frangrance as the live link to memory

Yesterday my patron saint A, bless her daily,  sent me box of treasures. I had the nerve to ASK for any pinks that she might have languishing as I don't have nearly enough for a badly planned gift.

She also included a bag full of perfume samples!
I almost peed m'self in delight as I went through the bag.

Trying on a new scent is an amazing adventure for me. Fragrance can take me places I'll never see and likewise can deposit me squarely in the past as vibrant and rich and fully expressed as the first time around. Perfume is a time machine.

Today I am rocking Cartier de Lune. I think I like the name more than the cloud I'm in but I'll give it the day and see what it conjures. My sense of smell may be slightly damaged though. I was so excited to check out all the little samples I accidentally beheaded a tiny bottle of "Jimmy Choo" thinking the spray top was a twist off..a fat dollop went directly into my mouth. Now THAT was an experience I don't want to revisit.

Here's just some of the bounty she sent and a few of my own wilder creations. I forget that pink doesn't' necessarily have to be riotous.

the arc

During my morning blogcrawl the arc in Jude's work in progress caught my eye and made me wonder about why such a simple shape has so much appeal for me. I've been using it a lot in my own work lately. I'm sure it's nothing more than the biggest shape I can draw in one swipe reaching in all directions at once.
Casting the circle, setting up the boundary of my influence.

Stop over at Wake Robin where Velma has posted several more incredible photographs. I could babble on in artspeak for hours about the second chipmunk shot taken through the screen, but just zoom in on it yourself and take in all the tiny little things that make it so compelling to look at from those two snow sparkles, the light in his eye, the arc of his ear and the cruciform shape on his back. Just marvelous.

back in harness

As much as I enjoyed seeing my family in NY, it was good to come home to my crew in GA, February in NY is plain nasty.

I'm just now shaking off the effects of the flight home. The plane seemed to be waddling through the air, like riding in a bowl of jello, and that would have been ok but for a nearby unhappy child. Unhappy because she needed a diaper change even before we boarded. Twice I saw my hand reaching for the paper bag and twice I told myself "you won't feel any better afterword so don't do it" It was very good to touch down in the ATL.

There's much to look forward to and plan for. An invitation for a group fiber exhibit here, AQE to plan for in the fall. Closer in, a big sale at OHCO this weekend - imagine, piles of fabric pushed around by little bulldozers....

I'm taking small steps with this one making each stitch count for a lot.

The dragonfly quilt has come back from NY with me for repairs. It's nice to have a day off in the middle of the week and needful things to do.

art on the run

Of course I took more time thinking about and packing sewing stuff than I did clothing (NY in February, no coat).

Both of these little things were rolled up filled with pins and a note to the TSA to be careful not to get blood on the art in progress. From the looks of the bundle they took the warning and didn't bother to investigate. Neither was I groped at the security gate.
We'll see what the return trip is like.

I'm almost afraid to start stitching on this piece for fear of screwing it up, I like the design so well. The first one, not so much but I have a lot of successful red-headed stepchildren and superstars that have languished instead of shining.

I'm in NY for a surprise visit for my Dad's 88th birthday. This house is full of my quilts, big and small, all of them hard at work. That is my nephew Dallas continuing a nap that that started in the car.

The house is full of family, fun and food for the occasion.

 

I really wanted to go out onto the ice and lie down and listen to it but this is February ice, dead now with nothing left to say this year. Rotted from below by moving water, a few hours after this was taken it was soaked by heavy rain.

Scissors Found!

No, Sweetie's not the klepto-kitty, she's just attracted to the tail that I've put on these scissors since I found them hiding in plain sight, almost, on the dark blue carpet.



I'll be MIA for a few days. It's a surprise so mum's the word for now.

Winter Behind Us is finished

This piece has been such a pleasure to work on. No angst, no regrets. Each element taking it's place in the construction phase and very few false starts (and picking out) as I stitched. So contemplative I really didn't give a  thought to the title until it was finished.

I was cleaning up the scrap heaps last night and found I have a good deal more of that tablecloth with the embroidered wheat stalks, leaves and vines in a variety of dyed colors. "Sweet", as Jake says.




