Done & done

Here's the big reveal! And no nicks, cuts or scrapes this time. Just blurred vision and a few stab wounds. No blood on the fabric though. Well, the verdict is that I'm happy to have gotten this stuff out of my system and there won't be any repeat performances anytime soon. Making them is kinda like eating Marzipan or Cinnabons - it seemed tasty at first bite but by the time you were finished, you were sick of it. I'm going to re-shoot and measure everything and move it all over to the hand dyes for sale so I can get back to working on things that actually move me beyond the moment. Then again, I might try this one again.It has promise as long as I remember to change the stitch length on my machine.

Pell Mell to Hell

Did I just invent an expression that means "here's what happens when you are in too much hurry to read directions or think through processes." On the surface most of these pieces have turned out pretty good for my first time folding, stitching and otherwise torturing perfectly nice fabric. But look at all those stitches that have to be removed. My eyes have given notice that even this computer is more than they want to deal with for a few hours.

Dye Day!

A small scale dye day underway due to the constraints of my kitchen. Can you imagine - I had to do the dishes first! This piece has been folded, stitched and had hot soy wax applied before the dye. I want to know just who is going to pick all those stitches out. And just a like a kid at Christmas I talked myself into opening just one present on the Eve instead of waiting until morning. Who can wait wait with a color like this?

nudge, nudge

My brother just gave me a long distance nudge indicating that he's a regular reader (and where's the latest and greatest post?). After three weeks of having a cold I just spent 24 hours waltzing with the flu and today feel great for the first time in ages. Wait, it's early but there's fabric stewing in soda ash waiting for me to make magic. Rob - here's a sneak peek at a blankie in progress that will fall into your possession, maybe not in time for the house warming but I'm working on it. And here's another sneak peek at a PIF in progress. Let's just say it's just the right size for a catass.

A Great Saturday

Gifts in the mailbox came first - Nellie Durand's PIF arrived and I am the proud owner of #52.2. in her amazing "Lake Series" series made especially for me. Does this classy packaging tell you what a gem was inside? I'm inspired and reminded that one day last week was the anniversary of my 4th year of blogging. To celebrate I'm finally posting my own PIF declaration: "I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this "Pay It Forward" Art exchange. I don't know what it will be and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week but you will receive it within 365 days. The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your own blog." Later in the day I attended a meeting of the Georgia chapter of the Surface Design Association at the home of artist Leisa Rich (go here for some fabulous eyecandy) where we were hard at work plotting a group showing someplace in Georgia so we can all get a taste of that Whine & Jeez!
Here's the contents...my camera does not do it justice

OMG!! My Gills Are Quivering!!!

SWIM WITH GENTLE GIANTS

Reserve your spot today to swim in a 6.3 million gallon exhibit that houses thousands of fish including zebra sharks, sawfish, leopard whiprays, bowmouth guitarfish, humphead wrasses and schools of tarpon, pompano and cownose rays.

Swim Program Description: Swim with Gentle Giants is the only opportunity in the world where you are guaranteed to swim with the largest fish in the world, the whale shark, in Georgia Aquarium’s Ocean Voyager exhibit. Guests will swim at the surface with an air supply with the following equipment provided: mask, fins, air supply, booties and wetsuit. Personal masks are permitted.

Cost: $190 for non-members and 10% off for members. Price includes admission to the Aquarium, all equipment, the swim, certificate of participation, t-shirt and souvenir photo.

When: Six spaces available daily at 4:30 p.m. The swim portion will last approximately 30 minutes, and participants will also view some behind the scenes areas of the Georgia Aquarium.

Who: All participants must be ages 12 and older. Guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a participating adult. No diving/snorkeling experience required.

Cancellations: The Aquarium does not offer refunds for the program, but will reschedule your swim.

next?

The "what next" for this piece woke me up at 3:00 in the morning. I should have gotten up and done my mental thrashing in the studio but this lazybones stayed abed tossing, turning and accidentally waking Jimmy up hours before he needed to be. Sorry Darlin'. Somehow I envision lots of texture and dimension happening and what started out as a Queen's collar is looking like a ship's wheel. There will be a stab at trapunto , appliqué and paint. I don't want to get lost in the woods of technique on this one so I'm glad that there's a lot of other stuff to do today to keep my greedy, speedy paws away from it before the groundwork is thought through. Somewhere in the studio (funny how you can't find things when you don't really want to be reminded of failures) is another thing I started and trampled to death a couple months back. yuck.

Working in the Mines

What a day! What an amazing response to my hand dye sale. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and just had to have what I was selling. I can't wait to see what you all make of this stuff so don't forget to send pictures! I have been running up and down the stairs all day alternating between the ironing board, the design wall and the computer. Apart from selling off fabric that I will never, ever (I keep telling myself that as I iron and fold) and making the money I need to go to Florida in April, I keep uncovering these jewels that got squirreled away without a backward glance! Time passes and the things I took for granted or even common have come back to some kind of new life. I have a growing pile of inspiration for new work and the closet still looks full! Does fabric breed in the darkness like rabbits and wire coat hangars? More about the Yellow Rabbit another day..........

hand dyes for sale & new works

I've spent some time rooting around in my closet pulling out pieces of hand dyed fabric that I made a year or two ago. It's time I let go and put this things out where others can take a look and maybe bring them to fruition. The pieces are big and the prices are low! And, I started something completely different

dye day preparation

These are just some of the stitched and clamped resist techniques I'm going to be experimenting with. There are also another half dozen pieces with soy wax on them ready to go. Now all I need is for the weather to warm up just a few degrees. In the meantime, I'm busy digging through past pieces, re-shooting them and posting them for sale on my LikeHotcakes! site with the object of raising the money I need for FOF08- it's a Send Deb To Art Camp Sale! As the new hand dyed pieces emerge from the dyepots they will be going on the block too.