Melanie Testa's Blog, page 5

Rockstar Boro

I sort of like the idea of Rockstar Boro better than Contemporary Boro, so there is a name change going on. I think that I will be able to really push myself and the idea of working Boro to its limits with this sassy and playful name. I want to sew silks, satins, velvets with hand dyed threads in silk, rayon and cotton to this garment. So why not embrace a name with some funk?

I am too excited to wait for December 1st to start stitching, though I will do my best. Because I am impatient, I made a stuff sack for the wrap so that I can sew-on-the-go. What are you doing to get ready?

P.S. Anna left a comment asking, 'What the heck is Boro?', well she didn't use those words but... Tomorrow I will create a post and be informative. See? I gotta get back into the swing of blogging!

December is Contemporary Boro Month.

Hello people. I have been feeling quiet, wondering how to re-engage myself creatively. I have not been feeling blog crafty for a while and would like to get in the swing of it again. So, like I did last year with the line a day project, I have decided to blog daily while working on what I will call Contemporary Boro.

Last year my friend Dana was diagnosed and died from pancreatic cancer. She was a waif of a woman and she knew how to sew clothing. On retreat two weeks back, we divided Dana's fabric stash and textile findings between our selves. This silk lined velvet wrap was among the beauties I brought back. The velvet is at the stage of disintegration. So a thought came that I could make this an exploration of the idea of pushing Contemporary Boro to the limit (with a Janis rockstar style velvet wrap), I mean, I am American, so why not use cloth from my own culture and re-create a beautiful garment and keep it going for a few years longer.

I am going to combine fabrics from my stash and used embroidery floss to secure and decorate this garment. I would like to try to make it reversible, or able to be worn both velvet in and out.

So what do you say, wanna grab a garment and embroider during the month of December? I will create a flickr group if you want to sew-along-and-share-with-me. Comment on this post to let me know if you are interested, this will be a friendly and informal fun project that will start December One, thread up your needles!

And while we are at it, raise a strong fist of strength and gratitude to Dana.

Zipper Tute Mania

You know how reusable bags are all the rage? Everyone is giving them out, our houses are filled with them. I was given a bag to promote Susan Carlson's new book, Serendipity Quilts. It is a very pretty bag, made of woven plastic. I don't see myself using this bag very much so I dissembled it and made it into something I could really use.

I love to sew on the go and anything that helps me get organized and to carry everything I need is a fine thing. Clear plastic pouches with zipper closures are indispensible and so much prettier than ziplock baggies.

You will need:

Woven plastic cloth or cloth of your choice (7 5/8x8")

Woven plastic cloth or cloth of your choice (19.5x3/4" folded in half lengthwise-for pouch binding)

Woven plastic cloth or cloth of your choice (7 5/8x3/4" folded in half lengthwise-for zipper binding)

1 zipper 8"

6mm plastic sheeting (7 5/8x4.5")

scissors, pins and a zipper foot

Sewing machine

I tore the entire bag apart, keeping every piece. This 'cloth' is woven plastic, it sews up just like cloth, although it is stiff. The nice thing about this cloth is that it is super strong. You can cut 3/4" strips, fold them in half and and sew in place over your raw edge. Easy peasy.

This tutorial is really about zippers, which folks seem to be afraid of. Zippers are easy! 'Installing' them requires a zipper foot and that you move the needle either to the right or left most position.

In this photo you see the zipper pull faces the clear plastic. The zipper pull is the 'right side' of the zipper. I sewed within a 1/4" of the edge of the zipper tape. Turned the plastic away from the zipper and finger burnished a fold in the plastic right where it was sewn to the zipper.

Apply the zipper to the 7 5/8" measurement.

Place the right side of the zipper to the right side of the cloth and wedge this between a 3/4" fold of the plastic cloth. Sew in place at a 1/4" from the fold.

You can trim the extra tape after you are done sewing it onto both the clear plastic sheeting and the plastic cloth.

Open the rectangle, which now has a zipper down the middle (ish) and fold in half so that the right side of the cloth faces out.

This is a tricky photo because you can't see the clear plastic sheeting. Rest assured, it is folded to meet up with the raw edge of the plastic cloth.

