One Thread at a Time: February 2014

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

And the Winner is.....RE-Create Project Necklace Giveaway

I am excited to announce my first RE-Create Giveaway Winner is....Claire Scott. Claire gets this handmade yarn necklace made with yarns used in my new RE-Create scarves, as seen below. The fuchsia to spice red yarn was dyed years ago for a gradation dye demo I gave to sophomores in the fiber department at KCAI.

And the shade of gray tencel yarn came from extra yarn I dyed for my Lent project last year at Jacob's Well Church. You can see the gray yarn next to the purple in these shawls on the cross. For more info and photos of this project, click on this LINK. This yarn means a lot more that just yarn to me.

Make sure to check my blog and facebook, BillySue Textiles for more announcements of giveaways I will be having during my RE-Create Project.

Gray Striped with Fuchsia to Spice with Spice Red Handwoven Scarf

Gray Striped with Fuchsia to Spice with Light Blue Cashmere Handwoven Infinity Scarf

Gray Striped with Fuchsia to Spice with Mix Handwoven Scarf

Gray Striped with Fuchsia to Spice with Slate Gray Handwoven Scarf

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Custom Paper Silhouette and Yarn Dyeing Workshops

I am excited to be teaching these two workshops at the Kansas City Textile Studio. My sure to sign up today. Limited spots:) And sign up with a friend or two workshops and receive 10% off just by using WITHAFRIEND as your coupon code online at BillySueTextiles.Etsy.com

Custom Hand Cut Silhouette

Beginning Yarn Dyeing

RE-Create Yarn Necklace Free Giveaway!!!!

I am giving away this yarn necklace made with yarns from my next RE-Create Scarves. I will be posting them on my Etsy, BillySueTextiles, soon. This yarn necklace is made of hand-dyed cotton yarn in w gradation from fuchsia to spice, along with hand-dyed gray tencel yarn and dark gray acrylic yarn.

Three days ago, Kansas City got eight plus inches of snow. Now I am not a big fan of cold or snow. And on top of the bad weather a I noticed that there was some sort of leak in my basement/studio causing 1/5 of my carpet to get wet. I have a huge phobia of water in my basement. Yesterday I was in such a bad mood. Feeling overwhelmed with the bad weather, and yet another thing gone wrong in our house to pay for. I decided that taking a nap would be the best thing for me. When I woke up I was inspired to create a free giveaway for my admirers. I find it best, when I am all consumed by worry, the best thing to do is put my focus on others. So this one is for one of you.

*****TO ENTER****All you have to do is;

1) Read about my RE-Create Project and hopefully be inspired to be resourceful and creative with what you have.

2) Like my image on Facebook, BillySue Textiles.

3) And write as a comment on my Facebook image what your favorite color combination is?

That is all!!! Last day to enter is Monday, 2/10. I will be randomly drawing my winner next Tuesday, 2/11 and will want to contact my winner asap to ship this off.....for FREE:) Be sure to check my Facebook for the winner around noon.

BTW We are on our third snow day and things seem to be getting better, drying up. Thank God!!

I will be posting more Free Giveaways so be sure to be checking like me on Facebook to get my announcements. Thank you and Good Luck!!

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

RE-Create Featured Artist, Jennifer Schmitz

Rest detail by Jennifer Schmitz

A few weeks ago I posted on Instagram info about my RE-Create Project, Being Resourceful and Creative with what I have. My friend, Jennifer Schmitz responded to my post with this,
"I've been knitting from my stash for 3 years! I didn't have to start buying yarn until this Christmas. Then I only purchased very specific things for projects I knew I would complete. I've almost finished all that; then I'll be back to stash creation. My last series of artworks was all from my stash too. I adore that challenge of working this way."

(Here's a photo Canaan, one of her sons, in a sweater she knit for him completely from her stash.)

I completely loved her response and wanted to feature her.

Meet Jennifer Schmitz, a former art teacher turned home schooling mom to three boys. She's been a textile artist for over 15 years and have been drawing and print making for much longer. She learned to sew from her mom as a very young girl, but didn't make creating with fabric a passion until she was in college. Originally from Houston, Texas, now she lives in the Kansas City area with my wonderful husband, three boys, and our 85 pound dog.

Working in an environmentally friendly way is a cornerstone of what I do. The greenest materials to use are those we already have. When I do need to buy things, I start at the thrift store, and I recycle a lot of old sheets in my work. I dye and stain in ways that are as natural as possible.

Here is something she wrote for Art Quilt Studio Magazine this past summer about her newer work called Tranquility.

Tranquility

Textile works by Jennifer Schmitz

The journey toward tranquility, for me, began a while back. The work

in this series was born out of the need for a new way to work and a

new focus on rest and gratitude.

Nearly five years ago, I decided to stop working with chemical dyes.

At the time, it was a temporary decision based on the fact that I was

pregnant. I had a large stash of hand-dyed fabric from which to work,

and figured that I would dye again soon enough. At some point I

determined, in the interest of my health, the safety of my family, and

the preservation of our planet, to move on from chemicals completely,

and opted instead to explore more natural ways of getting color and

pattern on fabric. I have experimented with tea, coffee, molds, and

now indigo to achieve results on cotton fabric. The fabrics in this

series were all dyed or stained using one of these methods.

Tranquility is not about having things just right but about learning to

be content with what you have. In the busyness of our lives, I think we

lose sight of the grace we have, the beauty around us, and all that

God has given us. Take just a few minutes to slow down and think of

someplace that is tranquil for you tonight, and remember to be

thankful for all the gifts you have been given.