Community of the Like Minded Earth Notes Texas Workshop with Leslie Marsh Hastypearl

Community of the Like Minded

Earth Notes Texas Workshop with Leslie Marsh

Hastypearl

Every now and then, we experience something that is, More.

More, than we expected.

Even when our expectations are High...they can still be exceeded.

I recently hosted one of those events.

I already knew Leslie Marsh from hosting her in a previous event, 

so I already knew something great would happen. :)

For me then, it was all about seeing what would happen with the workshop attendees.

I wasn't disappointed.

The weather reports promised rain, which we had a little of, 

but our last day, 

the sun broke through and we couldn't have ordered a more perfect day.

My Texas garden Celebrates this time of year.

It Gives and Gives and Gives.

Yes, I can press its leaves and flowers, 

and I can even capture it in photographs...

but now, I can save it with the most amazing transaction.

Heat, water, paper, fabric.

The beauty is coaxed out of the living and transferred Forever.

Its a surprising treasure...every time.

It's an art that has been practiced since the dawn of man.

Now, because of  Leslie's generous sharing, 

another room full of women can do it, too.

I'm so glad that I learned it from one of the most 

congenial, selfless persons I've ever met.

Thank you, Leslie.

Our garage is now home base for art workshops.

What a happy thing to have.

I've been to workshops, in huge venues, where almost never a word 

was spoken between the attendees.

Not in this garage!

There's chatter and sharing.

It reminds me of the old days when women gathered on the porch to snap beans 

or quilt their squares.

Something very permanent, eternal, transpires.

Fellowship.

Its a safe place where discussions of  the divisions of politics, 

controversies and conflicts are unwelcomed...

instead, 

conversations of life and discovery about 

WHO WE REALLY ARE, 

takes place.

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The Community blanket was spread, where we shared leaves from 

our backyards, from all across the US.

Joy!

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Building.

Process.

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It doesn't happen Every time.

But it DID This time.

It looks like we were told what to wear for our class picture! 

I think this is the Best Class Pic I've Ever Seen :)

...to This group of ladies...Vicki, Elissa, Jeanne, 

Linda, Michelle, Carol, Mary Ann, Deryn, Diane and Leslie...

You are the Best! 

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Everyone has gone home.

But all I have to do, 

is take a deep breath and

 breathe in the aroma that still lingers on my dyed papers and fabrics, 

and it all Comes Back to me.

Whatever it takes, for you to find a Community of the Like Minded, 

I recommend you taking the time to do it.

It's a Building kind of thing.

A Restoring kind of thing.

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I'm so Glad that you stopped by hastypearl !

I love seeing where you All come from to read these entries about my life.

Its an unbelievable honor...

If you would like to get a little note telling you when I post, 

please sign up in the box provided in the right column !

Enjoy these lovely days...Fall here and Spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

What a wonderful World :)

Laura aka hastypearl  

Leslie Marsh

How to Sew a Pouch ! Hastypearl

How to Sew a Pouch !

Hastypearl

So, in typical Hastypearl form, I got the idea on Mother's Day EVE NIGHT, 

to make a pouch for my sister's Mothers Day gift.

She is the All Time Best Mother and Grandmother, 

so she certainly deserved the attention.

If you are a perfectionist, seeing my style and process may be challenging for you:)

I'm a bit of a "squint and look over the end of my thumb to measure", kind of girl.

If you love using patterns, I'm sure that there are plenty out there to use.

I had done two Eco Dye pots last week, 

so I was anxious to use some of the linen, that I had dyed in Saffron.

Its so soft and very organic, so it lent itself to a bit of a rustic approach. 

I measured/eyeballed out, what I thought would make 

a useful sized pouch and cut the linen in a rectangle.

This pouch could be for useful for holding so many things.

Think...art supplies, make up, pens, or really Anything that's not really small, 

that would work its way out of the open top.

If you wanted something more secure, you could add a zipper. 

I stitched along the outsides of the rectangle, in a contrasting color.

This will keep the edges from fraying Past the stitch line, 

otherwise, I think it will look great, to let the linen fray.

You can see the pouch taking shape.

Its basically just a rectangle folded up and stitched on the bottom, 

with a flap on the top.

Finish all of the edges.

I also ran a couple of extra lines across the front flap, 

just for decoration.

I used a contrasting thread, that I thought was 

really complimentary to the Saffron, 

and I selected three buttons from my Vintage Button stash, 

which Never lets me down!

So, I kind of have this More is More attitude in life 

or better applied to this project...

why would you use One Button when you can use Three?

I'll show you how I worked that out, later!

I cut a little slit in the front flap Just large enough to accommodate the buttons, 

and added a bit of support on the back side,

 by adding a small bit of the same linen fabric. 

Then I did a Very Rustic running stitch along the edges of the button hole.

Yes, I know that this free-styling is like fingernails on a black board for some of you, 

but I wanted the project to look very loose and organic.

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So, if you want to use more than One Button, its really easy.

You start by sewing two of the buttons together, 

and then sew that pair to the next one.

I had the FANTASTIC Barrel button with one hole, 

and the red button with two holes 

and the Mother of Pearl with four holes, 

so you just have to add them one at a time!

I KNOW...its totally weird to many of you, to use three buttons... 

but its the kind of thing that I'm Just Going To Do...so...

Welcome to My World :)

...isn't that barrel button amazing?!?

 I don't have the matching snap portion, 

but I can just imagine a 1940's suit or coat 

that it once adorned! 

Fantastic! 

So, now, you can see the set of three buttons all combined and ready to sew onto the pouch.

I stitched some little vines and leaves in the corners of the flap.

In and Out. 

In and Out. 

What a relaxing therapy :)

Below, is what the finished pouch looked like!

It was done in the late night and early morning hours...

neither times great for photography, 

but you can see how it looked all finished.

And Below, is a perfect picture of my heavenly Button dilemma.

ANY of these great buttons would have looked great together or alone.

Aren't Vintage Buttons, amazing?!

So, you can see the pouch, in my Mothers Day table, vignette, 

waiting to surprise my sister.

I think that you can see, 

that I'm already completely in love with the colors of her pouch.

My Old Country Roses china, looked great with it.

It doesn't really effect me year to year what Pantone says are the years best colors.

I've probably already been using one or the other of them, 

my whole adult life and you probably have, too!

So, it wasn't really a surprise, 

when the flowers that I selected from my garden for a little table posy, 

ended up matching so well.

So, there you are!

Its a fun and easy little project to make, if you want to try it.

Perfectionists...I'm sure that yours will look totally different...

but it will be made with love, just like mine was.

When You have someone that you love...

its easy to create something special, just for them!

So as always, Thanks for stopping by! 

I'm so glad that you did :)

There are a number of ways that you can follow along with hastypearl.https://www.etsy.com/shop/hastypearl

Just tap any of the boxes on the right column of my blog...

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I've made some great friends, just by leaving comments, on the blogs that I read.

Hope you are enjoying your days...

Best to all...Laura