Life Updates: July
And just like that, another month has passed. This quarantine thing is really throwing me off! I definitely thought I’d be starting back at work in the next coming weeks, but I know everyone’s going through this same thing and I gotta be patient.
But I kept busy throughout July! I spent most of it working on a puppet of my dad for his 50th birthday! My dad used to make puppets and travel as a puppeteer before I was born. When I was about 10 or 11, my dad helped me make a puppet of my own that looked just like me! Working on this puppet was my favorite project of the month, for sure. This was my first time making one on my own – I used pictures of my dad’s work to make a base, but then I went on to really make the puppet my own.
I made a separate blog post all for the puppet with progress pics and you can check that out HERE
I continued working on some very slow works in progress – a baby blanket knitted entirely in moss/ seed stitch (it’s gorgeous but so time consuming) and my first crocheted sweater, which will be a ripple stitch with sunset inspired colors. I love watching these projects slowly come together in my free time.
I also sewed up my first top! I nearly forgot about this project because I finished it in less than one day; of course, it would have been a lot faster (and neater) if I had used a sewing machine. I had the idea for this top since last summer when my mom pulled out of storage about a yard of this gorgeous purple fabric. She told me her friends from college, Jeannie and Don, bought it for her on a trip they took to Belize. The fabric was so my mom. And I was so eager to work with it because I have just been drawn to the way she dressed when she was my age.
So, I didn’t wait to buy a sewing machine first. I couldn’t! I made a simple pattern from another shirt in my closet and stitched it up by hand. One day I will fix up the seams, but for now I am so happy with my imperfect, boxy, crop top.
And since it looks like it might be another full month (or more) until I’m back at work, I’m making a list of more creative mediums to try. And my first project for August: natural fabric dyes.
I’ve been doing quite a bit of research on natural dyestuffs, mordants, and techniques over the past few weeks and plan on documenting a lot of my progress! I bought a cheap notebook to keep all my dyed swatches with notes on my processes (super art nerd stuff). I can’t wait!
Until my next post!
