Wordless Wednesday: National Parks Quilts

Getting Ready

This has been a busy weekend... only 16 days til Pennsic! So I am finishing up the applique project I started way back in the winter. I haven't put any of the detail on yet, they are actually dogs... a dalmation and a dal-negative, and will have spots and eyes and everything! They are in wool and wool felt, and I think I will like them. I have couched two rounds of pearl cotton around the perimeter... so far. Details will be added in wool thread, and I think it will be mounted on a larger white banner to hang in front of my tent.

The sock is for a friend I will see there, I really love the eyelet ribbing. Oooh, look at all that cathair! The little darlings just love to lay on the chairs in our computer room when we aren't there... and even when we are!

I am disappointed I haven't finished spinning the icelandic fleece yet, realistically I can probably plan on starting weaving it this fall or early winter. I plan on spinning lots at Pennsic too, as well as doing some embroidery and stitching some books together. Assuming I get the pages cut and the leather too. I will take knitting too, and some reading to do.

Before I leave I need to make some fruit syrups and sekanjebin, a mint and vinegar syrup. Along with tea, they will keep me hydrated. Though it hasn't been as hot there this year. It is okay with me, in fact if it stayed under 80, I would be very satisfied!

This is the second teacozy sample for my class... I like the final result well enough but, my, it was a long process. I started by overlaying three cotton fabrics with aqua and bronze organza, and stitching them down (raw edged) with handstitching. I also stitched a spiral, a moon and stars. Afterwords, I used Shiva oilsticks to add color over the stitching. I really didn't like the color much, and decided to use a soldering iron to burn away the organza to de-emphasize the color, and add texture. I had added the lining, but I still didn't like the color where it lay on the spiral and crescent. I ended up adding several layers of fabric over the spiral and moon, and then beads at the tips of the stars arms as well as the appliques. The stitching and beading was done after the lining, and it was really hard to do. Iended up stitching through fold and all, and I am thinking about relining it, but not until after the class. It can serve as a "don't do it this way" lesson. Sigh.