WIP: A Denim Sofa Arm Cover

Piecing together some denim remnants, on the ol’ sewing machine I learned on, to make an arm cover for our sofa.

Once this cover is done, I’ll likely make one for the other arm. With these kinds of home projects I prefer to take it slow, one little piece at a time. Plus I’ll have to collect 'n' piece together more denim, not only for the other arm cover, but I’d also like to make some pillow covers with denim as well.

Plus... this old Brother sewing machine. Beautiful, isn’t it? I may have the paperwork for it, I’ll have to find it, but I think my mom got it new in 1964, maybe 1962.

When I was in junior high, I was taught machine sewing - among other things - by the remarkable Mz. Walker in her home economics class. I could go on - and on - about her. She taught me so well that my mother had me do the lion’s share of sewing after that… especially putting in zippers, and other fussy work that she claimed I was better at than her. It was high praise from a very critical woman. That said, Mz. Walker taught me the value of a seam ripper because she’d have you take things apart and put them back together if you were cutting corners, or making less-than-perfect seams. I think of her often with a grand fondness. 

All this rambling aside, it’s this old sewing machine that delights me. I feel so blessed to have it. It’s mechanical, and I can take it apart, clean ’n’ fix things and put it back together… as I have done many times over the last 50+ years.

Years ago I used masking tape to mark the .5 inch point. The tape's long been removed, the dried adhesive lingers. I may have to clean that off. Or leave it.

Peace. 🕊

Spirals, Spirals, Spirals.

Winter feels like it never quite arrived here on my little acre, yet here we are, mere weeks to the vernal rebirth. So saved seeds are inventoried, several are started, some planted, and still more ordered to honor the spiraling return of annual activities of nurturance, sustenance, legacy and honor.

I finished this, one of several recent Creative journeys. A return to portals and a sweet reminder of the spiral and value of journey over destination, on so many levels.

 I made this recipe:

Banana Cacao Finger Cakes
4.5 cups unbleached flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
.5 teaspoon salt
1.75 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 bananas, mashed
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 cup cacao nibs

Measure and blend the first three dry ingredients. Set aside.
Cream the sugar and butter, blend in the mashed bananas, blend in the eggs and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two waves, mixing well at each, mixing in the cacao nibs before the second wave. Know what I mean?
Spoon onto a cookie sheet (I lay down unbleached parchment), bake at 400F for about 11 minutes. Cool on a rack and enJOY! That's how I did it, anyway. And they came out quite good.
And baking - anything Food - invokes more spiraling.

And my winter finger spun fiber project has yielded 6 balls of upcycled cotton "yarn." I'm not sure of the linear measure that was produced, but I do know that, once the fabric was ripped and tidied, it took an hour to create 3 linear yards of "yarn." This Creative journey also yielded a nice, rough callus on my right thumb and forefinger, the fingers that work the spiraling fibers.

So that's what I've been up to: Spiraling. Spiraling. Spiraling. Back to the vernal verve of spring.

Peace.

Cords and Cookies

I've been dismantling and reassembling some old jewelry pieces - some of my own and some pieces that have come from others. I'm using these to create some new Spirit Cord Page Savers. I've been busy baking cookies and spinning with these upcycled pendants and some new ones too.

So … that's what I made today.

What did you make?

Peace.

Heavy Duty Pot Holder #1

Remember the great balls of fabric I made the other day? Well, I've created the first pot holder from this batch of "yarn" and it's a doozie, so nice and thick and heavy. I've made these before with thinner strips and they do make nice pot holders … for tea kettles and warm handles and such. But these, these pot holders will protect me well when taking the cast iron skillet or dutch oven out of the hot oven, that's for sure. And they'll last near to forever too.

It's amazing what you can create with a simple single crochet stitch and some old fabric. And a closet shelf lightens a bit in the bargain too.

I'm looking forward to making another pot holder or two with the green "yarn" that's left, and then moving on to the other great balls!

That's what I made today.

Peace.

Great Balls of Fabric

Goodness, gracious … today, among other things, I finished ripping the cotton strips from the vintage 70's fabric I had targeted for upcoming projects and sat down at the trusty sewing machine to bind the strips together to make these balls of cotton "yarn."

That's what I made today.

Peace.

T-Shirt Yarn

This morning I made time to go through my crafting bookmarks and I rediscovered this tutorial for making t-shirt yarn. Well, I was inspired to search through my Goodwill bags for t-shirts so I could try this technique, which is, by the way, simply brilliant. I'll be making more. I'm not sure what I'll be creating with these first few balls, but I'm sure some strands will find their way into some Spirit Cords and I'm thinking upcycled cotton place mats and pot holders are in my future.

That's what I made today. Peace.

