Avon Calling

I knew Avon has been a great company, for women for many years, because my Great-Grandmother was an Avon representative. I did not know that women were selling Avon before we could even vote.
Watch this video;
http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/mysteries-at-the-museum/video/avon-calling

Quilt Show at Sauder Village

Finally getting to posting about the quilt show that Joe and I attended  April 28, at  Founder's Hall, in Sauder Village,OH.  It was a great show if you get the chance I would highly recommend attending.  It is held yearly.  They had an appraiser available, demonstrations, workshops, and more.

 As an extra bonus there is a wallet emptying Quilt shop "Threads of Tradition" with over 3500 bolts of fabric including hand dyed fabrics, kits, help, advice and custom hand quilting. 

Also if you have never been Sauder Village is fun and interesting.

Christmas anyone?  I think I liked this one because, I don't think I would ever attempt making it.

Double Wedding Ring has always been my favorite.  This one is interesting because of the star at every intersection.  This one I might try but I remember how long mine took me to finish and it didn't have the star element.

 

This is a more traditional piecing and the piecing that I used with mine.  However the colors are stunning. and I love the dark green centers forming a square in the center of the quilt  with more dark green centers coming form the corners and meeting the square in the center.

Tumbling Blocks is the name I know this by, however this is a non-traditional color choice, it has a scrappy quilt feel to it.  I might try to do this one.  I like scrappy quilts as the hold to tradition of my grandmothers "use what you have" and "waste not, want not" People today should take that advise, as we have wasted much of our planet in my life time.

I liked this one because it reminded me of construction paper hearts I made in grade school. :-)

Lastly I thought this one was just plain cute. 

I have a lot more pictures but I can't post them all.  There was really fantastic talent represented here, painted, 3-d, picture pieced, embroidered, to many styles and techniques to list.

Consider putting this show on your bucket list.  Next years show is;

http://www.saudervillage.org/creativity/quilt_show.asp

 

Pam Arquette
My Etsy Shop

Twins

Hi Everyone,

Joe and I went to a Quilt Show at Sauder Village in April.  I had intended to post pics of the show, however my nephew's wife delivered twins, just a few days after we returned home.  So, the quilt show took second place to the set of sweaters I had been working onfor the twins.  Because they came six weeks early, I was not finished. 

The twins will be staying in the hospital for a while.  They were born April 29, at that time I only had one sweater completed, so I gave Erin (twins' mom) the one sweater with the promise that I would finish the other soon.  Because the babies were to be in June I made a six month size, I did not think they would need sweater in the summer.

This is the bonnet for the sweater (for Ava) that I gave Erin after the babies were born.

Here is the sweater set for Henry, I finished on May 8, however I was not able to get to the store to get the ribbon until this past Saturday.  I am going to send them off to them tomorrow.

This was a fairly easy pattern,  knit 3, purl 3 for four rows and then reverse purl 3, knit 3.  The structure makes me think of weaving which of course makes me happy.

Hopefully I will get pictures up of the quilt show soon.  It was a great show!

It has been a While

Adorn Thyself

Another

Sorry folks it has been a while since my last post.  I have been very busy.  I get really frustrated some times because I am so busy with what everyone else expects of me, there is little to no time for me to do the things I want to do.

Check them out

Any way I have been trying to get my loom threaded with a painted wrap.  I will put up pictures in a few days.  However I also needed to get something up on my Etsy store so be sure to check them out.  I will be getting more up each day, so check back often. I have a cute beach bag and more scarves.  Hope to get listed before
the Grand kids get here for the weekend.  :-)

Last One today

Wearing a Scarf #1

Hi Everyone,

Well, I wish I was younger, pretty, and thinner, but I am not.  I don't have the money or the time to hire a videographer or a model.  So for now you are stuck watching me show you how to do this tie.  It requires a long scarf, this one is 72" and 12" wide.  It is easy to tie and comfortable to wear.

Let me know if this works for you, if it does I will do it again.  :-)

Packing up Christmas

There is a huge build up to Christmas, then lots of people, food and presents.  Next is the equally maybe larger mess to clean up.  We have two Christmases, ours and my mother's.  She loves Christmas, always has.  It is her favorite time of the year and said once that if she ever got to the point she could not have Christmas, just dig a hole and put her in it.  So, of course with that statement we have two Christmas every year.

There is of course a week between Christmas to clean up the wrapping paper, dishes and left over food.  ( it always feels like it takes the whole week)  Then I usually invite the grand kids over for New Years Eve we have a party and they help me take down the tree.  That didn't happen this year, we had the party but did not take care of the tree.

