circles
day 35 – just going around in circles
while searching through the scrappy basket I came across a collection of previously cut fabric circles – buttons are circles too
now what to do with a variety of 40 more circles? – I think they were originally meant to be fabric buttons
an interesting night at the Victoria Handweaver’s and Spinner’s Guild meeting
a senior member donated two pieces from her collection – one of them was a genuine work of Theo Moorman’s, purchased in England many years ago
some lucky member got to take it home – for free!
I have the book Weaving as an Art Form – A Personal Statement – a wonderful introduction to the technique Theo Moorman invented
and another member brought a significant pile of rope – all handspun from fleece, brought from Scotland
I spent years on sailboats, handling rope – wet, cold and hard on the hands
imagine the work, the hours that went into the making – wool rope!!!
the spinner’s husband made a machine to twist the lengths of handspun yarn into a very firm rope
I was given a length (which I’ll return) to take home to show my sail maker son – he was suitably impressed
and then – what was grandson making with the cochineal, shibori dyed felt?
gifts – they are going to friends in Europe
I knit the scarves – Iain did all the rest – joining the back and front pieces with very careful buttonhole stitch
he did wonderful work – grandmother is delighted!
when he couldn’t find the buttons he wanted for eyes he ordered them on-line and had them mailed from England
a gift from Canada
and the Happy Gang were delighted with their visit
when my grands were young I made them similar bears, Iain still has his
a beary successful project
Scrap Happy February 2026
Happy Valentines Day
and today is day 30 of my 15 minute a day challenge
of course I was inspired to stitch hearts
but – you might notice one heart is broken — this week the province of British Columbia experienced a shocking school shooting with 6 children, 2 adults and the shooter dead
we will remember them
the scroll is rolling along – I am finding the design process is different and challenging
you can’t just start a new page at the end of five days
the back is messy with long threads and will need protecting
so I am preparing to stitch a backing with silk scraps, stitching it in the evenings and not counting it as part of the challenge
measuring and cutting
join other Scrap Happy folks tomorrow – we post on the 15th of each month
here is Kate’s list of scrappy people
Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan,
Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera,
Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Viv, Karrin, Alissa, Tierney,
Hannah and Maggie
they might not post every month but their posts are always interesting – enjoy
a manifesto
the act of creating is essential – for peace of mind and heart, for health and happiness
inspiration – is sometimes elusive
what inspires you to create?
is it the technique, the materials, the tools, perhaps colour
– or simply a need to DO something
it might be the work and words of a gifted artist – https://sarahcswett.substack.com
I wove a different backstrap piece, with handspun wool, every month in 2019
with help from Sarah’s booklet
and then stitched the 12 pieces together and made a favorite blanket
that was before Covid and before Trump
the world has changed
I haven’t found my rhythm yet this year
searching through my significant collection of books – nothing is calling – lost in space!
Spring is bursting forth and hopefully a creative idea will come with the blossoms
as for a manifesto …
Look – Listen – Question (everything)
mischief
25 days and still stitching
starting with the corner of a handkerchief – once upon a time every lady had one in her pocket
then a scrap of my Mother’s embroidery, from the hem of a well used pillowcase
and scraps from the felt, dyed with grandson
it was interesting stitching over work done at least 60 years ago by my mother
some of the Happy Gang were complaining that they didn’t have a winter scarf
scraps of handspun knit up quickly
and bears pointed out that Abby and Bella liked their tiny teddies
Bella and Mousie – also known as Mo – like to read stories while tucked up in Bella’s chair
so instead of teddies we stitched a “mischief of mice” – don’t you love the collective word for a gathering of mice?
made from the hollyhock dyed felt using a free pattern from Ann Wood http://www.annwoodhandmade.com
Eeny, Meeny, Miny and Mo – now who are they going to cuddle up with?
maybe they need another chair – or two!
a different grey
dark purple hollyhock flowers- collected last summer and kept in the freezer
160 grams of frozen flowers and 60 grams of wool – felt and handspun
alum mordant
I’ve taken a dozen pictures and this is the best colour – it is much greener, difficult to describe
every year it gives a slightly different shade, they are lovely to grow along the back fence
as the days get longer and brighter – here is day 20
and my little, old car
oh no! I forgot to stitch door handles, it will only take a minute
blue sky
it’s February — the rain stopped, a break in the clouds and the sun shone brightly
Ebisu – one of the seven lucky Gods of Japan – God of prosperity. commerce and fishing (and sunshine?)
and in the Celtic calendar it is Imbolc – a time of beginnings
a robin flew in to say hello
hopefully Spring is on the way
fiber-y things
a skein of the mohair, spun last summer, went into the cochineal exhaust dye bath
pale pink similar to the dyed felt shibori
what is surprising is the cotton thread, used to tie the shibori, is much darker – generally cotton dyes much lighter than wool
all the natural dyes look so good together
Abby and Bella wanted to use the felt scraps
we stitched and stuffed two very tiny teddies for the girls and added felt hearts
meanwhile, day number 15 is finished
and the wedge weave tapestry is progressing
a wool sun on a wet, grey January day
happily, I’m getting better at tapestry weaving circles
5 more days and a new project
the scroll is slowly inching along
in the neighbourhood – day 15
I’m trying a line of chain stitch to separate each five day group (may take it out) – and have added a new background fabric
while looking for ideas I’m rereading The Great Tapestry of Scotland
I saw the exhibition four times when it was in Victoria in 2016 – I couldn’t absorb it all in one viewing – absolutely marvelous
meanwhile, grandson Iain is working on a project – he is very enthusiastic and learning some new skills
we have started by shibori dyeing felt squares with cochineal
the felt was tied tightly on PVC plumbing pipe, twisted and pushed tightly together
then simmered in the dye pot for an hour and left overnight
I got to remove it from the pipe in the morning – Iain works
and here it is
two very different pieces depending on which one of us did the tying – (mine on the left, Iain’s right)
an extra bonus is the heavy cotton thread – pretty pink
I haven’t done any “making” with a grandchild for several years and we are both having fun – more to come
getting started
the first five days are finished
rather than cutting pages to get started I need a piece 3.75″ (9.5cm.) wide to fit the spool
for the background fabric I’m using old napkins, first used for dyeing experiments
they have a finished edge which will be positioned along the bottom of the long scroll – and the colours will change
as the work progresses the size (length) of each five day piece may be different
I’m trying to decide if I will mark that length in some way?
will I be able to keep this going for another 95 days?
more questions than answers – onward!
the challenge – 2026
a new year, a new beginning
did I start the 100 day book?
not exactly…
no – I had “a bee in my bonnet” – can you see the bee?
(from the little book Clotheslines – the language of clothing and textiles)
I decided to stitch the 100 day challenge in the form of a scroll, using, as inspiration, a similar scroll stitched in May – September 2022
you never know what bits and pieces are just waiting in boxes, bags, drawers and hiding places
and I found a lovely old wooden spool to wind it around – that will determine the width
and now day 1 and 2 – 15 minutes a day
– 98 days to go
www.onesmallstitch.Wordpress.com u 