Seven Izzy friends

One more to finish, meanwhile here are seven happy guys waiting to go to new homes, and pockets and backpacks.

Top center is the latest addition.

If you want the history of this effort, Google on Izzy doll. It's a moving story. I'm glad to be part of it.

Duplicate dolls

I've been disorganized and not very productive lately. So I thought a bit of knitting would be good, and found I have practically no yarn other than small quantities of homespun, and might need to buy some. 

Meanwhile I sorted out the doll-knitting bag and found that what happens when you get disorganized but have plenty of needles is that you accidentally get to work on two dolls at a time. Is what happens.

So until I organize some plans and supplies I may as well knit on with dolls. And remember to stuff and finish them, with any luck. And not start a third one by accident.

Constellation, inspiration and a flutter of butterflies

The plain stitching, the hemming of the towels, is done, and they are deployed and in use. No pictures, because in laundry or in use, not scenic.

So now I can return to fancy stuff, waiting here.

 I thought you might like to see some of my sources of encouragement. 

Reading clockwise from the top, The Royal School of Needleworks, Respect the Spindle, Butterflies, English paper piecing, Black work, Goldwork, The Unicorn Tapestries. In the middle, Weaving without a loom.

And a flutter of butterflies, stumpwork I created and exhibited a couple of years ago.

The biggest is about 5" wingspan.

 These were part of a big wallhanging, named Sanctuary, made long before issues of  sanctuary cities came about.

 I removed the butterflies from the piece for safety when there were workmen carrying apppliances up and downstairs past them. 

Then I thought I might frame them separately, so I kept them off.  I still need to frame them..and I long ago used the base hanging, a complicated affair of knitting, crocheting and dyeing, for other artworks. I'm not exactly a conservator.

Plain and Fancy

If you're familiar with that classic book of stitching history, by Susan Swan, doyenne of American stitching history, and late of Winterthur

you'll know what I'm about. If you're not familiar with it,check it out.

The constellation piece, aka Fancy, is  resting today, while I have a change of pace, doing some Plain work. 

You may remember in the winter I got terry towelling and cut it into towel-sized pieces to hand-hem and replace old tattered seen-better-days ones.

 The idea being each new one instantly displaces an old one, which can go to animal rescue or vet's office, wherever useful. Things have changed and I don't think that will work just now. 

However I thought I could still get on with it. And here's today's work. It's very calming hand stitching something useful. I'm a great devotee of doing with your hands even if machines exist for the same purpose. I don't need the speed of a machine here. 

On the left, newly hemmed towel, on the right, the ancient one it's replacing.

I add that I'm very glad people are using machines to make masks and gowns, desperately needed right now. I don't own a machine, gave mine away years ago, so I handmade a couple of masks for my own use only. 

This plain work also keeps your skills sharp for the fancy stuff, an added bonus.

Constellation continued

I'm still experimenting with the hexies, how to prepare them for the reverse applique. The first overstitched ones were a bit stretched and I had to deal with that when I appliqued. The next ones were a bit unruly in the stitching, and now I'm trying a new thing. 

Before cutting, I'm split stitching round the hexies to reinforce the edges. The idea is that they will keep their shape better in the appliqueing. That's the plan, anyway. Also I love to do split stitch anyway, so why not.

After cutting, all the little wings will be folded under, such that (phrase stolen from math friends) the stitching will form a readymade edge to support the appliqueing.

After I finish stitching around this group, I'll try the cutting and then the moment of trrrruth, Madame!

To the onlooker there's practically no difference in how these are done, but the stitcher always knows. 

And thanks to MAJ, I have some general plans at the conclusion of this whole thing, about a trailing path of whipped stitch. Stay tuned.