Tiny Trinkets

Last May during the bi-monthly meeting of CyberPointers, an online Yahoo group for stitchers, we had a stitch-along project called Petit Trianon, a Tiny Trinkets project.

At the time of the stitch-along I had received neither the threads nor fabric with which to do this. So the instructions sat in my drawer of UFO's. Finally the threads came - way too late and at a time that I was extremely busy. So still it sat.

Skip ahead to Peace Corps' assignment in Colombia. My mother sends me a piece of wonderful fabric for this project. It finally arrives. Can a chest cold/bronchitis be fortuitous? In this instance it can ...
I can lay around, not worrying about meetings, plans, activities, and what have you as a volunteer. Instead I can work on some things around the house. And this is the first project that came to mind. The fibers were wonderful as I plied them with my fingers. I itched to start.

As I am still in the newbie phase of blogging as I go, on projects, I cleanly forgot to take a photo of the wonderful fibers to be used. Can I add a photo of them once I have finished? Why not? I added one fiber - a patina that shimmers and changes in the light.

A finished product a mere few hours later:

     truly a garden of color.

  

And guess what, I even have enough fibers to complete a second one. I must admit though, those "Brazilian threads" are a B***** to work with in order to keep them tight and even. Still, not too bad an attempt for the first time using them.

The question remains what to do with this now. Wouldn't it make a wonderful Birthday card for my mother? I could add some quilting and make a postcard or I could make an actual card. That remains to be see as it won't be fully completed until I get back home. But what fun!

The next "stitch-along" that I am planning on doing, is an EGA one, a Hallowe'en stand-up card. Brilliant fibers and quick stitching, I am sure. Now hopefully the fibers that I don't have in the RV will "come to mama" in time. In the meantime, now I will go to finishing my bag.

Oh, and did I mention ...

And did I mention that I finally finished the free-standing Santa of the Christmas Blocks series?

I down, only 2 more to go to finish the series. See them at:
http://travelinduo.net/crafts/needlepoint/InProgress/xmasblcks.index.html

I have had an idea brewing and floating around in my head about a type of bag that sounds intriguing. More to come on that later. My carry-on bag that awaits my finishing in the US would be an ideal one to adapt to my idea. We shall see. Keep tuned.

Something personal ...

...most of my time is centered around doing samples and putting together classroom ideas, for both adults and children, I try to find some time every now and then to actually do something that I want, or need in the case of now.

I need to eliminate a very smelly backpack to go on the plane when I leave here. The pack will NOT go with me. No wonder locals think that Americans smell - their infamous packs are what smell, and some are even "higher" than  mine is currently. It has served me all, carrying supplies, water, chilly willies, sports towels and food but the time has definitely come to retire it. So, now I need a small bag to carry miscellaneous items onto the bus and then the plane in a couple of weeks. I decided to use up the fabric that I purchased and brought here for projects and make a hobo bag, but a small one that will get conversations going.

You start with strips that are then made into squares. These, in turn, are sewn into a patterned or random selection for working on the bias. Then make a sandwich and quilt as desired.

  

Next up is placing the desired pockets inside and any other straps for keys and such.  The sewing together on the sides comes next.

 

 

And this is as far as I have gotten. Now for hand sewing the top binding, making and sewing on straps, figure out away to close the inside pocket (really need a snap, but gee, where can I find one of those today?), and sew on the outside closure button. Then, voila, finished in time for our departure.

Continue to be humbled ...

This last Thursday, once again I found myself humbled. Three more fabulous bags came in for the women. The tumbling out of all the threads was amazing, to say the least. Sorting and bagging will be the order of the day for this coming week.

I will also be busy finding them patterns to practice their newly found skills with these wonderful threads.

As I indicated in the last post, they will be thrilled, but first how to equally distribute these wonderful gifts. I have worked hard to get the women into a mode of willingly sharing their ideas and patterns. Not so their supplies. Not even an inch of thread will they distribute to another. They are simply to hard to come by and so very expensive here. in fact, most of the fancy fibers are simply not available. I am sure that I would find a supply if I went to Bogatá and spent a lot of time visiting various shops. That I don't have time for! So, what I have decided to do is to get gift bags, split all the fabrics equally, then, one-by-one drop supplies into the bags. I will also add in all my threads that I brought (I can replenish once back home) I will then hand them out in random order, supplies not being seen, to the women at my last day - a day when they are actually giving me a despedida (going away party) which means, a wonderful meal of arroz con pescado (rice with fish), ensalada papa (potato salad), cake and soda. This is the usual party fare here. What a surprise for them, to be handed a gift themselves. There will also be a drawing for items that I received from a friend in the USA as well as a numbered drawing where they will get to pick, in order of their number, something from the supplies that I have left from all the classes. What better way to get downsize, readying to pack and leave? I will get lots of photos.

Many heartfelt thanks go out to our most benevolent donor. She will live in the hearts of these women for years to come.