Remembering Kathreen Ricketson

After being mostly unplugged from the internet this last week, I have only just learned of the deeply sad death of Kathreen Ricketson, a wonderful force and source in the quilting and crafting community. I am still in shock as I write this.

I first came to know Kathreen through her terrific blog, Whip-up, and was delighted to be a guest blogger for her as well as a contributor to her book Whip-Up Mini Quilts. She had a great, adventurous spirit and lived life to the fullest. 

Devoted to the promotion and celebration of hand-made, and to the upbringing of her two beautiful children, daughter Otilija and son Orlando, who are heartbreakingly now left without a mother and a father. 

If you wish, you may contribute via PayPal to a fund set up for her children. Please see here for more information.

I have been asked to share my favorite Whip-Up blog post with all of you, but right now I can't even think straight, so I will just say visit it often and read through all of it for on-going inspiration... Kathreen will live on through what she shared so passionately with all of us.

The internet crafting community is an amazing thing. Through it we "meet" each other, encourage each other, promote each other and support each other. Kathreen lived on the other side of the world, and only a few short years ago our paths would have never crossed... but due to the internet, shared passions, connections and friendships no longer have borders and boundaries. Thank you Kathreen for being you and for making this world a smaller, more colorful and friendlier place. You will be missed. xo

Just for Fun

Just for fun, I thought I'd try my hand at spinning some rag-yarn.

I cut thin, long strips of fabric, and using a drop spindle, spun them as tightly as I could.

The result is something similar to twine, but texturally and visually, much more interesting.

I love the look and feel of it!

By the time I was done, I had a sweet little ball containing 50 yards of 1/8" rag yarn, which I can weave or crochet with, (I'd like to add knit with, too, but sigh, despite my attempts at friendship, knitting and I have never successfully hit it off).

Here's a little sample on the loom. It's a lot like just weaving with rags (long cut up strips of fabric that are pre-folded and ironed, or simply inserted flat in the open weaving shaft and pushed down by the beat of the heddle) however, their seems to be a nicer consistency and uniformity with spinning the rag strips first. And even though spinning is another step, it's also another chance to touch every inch of the work, to connect, to meditate, to contemplate, to slow down... all good stuff!

And here's a another scarf that I recently wove. 

Umm, excuse me, but what is up with all these Autumn looking colors in the middle of glorious Spring? I truly have no idea why I seem to be creating from this color palette!

Who knew that when I picked this Spring inspired lime green, and paired it with a lovely deep fuchsia, 

that the combined marriage of the two would result in such a Fall looking scarf?

Color is a never ending mystery, wonder and thrill!

Another thrill is how something so basic as plain weave, (over one, under one) can result in something that looks far more complex, 

                      Simply due to how each yarn of each color is placed in the warp and the weft.

For more information on this scarf, please see here.

Have a great weekend, Everyone!!

In the Studio

Here's a bit of what's been going on in the studio these last few weeks...

A new scarf.

It's a blend of the four cotton and tencel yarns shown above.

This is the first time I have ever worked with tencel. Tencel is a natural, man-made fiber from wood pulp cellulose. Similar to rayon, yet different, it's known for it's great drape-ability and durability. As with the debate over conventional cotton and how it is processed, tencel has it's pros and cons in regard to it's impact of both positive and negative on the Earth. For the most part it gets good marks, being that it is fully biodegradable and made from trees managed for sustained harvest, and is considered an eco-friendly fiber. As for it's weaving qualities, I am very pleased. It has a lovely luster, and really does add a great drape and luxurious feel to the cloth.

I love the pointillism effect of all those dots of color!

And from a distance all those dots of color create a very subtle ikat effect...

Because it's got such a nice drape to it, I made this one extra long, (100" not including fringe) as sometimes I appreciate a scarf that I can wrap around me several times, but still have a nice length of scarf tails hanging down. I thought that others might like that, too. This fits the bill very nicely.

This extra long, cotton and tencel scarf, is now available in my shop, here.

I am continually floating between a love of bright color and a love of neutral colors, and have always been attracted to the look of vintage, European linen table runners...

So I let that be the inspiration for this woven linen, silk and cotton runner

 Featuring a twill weave design and both vertical and horizontal stripes of a lovely aqua blue cotton, it also has a lovely drape and very subtle sheen from the silk.

This linen, silk and cotton table runner is also available in my shop, here.

And here's a peek at what's on the loom now...

Anyone familiar with this blog knows of my love for shot cotton. So, is it any wonder that I would want to try my hand at weaving some shot cotton of my own??? 

