Halloween Candy

Original artwork by Irene Leizer

I haven't seen my Crazy friend Irene in almost a year so it was a real treat for her to show up to stitch with me this Halloween.

And look at her work in progress...

I can always count on Irene to bring a visual treat.  She was the one who came with those delicious autumn-themed fan blocks a couple of years ago.

And this year, she didn't disappoint...

Original artwork by Irene Leizer

She's making a crazy quilt block that will be octagonal, inspired by the colors she stitched in this canvas design by Orna Willis...

Orna Willis design stitched by Irene Leizer

So you have to imagine an octagonal frame around this piece...

Original artwork by Irene Leizer

It's such a joy when we see work that mirrors the colors of the season...

Original artwork by Irene Leizer

And I love how she is using the stitches in Orna's design to inform her own seam treatments and embroidery designs..
.

Original artwork by Irene Leizer

It was such a treat for my eyes to spend time with this block...

Original artwork by Irene Leizer

And better for my waistline than all the candy I'm handing out this evening!

And if that wasn't enough, it did my heart good to see her using her Harikuyo needlebook...

Alas, the very talented Irene does not have a blog :o(

But you can see her cool fan blocks on this post here and more details of her needlebook on this post here.  And if we're lucky, I'll see her more frequently than once a year so we can all be inspired by her work more often.

Oh.  And if you were wondering about the very cool hat label that's pieced into her block...



I found it for her on this trip to Tinsel Trading in NYC.  Lucky for you, Tinsel Trading has an Etsy site and the hat labels are available here.

Happy Halloween!

Where it Begins

IT ALL STARTS with the weather.  

 Comes a day when summer finally gives in to the faintest freshest of chill and a slim new light and just like that, you're gone.  

Wild in love with the autumn proviso.  

You can see that the standing trees are all busy lighting themselves up ember-orange around the hemline, starting their ritual drama of slow-immolation -- oh, well, you see it all...

So begins Barbara Kingsolvers' short essay on our drive to knit as the weather grows cold. And let me tell you, she's the one that sees it all.

A wonderful wordsmith, Ms. Kingsolver gets to the heart of how and why we knit.  As I read, I felt like she saw the life pulse behind our working hands...the energy force that knits earth, heart and soul together.  It's lovely and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

You can read Where it Begins: Knitting as Creation Story in full here.  It's published in the November/December 2013 issue of Orion magazine.  

I'm casting on this scarf today...

Happy creating.

Looming Pumpkins

My embroidery practice has been all over the map recently.

I'm working on my Scotland book, knitting, making threads for Japanese embroidery, AND I'm working on Mrs. Rose.

Sounds like I shouldn't add one more thing to my plate, right?  

New item on Susan's plate

Well...opportunities to learn from those we admire don't always come along at convenient times.

This past weekend I finally had the chance to learn from Erin Simonetti, a woman whose work I've admired and and followed for many years...

Love her!

Often, loomwork can look a bit flat...but Erin has a gift for creating three-dimensional beaded sculptures...all on a loom.  

Like this piece called Multiplicity that was a Finalist in the Bead Dreams Competition in 2006... 

Multiplicity by Erin Simonetti all rights reserved

She's been a Finalist in that competition at least 3 times that I am aware and has been published more times than I can count.  Take a look at her website (click on all the links in the left sidebar) and her blog...they are both full of beautiful designs, inspiration and tips. 

Much to my delight, she began teaching this year at Bead Soup in Savage Mill, MD which is where I was this past weekend learning to make this fall-themed bracelet...

Bracelet and design made and copyrighted by Erin Simonetti

We have a lot of homework this week.

I've finished looming the bracelet base and now I have to add the tendrils and the two lines of crystals on either side. 

We'll be making the little mouse peaking over the top of the cuff and learning how to remove the piece from the loom and attach the clasp this coming Saturday so stay tuned.

It's Pumpkin Season in Maryland!

P.S.  Those asking about the bracelet on my wrist in last week's post...it's this bracelet designed by Laura McCabe...

First Day of Fall