Sewing Hexis Together

Slowly, but surely I think this blanket will grow.

 Last picture of progress

Progress as of right now.  I started working vertically because I want all the "special" hexis - the ones with embroidery - to be in the middle of the blanket.  I will keep adding vertically until it measures approximate 4 1/2 feet, then I will fill in and add another vertical line of hexis on the other side.  Then the plan is to keep adding to the ends until it measures about 6 feet in length.  Then it will be long enough to cover both my husband and I from neck to toes.  It is slow going sewing these together with the mattress stitch, but I really like the result.

Sharing at:  Tami's, Sara's,  Kristine's, and Ginny's.  Take a look for some other fabulous fiber crafts!

Hexis and Homemade Candles with Kids

5 puffs this week.  I used the Candy Skein yarn that I purchased last week and love it!!  It's soft and doesn't split and those stripes are the best!

 Sometimes the kids come up with such fun things to do.  One of my kids had made candles on a field trip last year and wanted to make some again at home.

 We started by melting the just plain old white wax and added wax dye.  Blue was the color of the day.

 It was very hard to cut that wax in smaller pieces.  It took my big knife and that meat tenderizer (I used it like a hammer on the handle of the knife) to break off pieces.

 Cut strings for the wicks - they are too long, but the kids didn't seem to mind!

 Then we set up an assembly of sorts - several stops with a can of melted wax and a can of water.

 The kids then walked around the table stopping at each station to dip their wick first in wax and then in the water.  The had so much fun talking and walking!!

 Some of them made big ones and formed them into shapes...

 others just let the wax do whatever it wanted.

 The 7 year old meticulously made different forms.

 The 10 year old trying to get a skinny one to stand up.

 Still trying.  It never did stand up, but she didn't mind.

The candles of our labors :o)  Not perfect, but perfectly fun!  They want to make more as soon as we use these up.

I love these times with the kids where we can just stop all the crazy business and take a breath.  Do something fun together that they have initiated.  These are the times, I hope, that they will look back on and think how fun it was to grow up in our home with all their siblings.

Sharing at:  Carole's, Nicole's, and 5 Minutes for Mom, and Mindful Mothering.

Placemats Finally Finished!!

I finally cut apart the place mats I had finished weaving awhile back.

 I'm not quite sure what took me so long except that I was afraid to cut the threads.

 I was afraid that everything would all unravel too quickly for me to get the hems sewn in.

 Well, I have been a big reader of the blog, Weave Away for quite a time now and she is making 2000 bookmarks for an order.

 She weaves for a bit and then cuts them off and sews them up.  She is amazing with all the patterns and color she can do with one warp.  I am so inspired!!

 Anyway, since reading and drooling, I decided that I could possibly cut apart my seven place mats and hem them without anything blowing up.

 And....it totally worked!!

 Each placemat, while being the same color, has a different pattern and I love them!

 Here you can see there is quite an oops with this one.  I'm not quite sure what happened, but there are definitely things out of place here.  We will still use it, I just wish I had payed enough attention to my weaving at the time to notice and then I might actually know what I did wrong.  Inevitably now I will repeat this error :o)

 Some of the place mats had different looks to each side.  This side is dark and...

 this side is lighter.  I kind of like the lighter side better.

 They all match, but are different which somehow appeals to me greatly.  I think we will use these for our family dinner on Sunday - my in-laws and my mom are coming over - we will see if they know I made them.

 All together :o)

 This is the sampler I made to get ready to make the place mats.

 I picked some of my favorite patterns and then got started.

 This one didn't show up on a place mat because at the time I didn't really like it, but now I think it looks pretty nice.

I was really taken with the bottom pattern and it was used for the first place mat that was woven, the others here really didn't grab me at all.  It's so funny how color, thread thickness, and treadling play such a big part in how everything is all pulled together.  Now I need to finish my kitchen towels and get my big loom up and running - I have so many ideas!!!

But for now, I am off for a run.  I joined the fleetly forum and took on a couple of challenges that I want to complete so off I go!

Sharing today at:  Tami's, Fiber Arts Friday, I've made Friday, and Creative Fridays.

Weaving Away

I finished another weaving class - it is called "Patterns".  We got to try out all kinds of different patterns and tie-ups.  I loved this class!!  I want to take more classes, but am having trouble finding the time right now as the craziness of school starting surrounds me.

 This is how long it is.  I would love to turn it into a wall hanging at some point.  I really like the colors and think it would look really nice hanging on the wall above my big loom.

 These are just some of the patterns - as you can see it's not perfect.  There are multiple errors, but with each error, I learned so much.

 Close ups of some of my favorite parts

 I started to learn how to twirl the ends into a really nice fringy type thing.

This end is sewn right by the end of the fabric where all the fringe hangs off.  I am planning to twirl all the rest of the fringe and then make a casing for a bar to hang it with on the other end.  Then it will be hung on the wall.  Well...off to make kid's lunches and figure out what the rest of the day will bring!

Sharing at Tami's, Ginny's, Sara's, and Ambassador Crochet

Tuesday Tallies and New Yarn!!

11 puffs this week!!  Back on a roll - it is crazy how addictive it is to knit these little things!!

 I also had the chance to sew a few more together, but haven't taken a photo yet.

 New yarn in my mailbox is ALWAYS a happy occasion.  And these mini skeins are just so cute!!

 The names are just as cute as the mini skeins:  Berry Slushie, Grape Taffy,

 Raspberry & Cream and Purple Marshmallow,

 Grape Fizz and Plum.  The pink puffs at the top are made out of this Grape Fizz.

 This yarn comes from Tami and is part of her Candy Skein shop.

OOPS!!  These other skeins just jumped right into the package with the mini skeins!!  They are so pretty and the picture does not do them justice!!  These yarns have already been made into cakes and are just waiting for me to knit some little puffs with them :o)

Sharing at Carole's and Nicole's.

Sewing Hexis Together

I can't believe I waited so long to sew these things together!!  It really is not that hard - these are only sewn on two sides, but as I add more above and  below, I'll catch in the sides that are left open.  This row of 18 only took about 30 minutes!  Ok.... talk to me in a bit when I have sewn 200 and still have more to go :o)

 This is the book I am reading right now.  Almost finished (boy am I a slow reader - not really, but I don't get much of a chance to spend time reading so it appears that I am slow!).  I love Robin Cook and our library just got this in a few weeks ago and I have taken a small break from the homesteading books.

I'm sharing with Tami, Ginny, Sara, and Nicole and Tuesdays Gone.

Finding Time for Me

Summer vacation is coming to a close - the kids all start school on Thursday.  This comes, as always, with a bunch of mixed feelings.  I am a little sad to have them going back, we have great times over the summer together.  I love hanging out with my kids and watching the siblings (and cousins!) reconnect.  The school year is so chaotic with each child going their own ways for school and activities.  I am also looking forward to more "me" time.  With everyone home for the summer, I have not had a chance for any breathing space.  My exercise routine went out the window as did the time to accomplish much of anything else.  I wouldn't want it to be any other way.

 I was able to keep knitting (a real sanity saver!)  These are hexis for the last two weeks.  Not so many of them this time!

 I also kept up with my garden.  This is just some of the bounty.

 Lettuce from the salad planter.

 I love the look and taste of those that look like little trees.

 I have tried to start a pineapple plant from the top of a pineapple - Only time will tell.....

 This is how the celery looks now that was started earlier this summer from the bottom of a bunch of celery from the grocery store.

 A new celery bottom waiting to be planted.  I love celery in salad!

These are plans for more crops to be planted in the next week or so.  This has been such a fun experiment this summer.

After the kids go back to school on Thursday, my plan is to do.......NOTHING.......this will be the first time that I don't have lists of things to get done.  Don't misunderstand, there are many, many things that need to be accomplished, but for Thursday and Friday I am giving myself a "free pass".  A little time to breathe and to hear myself think.

I am sharing for Tuesday Tallies and 5 Minutes for Mom today.