weekend festivities

So far the only thing I've accomplished this weekend is adding a bottom sleeve to the banner I made for the chili cook off.  No I'm wondering why I went to so much trouble (the lettering was hand drafted and painted) but used such poor quality cloth. It must have been the largest continuous expanse of fabric that I had on hand (or could buy locally). After this year I think I'm going to back it with something more durable just to keep it from falling apart.

more crap

I've been torturing the same four squares of cheap cotton for two days now. So far, I'm wondering why. It's become a test of wills but there's another day of vacation tomorrow....

more dyepainting

the scene of the crime

and the perpetrators hand. she wore gloves to no avail.

results from yesterday (tepid to boring)

One of the things I like about dyeing cloth is that you get several chances to have your way with it via over dyeing, discharging or painting it. Problem number one is usually knowing what the heck you were looking for in the first place. It is very easy to lose sight of the goal when you are caught up in (or stumbling through) process.

 I've always struggled with choosing between different extremes with everything - with the middle ground always boring me to tears as a place to be avoided. Here we have middle ground 1 & 2 . Back to the burning dye deck

and thanks this morning to Nancy Natale for reminding me about Joan Mitchell.

something different for friday

gratuitous cat graphic

It's 'doo deciding where to spend the day chilling.

It's going to be another blazing day today so I decided to take advantage of getting up with the chickens (who work in construction and leave while it's still dark) and seize on the dreams of archipelagos that filled my night.

I've been wearing earplugs in an effort to quell tinnitus and I think my brain hears the sound of my own heartbeat and blood rushing and thinks it's the surf breaking somewhere close by.

I'm starting with hot soy wax..the cloth is not presoaked with soda ash so some areas will take the dye less fiercely than others where I've mixed dye and SA,  something I rarely do.

There are two owls out there in the trees and I swear they are singing "Who are you, who who, who who?" 

dye+soda ash applied directly to the cloth and wax. those discs are rounds of clear glass intended to act as a resist to the next step but I have my doubts. I should have stuck them down with more was but I ran out.

last step, bring on the ocean via a spray bottle filled with dye and soda ash solution.

Cleanup is going to be hell but I'm just going to let this one dry completely before I even try to move it.  There are three more panels all about 5'x5' -  but I've got the whole weekend ahead to expand on this path.

Happy Birthday Colin

Colin modeled a bit when he was a baby.  How could he not, as cute as this and he was a laughin' fool the minute anyone broke out a camera.

The day came for a TV commercial try out for the Glow Worm toy.
Colin was very small and his almost invisible blondness made him look more a baby than the running toddler he was at a only year old.
 
When we got to the shoot in NYC  they sat him up on a raised dais - cameras, lights and people everywhere. Colin was unflappable. The toy company exec, the photographer, the director and all the support people fussed over how adorable and perfect the baby was for their plans.

I stood back as an assistant showed him the toy. You squeezed it's belly and the face would light up. He showed it to Colin and demonstrated it's magic.
Colin smiled obligingly, squeezed it a few times and then looked up and said very clearly for the whole room to hear "This is a stupid toy".

The director fell back clutching his heart, the client walked out and everyone else was peeing themselves and smothering laughter.  It was hysterical. No one expected such a little baby to have such a big mouth.

The AD picked Colin up gingerly and handed him to me like he was radioactive and said "He's a little too articulate for our needs today, thank you".

We had ice cream before boarding the train for the suburbs and I had to scold him on the ride home for rumpusing  and disturbing the sleepers. On reflection, the sugar rush was my fault. Modeling was not fun anymore. Thus ended our career in TV. 

(in case you haven't figured out the vintage of this story, these pictures were taken in 1981)

yeah, yeah, the script needs work

diversions

I've finished the second "Rêver" and would make more but there were only two armrest covers on that couch and I'm not ready to skin it for the rest of the upholstery...although who would miss cloth taken from the back to the wall?

To keep from tearing down the trail with my eyes closed on another project, I've committed to finishing off a fling I started a while back...miles of white quilting are ahead, enough to keep me out of trouble I hope.

This one will be a warm up for the Islands  now that I have a better idea of how they should be built.

elements

 
I love having a new project and everything it's needing at the moment in my basket close at hand, ready when I am.

This element might be included in the project I've started for Jude's Magic Cloth Diary which is starting up soon.
It's a six month class so I'll be documenting the progress (or lack thereof) here. 

No compass, no matches, no knife am I'm already wandering in the woods of this one.

Today is for chillin', swimming and stitching.

Happy FRIDAY!

Of course you know it's this piece of damask that has me spellbound. I may have to take it outside and burn it under the moon. Until then, I'll hand it up on the design wall to spook me from there.

I just got back from errands around town (a few more Magic Cloth Burritos are in the mail!) and I had the oddest experience. I recently took advantage of a coupon and downloaded a few self hypnosis scripts from Wendy Friesen.

Now, before you scoff, remember you are dealing one hard headed bitch here and I will also tell you that I know this stuff works.

Years ago I learned to put myself into a deep, dreamless and refreshing sleep in less than two minutes and wake up in 30 feeling like I had slept soundly all night. A great trick when your baby won't sleep but 10 minutes out of every two hours as Colin did his whole first year.

After all, we tell ourselves stuff in our heads every waking moment. Unfortunately it's not often good or useful stuff.  A good "script" will put you into a receptive (think contemplative, open) state of mind and then offer up positive and/or directed suggestions that you are free to choose or disregard. The whole point is to embrace new and useful suggestions and put them into practice - like making daily physical exercise as important to your mind as it is for your body..good stuff like that.

Anyway, I was driving along with the Ipod on shuffle and one of the scripts popped up and I decided to listen actively for content and ignore the hypnotic induction, after all I was driving. After about a minute I found my self feeling... JELLIED - one hit jellied!

I quickly turned down the sound and focused on the road.  Having these scripts at my fingertips is like have a joint hidden in the bottom of the jewelry box. You KNOW it's going to work but you can't seem to bring yourself to light up.
"What's up with that" is the question to ponder. Have a great weekend. I will.

win some, lose some

I spent most of the morning pushing these pieces of fabric around trying to make them make sense, play nice. It got as far as lots of pins, but not further. Sometimes it just wont fly.



On the other hand "Spill" was juried into Artquilts Lowell 2011

Right now I have to duck and cover. Serious thunderstorms. serious.