Right around election time, I got a package in the mail from my dear friend Diane, the Yin-Yang Knitter. "Hmmmm....." I says to myself, "What's this?" Opening it up, I find these two guys, political finger puppets, one of the funniest things I had seen in a long time! "Oh, Diane... You are something else!"
Backside of the puppets.
Note the detail of McCain's bald spot:
(Cackles like an old hag....)
Diane got the patterns for free through Lion Brand Yarn Studio. They rate the pattern as easy, although to me they look anything but easy!
I kept forgetting to photograph them, but finally got my act together. So, what to do with these guys? I guess you are supposed to play with them... For your entertainment, here is a little fun with the puppets:
McCain and Obama present their pedigrees to the world.
McCain and Obama pledge to run a clean campaign...
The candidates pontificate, debate, and repeat their key phrases over and over and over and...
Obama wins!
But, McCain is still around, waiting for his turn...
Diane sent a couple of other links to projects she thought looked like fun. She is a regular contributor to Fiber Focus (Past articles). Click on the photos to visit the sites:
We can poke fun and roll our eyes, but finally, we must remember that people have died for this right and continue to fight around the world today for a voice in how their countries are run. Let us just hope that our elected officials take to heart the trust they have been given by their positions of power and leadership.
For years and years, I have been promising my friend Diane that I would make her a quilt. Guilt has plagued me as for those same years and years as Diane has been one of those friends who walks the talk. She has consistently given support in the form of advice (as a chemist, Diane is a well of knowledge in all household and textile care tips), as a customer, as a knitter (I have benefited as the recipient of wonderful woolen goodies), as a book pusher (many of my favorite authors came through Diane's guidance), and much, much more.
Diane, AKA The Yin-Yang Knitter here on the blog and DLouse on our Fiber Focus group.
Last April, Diane came down from Wisconsin to help me with my booth during the Quilt Show here in Paducah. I had just purchased a bunch of molas to sell on Etsy and we decided that I would finally make true on my promise of a quilt, using bird molas as the basic theme. Our booth was next to Bob (also a Fiber Focus member) and Helene's, who were selling fabric. Diane scoured through and picked a selection that she liked:
Aaargh! For all that we do have in common, our color palettes are not one of them. I prefer earthy, more subdued colors, while Diane's favorite color is bright yellow. However, I admit that her choices work well with the bright colors the Kuna Indians like to use in their molas. For months, the fabric sat in a pile- I just couldn't see what to do with it. Then, leafing through a quilting book I have, New Cuts for New Quilts by Karla Alexander, I saw what I could do.
The book shows different techniques for "stacking the deck", where layers of fabric are stacked and then cut in free form. Rotate the layers and you get repeat blocks, but with different fabrics. The quilt is very busy, so it may be hard to see the blocks, but the center is made of big, bold leaf designs, alternating the flaming oranges with lighter fabrics. The border on the top and bottom is another set of stacked decks and the sides alternate larger molas with forest greens. Perhaps some symbolism can be read into the reds and greens, referring to the destruction of our forests around the world and the hope that this paradise may somehow continue to exist.
Small molitas are appliqued throughout the center with large leaves protruding from behind them. The larger molas on the sides were sewn into the quilt as part of the piecing.
The quilt looks a lot better "live" than it does in the photos. Some close ups will help show the details. Border Medium Size Molas:
Small Molitas with Big Leaves Appliqued in the Middle:
The Back of the Quilt I like to bring elements of the front to the back of the quilt. In fact, I really like the simplicity this brings and often prefer my backs to the tops I've made. Most of the quilts I've made have been for other people so their tastes or designs have been dominant over what I would prefer to do. I long to play more with these ideas. I also like the prairie points that go around the border of the quilt.
There was absolutely no way that I would be able to quilt this thing! Molas involve layers of fabric appliqued and reverse-appliqued so that they can often be quite thick. Diane hired our friend, Pam (another Fiber Focus member), to do the quilting. Pam is a professional long-arm quilter and did a great job! I told her I imagined vines and tropical leaves throughout the piece.
Pam Heavrin, Professional Long-Arm Quilter
Pam knew exactly how to translate my idea into reality! The quilting shows up best on the back.
Paradise Found is also about friendship and the collaboration we do together with our interests. Diane saw the vision, Bob and Helene had the fabric, I put it together, and Pam made it all stick! Plus, there is the international touch with the molas, bringing people and nature together. If the quilt were mine, I would have overdyed the whole thing to tone the colors down, but Diane absolutely loves it and that is what counts.
Molas are wonderful center pieces to work with and I hope this piece inspires you to look at the ones I have listed on Etsy. This quilt used 16 molitas, which could become quite costly, but simpler versions could be done. Molas are sturdy and work great to applique on pillows, jean jackets, bags, and other accessories. If you have ever made any mola projects, leave a comment and give us all some more ideas on how to use them!
