Post_Christmas blogging

We had the nicest Christmas with Melissa, and we were so glad to have her here as right before she came in Mom had a mini stroke. Melissa was really worried about her, so it was good she could stay over there and re-assure herself that her grandma would be ok. We really had a good time, we got to visit a lot; Christmas Eve was at Chris and Richards and Christmas dinner was here. We also spent the night downtown and went to Lincoln Park Zoo, and then to a bar. It was funny to see all 3 kids in a bar, but Sio turned 21 this past September. I have to say that I was really sad to see Melissa leave this morning, more than I usually am. But I am going to visit her in May, she gets her Masters and I am going to see her graduate. John said he was going too, but we'll have to see. He says things and then we don't do them, so if he can't I'll just go alone. In the meantime I am going to work full time on my Etsy store; that's my New Years resolution, although it's a bit premature. I created a new store and am having business cards printed up. I need to discipline myself now and spend 30 hours minimum a week working on projects to sell.

Christmas Sewing and Wool Quilts

I haven't had much time lately, I'm trying to finish up the Christmas gift sewing. John had the weekend off, too, so we did some of our Christmas shopping over the weekend. I think I'm almost done, I only need to buy one more thing. I have one present to finish and 2 more to make and then something Siobhan asked me to finish up for her because she isn't good at the sewing part of her gift. I hope to have everything done by the end of the week. Which will give me time to do what I saw on Simply Quilts this morning and I am very excited about. There was a lady on who was dyeing and fulling wool, and then making crazy quilt like pieces out of the wool. Of course any dyeing is fun, I could spend days on end dyeing and over dyeing. Then she butts pieces up to each other and adds a strip of fusible interfacing to hold them together. Then she flips the pieces over and uses her machine on a zigzig or other decorative stitch and joins them. She uses different threads for the joining, it can be invisible, the same color or a contrast. Then when she has the piece the size she wants she adds embellishments if she thinks it needs it. It was really cool, and I am filing it away as another one of those things to try. There is a quilt show in Feb and I could do a crazy pillow top. I could use the Dylon dyes, just set them with heat instead of warm water. They still work, they just aren't as brilliant as the Cushings. We have tons of things that would make nice embellishments. I think a whole quilt made this way would be too heavy, plus it couldn't be quilted anyway. But a pillow or table runner would be very nice. If it were a runner it could be backed with a dyed to match cotton flannel, or even a plain cotton.

Hammer of the Gods

There are bits and pieces of the Zep concert from London on You Tube, and they are still the Gods of Rock. Jason Bonham fills in on drums for his dad just perfectly, Robert Plant still sounds as good as he always did and Page can still play those great guitar riffs. The sheer power still drives me to my knees in worship. Go, watch and be humbled before the Gods. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KmqiUSX1jw&NR=1

Recycled Wool Scarf

Sio and I were talking about making recycled clothing, and I came up with this scarf. The back is hemp fleece which I got in a grab bag from Hemp Traders, the patchwork is recycled wool from my rug making stash and a felted wool sweater. This may very well end up as gift for someone although I don't know who yet. I have enough fleece to make 2 or 3 more more scarves. I though about using polyester fleece from work, but the problem is polyester. I know it's recycled pop bottles but the problem is still what happens to it after it's out of style, or gets a rip or whatever. It will still end up in the huge mountain of plastic that will never decompose and so will be here long after we are gone. I almost always use natural stuff anyway, but when it comes to recycling maybe it's a trade off. I would be saving some man made thing from the junk heap for awhile longer and if someone buys it and wears it then I've saved the manufacturing of a new thing Anyway, I do think this is cute and it will be very warm.