post holiday exercises

Relying on past experience, I'm going through the motions, groping for the spark.  To this end I'm trying to light both ends of the candle; hand and machine stitching both.

When something comes together and names itself, that alone will keep me going. That and the memory that several of my favorite hand stitched pieces started out staggering and unfocused. So it is for "Taken by the Night".

And below  just stealing edges from some of my favorite pieces of cloth figuring I won't miss a 3 inch strip down the line when I actually use the stuff in something.

I can't tell you the hours I spent shuffling these colors around only to come up with this. No doubt it will continue to grow. Ann Brauer makes it look effortless and elegant.

We had a marvelous Thanksgiving together, btw. I'm still suffering from a combination Turkey & Apple Pie poisoning.

UFOs in service

This nasty piece of business has been troubling me since it was born. I  used a fat double batt because I was interested in how the machine stitching carved deeply into the damask. It's been kicking around the studio as a cat bed, seat cushion but now has been pressed into service as a rug in the upstairs bath. Hey, it's washable and just the right size, why not?

A change of medium

 At least I won't be bitchin' about the same old things!

This was the first time I've worked with oil pastels, which were applied directly to the canvas and blended with a pencil eraser.

Yeah, it was fun to do. There's an ease of use and a degree of control that's almost effortless. To get just the effect I want, where and how I want it without having to make allowance for the limitations of cloth....it may be a long fiber sabbatical. Now to learn a little more about the possibilities of oil pastels and how these relate to that wonderful set of Shiva Oil sticks I was given and have let languish.

another and the stonewall

I found one more lurking on my work table the last one, biggest one.

Nothing else creative happened this weekend.  I continue to stitch on "Ocean Homes" but I'm at a stonewall place with my art right now wondering if I shouldn't start hacking some of the largest pieces into placemats and potholders.  There's no one to blame and I don't feel one way or the other about it all. I'm tired of the struggle and uninspired by working.

I've done little by way of promoting my work this past year, and when it's hard to get excited about making things, it's even less than interesting trying to market the results. I'm going to pick up the studio, take out the trash and let things lie for a while. Read, think things through and let time heal.

like so many cupcakes

 (update - A,E,F,H and K are sold!)

see which is who

Ok, now I'm really done! After rolling and stuffing hundreds of scraps last night my wrist aches and I'm finally out of cotton! And WILL NOT go back to HoAnn's to buy anymore. For a while.  What I really have to do is go to the library and get a good book. I need something else to do between calls...

You can go here for a very large, clickable image of these cusspots stuffed with scraps from my studio. They range in price from $10 to $20 dollars. Email me and let me know which one you want.