potholders

One last book for you.

I've always wanted to do a project with Grandma, and when Lark Books sent out a call for submissions for to this potholder book, I figured it was a great opportunity.


A few years ago, Grandma was making potholders using the chenille technique. She was having fun with the layers of fabric, experimenting with the different effects you can get when you change the order of the layers. So I flew out for the weekend and we made a few together, trying a few ideas we both had for making them in different ways.


Grandma and I used to spend a week together every year. Now it's more challenging to find the time. But when Tsia and I visited this summer, she made sure she had a stack of "our" book on hand so we could autograph them. Not usually my cup of tea (or should I say teapot of water?) to sign autographs, but it was fun to do it with her. And it was even more fun to make the potholders together. We always have a lot to discuss, like the best way to attach a binding or which fabrics fray most easily for getting the chenille effect. (Grandma likes the Kona solid-colored cottons because they're a bit more loosely woven than most printed cottons.)


The back of the potholder.



Here is one of Grandma's original chenille potholders paired with some of my very first embroidery, which Mom made into a potholder for Grandma. In case you can't tell, it's a nativity scene. But you knew that, right? Star, manger, Mary...

And that wraps up book week. I've got lots more to show you so let's do it again soon, shall we?