Zero Waste

This is a lot of talk right now about zero waste production.
Hooking is very good at using up all parts of the material we buy for it. I also have a embellishing machine which lets me turn even those last little snibbles up into felted pictures, brooches or bookmarks/cards.
Almost anything can be spun into "yarn" once again I can thrift away my heart.
That leaves sewing and incredibly it is very wasteful. Pattern layouts frequently leave great gouts of fabric unused.

I recently got a pretty little piece of fabric from Marcy Tilton and could not get all the yardage I desired. I asked that it be sent ahead anyway and I'm glad I did, I love it.
But this shortage left me puzzling about what to make and how to get the best out of my fabric.
BTW if I want to I can call and know right away if there is the yardage I desire but I'm too lazy and shy to call.

It seems I had about 2.5 yds. of 60" wide knit fabric.

I decided to make a empire dress with bodice and sleeves in one piece.
I used the remainder and cut out two pieces of wide topped A- line skirt.
I pleated this to apply to the bodice. I used a bit of the arc to create a deep sleeve cuff.
 The fabric I cut off the side of the skirt turned into a facing and collar which forms a decorative flower where it meets.

All I had left was the circles I cut out for neck holes, and incredibly small serging trimmings.
If I can think of what to do with this then I will truly be in Zero Waste Heaven.

I plan on wearing it with a nice little black shrug and a corsety belt I made from a skirt leaving. More on that tomorrow!
Yes using up these bit is really turning me on.

I've never had so much fun!

Comedian in Cars Getting Coffee

For a good time.

You might need one and this delivers.

You Still Got TIme

Beatrice Wood, artist. Her most productive years were from age 80 to 105. "I owe it all to art books, chocolate and young men."

                                                         Photo by Tony Cunha 1986

Her Autobiography - love the title!

On the cover of this interesting exploration

Some of her work from 1960

Love the colours

Age: 67

Thinking of new work I bet...

Moral: 

You got a story, you got work to do, baby you got time.

 Get to it.

To the Lindt mobile Robin!

The finishing touches / Circle of Life/ Hooking Hellaciously

When you are getting dressed there is always a little something you do to finish off or polish your look. I like scarves and fairly strange necklaces and recently after a long hiatus, I've begun to wear earrings once again.
I thought I had an allergy to metal but with a rest of 6 or 7 years it appears I've healed myself. So I'm happily back amassing earrings. The latest ones favour this silver smith, Louise Jarvis of Owen Sound. I find her at the Farmer's Market on Saturday Mornings.

I have a strong belief that topics go around and make the rounds.

INCOMING HINT: Ideas are like that too, for goodness sake if you get one act on it as soon as possible before someone else seizes your day. Ideas want a home and if you put them off they will go next door or beyond to roost.

And now back to earrings and how they are topical.
Today on Art for Housewives she talked at great length on earrings and of course all the very fine ladies of Advanced Style are polished off with wonderful arrays and styles of ear jewels. It is a joy just to see them.

It was required if you were anyone of worth to have more than one hole in your lobe during high school.

And now there is a whole chart of possibilities:

With names no less.

 Types of earring: 1) Helix/Cartilage, 2) Industrial, 3) Rook, 4) Daith, 5) Tragus, 6) Snug, 7) Conch, 

8) Anti-Tragus, 9) Lobe

So much to do with a circle and a hole!!

Speaking of circles and holes, here is my Circle of Life January Journal 2013 rug, my WIP that will not RIP

I hope you are finding time to both array your self splendidly and hook hellaciously. There is time enough for dull when we are dead!

My Favourite Rug Store

Right this minute my favourite rug store is having a sale. 60% off. 

Here is the one I picked out.

Gorgeous.

I love it!

 Divine coloration and detail, yes?

Plenty of inspiration for us!

 The details:

This Semi-Antique Authentic Persian Kerman rug is hand-knotted of 100% Kork and has 400 knots per square inch. Kork is the very finest quality wool obtained from the shoulder and flanks of shearling lambs.

Colors found in this rug include: Light Blue, Beige, Blue, Brown, Burgundy, Green, Ivory, Light Green, Light Brown, Olive. The primary color is Light Blue.

This rug is in Extra Fine condition.

The measurements for this rug are: 11 feet 4 inches wide by 17 feet 9 inches long.

This rug is currently in stock and will ship witihin 1 business day.

Price with discount? $67,659.00

A girl can dream.

Truly, you should look because there are many beautiful rugs and most are well within a reasonable budget of $300 to $400  and ALL WOOL!!!!

www.rugsontime.com

Enjoy!

Step Aside Miss Scarlett

Yes Scarlett your little make do dress made of curtains has been bested!
By candy wrappers, which make a great and inventive hooking material too.
Spring is upon us. What will you be wearing?

Work Destroyed - The Balls!

Looking today at Robert Swain.

Here is one of his paintings. Untitled.

Apparently he did these gradation paintings purely by instinct, not through math or science but by eye. They do have a magical unpredictable quality, they do not lay flat as one might expect either.

Each side of each colour plays with another. Look further and perhaps from a distance to see the parabolas the saturated and then the dark colours create.

New inspiration for the inch mat.

The most enjoyable and vivifying thing I read about him was in the titles of his work. The name, always untitled, the size, the year made, the materials and then frequently instead of private collection or Museum of Modern Art ..... the delightful phrase Work Destroyed and the year it died.

Wool Destroyed would be a good title for a hooked piece wouldn't it?

It takes balls to edit your own production as you go along. 

All that is left of these works are photos.

The one above still survives. Thank goodness. It's inspiring.

Happy hooking and looking.

Sign For The Ages

What Jane and Pam and Pat and Shirley Made

                                   From hooking class this week, a sampling of the works from:

Pam J

Shirley    

Jane

 Jane ( this is a tea cozy) 

Birdee is in love with it

Jane 

Pat

And then it got quite busy and I left some very important projects unchronicled.
There is always next time.
Happy hooking!