Hey Beautiful!

And then this happened.

One of the things that I intended to do with the Colour Project was push myself to use fabrics that I've been hoarding.  It's been interesting so far.  After finishing Lindsay's coat, I decided to use another fabric that's been in the stash for a few years.  I have a set of open shelves in the studio that house fabrics that I would like to use in the next month or six.  I went through the stash and pulled out possibilities for red, orange and yellow and popped them up there.  One of them was this one:

I wish you could feel it.  It's flannel and lovely - a great weight.  Cozy but not so heavy that it's a big drapeless blanket.  I bought it a couple of years ago about this time of year with the idea of making a cardigan-ish thing.  One of those ones that has the draped front.  Like this one.

Basically an extra layer for February.  Since the fabric was visible last week, and I wanted to work on something simple, I finally got fabric and pattern together.  I altered the pattern Thursday night (FBA and forward shoulder adjustment) but didn't get back in the studio on Friday to cut it out.  Which is unfortunate because now I really wanted to work on it.  It marinated and shifted around in my head while I got on with Friday, until I was trying to sleep on Friday night.  That's when I remembered the cream velveteen skirt that I made last summer.  I still hadn't put the final hook on it so it was still sitting there in the UFO pile.  The as-yet-un-sewn cardigan would look great with that.  But then I would have to line it (which I probably should have done in the first place).  I would also need a plain t-shirt to go with.  Maybe grey.

Cut to Saturday morning when the cats decide that we should really all be up at 7, and I agree.  I take them down to the studio with me, thereby leaving my husband to sleep for a couple more hours in peace, and get to work.  

First I cut out the cardigan.  

Then I dig out the skirt and find some lining.

While I'm at it, that remnant of red corduroy might be enough for a pencil skirt.  

A grey t-shirt would be good, but there's also that red heather that's been sitting there for awhile.  It would need a layer underneath, but it would still work.

Then there's that blue sweatshirt fabric.  That would look nice with the red.  Maybe in a kind of Alabama Chanin thing.  Oooh.  There's some red jersey that would look great as the contrast.

I'm not sure if there's enough red corduroy for the skirt I have in mind.  Is there some blue corduroy hanging around to do the yoke of the skirt?

Yup.  But it's enough for some pants.  Blue pants would go with all this.  Kinda slouchy and cozy.  

Maybe a cream t-shirt to finish it off.  

By 9 am I have a capsule wardrobe planned.  

(I made those yesterday.  So. Much. Fun.)

Breaking it down:

Three Lark t-shirts - grey, red heather and white.

Three bottoms: Cream velveteen skirt, red pencil skirt, and blue corduroy trousers.

Two top layers: plaid flannel cardigan (that started this whole thing) and reverse applique cardigan.

Whew.  

Astonishingly, it's all cut out and ready to go.  

Apparently this whole colour thing (or a little focused chaos) can make a girl get on with it.  

I'm hoping to have the plaid cardi done today.

Crazy.  

Have a good one.

Snowball...

Hello all.

Contrary to what you might think, this is not going to be a post about crazy winter snow days.  

Nope.  This is about what happens when you finally get over a block you didn't know that you had.  

When last we spoke, I was about to finish up a raincoat for my husband.  I started it in 2005.  I know that because I had embroidered a label to put inside it.  Handy.  Well, I finished it up before we left for Victoria.  Ten years plus two days of work.  It's pretty awesome.  Blue and grey GoreTex .  Fits him really well and he wore it all weekend.  But I didn't take a picture so you'll have to take my word for it.  

We returned from our getaway on Monday night to a house that was only moderately worse than when we left it (it helps that it wasn't that tidy when we left), two moderately happy teenagers and two angry cats.  How did we know that the cats were angry?  Well, while I was unpacking, one of them hopped in the suitcase and peed in it.  Literally pissed off.  So there's that.  I cleaned it up and shoved it outside where it has stayed to air out for the last week.  Today I shall attempt to steam clean it.  Ugh.  

