Books, Fabrics and All Things Good

The "Beading on Fabric" class I took last week was terrific. Two days of uninterrupted stitching with sewing friends and a first-class teacher.

Next month, the workshop is "Felted Wood Jacket with Seamless Piecing". We need a piece of wool fabric which has been wet-felted for the jacket itself, and pieces of contrasting felted pieces for the decorative technique we're learning. I had a large chunk of light gray wool that I got off the grab table at another sewing club. I washed it it hot water/cold rinse 5 times. It felted beautifully. For contrasting fabric, I went to the Salvation Army Thrift Store and picked up two wool blazers for $4 each--one black, one red. I ripped them apart, and felted them also. My jacket will be light gray with black and red contrasting adornment. Now, I have to order some Sulky 12-wt. decorative threads. What fun!

I bought Kenneth King's book, "Cool Couture". I have a LOT of sewing books, so I am particular what I buy now. This one does not disappoint.

Many of his techniques are different from the norm. His instructions are excellent, and he has a lot of ideas about embellishing. Those who are familiar with his work know his style is NOT boring! This is a good read, and I'm going through the book page by page.

I need long-sleeve knit tops for winter. Nothing cutting-edge, stylish or elaborate, but plain, scoop-neck, 3/4 length sleeve t-shirts to wear to the grocery and running errands. I found a black and a white solid cotton knit at Jo's that is adequate. I bought a couple of print knits from http://www.thefabricfairy.com/. I like cotton or cotton/lycra.

The crossword-puzzle print is a hoot! I couldn't resist! There's a black/red polka dot, a solid black and a solid white. I will cut these all at once, and line them up to sew.

There's socks on my knitting needles, the bead-work project on a board and a couple of holiday projects in the works. Last week, I had zero sewing time. This week looks more promising. Yay!