My apologies!!

I don't know WHERE the time has gone! So many, many events in the family, but the bottom line is, I've neglected the blog!

So....


I finally finished the Spirit House quilt! Here's some photos, although since it was taken, I have gone in and added 3 more little houses on the hill, just to really finish it out. I wrote the haiku myself, and when I finally decided on the hands, it all came together really quickly. I'm very pleased with the results.


I've had fun at some craft shows, and whipped up some little monster pouches from recycled thrift shop sweaters. Zippers for mouths, buttons for eyes....they are so funny to play with!


I've been getting rid of all the Red Panty clothing, and have stopped sewing up any new cashmere kitties....I feel the need to change directions. I'm not sure if I'll still make clothing to sell: I'm still looking inside myself, figuring out where I need to go from here.

I've been winnowing out the Art Barn, because it's becoming quite the dumping ground...between moving Dear Daughter home this summer after graduate school, friends making "donations" of various items, accumulating vast amounts of supplies, whatever, it's just TIME to clean it up! I looked at photos of the Art Barn, after I finally got it all fixed up and situated, and I long to return to that state of cleanliness! So that's my goal, to get it finished by New Year's.

What's YOUR end-of-the-year resolution?

Red Panties on Parade

The show is UP and looking....okay, I guess. Artwork that I "pin", or admire, or really, really like is so much better than mine. I feel mine is rather cartoony, which isn't a bad description considering my life is very much like the Simpsons! But, it IS mine, and for what it's worth, it's on display at the bottom of the stairwell in Courtright Library at Otterbein!


I was happy to get the Panty quilts out in public again, it's been awhile!

I do feel happy with this particular piece, Watch What You Say. The shiny bits are the inside of a chip bag. The open mouth is printed on vellum, and the old diagram lines connect to my sewn lines leading to the words "hate" and "lies", which have the big red "NOT" circles on them. Click on the photo to see it more clearly.


Lots of other words on this one, too....."mirror, mirror"; "mind your tongue"; "do you like what you see?".

I also finished the central piece in this grouping...I don't consider them a triptych, but they hang together nicely. "Redbuds" because I love them in the spring!


There will be a little reception on Sunday, April 19th 2-4pm, so if you're around, stop by! The show will be up until the middle or end of June.

The ice dam has broken...New Artwork! (a little morality tale)

One week from today, I'll be hanging a little show of my work in the basement of Otterbein's library. I so wanted to have all new work to hang, although I certainly have more than enough already to have a nice selection.

I tried to make the little houses piece work; I thought about it, I fussed about it, I dreamt about it. This morning, I did embroider the moon....



....but I finally realized why I can't finish it right now. Too dark, to Halloween-y! That's not where I am, especially today, the first lovely day of the year, temps up to the 60's, not sunny, but not rainy. So, I decided to let Mr. Moon rest for awhile, til I feel more like fall, and start something else.

Success! Two little pieces halfway finished, one of wisteria and one of cherry blossoms. They're each about 21" tall x 10" wide.

I've decided to make a much larger piece as a companion, with flowers in it. Foxglove, maybe coneflowers, maybe lavendar. I can decide tomorrow. But as I watched the news showing photos of the Ohio River cresting and beginning to recede, I feel the same way, that dam of frozen ideas has finally given way to some warm, flowing inspiration!



What is the moral of this story? Don't force it. Don't try to jump and stomp on the debris blocking your flow....just relax. Put it away. Give yourself permission to go in a completely different direction, one that is open and unimpeded by expectations or the baggage we bring. You'll find your way back by coming at it from another side, later, when you're ready. In the meantime, you can still find joy and create beauty in other ways!

Done! Liturgical cloth with applique

Yay, I'm done! This was actually quite enjoyable, and felt really great to be contributing to the overall worship experience. Here's photos: of the sketch for the applique to go on one side of the altar drape.


Then there's the photo of the applique pieces I created from fabric.....



There's the completed applique, waiting for the gold thread embroidery....



and here's the finished cloth! The church will use them for the first time next Sunday, and they've invited me to attend their worship service. I'm so glad, I wanted to get a picture of the whole set in place, so I'll share that next week.

Happy New Year 2015!

It's a New Year! Yay! Another chance to keep all those resolutions (didn't make any) pay all those bills, (working on it!) achieve all those goals! (sooo many goals!)

