Alicia in Hawaii…
Curiosities808
Curios- “A curious or unusual object of art or piece of bric-a-brac, short for curiosity”
808-area code for Hawaii
I’ve learned many crafts and explored many art mediums and along the way I met people like me that make really cute things (curios) and really do well at it. Yet, we never take the plunge and identify ourselves as ‘artists’. Then, I discovered Embroidery…and with that I’ve become brave enough to shed all other ‘identities’ and am ready to simply say, I am an Artist.
Currently, I’m a thread enthusiast with passion for embroidery, crochet, and knit. I taught myself how to knit. I create miniature crochet bears, dolls, and faeries. I dabble in painting…watercolor and acrylic…and am now exploring how to combine all of it together to design One of a Kind Original Art. It’s a great adventure and a new chapter of my life as an Artist and I thought I’d celebrate by starting this blog to share ideas and meet other artist and thread enthusiasts.
Won’t you join me?
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2011
As we grow and explore, I would hope that we move and shift our interests and adventures. I add to my list of growing talents and artistic expression…. baking. In addition to thread and fabric craft … I have explored and enjoyed some baking triumphs…in both sweets and BREADS! Please follow along as I add some bread side trips to my musings.
Let’s see what this new year brings us!
smiles,
alicia
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Curiosities 808 
Alicia, Your embroidery is truly beautiful. I have the same issue of Inspiration Mag. and I love all the projects in this one. You are truly an artist. Hugs Judy
Judy, …*blush*… thank you so much 🙂
Hugs back to you, alicia in Hawaii
Hi,
I love your work. I’m up early in the morning…well, actually it’s barely morning here in Nebraska. Anyhoo. Love your blog!
Over the past year, I’ve collected a room full of vintage needlework items-ribbons, floss, threads, needles, tools, textiles, books and magazines. You name it…I’ve got it.
I want to learn how to knit, how to embroider and improve my sewing. All so that I can begin to make and enjoy many beautiful vintage inspired handicrafts in my home and as gifts and heirlooms to my friends and family members.
Needlecrafting is a skill, unfortunately, nearly forgotten.
I’m starting to learn to teach myself to knit. My hands cramp a bit and I’m only just beginning–literally.
Any advice?
Hi Calandra (Cally),
Thank you for your wonderful comments. your collection of items sounds wonderful! You are so lucky to have collected such a great resource.
I’m glad to hear that you are diving in a trying it out and that you are willing to teach yourself and give it a go! I think that the more willing you are to try it out on your own, the more willing you’ll be to embellish and have fun with whatever it is that you end up creating.
I taught myself to knit from several books (Vogue) and from several online sites. What I would do, and still do, is…grab a project, read the directions, cast on, and when I get stuck, with a stitch or anything, I stop and look it up. Believe it or not, my first real ‘project’ was a cabled sweater by Elsebeth Lavold…yes…it was a complicated piece…from a chart…but, I just slowly worked through it. I even emailed Elsebeth about a chart that was confusing, only to surprise her that something was wrong with the printing. She really did email back and gave me the correction and a thanks for finding the error. 😉 Thing is, if you go along like this and find it isn’t ‘fun’ anymore, you can quit and find something else to do. For me, deciphering the pattern was part of the puzzle and it was fun. As soon as any other projects have become ‘tedious’ or I start to dread them, I figure that it’s time to give that project up. This is supposed to fill your ‘happy time’…to relax and enjoy what you are creating. If that isn’t happening , then…I, personally, move on.
When I was learning to knit, my hands cramped up. A lot of that is the learning stage. You grab the needles and fumble with the yarn with a death grip. You need to stop and shake it out when that happens. Unfortunately, you have to change your activity and relax your hand until the cramping and irritation subside. (always the fear of carpal tunnel) As you relax with the needles, your grip will be less fearful and your wrists and hands will relax. So will your stitches… that is when you will ‘see’ your actual tension and comfort zone ‘for you’. Then…you’ll still have cramps…because then you’ll be knitting for hours as a knitting junkie! Rule of thumb is to always stop when it hurts…shake it out, heat it, ice it, massage it and most of all…take a break.
(That’s when it’s great to have several other hobbies…then you can go and embroider while waiting to get back to knitting… 😉 )
Aloha, Alicia!
I’m Susie in VA.
We have some things in common…I used to live in Hawaii (twice, for two years each time) and I love to do crayon tinting and embroidery. I really love the funky vintage designs.
I’m also into crochet, sewing and home dec, a good thing, since we just moved and hubby agreed that we need new furniture, etc. Thrifty gal that I am, I’m trying to repurpose as much as possible. Currently I’m working on a slipcover for an old wing chair and ottoman. I started on the ottoman last night and it’s going great…working my courage up to do the chair, which I know will be more of a challenge!
Your work is beautiful – can’t wait to see the finished monkeys!
Aloha
Susie
Hi Susie,
Thanks for commenting. Whoo hoo for finding another Hawaii-goer! Did you like it here? It’s gotten a bit hotter year after year…yet it’s still beautiful. I’d love to see some of your crayon tinting and embroidery. Crochet is so fun too. It works up pretty quickly and with crochet, you can make up lots of 3-d shapes to form up all kinds of nifty things. A slipcover! Wow! That must be a challenge! I’d love to see a photo of your progress. Please share! Thank you for the complement on my work being beautiful. *blush* The monkeys press on! (literally lol) smiles, alicia in Hawaii
Hello from central Louisiana,
Happy to see you are still creating beautiful
things. I use my stitch markers all the time.
Maureen
Hi Maureen!
I’m glad you found us! I miss you guys and your office. It’s hard to find great medical people here. Of course, you and yours are beyond the norm, so there is no comparison! I still crochet, knit, spin, play with wool…and now oil paint too! I’m glad you use the stitch markers. They were just so ‘you’. Thanks for visiting! Drop by often.
smiles,
alicia in Hawaii
p.s. Did you see the snorkel pics?
wow, what a compliment to be added to your “blogs i visit” list. thanks so much alicia!
Hi Lauren,
You are most welcome. You have a wonderful blog at “I Seam to Think Sew” (http://fussandfutz.blogspot.com/)
Most artistic!
smiles,
alicia in Hawaii
Will return to view at length….planning to be in Honolulu and stumbled on your site while looking for stitchery shop in HI.
Di