A Little Upcycling

This afternoon I crocheted a small drawstring bag using old cassette tape (remember them?) for my yarn. The plastic case may be recyclable - I hope it is ... but at least I am able to repurpose the tape in a nice low-tech, earth-friendly way. There's something oddly pretty about it too.

Like crocheting or knitting with plarn (yarn made from plastic bags), it takes an adjusted touch to allow for a more loose and consistent tension, but - to my way of thinking - it is worth it. The Boy thought it would be funny to make CD bags like this. But he thinks lots of things are funny.

That's what I made today. Peace.

A Tribal Dream

I do my best to honor the blessing that each and every day Is ... yet I do acknowledge the transitions of the seasons with a little extra celebration and conscious intention. With midsummer coming ripe this weekend, and a fireside with friends, food, libation, laughter, drumming and who-knows-what-else to look forward to, I felt inspired to make ... something.

Imagine that.

The muses led me to a mighty bag of fabric-n-scraps-n-notions that I salvaged from my mom when she moved a few years back. There are some "great" vintage pieces in there and among them I found these packages of rick-rack, braid and trimmings and some satin blanket binding ... and in them I saw my midsummer dream ... There in my minds eye was a bit of retro-contemporary-upcycled-repurposed-DIY-funky-goddess-tribal wear!

So now ... the magic begins!

Dream it ... Do it ...

Things from Shiny Objects

My friend Sherrie dropped by today. I love the drop by. Folks rarely do it anymore. Anyway ... she brought me a garbage bag full of ... cast-aways. Shiny cast-aways! I may have the story wrong, I was so blinded by the treasure, but I think she said that a friend asked her to deliver this bag to the thrift shop--or something. In any event, she thought of her trash-loving friend (bless her heart) and brought the bag to me.

Look what was inside! So ... I got busy spinning ... under another shiny object - the sun of a glorious spring day!

So ... Sherrie, if you're readin' ... pick out a couple of these Spirit Cords for you and your friend! If nothing else, it will give you an excuse to drop by again! Ashe. Ashe. Ashe.

"New" Shelf Drawers

If you follow this silly blog at all, you may remember me lamenting the re-organizing of my dispensary/work room. Well, I'm back to that ... and doing collage with old magazine pages, on discarded boxes that I pick up here and there, boxes that fit ever-so-nicely into my closet shelves. Here's one in process:

The corrugated cardboard, combined with the collage and a finish coat will make some very nice, heavy-duty, colorful, re-purposed/up-cycled and free containers for my ... stuff.

I also have a nice pasta sauce simmering away. What did you make today?

Notice

For several years I've noticed a surge of foul cursing during the first quarter of the calender year (as mildly exhibited in yesterday's blog entry). Today, I made notice of the pattern and realized the connections. It was a true "duh! moment."

Today I completed what I hatefully call phase two of 1st quarter tax prep. With both me and The Boy being self-employed, all the hoops and foolish tracking and reporting that the government requires can really get to ya, especially in this season, when quarterly and annual efforts overlap. In any event progress was made, and I can now focus on pulling together all the foolishness that our CPA needs to work her magic so we may file the annual income tax. Even a little piece of that was tackled today. So all-in-all I feel pretty good about these hateful things. And I even now know why the cursing flares. I figure I'll just be creative with it and enjoy it - the foul language that is!

And I'll do my best to keep it out of this blog.

On a happier note, I finished the dish rags that I made with cotton yarn that I found in perfectly fitting colors for my "new" kitchen. 

Ann Wilkinson left a comment the other day asking for a close-up of the clock face that my mom embroidered, so here it is:

It really is charming, isn't it?

And last year I was contacted by an Online Community Specialist in Switzerland about using one of the images I shared on connect@earth.org for the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona. It was a photo of balls of plarn that I had made. Needless to say I consented with delight. I was promised a copy of the poster ... and I received two copies of it yesterday:

How freakin' cool is that? 

And today I received a copy of Artful Blogging and I'm gonna grab a cold home brew and page through this stunning magazine now. Ciao!

Peace.

Upcycled Beginnings

I've been craving a new crochet project, but had no yarn. Then I thought, silly me! I have a boat-load of plastic bags that I claimed this past earth day, so I started two new projects. Here's one ...

I used up all the plarn I had prepared, so now I'll have to make more to continue. Not a problem - I'll be getting that boat-load of bags out tomorrow.

Tulips TeeTotes

I was poking around one of my Etsy communities and well, let's just say, "stumbled" onto this listing from TulipsTreasureBox. 

I immediately fell in love with these tote bags, so bright and cheerful and fun! Now, I've been upcycling for a long time, far-far longer than the name "upcycling" has existed, so these certainly held a special appeal to me. I love taking old things that have worn out their intended use and breathing new life into them . . . and that's exactly what TulipsTreasureBox is doing here.

See? Shameless promotion isn't always just for me. Enjoy!

A Light in the Darkness

Today I made a simple candle lantern from a jelly jar ready for the recycling bin, some copper wire, an old bead and a few crystals.

I was inspired Saturday, at HerbFest, when I saw similar items displayed at Shooting Star Gallery. They were lovely. The items triggered a memory of making like objects at some point in the past. So ... I made one again.

Mini-Journals

Mini-journals, that's what I made. It all started yesterday with the prototype . . .

Which, like so many "firsts" in life, this experience taught me a great deal. Not only about the process of making these little books, but how all things in this life fit together to make manifest something of value, and that beauty as well as value is forever-and-always in the eye and heart of the beholder.

These are all made with materials on-hand.

No fancy craft-paper for me. These are made with pages from old magazines.

I admit I'm on a roll and have more in process. Why? Because it's fun and I love journals and these might make sweet gifts too.

I learned this process from an inspired artist named Tascha in her YouTube broadcast called, How to make a hardcover mini art journal. Check it out and give it a try. Have fun!

Plarn

My participation in earthstock last Sunday afforded me with plastic bags of plastic bags in one very large plastic bag. They had more to offer me, but I took only one. Which was a lot! You see, every earthstock attendee who turned in 10 plastic bags received a reusable, washable, Gaia-friendly, cloth shopping bag. Nice!

Today I finally spent time with these plastic bags and my trusty scissors and began creating balls of plarn - plastic yarn. The day was sunny, so I enjoyed this task in fresh air and sunshine, amid the smiling gratitude of Mama Earth.

This small gesture of up-cycling combined with the blossoming of the violets, not to mention the birth-and-death date of The Bard this past week, was honored with a home-brewed libation . . . a proper Elizabethan Violet Flower Wine.

Cheers!

Tax Free Hopes & Dreams

The day began with another one-gallon batch of ale. This time, a sarsaparilla blend that I suspect already I'll be repeating. I needed to tag my brews, so in honor of tax day and the good that might brew from such a convoluted government effort, I cut up the "first class" envelope in which the CPA returned the bureaucratic remnants that must be retained for seven years. First class brew labels and a nice little upcycling effort. In any event, there are three gallons of cranberry wine, three separate gallons of various ales and a five gallon batch of a porter variation all bubbling away, effortlessly, carefree, first class and tax free.

I strung the prayer flags that I made yesterday and hung them on the deck wall in the bright sunshine.

Then . . . I created a tribute to a favored saying.

A saying I would love to hear make a comeback.

Then, the day came full circle, so to speak, in more ways than might be immediately obvious. 2006, a fine year for rhubarb. Nothing taxing about that!

The evening topped off with a sweet little bat that somehow got in the house. We gently captured it in a towel and with equal gentleness and a prayer set it free in the cool night air of spring's hopes and dreams.

Ashe.

Tablecloth Apron . . .

You may, or may not, be aware that I am making standard herbal and Nature-related products for sale for the first time in many years. In fact, I will be vending at earthstock in Plainville, CT as well as offering my ever-popular weedwalks and doing some recycle/upcycle demonstrations. I have a cash box from the old days, but decided I would prefer a light-duty utility apron with multi-pockets to manage any dollars and other handy items.

As I considered what salvaged or scrap fabric to use I remembered the little card-table sized tablecloth that I got from my mom with the matching napkins. It had small holes and rust stains where the napkins had been pinned to it for probably some 30-years or more. I can't remember the last time my mom played bridge, and I'm certain this was its purpose.

In that little faded-drab-pink tablecloth I saw my apron.

A few cuts . . .

Some piecing and stitching . . . and I had my new little four-pocket apron.

Plus, with the small pieces that remained I created two more bookmarks.

And what is old is made new again!

Craft & Whimsey

This morning I was inspired to mesh craft with craft and craft. This inspiration led me to make Dream Pillows. The creation of dream pillows combined the craft of sewing with the craft of herbalism and the craft of, well--the craft. Seven 7x7"-ish pillow covers came into being, each filled with a 5x5-ish soft pink pillow stuffed with .75 ounce of a dream pillow herb blend. The blend includes hops, lavender, pink rose petals, chamomile, scullcap, lemon verbena, rosemary and a touch of white sage.

All seven little pillows are made from salvaged and scrap fabric. Waste turned to healing loveliness.

Then I paused to sit with all the scrap and salvaged fabric and was moved to make a bag, this time something akin to a shopping bag. As it came together I felt the spirit Dr. Suess had guided a fair portion of my piecing and stitching, for the result is truly more whimsical than functional. And that pleases me.

Even as I type these words, I see and feel more pieces of those scraps joining and forming more craft with craft and craft . . .

Little Gift Boxes

Some pages ripped from a read magazine . . .

A few folds . . .

A couple cuts . . .

A few more folds . . .

And I'm ready to place something inside . . .

And give a little gift.