Braiding and Here Be Dragons

Still slowly working on Here Be Dragons mat. With luck it'll be done by this weekend. I think I have about 1/4 of it to go. I do think I am going to try using Monk's for any future cotton fabric mats. The rug warp really doesn't like irregular shaped strips which most of my t-shirt strips are since I torn them instead of cut them. I am ever so grateful for my slanted hook other wise I probably would have been very frustrated and sore handed doing this.

Most of my week I have been concentrating on my first braiding project which will end up as a small oval bath or kitchen mat. It's out of cotton quilting type fabrics from my slash. I'm doing it in shades of blues with a little lavender and pinks throw in. Though the pinks may not be used on this, It depends on how big this turns out. It's getting fairly big as it is very quickly. It is more narrow than fat so far and debating what to do to fix that. I am learning a lot on color progressions. I braided a bunch of the fabrics first and then started sewing instead of braiding a bit, then sewing and braiding some more, sew, etc. So I really didn't know how this was going to come out color or pattern wise. Next one will be braid a bit, sew that, braid, sew and try to get the colors and develop a pattern of colors as I go along. This is not one of my better projects. My braiding technique needs lots of work especially with the cottons to get the braiding even and consistent looking. Both my daughters are interested in this mat, especially the fact it's washable. I will be making more and giving them for xmas this year.

I can't wait until I get a chance to try the braiding in wools. This weekend I get to house sit again--yeah, which means house to myself and can spread out my fabrics, look at what I have, do some color planning for some of newer canvases I want to do and do some dyeing too. If I can get some money from hubby also hit the thrift stores. I need to start gathering wools for Walk Me's border. I know already I'm low on browns and have a good idea how much I'm going to have to acquire for doing at least a 4 to 6 inch braided border around it.

I also hope to play around with braiding to try and figure out how Delsie Holt of Kingdom Moon Rugs http://www.kingdommoonrugs.com/gallery.html does her rugs. I totally love them. I really want to try and do scenery type rugs like she does.

Hopefully the local rug hooking group is still going to meet today. They cancel it if there are less than 4 attending. I am determined to make this one and actual meet another hooker in person. I am still disappointed that the local teacher isn't teaching and I'll have to go to another state to take classes for my beginning requirements to get into teacher training. Even though I look like I don't need beginner lessons there are a lot of things I don't know and I do want to teach eventually and am too unsure of myself just to put myself out there as a teacher yet. I want to teach but am afraid to at the same time. Not that I have any extra money for going to anyone's classes as money is very tight here at home. And no extra money to put back and save either for future classes or camps in the future. I'm not very good at making money with my arts and crafts either. I really suck at it. I enjoy doing them but never manage to sell them for decent prices. Never sure what to charge or what anything is really worth. I have business training and have run businesses but I don't like doing it. What I need is a business manager/partner or keeper that will take care of all the business aspects of my art while I concentrate on creating and making it. Hopefully, the right person will show up sometime.