chore of the women in 1950's!

Lucky for Linda, Judy has an Ironrite and she heated it up quickly and away you go!

Just place your fabric on the board and let the Ironrite do the job--perfectly pressed without any effort from you!

Today's weavers even use this machine as a mangle for their linen woven fabric

If you are interested, you can find used Ironrites on EBay.