Sew I See!

As promised, I'm back with some photos of the finished and blocked crochet table runner .  The light could've been better (or I could've bothered to use the tripod), but they'll do. Of course, now that I look at these photos, all I can see is the incongruity of my blocking-- the wobbling lines-- but, again, it will do.  I do  think it looks nice on the table, especially when I'm not staring directly at it, looking for flaws.  ;o) The pattern was designed by Kazuko Hayashi and was published in a Japanese book ( Beautiful Pineapple Crochet Lace ).  Though there are some instructions in Japanese only, I think the chart was clear enough to follow without that extra information.  (The book appears to be out of print...) Since I wasn't sure about the required yardage and wanted to be sure I'd have enough thread, I used one of those huge  "jumbo" balls of Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet in the "Natural" color (ecru/cream).  I ha...

There's something new on the blocking mat!  It's a thread crochet table runner that I started back in April, so it's been a while in coming-- though to be fair, I haven't worked on it non-stop since then.  (It's only felt that way, sometimes!) My blocking job's not perfect, but it'll do. It's a pretty design, and I'm happy with my results, but I wouldn't want to make it again.  All that back and forth of crocheting rows (rather than rounds, which I prefer)!  The separate strips that require multiple "pep talks" to get started and finished!  The joining of the different elements!  The edging!  This was definitely a "product project" rather than a "process project"-- meaning that I kept crocheting more because I wanted the finished product than because I particularly enjoyed the process of crocheting it. Once it's dry, I'll try to get some good photos without the blocking mat and all the...

I don't think I included this exact view of the room in my recent "room rearrangement" post.  I love that I can see out the window from behind the sewing machine.  (That particular part of the garden could use some work, though.  Maybe I'll plant some colorful annuals out there next year so there's more to see.) The natural light helps, but it's rarely enough on its own.  Any time I'm going to sew, I also switch on the ceiling light and a nearby lamp.  This happens to be a sunlight (full spectrum) lamp, which is great for showing colors accurately.  It's actually probably overkill for "just" lighting up my sewing station, but I have it and might as well use it-- and it is  very bright. - - - - - - - I'm still working on the current quilting project-- new, seasonal window dressings for the kitchen.  There are a lot of pieces, so it's taking a while. Here are all the remaining "block kits" waiting to be pair...

This weekend, I gave the new layout a spin. I'm sewing components for my latest quilting project-- components that are string-pieced on a paper foundation. It's going well-- I'm having fun-- and I unequivocally love  having the iron right by my sewing station for quick pressing.  It makes the whole process so much faster and easier!  No more repeatedly getting up and down for no good reason!  I can't imagine going back to the old way after this.  Nope; I'm determined to have an iron within reaching distance of my sewing machine, from now on.   Here's a peek at some of the string-pieced components, along with a handful of the strings.  Those papers under the magnetic pin-"cushion"/dish are my foundation papers, cut from an old phone book. I'm still new to paper foundations, but I think they're working pretty well. Here's another view of the sewing corner.  There's the iron, within easy reach.  I also had my tablet ...

I recently decided to do some rearranging in my craft room.  I'm fortunate to have ample space for crafting/storing supplies, but over time, the focus of my interests has changed, and the layout of my room didn't reflect those changes. For instance, one large table went almost unused, because it was still a dedicated "clay table" (for using polymer clay).  For the time being, I'm no longer "claying" often enough to merit a whole large table that is only  for clay.  Instead, I've sometimes found myself wishing for more room when cutting fabric and sewing.  Why not combine the two large tables into one (almost) continuous surface? As for the rest... Well, why don't I just show you in a series of very repetitive photos ? (Quick, take a good swig of your favorite form of caffeine;  I'm setting up a room .) Here's the room from the doorway.  My favorite thing about this space is the large bank of windows, which give it a bright, airy ...