Binding

 I ordered some rainbow binding to finish off my Embroidery Challenge Piece.  It arrived yesterday, very nicely packaged.  I was going to show the front of the envelope also but perhaps shouldn't publicize my address.  I mean, you could look it up if you wanted to, but why?

 

And this is what it looks like pinned onto the piece.

I have sewn it down but am trying to figure out how to get the piece to stretch evenly in the embroidery hoop.  Or alternatively, to make it into a circular piece not in an embroidery hoop.

Decisions, decisions.

 

Embroidery Challenge - ongoing

The problem is often deciding when to stop.  So I think I'm done.  Now to finish it off so it can be displayed.

Embroidery Challenge- continuing

About a year ago, the Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Textiles, Toronto issued a challenge to its members:  Challenge 2021-2022 Journal Threading.

"Journal Threading is also known as a Stitch Diary. For those who like to embroider or cross stitch, and/or keep written diaries, this is a combination of the two. The template is a 12 section pie chart. Sections can be divided into months (Hebrew or secular), or seasons, or family members, etc. You can make tiny sketches or stitch freehand of an event on any day, or your feelings, or where you went -or the room you stayed home in- because we haven’t gone anywhere, or the weather (very Canadian!) There are no rules for making a stitched record of something that the day happened to bring to mind. The goal is to create a piece that is personal to you. Each section represents a month. If you are a planner, you can draw a whole week’s worth of doodles in the section you are working on, and stitch them with all different threads. If you don’t stitch every day, and like to wait until you have a week’s worth, doodling every day is helpful. Mark your designs on your fabric with the Micron pen or fabric pencil."

This is what I focussed on: There are no rules. 

So instead of using a 12" embroidery hoop, I used an 18" hoop.  Instead of a pie chart, I made a crazy quilt background of pieces from my (mostly) family wedding fabrics stash.  I first divided an 18" freezer paper circle into four equal quarters, and then subdivided those quarters by 3, in random shapes.  I numbered them to know how to put them back together, ironed each pieces onto the front of the fabric pieces, cut them out leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance, and then sewed them back together.

Of course I didn't start this project a year ago and have only been working on it since approximately January 2022.  Don't judge me.

Unfortunately, I did not take a "naked" circle photo.  This is what it looked like after I did the initial embroidering on the seams. 

I also quickly abandoned use of the frame for stitching because I don't like using a frame.  Needless to say abandonment is never a good thing.  The fabric bunched up in certain places
and the circle is no longer 18".  But this is what it looks like now

I  the name of a month in each of the 12 pieces.  I haven't handwritten Hebrew in a long time so my letters are a little wobbly and frankly the initial stitching was terrible.  I "fixed" that problem by weaving a thread over and under the initial stitching.  It beefed up the lettering and looks not too bad.

So how to remedy the less than 18" problem?  If I want to still use the embroidery hoop as my frame, I need to add about 1/2" to 1" to the perimeter.  I found a lovely rainbow-coloured binding tape on Etsy which I hope will do the trick.  I have been very diligent about reining in my consumerism which wasn't all that rampant pre-Covid but still.  

Although the embroidery part in substantially completed, I think a little beading would enhance it further so a little beading it is.

My "final" Embroidery Challenge photos will follow when finished.

Scissors and Swiffer Dusters

I don't have a ton of sewing scissors.

I These were my Aunt Ethel's.

And these, my cousin Alissa gave me.

Both pairs are too heavy for me to use.  They usually just hang out on the wall beside my sewing tables.

When I need to cut fabric by scissor, I use one of these

Usually the black pair because (don't tell anyone) I have been known to cut paper with the blue ones...  I usually cut my fabric with my Olfa 45 mm rotary cutter.

I used to have a pair of pinking shears in Israel.  They broke, I'm not sure if still in Israel or here in Canada.  And frankly, I haven't really needed them so didn't bother replacing them.

I am trying to be more conscious of my consumption and how I dispose of things.  Mintzy sent me a pattern for a Swiffer Duster replacement made from flannel, to be used and thrown in the laundry (instead of the garbage).  Since I have an old pair of flannel pajama bottoms, I thought I'd give it a try.  I mentioned it to Honey who had 3 pairs of pinking shears and was generous enough to give one pair to me.

 

BTW, I snipped through a scrap of fabric and they cut like a charm.

