Sometimes when I look at the busy technological world around us, I
begin to hope that handmade and handcrafted are not disappearing from
our lives. As humans I think that we need that close contact with
beautiful items that are one-of-a-kind and made with care, quality, joy,
love, and by the touch of a hand. It is a great happiness to live in a surrounding
with handwrought items.
I am blessed to see handmades
everywhere as I look about our home. For example, I love this quilt that
my grandmother, my father's mother who hailed from the Ozarks in
Arkansas (a place famous for people who can quilt), hand-pieced and
quilted in the 1920's.
Grandma's Double Wedding Ring Pattern Quilt
She used even the smallest of pieces of fabric that she had available from flour sacks to pieces of leftover dress goods, and combined them with small amounts of purchased broadcloth to fashion this
beautiful and warm blanket of memories. Her small, even stitches have a story that goes with them from one of my aunts, - "She was very
particular about her stitches. We used to help her quilt in the day, but
in the evening, after we had gone to bed, she would pick out all of our
stitching and redo it 'correctly' ". The quilt can't help but bring a smile whenever we admire it displayed on our wall.
Certainly utility can be accomplished by a purchased factory-made blanket, but
nothing is better than the warmth of a handmade, whether purchased from an handmade artist or made by the giver themselves. How pleasant it is
to receive a one-of-a-kind piece, crafted, painted, knitted, crocheted, woven or sewn for you by an individual who has joy in making the item!
So,
we wish you the Joy of Handmade in your life today and pray that there
is someone making precious things and memories for you by hand.
Handmade Gallery
My Husband's Hand-Turned Mesquite Burl Vase on My Mother's Log Cabin Quilt
Grandmother's (my mothers side) Crocheted Afghan
My Denim Hat, Youngest Daughter's Crocheted Scarf
Mother-in-law's Embroidery
Aunt's Knit Personalized Socks
Great Aunt's Sewn Christmas Sock
My Baby Doll in Great-great Grandpa's Child's Rocker
It's time for another guest artist feature. Meet a fabulous seamstress - Teri Prouty of Charming Elegance Gifts. Teri is a versatile craftswoman in many techniques. From her California home studio she loves most to produce items or garments that are sewn or tailored but is capable in other mediums too.
She loves color and this is easy to see as soon as you step into her online shop. I am impressed by the lovely fabrics full of color in these little cocktail napkins with serged edges. They would be the perfect accessory for next week's 4th of July dinner or picnic celebration with friends. (Teri also sells matching wine glass coasters in her shop.)
Teri comments that she finishes the edges of the napkins with a "serged" edge. A sewing machine that does a special stitch with several threads feeding
from cones is the type of machine that Teri uses on this napkin. Sergers have many capabilities. In this napkin application, she is using the edge finishing
capability of the machine to place a neat, narrow, professional edge of thread on the napkin. There are many brands of sergers, but most look something like this.
Some of you who love fashion may know about this type of machine from the Lifetime T.V. program - Project Runway, a reality program that features a competition among fashion design contestants. Many of the contestants on the program use sergers for their garments to help them cut and sew professionally finished edges and the seams of the garment together at the same time. But sergers have many applications because they sew a flexible length of thread that can join pieces together and/or finish an edge. They are a bit complex to operate and thread so Teri's knowledgeable expertise is needed to complete items with the kind of quality she offers. Curious about the difference between a serger and a regular sewing machine? Check out this 2 minute video:
Summer seems to be the perfect season for bright colors - the sun sparkling off green trees and cool blue water and green grass and flowers in full bloom and colorful festivals and fairs and farmer's markets. So, this season is the perfect time for these bright hot pepper placemats Imagine them at your next patio barbecue.
I also love these wonderful full-size dinner napkins in a Michael Miller floral print. This fabric is of very high quality cotton with a soft drape and feel and the print is vibrant. How charming and elegant for a special dinner table setting for friends or family.
Now for an item that again displays Teri's versatility - a hand knitted scarf with her signature color and this time texture too. Teri says that she herself loves scarves and wears one almost every day for warmth and fashion - so here is a beautiful example of one of her hand knit scarves available on her site.
Charming Elegant Gifts also has clothing items available. Wondering about an item of hers done in a different color or fabric? Teri would love to do something special for you. All is needed is conversation with Teri to work out details.
One of the fascinating joys of visiting a summer fair or arts and crafts show is having the opportunity to see some amazing art crafted by some wonderfully talented people. A bonus is to have the opportunity to talk with some of the artists face-to-face and learn a little about the techniques and practice required to create their objects.
