Birthday Collages

I like to do a collage every birthday as well as the Maori drawing ritual. I did both of these on my birthday last week. I had a fine time making them. This top collage I really like.The bottom one, I am still not sure about. I will live with it and see how it does or doesn’t grow on me.

More & New Stuff

Heat is intense, I feel like a slug. I have done a little, very little, work and my mind is melted, so I might slip off topic a bit

Wish I was swimming with this Golden Dolphin now, but I am not. Sitting inland in AC instead. She (the dolphin) is a magnet about 8in. x 14 in., just the right size for friendly reminders to surf when it’s rough water, find food with friends, careful in the shallows and most important play with friends whenever I can.I

If I’m in a hurry swim straight but if not meander and smell the seaweed.

Hats and top are pretty much the ‘stuff’ (remember “stuff by brooks”) of the moment.The dark mauve jacket is embellished with related flowers and leaves – simple, strong images. Sorry it sold, because as soon as it got cooler I would wear it. I will make another. The Black Jacket has an odd and fun mix of embellishments, including a graphic image for a pocket (I think every jacket or pants should have pockets), white 3-D edging, several black fish on white and 2 shiny white circles. 

These amazing flowers are blooming right outside our door now – great colors, no Photoshop.

This hat is funny because I actually spray painted it inside and out, it was an ugly red that I couldn’t make look decent. Around the crown is purple silk leopard design and a large purple flower. It is a “Sunday Going to Meeting” hat. Want it ?

Technorati Tags: dolphin,collage,upcycled and embellished hat and jackets,broccoli with broccoli worms,heat

I did say I might drift off topic, so look at the amazing colors of these broccoli worms(or whatever they are)in the broccoli and how the colors play off each other.So much for hot weather meanderings. I will be back soon.

Thanks for visiting, Brooks .

New Hats and a Top

 Life has certainly intruded on my "making stuff" and blogging time. Maybe I will catch up but I'm not counting on it. These are repurposed or upcycled hats and a top.

This hat has a very thick band I crocheted out of 4 different blue and aqua yarns and a purple, aqua heart. It is charmingly bent in odd causal ways.

This hat was spray painted purple with
a light green paint stenciled over in a lace pattern. It is a stiff form.The orange flower is for a focal point and for some juice.

This one  is fun and funny - a fringe and tail of the same style fringe and it is very light weight. Playful, especially when you shake your head.

The above hat is very airy and lightweight too. It has a bunch of flowers with writing on the petals.

This over-sized shirt is cool, loose and comfortable. Both front and back have a large African image and the one in front has beads at the bottom.

This repurosed hat feels elegant to me. I like the band that has great 'doodas' dangling and they bounce with movement. There is some fringe in the back - some going to edge of brim and some falling down the back of the crown. The brim is stiff.

This yellow hat is the same form as the aqua one at the top. It is simple with colorful crocheted bands. It also is bent in causal ways.

I have new hats and tops that I will get good photos of  over the weekend before I take them to Joyful Jewel Gallery. It is starting to get too hot to be outside so hopefully that will mean more studio time. 

Thanks for looking.

A Hat Is Better Than A TV

Below is from Voices and Visions at the Joyful Jewel Gallery in Pittsboro, NC. last Sunday. Unfortunately the pictures can't be bigger because they are low resolution.
Mariah Wheeler wrote the poem in response to a few of my hats.
Mariah Wheeler is wearing the hats while I read her words.

A Hat Is Better Than A TV

I am invited to Kazi Jane’s 2^nd birthday party, and
I’m in the pink along with:
Cotton Candy Kisses
Giggles, Games, and Balloons
Glow Worm Tea Cakes                                     
A Grandmother’s Love



The military calls me, and
I’m at the ready:
The medals have already been earned and attached
I can divert attention at the last minute
(the enemy is dazzled & confused)
Hiding in trees or in a meadow is possible
I am just too cute to shoot


The Queen is found to be an impostor, and
I visit Buckingham:
A Palace Guard (in a similar hat) recognizes me as Queen
A stately fascinator is ready for me to wear after my coronation,
and it has room for the crown jewels on the crown
I feel like Dudley Moore as Amadeus when riding in the parade

 
I decide to safari in Africa, and
my camouflage allows:
Closeness with elephants and giraffes
A gazelle’s invitation to dance
Frolicking in the dirt (which remains invisible on my head)
A bird to find a nesting site complete with fuzz for the nest

I’m in my own hat, and
standing out in the crowd, I:
Bring fun to strangers by eliciting their smiles
Know that blue matches my eyes and I feel pretty.
Am reminded of Christmas tinsel and break out in song
Have a bad hair day and still look good

I say “A Hat is Better Than a TV” because:
Imagination has a prop ready for action
It can go with me, in a useful way, when I’m outdoors
I can take it with me wherever I go
Because Dreams accumulate underneath a hat
and nothing happens underneath a TV

It was a fun day !!

