Been a busy Saturday, finishing up a couple of projects–one I started yesterday and one I started a couple of weeks ago. Are you the kind of person who gets all the pieces for a project made only to be deterred by the actual sewing of the pieces together? I am.
Star cushion–variegated side.
Some time ago, someone on the Facebook Pin Loom Weaving Support Group posted a link to a cute little star cushion–the originator calls it a “starfish picnic pin” (according to Google Translator). It’s made using 10 @ 2″ x 2″ Weave-It squares (scroll down the original page to see the instructions). I decided to make mine with coordinating yarns, so I made five variegated and five purple.
Star cushion–purple side.
I didn’t plan to write a blog post about this project, so I didn’t photograph all the steps. Before sewing the individual squares together, I put them in position with corresponding corners all in the same locations.
Keeping the corners in correct alignment makes it easier to join the squares neatly together and to sew the two halves of the cushion together.
One nice thing about this project was working in the ends. Since the back of the squares wouldn’t show, it wasn’t necessary to weave the ends in, just secure them out of sight.
Ends are tucked inside, out of sight.
It was quite easy to match up the edges of the two stars–wrong sides together. I sewed them once most of the way around the outside edge with a running stitch, stuffed it with leftover quilt batting scraps, then finished the stitching. I thought it looked neater and closed the seam better to add a second set of stitches, so I did that.
Sewing the button on was challenging. It was necessary to secure the yarn in the center of the star, without causing a raised surface, then sew the two buttons on opposite sides of each other at the same time–I used a long needle. Tying off was a little challenging, but not too bad. I pulled the button in tight, so there’s an indent in the center of each side.
******************************
My second project was my first fiber painting and my first wet felting of any significance–meaning, involving multiple layers of color.
Beth Myrer taught our Utah Valley Weaving Guild this skill. (I don’t know why we’re called a weaving guild since we do very little weaving. Craft Club sounds kinda clunky, I suppose.)
My inspiration.
I used the above photo as the inspiration for the painting below. I really liked this as a needle felted painting and wasn’t sure I wanted to lose its dimensionality by felting it. Nevertheless, braveheart, I did it.
I thought I was all done (left photo) till I realized I’d made stairstep poppies that lead the eye right out of the picture. So I added another half-poppy on the right edge to lead the eye back in (right photo).
The finished fiber painting. I learned something important–the yellow section has hardly any fiber on it whereas the sky and trees and lower green areas all had thickish layers of fiber. The yellow area shrunk more than the others. Note to self: when felting, make sure all layers are equal in thickness if you want uniform shrinkage.
The felted version doesn’t look as bright in the photo and, it’s hard to tell, but the painting is a lot smaller now.
Love your little pincushion! I’ve been meaning to make that too. When you sewed it all together, was your additional row of stitching running stitch as well?
The felted picture is gorgeous 🙂 What size is it please?
Thanks Lucina! The second set of stitches was running stitch as well. It’s so hard to describe this–running stitch, as I understand it, kind of skips every other stitch; I mean, it shows up half the time on either side. So, I went back and made it show up on all the stitches it missed the first time, which closed the seam up more securely. I may not have the correct terminology???
The felted picture is about 5.25″ x 5.5″. It was a lot of fun. I’d like to make more of them.
Thank you, Sue! Sorry, only just seen your reply. I understand what you mean now about the 2nd set of running stitch, makes sense 🙂
Beth’s name is Beth Myrer.
You have just happened to catch the group while pursuing “Byways in Handweaving” Fiber interest just sort of expand to dyeing, embellishment and related skills.
Thank you for the correct spelling of Beth’s name. I’ve corrected it.
I’m sorry if I insulted the group! Of course I didn’t mean to; just being saucy, I suppose. You’re right that I’m very new to it. I think what we’re doing is a lot of fun, but also useful and motivating. Seems like group weaving could be a little difficult since some looms aren’t transportable. Even set up for rigid heddle looms could be problematic space-wise.