photo attempt again! I had so much fun starting with McKenna Ryan’s Dragonfly pattern. My Muse took me on a journey discovering applique with fun fibers and fabric, machine embroidery on netting and water soluble stabilizer, fabric painting with inks, threadpainting, Angelina Sheets with scraps of Peacock feathers embedded, Angelina Fibers, and thanks to Threadkoe and others here on Gatherings I learned machine beading. As you can see I dance to my own drummer and just can’t simply follow the rules even though it has obvious flaws I loved creating this. Mary
Edited 9/4/2009 11:22 pm by MaryinColorado
Edited 9/5/2009 5:54 pm by MaryinColorado
Replies
You must be so proud - it is very lovely - especially love your choice of colour.
Thank You.
What a talented person you are! I really have no artistic ability but its so neat to see what lovely things you have done.
Thank You so much! You underestimate yourself though, you sew, therefore you are an artist with needle and thread. Mary
This is beautiful! I love the dandelion blowing in the wind. What fun this must have been to make.I want to work on something fun! I am so bogged down on the tents though.Judy
Thank You! This piece has taught me so many things beyond the techniques. It felt like "stopping to smell the roses".
It was a journey and I had to keep telling myself not to worry about wether it was ever "finished". I think it took me about a year and I still want to change the center "someday".
I kept it hung on a cafe rod where I could see it every time I came into the sewing room and worked on other things.
I was embroidering a Tshirt with the dandelion and put the word "wish" in silver metallic thread behind it. I looked up and there was the wallhanging waiting for that very design. Another day I saw the blowing dandelion on the wallhanging and remembered I have a dandelion faery but didn't know how to incorporate it into the whole piece. Eventually I noticed there was a big empty space at the top just waiting for him.
I was sorting out yarns and fibers, happened to look up at the wallhanging and noticed the scrap of raspberry fiber I was going to throw out would make a nice flower head. And there was a snip of varigated green ribbon that looked like it would make a good flower stem. I'd toss these "potentials" into a little baggie or I'd suddenly drop whatever I was doing and "play".
Then I couldn't manage the applique for the Queen Annes' Lace and it struck me, gee I have those Fabrico markers I rarely get around to using. It was really a simple basic flower to draw. Before I knew it, I was adding detail to the little pink flowers too. Had to go to a bead store to get the beads and it probably took me several weeks to get around to putting them on. It was my first beading attempt and I ended up having to remove half of them because I had really overdone it. Looked more like snow than flowers.
Back to cleaning and sorting, I ran across a UFO vest I'd cut out years ago (way too small now) and realised the green velvet upholstery fabric would make nice textured leaves.
I was accidentally recycling, using up scraps instead of throwing them out. From now on I'll be holding onto smaller scraps than I ever had before.
There's a new wallhanging on the cafe rod now, just waiting to take me back to fantasy land, whenever. Mary
An absolutely delightful read, in your reply to jigg, as to your creative streak taking form.
Much very deserved applause on your wall hanging. Color combination, textures, and design came together very well.
Do hope you dated & signed the piece. Perhaps you can work this in as did Al Hirschfeld with his daughter's name, Nina.
http://www.answers.com/topic/al-hirschfeld
If he's new to you, & time permits, you can scroll through to see a couple of his pieces. Though these are uch to small to look for his daughter's name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Hirschfeld
nepa
I used to LOVE the Hirschfeld cartoons. I would search out all the 'NINA's'
Too cool! Thanks for sharing the website and I didn't know he put "Nina" in his art, what a great tribute to his love for her.
I was thinking about using a tiny dragonfly or faerie in all of my work. Being blessed with two children and three grandchildren I don't now how I would incorporate them into every creation. Now you've got me thinking...5 interlocking circles? hearts? hmmm....their first initials? Mary
Beading can get very addictive!!! (DON'T ask me how I know! LOL)
I believe it! I've already taught a friend, my daughter in law, and my grand daughter about it. I have a feeling it will be in the majority of my wallhangings, if not all of them now! I've decided it's time to clean my closet mainly so I can find some clothing calling out for beading! What fun!
I'm so happy to have this site and everyone here to learn from. Thanks to everyone who helped me figure out the techniques for the wallhanging! It took me so long to do it or I'd be thanking each and every one of you personally! Now it's hard to remember who taught me what aspects of it all. But thanks! Mary
Delightful!
Thanks so much, glad you enjoy it! Mary
So beautiful! I, too, love your color choices and the dandelion blowing in the wind. What an inspiring piece to have hanging in your sewing studio. You've created a magical work of art.
Thank You, I'm glad you feel the magic in it too. I feel more conncected to this than anything I've ever created. Mary
Oh, Mary, it's beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing. You did an excellent job - the dandelion blowing it's seeds looks so realistic & I love your colour selection. The appliques & embroidery are lovely. Your muse was definitely leading you. :)
Thank You so much for your kind words and encouragement. It felt so good to work on this and just let Muse lead me along the garden path so to speak. Muse locked my inner perfectionist in the closet and insisted I leave the "mistakes" as they are. The dandelion is my favorite part.