So before I start on the duster, I'm putting on these 

my father's magnifying glasses, and checking out who made the various scissors.

Aunt Ethel's pair have two stamps "made in Germany" and "forged steel".  

Alissa's pair has two stamps 

The first side has a stamp on one side which looks like a cloud and says "WISS, Newark NJ, made in U.S.A." The second side has a stamp which looks like a forge and has "steel no. 21" inside the forge.  I tried looking up WISS on the internet and found stuff but don't know how to copy it.  Suffice it to say, it was once a well known and sought after brand, initially as medical scissors in WWI.

My two most used are generic - the blue one was bought as part of a set I got,my favorite brand "on sale", most likely at Fabricland when it was still on Yonge Street above the North York subway station.  The black handled pair simply says "stainless steel korea" and has an image of something that looks to me like a dolphin on the flip side.

Now Honey's pinking shears are stamped "Haddon Hall" and "Japan".  Right now, all I care is that they cut.  Off to hellosewing.com/diy-reusable-swiffer-duster-cloths/

 

Not every post needs a catchy name.

Yesterday, I "presented" my half-assed papermaking adventure to the POM L&S group.  It was well received by those with no idea how to make homemade paper, and fortunately those who did offered their knowledge and suggestions.  I did, however, start off the presentation with a disclaimer that I had no idea what I was doing and that anyone "inspired" by my presentation should check out information on their own.

I also talked a little about my blogging and its benefits (for me). 

So now I am challenging myself to do something with the 8 pieces of homemade paper I made.

I'll have to think on that.  

In embroidery news, I have embroidered all but two months on the POM challenge and am hoping to finish Sivan and Nissan today.

Papermaking

The path to my papermaking adventure is somewhat long, but I hope not too boring.

My sister and also a POM member, Devora, wanted to do something together.  In 2017, we took a marbling on fabric course with Sabine Spare, who later presented at one of the POM meetings.

This is the result

We were looking for another fun art-related thing to do together and decided to take a paper-making course.  We found a place in New Dundas, Ontario called "The Paper Trail" and were all excited to sign up as soon as I returned from my son's wedding in Israel, in March 2020.  See where this is going? Obviously, we did not take the course.  I did, however, in June 2020 order handmade paper from them, in two sizes - 5" X 7" and 8 1/2" X 11".

So the paper was delivered and what was I going to do with it?

First I made these, using bits and pieces from leftover fabrics from my nieces' tallitot, wedding dresses, buttons, beads, etc:

I bought this frame from Dollarama:

 

And framed them.  So for $12.00 for the frames, $3.60 for the paper (plus tax), I had this:

I also made these:

I also used my laser printer to print these music pages from my father's Klezmer book:

Just a note here that this paper is quite thin if it can go through the printer.  I did the music on a larger sheet and tore it down the middle to give it the same unsmooth edge.

 

  

This burst of paper creativity ended a few months later when I returned to my quilting

and sewing

And then a few months ago Devora and I took an online course at the Aga Khan Museum about illuminated manuscripts which included papermaking  where the papermaking involved many steps including machinery and equipment

 

I decided to consult with my new best friend You Tube and found tens of videos showing how to make paper using as little machinery and equipment as possible 

 

 

Covid Creativity and Junk Revisited

 I was at the doctor's for my "annual" physical.  My last one was in 2020...

She asked me how I was holding up during Covid.  I had to tell her that Covid has been wonderful for me, creatively speaking.  I have been busy finishing sewing projects, starting many new ones, and the ideas keep bubbling over.  So other than not being able to get together as much with family and friends, it's been pretty good.

She then asked if I have any physical concerns.  Other than a small kvetch here or a minor issue there, I can't complain.  Well I did lose about a cm in height.  Oh, and I have lost weight.  How did you do it,, she asked.  I smiled, Covid, I answered.  I go to work most days so am not constantly looking in the fridge or pantry.  I bring my lunch to work so don't go out to eat, am driven to and from work because I don't take public transit and  don't drop into the convenience store for "chazerai" (junk food).

And speaking of junk, I have revisited the drawers where I keep the bits and pieces for the crazy quilting I used to do - old jewellery, unusual beads, etc.  I have been ruthless in deciding what to keep and what to toss, not that I had that much to start with. So maybe I'll get back to the crazy quilting at some point to use up the keep stuff.