Upcycling snow dyed wool and silk scarf kantha style!

Fibre art / By

Moths! These fuzzy winged insects feasted on this beautiful snow dyed wool scarf, leaving it unfit to be worn. I loved the pattern and colour of this scarf and did not just want to throw it out.

Kantha style shibori dyed scarf in fuchsia pink and white in progress by doris lovadina-lee toronto quilter
running stitches on a white with pink designed wool scarf by Doris Lavadina lee textile artist and dyer

This is another long-term project that I have on the go. I am using a variety of threads on this scarf, alternating in between perle cotton, embroidery floss, and regular sewing thread. I am looking for similarity in colour but different thicknesses to add texture and interest.

pink running stitches in circular pattern on silk scarf
folded scarf with running kantha stitches in pink thread by doris lee canadian textile dyer

Kantha was originally a very humble embroidery craft. Running stitches kept layers of old saris together to create blankets for the cold winters in Bangladesh. I hope my scarf recognizes the beauty of recycling and stitching too.

Stitch Meditation – 8th Month Review

Inspiration / By

Blueprint formerly Craftsy has announced the platform is closing. This is sad news for so many people. It offered such a wide range of classes from some very skilled craftspeople. Maybe, some of you like me may have purchased classes and not actually worked your way through them. The time for this is now!

6 hand stitched squares for the 8th month of the 100 day stitch meditation

I just looked at my old emails and the original purchase date of my first Craftsy class was 2013! I believe that I first learned about them when I attended QuiltCon. They had a booth in the vendor’s market and were very active in promoting themselves.

I am embarrassed to say that I have 2 classes from Craftsy. I completely forgot about the first one purchased: The Art of Cloth Dyeing with Jane Dunnewold. I have never logged into this one!! Absolutely one I am interested in viewing and applying to my work.

What will you be doing this weekend?

Looking back at the eighth month:

Learning online – one stitch at a time!

Stitch Meditation – Day 55 and 56

Inspiration / By
Indigo dyed cotton metallic snow dyed linen five inch square
Indigo cotton, snow dyed linen, perle cotton

Placing, then removing, trying a new piece, adjusting. Placing it down, stepping back, repinning. Finally leaving it be and moving on to the next step: thread. Spilling out all the choices. Sifting through, picking out the finalists. Looking at the individual threads – only one or two this time? Simple decisions…

five inch square of pale turquoise green dyed cotton hand stitched with perle cotton embroidery thread
Hand-dyed cotton, perle cotton

Stitching – running, french knots, cross stitches seem to be my favourites. Something different next time?

Stitch Resources

Slowly making stitches – decisions – one stitch at a time!

Stitch Meditation – Day 51 and 52

Inspiration / By
Hand dyed cotton, perle cotton

Two stitch meditation squares featuring shades of green and turquoise. I see warm Caribbean waters, palm trees and miles of sandy beaches! Wishing I could escape the cold, dark days.

Coarse white linen, hand dyed pink, green, indigo shibori linen

The current situation in the world has made relaxing and stitching thoughtfully even more important. But, also more difficult. Your mind has difficulty focusing. I find that focusing by listening to a podcast can help. Two of the podcasts I’ve been listening to deal with art, artists and the business of creating and selling art. They are conversations between friends and interviews with other creatives. What are you listening to?

Stitch Resources

  • Podcast: Laura Horn Art Podcast – Helping artist to build their skills, confidence and creative style.
  • Podcast: Art Juice – The podcast for artists, aspiring creatives and art lovers

Listening for focus – One stitch at a time!

SAQA pop-up: online!

vending / By

I posted earlier that I was preparing for the SAQA pop-up and registration for MoSAiQA. That has now become a virtual conference and so has the pop-up! I will be posting newly washed snow dyed scarves and fabrics on Instagram. Everything is available for purchase.


* SOLD* DUSK. 100% Cotton scarf snow dyed. 18×90″; 45x230cm
Coral. 100% Wool scarf snow dyed. 26×72″; 66x182cm $120.00CAD
Désirée. Wool/Silk snow dyed. 33×72″; 84x182cm $150.00 CAD
Cerise III. 100% Linen snow dyed. 24×95″; 65x240cm $70.00 CAD

Scarves and fabrics are featured on my Instagram and Facebook feeds. Descriptions and prices are listed too. I will continue to post regularly here. Unless, of course, this social distancing continues longer. My long term goal is to post all my handmade items on my online shop. Currently listed are linen/rayon crinkle scarves from late 2019.

Sign up for my newsletter where I’ll keep you posted on my studio news. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy viewing these. They make me happy!

Doris

Stitch Meditation – Day 49 and 50

Inspiration / By

Two stitch meditation squares featuring shades of green and turquoise. I see warm Caribbean waters, palm trees and miles of sandy beaches! Wishing I could escape the cold, dark days.

Repurposed silk, hand dyed cotton, sari silk, silk ribbon, perle cotton
embroidered for the 100 day stitch meditation project repurposed silk, hand dyed cotton
Repurposed sari silk, cotton and silk batik, hand dyed cotton, cotton thread

Stitch Resources

  • Article: Wax, Melinda. Meditation on a Simple Stitch. (2013)

Creating with the light on – One stitch at a time!

Stitch Meditation – Day 47 and 48

Inspiration / By

Why does time move more quickly as you get older. I find myself running out of time to do the things I really enjoy. But, I am finding time to work on other (unnecessary) projects and daily housework more and more. So, I spend less time on the 100 Day Stitch Meditation Project than I had expected when I first started. It certainly hasn’t become a focus of my down time! Read about the 2 Argentinian artists who have made their entire life about hand embroidery and sharing everything in their lives together. The projects they hand embroider take years to complete!

pink and blue strips of fabric with a blue patch and flap hand stitched on top by doris lovaidna-lee toronto artist

The other article I read from Selvedge Magazine is about an exhibition of work: “of seven pioneering women who went against all established norms to create some of the richest, most diverse and international public collections of textiles in the UK today.” So many beautiful pieces of hand work!

ombre shades of blue strips with hand stitching and one small darker square of silk in top left corner made by doris lovadina-lee canadian textile artist

Stitch Resources

  • Blogpost: Hewitt, Bonnie Burstein. Argentinian Artists Stitch Their World Together at Lux. Encinitas Advocate. 27 Jan. 2020
  • Blogpost: Unbound Visionary Women. Selvedge Magazine. 25 Jan. 2020.

Simply creating – One stitch at a time!

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