Ringing in 2024

I have one New Year's Resolution - do better.

In terms of my blog, I will try, as I have in the past, to blog daily about what I am doing creatively.  Maybe this year it will work...

I took a quick look at my 2023 entries, of which there are few, mostly related to techniques I shared with the Pomegranate Guild("POM").  It gives me great pleasure to be able to share techniques I have learned with POM.

My first 2023 entry was about snow-dyeing.  I know nothing about the chemistry involved.  For example, the previous year I had gathered snow-ice from the shavings of the local skating arena, not knowing that there is ammonia or something in the ice which neutralized the fabric dyes so I dyed fabric with vibrant colours and the end result was barely visible colour.  In January, I snow-dyed silks and the resultant pieces were "eh" to say the most and those pieces languished on my shelf until Devora gave a weaving demonstration and I had my "aha" moment.  I used four pieces of snow-dyed fabric for weaving and ended up with these:

 

On the pink piece, I backed the silk pieces with stabilizer.  In the "warp" piece, I cut approx. 1/2" slits.  The "weft" piece was cut into 1/2" inch strips which were then woven through the warp piece.  I used a piece of pink dupionni silk from my stash to frame it.

On the blue piece, I only sewed stabilizer on the weft piece before cutting into strips, then wove.  You can see that the warp piece frayed somewhat and I'm not sure whether I like the additional texture of the frayed silk but it's there.  This one I framed with a blue linen from my stash.

So my resolution to use what I have started at the end of 2023.

That said, I did make a purchase last week.  I bought fusible light-weight stabilizer and soluble film (similar to Solvy) from Marathon Threads in Winnipeg.  I rarely order online (i.e. next to never) but I had ordered from Marathon a few years ago for the fusible stabilizer for the neckties in the Torah Tie Project. I didn't remember the name of the fusible but Michele from Marathon was able to look it up for me and my current order arrived next day by courier.  So I'm ready to go.

I also signed up for Just Get it Done's 2024 Declutter Challenge which starts today.  I don't have the same problem as some who have boxes and wrapping paper etc. in their sewing spaces, although I do have a bed I'm trying to get rid of which, once gone, will free up floor space so I can better organize the room.  

OK, so first resolution (to blog regularly) off to a good start.