Big Al’s Workshop
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bigalsworkshop.bsky.social
Big Al’s Workshop
@bigalsworkshop.bsky.social
38 followers 68 following 33 posts
Knitting Sewing Crocheting Fibering Arting.
Handmade gifts, custom projects, alterations & mending.
Dayton, Ohio.

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bigalsworkshop.bsky.social
A little commissioned painting for a customer, who gifted this to their sister for their 60th! It’s a joy and honor to create such special gifts. Don’t forget, commissions are always open! 🌞
June 10, 2025 at 4:33 PM
bigalsworkshop.bsky.social
And now they’re good as new! If you need any alterations AND you’re in the Dayton area, email or message me today! 🪡
The same pair of jeans after alterations have been complete. Everything has been reassembled and sewn back together, as if they were never taken apart.
June 4, 2025 at 2:20 PM
bigalsworkshop.bsky.social
It’s time to tailor! your! pants! Here this customer needed these jeans taken in at the waist, so we:

✅ Added two darts
✅ Adjusted the waistband to match the new measurements
✅ Reworked the pocket placement to ensure they lay flat post-altering (no one wants gaping pockets!)
The back of a pair of camel-color jeans lay flat, showing them mid-alterations. The waistband, belt loop, and two pockets have been partially removed. Two equally-spaced darts have been added to the back waistline. There are many sewing pins throughout keeping everything in place.
June 4, 2025 at 2:20 PM
bigalsworkshop.bsky.social
I went for a traditional double wedding ring pattern, using white + their wedding colors for the top and the floral back. A mega congrats to the newly weds!
The back corner of the quilt with the quilt label; part of the front of the quilt can be seen underneath. The back is a colorful, small floral print. The label is navy, with following inscription stitched in white: “Made for Tyler + Savannah with love from Allison + Mike 4.25.2025” A close up of one corner of the front of the quilt. You can see one full “ring” of the quilt pattern, showing the quilting stitches throughout the quilt. The quilt is laying outside on concrete in the Sun.
May 19, 2025 at 12:16 PM
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Praise the sewing gods because I GOT THE WEDDING QUILT DONE ON TIME. It was a labor of love to make, and a joy to give to my brother & his lovely wife a few weeks ago.
A throw-size quilt is held up from behind by Allison in her sunny backyard. It is double-wedding ring quilt, that is white with small navy and light peach accents.
May 19, 2025 at 12:16 PM
bigalsworkshop.bsky.social
Palette from “From Grandma Jan’s (My First Mug)”.

I’m starting to get to know gouache & my initial reviews are.. I should have listened to everyone sooner! It’s made painting much more accessible & enjoyable, at least for this phase of my life. Here’s to many more forays with this lovely medium.
A horizontal view of a paint palette, with small dabs of paint at the top and all the different paint colors mixed in small patches throughout the rest of the palette. The dabs of paints are white, yellow, ochre, red, two shades of blue, and brown. The colors mixed are a variety of whites, blue, grays, greens, and brown. The background is white.
May 14, 2025 at 12:11 AM
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🪡🧵
May 11, 2025 at 7:39 PM
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…Exactly in the same soup and open to the exact same things.” Our connection is not merely biophysical but cultural: “This is about the invisible conditions that are swirling around us. In our air. In our atmosphere. Through our words.”
Another view of the same piece, showing only the knit portion, no wooden frame in view.
April 15, 2025 at 8:46 PM
bigalsworkshop.bsky.social
“It’s not a bad thing to say we’re interdependent,” Alice continued, raising a concept foreign to many Americans. It requires courage and an acceptance of vulnerability to admit how SARS-CoV-2 has shown, as Alice put it, that “We’re in the same soup…
Detail of the same piece, showing a close up view of the stitches. You can see the small size of the stitches, the texture of the wool, and the contrast between the background burgundy fibers compared to the white wool used for the quote. Only the left portion of the quote can be seen.
April 15, 2025 at 8:46 PM
bigalsworkshop.bsky.social
“It’s Not A Bad Thing To Say We’re Interdependent … We’re In The Same Soup”
Hand knit and stitched wool
8" x 10"
2025

