Making Zen - Weaving remnants with intention

 I love participating in the Making Zen creative workshops twice a year - there are 25-30 workshops over the week  & I make notes of the new techniques I want to return to. The online workshops are for 24 hours only unless you purchase the VIP pass.  This year again, there is an ethos of using what you have rather than buying additional supplies & I am embracing this to whittle down my stash. 

Sometimes I am not sure if the workshop is 'me' but I watch as many each day as I can because knowledge is power, & I have often returned to my notes months later when I thought a technique would be useful for a completely different project. 

Lisa's Weaving Remnants with Intention was one such one - first painting a background on a thick card, marking out the weaving holes then using remnants / scraps to make a woven piece. 

I had some card that I painted but then thought it was a bit flimsy / wrinkly so I merely glued a second sheet behind it to strengthen it & give it substance.  Then it was time to mark up the painted card with pencil for the weaving threads - 11 holes marked top & bottom, lining up perfectly. I used my sewing awl to make the holes neatly. These were then threaded with a pearl cotton thread to make the warp threads of the card loom. 

I had some fabrics at hand from the other Zen project I was working on so these were cut  or torn in to strips, along with some wool to be woven on the 'loom' to form the weft threads. 

It was very relaxing to do something different & the little loom took no time to fill with interesting threads & fabrics. 

Lisa encouraged us to put in a quote or something & I decided mine was simply 

                               JUST DO IT 

I am guilty of procrastination & spending too much time planning so just going for something new is liberating.  Make something rather than just think about it too much, go with intuition. 

A great workshop that I had not blogged before, so I hope it inspires you to try something new. 

Thank you for stopping by, you are always very welcome to share my content 

Dee 🧵🎨🖌️👩‍🎨

#1 A circular stitching project …

 I know, I know - this is the second project I have on the go, alongside my 100 day one which is making progress & I will post an update soon. 

I am eternally grateful to artists & talented people who share their skills online & then encourage us to push our comfort zones. 

I saw this group mentioned in a sewing group I already follow on Facebook & was immediately inspired to join just before it closed to new members so that everyone would be at the same project stage - phew. 

The brief is eleven 6x6 inch squares that will have a different brief each month related to circles & the seasons. 

The first task, a snow blanket,  needed a 4 inch circle to be woven with fabric strips, then embroidered with a snowflake. The colours were restricted to white or creams. I find that restricted colours takes out the colour choice, leaving more time for creativity.  I cut or tore some fabric strips for the first part.

The fabric strips for weaving were placed on fabric stiffener, then they were ironed on to fuse them into a cloth shape. 

Once the 4 inch circle is cut, the circle is attached to the backing fabric - I machined it as I was late to start this section & I thought hand stitching the circle on would take too much time. 

The template for the circle was easy to do to make 6 lines, then embroidered in creamy white thread before being whipped with a slightly darker colour. 

I think the pearl bead finishes the top off nicely. Some French knots & seed stitches finished off the outer space. It still needs to be backed & a stiffener sheet put between the two layers. 

I admit to being rather inspired by this very manageable project & the project for February popped up - I can’t wait to start on that, it is a good one. 

Do stop by for an update & your comments are always appreciated 

Dee 🪡🧵📍