Productive Weekend

On Friday night after work, I took off like a bat out of hell for De Forest to attend the UCC Lay Academy. Interesting stuff, lots of food for thought. And as Garrison Keilor would say, I was among my people. ->

Since I spent Friday night and most of Saturday in Deep Spiritual Thought®, I felt justified in blowing off church on Sunday in favor of some projects. I did laundry and cranked out yet another pirate hat (this time a baby one, with ear flaps by request); but I also did a pumpkin hat (still need to finish the leaf) and a feather & fan baby hat in an ombre of medium and dark browns that just screams "fall woods in the evening" to me. And then there's this (eyes right):

I am just loving the silk painting thing. I did the bridal shawl (but have had no success at all photographing the light warm colors and subtle gold accents), and then turned to the liturgical stole I've been wanting to make for RaeAnn ever since she presided over our recommitment ceremony a year ago. I tried to knit one, but just wasn't satisfied with the results. This, on the other hand, has my complete approval so far. My plan is to paint the silk (which is 18" x 72", I think), then split it down the middle and sew each half onto a backing for the two sides of the stole. I have an 8" square of the same silk, which I will paint in coordinating colors. Then the two sides of the scarf each taper to 8" wide, at which point they're sewn to adjoining sides of the square. Voila - a liturgical stole!

I'm not sure if you can see in this image, but there are silver fish running up the left side of the fabric. Once it's dry, I'm going to use a gouta to make a silver fishnet on the right side, curving towards the schools on the left. Above the edge of the "water" will be warm golden colors radiating from a silver cross which should fall just a few inches below the left shoulder. Finally, the tip of the square which will fall down the back will have a white dove, again with the pearly warm light around it. On the back, running up the side, I'm going to write with a fabric pen a part of the verse that goes something like "from out of the depths my soul cries for you." And on the right, it will be a piece of the verse about making the disciples "fishers of men." Cool, eh?

Finally, I made t-shirts for the wedding party. I screwed around with photoshop to come up

with a pseudo-charcoal image of the bridal couple, along with the date of the wedding, and then used transfers to put that on the front of five t-shirts in the appropriate sizes. On the back, I used iron-on letters to indicate their role (Matron of Honor, etc.). Here's the back of the littlest one ->

I probably spent too much time on such a silly project, but the idea caught my fancy and once I'd bought the materials I felt obligated to go on with it. Besides, the t-shirts were on sale for half off. Now all I have to do is trade the spare set of letters back in for a white fabric marker. I put "Best Man" on the back of my t-shirt, and I want to add "Wo" in front of "man" and make it obviously hand-written. What can I say - it amuses me.