"Winter Behind Us"
2011
14"x11"

go here for a large image and here to purchase.

yellow perils

Scanning through the blogroll this morning when I came across an interesting post at Rough Around the Edges. Robin is taking an online class offered by my talented friend Pamela Allen.  The exercise is interpreting a favorite painting in fabric. All unknowing, I've been stumbling along the same path with no guidance and using my own oil pastel cartoon. 

   At some point in the stitching, I put the painting across the room and stopped eyeballing it so closely, mostly because the slow going of hand stitching was so aggravating when compared to the speed and spontaneity of the original.  Here are "Yellow Perils"  after the local school buses.

A different kind of Friday

With a new battery installed in the Honda I ventured out to pick up my Janome from Intown Quilters. I take pride in being able to read a map and follow directions but it's the close in places that will foul you up down here. I got lost and wandered about like the Lost Tribes of Israel until the "give me gas" light came on and I got grumpy and called Jimmy for help. He found where I needed to be  and talked me in like I was landing on an aircraft carrier.

The sewing machine doctor gave me an instructive lecture but promised to call the sewing machine abuse police if I missed my next tune-up and broken fingers if I went under the hood with a screw driver ever again.

Intown Quilters is bursting at the seams with every imaginable tasty bit of commercial cotton. There was a big dose of Kaffee Fassett who seems to be channeling my colors. I was tempted by endless fat quarters of that stripey shot cotton but resisted in favor of a pattern for these Favorite Things Happy Feet!  I can't wait to see them in my own fabric.
How's that for some exciting full moon action?

shopkeeper day

I've spent the morning unwrapping those bundles of hand work cloth, taking pictures, labeling them and posting them for sale over at Random Acts of Dyeness  These bundles were selected for their suitability for hand stitched projects. Vintage hand dyed damasks, a few pieces of silk, some vintage cotton feed sacking, soft handed muslin - all dyed, discharged and painted in my studio except one tiny scrap of printed cotton left over from a bundle made by Miss Melly! I won't tell you where it is, but I'll confirm it if you guess.

And just where the heck are my black Ginghers??? But finding them will have to wait. I have to get dressed and go outside before I disintegrate!

WIP 2.16.2011

Work on this as yet untitled piece continues. My stitch repertoire is limited and I have been carefully considering each one in this piece. Working in this super close focus keeps me mindful of how each technical move impacts the overall impact of the finished work no matter it's size.

Even as I work on this I am planning some very large pieces and have committed to making a piece for a specific upcoming exhibition, something I've never done before. There are no size limitations and the theme is "Taking  Flight", lots of room to move around in that one.

cloth history

The more things change the more they stay the same.


2005 - The cloth was from a set of cotton lawn scarves that didn't come out very stylish when dyed but were delightful once hacked to smaller bits. I loved the way it could be draped and shaped over a fat pad of polyester batting. This one led to a series of 3D pieces, "the Uninformed Innards."

running amok

Fun with good friends holds fast.

This picture is five years old! We are both a bit grayer around the edges but I had on the same scarf and shirt yesterday! We walked the mall, examined every shoe in the place (to no avail) and stopped by Saks to smell what was new and laugh about the price of mere scraps of cloth. The saleswomen were exquisitely despicable.

At the perfume counter they had a tester of Clinique Wrappings which I though had been discontinued so I drenched this velvet scarf in it. For good measure I gave my wrists too many hearty blasts of Aromatics Elixir (which moonlights as an industrial solvent) and it wasn't too long before I was making my own eyes water. The scarf is wonderful this morning.

While I was out my Valentine made a batch of his prize winning chili and these Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for me from scratch!!! I ate the one that had fresh raspberries on the top and  the rest are for anyone else.  I need any kind of cupcakes like I need a case of cooties but you have to love a man for trying so hard. Je t'adore, Jimmy.

slow steps

Although I like where it is now and the things that are planned, when I look back it it before I wonder if I should have stopped then. Schizophrenia? Working over an eight hour period each step was carefully considered, many others were abandoned. Who's running this ship?

