From: dmiller@theory.lcs.mit.edu (Dick and Jill Miller)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles
Subject: Re: Fabricholicism
Date: 5 Sep 92 13:23:31 GMT
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT


Like Jael, Barabara Fields and Dream Dancer, I too do bobbin lace :') as 
well as crocheting, tatting, knitting, quilting, dressmaking, weaving and 
spinning. (the last two long ago).  The only fiber art I met that I didn't 
like was macrame.  Recently, because I've been teaching crocheting and 
knitting and mostly working on those kinds of projects.

Actually I love all fiber arts/crafts and like the thread on Fabricholics I 
have a large store of fabrics which has almost pushed me out of my sewing 
room.  I'm in the process of packaging some pieces for recyling at my quilt 
club's fabric exchange.

I, too, love the look and especially the feel of the fabrics.  It seems 
that love of the materials is part of fabricholicism, as is stockpiling raw 
materials so that we won't run out of projects.

For me, and I infer from some of the other comments on the thread, the 
process is almost as important as the finished process.  Why else would 
someone give all her/his products away?  I know that when I have been on 
vacation without some 'handwork', I become anxious, restless, and 
depressed, so it may be that the working bleeds off stress, too.

Why skip around from one craft to another?  For me that is a way to keep 
learning.  I am seldom so happy as when I'm learning a new craft or a new 
trick for an old one.

I put aside knitting years ago because I got tired of following patterns 
and didn't have the necessary help to take the next step of figuring out my 
own patterns.  After subscribing to Threads for a couple of years. tho, I 
felt confident in my abilities and have started (just) to design my own.  
My current project is to unravel a sweater I made years ago which has a 
couple of moth holes in it and which never fit.  The sleeves are too long 
and the cowl neck is too overwhelming and the length is too short (made 
when sweaters were made to just below the waist and I followed the 
directions as to length so it is yet another inch too short because I'm a 
bit long in the waist.  I'll make a simple pullover with a slipped rib (I'm 
not really sure what it's called, but you knit all wrong-side stitches, and 
purl-1, slip-1 on the front.)  I still have to decide whether I want a 
crew-neck or a V-neck, but other than that (and finishing a cross-stitch 
picture for my sister, and a pair of knitted peds, and a sewn jacket, and 
dining-room curtains, and lining my favorite wool winter skirt so it 
doesn't scratch my legs, and . . . . ) I'm all ready to go.  (You get the 
picture!)

How many others have a periodic group that they meet with?  I used to meet 
with a group to work on projects and chat one night a week.  I'd love to 
get into another one.  What about 'crit' groups?  Several of my quilting 
friends belong to one and find that it keeps them on their toes and growing 
in their craft.

--Jill

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Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles