The Sewing Tutorial Blog

This isn't really a conventional blog so to speak with frequent updates. But it is a wonderful list of tutorials related to sewing.

http://sewingtutorials.blogspot.com/

The list includes:

General sewing
Pattern alterations
Interfacing tips and tricks
Use of special sewing feet
Fabrics: how to use/determine/prepare
Using serger and coverstitch
Jackets
Pants / skirts
Blouses / tees
Lingerie
Embellishments
Buttonholes / loops / closures
Pocket constructions
Zippers
Techniques for bag making
Other sewing sites

Hand Eye Magazine - Take a Look!

Recently I learned about a new online magazine--Hand/Eye--that looked promising. Their mission statement begins:

"HAND/EYE is an independent, international publication which explores the nexus between design and development, culture and commerce, art and craft, and environment and ethics.

HAND/EYE’s goal is to engender intelligent debate among artisans, exporters, designers, artists, wholesalers and importers, retailers, and consumers so that all may make smart, ethical, and inspired decisions about their activities."

http://handeyemagazine.com/

Its free online and you can also sign up there for updates. You can also subscribe to the printed version if you wish.

There's a bit of everything here. Travelogues, great shopping sources. And interesting articles on everything from using organic cotton waste in India to create gorgeous clothing or dyeing indigo fabric in Mali. Check it out.

Sewing Day at Marcia's Studio

Marcia asked me to bring a few of the pieces which I recently purchased in Guatemala. This is a machine embroidered huipil and a beauty. From Santiago Atitlan.
This is a handwoven piece which is then embroidered. its woven in two parts and then sewn together.
A similar pieces but with fewer animals.

This huipil was hand embroidered. A dying art in this village.

A machine embroidered huipil but so vibrant that I couldn't resist.

The orange fabric is a light weight treadle woven piece. The one above was a very soft feeling hand woven piece with rayon embroidery. And to the right was a weaving with fringe ends which would make a good jacket back.

Suki was trying to amuse herself now that she is cooped in so much because of the weather.

Exploring bags is always fun.

And then there's the suitcase I keep my featherweight sewing machine in.

And finally later in the afternoon she gave up and took a nap in her "tunnel".


I spent the day trying to finish up the seminole border for the GVQC raffle quilt. It is almost finished.

And Marcia worked on a quilt she started in a workshop a few weeks ago.

As well as a couple of other ones in progress.

Textile Arts Resource Guide Blog - Check it Out!

Here is yet another fabulous blog:

Textile Arts Resource Guide

The purpose of this blog is to identify and provide access to a wide range of online resources that are informational, inspirational and/or thought provoking

http://creativityjourney.blogspot.com/

It is just a gold mine of information, such as tutorials on other blogs. I am only listing a few out of a huge list.

Needlepoint Lace Tutorial - This tutorial will show you how to create a small piece of needlepoint lace just using a needle and thread (mostly out of buttonhole stitches).


http://textiledreamer.wordpress.com/needlepoint-lace-tutorial/


Introduction to Extreme Needle Felting


http://www.quilterskeeplearning.com/Beths%20stuff/Introduction%20to%20Extreme%20Needle%20Felting-1.pdf


Faux Stone Effect on Fabric


http://www.quilterskeeplearning.com/Beths%20stuff/Stone%20Effect%20on%20Fabric.pdf


Photo Transfer with Hand and Brush Cleaner - Beth Wheeler


http://www.quilterskeeplearning.com/Beths%20stuff/Image%20Transfer%20Tutorial-1.pdf


Foiling Fabric with Bonding Powder


http://fibreinform.com/documents/bondingpowder.pdf

And there are a zillion other listings, such as artists in residence, shows to visit, quotations and on and on. Just a wonderful find. Check it out. You won't be sorry.

The Textile Blog ---Take a Look!

The Textile Blog

http://www.thetextileblog.blogspot.com

I discovered this blog a few days ago and it is very addictive. I could have spent the entire morning pouring through its older articles. It's like having a wonderful huge edition of Piecework Magazine on your computer. The current article is a review of the work by Gerrie Congdon as illustrated in the above piece.

The blog concentrates on the history of textiles, but does include contemporary work. Among the subjects covered are printed, woven and knitted textiles, as well as carpet, rug, tapestry, quilting, embroidery, lace and basketry design. It also includes a culturally diverse approach to the history of textile design across the globe.

Upcoming Articles

*Icelandic Embroidery.
*Tule River Basketry.
*Owen Jones and Persian Ornament.
*Archibald Knox and the Celtic Knot.
*Navajo Spinning and Weaving.
*Percyval Tudor-Hart and the First Sin.
*Irish Aran Knit.
*Textile Artist Pat Dolan.
*Siberian Embroidery.
*Revival of Honiton Lace.
*Chemehuevi Basketry.
*Owen Jones and Hindoo Ornament.

Movie Night in Wolcott

The movie theater in Wolcott has been going through a renovation during the last few weeks. It has finally re-opened and last weekend seemed like a good time to check it out.


