what does a pirate knit with?
"Yaaaarrrrrrrn!"
Thank you to Lisa Whiting for that knitting joke
This makes me happy...
So, so happy!
I'm going to get Kumiko Sudo's Omiyage book for my daughter, for Christmas. I think she needs it, don't you?
Today's inspiration: The cozy feeling I had last night, hand-sewing with my daughter, in front of the fire. I don't mean to be smug. Just some moments are perfect.
Likes: Hand sewing
Dislikes: bottled water; more rubbish.
It is absurd to divide people into good or bad.
People are either charming or tedious.
Oscar Wilde
This is why I keep a blog:
Yesterday I received the most beautiful piece of vintage Japanese wool fabric. You can see a bit of it in the tomato shaped purse below. It makes me so happy! Who else could I share this wonderful news with if it weren't for the crafty blogosphere? Thank you for being there folks.
I've bought the wonderful book of Handmade Treasures by Kumiko Sudo. I tried to resist it but finally couldn't anymore.
I'm so glad to have it! Right now, with lots of work on, I'm pleased to have some hand sewing projects with patterns that I don't have to think too much about. Plus lots of sumptuous Christmas present ideas! Worth the price of admission!
Today's inspiration: Kumiko Sudo
Likes: Japanese Fabric cords; I can think of a million uses for these.
Dislikes: Magnets next to my computer screen. Did you know that if your daughter accidentally holds a strong magnet up to your computer screen it messes it up? Permanently! Don't try this!
In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is strength, in water there is bacteria. David Auerbach
Apparently, when deadlines are approaching, my stress is eased by making fabric yo-yos to stick on my computer.
Of course, it also helps to look at the little Dymo tags my son has stuck around.
Today's inspiration: Heather Bailey's wonderful blog pictures. Sun-drenched colour! Makes me feel like I must pull up my socks and never post a sloppy photo again.
Likes: Dan Reeder's "You'll Never Surf Again". Actually everything about Dan Reeder. He paints, makes his own instruments, makes beautiful music; What a great man.
Dislikes: Designer handbags. Why? So expensive! For what?
A pinch and a punch for the first of the month and no punch backs.
Ancient English saying
Finally! Here is the promised pocket tutorial. I'm going to do this in two parts.
Today is the embroidered fabric for the pocket and Friday I will show the making of the pocket.
This is the lovely pocket I'll be making, displayed around my slender, photoshoped waist (well I had to have some help, since the stripes are so obviously working against me).
1. I began by constructing a pieced, appliqued, embroidered and quilted fabric that I cut my pocket and backing from. Obviously you can skip all this and just make a pocket from plain or printed fabric but let's have some fun here.
I started out with some silk duponi which had gold threads on the warp and red on the weft. This stuff looks great when frayed and slashed. I mixed this with some old pieced quilt squares. I seamed them together allowing the frayed edge of the silk to fold to the right side.
2. Next I added another piece of silk, with the seams on the wrong side. 
3. I've added a few stips of torn silk in different colours, stitching them to the backing fabric with a straight stitch and encouraging them to fray.
Then I have pinned a piece of checked cotton with a traced flower, on to the backing fabric.
4. The flower was machine embroidered to the backing fabric with a straight stitch and then the excess fabric was cut away.
5. I machine stiched the centre circle and cut away fabric.
6. Using a piece of white card with the pocket shape cut out of it, I framed different areas of the appliqued fabric to see which I liked.
7. When I selected an area I liked I traced the pocket pattern on to the fabric and cut it out of the fabric allowing plenty of seam allowance (which will shrink in the embroidery/quilting phase). I also cut out the same size of a muslin fabric to quilt the pocket to.
8. Finally I machine and hand stitched these fabrics together, adding sequins and beads.
This last picture gives you a better idea of what the fabric looks like.
See you Friday.
The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.
Jack Handy
I'm still having after shivers of excitement from my weekend! I spent the whole weekend in Whitstable altering clothes with Julie Arkel and company. I can't tell you how exciting it was. But I probably will try.
First up, a book all about Julie has come out and I will share some of it's contents with you. Cover...
Wonderful studio pictures...
Plus of course, loads of her lovely work.
More books like this please!
If you are wondering how to get it, go through the crafts council or Contemporary Applied Arts in Britain.