Recently, in a virtual way, online, I have been visiting some shops and making the acquaintance of some very talented artists from the Artfire Marketplace Guild - It's Better Handmade.
This week, I would like to feature one of these artists and describe a little about her craft.
Elizabeth creates jewelry using gemstones, cameos, and precious metal wire (silver and gold). She sets stones and cameos in her jewelry using the technique called "wire wrapping".
Wire wrapping is one of the most ancient of techniques used to make beautiful ornaments. The technique involves using metal wire (about the thickness of headed pins) to create objects of beauty. The wire is bent and molded by mechanical means (such as pliers, padded mallets, or jigs) without heat or soldering and wrapped around itself (probable source of the name wire wrapping) to finish a piece sometimes creating a holder for a setting of a gemstone or cameo.
To get a feel for just how difficult this technique is, here is a brief You-Tube video (from an artist other than Elizabeth.) So, one can imagine how skilled one must be to work with fragile stones or cameos and manage to shape delicate wire curves and scrolls without damaging the materials.
Elizabeth Divigili is an absolute master at this technique. Gold, silver, fine quality cameos and gemstones, are fashioned by her hands and become rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets, or brooches.
For 10 years, Elizabeth has been working from her studio in Las Vegas, creating one of a kind items to sell in her shop or as custom designs for clients. Elizabeth is a woman of few spoken words. In fact, about all she says is "I'm the quiet type", but her art speaks for her and the words you see are "fine design", "artistry", "unique", and "quality technique".
In case you missed it as I did, June 9, 2012 was World Wide Knit in Public day this year. I just learned about this phenomenon on the day it was occuring and am now notified so I can look forward to it again next year and maybe even organize a KIP (Knit In Public) day myself, or maybe I'll just knit in public on a few more days than one this year. :-)
World Wide Knit in Public Day began small in 2005 with about 25 local events around the world. The brainchild of Danielle
Landes the day is marked as the second Saturday of June each year and began as a way for knitters to come together and enjoy each other's company as well as promoting the art/craft of knitting, demonstrating to everyone that it's 'not only grannies who knit!' In 2008 there were over 200 Knit in Public events.(Wikipedia)
Currently, a fascinating artistry has begun to occur around Knit In Public Day - often referred to as International Yarn Day which is really a week long. Creative people working in string have 'Yarn Bombed' with enthusiasm. What is the world is yarn bombing? It's a kind of 'non-invasive' graffiti that does no damage but is a creative and colorful art form meant to add beauty and cause people to think differently about city objects.
Ishknits on Yarn Bombing
Here are some great images of "yarn bombed" objects.
Yarnbus in Mexico by Magda Sayeg of Knitta Please (Nov 2008)
From buses to bridges, museum facades, bike racks and very small cuffs around
street pole signs (covering street signs is not encouraged for obvious reasons), street artists have been creating some very
interesting pieces that place them in the world of Art rather than Graffiti. For example artist, Magda Sayeg of the bus design above has had her art
displayed in museum galleries and was commissioned by the online
handmade giant Etsy to make cozies for the air conditioning ducting of
the Etsy brick and mortar shop.
How about this rethink of the traditional English Phone Box.
You can read the whole story about this amazing Phonebox Cozy at Knit the City .
Following up on International Knit in Public day, Joann Matvichuk from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, thought that a day honoring the art of the Yarn Bomb would be a great addition in helping to make people more aware of fiber art. The first official International Yarn Bombing Day or IYBD (which is actually a week long) was June 11, 2011.
Here is a gate decorated in a lovely way by Kaths Kreations.
You can almost see where this yarn bomb appears.
Eighty feet of bike rack in front of the Berkley Library was installed by the artist Streetcolor who writes a fascinating blog about her work.
Certainly not your grandmother's handknit washcloth or sweater these artists have elevated an old craft to a new level in street art. A little rebellious perhaps must mostly very artful. If you want to follow up, there is even a book called Yarn Bombing by Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain that fully discusses philosophy (non-damaging and temporary), has "patterns" and how-tos, and a full description and pattern for the yarn bomber tool-kit. Plus you may even want to join Incogknito their international yarn bombing crew.
So until next time then, put on your guerilla makeup, load your needles, and stitch. :-)
Thursday, June 7, 2012
So, it's a beginning. Seems like a lot of new things to understand and do, but that is the way of life, isn't it. I'll think more on this random thread and get back to you on that.
