Day two finished May 31, 2009
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If we look at this as a workshop, instead of me and my mom fooling around and having fun, day two of the workshop is finished. Day one was making and prepping the screens and printing surfaces. Day two was actually printing. Day three will be mom washing out the dye from the fabric and sending the fabric to me and me going “oooooooooh, that turned out waaaay (better/worse) than I thought!” – which will actually take more than one day. 
But so is day two – I am going back over for a little more pulling. Not all day again, just a few hours.
So here is one of my screens prepped with dye for doing deconstructed screenprinting:
This looks boring now, but it actually pulled really cool. We discovered that the screens which looked more like a Jackson Pollock painting or a Mondrian or some other abstract design worked best.
Here is one I did using a circular screen with a soy wax resist – no deconstructed techniques:
This screen needed a LOT less dye than I thought, so the image looks really dark to me, but it may lighten up after washing.
Overall this was fun, but I think I will hold final judgment until I see the finished fabric.
Colorful Screenprinting May 28, 2009
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So Mom and I are embarking on a new crafting expedition. Actually she’s already on the cruise, and I’m in my little dinghy frantically rowing to catch up.
Screenprinting.
I’m not exactly sure I’m going to be in love with this, so when the instructional DVD said, “If you varnish your screen frame before you tape it up, it will last through a good ten years of printing, otherwise it might last 5,” I thought “Five years sounds long enough.” If I fall in love, I will take the tape off and varnish. Easy peasy.
These are little $1 picture frames from Michael’s, sized for 4×6 photos. Perfect for using one of those fake little credit cards all of us crafters have hundred of for a squeegee. And the screen? The green is from Mom (of course), and the pink is remnants of curtains DD cut off so she could see out the window. Also pictured is my printing surface.
I also made a 12×12″ square frame out of cheap stretcher bars. No screen on it yet, as I need to have my DH locate his power sander so I can make one side flat. I love a project that involves power tools.
The blue tape is actually Duck tape, not painters tape. I wanted to make sure I could find my screens in a hurry, as we are planning on doing this with our Study Group, so there will be at least 20 other screens running around that day. I figure no one else is going to get this particular Duck tape.
Now to figure out what I am going to DO . . . .
Memorial Day Sale May 26, 2009
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I was a bad bad girl yesterday. I was quilting a new little quilt I am throwing together, when suddenly, I ran out of thread. The ONE spool of good thread I own. Owned. Since I bought a really nice, really wonderful, really expensive sewing machine, I promised myself I would not buy cheap thread for it. Not because I am being snobbish, but because I don’t like have to de-fuzz my machine after stitching one seam. 
So, I bought one spool of pricey Mettler thread, which is lovely, and I only had to defuzz about five times in the process of using the whole spool (which really is a big improvement). So this is how the badness got started:
Then I decided to see if Joann’s was having a sale for Memorial Day – hey, maybe thread would be one sale! And as I looked at the flyer online, I discovered, why yes! Thread was on sale, for 40% off. Woot! I could get several, maybe. Oh, and look, Simplicity patterns are 5 for $5 – I was totally going to grab some of those. Anytime patterns go from $16 down to $1, it’s time to buy. So I looked up a few patterns I wanted to grab and away I went.
And then things got bad . . .
I went down the thread aisle, and just started pulling, until my basket was loaded with all of these. And then, of course, I had to get a new thread box (50% off), as these tall spools won’t fit in my current box:
And then I made the mistake of actually looking at the fabric. I had to stop myself from screaming like a catgirl, “ZOMG! So KAWAII!!” At least, I stopped myself from doing it out loud. And quickly grabbed these, which will be froggy shorts for Boogie Boy, cute birdy purses for sale, and . . . I don’t know, but I had to have it!
And then while I was waiting for those to be cut, I noticed the remnants bin, and the nice fabrics in it . . . And soon I was the proud owner of less than a yard of stripey home dec, yummy suede-ish, two different linens, and some beautiful crepe-back satin:
And of course, I did get those patterns, as well. Simplicity patterns #2617, #2916, and #2990.
I’m a bad, bad girl . . .
Fabric Beads May 19, 2009
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Xyrons are good. Very very good. Especially when you have the superstrong permanent adhesive cartridge in. Beads made from fabric (run through the Xyron) wrapped around a washed plastic straw. Then they were cut apart and had the ends dipped in Lumiere bronze paint.
O.O April 21, 2009
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O.O
Wow. I have not posted anything in so long, this blog has gotten soot sprites.
Actually, my mom got a copy of Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet by Ana Paula Rimoli at a chic yarn store over the weekend, and I immediately had to try it out. Et voila, I have a cute little turtle:
Then I realized that a soot sprite was only a novelty yarn away . . .
Week 2, Better January 15, 2009
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I did better this past week than I did the first week, although most of my becoming more active was involved in setting up my garden, lugging around 40 pound bags of soil, planting young trees, and removing old plants. My Crafting365 pics for the week are filled with hot pink, not my usual color, but it is for a dress I am sewing for DD, with matching purse:
I also worked on other odds and ends, proving that I really can’t concentrate on one crafty thing at a time.
I did better with bentos this week, too, sort of.
Now I need to get back to my sewing! I got a birthday party t have it ready for in 2 days.
Resolutions, week 1 January 8, 2009
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So how are you doing on your resolutions? It’s only been a week, but it’s good to check on yourself. I think I am doing okay. Slow crafting start to the year, as I was visiting family, but I am almost done with a cute little bag from one of my holiday gifts, Omiyage by Kumiko Sudo. This one actually looks like it will turn out to be a serviceable size for holding something other than jewelry:
I think when I will make another one of these, scaled up a bit.
On the bentos, not as much success, but I have posted a couple. Here’s the better one:
So, I was a little late in posting a couple of 365 pics, and haven’t bentoed everyday, or walked everyday, but I think I am on pretty good footing. Although I need to start working on DD’s big birthday present, a dress that matches her holiday blouse . . .
Day 1: Sketching January 1, 2009
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I started sketching a couple of bags I would like to make, a bag to hold my very small amount of makeup and a camera bag that has another area to hold all the cables and cards and stuff I need to carry, too. I was hoping to get them done before my trip this weekend, but alas I am leaving right after I post this and the bags are still in sketch form.
I also have a nice pic of my garden, to make those of you with snow jealous.
Super Hero! December 31, 2008
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My little super hero, Boogie Boy. At first he wasn’t sure about it, but now at least once a day he asks for it on so he can zoom all over the house. I love how he holds the bottom corners so it flaps right. From the tutorial at http://pukingpastilles.com/?p=57
