Sunday, December 16, 2012

what she wrought...



How's this for spectacular?
 Serena described it like this-
"Grandmother's Fan pattern hand drafted and set in  the Love Rings Orientation. Entirely hand pieced. White Fan pieces all  from my great, great grandmother's (Mary Katherine Ferguson's) linen napkins. Hand dyed blade fabric all hand dyed vintage linens from fiber artist Deb Lacativa...creams all 100% cotton either Kona, broadcloth solid, or shot cotton."

I'm honored and terrified that something so precious has been constructed from cloth that has already lived it's life, been discarded and then resurrected with color. But then I have seen and held one of her finished quilts all hand quilted ..old school all the way. I know it will be spectacular someday!

Saturday, December 15, 2012

holiday prep

I was predictably unhappy with the holiday stamps this year, again. I should stop complaining and submit my own designs but lord only knows what hoops the government puts artists through!
 That being said, I decided it was time to stop hoarding the postage stamps I've been hanging on to all these years. Buying whole sheets of new issues is a habit I picked up from my mother but I have been very discriminating about what stamps I purchased. Rosalie had a long career in the Post Office and always purchased full sheets of whatever new issues for her "collection" but I think when you stuff things in various drawers and boxes after acquiring it,  it is really called "a hoard". I have no idea what became of all her stamps, probably still in a box in someones attic. I've decided to put mine to work on envelopes to people who will appreciate the gorgeousness.  You know who you are.

I also found where I put the boxes of lovely Christmas cards that I bought so cheaply the week after the holidays last year but one of the older boxes was filled with pictures. That's a typical hoard in my house; boxes and envelopes of prints are everywhere.

Here's Rosie visiting with us not long after we first put in the pool in '98. She loved nothing better than hanging out in the sun at any pool or beach she could find. Her signature scent: Hawaiian Tropic.
Mom reveled in Christmas and now that she's gone there is a hollowness to the holidays.

Also in the same box, a shot of agriculture workers at harvest time in, COLORADO...Yeah. That's were they were, Colorado. Or was it Washington??

Friday, December 14, 2012

B&W ch.3


This is going to take a lot more time and study. There are four independent elements here just pinned together. And to think I was going to make another four or five before beginning this dance!!
I am not feeling what I was looking for when I first set out. It's always a matter of scale.


Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Cephalopod 1 finished

Cephalopod 1



That thread I was waiting on came late yesterday afternoon. This morning I finishing the machine quilting on the background and a bit more inside the body.

Although I have it on the design wall horizontally, at 60"x 30"  I like this orientation best.

Next sunny crisp day we have I'll get this one outside and get some better pictures.

If anyone is interested, the base cloth was an expanse of flour sacking that I was able to track back to sometime in the first quarter of the last century, Brooklyn, CT. The burgundy damask was a section of tablecloth from SS Columbia c.1920.

$2700.00 includes shipping and custom hanging bar. email me for availability.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

BW continues

I started another one this morning and for a second though about the "quilt as you go" technique where smaller units are completed and then joined. As you can see by the discrepancy in size, that's not the road I'm going down here, but that first test piece turned out so tasty, there's no way I can't include it in the main even especially since I have a good bit more of that velvety black linen to work with. Still waiting on that thread from Superior....

Monday, December 10, 2012

B&W test finished



So, will the next piece have a black ground with white elements or a white ground  with black elements?  but really, how to avoid making the choice at all?

back to the design wall maybe tomorrow.  Studio time for today is over.

Sunday, December 09, 2012

taking b&w chances


Here's my little B&W test flight.  I think of stitching, either hand or machine, in two classes; construction stitches or decorative stitches. I'm working on ways of combining the two. Of course, there are no absolutes so there will be glimmers and edges of color throughout the series. My task will be to stay my mad color hand and keep those splashes small and unobtrusive. Even this golden smile is more than I wanted on a piece that's little more than a foot across but I couldn't bring myself to cut it even smaller.

I had even greater black and white inspiration yesterday. This 1950 Chevy was parked outside the grocery store. Stupefied by it's massive glory, I took pictures all the way around and hung around outside to meet it's owner. The laminated original bill of sale was hung in the rear window. $1402.00 plus 24.96 for the white walls. It has only 30K original miles and I told him that when he was through with it to give me a call but since the name on the bill of sale was a close female relative of his, I don't think he's going to be parting with it any time soon.

On of my first cars was a used '53 Chevy and there is nothing like piloting one of these cars in today's driving experience.


Friday, December 07, 2012

all the colors of karma

Unfurling the cephalopod  and spending time with that great black and whiteness in my peripheral vision has reminded me that I have been waiting to make something using only black and white fabrics. It started with the excitement and spontaneity of "Los Dados Encantada" and, of course, circles around to my dear lost friend Karma.

I've been gathering up various types of cloth for a while; the blackest blacks and the whitest whites and the blurry almosts in between. There were a LOT of failed dye adventures over the summer so this morning I rounded up a batch of those gray/green/muddy wretches, brewed up a serious black, and had a successful kitchen sink mini dyefest. The waste was scandalous!

I'm starting small - there are a few things I want to try by way of hand stitching - and I won't know what the design will be like until I start putting things on the wall tomorrow.

Thursday, December 06, 2012

the cephalopod shuffles

Cleaned and oiled the machine; new needle all tested and tight and LO, comes Bloody Murphy and his law. Chuckling bugger.

After checking though half a dozen almost appropriate candidates for top thread, the color I finally chose ran out 20 minutes into the morning.

I've been agonizing over how and how much I wanted to stitch in the background gold and after dreaming it done (and quickly sketching it) I'll have to wait a few more days for that thread to be delivered and get on with it. Something Other, something Big and B&W is in the works but studio time is over for the day...off to the whine mines.


Wednesday, December 05, 2012

catsuit



And me with no stuffing in the cupboard! Off to Ho-Anns...I just remembered that there's a 20% discount today for having lived so long and still be fooling with fiber.

more later..

Now to cobble together a tail. He's got sass.



Tuesday, December 04, 2012

regaining footing



I've been feeling like home-made shit lately so I thought I'd start the day right by getting on with this WIP. It's going to have more machine quilting but I wanted to get a proper back on it and found the perfect thing in the closet, where all of the perfect things lurk. This piece is going to figure prominently on the website update..it makes a real splash I think.



Later we went to Goodwill to see what was new and cheap. I grabbed up this cotton sweater for half price and will be experimenting with hacking it into bunnies or something with legs and ears and this very cool lunch box which never saw a sandwich, cookie or carrot stick and is now stuffed with trimmings from my lavender  bush and stinking up the joint wickedly. Feeling better already.


Monday, December 03, 2012

DONE!!!


These two kindergarten quilts are now packed and will be on their way to NY in a hour or so as soon as the mobs at the PO die down.

 I heard that Martha Stewart put in an appearance at the show in Katonah on Saturday. I wonder what she would think about me dismembering a brand new top sheet from her best quality line (the white cloth) to make these two pieces? It's wonderful stuff, a micro fine twill is the best way I can describe it; super soft and weightier than sheets usually are. There's quite a bit more of it destined for the dyepot. And thanks to Melody for reminding me that I can dye indoors in the winter, I'll just have to pop my baggies into the warmed up oven.

Here are a few more pieces that went in the box on the way to several venues in the  Westchester/Fairfield vicinity over the next few weeks. Details when I know more.

Saturday, December 01, 2012

A good day at the market..




I've just heard that "The Devil Helps Punch & Judy Get Serious" has been sold.

 Nice to know there are folk out there buying art that's not all hearts, flowers and kittens. I've got lots more dark twists in the cupboard.