Long time no post....
"Let me 'splain... No, there's too much. Let me sum up."

The reason for the break in posts, from last year, is that we moved. I no longer have the craft area that I had at the old apartment. But I'm still crafting. It's been an interesting year, and I'm now able to get out, and have been going to the local library (it's a 5 minute walk) to work on my embroidery.

This is some of what I've been working on...



This is worked in buttonhole stitch, detached buttonhole, woven picots, french knots, couching, lots of split stitch, and seed stitch.

Here's a close up of the split stitch petals and pearls.



You can also see the medium sized petals, that I worked in couching and seed stitch. I wanted to thank Mary Corbet for reminding me about seed stitch. It's a useful filling stitch.

Here's the back...


yup, all the backs are worked in detached buttonhole. I think it makes for a better look when the backs are embroidered as well as the fronts.

I'll be posting more frequently now that I've been able to get the pictures uploaded from my camera.

Happy crafting, you all.

Moving the desk to the front was a good idea. I'm able to fit a rug (just picked it up Saturday at IKEA) and the round worktable back there. It's starting to look a lot better. The unfinished state of the walls and floor is an annoyance, but I can live with it.

I like the flow of the space better now too. I think it'll be much more functional once it's finished.



This is the jewelry storage, it took almost a week of sorting to get it all together. Now I've got a much better idea of what I have and what I can work with. It's a marvelous thing.

More to do,
Happy crafting to you all.

I've moved the desk to the front of the room. I think that'll work better, and maybe improve the wireless internet connection out there. (not so many walls, pipes, and stuff)



And moving the desk has given me a dance floor in the rest of the room. It's a good space for a table and chairs, and laying out sewing.



I've still got to work on the above-shelf storage. I'm not entirely sure how to set it up, but I'll get it figured out.



And that is a finished organized shelf. I'm absolutely thrilled with the results. If all goes well, I'll have this finished in a few more days.

Happy crafting to you all!

Organization, part two....and an experiment.

First, the experiment. I don't know why my pictures format the way they do, and that I can't get them in line with the text. Hopefully I'll figure it out in this post
edited to add: It's figured out! Woot! (and I figured out, more or less, how to fix the previous post

On to the organization



This is the "Clean Sweep" staging area for sorting stuff, it's not bad, it's in the garage and is a good way to lay everything out to actually see what's cluttering things up. I'm still trying to figure out a storage solution for the various bags I have, but that'll come. And I'm still trying to determine if I'll make baskets again, or if I should find a new home for the reeds. (So far I'm coming down on the side of yes, I will make baskets again)



And another picture of the staging area.

More will come as more is done.

Fear me, I'm violating a law of thermodynamics by reducing disorder! Woot!

Here are the before pictures of the craft space. The first picture is of the main bookcases and storage in there. I've let it get entirely too cluttered and hard to find things, this winter. The craft space is relatively unheated so it's hard to work in there.



The second picture is towards the desk area. I didn't take a picture of the table in front of it, since there wasn't room to stand. (Yes, this is a problem.) Those cabinets at the window have never been as useful as I thought they'd be. They're too tall to work on sewing, or calligraphy. And too short to work standing up. and the storage in the cabinets is too narrow to hold my sewing machine and serger. They seemed like a good idea at the time. But, they'll get a good home at my brother's place.



The third picture is just to the left of the desk, and would be the spot I'd set up a table to do calligraphy. A casual glance will give you the impression that it's slightly cluttered. A closer examination, however, will reveal the truth...it's very cluttered.




The fourth picture is of the desktop itself (minus the computer which is currently in the living room, until it warms up out there some more)

Organization.....or the woes of a long winter.

It has finally happened, I couldn't stand my craft space any longer. I couldn't find my tailors' awl, my large format bristol paper...or the floor.

Coming up will be pictures of the mostly before state (I took the pictures after already clearing it out a bit, so I'd have somewhere to stand. I'll also post pictures of the reorganization.

I'm already about half done so these aren't exactly "In progress" pics, they're more "This was the progress" pics. And I'm reorganizing the way I set it up for work.

Now if only I could get my computer to hook up to the internet in there, we'd be golden. (It's a problem with the wireless thingie, I'll figure it out eventually)

An update on the new rug...and it's an experiment with using my camera and trying to figure out GIMP to modify images. (so far, trying to fiddle with 'level's' and 'histogram' have been an utter bust)

If the sun is out tomorrow, I've got some jewelry to photograph.

For those that are interested, punch hooking is a marvelous way to make one of a kind rugs, and use up those yarn scraps that seem to accumulate everywhere. I use basic acrylic knitting yarns for this one. I think it's easier to run through the washer and dryer, there's no danger of felting with acrylic. It does pill a little, but a beard or sweater trimmer takes care of that nicely.

The technique is simple enough once you've done a few. Depending on your backing it can be really fast, or just fairly fast. I've done rugs on burlap, and that moves very quickly, but I find that burlap just isn't as rugged as I'd like, and can tear out before it's finished. So, this one is on cotton monks cloth. It's rugged, holds the yarn loops nicely, but it can be rough on the wrists and takes a bit longer.

If you're interested in it for yourself, Halcyon Yarns has the tools and supplies. I use the Oxford Plain punch needle for my work.

Have fun with whatever you're creating today.

I've finally got the banner and front page of my shop at Etsy set up! Woot!

