Shell Wax

 

Last Fall when I went to Chincoteague, VA to stitch with friends, Jim came and joined me for part of the weekend.

We had never been to Assateague Island so one morning we woke before dawn and headed East to the beach for sunrise...

The sun held promise for a new day and for warming the salt spray chill that blanketed the beach on that crisp November morning.

Except for a flock of terns and gulls...

We were quite alone.

So Jim fell into his tide line ritual of walking the wrack line...a beach intent Sherlock Holmes looking for clues in the interstices between sand and sea...

What he found that day amid the shells of oyster, atlantic clam and cockles...

Was a predominance of black scallop shells.

"Let's take some home", I said, inspired by our good fortune and taking their plentitude as a sign that I should use them in some special way.   I had been wanting to make a gift for my stitching friends that gather in Chincoteague, to honor our friendship and the special time we share together every year and these scallops were just the inspiration I needed.

So we collected 20 or so of the black scallop shells and took them home where they sat in a jar for almost a year until it was time once to return to Chincoteague this past week...

I took two of the largest and deepest shells...

And pressed them into a silicone putty that I'd found at a craft store in order to make a mold.

To prepare the putty, you have to mix a 1:1 ratio of Component A and Component B together.  It has a limited working time and you can see in the mold on the left below that the compound had already started to set before I pressed in the shell.  I was quicker mixing and pressing the second time around, and used the impression on the right as my final mold.

I found a candle making supplier for microcrystalline wax online and melted the pellets on low heat in a $2 saucepan I'd found at the thrift store [Note: area must be well-ventilated]...

In searching for microcrystalline wax, there are two types available, a soft, tacky version and a hard version.  I bought the hard version.

I had taken beading classes from Diane Dennis and from Laura McCabe over the Summer and both artists used microcrystalline wax exclusively to condition their fireline beading threads.  Laura McCabe spoke very highly of the archival properties of microcrystalline wax, mentioning that she had used it previously in conservation work.

In the past, I have used beeswax to condition threads for bead embroidery and for goldwork but I liked the microcrystalline wax a bit better.  It was less tacky resulting in a smoother thread than beeswax so I thought it might be nice to share my newfound favorite with my stitching friends.

I poured my melted wax into my little silicone mold...

Twenty times...

Et voilá!



A wax shell thread conditioner to place in their stitching workboxes.

A gift from the sea and from me.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Pine Needling

Last weekend I was away from home stitching with friends in Chincoteague, Virginia.

It was a wonderful, relaxing few days away where we stitched all day and never had to worry about our next meal because the local seafood is so good.  

Located toward the Southern end of the Chesapeake Bay, Chincoteague is the entryway for Assateague Island National Park so the outdoors is full of inspiration...

And egrets, herons, ibis, kingfishers and other birds pepper the landscape...

Whenever this group of talented women gets together, there is lots of sharing...

And this year, Canby Robertson offered to teach us how to make pine needle baskets...

I wrote about Canby teaching at EGA National Seminar last post here.

After cleaning and prepping the pine needles that Canby had collected on our behalf, we used a size 20 chenille needle, C-lon cord, and a piece of drinking straw to craft our baskets...

Adding pine needles through the straw and stitching the coils into place...

 

Everyone chose their own color cord...

And the baskets were as unique as their makers...

The result after about two days was this nifty pile of prettiness...

I was thrilled to learn this new and practical technique using pine needles that I can collect in my woods...

Though mine was the smallest, I have big dreams of making more pine needle baskets...

While we were laboring over our wee woven works, Canby had finished an entire cracker basket...

Which she promptly turned around and gave to her friend Rosemary.



Gifts were given all around and teaching a new skill is the greatest gift of all.   Thanks Canby.

If you're interested in pine needle basket making, Canby recommended this book by Judy Mallow.

And if you're interested in visiting Chincoteague, VA, I can't recommend the Hampton Inn highly enough.  It's rated #1 in the country and they live up to their reputation!

And the oysters and scallops served here, and here, and here are out of this world.  I know because I ate at all three...ahem...multiple times.

See you next time.

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!

Crazy Mentors

Eight years ago I began blogging.

At that time I had just discovered the practice of crazy quilting.   The mixed-media, anything-goes approach to the art form was a perfect fit for my magpie nature and gatherer personality. 

I sought out as much information as I could find which led me to the websites, blogs and stores of this talented and beautiful group of women you see below.  I fell in love with their work first, spending countless hours soaking up the knowledge they so generously shared...

From left to right:  Susan Elliott, NickiLee Seavey, Lisa Boni, Allie Aller, Maureen Greeson, Betty Pillsbury, Shirlee Fassell

Now I just love them for the greathearted souls they are.  

I have such gratitude for all they've taught me. I wouldn't be the embroiderer I am today without their guidance.  They have left their mark on my work and my life is all the better for their mentorship.

When I heard Allie and Lisa were heading East, I called Maureen to see if we could stop by for a hug.   There is no finer hostess than Maureen Greeson and so she did what any good hostess would...she invited Betty, Shirlee and NickiLee who live within driving distance and we had ourselves a Gathering. 

