Topics in Fiber - Paper intensive

What a run of days I've had!   I do not think I have been home for 15 hours on 2 consecutive days since June 20th and I am wiped out.  Here's a brief post on my class!

Let's talk about the paper :)  This was class number five in my graduate degree journey was an 8 day intensive down at the college in the ceramics/fibers/paper studio.   As I mentioned, I haven't been in a studio class since I graduated in 1995 and I really missed it. 

Many of the fibers we used for the class were in the form of linters.   Sheets of fibers ready to be rehydrated and beaten into pulp. cotton linters from Twinrocker
 

   We also processed several fibers from their raw states.  Straw, hemp, kozo, and flax were simmered for 5-6 hours, rinsed until the water was clear, then placed in a Hollander Beater

 

or could be processed by hand like this.....

(beaten to a pulp has new meaning now)


Once our pulp was ready, it went into large bins with water.  Using frames stretched with window screen on the bottom, and a deckle frame on the top, we pulled papers from the pulp.

After the water drained from the bottom, you pressed the paper onto wet felts, and when you had a large stack, it all gets pressed to remove most of the water.

I learned more than I could have imagined from taking this class.   Paper has new meaning now!  I still have a large group of papers due for a final project, that will be presented in about 2 weeks.

Color!!!

This contraption...

is called a Hollander Beater. Think rubber ducky carnival game where the ducks go 'round and 'round but with a metal cylinder in the middle that smashes the ducks into little tiny pieces of pulp.

Work table

Wet felts, mold and deckle boxes, and at the end of the table (top of photo) my post of paper under felts.

Attractive, I know.

Should have seen me in the rain boots and goggles.

My view for the next 8 days

This is the ceramics/fibers/paper studio I'm working in for the week.

What I'm doing this summer.

Incidental inspiration

Where does your inspiration come from?

 

Don't you just love polkadots?!  I do!

I find myself being inspired mostly by color combinations.   Random combinations in my flower beds, color on clothing, or piles of toys in a basket.

Pinterest, of course.   But that tends to put my brain into overdrive at times :) (-you can check out my boards from the link to the right)

Other times it comes from news - someone getting married, or someone having a baby.  Then I find I often say "Oh congratulations!" but my brain is churning with "Oooh!  Now I can try that new quilt pattern!"

This is what I worked on this weekend.  Just some sneaks til I can get it delivered.   I like baby size projects very much!  So cute, sweet, and quick!   This pattern is called Hidden Stars from a book by Pam & Nicky Lintott - Layer Cake, Jelly Roll and Charm Quilts

I cut all the measurements in half for my project so I could get a nice small quilt. More photos to come....

still completely enamored

My quilt - red and white completed

It's finished!   A quilt just for me :)  how often does that happen??

I did not like stuffing a queen sized quilt through my little Brother machine.  I had some puckering at the top (in the photo above) but nothing would stop me from tossing this on the bed right away. :)

 I used a simple off white with dots for the backing and added a bold print for the binding.

 

The pattern - from Quiltmakers Cottage in Hershey, Pa.

There are 2 different reds and 2 different whites that make up the blocks.

This quilt will get a lot of use! 

Here's the previous posts on creating this one.

(piecing) progress

this-may-take-awhile

red-and-white-piecing-weekend-project-2

red-and-white-quilt-top

red-and-white-progress

I have performed a miracle.

Bobs on the grill. That all three monkeys ate. AND liked. Even the sneaky middle one.

Total. Mommy. Win.

Team RED WHITE BLUE

I'm a runner.  It took a year to finally be able to say that and truly believe it.  I may not be the fastest or be able to run the longest but I get'r done.  :)

I'm proud to say I've just become a member of Team RWB of Philly.  

Here's the link - http://www.teamrwb.com/

 "Team Red, White & Blue has a vision to transform the way America supports its wounded veterans when they exit their position. Our intent is to create a community of veterans, their families, and American citizens, bringing them together so they can spend time with one another. We believe that the American people can best support our TeamRWB veterans through authentic social interaction and shared experiences in communities all over America."

To be able to combine my love of running to support veterans is a cause near and dear to my heart.  I'll proudly wear this eagle to every race I enter and  tell anyone who asks why I do. 

red and white progress

Making some progress.  Nothing fancy in the way of quilting, just in the ditches.  I will use this quilt on my own bed and it will be a nearly constant fixture so I want it to hold up well for years to come.

I will say this, if I make another queen size quilt, I will not be trying to stuff it through my table-top Brother sewing machine!   The wrestling is, however, helping with my upper body strength :)
 

Broad Street Run in Philly

 I went in to Philly this weekend to run in my longest race to date.  The Broad Street Run is a 10 mile course, straight down Broad Street in the center of Philly.   You start at Olney and end at the Naval Yard just past the stadiums.

Here's a few highlight photos....

 Starting line - yellow corral

5 mile mark

Finish line area.  

Dawn

PA

USA

F

40 TO 44

chip time -

02:03:37

clock time - 02:06:09

overall - 31655

female - 17300

division - 1776

I'm not going to lie, this was hard.   Mile 9 almost did me in.  I walked a bit and wasn't as fast as I wanted to be.   But I did it.    I finished just around 2 hours.  (I was shooting for 1:30-1:40)

Will I do it again? - Sunday after I crossed the finish line, I decided I was never running again.   (wasn't real sure I was going to walk again either)

Yesterday while trying to get out of bed? - nope, never running again this year.

Today? - I didn't curse outloud getting up and I'm thinking I might run before the end of the month.

I think the problem is running 10 miles running 10 miles then jumping back into a vehicle and driving 3+ hours on the same day.   Dumb.  Don't do it.   Stay the extra night just to keep from getting stiff and sore and cranky.  Or at the very least stay until you've had a nice long soak in the tub and stretched out a bit longer. 

Hoping for more photos later.....  :)

Enjoy your rainy Tuesday!

enough whining!

Time to get something accomplished (besides housework, I mean)

If I have enough time to whine and blog about not getting anything worked on, then I have enough time to work on something, right?
 

 

The backing is going to need to be pieced too, but I feel better just getting this together for now.

No pattern, just colors I liked and a technique I wanted to try.





...off to make a Red/White quilt sandwich!

Blah

I'm getting a whole, whopping lot of NOTHING done right now. 

Blah

I'd like to start thinking about some outdoor projects - it's currently 31 degrees out this morning.

I'd like to finish up a quilt (Red and White) or two (blue geese) but I have such a busy month, the thought of dragging it all out, just to have it sit there and be "in my way" while I'm flitting from here and there and NOT be able to really sit and work on it does not inspire me to get it out.

Blah

I did sell a painting on Etsy!   - yea

It covered the cost of repairing my lawn tractor.   Which is a good thing, really, but it still earns a blah.   A girl can dream of getting ahead a bit, can't she?


that's all

Blue geese almost together

Flying geese.   Love these colors even though they do not match a single thing in my house! 

 

Just laid out quickly here to see what it looks like.

 Opinions?

Highlights from my weekend ---> Phillies 5K

 That's warning track stuck in them shoes right there!

 Our names scrolling on the big BIG screen...

 

Had a great time!