Books on the Kuna, Molas and Stacking the Deck, available on Amazon Purchases through this widget help support this blog.
Note on Commissions: I am available for commissions. I enjoy doing them, especially if I have some freedom in coming up with ideas. A similar quilt to Diane's (in terms of labor) would be around $1,500 plus cost of materials and another $300 or so for Pam to quilt it. I especially enjoy working on memory quilts that honor a person or occasion. I will not be able to start on any new projects until after the New Year, but will happily work on commissions after that.
Amidst the patriotic fervor of Election Day [although what with early voting it’s really been Election Month], I wanted to share some of my favorite red, white, and blue-themed projects seen on knitting blogs and websites. As a charity knitter, I’m an enthusiast for patterns like these which designers offer for free. (Click on the photos to visit the source sites.)
The flag-style afghan above is crocheted, but I’m flexible. I think it’s beautiful, and it looks great draped on the couch, but somehow wrapping my cold feet in it just wouldn’t feel right to me. Oops. Sorry about the pun.
How about a ”hackysack” for the kids? That’s a great crocheted star.
Stars and Stripes Hackey Sack
I’ve limited myself to five photos, but I did like these:
Felted Patriotic Hot Pads
Get cozy in a flag decorated sweater.
Flag Sweater, Pattern Available
I can’t resist including a picture of me wearing a sweater I made 30+ years ago for my brother. I have no idea what happened to the pattern for this, but I asked for it back with the intention of “reverse-engineering” it sometime. It was made in 70’s acrylics or it might look better than it does…but then who know how my brother might have mistreated it had it been wool. It IS hard to kill acrylics. Wish I’d thought to wear it when I voted early!
Diane Gerlach, the Yin-Yang Knitter in her very own flag sweater (OK, so she gave it to her brother...)
For your feet, some colorful socks:
Patriotism on your feet...
And my favorite things to knit, hats:
USA Knit Hat
The troops for whom I frequently knit as part of The Ships Project are very fond of patriotic-themed hats. These are some of hats I’ve sent:
Get out and vote if you haven’t already. However it turns out, we all own it for the next four years, so it’s important that we each do our part to push things in the direction we want it to go. A few years ago, my city of about 90,000 people elected a mayor by just ONE VOTE, and that was with a recount, reminding us all here that each of our votes does indeed count.
Citizens of the United States of America: Vote!
Election Day, Patriotic Fervor, Red White and Blue by the Yin-Yang Knitter
My RSS feeds are a visual blast these days. Crafty bloggers are really busy turning out wonderful Halloween creations. Here are some of my Halloween picks from this season. Click on the images to visit the source.
My favorite of all, a Candy Corn bag. [Yes, I’ve added it to my queue…]
This charming young lady is modeling a knitted and felted bag.
What would Halloween be without skulls and ghosts?
And of course, funny things for your head?
A knitted Elvis wig, anybody?
Funky hats
Very clever and intricate “bokaclavas” after Bok, a demon from “Doctor Who.”
Bats, too, of course...
[For some reason, she makes me think of a young woman I once saw on a subway dressed as a bunch of grapes…lots of purple balloons…]
…even one on a dishcloth…
And, lots of pumpkins!
Another dishcloth by blackrayne:
A bag for your treats:
Felted style, off the vine...
One of the children noticed that with their new triplets, this family had exactly the right number for Snow White and the Seven Dwarves!
This is just a hint of all the creative juices flowing out there! Great fun to see what people come up with!
Happy Halloween, one and all!
Diane Gerlach, AKA The Yin-Yang Knitter, is a regular contributor to Fiber Focus. An avid charity knitter who keeps both Afghan children and our military warm with her hats, mittens and socks, Diane is passionate about the world and all the stories it holds. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Micronesia in the 1970's and continues to have ties there through her adopted daughter. Diane is also a member of our Fiber Focus group on Ning.
The photo shows her with some of my monsters when she was here in Paducah. She took care of my babies while I was out of town and went through a minor but scary earthquake that shook them all up!
Favorite Halloween Projects by the Yin-Yang Knitter
Crocheted Obama and McCain Finger Puppets
Backside of the puppets.
Backside of the puppets.
(Cackles like an old hag....)
McCain and Obama present their pedigrees to the world.
McCain and Obama pledge to run a clean campaign...
The candidates pontificate, debate, and repeat their key phrases
Obama wins!
But, McCain is still around, waiting for his turn...
We can poke fun and roll our eyes, but finally, we must remember that people have died for this right and continue to fight around the world today for a voice in how their countries are run. Let us just hope that our elected officials take to heart the trust they have been given by their positions of power and leadership.
