Fling Flung Blankies

I've had some time to think about why these light weight, personal sized utility blankets are all I care to accomplish these days. It's only too obvious to anyone who has ever cared for someone at home who is recovering from a serious illness or injury. It's not that there is no time - between all the little things that are needed by the patient there is too much time. Time waiting. Time planning. Time worrying. So here's to the small joy of inexpensive fabrics, soft and gentle to the touch, white & cream, as clean and inviting as any blank canvas, completely ready to shape to my will without struggle or argument. Hand ripped and unmeasured strips almost ordering themselves without so much as a pin and lying flat, sweet and compliant under the machine's needle never giving a moments birdnest or bunch so much so that I will stitch a foot of inches before I notice the bobbin is empty. Here's to a simple set of bright colors and simple shapes laid into each block with a few hours of hand applique.Then, once the blocks are joined and the top and back fall into place, a few more days of waiting time hand quilting just enough graceful curves and leaves as they occur to me. The twelve weight cotton thread flows through the two light layers of muslin as easily as thoughts flow through the mind and time slips from summer to fall and when it's finished I'm holding pure comfort. Just enough cloth and weight to keep off the chill of a waiting room, a treatment room or a rainy afternoon, it was every moment a pleasure to make and I know will someday bring comfort and utility to someone else for years to come. This one was my fourth and last night I started a fifth. I call the points monkeyteeth. Now I have to consider writing lesson plans for something like this including everything from dyeing the fabric to hand applique. Too much for beginners? The month is young and I made two major deadlines. Time to start something new.

weekend recovery

This piece has been just what I needed these past few days. Something to hang onto and focus on fiercely. I've started the quilting that joins front and back and will go on with it for the rest of the week as minutes and moments present themselves. I keep telling myself "all things for a reason" and heard a movie character say "yesterday is history and tomorrow a mystery". Both sentiments to reflect on for the moment.

Big Blessing

I am deeply grateful for being Easily Amused. This is a big deal in a consumer driven society. I stopped by my favorite Yankee Candle shop the other day and frustrated the clerk by taking an hour to select six votive candles: Evening Air, Autumn Wreath Fireside, Sun & Sand ,Patchouli and Sage & Citrus. The visuals I get from the names alone inspire me.Time to light up and get down to some stitching. There's a Fall Fling in my mind and I need to curl up in my soft chair, breathe deep and just be still for a while.

Reward for Hard Work

I spent the day simultaneously updating my main website gallery and finalizing things for the QN entry. I think I have everything in the right places. Who knows what's on that CD - they may get treated to pictures of spiders and cat asses instead of the pieces I intended as entries. I'm sure the judges could use a good laugh after a bit. As I was building the individual pages for each of the six new pieces (new since December 2007- the last time I updated the site) I had to root around my psychotically disorganized server space for various images. I found that, thanks to my blogging habit, several pieces have good "works in progress" posts complete with images and I though about linking to those posts from the website like this. What do you think about doing this? Later on, a fantastic treat. Colin left us a movie to watch after dinner and I spent most of the whole film with my mouth open and eyes peeled. I'm a real tough customer when it comes to movie entertainment and this one has been newly installed in my top five. A complete visual feast to go along with spellbinding storytelling. Don't blink or step out for a snack, you'll miss something wonderful. Rent the Fall by Tarsem Singh, you won't regret it!

friends afar

All I did was say "me, me, me" when Marie offered up extra cigar boxes and look what treasure turned up. This little flag that came along for the ride lifted my spirits so much. Thank you my friend. Marie and I roll along in the same ditches it seems, from Tarot to fountain pens to audio books, I never tire of finding out more of the little things that amuse us both.

Last Minute-itis

I'm willing to bet the farm that I am not the only one out there scrambling to gather up the threads of the Quilt National entry requirements. Even though the post office is closed, the received by deadline is Friday and there's always Overnight Delivery. Yeah, yeah, I know I said I wasn't going to enter. Did I lie? Nah, I was just unable to commit which three pieces to submit and, as of this very moment, I still haven't decided. We had a delightful day of normalcy around here yesterday hallmarked by the wonderful smell of my husband's award winning chili. Jim is intent on entering the Great Miller Lite Stone Mountain Chili Cookoff this year and decided it was time to start cooking up the public chili which is given away as tastes to the general public as long as it lasts. Jim tries to bring enough to last through lunch - I hate to guess it's around ten gallons or more - which he makes and freezes in advance. The Judge's Batch Chili has to be prepared on the spot at the campground just before the judging begins. It was great to eat some elses cooking for a change.

holding my breath

With Gustav advancing on the Gulf coast here I am mentally whining about the possibility of a week of rainy overcast once it's fringes reach my area. Some gall. I went to a meeting of the GA chapter of the Surface Design Association yesterday afternoon. The group has put together an exhibition proposal and was working out the details of which local venues to approach. Talking about exhibits in 2009, 10 and 11 makes me anxious. For several years I have been unable to project my life or career as an artist any length of time into the future. I started mining out the studio yesterday evening and found myself with a pile of happy playfellows on the work table so I started building houses...again.

pFAn

Joanie San Chirico is right! No one is ever going to see the things I've made if I don't take action on the marketing front. I joined the Professional Fine Art Network a few months back without giving a it lot of thought - I was flattered to be invited. Now I have to work on making it work for me. Now that my free (read "unemployed & broke") time is hopefully running out I'm inspired to take some action. As the song goes "you don't know what you've got til it's gone". I've applied for a couple of small grants and have selected few juried show to enter and my main gallery needs updating. It's August already and I haven't posted any 2008 work yet. The dust bunnies have had babies in the studio too. pFAn is a networking index for fine artists and consultants working in the hospitality, health care, corporate and public art sectors. Having just spent a lot of time staring at some truly hideous not-art gracing the walls of a hospital, I have a new appreciation for how far a little beauty and positive energy might have gone in that particular setting.

groping & sketching

EB had a really thought provoking post yesterday. It actually put my withered brain in gear for a few hours and on into sleep thinking about the answers to the questions she posed. Which art & artists inspired and, more importantly, why. At first I opened an old sketch book and scratched around with pencil in the dark. There were some old drawings in there by someone I barely recognized. Some were good. Some were awful. The questions raised were around what we like and how to stay on the task of bringing those elements into our own work. What is it about a particular piece (mine or anyone's) that captures my attention and keeps bringing me back? The list got long and strange. -energy -stealth -symbolism -gestures -"living" color - that which is not seen but hinted at. - moods suggested rather than stated - a "booga booga" quotient. Not wanting to waste any more ideas (I find that if I commit something to paper it never finds it's way off the page) I dragged some lines around with fiber and thread. I love the way you can force your will on strips of old damask. It's old and full of unknown history and will slither away on it's own if you don't rein it in tight.

August Sun

It feels like I haven't seen the sun in weeks. Between time inside the hospital - the smoked glass panes made every day a cloudy one - and the blow back we've been having from hurricane Fay, my tan is fading and my swimming pool is green. I started this little piece of hand music to try to loosen up my appliqué technique. Leave things a little loose, hairy and puckery. There may even be some beads down the line.

UFO's continued

I got the last 500 or so pins out of this one last night and was dizzy from stitching in circles for hours. It's over 80" wide and is busy overwhelming my design wall. I hardly know what to make of it right now. It's kind of a throw back for me design-wise but I continue to work my way through the UFO pile in hopes of turning up a gem. This one might just be a really nice blanket someday.