I just bought the Bernina Cutwork tool.  The software is installed now I just need to learn how to use it.   I was wondering if I can use the Kaleidoscope Kreator designs I posted last time.   I think it might just work.   How wonderful would that be.

I have also started a new class, me as student.  I am learning bobbin lace.  I have made a couple of bookmarks and am now embarking on a lace flower.   Photographs will follow shortly. 

I have also just finished a lovely machine lace christmas design.  Reindeer and carriage.  It is lovely.   Photograph will follow soon of this as well.   I have been busy but not posting to the blog of late.   Not enough hours in the day.    

Off now to teach class.

Some news from the studio

I'm doing fine.
Just a little bit immersed in all this... :-)

Now that I know my hiragana, everything seems much easier. No kidding!

In other news, I got myself this beautiful and very early Christmas present...

It's a Louet loom, a David. It's a new one and it arrived dismantled in a big box. But I must say it was quite straightforward to assemble, and in just a few hours, it was operational.
I first warped it with these colourful cotton yarns.

Here are the threaded heddles. I used only 4 shafts.

And here's my first sample.

I tried plain weave and some twill patterns to see how the tie-up and treadling are working.
I am really pleased with how easy to use this loom is, even for a neophyte like me. I've now ordered some thinner wool yarns and while waiting for them to arrive, I'm weaving a simple scarf with leftover sock yarn. Not the best choice I know, but it's all I had at hand.

On the quilting front, I'm working at getting a few pieces ready for an local exhibition, mainly adding labels and hanging sleeves.

またね。  See you.

Shibori to ori

This was not an easy theme. "Maverick" didn't speak a lot to me! I decided to forget "maverick" for a while and to think "different" instead. Much easier!
Some time ago, I started to teach myself to weave. It's always been a kid's dream for me. And now my new quest has become to somehow incorporate weaving into my art and to do something DIFFERENT from what I've been doing for the last few years. I really don't know yet where this will lead to, but in the meantime, I thought I would simply add a little woven piece to my quilt.
My Maverick quilt had to follow my self-imposed Japanese theme and fit in with the first three quilts of the 20x12 series. I thus used a shibori piece of fabric I had dyed when I was working on my "Mythology" quilt. This dyed piece in itself is a bit of a Maverick as it came out really different from my other shibori pieces, with very definite marks, strong contrast and lots of personality.
The small weawing was done with a paper yarn purchased in Kyoto last spring. At first, I only attached it to the quilt with some hand stitches, but it kept moving as it is rather loosely woven.

Thus, I added some machine stitching using the same variegated thread as for the quilting of the solid blue part of the quilt.

I also used this thread to quilt one square of the shibori fabric, to add a little layer of Maverick to my piece...

Two other squares are quilted in dark blue. I might quilt the rest of the shibori piece in the same way (i.e. blue), but I'm not sure yet it really needs it.

The title means "Shibori and weaving". Thank you to my dear Japanese friend for suggesting it.

Don't forget to visit the Twelve by Twelve blog to see the other Maverick quilts.