Friday, May 26, 2017

Eddy's Birthday Crocodiles

I wrote earlier about Eddy's surprise birthday party this year. I didn't share too many pictures of the quilt at the time because I wanted to focus on Eddy's birthday I SOMEHOW COULDN'T FIND THEM NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I SEARCHED THROUGH OUR FLICKR SET.

But I found them now and this quilt pattern was just too cute to gloss over.

IMG_20170215_120830187

It calls for four crocodiles.

IMG_20170214_154605984

They each have little flying geese scales on top.

IMG_20170215_131143582

And can we just admit that this blue gray waves fabric that I found for the background is perfect?

IMG_20170216_162405698

Striped binding is my favorite.

IMG_20170216_171042402

For a final touch, I quilted Eddy's name into the borders.

IMG_20170216_175354611

Happy make believe birthday for my darling!

Friday, May 19, 2017

The Reason I Started Weaving

Necessity is the mother of invention.  That sums up why I wanted to learn to weave.  There was a wall near our dining room that was just waiting for something pretty to hang above a piece of furniture and this phases of the moon bunting Eddy and I made together.

IMG_20170402_154405.jpg

But it took me awhile to develop some weaving chops before I felt comfortable embarking on the ambitious weaving project I wanted for this space. I made this piece in the bathroom and also this one for our entryway. When I was ready to get started, I started with the fringe.

IMG_20170316_163042.jpg

IMG_20170403_173310.jpg

Next, I did some loops and some soumak stitch.

IMG_20170404_132834839

Then just more loops and fringes.

IMG_20170405_120353.jpg

My favorite part is at the very top where I wove in some sequins.

IMG_20170406_122745888

You can never have enough sequins.

This is what it looked like before I removed it from the loom.

IMG_20170406_133155.jpg

Then, of course, I had to bury all these pesky loose ends on the back of the weaving.

IMG_20170406_140516.jpg

Here it is installed on some driftwood we picked up on the Oregon coast over our moon phases bunting.

IMG_20170406_164951310

And here's the view into the dining room!

IMG_20170406_165632036_HDR

Now that I've finished the weaving I set out to do, I guess I can weave whatever I please!

Friday, May 12, 2017

Maneki Neko Fangirl Room

We are incredible lamebots.  As such, we spent New Year's Eve making and installing a shelf in my office.  It was a shelf for my maneki neko collection.

Don't worry. We drank champagne while doing so.

IMG_20161231_204228103

Rupert helped.

IMG_20161231_171626648

Once the shelf was in place, I saw this pillow and figured I could make a similar one for my new shrine to waving kitties.


Here's the pattern I came up with.

IMG_20170328_171630071

Just look at that cute little face!

IMG_20170329_132401.jpg

IMG_20170329_135355076

Gotta write something in that banner.

IMG_20170329_161250.jpg

Here's the finished pillow, all stuffed and ready for duty.

IMG_20170330_104109.jpg

I really like the selvedge edge on the back. I don't know why I didn't think of it before because I use some fabrics with some lovely selvedges and also because I'm lazy about hemming.

IMG_20170330_104052333

Here's the kitty all nestled in his new home.

IMG_20170330_104258398

Now I'll just have to figure out some maneki neko artwork to hang over that chaise lounge.  Also, more waving cats.  Definitely more waving cats.

Friday, May 5, 2017

Wood and Wool

Our friend Tuan, who we met when we lived in St. Louis, made this lovely artwork that we've been so excited to display in our new place.  It was the first piece of artwork we hung when we unpacked and I absolutely love it.  I wanted to share a picture of it right away, but our wall where we were displaying it just never seemed to do it justice.

First it was that our walls were tan.  Hideous, terrible tan as far as the eye could see.  Here's where we hung it.  In that teeny wall in the entryway.

IS9x3qrf1jkw2e1000000000

These are just the staging pictures from the house listing.  Then we had the walls painted green and it looked so much better.

IMG_20170314_141049225

But it still looked a little lonely. I just wanted to make something special to go with it. Enter my new love of weaving. I tried out some variegated warp for this one.

IMG_20170306_145639.jpg

Here it is almost finished, still on the loom. Also late at night because that's when I finished it.

IMG_20170310_145756803_HDR

And here it is in its new home!

2017-04-02_02-10-42

My favorite thing about this grouping is that it looks like a little person! Anyway, thanks so much to Tuan for this special piece! We think of you and Leah and Pasha every single time we walk through the room.