Stitch find
Craft just posted this article today about a British POW’s subversive resistance to his German captors … through cross stitch. It’s a great piece. Also of note is the original article from the Guardian. Definitely worth a read, in my book.
New Stuff, Cool Stuff
Things I’ve found of interest out on the interwebs lately:
- Victoria Gertenbach of Silly BooDilly (one of my favorite quilters) is being creative again, this time stitching on handmade paper.
- I’ve often thought it was nearly criminal that the tech industry ignores the incredible achievement of Ravelry and its rabid community of supporters just because it’s technology focused on yarn. This article on Slate doesn’t, at least.
- I loved Columbo. Totally wish I’d though of making Columbo and Dog out of yarn, but I wouldn’t have done as good a job as June.
- Design*Sponge did a Visitor’s Guide to Oakland, and it’s pretty good! I can tell the author has never lived in Temescal, though, she missed a lot of great stuff! She also forgot the town of Montclair in the hills, and didn’t include my favorite pub Cato’s in Piedmont. She did get the vibe of Oakland right – sure, it can be gritty, but most of it isn’t, and it’s full of a wide mix of interesting people doing a lot of interesting things.
In other news, I seem to have recovered from my vacation. I also had a birthday. Those birthdays really are relentless in their yearly appearance, aren’t they? I’m now thirty-six. In honor of that I’ve created a list of 40 things I want to do before I’m 40. If I accomplish them, it’s going to be a busy and fun four years!
In contrast to last time’s “I-can’t-think-of-a-project” mentality, I have actually begun work on not 1, not 2, but 3 new quilts. This first one will be around 2′ x 3′. You may be able to guess the inspiration for the quilt these fabrics represent (I posted it recently), but I doubt you’ll guess the new technique I’m trying out. I’m not even sure I can technically call this a quilt! But I will anyway.
As you can see, Wesley is intensely curious about what I’m doing, as usual. This next quilt was inspired by a pair of earrings I saw my boss wearing. It’s going to be the smallest one of this group at maybe a little larger than a foot square, but it will be oval or round, depending on how my sketches turn out. It will be constructed out of some of my newest kimono silks.
The last quilt that I’m going to start on, for which I have no photo, is theoretically going to be bed-sized. I say theoretically because I have to overcome the terror induced by my last large quilt effort. I remember vividly how much work that took and how much swearing. But it is a request of long standing, and will be a gift to my brother. Jeremy, YOU know which design I’m talking about!
It feels nice to have projects to get into again!
It’s been a long week
Between work, going out to dinner and getting sick, giving myself steam burns from the iron, completing 6 months at my job, today’s west-coast tsunami fears, and just generally having too many projects to complete in a reasonable period of time, it has indeed been a long week.
Therefore, I present to you some craft-related hilarity. Unless you don’t understand my sense of humor, in which case you will simply shake your head and move on.
I cannot find a source for the owl, but the cross-stitch is courtesy Flickr user Cassey via Wil Wheaton himself.
With any luck, the next time you see me it will be sitting on a cushioned bench in my dining room.
