Feathered Fibers on the Web

Many of my readers know I have a free tutorial page with lots of good stuff there.  I always love it when people use my tutorials and then link back to me.   Or see my work and want to post about it.  Here are some lovely examples of links that talk about my blog or my work:

April, from the Modern Mama blog, used my Fabric Storage Tutorial and I must say, I love how it looks on her bookcase. (Just click the link to check out her picture).  Here is my picture from my studio:

Tipnut site loves my Copper Bookmark Tutorial since they have featured it a couple of times.  Here is what it looks like:

Karen Griska, Selvage Quilting author, has featured some of my selvage projects on her fabulous Selvage blog. In fact, if you look on her right side table and scroll way down, you will see she has grouped all of them under both my name (Carla Barrett) and this site (Feathered Fibers).  Thanks, Karen!  Of course, I do have a mini Selvage Tutorial, too.

The talented Vicki Welsh has a fabulous blog feature called “Field Tripping The Web,” where she compiles all the highlights from other blogs, and websites that week. Vicki also has an etsy site, where she sells a variety of wonderful items including her stunning dyed fabrics.  I have several bars of her soap, and I highly recommend them.  They are especially nice if you sensitive skin, as well.  Anyway, in the current edition, she shares a link to my last batik quilt that I quilted for my friend, Molly seen here:

front side

back side

Last link I will share with you was for a jewelry design that I made inspired by a book on the Something Sublime blog by the talented Deryn Mentock.  This was a copper pendant and I was taking a metal arts class at the time.  This piece was made for the Mary Hetts Jewelry Challenge on Deryn’s blog:

I hope you have enjoyed  clicking on the links to some truly wonderful sites.  Regards, Carla

My Lucky Day!!

It doesn’t get any better than this!! First off, I received a wonderful mailing from Vicki Welsh over at Field Trips in Fiber, and so I happily open it. She makes the most wonderful soap and so I am the lucky recipient of Hemp Soap, Jojoba mango, and Shea Butter soaps!! Best yet, they come wrapped in a lovely handdyed artsy goodness! Thank you, Vicki!!

I went to post a picture, but I’m afraid my Scandisk card reader crashed, so I will buy a new one tomorrow. I’m afraid I’ve dropped it one time too many.

Also in the mail was a “thank you” card from Virginia, a lovely piecer.  I had corrected an “oops” by her machine quilter located far, far away, and she was expressing her thanks by a gift certificate from a local quilt store.  Thanks, Virginia!

Next, I stop by my friend, Barb’s house to pick up a quilt top. Barb, the best piecer I know, agreed to design and piece a quilt top for me- we are working on some collaboration projects. This quilt top is AMAZING!!! Lots of wonderful places for me to quilt some lovely motifs! I will quilt this quilt when i get back! Plus, Barb threw in some quilting books, and another quilt top, too!! (Thank you, Barb, if you are reading this! You rock!)

Spent the afternoon with Jack (and his parents), he is getting to be pretty mobile already. He is so cute, engaging and best of all, he saved up his explosion for his dad this time. LOL!! Pictures will follow. Of Jack…. not the explosion.

After visiting Jack, we came home and I decided to check my email. Lisa Kingsley, over at Pincushion Points blog, emailed me to let me know I won her blog contest!! Am I lucky or what?? Shall I now play the lottery?

Regards, Carla

Biodiesel and Creativity

Since today is Earthday, I thought I would share about my engineer DH’s biodiesel car conversion project and how that relates to creativity. Faithful readers might remember the post where my car was totalled while parked on a public street. I negotiated a fair settlement and am now looking for a used diesel car for my husband to convert into a car able to run on biodiesel or even french fry oil. A project like this makes sense- especially in a state with gas prices over $3 per gallon.

This means that yes, we will scout out a restaurant looking to dispose of their used oil, then process it into usable fuel. Since the byproduct of this process is soap- learning soapmaking skills is in my near future. LOL I can see chicken shaped Carla soaps and other interesting visual soaps that look and smell good.

Reuse- it is no secret that I love to shop at the thrift stores and hunt for items to be remade or reused. My previous sweater posts are an example. I also have been searching for sweaters to wash, then take apart and reuse the yarn in my freeform crochet projects.

Speaking of crochet, Shelley asks how I prepare the fabric strips for my fabric crochet bags. Let me dig up my pictures, so I can post visual instructions for Shelley and anyone else interested.

Fabric Crochet Preparation:

My preference is to use hand dyed fabrics or even batiks. Why? Because the color is saturated on both sides to give a rich color. Here’s a yummy picture:

Basically, I find fabrics I like (or even old clothes), then I cut them into strips. My local quilt store saves me all their fabric trimmings, so don’t be afraid to ask your local store.

Here’s how I join the fabric strips, by holding 2 fabrics together and making a slice through both, then threading the back fabric through and pulling tight:

The fabric used in my title header was completed a bit differently with cutting it double width (btw, the width you cut is a personal preference- experiment) and ironing it in half to get the more saturated spring color. Here’s a visual:

Here’s the finished project:

Have a good Day! Regards, Carla