New Yarn, Hat and Scarf

Some recently spun yarn. It has a little bit of everything included. I love the colors - early spring. When I took care of sheep I came to love the smell and feel of the lanolin. Next, I want to spin from unwashed, but debris free, wool with  lanolin still in the wool to see how it feels - my thought is it will feel luscious and can then be washed out after spinning. I had the orifice and hooks on my wheel enlarged so I can get almost any fiber through.         It is fabulous.

Since spring is almost here,
I have to stop making so many winter hats and make light weight and 'springy' hats. Here is one - hat from thrift shop and beads, purple and pink flowers and ribbon added by me. It is quite fun on. (All hats sell for $25). I like that each way you turn the hat on your head it becomes a different hat for a different mood.

It may be hard to tell what this is. It is a summery kind of ethereal sea foam scarf. It has shimmery green-blue ribbon with silver overtones and eyelash yarn the same colors going length wise, white lace goes across at intervals and then it is sewn in both directions on the machine. It is long and makes a generous shawl, scarf or overlay on a skirt. I was so excited when I learned how to do this - it is so easy. It is the stabilizer that makes it possible. You lay out your design on the stabilizer and then cover it with another piece of stabilizer in order to sew on the machine and have it keep its shape. Spray adhesive helps it not move around. I like the water soluble stabilizer because it all washes out so easily.  Instant gratification is highly valued in my world and this does it.

Next I want to make one of these scarves with sari ribbon (which I already posted that I love). Unfortunately the ribbon needs to be ironed to really show up, show off  and be bright and cheery.

I didn't blog for a while because I was getting a large bundle of photographs to the gallery - Joyful Jewel in Pittsboro, NC. They also have yarn, hats, re-purposed or upcycled jackets, shirts and vests.

I LOVE SARI RIBBON

                                          SARI RIBBON  -  YEA !!!!!!

I absolutely love sari ribbon. It is small strips of fabric from old saris that are randomly sewn together end to end. Some have metallic threads, some are kind of rough and some have an elegant feel. They come in solids and patterns and you can choose the general colors you want. Most of the colors are vivid. I get mine on Etsy but I'm sure there are other places to get it too. I find ironing it makes it a big difference in sewing with it. When I crochet with the ribbon I often don't bother to iron it out of laziness.

I sewed ironed ribbon around the edge of this upcycled beret.

Red, blue, maroon and black are sari ribbon that I've allowed to fray but have ironed before wrapping it onto necklace

green, red, purple and green are ironed sari ribbon 

The vest has sari ribbon sewn at the collar, shoulders and where pockets would be. Other embellishments have then been added to the ribbon. I think they work well together.

Small pin made from sari                               ribbon  both ironed and frayed

close up of blue

Piles of sari ribbon as it comes from India

The possibilities with these ribbons are fabulous. I will put up some of the crocheted ribbon necklaces later. What are some of the things you do with sari ribbon ????

More Ethnic Clothes from New York City

 More Clothes on fake people from the Museum of Natural History in New York City. What I like most in this one is the belt -  I didn't note the country, I felt lucky to get these pictures. The belt is multi-colored tassels in colors that are in the fabric and not at all in the fabric. It stands out and the different levels make it much more striking  and turn a pretty conservative dress into one with some pizazz.

I love the solid colors, stripes, brocades, textures, patterns and layering all in one outfit. I like the pants under a kind of skirt and patterns next to each that are unexpected. Lots of eye candy in this. I think it is both feminine and practical for horse back riding or anything else.

And, finally this long skirt and short jacket. I love the layers - short sleeved jacket with long sleeve brocade coming through to the wrist and the very textured vest showing through under the jacket. Some of the fabric is rich, shiny brocade, some simple probably reused flannel like material. The dyes are deep rich colors  and then in the middle is a bright pink sash with seemingly no relation to the rest of the outfit. On the top is a black blouse that reminds me of the black turtle necks I love to wear.
These inspire me to make more really outrageous clothes. In the hats and tops I make the more outrageous ones sell first.  

Next post will be more of what I'm making now.