I picked a soft blue for the warp and a bright spring green for the weft. As they intersect, they blend together and make a third color. Looking at the photo above, do you see how there is a slight difference in the color of the upper section compared to the bottom section? That's one of the things that I adore about shot cottons... those color shifts! (I'm curious to try reversing the order, a spring green warp and soft blue weft. How close or how different will the final two woven colors be?) 

Along with shot cottons, I also love the look of patches on my quilts, as many of you know, so why not incorporate some patches in to the shot cotton? By keeping the weave on the open side I can needle weave in small blocks of "patches" here and there. I'm using a variegated blue thread, (some of that lovely Sulky Thread that was gifted to me).

And by the way, did you ever wonder why it's called shot cotton? It's because every time you throw the shuttle back or forth, laying down a new weft thread of yarn, it's called a "shot".

Here you can see a couple of the woven patches. Once the fabric is off the loom, I'll wash it in hot water, which will close the weave up a bit. Curious to see what the final outcome will look like!

And last but not least... 

I have hit the half century mark! The big 5-0 came a few weeks ago, and as with all my birthdays, I take it with a big dose of sheer thankfulness. It definitely feels like a milestone though. 

Here's to those 50 years going up the hill, and here's to the next 50 going down.

Going down is always less of a struggle then going up, yes?

I'm looking forward to the new vistas and vantage points!

xo

(And just for the record, I have yet to ever dye my hair... the grays are just now starting to appear!)

Timeless Stripes and Plaids

Stripes and plaids, two classics that never go out of style. 

How could I resist wanting to weave some scarves up in both?

This first scarf was inspired by those simple, but oh, so wonderful vintage striped tea-towels. 

I fondly think of the ones that my mom had back in the 60's, when I was a little girl. I remember looking at them, how the threads criss-crossed, 

and how soft they were after multiple washings. 

... Perhaps that is where I first fell in love with textiles? 

Stripes have an elegant carefreeness about them. 

They have the ability to make anything look good, with very little effort.

(Heck, this striped scarf looked so pretty just hanging against my blue wall, 

I was tempted to leave it there!)

And how about those plaids...

This second scarf wasn't inspired by anything particular,

... just an adoration of plaids. 

With their endless design possibilities and color combinations, how could you not fall for them?

 I think I first fell in love with plaids back as a teenage girl, coveting, (and often taking) the soft flannel shirts of boyfriends. (The beauty and variety of men's flannel shirts have always been a million times better then the paltry few that they make for woman. And who can resist one that's been worn and washed over and over? A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.)

Plaids have both, an air of sophistication about them, 

as well as an everyman, blue-collar-ness about them, which really appeals to me. 

Both scarves are currently available in my shop.

For more information just click on the links below each photo...

Plaid Scarf in Blues, Green and Orange- Rust

Striped Scarf in Cream, Aqua and Red

PS. If you look closely at the vintage post card next to the scarf above, 

it says "A Happy Easter", 

which is what I wish for all of you who celebrate this Sunday.

And to everyone, 

A Happy Spring!

xo

Tie One On

I am a scarf person. Love to wear them. Love to make them. I adore their versatility, and how the right one can make even the most mundane outfit look pulled together. 

They are my absolute favorite thing to weave. 

Here you can see how all the various colors in the warp and weft dance about and intersect. 

After the cloth is off the loom, I always give it a good wash in the sink, usually with very hot, soapy water. It's an important step as it helps the weave to relax, full, bloom, and lock in place.
Woven cloth is never really finished until it has been washed.

Hemstitching the top and bottom edges by hand,

 and hand twisting the fringe makes for a nice, neat, and stable finish.

Words cannot adequately express the joy I feel weaving a piece of cloth. Suffice to say, it feels good!

This scarf is now available. For more info please go here. Hope to be making more very soon. 

By the way... I haven't abandoned quilting! 

In the process of stitching up some some scraps now, waiting to see what they will become!

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Really enjoyed reading all the comments to my last post. Just want to clarify a couple of things...

Yes, children do need to be reminded that daydreaming isn't the best idea when school work or chores need to be done! It's important to know how to stay focused and on task. But let's keep in mind that kids today are often way over scheduled. We need to make sure that they also have unscheduled time... to play and create and daydream. If they learn how to plant and nurture their creative seeds at a young age, they will reap the fruit of a rich imagination their whole life long. 

Also, being true to your own creative urgings doesn't mean that you must not care at all what others think of what you do. It's normal to want validation and approval... and sort of necessary if you sell your creative creations. If no one likes what you make, it's a pretty tough sell! But don't let your desire to be validated by others dictate your creativity. 

Don't let it censor your ideas. 

Nurture your creativity like you would nurture your own child. 

Love it and feed it.

Encourage its uniqueness.

Send it out to play in the sun.

Have fun with it!