Alice Wong, prominent and beloved disability justice activist, says in “The Viral Underclass” by Stephen Thrasher (pg. 262-263):
A piece of hand knit fabric in a wood frame. The piece is knit in a stockinette stitch, using a burgundy wool yarn for the background color. In the center, the following quote is hand stitched in white: “We’re In The Same Soup” – Alice Wong –
April 15, 2025 at 8:46 PM
bigalsworkshop.bsky.social
This sweet, whale-adorned vessel remains a relic of the good that came from a difficult time – something to call my own when I was missing so many of my things; the love, support, and generosity my Grandma Jan provided to all of us; and the start of my daily coffee consumption.
Another view of the same painting, showing only the mug, no wooden frame in view. The background of the painting is white, with the mug and inscription in the center. Detail of the same painting, showing a much closer view of the center. The bottom half of the mug is shown, showing all the small brushstrokes, reflections, lines, etc. The nuances of the handwriting style of the inscription can be seen, along with the natural texture of the paper.
April 10, 2025 at 6:38 PM
bigalsworkshop.bsky.social
“From Grandma Jan’s (My First Mug)”
Graphite and gouache on paper
10" x 8"
2025

An ode to one of my favorite heirlooms. This cup quickly became my designated mug during the short time my mom, siblings, and I lived with my grandmother.
A small, color gouache painting of a mug in a wood frame. The mug has a painted whale on the side, with water below and small clouds surrounding it. The rest of the mug is a pale gray. Below the mug, the following inscription is handwritten in graphite in all capitals: “From Grandma Jan’s (My First Mug)”
April 10, 2025 at 6:38 PM
bigalsworkshop.bsky.social
A fearless, fiercely independent woman who was infinitely generous, didn’t have a problem telling it like it is, and was always up for a new adventure, no matter how big or small. “Precious” captures the essence of our friendship together – a gift I will forever cherish.
A detail of one corner of the same quilt piece. The pale peach binding, pink flower embroidery, and quilting stitches can be seen more clearly. The thread used for the quilt stitches is a champagne color that glistens in the light. A detail of the center of the same piece, showing one of the embroidered “J”s , the original edges of the napkins used, and more of the quilt stitches.
April 9, 2025 at 8:45 PM
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“Precious”
Quilted bridge linens and thread from Jane Bradshaw-Magee
16” x 16”
2025

Using her bridge linens, napkins, and thread, this is a small memorial to honor the life of my dear friend, Jane Bradshaw-Magee.
A double wedding ring quilt square in shades of ivory and pale pink. The outside corners have small pink flowers with dainty green stems. The center has four “J”s embroidered in white. The quilted stitches are in the circular, floral design from the tablecloth used for the backing of the piece.
April 9, 2025 at 8:45 PM
bigalsworkshop.bsky.social
I’ll be posting my pieces here over the next few days, but go see everyone’s incredible work before the show closes at the end of the month! Head to www.dutoitgallery.com to schedule a visit!
Multiple people standing in front of one of the gallery walls. Parts of four different pieces can be seen behind the group. Allison standing in front of her square, quilted piece in the gallery. She is wearing the same outfit, but can be seen head to toe. The piece is pale pink and ivory, quilted in a single ring pattern.
April 8, 2025 at 6:06 PM
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This show is a “group exhibition featuring the works of 18 Dayton area artists celebrating friendship, caring, and kindness received and/or given by female identifying friends during the good times, life’s challenges, as well as the everyday.”
April 8, 2025 at 6:06 PM
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Friday night’s opening of “I Get By With A Little Help…” was beautiful! Uplifting! Wonderful! Thank you to Dutoit Gallery for hosting and to Darden Bradshaw for curating such a lovely show.
Allison, a woman with curly brown hair, wearing a sparkly black dress, black KF94 mask with a mask chain, smiles while standing in front of her small painting of a mug. Darden Bradshaw’s installation piece sits in front of Allison’s small, knit piece on the wall. Darden’s piece is comprised of two chairs, a small table, tea set, handmade rug, and small felted portrait sitting on one chair. Allison’s piece is burgundy with a quote stitched in white, hanging in a wooden frame. A closer view of Darden’s felted portrait piece sitting on the chair. The portrait is of Jane Bradshaw-Magee, Darden’s late mother and my dear friend.
April 8, 2025 at 6:06 PM
bigalsworkshop.bsky.social
BYE BYE, BASTING THREADS. See this finished piece and more this Friday at “I Get By With A Little Help…” from 6-9pm at Dutoit Gallery!