 As I worked alone on taking down the tree, I thought about the ornaments.  Many of them are in honor of some event, First Christmas, Baby's first Christmas, my mother like to give Avon ornaments to the kids each year, or maybe a vacation we took, or an ornament from a friend.

Then there are the hand made ones.  The ones I made for my kids, the ones that the kids made in school, clubs, or scouts, my mother also made ornaments.  In recent years the guild I belong to has an ornament exchange, so I have several hand made ornaments from them.  Every time we set up the tree it is a trip down memory lane for all who help or even visit during the holiday season.  However, this year was particularly reflective.  Because I was alone in taking down the tree, I remembered how each one of the ornaments came to be on our tree and the people who contributed.  I felt truly blessed for all of these memories and the people who are apart of my life.  We may not have the prettiest tree but it is definitely full of love.

I am working on my web site and will have that up and running soon. My daughter and I are planning a fashion show for April 26.  Look for more information on both coming soon.  Well thank you for stopping by I hope that some of you will sign up to follow me.  I don't seem to be able to post on a specific day.  No matter what day I pick life seems to get in the way, but I do seem to get a post up almost every week.  Take care of yourself and enjoy life.

Pamela J Arquette

Holidays

Happy New Year,  Hope everyone had a great holiday season.  I am looking forward to the New Year with hopes that it will be a great one.  I did not quite get all the pj's finished (I was short one set) there were a lot of last minutes interruptions.  In spite of that everything else went well and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.  I finished up the pj's and gave them today.

Jeannie and I are planning a  Spring Fashion Show and Luncheon, April 26, a week before Mother's Day.   It will be near Cleary College in Howell, MI.  We are planning to have  models show off our  fashions, roaming around the tables as patrons eat a delicious salad lunch.  There will of course be plenty of time to shop and I am hoping to have a section for children to shop with gifts for mom under $25.00. 

That of course means a lot of work the next few months.  Of course I need to make product, but also set up a Facebook page for the event and update my web site.  Get some advertising organized and sell tickets for the lunch.

Jeannie (My daughter) posted a picture of her costume in action on Facebook.  I am re posting the picture here.  The actress was body painted by Andrea to coordinate with the costume.  I love it.  Great job by both artists!

Well off I go to work on my web site hopefully I will be posting a link to that next time.

Pam

Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Wow!  I just discovered that one of the scarves I wove for Randall Darwall is in the Smithsonian American Art museum.  It is not currently on display but it is there, Wow!

I met Randall at a convergence quite a few years ago.  I showed him my work and he asked me if I would be interested in weaving for him.  The way it worked was he dyed warps and then sent them out to various weavers we were free to create twill weave structures.  If I remember right the finished scarves were about 10" wide and 80" long including fringe.  I think the warp was long enough for ten scarves.

Here is a link
Smithsonian American Art Museum

Pam Arquette
My Etsy Shop

Costume for music video

Well if you celebrate and you are not ready for Christmas, it is about time to start panicking.  I still have 2 pairs of pj's to finish, eight sets of dish towels and dishcloths to finish, at least one more present to get, and grocery shopping to do.

My daughter has been working on a costume  for a music video called " I Wish to Know Your Dreams " for a butterfly sprite Written and Directed by Chris Ozminski. Filming starts this weekend! 

 

Jeannie and I are planning to have a Spring Fashion show. Can't wait to see what she comes up with for that. :-)

That's all for now folks, have a Great Christmas
Pam

Black Sheep Weavers Christmas Party

I know I am late again.  I picked Thursday because I thought that was the least likely day for the rest of my life to get in the way.  I guess that is not really true.  I would change the day but I  don't think that will help.

Yesterday, Thursday, I attended the BSW Christmas Party.  It was at Gisela's home and was well attended.  Lots of good food and excitement.  We had an ornament exchange.  I think it is the best way to handle a gift at parties.  The rules are, if you want to participate, bring a wrapped hand made ornament.  Then when it is your turn you pick a package and get an ornament.  The thing I like about it is if you don't want to there is no pressure.  If you do want to participate you get a unique new ornament that reminds you of the person who made/gave it.

This week I have been working on making PJs for the grand-kids for Christmas.  So, much still to do.

Pam

Self Portrait

We had a great Thanksgiving, lots of family and food.  During the next few days we put up the tree and spent time with the grand-kids.

Martina wanted to do a self-portrait, so I got out all may fabric paints and helped her figure out how to go about creating a portrait.  While Jeff is a great illustrator, in pencil and ink.  Martina and I are more skilled in fiber arts.  So, not feeling confident about drawing, we explored several ideas.  Finally settling on using a photograph.  Martina is a skill photographer.  So, she selected a photo, we ran it through Photoshop and changed it to black and white.  Then we taped the photo to my glass door and taped a piece of cotton over the photo.  Martina traced the photo on to the fabric and then used assorted paints, chalk, ink, etc. and created....

