Newflash: I'm in a New Blog!

Just when I thought I was giving up blogging, I've decided to take on a third. Everyone needs THREE blogs, right? My latest blog deals solely with Extreme Crafting. You can find it here. Not a lot of content so far, but you will get the idea what it's all about from our manifesto.

Extreme Crafting

My apologies for the lack of posting. And, sorry for not updating the Bakelite story. Soon the sordid secrets of Della's blog will be revealed.
I am all relaxed and happy, just coming off an extreme crafting/retreat weekend during which I made my first quilt. Pictures will follow. I also made a naughty French maid apron and a cushion. Also did lots of clothing reconstruction. The naughty French maid apron was made from a curtain valance.

New Pillow

This is my latest crafty creation. I'm happy with it. It's kind of a mauve cord material with patchwork. The pink floral thing is a tablecloth that I decided to cut up. It was really too much pink to eat off of...

What's happening with the crafting, you ask?

In case you were wondering what is happening with the crafting, I did have a little hiatus, but am now back into it. I just made a little clutch that looks like this one that I am calling my "feminine supplies clutch". Photos will be coming soon.
Other craft news: I have a fabulous new rotary cutter that I got for Christmas which has changed my life.
I need help from you crafties on what to do with my retro tablecloth. I have decided I will never ever use that thing on a table. Ideas? How can I re-purpose the happy-bappy-housewife-on-valium tablecloth? Zoom suggested I "burn" the cloth at one point, and, of course, that is still a viable option.

Heaven's to Etsy!

Now that I am a craft person, I have to come to realize that it's all about Etsy. If you thought the Ottawa Christmas Craft Sale was a zoo, check out all the crap on the Etsy. Yes, I am into the whole alternative marketplace thing, but....Holy Shit! Is it just a way for people to fund their craft obsessions? Clearly, I need some Etsy-savvy person to explain all of this me. Help! Please give me some analysis.

Questions for Craft People

Back to the crafts for a moment, here. I have some questions I would like throw out to the craft community:

1) Where can you buy fabric in Ottawa? What happened to the Fabricsville beside the Rideau Centre? Please don't tell me I need to drive out to Orleans.

2) Can you recommend a good beginner sewing book that is readable, has nice simple projects in it, and includes basic quiltmaking? I'm looking for something that is solid, but not too finicky.

3) Which craft blogs should I be linking to -- local blogs and otherwise?

fox

Panier

The quality of this photo is not great, but here is my latest piece of sewing. It was given as a birthday to a happy recipient who named it "panier". I am liking the tweed on silk combo.

One problem (or challenge, rather) is that I have no patience for FINISHING things properly. This little piece is thumbtacked roughly onto a small canvas. It looks like crap if you turn it around. One of my goals is to learn how to finish things cleanly. Again, this goes back to OWNING what is an unpleasant and tedious part of the process for me.

Craft mentors

I decided if I am going to make this transition into craft world, I need a guide. So far, I have a superb craft mentor named Serah Marie, a talented and energetic young woman, who is both textile artist and editor of Worn. She is a brilliant and inspirational teacher. She is good at teaching the technical aspects of sewing. But, like every good art teacher, she has her eye on the higher vision of artistic expression. During my log cabin quilting course, she described - with tears in her eyes - her own journey into textile art which began after a visit to the Whitney Museum in New York where she saw the Gees Bend Quilters. Serah Marie is a true artist. She does not believe in measuring - or only where it matters. That works well for me. She also encourages her students to be instinctive when grabbing fabrics for a quilt. ''Don't worry about matching", she says. "Sometimes surprising and interesting things come out of putting together things that don't look like they match.''

Finished Bag

This is how the finished bag looks, full of books and other stuff. This weekend, check in here for log cabin quilting and possibly embroidery.

being crafty

Now that this is a CRAFT blog, I will have to start linking to craft sites and taking stunning photographing of my projects at all stages. I am currently exploring other craft blogs out there which I will be linking to soon.
What I love about craft people are that they are so darn clever. If they appear a bit smug, they deserve to be! They can make a table runner out of a pair of dollar store sports socks. This is the kind of shit I want to do here, people! I want to be thrifty, clever, innovative, organized-- everything you have ever dreamed of in a craftsperson.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy refers to the use of meaningful occupation to assist people who have difficulty in achieving healthy and balanced lives; and to enable an inclusive society so that all people can participate to their potential in daily occupations of life. (Thank you, Wikipedia!)

I made a tote bag! This is the tote bag in progress. This is now officially a CRAFT BLOG, people. That's right. I am a craft person now.

Crazy quilts and Crosspatch

Wanted: one used sewing machine that works. Nothing fancy.

One of my goals during my year of non-work is to make a crazy quilt. What inspired me to do this was a visit to the Beaverbrook Gallery in Fredericton where I saw on exhibit that included stunning quilts made by artist, Jennifer Beckley. One quilt that particularly stood out for me was a pink nightie with the arms cut out, surrounded by grey men's dress pants, including pockets and buttons. None of her works are perfectly square or centred, so this gives me the illusion that it is something I can do, and that whatever I decide to stitch together is fine.

Word of the day: Crosspatch. I bet you thought it had something to do with quilting, eh?