Completed Pine basket.

March 6, 2012

 

I have completed the first of the two commissioned Pine needle baskets.  I was asked to duplicate the one I did for my sister...you know, the one I forgot to take pictures of before I gifted it to her.

So here is a picture of what it looked like, for the most part.  The center is Pine branch slice like hers, but the wrapped coil was the absolute first coil done.  I couldn't get it to work this time, so after days of effort and frustration, I just did a couple of rows of stitch work and then wrapped.

The russet is #10 mercerized cotton crochet thread double stranded and the dark brown is waxed linen.  I used closed coil wrapping, the v stitch and the fern stitch.  It has a 7 in. base and 2 in. tall sidewalls.

I absolutely love working with the waxed linen.  It is really too bad I can only find it in dark brown here in St. Augustine.  Even then I found it at the local Hobby Lobby, and as we all know I work at Michaels.  lol  None to be had there although we do have the artificial sinew aplenty.

Pics...From the top.

From the side...

From the bottom, believe it or not my signature and the date is signed on the back.  So sorry for the glare.  I wax the wooden center's and I couldn't get any better shot than this.  In this next one I also think you can see some of the green needles I like to incorporate.  I dry them in the house so that they retain their color.  I am told that with time they will turn brown, but kept out of direct sunlight the green lasts a very long time.

Still one more to go.  I think I might reverse the color of the threads next time.  Dark brown for the body and russet for the trim.  (I am a bit bored with these colors in general, I think this is the 5th basket using russet as my base color.  I am indeed looking forward to using another color when these two baskets are completed.)  The center will probably be Cedar.  Stay tuned folks, same bat time, same bat channel.  LOL

Ryan's Guitar Strap

14 1/2 in. so far!

                                                                       The underside.

My 1st weaving commission!

Friday, April 1, 2011 APRIL FOOLS DAY

I had a pleasant surprise today!  I got a phone call from my friend Dana to do a commission guitar strap for her nephew's birthday.  Now I have to admit he is only going to be 7 years old...but a commission is a commission. 

She told me his name and that he likes flames...so I will probably do double weave.  As a matter of fact my favorite yarn, #3 mercerized cotton crochet thread in the appropriate colors has already been ordered and will be sent via USPS.  I am going to use orange, yellow and red.

He already has a 'cheap' strap so we have the measurements at hand and Aunt Dana said she will design the hardware/fasteners herself.  I have to have it done by May 10th in time for a talent show.  Woohooooo!!!

Doing what I am passionate about and getting paid.  What more can a body ask?

Commissioned Art

Well I think I have completed the second half of my two piece commission for my friend Peter.

His twin stepdaughters are very involved in 'Dance'.  So for their birthday he asked me to do two pieces in graphite that had to do with dance.  That's all he gave me 'dance'.  

Having never met these two young woman, I was kind of hoping he could at least tell me which form of dance.  His response 'they love them all'.  Big help!

Anyway the ballet slippers were the first drawing.  

Then I went for tap shoes, these were tough.  I don't do photo realism so these are my own versions.  

Here are the final results.  Please let me know what you think.

Progress on Alyssa's Commission Soumak bag

Had my breast biopsy on Friday...pretty sore so I haven't done a whole lot of weaving.  But here is what I have so far.  It is 11 inches wide and 8 inches long. 

Alyssa's purse - commission

My friend from St. Augustine, Alyssa, had me do her a peyote cuff bracelet out of blue tones with silver accent and then she also asked me to make her a handbag.  She liked the white soumak that was my 1st endeavor...but wanted it in blue. 

For those of you who didn't see it here is the bracelet...

And here is the original purse...

Here are her color choices...

Actually I am a little jealous, this cotton is beautiful.  It is 100% mercerized cotton and will be easily washed.  The dark is Cobalt blue #10 crochet thread and I used it as warp (vertical threads for those who don't weave).  The lighter color is 'fine', no size indicated on the packaging, it is used for the weft (horizontal threads).  Here it is in the beginning stages.  The rainbow colors you see are just there for spacing and will not be part of the final handbag.

If you look closely you will also see that the small loom is behind the large one.  I have it warped up getting ready for the classes I will be teaching at the Molultrie Art Center starting in September semester.  It has a teal warp on it for the moment.

Latest commission

This is what I have so far on the second part of the 2 piece commission.  Sorry about the shine, graphite is very hard to photograph!  It is a little to heavy on the right side so I have to add something on the left.  I will post pictures when I decide what else I will be adding.

Commissioned Art

Well I did it.  I found a piece of clip art that inspired me and then I drew my own version.  

This is one of the 2 pieces I have to do for my friend.  I am thinking tap shoes for the second.  They are for his twin stepdaughters birthday and all he gave me to go on was 'something to do with dance'.  

Having never met the girls, this has been quite the stresser.  My first commission drawings, for a lifelong friend, for girls I have never met (no pressure there).   Oh yeah, and I don't happen know anyone else who dances to feed me any inspirational information.   Sooooo....This is what I came up with.  Man I wish graphite pencil wasn't so hard to photograph.  The paper is actually a 'natural white', which means a creamy off white almost beige.  Certainly not gray.

Please let me know what you think.....