Wednesday, July 27, 2011

sewing to go

 


There's a long post here about the two on-going hand work projects that I'll be taking along. 

There are some much bigger things on the horizon.





Here's most of the contents of my scrap jar flattened out and stacked tight. When it's rolled up, a mere cookie dough log in the sewing kit. It's SO aggravating that my tiny kit has to be checked and I can't work on anything during the flight.
So dangerous, these sewers, armed to the teeth with needles, pins and tiny scissors!

I don't know if I'll have easy/consistent computer access where I'm headed
so this may be a blog vacation too. Ciao4now.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

change of direction

Looking at these together on the wall and marking the feeling I had when I determined that it was OK to baste the first layer in place, I reflected on something Grace said about the cloth she is working on for the mcd class.

It's made me recognize that my choice of path/project  for the class was incorrect, which would account for it feeling forced and disorganized. I'm still going forward with it because it's intent was utility all along - I need a Magic Cloak. The cold will return here someday.

The reason I named this series "Rêver" was all about the state of mind I experienced as I made my choices of color and shape within the gentle bounds of the gridded white base cloth, each relating to it's neighbors in comfortable ways and bounded by a comfort zone of whitespace. Each small rectangle now becomes a canvas on it's own - a second, and sometimes third layer of expression.
All the cloth for these comes from my scrap jar where I keep snips as small as postage stamps because I can't just throw them away.

Now I have to figure on how to bring that entire jar with me on the plane. I was going to just take a carry-on but it looks like I'm back to checking a bag.

Monday, July 25, 2011

preparing to fly


I've laid the groundwork for another "Rêver" using a chunk of that silk/linen blend skirt and find myself gravitating to stronger colors this time out. I've been looking at the other two long enough to go forward in a slightly different direction. I recognize and honor the comfort of the grid even if I am disorderly within the lines. 

 
Now I have to round up enough raw materials to hold me through a week away and remember that I will have to check a bag whether I like it or not because traveling with projects full of pins and scissors demands it. 

Have to remember to pin the note on that says "Dear TSA, Warning - Pins Here -please don't get blood on the fabric"

And here are the books I scored at the GW. I have looked at and handled a few e-readers but can't imagine not holding the real thing in my hands.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

"Everything happens for a reason..."

I heard that expression a total of five times in the day yesterday. I always add on "and in it's own time". Something is demanding my attention.


Meanwhile, my buddy J. and I hit the road yesterday in search of a new Goodwill to pillage. Another  J. gave me the notion of finding Goodwills near more affluent neighborhoods..and was she ever was right, but we didn't consult the map before we went questing. The light purple is how we got there, the darker purple how we got home. 

Still, my little car sits for too long unused, is good on gas even running the AC and it gave us time to catch up, reflect and plot.  Over lunch I found out she had reconnected and made peace with the spouse who had abandoned her to single-motherhood so ago. It was wonderful to hear the relief in her voice from putting down this burden of anger and bitterness carried all these many years.

When we got back to my house with our finds, we sat in my newly AC'ed studio and chatted over most of a Braves game on TV, re-hydrated and generally relaxed like the queens of our world that we are. Blessed.

Friday, July 22, 2011

SNOWDAY!

It's snowing white cloth here in the studio. Once I picked out the sewn down pleats and a hem that actually had a silk ribbon edge, this size 12 skirt has yielded about two yards of what I think is a silk/linen blend. And look! a grid! This morning I'm going to start another in the "Rêver" series. Bliss....

Speaking of Bliss, my Goodman forced me to accept a small air conditioner in the studio late yesterday. I've lost my view of a shrub and the neighbors roofline but the sacrifice will be worth it until the fall. When Colin first
plugged it in the temp readout in the room was 99 but I suspect that was as high as it could show.


The pile of white things I keep stumbling across continues to grow. I plan on saving a sleeve or collar here and there but there will be a dyefest sometime late in August. I'm heading for NY next week and invariably bring (or ship) home amazing finds of vintage cloth that's just begging for color - there will be Monkey Blood, Robin's Egg, Butternut, Granite, and more as the daydreams add up.
even the labels are pretty. I never knew what "ramie" was until I did a little research. This blouse fooled me into thinking it was cotton. I also know it should take the dye nicely.

It was pleasant enough in the  studio last night for a little hand stitching. This is one of the elements I'm making for the Magic Cloth Diaries project.

It's time to set aside the trixie stuff and start work on the actual garments, now that I can handle the fabric without feeling smothered and getting everything all sweaty.