you know I'm procrastinating

when it was new

That must mean it's Tax Time! Really, I know just where all the paperwork is. I know what room it's in and what set of baskets to go to.

In the meantime, the first quilt I made for Charlie has finally gotten the long promised and long overdue mending. I have not turned on the Janome since this quilt was first made more than eighteen months ago. I suppose I should clean and oil it.

I don't know what I was thinking when I discharged already tender cottons on the quilt top. Some of the pieces began to fray and develop holes just from day to day wash and wear.

At first, I was afraid I was going to have to deconstruct the entire thing, but the backing is substantial commercial batik so I'm counting on some sturdy, well-placed shirting patches and a new binding to hold things in service another year or two. I'll finish hand stitching that binding when he's sleeping tomorrow.

new now

hearts progress

It seems that this is where I fall back when nothing else is possible. Reflexive self-care.

I have a five alarm head cold that is already passing. Cold medicine leaves me with breezes blowing between my ears. No thoughts.

art at work

3D art pieces born again as Toys!  Charlie especially likes the one in the foreground for its handle.

back to badges

I went back in to the studio this morning and started a new badge, adding on to the series I started two years ago.

Finding those UFOs yesterday and digging into their history has proven to be a catalyst for a much-needed mental rest, although, while in the design phase of the project, I'm finding paralelles to writing that I never did in the past.  I think it's because I focused on this one..."the Heart of Life",  a personal favorite that sold pretty quickly.

 I found the post about the genesis of the badge project which includes a good shot of this piece in progress.

I can remember selecting and rejecting cloth, then cutting and folding and moving the shapes over and over until it was right.
Selecting and building the blended threads, choosing and executing each stitch. There was no hurry and no room for "whatever". I gave this little thing my all.  That's what it takes, no matter what I'm doing or I'm not going to be satisfied with the outcome. This one will get finished soon and I'll mount it to a small canvas. They will all be for sale.

wondering

We had snow showers all day today and the light was unusual. I was in the studio early and sat looking at the design wall for a while wondering what happens to the work when artists die. There are eight or nine pieces nailed up there for lack of better storage and will on my part. Nice and flat they are. What a pain in the butt for the families left behind!

           Yes, for reasons I won't dwell on, I missed both of those deadlines so the pieces that I started in 2012 and finished in 2013 probably they won't seen any exposure at a national show what with restrictions on the age of pieces. Or is that bit of fiber tomfoolery becoming a thing of the past?

         Then the sun broke through and I got this shot of "Consolation" 2012.
 It worked it's charm on me. No one out there has enough money to buy this one.

not locked up or in Tahiti

But it feels like the first one.

I've been writing critiques for a handful of other writers from a new group that I've joined. You have to give 'em to get 'em, as the saying goes.
My neck hurts, my shoulders are all hunched, there's a crease between my eyes and I have agita. No, not from working at the computer all day. From trying to be civil and instructive at the same time. It's exhausting. You can't just say "This sucks. Stop writing." The Karmic implications are grotesque!  What I really want to do right now is curl up with the river basket and maybe just mend something.  feh.

Deadline!

Yikes! Three days left to get my shit together and choose three of the Karmas to enter in this show before they get carried off by the spiders working the walls in my studio!

I'm lucky they are accepting pieces completed since 1/13. I have not really moved much beyond them since.

It's only January my stitchers!

There's still a lot of winter ahead of us, more for some than others.

 I've opened up some containers that were stowed deep in the closet and breaking out new/old cloth to be included in the latest crop of Fat Baggies , the best bargain on the web when it comes to vintage, hand-dyed scraps.

I'm taking first picks for myself, of course, but there's just so much Lush to share! If you have a colorway preference, email mail me and I'll do what I can to feed your fancy.

I left these images large so you can open them up and get a close look.

Ancient

From way back when I apparently had nothing but time on my hands. Everyone was throwing the kitchen sink at art quilts back then, and I was intent on making stuff stick.

This piece is part of the Del Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection and one of the first pieces I ever sold.  And here is it's companion piece "Healer"

"Parking Magic"      22x22             2003

digitally printed images appliqued

glass beads and shell 

the cloth at work

I love seeing what other people do with or feel about the cloth I send them.

The reason I parted with it in the first place was because it had no place in my imagination (at the moment I packaged it up) and my hope was that someone else would be sparked by it.

Grace does it every day. Her photos alone are creative inspiration for me.

idling

My dye project is going to have to wait until late Sunday, unless the new writer's group gets cancelled this coming Saturday. We are under the weather armageddon threat here in GA, meaning a few flakes might put in an appearance.
I' keep busy, thanks.

I made the rash mistake of clicking on these in an ad somewhere on the web and now they pop up no matter what web page I go to. Really? Maybe?

I love the sexy-cool of Converse but the last time I tried on a pair and walked around the store for a minute, my feet felt like they had been beaten with lead pipes. The new Chuck Taylor II promises to have remedied that..I'll have to have another walk about before I commit,