Pine Needle Basket Update

Well, I must admit this isn't my most successful project ever....but I have learned a LOT.  My next one should be fabulous :)!  I have run out of the pine needles gathered from Ryan's house (this was to be a housewarming present using his very own pine needles) so finishing the basket will have to wait until I'm back in California.  I did discover that the mauka (mountain) road from Waimea to Hawi is lined with pine trees! They are a different variety, the needles are very different, but I think they'll work.  I have to work the gallery in Hawi on Monday and need lots of projects to keep myself busy, so will start the new basket then.

 

I think raffia isn't my thread of choice anymore. The widths 

are too inconsistent, the lengths are too short,

and it breaks too easily.  I'm going to try this polished hemp and 

see if I like the look better.

Here's what the "Hawaiian" pine needles look like. They're individual

needles (not groups of 3 like Ryan's) much thicker, and

they have little "joints" every 1/2" or so that should add

some texture and interest.  I'll keep you posted!

Hawaiian Style Wine Bottle Gift Bag!

I couldn't resist making more gift bags with leftover Hawaiian print fabric.  I don't have any silkscreen supplies here...so had to make my designs with freezer paper stencils.  Time consuming, but lots of fun.

First I cut my design out of freezer paper

Ironed my designs to the bag fabric (cut to 9"x"15")

A sponge brush and fabric paint

After dabbing on the paint, let dry, remove freezer paper, then heat set

My designs, see this post for sewing instructions

Hawaiian Wine Bottle gift bags

Pine Needle Basket

I have wanted to make one of these forever..well...since I saw one once in a museum and thought..."I can do that!"  The Manzanita House has several huge pine trees that seem to drop an unending supply of pine needles everyday...insert lightbulb here...the house needs a pine needle basket or two on the new mantle!  So, I found this cool "how to" site, read it, and started making one last night.  My first attempt will be kind of messy and unprofessional, but I know my next will be better.  Looks like it will be a fun project for Hawaii.  I gathered enough pine needles yesterday for about 10 baskets...they're all boiled and softened, and if I can get them past Hawaiian agricultural (ha ha, just kidding) I should have hours and hours of mindless projecting for the next couple of weeks!

So, here are the first steps...think the finished basket won't happen until I've got a few days of down time in Hawaii.  Here is the pile of pine needles after boiling for 10 minutes (to clean and soften)

These are my prepared bundles to take to the Hawaii House.

And here is the start to my basket...I'm using raffia as my "thread"

Wine Bottle Gift Bag

The holidays are coming and I thought it would be fun to give gift bags my friends could use when they take a bottle of wine as a hostess gift or for Christmas presents.  I silkscreened on the fabric before I made the bag, but you could easily achieve the same effect with a freezer paper stencil or handpainting a design.

You will need 2 pieces of fabric for the outside 

and 2 pieces for the lining approx 9 x 15"

As I said, I silkscreened my design but let your imagination go wild

Sew two buttonholes 3/4" apart about 2-3" from top of the 

front piece (the one with your design on it) This will be for the drawstring

Sew 2 outer pieces (and 2 lining pieces) right sides together down either side

Turn the lining piece right side out and iron.  Place inside the outer 

fabric tube and sew right sides together around top edge

Turn right side out and iron top edge

Turn inside out and create the "box" of the base of the bag

by folding in the sides of both the lining fabric and the outer fabric

Sew across both short sides leaving a small gap in the lining seam

so you can turn the entire piece right side out through the opening

Turn right side out

Stuff the lining back into the outer fabric bag and press

The bottom of your bag should look like this pic below

Cut buttonhole and sew a casing wide enough to accommodate

the width of your ribbon. Using a safety pin, feed your ribbon (about 1/2 yard)

through the first buttonhole, through the casing and out the second buttonhole

The finished bag can be used for a bottle of wine or 

any kind of holiday treats.

Home From the Italy Bike Trip

Whew...I'm tired.  Jet lag has me...went to bed at 10:00 (after our flight home from Venice) got up at 2:30 am ugh.  Anyway...you can really get a lot done in the middle of the night.  4 loads of laundry, all unpacked, bills paid, e:mails read and written, all my fun blogs read and it's still only 6:47 am!!!!  Thought I'd share a couple of pictures from the trip...it was really fun.  We rode about 30 miles everyday...from Verona to Venice.  It was FLAT...so easy pedaling.  We had some fabulous food and wine (maybe a little too much) and stayed at two unbelievable hotels (Villa Feltrinelli on Lake Garda and the Cipriani in Venice) wowsers.

A little wine tasting

me cruising on my bike

our friends we biked with (think we're bright enough??? no cars were hitting us!)

a typical bike path along the river

we had a pasta (tortellini) making lesson

although I've made my own pasta for 30 years...it's always fun

to see someone else's "tricks of the trade" This was Ada...she's 85...imagine

how many miles of pasta she's made!

our bike guides Nathan and Vickie...fabulous fabulous.  

we all wore masks and went for a gondola ride once we arrived in Venice

and picturesque Venice

and...how NOT to visit Venice

I found a really cool scarf in an open air market that I'm going to copy...

will post pics in the next few days.  The Manzanita project continues...

I'll be helping Ryan paint the next couple of weeks until I return to Hawaii.

Christmas Presents Are Finished

Well, not all of them, but the sewing projects I had here at the Hawaii House are all finished.  I was accepted into a gallery in Hawi Town yesterday, so the sewing machine has been put away and the watercolors have come out.  I'm only here one more full day before I head back to the mainland, but I'm getting a good start on some new paintings.  Here are the fabrics I got on my last trip to
Kona...they're paired with lining and batting...all ready to quilt.

Here's my "sewing room"

Bags with a view

And my new hat rack works as a display as well

New Hat Rack

I've accumulated quite a few straw hats here at the Hawaii House.  What to do with them?  I saw a similar idea somewhere in blogland and figured "I can do that!"  I couldn't find an oar (reasonably priced) in Kona so ordered one from Pottery Barn (at least it was on sale)  I planned on hanging my new Monkey Fist...but at 5'...the oar isn't really long enough to hold several hats and my knot.  Oh well...I think it looks pretty cool and one more WHITE wall is decorated.