I haven't been sewing as much in the last few years.  I don't know if it's a result of it being my job for ten years, or just that it's now something I can choose to do among the many other creative pursuits I have.  When I do sew, it tends to be in binges.  I don't cut out one t-shirt, I cut out four.  Last fall I did exactly that.

 

Things had been a little dodgy on the teenager front, so I decided to make an entire week about sewing things just for me.  No errand running (other than the necessities), no driving anyone else anywhere, no nothing other than hanging out in the studio with some fabric and my two favourite machines.  

I started with the Lark Tee from Grainline Studios.  There was a lot of chatter about whether the world needed another t-shirt pattern when this one came out.  My short answer is yes.  I debated picking it up for the longest time (quietly agreeing with the chatter) then just got on with it.  I made a quick practice version - and loved it.  

 

The fit is trim but not tight.  I have made and loved a lot of Renfrews but I like the fit of this one better.  Looser through the middle, but still fitted through the shoulders.  After this one I made my usual forward shoulder adjustment and that's it.  

Then went a little bonkers picking out fabric in the studio.  I have a picked up an unfortunate fear of cutting into the good stuff.  A few years ago I decided that it was time to spend the money on the good stuff, because if not now, when?  It doesn't mean that I don't love a bargain (who doesn't!?!) but if I see some beautiful fabric that is more than I usually spend, and I absolutely love it, I buy it.  This means that I have a significant backlog of fantastic knits and more than a couple pieces of Liberty cotton (Liberty!!!)  as well as some Nano Iro double gauze.  I had realised that I was avoiding going down there to sew because I was afraid to ruin the pretties.  Which goes against all of my own beliefs about fabric - mainly that it has no value until it's made into something.  

A couple of lovely days later:

A whole new t-shirt wardrobe.  Clockwise from top left, we have a lovely soft pink from deep stash (don't remember where it came from), jade green with navy is from Art Gallery Fabrics, grey/blue with deer is from L'Oiseau Fabrics, and the black print is from Art Gallery too.  The Art fabrics were purchased at Out of Hand here in Calgary.

I had a little accident when I was trimming the threads on the deer fabric, and snipped a hole in the back, just below the neck.  I covered it up with a little velvet ribbon from the trim drawer:

Then liked the detail so much that I did it on another one:

I love them.  I wear them all.  Which leads to this weekend, when I cut out some more, along with many, many other things.  

But that's for another day.  

Here's your gratuitous sewing room cat picture:

Stay warm!

 

Beautiful Light...

One of the things about living in this place at this time of year is that the light can be eye searingly bright at times.  When it's very, very cold (-23 degrees celsius this am), the air is very, very clear and the light is very, very bright.  A few years ago I was walking out the door of a coffee shop on a very cold,bright day and held the door open for the person behind me who blinked as his eyes adjusted and commented that it was like being on the surface of the moon.  In other words, it's crazy bright.  

It makes taking pictures interesting, because the camera doesn't quite know what to do with itself.  

This yarn, for instance.

It is super bright and cheery, but it isn't as bright as it looks in the picture.    It's the fibre that I spun this week.  Made by Sea Turtle Fiber Arts, it started out as a yellow/red mix:

It spun like a dream - quick and pleasant.  The result in incredibly soft.  I ended up with about 230 metres for 4 ozs, so roughly dk weight.  

I think it's destined to be some fingerless gloves, or maybe a hat.  We shall see what treasures Ravelry sends my way when I search.  

I also spent some time in the sewing room yesterday.  I haven't been in there since Christmas Eve, and I usually like to start out with something quick and easy after a bit of a break.  I have a longstanding crush on all things Grainline so when they came out with a new knitting/craft bag design before Christmas, I was in like Flynn.  

The Stowe Bag was a collaboration between Grainline Studio and Fringe Supply Co..  Fringe Supply originally designed the bag but found that, while it sold like hotcakes, it wasn't cost-effective to produce.  So they approached Grainline about making a pattern so people could make their own.  It's an alarmingly cunning design.  