The theater was built in 1927 and the last time it was renovated was 1939. The owner bought seats from a theater in New Orleans which was being converted to a dinner theater.
And installed a new screen. There are now 400 seats or so rather than the 500 or so before it was renovated.
Tickets are $4 and the snacks are inexpensive compared to the mall movie theater prices.
Last weekend's movie was 2012. Ok it wasn't a great movie but the special effects were fantastic. The theater is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:00 pm.

Panajachel Guatemala - The trip ends

All good things must come to an end. After five days of enjoying the warmth and sunshine it was time to go back to the cold north. This is the painting in my hotel room.

A block up the street is a really nice vegetarian restaurant. I like to stop in once in awhile for their lentil soup. Its really enough for a meal. I love the little contiment dish set they serve with it although I don't dare sample much of it. The two dishes on the right are quite spicy. The beautiful pottery is handmade in one of the local villages. It is sold in that town and now in several shops in Panajachel.
I am always amazed at the number of tuk tuks in any one town. A tuk-tuk is a small passenger vehicle that resembles a three-wheeled motorcycle with a metal or canvas frame. A bench seat in back holds passengers—sometimes more than you’d ever believe!

Tuk-tuks originated in India, and are most prevalent in Bangkok, Thailand and surrounding areas. They are now a popular mode of transportation in Guatemala.

Only just introduced in 2001 there are now way over 8000 of them all over the country in large and small villages. Antigua for example has over 200 of them. They are very convenient for me when I am carrying large loads as they only charge 5 quetzals a trip in Panajachel. (about 65 cents)

Back to Mayan Families and Olgas in Panajachel

Then it was time to go back to Mayan Families.

They were having a meeting with many of the parents of sponsored students. They explained the situation that they do not know if all the students will be sponsored for the coming year.
They also told them that, sadly, we do not have many donations for the Christmas/ Holiday Tamale Baskets and that they will not be able to give them to all the sponsored students.

They also talked to them about the construction in Tierra Linda. How everyone is working very hard to be able to bring a junior high school to the village. The lower level school is currently finished except for the roof and they are looking for funds to complete it.

Later we went back to Olgas's house. They needed a new set of filters for their Water Filtering System and that was something we could do right away.


Installing the new filters.




Olgas's number is #1049.

The stove the family cooks tamales on.
Tamale baskets are beginning to be distributed and this will continue over many more days. If you would like to contribute $35 for a basket go to:

http://mayanfamilies.org/donateonline

You can make it for the general fund for some worthy family or for Olga's family #1049

Trip to Santiago Atitlan- Across the Lake

I always enjoy taking a few hours to visit Santiago Atitlan across the lake from Panajachel. It means a very enjoyable boat trip and a chance to at least see some of my favorite huipils. The women in this village decorate them with glorious birds of every description. They also used to decorate the mens pants which were made of the same fabric and about the length of pedal pushers. I don't see so many men's decorations lately. Originally the birds were all hand embroidered. Now they are mostly sewn by machine but the work is absolutely phenomenal. Some years I am not even able to purchase any huipils that I like as they are getting more and more expensive.

Some of the women huipil sellers waiting for me to leave a booth. The town is becoming more and more commercial with new booths being built every year. In addition to the huipils people sell beautiful wood carvings, beaded jewelry and paintings. It was nice to see the women wearing their traditional headgear. This year I was lucky and able to purchase a few huipils
The dock.
Closeup of the headgear. This woman was on the cover of a book when she was a child. Now she is in her 20's with a son.
Two of the huipils which I purchased:


This beauty was embroidered by machine on the usual hand woven cotton huipil base.
The workmanship is fantastic considering that the women do this without digitalized patterns or anything.



The back is similar to the front.



$ 109 plus $8.95 postage

The second huipil is also made on handwoven cloth but this one is hand embroidered. The white line on the front is my label not a flaw.

Hand embroidered pieces are becoming a rarity as so many women switch to machines.

The back is essentially the same as the front.

$ 59.00 plus $8.95 postage.

SOLD

Market Day in Chichicastenango

Thursday was market day in Chichicastenango. I opted not staying there all night this trip as I didn't need any more huipils. My first stop, as usual, was to the Hotel Santo Tomas for pancakes. Luckily the parrots were out this trip.

The hotel is always beautifully decorated.





A marimba band plays on the balcony at lunch time.


After breakfast and enjoying the parrots it was off to the market

One of the things which is striking to me is the use of the color red.

I keep meaning to buy one of these crocheted baskets.

There is a shaman at work on the top of the church steps.


Chichi is famous for the beautiful needlepoint type huipils on usually a black background.

A drunken man in really terrible shape in front of the ice cream store. No, I didn't have a banana split.
Some interesting long embroideries.

The shuttles to Panajachel and Antigua meet their passengers in front of the Hotel Santo Tomas. As the appointed time arrives vendors congregate here looking for last minute sales.