Pieceful Design

You’re supposed to be honest, right?

If you do hand work in public (as I often do), I’m sure you’ve gotten some interesting comments. Many folks admire the work, some tell stories about what their grandmothers used to make. Usually I respond kindly, and I am always willing to explain my work and answer any questions.

But that day, this man just rubbed me the wrong way, and his tone felt a wee bit condescending. Or, maybe it was the discomfort of seeing even more people being packed into the flying tin can with me. Ok, possibly I’m just evil and wanted to make the man squirm. Or all of the above?

Anyway, I have no regrets. (And will probably do it again in the future)

This spinning rotary cutter mat has to be one of my favorite tools. Yes, someone will point out that I could just move the fabric, or find another way without spending money on a specialty mat. But, as I’m only a year past my rotator cuff surgery, this is a good way to help protect my shoulder and make fussy cutting a more comfortable activity!

Tuesdays are for making progress. It’s not the beginning, not the middle, and definitely not the end of the week.

But for hitting your stride for the week, for getting to the good part.

And hopefully you can carve out a moment for yourself to make something beautiful, or something just for you.

Enjoy the progress with this gorgeous fabric.

Some people…..why would anyone take the time to insult an artist?

The whole conversation was several posts long…and don’t worry, I stood up for myself. You see, I’m sweetness and light until you come for me (or my family and the people I love). Then it’s pretty much scorched earth.

But while I did call her “weird,” (she did share her age, height and weight as some sort of argument against me— and that, dear reader, is definitely weird), I was just warming up to the fight when she either deleted her Instagram account or she got banned.

Now, while I would argue that my bowls are far from “useless,” how on earth are my videos worth of such vitriol? There is so much hate and anger and disparagement in media content out there— why hate on my content?

Lady needs a better hobby.

Some real time sewing on a Sunday morning.

I know I’ve stretched this fabric out a long time, but it’s just too gorgeous not to showcase! This piece and the one right before it are available as a two piece nesting set on my website already (link in bio!). AND, they’re 20% off until about 7pm tonight.

Why knit until this evening? Because we’re off for a little getaway to our cottage in the woods for a bit— and then we’ll be helping our daughter and her husband move into their beautiful new home in Nashville. The shop will be closed while we’re gone.

But don’t worry, I’ll still share zen videos of me sewing (and a few odd ones that aren’t so zen) while we’re away!

Honestly, I think I spend more time wrapping than actually sewing, though I usually edit most of that process out. Why? I suspect more folks are interested in watching the machine work than they are watching me. And, the camera angles I use to show what’s happening at the machine crop out most of the wrapping process— so it just feels like dead air.

But the wrapping process is important (and I should probably show it more often). Note the gentle tension on the cord to keep it straight— but not enough to really pull on the needle and bend it. And I use a really long angle for the wrapping to maximize the fabric.

I know some folks like to wrap everything before they sit down to sew. That just doesn’t work for me. I’ve found that wrapping too much in advance leads to some issues: it uncoils, the glue in the ends can separate and lead to it getting loose, extra raveling from being handed too much, and having too much or too little wrapped for what the project becomes as I sew it.

And, most importantly, I have other turnings to do in front of the TV— usually hand piecing or hand quilting. :)

Here’s another piece showing how I start the sides of a bowl. I know I’ve shown this many times, but I think it’s often helpful to see the process from various angles. And I know I never get the camera in the same spot, so it’s always a different angle! (And this one really shows off that gorgeous chrome!)

When starting the sides, don’t be afraid to really manipulate the piece into the shape you’re looking to create. This step is one of the most important for the final look— don’t be too timid to show the fabric who’s the boss!

A gorgeous fabric to welcome October. Enjoy some real time sewing as we gently wind our way towards the weekend.

Can you guess the trick to this video????

I know, it’s not super subtle— and the music provides an obvious clue. But I wanted an eye-catching hook to make sure everyone took a moment to celebrate this gorgeous red Ombre batik fabric!

And when the dramatic part of it is at the end of the video and not the beginning…..desperate times call for desperate measures.

For those who are always asking for the “full video”— this is most of the process…. But sped up.

The fact of the matter is that I can’t ever do a “full video” of making a bowl because the video would just be waaayyy too long. This isn’t a quick process and really shouldn’t be rushed.

Of course, if you go to my main page and follow along day by day, you CAN see the whole process. Most folks do better when things are split into manageable chunks, anyway.

And, no, I don’t have a YouTube channel. If I tried to add another platform (especially one with a different style/length of content), then I wouldn’t have time to actually make the bowls or do anything else.

It’s all about balance.

In the meantime, isn’t this fabric gorgeous??