Katharine Houk ~

Miniscule Mushrooms in the Moss

Katharine — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 03:46:14 +0000

Still playing, creating tiny green worlds. Some bitty tiny mushrooms have appeared in the moss. Can anyone tell me about these? They are about 1/4 inch tall.

Moss terrarium play

Katharine — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:43:04 +0000

This terrarium was created in a small 3″ by 3″ by 3″ glass cube. It has a glass lid, and at one time it housed a candle.

The people in the above terrarium are very tiny, at bout 1 1/8 inches tall. I tried it with some larger figures, but they seemed too big - at their height of 1 and 1/2 inches. See below.

1 and 1/2 inch people.

Terrarium with 1 1/2 inch people.

More little things

Katharine — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:07:42 +0000

First, a cuff made of lambswool from a felted Gap sweater, hand-embroidered with wool. The giraffe button is a Kazuri bead, a fair trade item made in Africa.

Another cuff, made from a man’s silk tie, trimmed with silk from recycled saris, embellished with ribbon and a Kazuri ceramic elephant bead.

More about Kazuri beads can be found at http://www.kazuribeadsusa.com

Green in Winter

Katharine — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 19:06:55 +0000

This is a rough photo of a terrarium I worked on this morning. More photos can be found at Sanctuary Without Walls.

Below are some photos of tiny terrarium pendants, with a quarter to show scale. Some of these were for sale at the Real Food Market Co-op for the holidays, which is why some have chains and others do not (yet).

Who thought I’d be gardening in this frigid weather?!

HandWork

Katharine — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 05:05:27 +0000

As some of you may know, I have not been able to work at my sewing machine for many months now. However, my hands have not been idle. Today I took some of my handwork to our local food co-op. These consist of small things I can work on (usually propped up with pillows!). In these short sessions, I’ve had great fun making “jewelry” items from unusual objects. And it’s good to use the “stuff” I’ve collected, giving it new form.

Below is a bracelet I sold today. First, using a knitting spool, I made a denim-colored cord from blue wool, then used beads and springs, (as in hardware from your toolbox), and finished it off with tassels.

Springs and Wool Bracelet

As I create these little things, I will share some of them here. Then perhaps someday they will have their own page.

Here’s a teaser. Next post: the tiny terrarium necklace.

Vintage Lace and Silk Cuff

Katharine — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 02:23:24 +0000

For home handwork (as opposed to studio work) I created a cuff. The body and lining are made of silk scraps from a chasuble I made, the lace is vintage, and vintage shell buttons provide an adjustable closure. Thanks to Gunnell for the pieces of lace she shared with me.

Repurposed woolen mittens

Katharine — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:13:04 +0000

Tucked in a corner at the Chatham Real Food Market Co-op you will find a small sampling of my woolen handwork. These items are made in those moments between working on the banner and taking care of my family and self.

An example is pictured below: a pair of fulled (felted) thick woolen mittens, lined with luscious, soft, purple lambswool from another sweater. The asymmetrical designs on the mittens are needle-felted. Now if we only had some snow…..

Dolls from a vintage pattern

Katharine — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:18:08 +0000

Over the holidays, I worked (as time allowed) on dolls for my granddaughters.

Much of the sewing was done by hand, which meant I could do it from bed. In addition to the clothing you see here, I created miniature sweaters for these two from re-purposed felted lambswool and cashmere sweaters.

The package is still on its way to them, a bit late.

Now I can return to my beloved banner project.

October Snowstorm Outside the Studio

Katharine — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 19:48:27 +0000

Snow on green maple leaves!

More storm photos at http://www.sanctuarywithoutwalls.com.

Earth Pages ~ Altered Book

Katharine — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:32:23 +0000

Back in March, I promised to send photos of the altered book I started months ago.

Earth, Water, Fire and Air ~ what you see below are the Earth pages. The book is made from an altered child’s board book, with stamping, collage, painting, chalk, and more. The tabs on the right are part of the original board book; they’ve been perfect for labeling each page. The photo of St. Francis was taken in the garden of a place I stayed near Asheville, NC.

The Water, Fire and Air pages are almost complete, so eventually you’ll find those here as well. In the meantime, backed-up custom orders absorb my time.

If you have made altered books, please leave a comment with a link. I’d like to see your work!