Tag Archives: handmade

October 15, 2025 · 5:24 pm

I wove a coat

I have just finished sewing together this coat:

I wanted to make something special to wear to the opening of my solo show- The Oracle of Stillness: Weaving Coherence in the Chaos.

I’ve been weaving this fabric on many different looms for about 5 years!

I worked my chops off to finish the last length of it, and then agonized over what on earth I would make with it…. a vest? a tunic? a shirt? a smock? a tabard? ack….

Finally, I settled on a coat-ish, duster-ish, big shirt-ish sort of a thing and cut out slopers and spent a whole lot of hours basting it together, trying it on, pinning new seam lines, basting them, snip snip snip

over and over and over until I was happy with the shapes:

I played around with fitting the various pieces of fabric onto the slopers

And, then eeeeeeeeeeeek I cut out the shapes! Hmmm something horrible has happened to the colors in the photo below… sorry about that!

Then -the long slow process of hand and machine stitching all the fabric components together…

I don’t like the raw edges of hand woven fabric, so I cover them with bias tape:

and hand woven narrow bands:

Every seam is sewn at least 3 and often 4 times (and of course, I zig zag stitched all the raw edges before doing anything at all).

It’s a slow and pleasant process- very meditative and contemplative.

And, of course- it has pockets! Pockets are essential!

Here’s the back:

It’s a very simple construction of an easy going and comfortable coat/duster/big shirt that I plan on wearing for years.

But first… to the opening of my show on Friday night at Harcourt House Gallery in Edmonton.

Hmmmm…. what to wear under it? Probably basic black shirt and pants, but jeans are tempting, too….

I am pretty sure that I have enough of the fabric left to cobble together a vest, too…

just not this week!

Here’s the link to my show: Harcourt House announcement

Jim and I just got home from the final ‘tweeking’ of the show, and I am so happy! ❤

Steampunk Brooch with woven fabric and an upcycled juice can lid

I love weaving jewelry, and I love upcycling.

So, I have combined these loves by using upcycled elements in some really fun Steampunk inspired brooches that I have designed and made.

I weave the backgrounds for the brooches with the Schacht Zoom loom (the new version of the classic Weave It loom).

Then, using the lid and base from frozen orange juice cans, I build fab brooches.

I combine all kinds of things, like tatting, found objects, various embellishments that I make, as well as crocheted and woven wire.

Fun!

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Filed under eco crafts & green projects, jewelry, Loom & looms & small loom weaving, tutorial & how to, video tutorial, weaving & handwoven

Tagged as brooches, hand woven brooches, hand woven jewelry, handmade, handwoven brooch, jewelry tutorial, Schacht Zoom Loom, Steampunk jewelry

March 10, 2009 · 12:03 am

Spool knitting wire and making connections

spool-knitters-for-wire-4-peg-275 spool-knitters-for-wire-6-peg-275

Recently, a jewelry maker contacted me and asked me if I could make her some industrial strength spool knitters so she could spool knit wire for her jewelry making.

I went for a rummage through our stash and found a wonderful old piece of wood. It looked like it was an old handle off some kind of tool that had seen heavy and hard use. It was worn smooth but ripply and looked quite organic.

We inherited it from my husband’s Dad more than 10 years ago.

I cut some pieces off it and used them to make these 4 and 6 peg spool knitters.

Yipes! Is that wood hard! Drilling the holes and hammering the nails in was intense .

whew…. My tendons were screaming for mercy.
spool-knitters-for-wire-1-275

I love the way they feel…. the old wood is smooth and textured from having been worn by years of use- it’s quite alive!

The whole collaborative process is so inspiring to me. I just love it when someone says to me –

‘Can you think of a way of doing this or that….. ?’

Sometimes, I am not interested in making the new thing

(for instance, we just don’t want to make wooden potholder looms anymore….sorry)

But, lots of times, I am intrigued by the ‘Can you make a this or that’ question and end up in the workshop having a wonderful time!

This was definitely one of those times. I love working with wire, and do a lot with it. So, I am really glad that Vickey inspired me to make some super strong spool knitters for wire.

Just think. That old, old piece of wood out in the workshop would still be laying there, just waiting to come to life if Vickey hadn’t emailed me…..

This kind of thing makes me celebrate the joys of the internet.

