Shining Lights

Lighthouses

Lighthouses harbor mystery and charm from days gone by.  I selected lighthouses located near the person for whom the card was designed.  All these lighthouses have stories to tell about the interesting and often brave people who operated the lights and of the lives they saved.  

For Wendy, Ashland Breakwater lighthouse was depicted by stitching only the lighthouse on stabilized cotton fabric.  The stitched lighthouse was cut out and stitched to paper printed with a period map of the area where the lighthouse is located.  A burlap frame was added to complete the card.   

The Ashland Breakwater lighthouse is located in Chequamegon Bay near Ashland Wisconsin.  It was completed in 1915 and automated in 1962.  In 2015, Ashland Breakwater lighthouse was the ninth lighthouse to be included in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

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For Roy's birthday, I selected Sand Island light, also in Wisconsin.  Extra stabilizer was used to protect the "stitch-rich" brick from puckering the fabric.  Because there was so much detail in the building itself, I chose to simplify the shrubbery around the lighthouse.

Sand Island Light, located on the northern tip of Sand Island, Lake Superior, Wisconsin, was first lit on September 25, 1881. It was built from sandstone quarried at the building site.  The light was automated in 1921.  Today, Sand Island Light is part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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The card stitched for Jerry is inspired by a photo of the Piedras Blancas Light Station.  It was a challenge depicting the diverse ground cover without over-stitching, The result was less structured than planned.  However, in the end, I was happy with how the loosely defined shrubbery worked with the more structured lines of the road and buildings.     

Piedras Blancas Light Station is located near San Simeon, California.  It became operational in 1875. Through the years, earthquakes damaged the structure of the lighthouse.  In 1949, the upper 30 feet of the lighthouse was removed.  The tower and some of the support buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  There is an ongoing effort to raise money to restore the tower to its original height.

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Lanterns

This card for Kristi was inspired by a photo taken on her deck in 2011.  The fabric was heavily stabilized to accommodate the dense stitching.   To finish the edges, the fabric was first wrapped to the back and stitched in place.  I did not care for the look.  Blocking and pressing did not improve the look, so I trimmed and frayed the fabric to within 1/4" of the stitching.  

    

Stars

Anyone who knows Shawna understands why her card is included in Shining Lights.

Photoshop Elements was used to remove some of the color in the photo.  I was careful to maintain the color in her face and hair.  The resulting image was copied to stabilized cotton.  Most of the stitching is in her hat and hair.  The drink, her nails and background were lightly stitched.  A coordinating fabric was used to bind the completed thread sketch before adhering it to card stock. 

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Up next

Christmas projects are nearly done.  Boxes, wrapping paper, and ribbon clutter my sewing room.  Although I enjoyed sewing for Christmas, I have several thread sketches in mind and anxious to get started.  

Please come visit again in January 2016!  Happy Holidays!

10th @ Hoyt Courtyard

A friend recently invited me to tour the courtyard located at the 10^th @ Hoyt Apartment building in Portland's Pearl District.  Although you can see part of the courtyard from the street, it is typically gated from all but residents of the building. 

Once inside the courtyard, it is hard to believe you are only steps away from busy NW 10^th Street.  Greenery, water features, and seating make it feel more like a secluded park than an apartment courtyard in the middle of the city. 

The courtyard officially opened in 2003.  It was designed by Steve Koch, not only to soothe our senses, but to meet a Portland mandate that buildings of a certain size manage and treat storm water on site.  Amazingly, the casual visitor to this oasis would not recognize that the water is actually runoff recirculating through artful structures in the courtyard.

There are several websites with photos of the entire courtyard.  I took this photo on a cloudy day in early October.  It shows one of several water features in the courtyard.

Thread Sketch

With larger sketches, I must rely on my limited artistic ability to transfer the basic lines by hand.  On smaller sketches, a printer can be used to transfer the original photo.  I have tried several techniques with the printer.  The photo can be printed directly to the cotton canvas, or onto the Pellon 926 extra firm stabilizer on the back.  With these techniques the ink remains with the project through completion and can be messy to handle, much like a newspaper.  

For this project, I printed on a tear-away stabilizer that could be removed after transferring the basic lines.  Because I wanted to apply the tear-away to the back side of the canvas, I used Photoshop to reverse the picture.  The tear-away could be applied to the front, but would require greater care to remove all the stabilizer.

In this photo, I have already stitched the basic shapes and in process of removing the tear-away stabilizer.  You can see how well the printer works with the tear-away stabilizer.

Bobbin thread outlining the shapes.

Completed project, 8"x10"

It was a challenge depicting the greenery as individual trees and shrubs.  Shades of green, brown, gold and yellow threads were used to free-motion stitch a variety of small leaf shapes to define individual shrubs.

Coming Soon 

Although Christmas projects continue, I have completed several greeting cards that I will post in about two weeks.  Please visit again.  

Trip to Columbia Gorge Hotel

Departure from Sewing to Celebrate Fall

Howard and I took a mini-vacation to the Columbia Gorge Hotel.  We had eaten in the restaurant many years ago, but decided to stay over night and enjoy the beautiful scenery and great weather.  

