Spinning Artist Toy

It's Yard Sale Saturday, you know.  I wasn't planning on going, but Beau offered to drive if I'd go to the grocery with him.   Great deal, since getting into the passenger side of the car is currently easier than the drivers side.    This was just my third Yard Sale adventure here in Baton Rouge.

We established a perimeter and headed out.  And, there was not much going on.  (I suppose with 96,000 people headed to Tiger Stadium this afternoon, who has time to put on a yard sale).   But, right before I gave up, there was a sign ...  "Beau -- Turn Here!"   

 Yard sales really are not Beau's thing.   But he'd brought his book and waited very patiently (I assume) in the car while I searched for potential treasures.

And, what did I find?  Well  ...

• 8 tassels of varying lengths
• 5 belts, which just might become future bag handles
• a couple fat quarters of fabric
• a assortment of acrylic and spray paints
• a Li'l Mate Spinning Artists

The Spinning Artist TOY was quite a surprise.   As you might recall, one of my ongoing projects was working through the June/July 2012 issue of Quilting Arts.  So far, I'd only stabbed at a fiber bowl, and the next project calls for a paint spinner.    What are the odds of that.

As soon as Beau was out the door for the game, I headed to my studio to play.   This is a small spinner, the design width being only 3 3/4 inches.   There were no directions, but it didn't take much to figure out.

The actual article in the Quilting Arts Mag is work on fabric, but figured I'd best get to know the toy on paper.

Made a good dozens attempts and, although I'm getting the idea, there is nothing to write home about.   On paper, the paints are to thick.   When I watered them down, way to thin.  

Particularly on fabric - here the colors just bled together.   So, I decided that I'd do the novel and read the information in the magazine article, browse a little for some online tips and give it another try tomorrow.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks for dropping by,
Lorrie 

My first Fiber Art Bowl

In the past, whenever we headed out on a car trip vacation, I'd buy three or four craft related magazines or books and envision possibilities (if only I had the talent), while passing the miles.  Then, after vacation, they'd get stacked into a cabinet and mostly forgotten.   While going through the downsizing process for our move, I couldn't pass them on.   They made the move to us.  This time, however, I've put them on the bookshelf in my new studio and am going to start working through them.    What do they call that .... search for my (hopefully not off-key) voice?

I started this magazine.  Why?  Well, Beau and I were making a short car trip over to Biloxi and I needed a magazine to look at in the car.  

The first article in covers marvelous journal bowls by fiber artist Diane Wright.  (I searched the web and it doesn't appear she has a site of her own, however there are a good number of references to her work on others).

 Along with a several delicious shots of bowls, there is a short tutorial on how to create one of your own.   

Okay ... I'm game.  

 I made a quick stop by the hardware store for the suggested cotton cording.  Then, selected a piece of fabric for it's color values, and cut into 9 - 2"x40" strips as directed.   

Now, for the first holdup.   This is the first time the sewing machine was set up in the new studio.   I couldn't find the box of bobbins, which resulted in an hour search.   Well, it didn't really take an hour.   I just kept coming across other items that belonged somewhere else and was, as my mother would have called it --- sidetracked.  

 I wrapped a couple lengths of the fabric around the cording, leaving the 1/2" spacing as suggested.  The next step calls for coiling the cord around itself (in whatever shape one might desire) and zig zag stitching between the cords to hold together.  But, ... uh oh .. the cording doesn't fit under my zipper foot.   I tried several different feet .. nope.   

So, the next day, another trip back to the hardware store for smaller cord.  After checking to make sure it would fit under the machine foot, I wrapped all nine strips to the cord (securing with little clasps here and there) -- a great TV time activity.   

 And then, the final moment .... I stitched it together.   I had just began making my turn to start the bowl edges and I ran to the end of my pre-covered cord.    This is the point where I should have gone and cut another 8 or 9 strips of fabric, wrapped the cord and continued on.   But no, I stopped here.  

Why?  I have no real need for fabric bowls and I was mostly interested in the exercise itself.   I do think there are alot of other possibilities for fiber wrapped cord here, which I'll have to ponder.  

I'll move on to the next article in the book in a day or two.

Thanks for dropping by,
Lorrie

P.S.  Saw this rope (it's tied around the entry posts at Pro Bass Shop in Denim Springs.   It was an instant double take!   WOW ... now that would make a really large bowl.