The binding will finish three sides of the pouch, the forth is a fold and does not need binding to close it.

Stop at 1/4" from the raw edge, turn the pouch by 90 degrees, back up so that your needle pierces the outter most edge.

Fold the binding down and over the raw edges, trying for a neat corner.

Now I know that many of you might also like a tutorial on creating a zipper closed square bag but, ha! That is a challenging project with much swearing and difficulty. I could more easily do a tutorial on how-to-swear-like-a-trooper-while-trying-in-vane-to-make-a-pretty-bag-with-no-major-problems. Like the zipper pull falling off (they are easy to replace if you free the opposite end of the zipper tape and resew the bag), or the corners not matching up and making a torqued square, but whatever! I sewed this bag to within an inch of its life and am happy with it.

And I made three zippered pouches to hold all my travel-on-the-go sewing supplies. You can too! Show me what you make with this tutorial! I wanna see.

Art Sparks Winter Tutorial and Blog Hop.

Here is the fabulous list of tutorials and blogs:

1. November 9: Jane LaFazio Sketch & Stitch Gift Bags

2. November 10:
3. November 11: Tracie Lyn Huskamp

4. November 12: Melanie Testa Zipper Pouch Mania

5. November 13: Traci Bunkers Moldable Foam Stamps

6. November 14: Diana Trout Furoshiko

7. November 15: Judy Coates Perez Folk Art Inspired Ornament

8. November 16: Kelli Nina Perkins Colorful Stitched Ornament

9. November. 17: Lisa Engelbrecht Experimental Lettering

10. November 18: Jill Berry Geo Papers and Projects

11. November 19: Gloria Hansen Resizing a Digital Image

I have to put a disclaimer here. I have a terrific tutorial all lined up. I scheduled it to publish Saturday morning at 8:00 A.M. I haven't used that function on my blog before and really hope it works because I am going away! This weekend is my twice yearly quilt art retreat. 3 days, all meals prepared, 10 of my good friends, art making. Yeah!

Photography

I have been taking the Photo Silly 2 class by Steve Sonheim. I love it! I am a little behind on lessons but I have begun going through each lesson and working with my cameras' settings. I have set my sights on improving my photographic skills.

I have both a Canon PowerShot A3100 and a Nikon D5000 .

Today I went into the city early and took a walk into Central Park. The light and air was amazing. It was a sparkly sort of morning. I am glad I had my (Canon) camera on me.

Today I work on exposure. I am impressed with the class. The instructions are clear, precise and playful. It really is silly too. It makes you have fun and laugh in wonder while learning. I decided to take the class on a whim and am really excited that I did. And the pdf's? I am going to print them all out and make a Three Ring Binder for them. Jane. :)

Magic

I am just back from Houston and feel rejuvenated and excited. It was so much fun! I walked the halls, sparkling with quilts, humming with excitement and interest, I meandered, I strolled. That was a great way to go to Quilt Festival! I wasn't teaching, I was experiencing and enjoying every moment.

Even my Monster High Dead Tired Cleo De Nile Doll had fun (seen here with the Judy Coates Perez doll)!

We had dinner and celebrated life! We ate cake. It was wonderful. I just kept walking around while feeling happy and grateful to be alive. That may sound funny but this year wasn't the easiest.

People I have never met walked up to me and congratulated me on getting through the year. Folks just touched me, not knowing what to say but wanting to say something. I kept tearing up. It was great. So healing and wonder full.

And of course I brought home some swag. Vintage silk embroidery thread pared with some wooden stamps by Colouricous.

More wooden blocks, I laid some cash down at that booth!

Mary Fisher has a new line of fabric out. Looking into her eyes is like jumping into a cool pond on a crisp summer morning. Her eyes are amazing. We hugged and talked and cried. Good thing I had a hankie in my pocket.

I stopped in at the Marcia Derse booth and got some 2" sample squares of cloth (not shown). Then off to Wendy Richardson's booth where I nabbed this vintage collar.

I am going to upload some candid shots to facebook, so check there latter in the morning.

I am not thumbing it.

