I Feel Like the Queen of Stupid!

(Inside before dyed)
I've got a few classes coming up and have been asked for samples to have available for the potential participants. Okay, I could do that...but why do I do what I know fails! ( by definition, in my book, stupid is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results!) Again, I tried to put golden yellow and purple together in a felt bag.There is some silk on the surface that was golden, in hope of tying it all together....but it didn't work. The gold migrated through the purple, making it look dirty, dingy...yucky. This is not my first this doing this....and continue to try to make it work. It does not work for me. Perhaps someone else can make those two colors work together, but not me! So........


(Inside after dyeing)
As you've come to know about me if you are a regular reader, mistakes are an opportunity to try something else....like the dye pot!











(bag before over dye)
So I took this purple/yellow bag and over dyed it in purple, the extracted color, then over dyed in multiple greens and teals, then removed more color. I like it so much better now. But what about you? Do you think I made a mistake over dyeing it.

I often make the inside of my bags lighter on the inside so that when I open them, I can see what is in side my bag.





(bag after over-dye)

This is the final end result on the over dye, un-dye and over dye of the bag. These colors appeal to me more than the gold and purple....so why not start out that way? Really, I am the queen on stupid.

I hope some one learns from my mistakes.






This is a portion of a scarf that I over dyed for a friend of mine. It had become muddy during her felting process by using colors that did not blend well together. She was about ready to throw it away. She in fact, gave it away to Jone, who gave it to me to "try to fix" it with the dye pot. She had used olive, gold, gray, some purples to make the nuno scarf....but it just did not look good color wise. The nuno itself was wonderfully done, beautifully executed. I pulled all of the colors out then over-dyed it with multiple greens. Now that it's been dyed in one of her favorite colors, I'll be gifting it back to her. Hopefully, she's going to fall in love with her own creation.



The heat has been terrible here for two days. Finally, some cool weather and rain today. I love rainy, cloudy days. Looks like tomorrow will be cloudy and overcast like today. Yes! the smell after a rainy time is simply wonderfully earthy. I love that smell! We have many ferns around our home and they seem to give off a strong fresh fragrance of 'clean' after rain.

Shalom
Suzanne

Dream from your heart. Share what you have.
Live simply. Love deeply. Work with joy. Pray with love,

Thank God always.

The Start of Jami's Bag

Happy Thanksgiving! So much to be thankful for! Could we ever count the blessings we receive daily? I could not.

Tuesday, I thought I'd get started on the rather large bag my niece has requested. I cut the pattern/resist. Got the wool, the silk fabrics, the do-dads I was going to add, started the handle and then promptly felt overwhelming, crushing fatigue. Took a 4 hour nap! What's up with that?

After the a fore mentioned nap, I did get the handle finished. The lay out completed on Wednesday. It is 6 layers of fine merino wool with silk fabric and tussah silk and little wool blebs of turquoise. I must confess I have no clear vision of what this bag will look like when it is completed. I'm flying by the seat of my pants and hoping for the best. (so what's new about that?) I'll work on it a bit today as time allows.

We (Jim and I) are having a very low-key Thanksgiving dinner this evening. I'll be working at the Plainwell Community Center serving dinner to our community if they need me. Love doing that. It is just the coolest thing to see folks from all different walks and stages of life, sitting together, enjoying the foods, and each others company. On any other day, their paths might never cross, but on this day, they are neighbors sharing in a moment. It is amazing to see and to be a part of the celebration.

May your day be over-flowing with things that remind you of the gifts that surround you.
Shalom,
Suzanne

The all day Wrap...

My slow, rainy day Monday was indeed slooooooooow! Seems like it took all day to get anything done! I started this nuno on silk gauze early in the morning and didn't get it finished until about 9:30 PM. Talk about putzy! I'd start, then stop to do something else, then come back and leave it again. Truly, my ADD ruled the day.

The colors that I dyed the gauze are gray, blue, crimson and plum. The merino wool colors are hot orange, cinnamon and purple. The close up shows the colors far better than the "live shots", because again, we are dealing with bad lighting. The lay out was very random (... see ADD gone wild!) leaving many open areas to form puckers and bubbles. I love that more and more in the nuno/laminate felts. I wish I had asked Jim to get a couple of shots of the "wool side" of the wrap. Maybe I can ask him later...maybe.

Next on the list of felts to make is a large bag for my beloved niece, Jami. She is a teacher and wants a large felt bag for carrying her "homework" home with her. She's asked for it in brown. Not a color I usually work in, so there will be some creative challenges for me. I hope I'm up to it.

My Mom sent this little video my way. She knows I love watching the humming birds. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did. What a rare treat for this young man!
http://www.wimp.com/babyhummingbird/
Well worth it if you take the chance to watch, really wonderful.

What are you making these days? Are you having fun? What is your favorite thing about felt? I am asking because I really want to know.

I am thinking about doing a give-away for my blog readers. If I do, what would you like me to put up for a FREE GIVE AWAY?

Gotta go.
Shalom,
Suzanne