I'm Having Fun Again!

Those of you have been readers since my January Barbie adventure know that I had two goals for this challenge:  to use stash as much as possible and to have fun.  I have to say that three of the last five months have not been fun.  Interesting, challenging, therapeutic, but not necessarily fun.

Anyway, fun looks like it is making a comeback.  And this may be the first month where I use stash 100% - no outside purchases look like they'll be required.

I decided to use as many fiber and needlework techniques as possible in one piece.  I drafted some designs and thought that a patchwork pattern worked best.

Four years ago, I was playing around with freeform knitting.  I ended up with about 10 patches that I was going to make into a sweater or a coat or... I don't know?  It seemed like a good idea at the time.  Looking at the patches or scrumbles now, I think had I completed the project, I'd have looked like a rag doll who had some of the stuffing knocked out of her.  In any case, since a garment is not likely to arise from my freeform attempts, I picked the smallest patch to serve as the foundation for the June challenge.  It was made from stash and it was in my "projects to be done sometime before I die" stash.  A two-fer so to speak.  The patch is in the lower right hand corner of the photo.

I had drawn a pattern that I thought might work.  It called for knitting, crochet, crewel embroidery, needlepoint, embroidery with floss, and a paper element to be determined.  After rummaging through my various stashes, I found some Persian wool for needlepointing, some DMC floss for embroidery and some Aida cloth, needlepoint canvas, beads, paper, and ribbon - ALL in the same color palette!  Now don't jump to the conclusion that my brain is ordered to favor certain colors.  No, no, no.  I've just got an ungodly amount of stash.

Anyway, here's where the project stands:  I washed the needlepoint canvas (I haven't done needlepoint in about 40 years, and canvas was tan, but after washing gently with detergent it's now white again) and cut it to the page size for my fabric book.  After I get back to the capitol tonight, I'll baste the knitted scrumble to the canvas and block out the rest of the patches.  The needlepoint will be worked directly onto the canvas.  The patches of embroidery and beading will be worked on the Aida cloth and then basted to the canvas.  The paper (acid-free!  How lucky can a girl get!?) will serve as the page backing and the ribbon will be used to edge the page.  I just have to work out the designs for each patch so that they don't clash with the knitted piece.

Sorry, Tanquera - no candlewicking this month.