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Post by Wind in Her Hair on Apr 23, 2017 15:14:12 GMT
Yesterday, a friend and I drove north to Bemidj, MN and participated in a quill work and beading class taught by Ojibwa artist Betsy May. Working with porcupine(gaag) quills (gaaway) can be sticky business! In the end, we each ended up with a pair of beautiful birch bark (wigwaas), porcupine quill, and bead earrings and a greater understanding and appreciation for indigenous creativity and artistry. Miigweech, (thank you) Betsy May for sharing your gift with all of us! Here are a few pictures My first attempt at quillwork and beading on birch bark. Porcupine quills Northern American porcupine (gaag) Tools of the trade, including a migoos (antler awl) This is Waabinoo Bines, a delightful and up-and-coming creative young Ojibwa artist in his own right.
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Post by Callie on Apr 25, 2017 20:59:55 GMT
That is beautiful! I don't see how anyone can work with sharp quills. I can barely manage a knife. I took my wool to a new mill this year. Mitten State Sheep and Wool. Sandy has a small family mill. She did a great mob with my 24 pounds. I am not sure what I am going to do with it all. It can barely fit in my spare room. Surely I can come up with something soon for some fun April projects.
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Post by Billie on Apr 26, 2017 17:22:14 GMT
Only fibery thing I am doing is trying to get this wedding shawl finished for a friend. It has beads and more beads on it and that is taking forever. Put the beads on, move them down, crochet some, move the beads down, crochet some, etc......... Ready to be done but I am just now getting to the halfway point.
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Post by Muller's Lane Farm on May 2, 2017 2:42:47 GMT
Nice work, Wind in Her Hair , Did you soften the quills in your mouth or did you use water? The 3 bead edging is my favorite beaded edge. Callie , your roving looks delicious!! Billie , do you prestring the bead when you crochet? I finished a pair of Euni socks ... then gave them to a friend for her birthday. I'm making another pair for me in blues & greens.
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Post by Billie on May 2, 2017 5:42:26 GMT
Muller's Lane Farm, yes, I am pre stringing the beads onto the yarn. I put about 300 beads per skein, have some left over but I would rather some left over than not enough. Moving them down on the yarn is what takes so long.
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Post by Wind in Her Hair on May 3, 2017 14:00:19 GMT
Nice work, Wind in Her Hair , Did you soften the quills in your mouth or did you use water? The 3 bead edging is my favorite beaded edge. If I softened them in my mouth, they'd still be lodged in my tongue or in my cheek tissue! We soaked them in a little bowl of hot water. My beading needs a LOT of work, this was my first time working with beads ever, but now that I have a rudimentary understanding of what I am doing, I know my technique will improve! Those socks look awesome!
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