One of my favorite past-times is sharing great television commercials with a certain friend. For years we have doubled over laughing when we see a good one. The early years of the Serta Mattress bits with the talking counting sheep were great comfort in a stressful work environment. Co-workers would roll eyes, shake heads and leave the room. They thought we were daft. It was a coping mechanism people, a coping mechanism! (((smile))) The same context applies to the Giant Camel strolling through a cubicle farm office extolling the grand moment of "over the hump Wednesday!" I am waiting for a Friday equivalent. Why? This was a week of false starts, frustrating moments in the land of Sewtopia. Let me explain.
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| So Here I am with three sizes of circles of felted wool cut with the circle die cutter on the Go. I glue-basted each of the circles to the other. |
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| Then I decided to do this project by machine, a three step blanket stitch. I used a heavy weight Jeans cotton thread in the top and a poly blend in orange in the bobbin. In about two hours I had all the circles cut, glue basted and stitched to this point. |
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| I have amassed a large collection of felted wools over the last couple years at shows, shops and swaps. No real plan at first. These circles will be the basis of the Wool Harvest Table Runner. |
So in my wee head I had this idea. I had about 6 yards of a wool-ish fabric in the closet and decided to wash it, try to felt it up a little more. I wanted a dark background at the time. Well, let me tell you stitchers, that was a bust. Look at the flimsy, wrinkly, nasty look I ended up with! That's trial #1. Then I considered layering the gray wool, and quilting it then applying the pennies. That was trial #2. I slept on it. That was all I needed to discard that idea. So, off come the circles, the little buttons and that gray wool combo, into the "probably donate pile." This may be why it was donated to Granny's Attic to begin with. Lesson learned.
Here is trial #3. * First, Let me apologize for the poor photo. There are several reasons why this doesn't work for me. It strays from my original design. I want the pennies on the border, not in the middle and the edges. This looks like some kind of game board in a traveling carnival! The beautiful over-dyed wool in fall colors deserves better use. It is a lovely piece of fabric and these pennies hide all that pretty. So, that's a no go. In my head I need black or very dark gray heavy felted wool. I am going to do one more scouting in the closet but I am fairly sure that my black wool is only small pieces. Shopping may be required.
My Retreat week is coming up. I plan to finish this then.(retreat week means no cleaning, no cooking, just sewing!!)
So not a tosser despite the fact that it is Not finished this Friday!
Not everything flows well in Sewtopia, I am suspicious that my herb drying has left me a bit heady. The overpowering scent of chopped onion chives left us all a bit off. But it is harvest time in the herb garden...you gotta do what 'cha gotta do!
This Years Love, David Gray
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