 I have also being doing the last things for the Black Sheep Weavers Guild Show.  Be sure to check it out.  There are a lot of  great artists participating, a great place to get a unique gift for Christmas or yourself.

Pam

   

Silk Scarves and Guild Show

Well here it is about 15 minutes to midnight on Friday.  So, I did not make my self-imposed deadline of posting on Thursday. this week I have been working on dying and painting silk scarves for my guild show on December 5 and 6 in Hartland for more information check out the, Black Sheep Web site.

Here are three of the scarves I was working on this week.

 I also threaded my loom it always feels so go to thread the loom.  My life can be so crazy and busy.  There are so many things that I have to deal with but have no control over.  That it feels good to have control over all those threads.  I can make them do my will.  It is comforting to have the steady rhythm of the shafts moving up and down and watching the pattern grow.  Hopefully I will find enough time to finish one or two before the sale.

The other thing I have been working no this week my daughter and I are trying to put together a Luncheon and Spring Fashion show.  We just signed a contract on an event hall in Howell.   Save the date for April 26 and join us for lots of fun the weekend before Mother's Day.

Have a Great Week
Pam

Busy Week

Finished reading Marion Powell's book, my initial excitement about shadow weave blocks quickly vanished when I realized what she called blocks also has incidentals.  However it is always good to have an extra tool in the tool box.  I can see where her method might work better in some instances and I think I might have a deeper understanding of Shadow Weave in general.

I finished the scarf I had on the loom, but still have to do the fringe.  I have been taking the loom apart to clean, oil and adjust.  I have also created a couple drafts, Shadow Weave of course. :-)    Hopefully by the time I sitting here next week I will have the loom threaded and started weaving.

I have also been  dying scarves and doing some knitting.  I went to the library and visited  the Pinckney Pearlers.  I think I will go back next week.  They seemed like a friendly group and I am trying to get some socks done for Christmas presents.  

I posted a few more items in my Etsy shop.  Etsy now has a sell in person app, I hope it works well not really sure, if it will.  I will be able to sell online on the road.  I just received the the device and it is like the square only exclusive to Etsy when someone purchases an item that is in my shop in person and I use the Etsy app the item in my online shop it is automatically removed from the shop or (amounts are adjusted if I have more than one) when I use the Etsy app to process their payment.  

Here is hoping that you have a happy and productive week ahead.

Pam

A little bit about Shadow Weave

When you have a pay check job, you have a schedule and everyone expects you to be working during those hours.  They don't ask for favors, and the phone doesn't ring constantly asking who you are going to vote for, or to buy something.  You just have a set amount of hours to work with out interruption.  Must be nice.  Well maybe not, but I do get frustrated trying to work.

This week I did get some dying done, but I did not get any pictures. My daughter got married, I did get pictures of that.  My grand-daughter  loved her costume makes everything worth while.

 
The  piece I have on the loom is almost done.  Mostly I have been trying to draft a shadow weave to put on the loom.  I have been reading Powell's 1000 Shadow weave patterns.  She designs shadow weave differently than Atwater.  Powell uses blocks.  Which might be easier than Van der Hoot's design two twills and combine to make a shadow weave draft.

For those who are not familiar  with Shadow weave, it is primarily a color and weave that creates the pattern.  The structure is close to a plain weave, except that it has a few, two and three thread floats. The pattern is created by alternating a dark thread with a light thread in both the warp and the weft.  You need at least four shafts to weave Shadow weave.

Powell's blocks for a four shaft loom are A-(1,2) B-(3,4) C-(2,1) and D-(4,3)  In her blocks, 1 & 3 are the primaries (Dark), and 2 & 4 and the Shadows (Light).

I did not finish my draft.  I am hoping that I do not have any interruptions tomorrow and can get some real work done.  I think I need a new keyboard.  This one is old and I am banging on the keys to get them to work and I have to keep going back to correct missing letters sometimes banging on the same key multiple times.  Any way I am tired and going to bed

Pam

Halloween Costume

Well good news first Mom is out of the hospital. 

The costume turned out to be a bigger project than anticipated.  First I did not have a chance to measure Angel, so I started the project based on old measurements from early this Spring.  I designed a size larger and began construction.  The first time I had a chance to work with Angel I discovered I should have made it two sizes bigger than the measurements.

