A Blue Dress for Pinchie

Even before she was old enough to voice her opinion about such things, my three-year-old granddaughter has adamantly loved the color blue and a little stuffed lamb named Pinchie.

Pinchie got her name because Soph has especially loved Pinchie's tail.

The other day, Soph brought a little piece of blue silk chiffon out of my studio and asked if I could make a dress for Pinchie out of the fabric.  

After some negotiations, an overnight with a spare Pinchie, and a couple of video calls to check on my progress, Soph's bff has a new blue dress. And a crocheted hat - because that's the craft of the week.

Per instructions, the dress has blue buttons.

And this very important feature.

In Regard to Sophie Digard, or Why I'm Teaching Myself to Crochet

I am a big fan of French artist Sophie Digard's crochet work. She has such a wonderful sense of style and color. I read somewhere that she has fibers made and dyed specifically for her varied palettes. 

I discovered her work on Pinterest earlier this year and bought this wool scarf for myself. She also works in linen, and makes bags and some jewelry in addition to the scarves, but I believe she is primarily known for her scarves.

You can't really see the scale from my photos, but each of these little flower-filled hexagons is about the size of a half dollar, and the scarf is made up of countless hues of delicate yarns worked together. No wonder her work is so uniquely distinctive. This was a LOT of work!

This blog has a great story about Sophie and several interesting links. I have not been able to find a specific web site for her.

But, Sophie Digard is the reason I've reason I've picked up a crochet hook and several books on the subject. I want to crochet like Sophie. And these little mohair and silk flowers are my first blooms.

Free

After a week of sorting, tossing, sharing and reorganizing, things are looking pretty good in my studio.

I have been through every cabinet, every drawer and every box in my studio.

I have thoughtfully reorganized the things I decided to keep and have sent the stuff I didn't out into the world to other artists, non-profits, church groups and Girl Scouts. It makes me happy to think that those things will no longer sit idle in my studio, but instead be fodder for someone else.

I also feel like I've given myself a gift. 

A gift of space and organization -- free from chaos.

I have a station for soldering, one for sewing and one for drawing and painting, binding or simply staging.

There is even open space for setting up tables in case I decide to teach here -- an idea that is forming in the open space of my mind now that the clutter has been cleared.

But, in the meantime, I'm sitting quietly with more discovered goodies, stitching prefelt with bits of lace and silk and roving . . .

Using methods I learned from India Flint a couple of years ago when she came to teach her Landskin workshop. 

Calling on my reserve of elbow grease, I fused the layers together. They are currently boiling away in the dye pot. I will let you know how it all turns out.

Happy Independence Day!