I saw absolutely NO mistakes in it & I won't get out my magnifying glass to check, either! :) As Cathy said, & I agree, it's the spiriti, & it raised my spirits to look at it. Is your orb in centre a moon or sun? As for softening the orb, you could sew in some beams in metallic thread, but I can certainly understand your hesitation. Live with it for awhile - you may be happy with it just as it is & call it finished.
Thank you for your suggestions and kind words. I am letting it rest awhile. I'm glad it is spreading a little light of happiness to those who see it. Oh, don't you dare get out the magnifying glass, lol! ha ha I can't even look at it up close or I start noticing things. (Now I know how to make the beads lay on their sides instead of with the holes sticking up but that's part of the "spirit" of it now too.)
I didn't like where the fabrics crossed each other in the center, the center also was too plain, and the dragonflys wanted something to be flying around in a circle...this is my first time working with the Angelina sheets rather than the fibers. They are almost like plastic. It looks like there are tiny little dragonflys inside an orb up close because I inserted snips of Peacock feathers inside there. So now it could be an orb, the sun, the moon, or water, or even an opening into another dimension where the faeries dwell...to fit the viewers perception. A little mystery is good. Mary
A little mystery is great! You covered all the bases, & our imaginations can go along with it.
What is your trick for making the beads lay on their sides? I've had that exact same problem. Mine all want to stand up with their holes upright.
So glad your imagination went with it. Thanks for your compliments. This piece turned out to be like a sampler with so many attempts at learning new techniques and products. Every step I felt like I might ruin the whole thing but had to push those thoughts back. I'm happy to know you enjoy the machine beading too.
I do a few stitches, then slip the bead onto the needle with the needle stop down, stitch a few times, then instead of exiting forward from the bead, I switch it to needle up position, I go out to the side and do a few more stitches. This seems to work better for me than going straight ahead. Otherwise, I have to use the hemostat to lay them on their side which is awkward for me. Hope this works for you too!
Please share some photos of your creations! I'm so glad that I did, the feedback has helped me have more confidence to keep trying new things. Mary
Thanks for the tips, Mary - I printed them off. I keep forgetting to take pics of things I've made before I give them away! I did remember last Christmas, when I made the Krismoose ornament (I made 5) &, if it's still on the computer (I just finished them before Christmas & it was too late, I thought, to post them then), I'll post it when we get a thread going on Christmas gifts we're making. This year I'll have to make something different, eh?
I love moose! There is a herd of them in my livingroom. I can't wait to see your Chistmooses. Sounds like a fun whimsical project. Any idea what you will make this year? At my snails pace, I better start my holiday sewing soon.
I was just telling Cathy that I'll have to start the sewing & baking SOON! I haven't decided what I'll be making, for sure, but will try boxers this year. I probably won't make any ornaments, though, but I just couldn't resist the moose last year & it was really quick to do & turned out just like the pattern. Everyone who received one loved them, so that was a relief. If you want the pattern, go to http://www.countrywomanmagazine.com , 'crafts', & click on 'moose'. I make one as an angel, with lace wings, & I added 'hands' & legs to them all with the felt left over from the antlers & painted hooves on them with a marker. I'll have to find them & post the pic. I did change the order of the directions, though, to speed things up.
It wouldn't let me access the patterns unless I join. Does that mean free or do I have to agree to buy something? I'm always afraid I am going to get in over my head and not know it till it's too late. Do they share your information or send alot of stuff to your email? I know I sound paranoid but have had some negative experiences with junk mail. Mary
Country Woman Magazine doesn't send e-mails or junk mail that I know of. They may be like other sites that want your e-mail address before you gain entry to their information, but I'm like you, I usually don't sign up to them, unless I know who they are. I've never had a problem with this one, although I don't know what they do with your info. It must be a new feature, as I've not had to sign on, but then, I've subscribed to the magazine for years. I'll try it again & see what happens, although I was looking at their patterns last week.
Gloria
Thanks, I will check again today too. Mary
The boxers would be fun to make! So many fun fabrics out there that you could really have fun with! Mary
That's encouraging! I'll see what I can find for the boxers.
Gloria
I used to make Hawaiian shirts, it would be fun to make boxers out of that fabric too. I'll have to check my stash and see if there is enough left over fabric for boxers.
