PROGRESS REPORT 16

A L I S A

Last Progress Report I was about to ply up some yarn that had been on my bobbins for a while. I am using up a bunch of hand-dyed braids that I had in my stash. I really love the outcome. the colours didn't match up as well as I though they would, which makes sense as I'm just working by eye and not being super careful about weighing out roving. I really love this skein and I'm ready to spin up and ply the rest. Firstly, I HAVE to work on my final project for school (which is due mid-August - YIKES). My excuse of not having any empty bobbins no longer holds...

J E N N E

I AM CRAZY FOR SASHIKO!  After making the pillow, I wanted to experiment with drawing the patterns to be able to change the scale and also to experiment with different fabrics.  The polka dot seemed like a natural pattern already to play with some freehand stitches.  I found a book at the library in japanese that has pictures of how to draw out on a grid any traditional pattern at any scale and have been practicing on paper.  The denim piece is a sampler for two garments I am making - testing out the scale and the thread.  I am working on a dress for M to try out sashiko and garment construction, and hopefully it will work well so I can also do stitching on a larger scale.

PROGRESS REPORT 11

A L I S A

So, here's my finished "first steps" sampler from my tapestry weaving class. The first little bit is showing gradients, vertical stripes, three different kinds of joins and decreases. I then used the same techniques in a different pattern above that. The third section was learning how to make circles and fill in spaces. I'm still loving the class and working more on gradients for my next sampler. 

J E N N E

In all three years of middle school I was in a class called Quests that was a combined English/History class taught entirely through projects (early Reggio project style learning, fully collaborative.) Mr. Eater and Ms. Lombard always had a hands on craft component to what we were learning about - papermaking, pottery, embroidery, illuminated calligraphy, whathaveyou.   We learned to spin and dye wool (cochineal!  I was brave and mortared and pestled them into paste)  Mr. Eater had  floor loom in class and we all took our turn sitting at the loom working on a class cloth.  I made so many little bags on a cardboard loom, spinning yarn with a rock and dying the yarn in turmeric and cochineal.  I got really inspired this week by Alisa's tapestry weaving class and also trying to figure out how to weave circularly.  I needed a break from the circular weaving and made a simple cardboard loom just like in 7th grade, popsicle stick pick up stick, just to play with scraps.

PROGRESS REPORT 10

A L I S A

I feel so happy and on track. Lately, I've been really drawn to weaving, especially tapestry weaving. I know the basics and I've tried looking in books and just winging it, which is fun and great, but I was feeling a little lost too… So, I did a little research and found a wonderful tapestry artist who has changed my weaving life! Ixchel Suarez is truly a life student and master tapestry weaver and I have started studying with her guidance at the Oakville Tapestry Studio. I started this week and she is having me work on a tapestry "journal". A guided weaving that teaches many different techniques. I learned some basics while I was there and now I have some homework to do - incorporate the techniques I learned into another block in my "journal". I'm in heaven...

J E N N E

Sewing steadily along.  Cutting out a dress that I drafted in Cal's Pattern Drafting Class and its going to have a pointy collar and black pockets and this crazy dotted animal not animal print.  What I am loving about this whole process is that there is no fail.  If it doesn't work exactly move the darts, move the line, redraw resew and try again.  I actually have two different dress fronts with different dart placements - I couldn't decide which I liked more but I am sure with different fabrics/patterns its good to have options.  Going through the process of really analyzing my body and putting that on paper has me thinking of all the different possibilities of clothing to make.   Its also reminding me that I did take 2 years of patternmaking classes, and that whole time I used a size 8 dress form to make slopers and muslins and patterns and never did I consider taking the tape measure to myself to make myself clothes.  Which is why I think I stopped.  We went to our storage space last week and I unearthed my slopers and textbook from when I was in that class, digging through those for ideas and calculations to make.