Then there is always  my good friend, the stitch picker.

contrasts

Even as I rail about not being able to work larger I've been working on this little thing under the lamplight at night.

My office chair is surrounded by heaps of scraps that I've been rummaging through. The place is a mess!


I wanted to see it in natural light so I took it outside and draped it over my backdrop turkey platter ...that's a band of ice to the left ...brrrrr.
Close up here

Pirate Circus

"Pirate Circus"  is one of my Battle Banners series (two in the cloth, the rest still on paper).


A whopping 78"x58", it's constructed quite traditionally - machine pieced, hand dyed cotton muslin and damasks over a lightweight cotton batting and backing and then machine quilted. It was painted with both Setacolor and Jacquard textile paints.

I did a good job documenting the progress on this piece mostly due to the fact that most of the work had to take place outside on the dye deck. Natural lights always makes for good pictures.  There are lots.

Here are all the links I could find regarding it's history, in order of appearance:

5/11/2009
5/17/2009
5/21/2009
5/5/2010
5/10/2010
5/24/2010
5/25/2010

the paint goes on

After spending two hours painting tiny lines with a tiny brush I'm ready to run and holler!

A post by artist Ann Brauer has given me the kick in the pants in the direction of (returning to) making pieces measured in feet instead of inches.  I called the sewing machine doctor and made an appointment for my Janome.

The one piece I can see sneaking out from a high shelf in the studio is insisting on some exposure and some company. Look close - there are hearts in the " Pirate Circus!

island making

This island building has it's appeal. Little chunks of hand stitched satisfaction to use later, or not, once I get to laying out the ocean.  I may wind up with an archipelago and no place to float it but, oh well, they were a good time making.

midwinter blues

Dear recent visitor to my site from Saint John's, Saint John, Antigua And Barbuda.
Care for a house guest? Will trade art for room and board.

Do I need a passport?

tender winter islands

Even though the sun came out today for the  first time in days I couldn't find an excuse to put on shoes and go outside.

We watched "Unstoppable" which had me pulling hair off the cat with tension, but it was a good flick.  Later I took advantage of the winter sun and started building some islands from my huge store of "tender"cloth (thanks for that definition Jude) for the next project.

in the works

It reminds me of a logo I used to see in the NY Times magazine advertising some Caribbean islands but I can't find it anywhere.

I've drawn versions of this piece before and hope to get it started with real fabric this weekend. Oil crayon on paper looks a lot like my hand dyed damasks, ragged edges and all.

I'll use that cream Kona cotton as the base and pick the color bits out of the stash which will be hand appliqued. Because my Janome is out of commission, I'll take a run at hand quilting those lines. Maybe, maybe not. That reminds me to track down the sewing machine doctor...


 ps...I found it.It's the Bahamas.

What does this configuration mean?

Art of Day

I am excited to have my work featured at Art of Day, a sprawling, interactive networking and art promotional portal for artists, gallery owners, art buyers & collectors, and those coordinating art events.

cold work

I thought I try (once again) my hand making something with the heart symbol.
I cut four before this one, all just as wrong and misshapen. As usual, my freehand heart comes out looking more vegetable than meat and the whole thing looks like an international flag warning of contagion, fitting as I am battling a cold.  When I'm finished I'll hang it in the garden to scare off pests.
File under "what was she thinking?".

More satisfying has been stitching a tiny hand-rolled hem all round a large square of the softest cotton I have ever worked with. It feels just like sueded silk. This was from the batch that was dyed with cream of wheat + bugs.

real inspiration

feeling uninspired?


Read this and this for the back story if you don't know about Kate and her journey.

sunshine=lack of focus

It was too nice outside this weekend to get serious in the studio. In anticipation of dyeing (months away?) I did take my fistful of coupons to HoAnn's and scored some white cotton and a batt blended from cotton and bamboo based rayon, whatever that alchemy, it felt soft to the touch.

