Studio of the month by default

I waited until the middle of the month for a volunteer so by default it is my studio. LOL.  Been busy beading.Can't see setting up the loom for two weeks and leaving the warp on all winter.

My left foot and part of my leg went numb the other day after 2 slow dances with my sweetie. That two step is a killer on my back I guess. It eased off for a bit but is back in full force today. Can't take my Arthritis meds cause it messes with my stomach. Ah well continuing saga of my crappy health. I know, play a violin in the background.

I'm kind of excited, bought a cheap ($50grand total) Apple computer a real oldie so that I can play with the JacqCad free program that is available. Won the ebay bid and got a great deal!  http://www.jacqcad.com/ is the site. I took a course in college from Catherine Ellis using this program but got bronchitis and was ill for four weeks of the class. I would love to finish something and go to the Oriole mill and weave it.

Mug Rugs

Mug Rugs!

All finished! not sure which I like the best. Some are kind of funky! Like the all red with a pink one. They were a lot of fun to do Next time I think I'll do a patterned warp vs just Twill. It was a multi colored warp but the end hand dyed yarns went by the wayside. Will after I get back to to  my light box put them on Art Fire for sale. I'm almost out of all the colors except a little bit of blue. There isn't enough of the off white to do anything with I am afraid. Used up some of the stash, next project is towels on the 4 shaft Norwood here. Fell in love with Thousand flower pattern,  Back in the 70s when I learned to weave and I think that is the pattern I'm going to use. 

More finished work and more finishing to do!

Second Lace shawl I've completed this summer. I'm working on a second one just like this to put in the artfire shop. They are fun this one has one pattern row to every four rows so it isn't that challenging. Feather and Fan.

Finished my 10 yard warp with 31 mug rugs now to hem! We will be in Michigan for awhile longer as Dave is getting Cataract surgery and we would like to see our Grand son before he goes to Afghanistan. Ah well best laid plans.. At least now I can go to the Michigan Fiber festival! hehe evil laugh.

Summer fiber fun.

Finished this lace knit shawl just this past week. Have a second one on the needles too! I love to knit lace. No boredom with this project.

                                                This is the new weaving project some mug rugs.    

This is the warping wheel my husband Dave made for me so I can sit and warp. So much easier and it makes it possible for me to warp with my health problems. I dyed  the variegated yarn on the outer part of the mug rugs. They are usually a fun and easy project.

 I forget from one warping to the next how much I like using the Norwood looms

Wish they were still making them! I would love a wide 50" 8 Harness Norwood.

Add that to the loom wish list lol. Once you have wound onto the back beam and

 it is ready to thread you unbolt the  four side supports.The front and back beam 

move so it is real easy to get in there and thread. I had the threading bench from 

when I had a workshop Norwood and kept it for threading it is a great hight for 

threading. I'm up here in Michigan without any of my tools, Did this last summer 

and darn if I didn't do it again! Threading is simple without, I'll use a comb to

sley the reed. LOL

Blue Willow Bracelet

This bracelet was made for the ArtFire Beadweaver's Guild Challenge. The challenge was chosen by  by Krafty Max for being the Winner of the March Challenge! This is what she says:

Vintage China has always been something I love to look at.  Our work - beadweaving - was also VERY popular when this China was made.  The theme will be - VINTAGE CHINA.  It can be via thecolor scheme, the actual look and style reflecting China or even something that actually encompasses a piece of Vintage China.  Let's have fun and enjoy creating our designs!  ~KM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first patten I thought of was Blue Willow. It has been a favorite of mine since Childhood. My father had brought back a piece of china from when he was in WWII. The story book also was an influence. There are two legends surrounding the scenes in the China patterns. I just love the scenes, the bridge, pagodas and the blue willows themselves.

 My Laptop crashed so I turned to an old cross stitch pattern software program on our ancient computer to plan out the pattern. Then warped the bead loom and started beading it. I was done with two scenes and thought that might be long enough, wrong. So I had to jerry rig a way to put the bracelet back on the loom to finish it. Valuable lesson measure before you take a piece off the loom. All those ends to sew back in and use to attach the magnetic clasp. Found and added some larger accent beads in the old, old stash. Even found some beads made in the pattern of blue willow that are now earrings that will be a freebie for whoever purchases this bracelet. 

Blue Willow Tree and Pagoda

Bridge with Three Men

Special bracelet

My daughter likes jewelry but hasn't been a real fan of mine until recently. They changed her dress code at work and now she has to wear all black. She wanted one of my skinnier spiral bracelets in black but I couldn't do a plain black one! This one is silver and black with an additional charm that is going to be a surprise!

Also found some crystal beads in black at Caravan Beads in Asheville, NC. What a neat shop! I could spend a lot of money in that place but I restrained myself!

New Bracelet

New bracelet for sale on ArtFire

Actually I finished two this one and one for the ArtFire Beadweaver's Guild. It isn't due to be posted until June 30th I'm just ahead of the game! I also posted some small coin purses and some bookmarks to my ArtFire Studio. 

     

 Getting used to a new computer Windows 7, vs the idiosyncrasies of Vista. groan..

I have a photography / Studio assistant. Star got into the act the other day. She jumped up on the table where I had my light box set up. She loves beads and will steal bracelets if they are left out.She is my Southern kitty from a rescue down here.She loves bling. My other cat Sunny is a Northern boy but the meows sound the same. LOL

     

Bead work

Finished two bracelets, one for an ArtFire Bead weaver's challenge due next month but we will be a traveling again. So glad the tornados missed us. We did hear one a couple of days before this onslaught that hit near Raleigh. Strangest sound  not quite like a train, landed in a  nearby community in Canton. Luckily no one was injured in that one.

Will post photos as soon as i get off this computer and get  some done!