 LESSON: it is easier to get the measurements first

So, I had to do some major altering.  I changed the seams from 5/8" to 1/4", I also add a small gusset in the the hips.  The rest of the project seemed to take longer than it should but I suppose it was partly due the other things going on in my life.  I did have trouble the first time I painted the cape the paint wash out.  The paint was suppose to work on Polyester, however it completely washed out.  I think the paint might have been old.  I bought it recently but it seemed thicker to me than usual.  I had to repaint the cape.  All in all I think it is a pretty sweet costume.

  

Thanks for looking

Pam

Very Sorry

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I did not post yesterday.  My Mother went in to emergency yesterday.  Still waiting to hear what is going to happen.  Will try to post this weekend.  If not I will on next Thursday.
Pam

Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

I am always thinking that as soon as I am done with what ever I am doing I will have time to do what I want.  However, that never seems to happen, this week was no exception.  Last week Joe and I were on vacation so we did vacation things not fiber things.  Then this week Joe had two vacations days left(Sunday and Monday).  I go to my mother's every Tuesday and help her clean house.  So, I was looking forward to having Wednesday through at least Saturday.  Four whole days to work on the many projects I have planned or in process.  Wednesday morning I had a few errands to run and then I would be free to work.  I was almost at my first errand, when Joe called and said he was in a car accident.  Some woman was texting and rear ended him.  She never hit the brakes at all.  Fortunately he drives a big Durango.  Her car ended under his, but he was not seriously hurt.  Thank God it was the Durango, because if she had hit my van she would have gone right through it.  If you are going to be hit the Durango is good protection.  Please "Don't Text and Drive".  Back to my point, the accident took up the rest of my day and most of today, taking Joe to the Doctor, getting the car taken care, etc.  So, now I am down to two days.

A friend of mine posted a picture on Face book that talked about a Mrs Clever approach to sewing.  It talked about being sure your house work was perfectly done and the you were perfectly groomed.  No matter how you feel about that, there was a line in there that I related too, "do these things first so you can enjoy your sewing"  While I am a long way from Mrs Clever, I am much more creative if I am not worried about other things going on in my life.

My next major project is to make a costume for my granddaughter. She likes princess style characters.  A couple years ago I make her an outfit like Princess Naussiccaa.

This year she wants to be a character from the Ever After High Dolls, series.  Cerise Hood, she is suppose to be Red Riding Hood's daughter.

Wish me luck, I did go to JoAnns and pick out some fabric. 






Even though I am most creative when I free of enviromental stress, I find ways to work on something even when there is no time.  This week I worked on a pair of socks

Well that is all I have for now, hopefully next week I will be able to post pictures of the costume and maybe socks :-)

Pam

Easy Keepers

Well I had a stressful week, so when I sat down to write, I had nothing. 

I was born in New York and my dad moved us to Michigan when I was about 8 years old.  I was married with children when we moved back to a family farm.  Growing up on the edge of the hippy movement, we wanted to be one with the land, homesteaders.  We raised sheep, partly because I wanted to spin and weave their wool.  I belonged to a group called Black Sheep (NY not Hartland MI) and in their newsletter was the following story.  It has been one of my favorites ever since.

Easy Keepers

Once upon a time there was a man, Call him the Good Herder, who thought of raising sheep.  Knowing nothing of such things, Herder journeyed the countryside, interviewing every sheep that crossed his path, asking each about the difficulties of keeping a few of their number.  All told Herder the same thing: “Sheep don’t need much; a bite of grass, a sip of water and a pinch of salt –that’s all we really need, really”.  Convinced by repetition, Herder decided to go ahead, and he did, buying 50 ewes and a ram.  Upon arriving at the farm with his new flock, he took them straight away to the pasture to show them where they would be living.  “It isn’t much, he apologized, “just a field with a fence around it, but the grass is good and there is plenty of water, and first thing in the morning I’m going into town to get some salt blocks”.  The sheep inspected the field, tasted the brook water and nodded approval; “This is all we need; we will be happy here, don’t worry”.  As for Herder’s lack of a barn, the sheep said “don’t be silly, we don’t need one, this is perfect for us out here”.

For the first months all went well.  The ram bred the ewes, the ewes ate the lush grass and the days shortened in to winter.  One day Herder noticed that there was not much grass left in the field and he went to talk with the sheep about it.  “Yes”, they agreed, “there isn’t as much grass as before, but don’t worry, we don’t need much.  Besides, we can always feed on those bushes”.  Herder would have none of that and forthwith bought hay for his flock.  The sheep were grateful, ate heartily, and quickly grew back the fat they had lost.