www.dutoitgallery.com
April 3, 2025 at 1:51 AM
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HOLD ON THERE, PARTNER – Before you put your Winter wear away, make sure it’s all in tip top shape! Gloves, mittens, socks, hats, sweaters. If they need a bit of mending, you know where to find me (a.k.a. send me an email with a few pictures of the repairs and I’ll send you a quote ASAP!)
March 27, 2025 at 8:57 PM
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Work in progress for a new painting. ✍️🖌️🐳
A pencil drawing of a mug with a handle and a whale, clouds, and water painted on it on white paper. There is a pencil laying at an angle in the top right corner. Only half of the mug can be seen.
March 26, 2025 at 4:12 PM
bigalsworkshop.bsky.social
“I Get By With A Little Help…” opens in just a couple weeks at Dutoit Gallery! Very excited to be one of the 18 wonderful artists in this show!

OPENING RECEPTION:
🗓Friday, April 4 from 6-9pm
Saturday, April 5 from 12-4pm
📍Dutoit Gallery
Front Street Building 100
B-C Entrance, 3rd Floor
Dayton, Ohio
A black and white poster for the April 2025 gallery show “I Get By With A Little Help…” All 18 participating artists are listed, with a letter from each named enlarged to spell out the name of the show. Event details are listed in the bottom right corner of the poster. The artists are listed as follows: Jennifer Roesch, Barbara J. Bergstrom, Megan Newton, Morgan Bukovec, Emily Sullivan Smith, Elyssa Wortzman, Maggie Rook, Misty Thomas-Trout, Sarah Brashears, R. Darden Bradshaw, Anya Galli-Robertson, Stephanie Beiser, Jess Williams, Erin Holscher Almazan, Allison Parrish-Tinkle, Frankie Oliver, Sydney Summers, Meg Powell.
March 18, 2025 at 8:55 PM
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WTF is she drawing & painting again? YUPP. I’ve been wanting to for some time, and this show is the kick in the butt I’ve needed to dip my toes back in! 🫡
March 13, 2025 at 9:58 PM
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Oh this work in progress is bringing me some much needed joy. Look at it basking in the Sun! 🌞 See this and work by 17 other amazing artists in “I Get By With A Little Help…” at Dutoit Gallery on April 4th!
The corner of a double wedding ring quilt block partially in the Sun light and partially in shadow. The pieces are a range of whites, ivory, and very pale pink. The corner has a scalloped edge with a a pink flower embroidered on it. The opposing corner has a “J” embroidered in white thread on it.
March 12, 2025 at 7:18 PM
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Just look at these beauties! ⚜️ Custom pleated drapes for a wonderful customer’s Victorian home. These were a joy to make AND install at the end of last year!

Whether you want to modify curtains you already own or have custom ones made, email me your idea & we’ll get started!
A living room view, including a window with white shutters, beige couch with accent pillows, and a black standing lamp to the left. Gold and dark gray pinch pleat curtains hang on a gold rod on each side of the window. A close up view of the top of one of the pinch pleat curtain panels. The ornate fleur-de-lis gold, metallic pattern on top of a charcoal background can be seen, along with the hand-tacked pleats. Each curtain has three, triple-folded pleats. Matching curtains hanging on a gold curtain rod against another window in the same room. They hang to the right and perfectly complement an antique, gold oval mirror on the opposite wall.
March 12, 2025 at 1:07 AM
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✨ First attempts at some cute af mask chains! ✨
March 11, 2025 at 4:15 PM