In other news, I'm getting the camera figured out. Still nothing worth posting, but that'll change once I figure out the timer option thingie (I don't do well taking pictures when I have to press the button, my hand still tremors too much)

Also, the kitchen is clean, the living room is tidier, and the rug is coming along. It finally looks like something I'd admit to making. (I took out the vibrant lime green and replaced it with red. This doesn't make any sense, I know, but when I have a picture you'll understand ...I think)

If all goes well, I'll have a large batch of earrings listed on Etsy this week, and maybe an ACEO or two (calligraphy from Genesis, Chapter 1)

I still need to work on my profile there, but I'll get it figured out.
Hope your day has been good.

Here's that scroll that I was mentioning.

And I got the computer working...YAY!

And (again) I did get the rug started, I'm calling this one stained glass flowers. I should have pictures next week or so, and I'll have it posted on Etsy as well.

Here are some useful documents for any craftsman or artist, from the Society of North American Goldsmiths (wonderful folks!)
http://www.snagmetalsmith.org/Publications/Professional_Guidelines/
it's a collection of pdf's and well worth browsing.

Notes for today:

• finish the scroll for the East Kingdom (a Terpsichore, picture to be posted after Saturday)
• laundry
• try to fix desktop computer so I can get the scanner working again.
  

today should be a productive craft day. If I still have the energy, I'll strip the rug frame and stretch a new rug backing.

YAY!! I finally got this damned thing to work again! WooHOOO!

It's been a while since I've updated. So here we go.....

Projects that I'm currently working on: A luxurious velvet pieced throw with embroidered vines and flowers over it. The current colors are Red, Purple, Moss Green and a buttery brown color. It's more than a little decadent, and I love it :) I'm thinking instead of standard tufting, I'll over stuff it, and use buttons for the tie downs, of course covering the buttons with more velvet, and possibly embroidering them.

I really should write a little essay on the care and feeding of demanding muses. Mine just won't let me alone. I've also been working on a silk/linen pouch, in German counted satin stitch and it's coming along, though slowly. Also a fast embroidery piece, on cheap printed cotton, with DMC (love that green color they came out with this year). Oh, and a tunic collar, and a pair or three of viking pants, and let's not forget the doublet....sigh, I hate the muse, she's so demanding.

Just a quick update...I'll be teaching a beginner's embroidery class this coming weekend and I've almost finished the kits for it. Most people, don't fill a canvas tote with needles, pincushions, scissors, embroidery hoops, floss and fabric for their students. That's what I'm doing. These folks will be well supplied.

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Hey! This is the second time in one month that I've blogged! Hi EK!.

Well, I'm diving into the waters of E-bay again. I just won an auction for a book that I've been needing for a while, and it's so hard to find it's almost mythical. And it's inspiring me to consider selling on e-bay.

I've been weeding and purging through the house and have been inspired by the show "Clean Sweep" on TLC. So I'm thinking there's stuff, books, stuff, albumns, stuff, cd's, some fabric and yarn, and maybe more stuff that I could sell on e-bay. (did I mention that there might be a lot of stuff?)

I thought, briefly, of doing up embroidered napkins, tailored to the SCA market. I'd use patterns from "Schoolhouse for the Needle" an Elizabethan pattern book. However, it doesn't look like table linens sell for very much, and I don't think it would be worth the effort just to get less than $20.

If anyone believes differently, let me know.

That's it for now.

Beard

Hmm, it's been a while since the last post, so...

I went to a Nova Scola, and Baronial Birthday in Bergental (Western Mass) and had a wonderful time. I picked up some tips for blackwork, cardweaving, naalbinding and fingerloop braiding.

There was a class on how to meet people and get involved in the SCA and it was wonderful, there was a wide range of folks, with different levels of experience and all were marvelously helpful and enthusiastic. A former Baron hosted the class (I forget his name, unfortunately) and it was what I've been looking for, as far as getting to know the SCA goes.

I also got a nice little ego boost as he pointed out my embroidery and complimented me on it. It's nice to know that I'm doing it right.

Since then I've been working on favors for the upcoming East Kingdom Queen, and I need to find out if all of the favors from Stonemarche are being sent down as a group, or if we should be sending them individually. I have one done already, and I'm working on the second. I'm hoping to have around a dozen done.

That's all for now.

Beard

The pretty red and cream check, with ecru embroidery turned out really pretty. The design is chunkier than I like, but it doesn't look bad.

The white fabric pen worked magnificently. The lines are fine enough, and they show up beautifully on the ash gray linen smock.

The hardanger is done!

New projects. I finished a viking tunic in time for Birka, and it didn't suck. I'm going to add a bit more embroidery around the collar for next weekend at the Novice Scola in Bergental. I'm finishing the embroidery on the linen under tunic, and if there's time, I'll add a collar. Also started on a couple linen handkerchiefs, they're both hemmed, and I've started the embroidery on one. I have no idea yet what to embroider on the other one. I'd like to use silk embroidery floss, but the colors run if you look at them.

On the home front:
I've painted the stairwell and small room in the basement. A *very* soothing, calm, subdued set of colors *eg*

"Volcanic Blast" and "Startling Orange" They look simply wonderful.
I have storage solutions being delivered tomorrow, white, there'll be a desk and a batch of bookcases and that should help me set up the sewing area.

I'm getting the household set up. Getting the kitchen organized, the spare room emptied, and the main basement room set up. It's nice to see the house looking the way I wanted it to.
That's it for now.