Soon Herder was beset with another problem and after considering how to bring it up tactfully, said “ I’m sorry to complain, but you sheep could save a lot of hay if you did not walk all over it”  The sheep not a bit offended, answered calmly “that is the way Mother nature has made us.  She taught us to always look for the very best bits of hay, and the means we have to walk around on it to find them”.  Herder understood, and then asked if the sheep had any ideas on how to avoid the waste, saying that he just could not afford it.  “Our last owner put his hay in feeders” replied the sheep, “that way we could not get at it to walk on”.  So Herder built some feeders and everyone was again pleased, sheep included.

Other sheep habits bothered Herder too.  One winter’s day he brought up their habit of crowding so close together; “when I want just a few of you to walk through the gate, all of you come rushing at once”.  “We know” said the sheep, “we are like that.  Mother Nature taught us to stick together so we do”.  Herder, never quick to tamper with nature, asked the sheep how he might manage to get them to do his will, and as usual, the sheep cooperated.  “You could build something called a ‘sorting chute’ and we could even teach you how” offered one old and wise ewe.  And they did, and he did, and once again peace settled upon the farm as winter deepened and ewes grew heavy with kids.

Lambing season began to the joy of all.  Herder herded harder now, hauling hay by day and moving about pasture by night, helping the ewes to lamb, bringing fresh water and clean hay to the new mothers.  It was exciting work, but he also got very tired, retracing his steps over the pasture many times each night, coming to the aid of yet another lambing ewe.  One morning Herder mentioned this to his flock; “Could you possibly come over by the gate when you feel you are ready to lamb?”  The sheep recognized Herder’s problem right away, and answered “but we are timid animals.  Mother Nature has taught us to lamb just as far from any disturbance as we can get, so that is what we do – we find a quiet corner way away from everyone else.  We cannot help it”.  Herder had no reply.

A couple of nights later, tragedy struck.  Two lambs froze to death in a far corner of the pasture, before the exhausted Herder to get to them, and that same night a lamb was carried off by the wolves that had begun to prowl the fence line.  Herder was in a frenzy but the sheep just shrugged: “we cannot fight wolves, we are just sheep”.  Unsatisfied, Herder asked for suggestions, and as usual, the sheep politely replied: “Our last owner had a barn he liked us to lamb in, It was always safe there and he never seemed to get so cranky during lambing” Herder was taken aback at the prospect of building a barn and he fumed.

“So now you need a barn, do you?”  The senior ewe between mouthfuls of hay, almost disinterestedly replied; “not at all, we don’t need a barn.  After all Mother Nature on expects us to lamb once or so in a lifetime and we can do that standing on our heads”.  Herder, scratching his own head awhile reached a decision and made a telling observation, all in one sentence; “I will build a barn then, for it seems that I expect a lot more of you than does your Mother Nature”.

The sheep knowing so much more about raising sheep than the Herder, designed the barn for him, or rather told him how to draw the plans, for they could not write, or at least they had never tried.  As the plan formed, Herder sensed that there was something wrong here, the drawings didn’t seem right to him, and he said so one day.  The ewes were busy tending their lambs and paid little attention as Herder went into details of the barn plan.  But he pressed on anyway; “these plans call for the barn to be only 4 feet high—that just won’t work because I am over 6 feet tall”.  The sheep yawned sleepily and answered “then build it higher.  We need only 4 feet, if you need more, help yourself.  But Herder wasn’t finished yet; and these doors, they are only 18 inches wide.  I can barely squeeze through and I could never get the hay inside”.  As you would by now expect, the sheep replied that 18 inches was all they needed and that if Herder needed more , he should build whatever he liked 18 inches or 18 feet wide.  “Eighteen feet?  Now there is an idea” said Herder, “that wide I could drive a tractor through it, if I had a tractor, to bring you the hay”.  Sheep, having little or no interest in machinery, paid him no mind; many of the ewes were asleep.

Herder became exasperated; “you sheep don’t seem to care a bit what I am doing for you; all you care about is a bite of grass, a sip of water and a pinch of salt.  At this, several sheep turned slowly to Herder and repeated what Herder now knew by heart; “As we told you when you bought us, we sheep don’t need much”.

Herder did not surrender.  He built his barn, a huge one with double doors, and he bought a tractor.  His flock grew and grew, becoming the pride of the county.  The sheep and Herder had no cause for worry now – he had built them all the chutes and feeders and barns and loaders that were required.  As he showed off the place to visiting neighbor, Herder explained how he had come to peace with shepherding; “Sheep don’t need much, it is true.  Most of this is for me.

The original story was in Sheep Canada Magazine and found by Bruce Clement and reprinted in the May 1980 issue of the New England Farmer.  

Hope you enjoyed the story as much as I do, have a great week

Pam