There are so many grades of muslin on the shelves there that I wound up closing my eyes and groping the bolts of cloth until I found what my fingers wanted. At one point I peeked and found that I had wandered into a field of homespuns done in violent greens and pinks. The cloth was horrific but the raw selvages were so interesting. Closed my eyes again and groped back along the row and settled on the very tight, smooth Kona. Only because I had two 50% coupons, I swear it.

I flipped the devilment cloths (above) out onto the bed to see if anything changed since I last balled them up and flung them in the corner. Nothing new except for those two hits of blue. Back into a ball they go.



And it looks like cropping is not the answer to ever design problem. Back into the basket with this one too.

I'm going back to making a list of annuals for my deck garden..purslane, marigolds, lantana, portulaca....

and "Serpent of the Grove" is back from the show in Arizona (thanks, Diane)and will be available in the store this time tomorrow.

apron lift

On the first warm sunny day that we've had since memory, I spent time sitting in the parked car at the washywashy catching up on a backlog of towels, blankets, and sheets and such.

The sun was bright, the music good and I brought along my apron with the intention of elevating it from "splotchy with copper paint" to "I'm up to something" gear. Inspiration on the spot was a few cuts from Tom Wait's "Blue Valentine". Inspiration for doing it in the first place, Heather's apron.

painted lines

I was always complaining to myself  about how machine stitching gets lost in larger pieces. Heavier thread, contrasting colors - it was never enough for me.


Now that I've committed to using paint to highlight the stitching on this piece, we'll see how much I'm in love with it when it's finished.

I can tell you I find the process messy, tedious and exacting - not what I am feeling at the moment. Just when I was feeling loose, exuberant and ready to fling things finishing this piece is demanding precision and control.

restoration

I bought a couple ferns of this type from the "I'm dead" cart in the grocery store yesterday. They don't look this nice now but they will.  All it takes is a little water and attention to bring them back from the brink.
 My mother-in-law was a master at saving plants that commerce gave up on. I used to bring her African violets that even the produce manager threw in the trash and her windows were filled with blooming wonder.
 I'll settle for some fresh greenery beyond lettuce.

There's been so much buzz about the various notebook projects going on that I took mine and leafed through it hoping to find some inspiration. This one keeps calling me back and I found the pieces of cloth I need in the stash last night. I've been scratching to little effect in the same notebook for two years now and it's less than half full. That should tell you why I didn't even consider participating in a project that requires daily notebook entries.

in the dark

I feel like I'm working in the dark.
This feels better that it looks but it won't make any kind of hat.
Really, I am distracted and distraught for a distant friend. Miss Melly is facing the dragon so I have to quit whining and be of service somehow.

link love

Since you obviously know where to find me and my doings, I thought I'd take a post to thank just a few people who might have guided you here. More guidestars are found on my
"Naked in Public" link page.


Some, like Morna, have me in some pretty breathtaking company and I am honored.

So take a minute (or an hour or two) with the list that follows and wander around and discover some new artists, new art, new ways of thinking while I search through my stash for just the right piece of fabric for a special friend who is in need of a hat.


Sharon B's pintangle


Jude's Spirit Cloth

Elizabeth (Duchess of Lexulous)  Barton


The Fiber Gypsy

Marie Elkins

Textile Arts.net

Happy Friday

Time to find my Friday shirt and run amok! This is my first day off in ages and the start of a three day weekend. The other night my supervisor congratulated me on my 2nd anniversary with the company  and I didn't know what she was talking about. Time flies when you are making a living.

Nothing artful or interesting from me today but here and here are a couple of  eloquent posts about the importance of the critters we share our lives with.
See you next week!

Wip progress

Finding the tale in this one will be challenging. I keep coming across words, phrases, and suggestions. Stitching is the grammar and punctuation in a piece like this

back in the hoop

This one is just large enough for my middle sized hoop. I had pinned and basted this over a base of cotton batting but last night decided that the batting had to go. Picking it apart was a mess but also allowed for a few design changes.

This one has me in that same confused and uncommitted place that "Taken by the Night" had me in until it was nearly finished. This time I'll trust more about being in the dark as to where and how this one wants to go.