Porkies Weaving December Update

When I'm working on a weaving that's really long, one of the high-points is when the cartoon (image that I'm working off of from under the warp) starts draping down and I have to start rolling it to keep it off of the treadles. Above is a view from the underside of my loom!

I find I enjoy weaving the most first thing in the morning.  I'm getting on a more normal schedule (ok, not with the holidays, but getting back to it), where I do some yoga or work out while I wait for my coffee to brew. Then get to my weaving for an hour or two.  I work best and most-focused before I have showered or gotten dressed for the day.  It's my quiet down-time and I love it.

I usually try to weave until I start making mistakes.  Since this is triple-weave pick up I sometimes start to think about what else I need to do that day, getting to work, the house, emails start coming in and I can't keep a rhythm anymore.  I think if this was my usual double-weave pick up I wouldn't have the issue of making mistakes when my brain moves to other things, but three layers of fabric have been quite the new challenge for me.

Above is a detail, I'm loving how the background colors are popping through the blues of the water's open weave.  I wasn't sure how to get some of that depth that I'm experiencing from the panorama, and here it is happening naturally.

Double Pod Earrings and St. Petersburg Bracelet with small necklace

I had become a little stumped on jewelry-making (did I mention my weaving-focus?) but I put together an outfit for a friend's wedding which helped me choose colors to make a bracelet and pair of earrings. 

I really love this brown/blue/green combo.  It also happened to match the grouping of jewelry that I recently sent to Paige Waird Gallery up in Calumet, MI. So, of course, after wearing it, I sent it off.  

Earrings $65.00

Small Necklace $75.00

Bracelet $95.00

Three-Color Blocked Bangle and Earrings

I have been focusing mainly on my weaving for the Porcupine Mountains Residency as I'm very late on it's submission, but they have been graceful about understanding the year I've had post-residency.  So only a few new pieces of jewelry have surface for the holidays.  I was playing with some new color combinations for this bangle and earring set.  It was fun to do and would go easily with dress-up or casual.

These are currently at the Lansing Art Gallery Holiday Shop.

Halloween 2015

If you know me well, you know Halloween is my hands-down favorite holiday.  This is the first year throwing my party solo, at my new house.  I can actually fit everyone into my downstairs, but glad that I have 2 bathrooms for sure!  I had the garage set up for people to hang out there, but it was really too cold/windy for that, maybe next year.

Sailor Scouts!

No, I didn't make my costume this year, I was in a pinch and figured, I can use this for Cosplay at Shuto Con in March.  I went as Sailor Jupiter.  I have the wig too, but Sailor Moon was going without so, I skipped it.

Having Puppy Chow is a must.

This is from a few weeks prior to Halloween, Rob and I went as Dr, Krieger and his virtual girlfriend from the TV show Archer.  It went over very well (we got third place in the costume contest).  I did whip this costume together last-minute.  This is the first couples costume I've ever gotten to do, I had never dated anyone who wanted to do one, so it was pretty exciting.  

Fall 2015 Sets

Now that we're through Halloween, I'm re-focused on getting jewelry done for Holiday Shows and my Porkies weaving.  This set is headed off to the Lansing Art Gallery this week. I'm really pleased with the necklace which I blogged about a little while back.

Cluster Earrings $75.00

Cluster Earrings $75.00

Fall/Winter 2015 Jewelry Set

I had a hard time deciding on colors, I started bouncing around a lot, which kept this set interesting.

Leaf Bracelet $85.00

Bangle with netting detail and earrings

Flat Loop Earrings $45

You've seen the netting detail in my large art-cuffs, but this is the first it's been integrated in a simpler bangle style.  The glass pearl accent sets this design off for me.

Bangle with Netting Detail $80

I was initially going to do some detailing in the loop of the earrings, but it was getting too tight and I started breaking beads.  I will do one in the future with bigger loops and try again.

Wreath Bracelet $70

I'm not sure how I feel about the above bracelet yet...I wanted to mix in various sized beads, and I love how it lays flat.  But it seems a bit wonky on the wrist. I'm referring to it as the wreath bracelet since it circles out.  It's soft so it still moves like fabric and is comfortable to wear.

Interlochen Workshop: Two Drop Peyote Class Projects

At the beginning of October I taught a workshop up at Interlochen for thier adult programming classes. This time we worked in 2-drop peyote stitch to create bracelets.

Here's my student's fantastic pieces:

I always encourage my students to start going with one color and we can switch, start talking designs and color play once getting the stitch down.  Stripes are the easiest to play with and count, but I also love the random movement shapes in the lavender and read bangle and the check design that plays out in the grey and yellow one.

I actually used the check design in the Bugle Bead variation of this stitch that I made after I taught this class.

Finishing work! 

Two Drop Peyote Stitch Variation

I was teaching two-drop peyote stitch at Interlochen at the beginning of this month.  When I get the class going on the stitch, I start talking about the various ways this stitch can be used.  I feel like every time I get going talking about this stitch, it gets my creative juices going as to how I should be using this stitch.

One of the ideas that I have always talked about is integrating bugle beads in with this stitch.  I finally decided to do so.  

The check-patterning is actually inspired by one of my students from this class.  Once she got the stitch down, she got right into playing with alternating beads.

Bugle Two-Drop Bracelet $55.00

Finishing this bracelet was a little new for me.  Due to the wide spacing of the bugle beads, I couldn't stitch in loops as I normally would. I found this gunmetal slide clasp in my supplies and figured out how to attach it.  I'm really hapy with how this turned out.

Fall 2015 Layered Necklace

I feel like I've been working on this necklace for forever. I tried a few different add-ons to it, but it's so busy with color already that I needed to keep it simple.  The original necklace of this kind of design I had accent beads in, but I like being able to do wrap this one differently.

I really like this style, you can tie it after slipping it on:

Or do kind-of a braid with it too, it tends to wrap around itself while wearing it.

This necklace is $200.00.  I plan on bringing it to the Lansing Art Gallery for their upcoming Holiday Market (unless it sells before then, you can always contact me if interested).

Porkies Weaving: Update 2

I've probably been getting about an hour a day in on this weaving.  The detail in it makes it hard to sit for much longer than this, but I'm pushing on. Usually pulling more hours over the weekend.

I got my header on.

I've been playing with texture of yarn and creating texture with the woven layers moving in and out of one another.

It started to get really difficult to see the cartoon underneath.  So I pulled it and added more sharpie marker lines.

I am VERY pleased that I finally got the triple weave system down. I was letting the warp that I wasn't using float at the back, but now we're all in!