Columbia Gorge Hotel

The Hotel, located in Hood River, is a beautiful 60-mile drive east of Portland.  Built in 1904, it was originally named Wah Gwin Gwin Hotel after the 208-foot falls on the grounds.  It has a diverse history serving presidents, film stars, and during the depression, as a retirement home.  

10th Avenue Boardwalk

In Portland's Pearl District, a wooden boardwalk runs on 10th Avenue from Johnson to Northrup linking three city parks, Jamison Square, Tanner Springs, and The Fields.  Trees canopy the boardwalk adjacent to Jamison Square.  Several cafes in the area provide outdoor seating.  Although surrounded by busy city streets, it is peaceful and pleasant. 

The boardwalk runs next to our building, so we use it often.  Never has it looked more lovely than a recent September day.  The late summer sun was shining through the thinning leaves.  Yellow leaves on the boardwalk and still clinging to the trees seemed to glow.  Here is my thread sketch version of the photograph we took.

10th Avenue Boardwalk
Finished size 8"x11"

Toys in the Attic

Cool temperatures and turning leaves are reminders that it is time to start thinking about Christmas crafts.  It may seem early, but if you are a crafter making gifts for craft fairs and loved ones, you have probably already started.  Finding new items each year can be a challenge. Over the next couple of weeks I will be looking for ideas.  In that effort, I looked back at some of the toys made in previous years.  These favorites were fun to make and fun to give.  If you are a family follower, you may recognize some of the items.  If you are a crafter, perhaps you will find a spark that generates an idea for your Christmas craft. 

Runo Dolls

I made four of these dolls over the years.  They are about 30” tall.  Their heads are stuffed tightly, while the body and limbs are soft.  Shoes and clothes, including long bloomers, are removable.  The pattern can be found online at Doll Making by Runo.  The instructions are a bit difficult to follow, but the patterns are free and the results are rewarding.  

Nola Hart Dolls

I first saw these dolls when a dear friend and gifted crafter made them to sell in her Etsy store.  The pattern by Nola Hart was published in the November/December 2009 issue of Cloth-Paper-Scissors.  I made five dolls, about 12" tall.  They were labor-intensive, but fun to make, and our young girls loved them.

Greetings from Portland Oregon

Being without a sewing cabinet for most of the past two weeks provided a good excuse to try smaller size thread painting projects.  Limiting size to 4x6 or 5x7 would provide several benefits.  If I like the finished product, it would take less of our limited wall space, or could be used for a greeting card. It would also allow me to audition a subject for a larger canvas.  I completed five small paintings, four of which became greeting cards.  The last one may be simply a lesson learned.

St. John's Bridge 

St. John’s Bridge spans the Willamette River in North Portland.  Construction started on the bridge just prior to the stock market crash in 1929 and was completed in 1931.  There are many interesting facts and history surrounding the St. John’s Bridge.  It recently re-gained national notoriety when Greenpeace protesters rappelled down the bridge in an effort to block an icebreaker employed by the Shell Oil Company.

The original postcard of the U.S.S. Portland passing under St. John’s Bridge, Portland, Oregon was published around 1931 to 1945, and can be seen on Wikimedia Commons.  I chose to remove the ship and the printed title.  My 4x6 thread painting does not do justice to the beautifully painted postcard.  The background buildings and the lines of the bridge would be better served in a larger size. 

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Happy Birthday, MacKenzie!  

A birthday card for our beautiful granddaughter was the most challenging work in the past two weeks.  I used a photo taken by our daughter-in-law.  It took four attempts before finding the right balance of thread, color and density, but I am happy with the final product.  In the early attempts of this photo, I tried stitching MacKenzie's image, however, I found it too difficult to define her face with stitches.  I finally used Photoshop to remove all color except MacKenzie.  A few stitched lines were used to highlight her image.  Many, many stitches used to define her horse, Sunny, and the background.     

Benson Bubbler

Benson Bubbler Thread Painting 

finished size 8-1/2" x 11-1/2"

Portland has a distinctive style that comes from embracing its own history. The bridges, streets, buildings and the works of art that grace the city are an eclectic mix of old and new.  The Benson Bubblers are part of the rich history decorating our city.  

Process & Puzzles

Process to Puzzle

In my last post, I published a snapshot of our beautiful Tanner Springs Park.  We sit above the park and enjoy it all year.   From June to October, we spend happy hour on our patio watching people and resident water fowl come and go.  During cooler months we admire the park from our family room.  Regardless of the time of year, there is always something going on in the park.  My husband and I chuckle that we attend more weddings and photo shoots than anyone in Portland.   It is our love for the park that motivated me to try stitching it.  It was a challenging project.  Most of the complications were self-inflicted.  The steps and a few photos follow.  I have noted the lessons learned that will make the next picture project easier. 

As I examined the original photo posted last week, I realized that the photo was missing the graceful arch of the Fremont Bridge.  I rushed outside and took another photo.  I caught a street car gliding by and decided to add it as well.  

Welcome To My Sewing Room!

This is where I spend my days planning and plotting new projects.  Although the room also serves as an extra bedroom and office, everything works well together.  It is often in a state of messiness, but I love spending my time here.  

I enjoy several hobbies, but sewing is my passion.  For 15 years, I used a Bernina 180E.  I very recently upgraded to the Bernina 770E.  There is a learning curve, but I already love it.