Boxers are great. There is an article on them in one of the Threads mags. Of course I didn't look it up. From experience, you can cut them on the cross grain, and you can eliminate the side seams as well if you wish. Most of the ones I make, I sew up the front fly as well. From discussions with the fellows I have made them for, they seldom actually use the fly... and tend to wear them as house shorts as well, so prefer the security and decency of a sewn shut fly. (you can embroider fun stuff there as well, he he he) They also like them made from knit fabric as well. Check with them as to the preferred length of leg too. Some men like a longer leg, some shorter. These guys, man, are fussy about their underwear, worse than women, really!!!! I have two patterns I have used, one Butterick, one McCalls, and they are virtually the same. Look for one that is simple, and easy directions, like PJ pants. You can always trim off the top fold down waistband if you want to use sew on elastic. Cathy
Thanks for all the info! I need to get out and buy some new pattens! Argh, just don't trust myself to get "a round tuit" so it's good so many come in multi size these days. giggle! Mary
Hawaiian shirt fabric would be super! I hope you find enough. Your guys will probably want to wear them outside (or around the house) as shorts. My guys like theirs out of cotton knit, so I'll have to keep looking.
Gloria
Do you use a pattern meant for wovens when you make them out of knit fabric? Mary
I copied a pair of knit boxers that fit him well & made a pattern from that.
Gloria
That's what I was thinking as I've never seen a pattern for the knit ones.
And I've never even looked at the patterns for boxers :). The knits wear well & are comfortable, as there is move give to the knits than the wovens. (When I was young & learning to iron, I had to iron all of my father's cotton broadcloth boxer shorts) :(.
Ha ha, guess my dad must have worn tightie whities because I had to iron everything but those! giggle I hated ironing, my mother was such a perfectionist and we had some kind of barbaric metal pant hangers I can barely remember, but they were awkward.
I also like to hang 3 pinecones from a large wide velvet ribbon so they hang like bells. Maybe we should start a new thread related to Christmas?
I was thinking the same as you - a new thread related to Christmas. You beat me to it. We were talking so much about Christmas in the other threads, that we needed it. Thanks, Mary.
I got the pattern for the cute lil moose, thanks! Mary
That's good that you got the moose pattern. It's really cute, eh? (& easy to make). You'll have fun making them.
Gloria
yes I got it, it is really cute, I can imagine one in a tutu and faery wings
The tutu would be super-cute. For the angel wings, I used wide, scallopped lace & gathered it - it worked well. For a fairy, wired, sheer wings out of irridescent organza would be really pretty - you could even glue small sequins around the edges - or wherever. For the moose's eyes, I did some with black beads & used googly eyes for the rest. I got a bag of various-sized googly eyes at the dollar store & attached them with a hot glue gun. I sewed the beads on.
thanks for the info
You're welcome. Enjoy.
I am so glad you got your dragonfly hanging posted Mary! It is perfectly delightful, and a wonderful bit of whimsy. I just love the blowing seeds, and the faerie dancing with the dragonflies, tee hee hee. It is such a happy piece with all the wonderful colours. It is something that you can sit and look at for hours, discovering something new each time you look at it. Beautiful work. And what flaws? Those are simply the spirit pieces my friend... :) Cathy
PS Thanks for showing the close up shots. Love it!!!
Thank You! I love your comment about the mistakes being "the spirit pieces"! Giggle! I'm glad people can feel the joy in it when they see it so maybe it lifts their spirits too.
I still need to soften the edges of the orb in the center, just a little somethin something and hope I don't ruin the whole piece trying. Mary
Mary, your wallhanging is so cool! The shimmering water...the dandelion blowing in the breeze...the sun glinting on the dragonfly wings...so many creative techniques...I am in awe!
Edited 9/8/2009 3:54 pm ET by VKStitcher
Thank You! Mary
Wonderul wall hanging, I just love the dandelion technique, the seeds seem to float across the quilt. Great pictures. Thanks for sharing. Oh and I love the dragonflies, I just want one on my wall. giggle
Edited 9/9/2009 9:27 am ET by rodezzy
Thanks so much, you are always so positive and inspiring! I was very happy the way that dandelion came out too. I had so much fun learning to do the beading. I started another wallhanging that is about four feet tall! Mary
Anxiously looking forward to seeing your creativity flow in that one also. You are so very talented and just seem to let yourself flow with ideas. Keep up the grand work. I can learn a lot from you.
Awe shucks, you are making me blush! Thank you so much! If I could work 1/4 as fast as Superstitch Rockin Rodezzy I'd have more to show for this wild imagination of mine. My Muse keeps me up at night. Mary
I love the dandelion blowing in the wind! This is definitely going to be one for "close-up" inspection, but I wouldn't worry about any flaws you may think you have, no one else will notice a thing. It's all an artistic creation should be plus, I too, love your colors.
Thank You so much, your encouragement and positive input means alot to me. It takes me so long to finish a project sometimes I get discouraged or too self critical and want to give up on them. (With the clothing, I grew out of them lol.) It's so frustrating but I am learning to accept these physical limitations and be greatful for and appreciate the things I can do. Mary
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