Someone has a thought and sends a note to someone else a thousand miles away. Then, that person goes and finds a piece of the past and brings it to life in a new way. And that recycled, re-created, upcycled treasure goes off to the first person who creates all manner of magic with it.

Now, that’s creativity in action!

(image source: photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay. Copyright, not to be used without permission)

4 Comments

Filed under eco crafts & green projects, spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting

Tagged as crafts, eco crafts, green crafts, handmade, jewelry, recycling, recycling crafts, spool knitted cords, spool knitter, spool knitting, upcycling

February 12, 2009 · 10:05 pm

Tiny Spool Knitted Angel

spool-knitted-tiny-angel-plain-1000

When I am feeling sad and upset, I find it really helps if I make some Angel dolls.

This week has been a corker, with the death of our beloved old horse, among other challenges.

We have done a whole lot of soul searching, and have decided that we just can’t handle having horses anymore. So our dear little girl horse that we adopted a year and a half ago is going to go back to live with her momma and birth brother. She’s going to be well and truly loved and cared for.

This has been one of the hardest decisions we’ve had to make in a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng time, so believe me, I really have been needing to find comfort. (And yes, I certainly do pray, and meditate, so those are the source of great comfort, but making angels is also a HUGE comfort.)

So, in the interests of invoking Angel Energy for ourselves and for everyone else, too…

I have designed these sweet little, easy to make spool knitted angels.

I began with a design that I had developed a few years back and have re-fined and polished it. I am really happy with it now.

You can make the little angels very quickly and easily and can make them truly one of a kind by changing the yarn (handspun would be perfect)

and whether or not you add buttons for the face,

spool-tiny-angel-hair-1000

or add loops or other kinds of hair…..

I also like to stitch a pin to the back of the Angel, so I can pin it on my lapel, or scarf, or shawl, or bag, or hat….

I need to make a bunch more so I can send them and give them to friends and relations….

The more Angels there are, in every way, the better it is!

You can order the pdf for the pattern for the charming Tiny Spool Knitted Angel from:
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/48409301/pdf-pattern-for-tiny-spool-knitted-angel?ref=shop_home_active_3

Please note that the images on this blog are copyright protected

and are NOT to be copied without permission.

Thank you.

8 Comments

Filed under doll & dolls & dollmaking & doll making, gifts & easy to make gifts & presents, spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting

Tagged as crafts, doll, doll making, dollmaking, dolls, handmade, spool knitter, spool knitters, spool knitting, Yarn Crafts

February 5, 2009 · 6:45 pm

Hand made GREEN book Challenge

wooden-book-qs-4

On the Spool knitting group on yahoo, we’ve been talking about paper vs pdf patterns.

Several of the clever women there have said that they print out their pdf’s, slip them into plastic sleeves and pop them into a binder. The patterns never get lost that way.

WELL! That has inspired me!

wooden-book-qs-3

I LOVE making journals, notebooks, sketchbooks etc. that are one of a kind, eco friendly and oh so artsy.

So….. why not make your own book to store your pdf’s and loose patterns?

You could make 2 covers from cardboard or plywood or veneer or chipboard or somthing else, and then decorate them any way that you wanted to.

Then- spool knit, or tat or crochet or braid or kumihimo or use any other method of making a cord.

Use the cords to hold your pdf book together….

And, if you didn’t want to use plastic sleeves, you could punch holes in large envelopes, label them, and store your pdf’s and pattern bits and pieces in there….

And, Voial! your pdf’s, notes, sketches, clippings and patterns won’t ever get lost! Yay!

SO HERE’S THE CHALLENGE:

MAKE A BOOK

THAT IS PERFECT FOR STORING YOUR PDF AND OTHER LOOSE PATTERNS

THIS IS A GREEN CHALLENGE,

MAKE 2 COVERS FROM SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE RECYCLING, RECLAIMING OR UPCYCLING,

AND DECORATE THEM ANY WAY YOU WANT:

USE PHOTOS, PAINT, WEAVING, FLAT DOLLS, TATTING, CROCHET, STITCHERY, DRAWING, WHATEVER….

A N D !

THE BOOK HAS TO BE BOUND WITH HANDMADE CORDS

Take pics and post them to your blog

or wherever you post your pics