When I was tossing the stash, pulling out fabrics that might be possibilities for Red, Yellow and Orange, I came across a red,blue and cream stripe that looked like it would be just the ticket for the bag.  Yesterday, I finally got around to it.

I'm having a hard time deciding how I feel about it.  I made the large size, since I intended it to be for sweater-sized projects.  The fabric that I chose, which was quite crisp when it was folded, became softer and softer with every press.  I doubled it on the main pieces, since I wanted the bag to stand up on it's own, and there is a third layer on the middle third of the bag that forms the pockets, but it's still pretty floppy.

There are lots of pockets inside:

The main issue is one of fabric choice.  My fabric ended up being too floppy for the bag to stand up on it's own when it's empty.  This is a pet peeve of mine when it comes to knitting bags.  I hate it when a bag collapses in on itself when it isn't packed to the brim.  Basically, while this is exactly what it was advertised as, I was hoping to end up with something a little sturdier.  

There was also one step in the construction that was incomprehensible to me.  After staring at it for awhile, I took it upstairs and ran it by Hunter who was equally flummoxed.  I then went ahead and did what seemed like the obvious next step, ignoring the instructions.    

Sigh.  I want to love it so much, but I just don't.  It's frustrating.  For the moment, Hunter is using it while I wait for the frustration to wear off.  That's his knitting inside.  He's making me a shawl.  

So that's what went on here this week.  LP and I are headed off to Victoria next weekend for a quick break, and I have some sewing to do for that.  I have two raincoats that are UFOs hanging around the studio, one for him and one for me.  Both have the shells completely constructed, and the linings partially done.  Apparently I have a fear of inserting linings into jackets.  Time to get over it and get on with it.

Stay warm and be well.

Red in Sweden

Good morning my darlings.

This will have to be quick as I have a busy day involving a vet trip.  Soooo much fun.

It's snowing here.  Here's the view of my favourite tree this morning.

Also, one of the things on my list today is to take this down:

It's time for everything Christmas to get put away, which means that it will be much tidier, but also much darker in that corner of my world.  Winter is such a long one here.  While I love the quality of the light when you get it, it's hard sometimes.  Which led me to wondering what people in much more Northern climates do all winter (other than drink ;)).  

Without further ado, here's today's factoid about red.  It's about those red houses in Sweden, and how they get that way.  You know the ones I mean?  No?  These ones:

Or rather, at this time of year:

Now, doesn't that look cozy?  When you look at images of Sweden, you end up with entire villages that are this colour.  But why?

It's called Falun Red, and the paint used to be homemade.  When it was time to paint your house, you would cook up a mixture of water, rye flour, linseed oil and... wait for it... tailings from the nearby copper mine.  The tailings had finely ground hematite in them, which would give you that red colour when it was heated.  Voila.  Wood preservative that was easy to repaint when it started to degrade.  Also, reasonably cheap.  

I am an inveterate collector of brain lint, so all these kind of things are right up my alley.  

What about my own red?

Well, I spun the fibre, and now it's waiting to be plied.

Isn't she a ham?  She's the one who is off to the vet this morning.  Her brother went yesterday and was a huge brat - think towels and leather gauntlets.  The vet suggested sedation next time.  And he's the calm and relaxed one.  

Back to the fibre.  It's brighter than it looks here - with more yellow.  Winter light being what it is, this is the best I could grab.  Hopefully it will be plied today.  On days like these, I am more drawn to the yellow (or sunlight).

Well, I'm off. 

Where's the red in your world today?

Red

Or should I say 

RED?

It's a doozy.  

I love red.  I think I am someone who wears a lot of it, but after perusing my closet, there are a few pieces, but what I mostly have is red shoes.  And a fabulous pair of red boots that my husband gave me for my birthday a few years ago.  

Historically and culturally, red has a lot of meaning around the world.  It symbolizes power and fertility.  It has magical powers in some cultures.  It can protect you from evil spirits.   