I can't live without sandpaper, I love the stuff. I say this because when I saw the results of this photographic self portrait, I named it Self Portrait Swiss Scratch. Scratch because it is blurry and out of focus. I have another similar photo in front of the same door with very different results. But that'sa post is for another day.

Instead I am heading off to Houston to have some fun with the Girls. If you are not there, daydream my way. I will share photos upon return.

Happy All Hallows

It feels so wonderful to be out and about! Yesterday started with a beautiful cup of cappuccino.

And progressed into a trip to the Met. We meandered the Middle Eastern art section.

David is quite photogenic, don't you think? Oh. I am sorry, that isn't him!

When I was a child I would ride my bike around town, taking myself out on jaunts. I got into jags where I would go to the library to xerox the stuff in my pockets, to the rec center to play foosball, down to Ezra Street and back again. Anyway, I would go where it pleased me most. These days museums and galleries please me most and although I am now 42, I may as well be 9 and riding my lime green,banana seat bike with handlebar tassels. Geez, I would love an adult version of that bike.

Yellow! Isn't this color amazing?

This piece is by Anish Kapoor, whose work we were also able to see in Bilboa. I don't 'get' his work yet but I like it.

Happy All Hallows. Serve your ancestors and the saints some divine treats tonight.

Needle Pal

I have always loved having pen pals. When I was a young girl and adult I had a few folks I would write to on a regular basis. I have never had a Needle Pal.

Upon my return from Switzerland I received a offer I could not refuse from my new friend Fabia. She asked if we might become pen pals through stitch by mail, in other words, Needle Pals! I could not resist. Nope, not even an ounce of me could say no to such a request. What a fabulous way to keep connected with fellow artists and fabulous friends!

This is my first mailing to Fabia (who has already received the letter). I tacked a few choice pieces of cloth, see anything you recognize, Jeannie (you dyed the indigo)? I dyed the brown silk satin using acorns and eucalyptus, the hankie is from my stash. This is the first time I have thought to embroider paper onto cloth so that felt liberating (see the Chinese money bottom left). Of course I also had to send photos, a note and the like.

This is the beginning of a great artistic meeting of two friends across continents, using stitch. Very excited.

And of course, my adventures are not over. I can bask in photos taken along the way, just last night David made vegetarian Rosti (a Swiss specialty) and we looked at photos while eating dinner.

This was taken at The Academy of Fine Arts of Brera, Milan. She will need to make it into a piece of art somehow.

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This was taken at the Duomo in Milan. I think it is a confession box decoration. I have always loved eyes taken out of context and given meaning.

Those crazy Swiss have lived among mountains for so long that they came up with the idea of funiculars to be able to easily get to the top of mountains. These inclined lift systems are a fabulous way to traverse steep inclines and see elevated views easily. We went to the top of San Salvatore in Lugano. Another day I will tell you about taking the cogwheel train up to Pilatus from Luzern.

And we have a winner from the Destination Creativity post..... Shirley Levine! Shirley is a good friend of mine and I was happy to see her comment among the 95 that were left on that post. Congratulations Shirley!

It is quiet over here.

I have been quiet over here. Perhaps I have jet lag, perhaps my body is tired and I am catching up. I met so many fabulous people and did so much over the two weeks we were away, I have been processing and integrating all the the things I learned.

I met a beautiful woman named Fabia. I am a softy and fall in love easily, so when I met Fabia, I just knew. She gave me this fob and I love it. I am happy to have something made with her hands. I will use it as it was intended and I hope that it is in tatters the next time you see it. I love using hand made things until they fall apart.

A little man and I missed each other dearly for a very long time. Lap time is in high demand.

I have been working on my trip embroidery project. You will see more photos over the weeks to come. I need to complete this and start wearing it.

Please go check out Melina's blog, Linda's blog and Marlis's blog

I have good news. I am all clear on my latest Pet CT scan. I am moving away from the land of cancer and back into my life. It feels good.

I am not 100% available at the moment. I am working, painting and enjoying an extended period of time with my Man, who is in his third week of a month long sabbatical. We are rearranging the abode and having fun with a new set up.