We spent the whole weekend creating and altering our clothes to make them more inspiring. You'll have to give me a few days to tell you all about it. I'll leave you with a picture of Julie wearing many lovely layers laughing (say it five times quickly).
I am so busy doing nothing that the idea of doing anything - which, as you know, always leads to something - cuts into the nothing and then forces me to have to drop everything.
Jerry Seinfeld
Okay, I promise not to show you any more transformed versions of myself. I think I have scared myself off that site now that I have seen my son transformed into a teenager. Nuf said.
Today was the first day of the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexander Palace. I haven't been in years. I was very impressed. There was a lot to look at and be inspired by.
My favourites were three stands with beautiful ethnic textiles. At one I bought this embroidery from the opening of a tunic.
I could have bought so much more but I was being really, really good.
Another man was importing textiles from China and had the most amazing pleated silk and woven cotton skirts. Sigh...
I also fell in love with Lizzie Houghton's felt. I had these pictures taken of me wearing one of her jackets in case my husband is at a lose as to what to get me for Xmas.
She works her felt on top of (and under and through) a light silk which crepes in the process. The finished fabric is really light and drapey. Beautiful!
My last pic of the day is of Ziggy's shoelaces. Have you ever noticed that there is usually one man in each of the textile guilds? He takes up the hobby with obsessive enthusiasm and usually invents new tools and accessories to improve it. Ziggy was just such a man. Braiding was his game and these are his shoelaces.
Apparently, you can only have so many spectacle cords and then you need to think of new things to braid.
Clapping
Are there actually people who are so totally comfortable with themselves, so completely unself-conscious, that when they're at a concert and the band signals the audience to clap along they can clap without thinking to themselves, I am clapping now, here I am clapping along, are most people clapping? Okay, fine, most people are clapping, but wait, the clap-along thing feels like it's losing its momentum-should I stop clapping now? I'm feeling a bit heavy-handed in my clapping, but how/when do I stop? Three more claps and I'm out. Okay last clap. Clap. Done
Amy Krouse Rosenthal from Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life
My problem with compulsory clapping is style. I'm never sure if I've got it right. Am I on the beat? Do I clap with my hands at right-angles or bring them face to face? Should my whole body join in the movement?
At the end of each belly dance class, we all form a big circle and clap to the music as we take turns dancing in the middle. Combining clapping and dance are so stressful for me that I would rather be in the middle dancing solo than clapping clumsily on the side.
Amy Krouse Rosenthal is my new best memoir-writing friend - in my mind. First it was Wendy Mclure, then David Sedaris and now Ms. Rosenthal. I have a very active one-sided social life.
Okay I need to reveal that my pom-pom radio appearance is on kids radio and may be about tassels instead because they are easier to describe how-to, than pompoms. Remember this is radio.
I'm still having a love affair with pompoms and tassels. Here is my latest pin-up picture from Tribal Max. 
Isn't that creature on the right amazing! Felted pom-pom beads, buttons and more beads. Gorgeous and very inspiring!!
Please leave a comment. I'm feeling lonely (in spite of my fictional friendships) today.
They should put expiration dates on clothes so we would know when they go out of style.
Garry Shandling
Today's inspiration corner was prompted by a post about Keiko Gore's art quilts on Sonja Says. She included a few photos of Keiko's work on her August 23rd post and they really made me feel like playing with fabric again.
Whenever I want to play with fabric I think of Louise Baldwin's wonderful embroidered and painted work.
She's tricky to track down on the Internet. She is represented on the Crafts Council List of selected makers but you need to register with them to see these rather crappy photos (free and easy to do).This is the only other site listing I have. But I have met her and been taught by her on several occasions.
These pieces are worked on brown parcel paper with a felt backing.
She begins by building layers of paint, plaster, and more paint onto the parcel paper, crinkling and sanding back. She then works silk and other fabrics as well as glittering threads into a machine and hand stitched whole, with a thick felt backing. The surface is very rich, like a strange reptile skin. 
They feel mysterious and iconic, like an ancient worshiped relic. I would never miss a chance to see them.
Okay quick question before I sign off for the day. Is this skirt from the new Vogue knitting a good idea or complete madness? Maybe 3/4 length?
A whim of iron
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