tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26300811895942364222011-04-21T12:26:43.829-06:00Kit Harrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610206479582949743noreply@blogger.comBlogger141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630081189594236422.post-22599960855268435992008-03-03T16:25:00.004-07:002008-03-03T18:36:36.523-07:00

Inspired by the success of my Desert Turquoise CN Pillow, I tackled updating my second Harem Of Color Pillow to truly reflect the vision of the design. I upgraded the fringe and trim. The small changes were easily done using the simple HOC construction details published within Chris Nejman's Pillows book. The changed were quickly added by my Babylock Ellageo.The results made all the difference in

Kit Harrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610206479582949743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630081189594236422.post-91991610368503143202008-03-02T21:50:00.004-07:002008-03-02T21:58:22.915-07:00

I finished my third unique Christopher Nejman pillow! With a flirty fringe this big blue baby is a keeper.

Kit Harrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610206479582949743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630081189594236422.post-63434788032004624952008-02-07T17:21:00.000-07:002008-02-08T14:57:54.529-07:00

In pillow and quilt construction there are many choices. Some pillows and quilts are designed to be touched daily and are soft, floppy and washable. Art Quilts tend to be more the kind you hang on the wall and admire. An Art Pillow is somewhere in between. Chris Nejman's Pillows are primarily designed for maximum visual impact and are neither soft nor washable. They are unique pieces of fabric

Kit Harrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610206479582949743noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630081189594236422.post-89254697358438312092008-01-30T12:03:00.001-07:002008-03-03T18:25:51.253-07:00

One of the first things you do when you get a needle punching machine is to play with wool roving. Roving is used by fiber artists to spin thread or yarn. It is also used to make felt. The fibers lock together during these processes to create a tightly matted surface. Silk roving can also be used for a very slightly shinier result. This is NOT what we want when creating a Christopher Nejman (CN)

Kit Harrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610206479582949743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630081189594236422.post-82922704914536273402008-01-29T23:34:00.000-07:002008-01-31T16:36:31.225-07:00

What's next? Currently I am working on my third Christopher Nejman designed pillow - The Desert Turquoise. I can't show you a completed shot yet but there is lots of activity in my sewing area on my Babylock Embellisher. Here is a sneak peek as the curves of turquoise take shape.

Kit Harrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610206479582949743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630081189594236422.post-43786114246739724912008-01-29T23:13:00.000-07:002008-01-31T16:36:31.225-07:00

After completing the Ra Pillow I decided to take a little break & create some Christmas tree ornaments. I punched some very thick metallic yarns and serger threads onto a triangular piece of suede. Punching on real leather was a first for me.  Then I gave it the Christopher Nejman treatment with lots of other embellishments. My new BLL made short work of securing it to a large metallic ribbon "

Kit Harrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610206479582949743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630081189594236422.post-38897397562682820322008-01-29T22:33:00.001-07:002008-03-03T17:27:39.388-07:00

The next project for our group was the Ra Pillow. It seemed simpler than the HOC. It was an even greater challenge that introduced me to a wide variety of sewing techniques and new materials. There were lots of subtle decorative stitching techniques that are not obvious but do influence the total feel of the piece. The pillow is also very large. All in all it pushed me into acquiring a new

Kit Harrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610206479582949743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630081189594236422.post-33522861571931597682008-01-29T22:11:00.001-07:002008-03-03T18:14:55.816-07:00

In order to perfect my craft I created another Harem Of Color Pillow. I tried a few different choices. The second one was easier but not yet perfect. My little Singer was struggling on the fat sandwiches of slippery material. I grew in confidence I could really make some stunning objects.

Kit Harrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610206479582949743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630081189594236422.post-61873581720535790432008-01-29T21:42:00.001-07:002008-03-03T17:40:55.451-07:00

Occasionally as part of our on-line class, Christopher spurred us on by giving us small extra challenges. While I can't go into detail here I will say the Bird Of Paradise pillow you may spot on Chris' Bag and Pillows web site is related.Fabric punching is not just about attaching flat pieces of material to each other or to a backing. It can also be about totally changing the texture and sheen of

Kit Harrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610206479582949743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630081189594236422.post-78649234553606692082008-01-29T20:46:00.001-07:002008-03-03T17:33:47.207-07:00

In early 2007 the Christopher Nejman group started to take off and with a lot of help from the other group members and Chris I started my first real project, A Harem of Color Pillow (HOC).Everything was a learning opportunity. Since my background was largely in computers and technical research sometime it was a bit of a challenge.It was both a blessing and a curse I had never done a quilt or

Kit Harrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610206479582949743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630081189594236422.post-68446965186352718722008-01-29T20:13:00.001-07:002008-03-03T17:23:11.311-07:00

I purchased my Babylock Embellisher in late 2006 and within a few months I had moved from flat wool roving to mixing the roving with a variety of found materials. I found some great bits of information on using the long fibers as a binding agent but it was not enough.I created some test pieces and created a tote bag combining punched fabric, roving, sheer organza, Angelina fibers and machine

Kit Harrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610206479582949743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630081189594236422.post-54235182745325542022008-01-27T19:47:00.000-07:002008-01-31T16:36:31.228-07:00

I have been busy since last spring learning a lot more about my Babylock Embellisher and sewing. I spotted a Sewing With Nancy segment on the device and jumped on a chance to play with it.After a few small projects with wool roving I ran across a different technique, punching not just wool fibers but whole pieces of fabric to fabric. Sewing without thread. I could get to like that.The proponent

Kit Harrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610206479582949743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630081189594236422.post-48076367927271064522007-06-08T13:28:00.000-06:002008-01-29T12:47:20.726-07:00

This blog has gathered dust the last few years and it is time to shake it up. While I continue to work with the land of computers I have revisited some of my roots. In particular I have started to get back to the world of fiber. This all started about 2 years ago with the purchase, somewhat on a whim, of a dual purpose sewing/embroidery machine, the Singer CE-100. The good and bad of the machine

Kit Harrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610206479582949743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630081189594236422.post-31172142009276746672007-02-18T12:07:00.000-07:002007-02-18T12:11:58.679-07:00

Thoughts from a Geekette who lives in the Rockies and enjoys things both technical and associated with the Fiber Arts. I use Mac, PC's and Linux tools to explore the world.

Kit Harrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16610206479582949743noreply@blogger.com