Elemental Stitches

Owl Embroidery

Something I finished (okay almost finished) the other day.  I am still wavering on the eye color.  What do you think of this yellow gold color?

Here is a close up.

Woven Inspiration

1. What a tangled web we weave....., , 3. Weave Mandala, 4. Chincero Woven Textile, 5. Denim Weaving, 6. Weaving doesn't require a voice..., 7. SAORI Weaving, 8. woven lamb locks, 9. Woven Cotton/Rayon, 10. weaving hands, 11. Woven Palm Fronds, 12. texture woven hat

Bloggy Award

Thanks Ginger!  I have never gotten an award before.  Yea me!

The rules of the award are:

1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.

2. Link the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you’ve nominated

I love so many blogs that I cant only pick 7!  There are 171 blogs on my Bloglines right now!  So I tag everyone.  Tag your it.

Weaving Around the World

1. weaving - the way of life, 2. Weaving a Tale (Ikat), 3. Printing and Weaving Factory - Loom 1, 4. Basket weaving, 5. Weaving on a backstrap loom, 6. Weaving Close-up, 7. Weaving, 8. weaving, 9. Weaving, 10. Weaving Cane, 11. Weaving, 12. Weaving, 13. Canada Day Woman Weaving, 14. Traditional weaving techniques, 15. weaving batik | bali

Adventures in Weaving

I am sure everyone has seen that Craft Magazine's newest issue is about weaving.  My first thoughts went back to those plastic potholder weaving kits from the 80s.  Similar to this cool one from the 30s.

Remember those?  My mom used to buy every craft kit from rug hooking to stained glass!  I never really thought much of weaving since then until I looked through Craft.  It looked fun and easy so I decided to get it another try.   I mean, with my obsession with yarn and fabric, how could I refuse an excuse to buy more yarn to MAKE fabric.

First I just wanted to try it out so I searched the house until I found something that resembled a small frame and used thumb tacks to hold the string in place.

Pretty useless, but promising...

I happened upon a large piece of cardboard and tried a different loom for project #2

I pulled a bit too hard on the sides for this one so it pulls inward on the edges, not that I care much.  The yarn I used is some inexpensive acrylic that is really soft.  It will be nice to sit on.  Here is what it looks like so far.

Like I always do, I started another project before I completed the last.  In the middle of the night during an attack of insomnia, I decided that this loom was too big to work on in bed and so I made another one.  I started on the fabric for a needlebook for myself.

Again I need to pay more attention to the tension.  See how the bottom isn't even?  I am doing better on the sides though.  Hey, practice makes perfect. 

More embroidery is on the way as well as a page from my sketchbook this week.

Killing Humans (children) to Save Mice- Are you kidding me???

Pardon the interruption from our normal posts.  I dont talk much about school unless there is some UCSC drama that I feel needs everyones attention.  This one takes the cake.

Last week two of the faculty researchers on campus were attacked with bombs!  One man who studies mice to learn about brain function had his house, which is just barely off campus, firebombed at 5:40am while his entire family including 2 children slept inside.  At the same time another researcher who lived on campus had his car blow up because he works with yeast!!!

Now I am all for the humane treatment of animals and such but I also believe that animals such as mice need to be used under certain circumstances to help human beings.  If you have a problem with that then you need to go look in the faces of the children in the cancer ward of a hospital and tell them that you cant help save their life because you have to save the lives of hundreds of lab mice.  Instead you are going to aid in their suffering and death, by refusing to allow the research needed to find their cure.

These terrorist bombings were the work of the Animal Liberation Front (no, they do not get the honor of a link).  They claim that it is the fault of the scientists for choosing a profession which puts their families in danger. 
Why dont they attack Bob's pest control?  He kills mice all flipping day long!

Seriously now...  Do we need to firebomb children to save a mouse.

(oh yea, did I mention that this happened earlier this year to another UCSC researcher. Masked men invaded the home of a researcher and held him and his family hostage.  Luckly no one was killed, although the researcher was injured)

If you want more info about this story here are some links.
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/ci_10112699
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/04/EDSP124T4K.DTL
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/08/06/attacks
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/04/ED6D124QS1.DTL
http://www.nih.gov/about/director/08062008statement_santacruz.htm

Problems with Typepad

Something is going on with my blog, so if it looks weird I am sorry.  Hopefully Typepad will fix it soon!  In the meantime I have been embroidering and weaving!  After flipping through the latest issue of Craft I made myself a quick cardboard loom, grabbed some long forgotten, but loved yarn and started on a rug.  Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the quilt!  I ran out of Ecru and I need to get more.  I will post some photos of my weaving progress and the owl embroidery that I am about finished with soon!

An Update

A quick post to show what I have accomplished on the quilt.  I ran out of the light pink and I think I might be out of Ecru which is the cream white that I used.  That is why the big flower has less knots then the smaller one.  I don't mind that they aren't the same.  Nothing is ever perfectly the same as something else, so why strive for it.  Individuality is what counts.  The big flower does need some more Ecru... I hope I have some. 

Have a great end of the week!

Week of Summer

I have been enjoying the beautiful Mediterranean weather we have here on Monterey Bay.  Its been in the 70s for weeks, the sun has been shining continuously.  Late afternoon walks are becoming a compulsion.  I know that the rainy season is only a couple months away so I am trying to enjoy its warmth now.

Everyone knows about California's fire season and our earthquakes (did you hear about the one in LA this week!)  This photo shows you why.  That dry brush is 2-3 feet tall and it covers most of the state during summer.

Another part of the sunny central coast.
Hello King Bambi!

Of course I have been busy crafting.  This pattern is the lap quilt from Doodle Stitching.  The embroidery is my pattern but I followed her directions for the quilt top.  I will have more pictures of it soon.  Cutting and sewing took about 2 hours.

And finally, our first tomatoes, right in time for dinner.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

I've Been Tagged

Yea!  I've been tagged by Addie from Waldeck Dry Goods!  I have never been tagged before!  Thank you so much for tagging me!  I am supposed to provide you the rules.

Here's what you do:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Here are six of my quirks...

1.  The fact that you want six quirks is interesting because my first quirk is that I love the numbers three and six.  I prefer things in multiples of three because I think its more aesthetically pleasing to the eye.  Six is supposed to be my number numerological and ever since I found that out when I was a young teen I have attached to the number 6.

2.  I love Edith Piaf and this is my favorite song of hers.  Of course this version by Louis Armstrong is my second favorite song.

3.  I sing like a rock star when I am alone, but as soon as anyone comes in the room I am quiet as a mouse.

4.  I play Dungeons and Dragons (or another role-playing game) with my husband and some friends every week or so.  No seriously, like with books, dice and our imaginations.  This is before computers.

5.  I hate to measure and cut a pattern out of fabric.  This is the number one thing to stop me from sewing.

6.  I love school.  I plan on getting a Phd because they cant kick me out until then.

Now to tag 6 others... how about Lovestitches, Cornflower Blue Studio, The Floss Box, Linaloo, Average Jane Crafter,and Elsewhere Living.