It was a banner day for us all...sitting around Maureen's table, sharing stories, laughs and our latest work.  Most of us hadn't seen each other since the Crazy Quilt Gathering in 2011 so there was lots to catch up on.



It was one heck of a show and tell!

Allie shared a couple of her quilts but had packed most of them away by the time I got my camera out (sorry Allie)...



She shared her "Be Kind" quilt, the centerpiece of which was a cross stitch by her Uncle Hal's wife.

Detail of "Be Kind" by Allie Aller

It shows an amalgamation of both hand and machine techniques, using crazy quilt fabrics, trims and threads in a traditionally machine-pieced way. Allie's been playing with combining old quilting techniques in new and contemporary ways.  She has authored two books and is working on a third!

Detail of quilt by Allison Aller

Allie has starred in many posts on this blog as we've been friends since the beginning of my blogging life.  You can read them here.  You can follow her on her Facebook page or her blog, Allies in Stitches.

Next up is the magical, marvelous work of Betty Pillsbury...



Her quilts are full of fun, fantasy and the feminine divine...

Detail of Crazy Quilt by Betty Pillsbury

She's also an herbalist and works in union with the fairies to craft healing and medicinal herb products...

Detail of Crazy Quilt by Betty Pillsbury

Love the hand-colored image above and the flow of shibori ribbons in her quilts...

Detail of Crazy Quilt by Betty Pillsbury

You can learn more about Betty and her work at her website, Green Spiral Herbs,  follow her on Facebook and read this post I wrote about Betty's workshop in 2011.

NickiLee Seavey is known for her lace-infused crazy quilts and her Etsy business, Raviolee Dreams where she shares and sells her beautiful hand-dyed laces...

NickiLee brought a work-in-progress where she is appliqueing and embellishing her hand-dyed laces onto an antique quilt base...

Quilt block by NickiLee Seavey

The combination of the old and new is absolutely marvelous...

Quilt block by NickiLee Seavey

And the use of the antique quilt as the basis from which to grow the quilt was brilliant...

Quilt block by NickiLee Seavey

NickiLee can be found on Facebook or on her blog, Raviolee Dreams.  You can also purchase her hand-dyed laces in her Etsy shop here.

Our hostess Maureen Greeson has probably taught me the most because I started following her before I even began blogging.  

Most of my first supplies were bought through her shop (which is closed *sniff*) and she used to publish a newsletter where she provided free motifs and embellishment tips.  I still have all of those tips in my inspiration file.

Maureen didn't want to share anything so I begged her to get out a Four Seasons piece which is still in progress.

I just love her eye for elegance, lace and charming victorian ladies...

Quilt detail by Maureen Greeson

I have always admired this piece and the use of crazy-pieced laces as the background...

Quilt detail by Maureen Greeson

And this wisteria!

Quilt detail by Maureen Greeson

You can find Maureen on Facebook here, follow her blog here or read this prior post I'd written about this generous woman.

I'm also grateful to Maureen for introducing me to this spirited and talented lady, Shirlee Fassell...

Shirlee used to appear as a guest contributor to Maureen's newsletters and her ideas were some of my favorites.

Shirlee has studied tambour embroidery at École Lesage in Paris where I'd like to go one day and is now using what she's learned there to do her own thing.

And boy is she!  Currently, she is combining the traditional concepts of crazy quilting and tambour embroidery using a Lunéville hook and creating works that are altogether new and "Shirlee"...

Quilt detail by Shirlee Fassell

The pieces she brought to share are part of the Crazy Quilt Journal Project for 2015...

Quilt detail by Shirlee Fassell

Her pieces are treasure troves of texture...

Quilt detail by Shirlee Fassell

You can follow Shirlee on Facebook here, her blog, Needle and Hook, here and check out this earlier post I've written about her work.

Last but not least is Lisa Boni of Ivory Blush Roses.  Like Allie, I missed most of her show and tell but did catch the tail end of these stunning blocks she's making for the Crazy Quilt Journal project...

Quilt detail by Lisa Boni

She says that these colors are out of her comfort zone since she normally prefers...well...ivory and blush rose...and green/white...

You would never guess that these were out of her comfort zone...just gorgeous...

Quilt detail by Lisa Boni

Her work is impeccable.  

I didn't have a good individual shot of Lisa but I do have this one of us together sharing our love for margaritas...

And our outfits happen to match the new color scheme of her blocks.  Check out the rose pins that we're both wearing...a gift made by Shirlee with that hook of hers.

You can find Lisa at her blog, Ivory Blush Roses, or follow her on Facebook.

After show and tell, Allie put out a call for ideas by spreading a group of vintage stars that I'd picked up in an antique store.  The ideas were flying and the stars were moved around like chess pieces.

Did you see NickiLee holding Maureen's dog Gracie?  She wanted had her own opinions to add.

It was a rich day, full of connection and kinship, and you can see how stimulating and inspiring this group is.

We are so lucky to have this internet where we can show up on each other's virtual front porches and share our lives, our families and our work.

I never would have dreamed eight years ago that I would be gathering family-style with this talented group of teachers.  And just like meeting up with old high school friends, the internet allows us to "know" each other without ever physically having met.

The wonder of it all.