When we make a special effort for a special guest, we "roll out the red carpet".  When kings and queens are crowned, they wear red velvet robes.  Remember the power suits of the 1980's?  Red always cranks things up a notch.  

It all starts with blood.  Red signifies life and power because it is the colour of the blood that we can't live without.  Roman gladiators used to drink the blood of their vanquished enemies in the belief that they would gain their strength.  In many cultures, red plays a significant role in wedding ceremonies, since it symbolizes fertility with the onset of menstruation in women.  

Then there are it's magical powers.  It can protect you from evil.  Red thread is often used in embroidery around the openings of a garment to help protect the wearer in those vulnerable areas (necklines, particularly).  Swedish tradition calls for swaddling babies in fabrics that have red triangles on them to protect them in those vulnerable first few months.  Warriors often paint themselves with red ochre to call on spirits to help them survive.  

In short, red is awesome and it's everywhere.  

Over the next few weeks, I will share some of the awesome stories I have learned about red and what it has meant through history.  

Today, I'm going to be spinning some red (because Tuesdays are for spinning).

Yesterday I found this bump of fibre at The Loop.  It's dyed by Sarah at Sea Turtle Fibre Arts and I'm hoping that I will end up with some mittens out of it.  

It's bright and sunny and after playing around with this picture, I need to get spinning it because all I can think of is eyeballs - you know those pictures your optometrist takes of the inside of your eye?  It's giving me the heebee geebees.  

That's my red for today.  What's yours?

Happy New Year!!!

Hello all.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday, and that you are feeling ready for the new year.  

Ours was quiet, which was nice.  Even though we only had one visitor (my mother-in-law) it was still something of a dead run in the last few days, with cookie baking still happening on Christmas eve.  Cookies are part of our tradition, so there are lots made and lots consumed, until the middle of January, when everyone just walks by without a sideways glance.  

One of my favourite parts of Christmas, ironically, has always been Boxing Day or the day after.  That day where everyone is occupied, there are leftovers for supper, and you can pit in with a good book without a whit of feeling like there's something else you should be doing.  It's an introvert Mom thing.  I also like to use that week between Christmas and New Years to come up with some wizardly master plan of how the next year will go.  I tend to be a "go big or go home" kind of person, so I like my goals to be relatively unachievable.  That way I can be really disappointed in myself in May, when I start to fail.  I'm learning to let that kind of thing go, but it's hard.  When it comes to everyone else, I tend to appreciate the small gesture (bring me a cup of coffee and you're my hero) rather than the large one.  Part of the thing that I like about all these year-long projects that I have tried, is the idea of structure.  When you are working from home, or not working at all, structure is a good thing.  I need a little to help me move forward in these winter months.  Otherwise I tend to start a thousand things and finish nothing.  So I have come up with something of a plan.  A little bit of structure to help keep me moving, but nothing so strict as to make the project impossible.

 

I.  Love.  Colour.  

Ask anyone.  I love it around me and on me most of the time.  My son pointed out to me a few weeks ago that I am the opposite of what all the fashion rules say.  Instead of wearing neutrals with one bright colour, I tend to wear bright colours, with one neutral.  It makes me happy.  So I thought I would spend this year doing a long-term study of colour.  My plan is to spend 5 or 6 weeks studying each colour, working my way through the rainbow by the end of the year.  Calling up my grade 3 rainbow, that means: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.  I'm adding on cream and grey at the end, as a replacement for white and black, because I don't tend to wear white or black.  Too many years waiting tables.  

So I'm going to spend some time researching the history of each colour, and learning about it's cultural significance. I'll also spend each period working with each colour across all the many forms of making that I do - sewing, knitting, embroidery and rug hooking (I have a big project planned for that last one).  My hope is that by immersing myself across all disciplines, I will come to a new understanding of what each colour means to me and how I use it in my work/play.  

I'm excited.  

That's my plan for this year.  Red is the first one up, and it's a doozy.  I love red, and this time of year (for the next few days anyway) it's everywhere.  

Thanks for coming.