After lots of crafting for Christmas, I have started a sweater for ME, but I've had to take a time out...

Working on a commission for a local church, for a new set of Paraments (altar cloth, bookmark, and lectern scarf) for their Ordinary Time. That means, Green! Lent & Advent are purple, special days like Easter & Christmas are often white, Pentecost can be Red, etc.

So, after a very fun day at the fabric store, and about 10 different 1 yard samples of green fabrics, I settled on a combination of a cool green & gold brocade paired with a printed textural cotton. I'm thinking about the juxtaposition of the mundane and the divine, the ordinary and extraordinary, our daily, imperfect lives, and the sacred, holy ideal life we strive for.

This is a pic of the Lectern scarf, prepared as the sample for the church committee and it shows the style of patchwork I'm doing. Here's a sketch of the altar cloth, which is now actually a finished top, ready to be appliqued this weekend with grapes and wheat instead of a cross and flames.

Many yards of fabric, to be sure, but it's been kind of fun. I did have to switch from my beloved Bernina 1120 to the 1948 Singer Featherweight my mom gave me a few years ago when the Bernina started to protest last weekend. Squeaky, clunky noises are not good! So she's in the shop, getting a "super head cleaning". I'm sure she needs cleaned & oiled, because I really put her to use.

Next up: working on the new quilts for my exhibit at Otterbein, and trying to sneak in more clothing to sell.

Spirit Houses and Bleach

Yes, I realize it has been 6 months since I have updated the blog....and yet it doesn't seem like much time at all! Let's jump right in....

I have been invited to share my quilts in April 2015, in a tiny little alumni gallery at Otterbein, now a University, when I graduated, a College. It's tucked underneath the stairs on the lower level of the Courtright Library, but it's sweet nonetheless. They specifically asked me about my work recycling fabrics from thrift shop clothing. Since normally that is the focus of my clothing, rather than the quilts, I'm creating more artwork just for them.

I visited the Otterbein thrift shop a couple time for materials, I puttered around all summer in the Art Barn, but this weekend, finally, I got started. I used some discharge paste and the stamps I created last year at QSDS on a scrap of linen skirt, and the sleeve from a man's shirt. I'm thinking along the lines of "spirit houses", places in the mind where we hold memories of cherished people, places, events and moments. The spirit of those memories live on in their houses, but sometimes we forget to visit them for long stretches of time. Sometimes, we even forget who or what lives in the little house there in the back. So I'm trying to investigate!

Here is the discharged fabric.....






....and here is the first stage of the first piece. I've laid out the backing fabric, batting, and the background of the face of the quilt, and I'm going to do some of the quilting next. Then I will begin layering the focal point, a larger "spirit house", and as I do, I'm hoping I will make the final decision regarding exactly who or what lives in this particular house. That big light circle at the top is a really lovely silvery gray piece of oriental satin from the Otterbein thrift, from Hong Kong or so the selvedge says, and represents the silvery moon.

February Wrap-Up

As we near the end of February 2014, it occurs to me that despite my best couch potato efforts, I have actually accomplished several projects this month! Amazing, I know, but there you have it.

Last night I finished knitting the first of a pair of socks, very pretty! I did FINALLY finish up my brother's Christmas pair of socks, but as they are serviceable black, I didn't photo them.

Yesterday I also whipped up a top for myself, I love it! I got some delicious woven stripe linen at Joanne's of all places....off white and "blackberry". Paired it with a 100% fine cotton knit sweater from the thrift; extra-small sized, ha! One sleeve is the button up front of the cardigan, and the other is the solid back. I had to radically piece them both, but totally worth it to incorporate the pretty silk chiffon trim from the button placket. I even dug out the roll hem foot for the Bernina, PRACTICED on a scrap (whaatt???) before hemming the bottom. I still need to finish the neckline with bias trim, but that won't take but a minute.





Monday I did all the quilting on a new piece, inspired by a photo taken by musician Tim Perdue, who is making quite a name for himself about town as an excellent photographer. Very sensitive images, evocative. I had these blue "bricks" laid out on a stark white background, but apparently I really wasn't sold...a week ago a friend came to the Art Barn to play, and encouraged me to go with my plan to switch out the white for a gray color. She helped me lay out all the bricks & pin them down again. And then....Monday I woke up and realized it was wrong! I had the bricks all lined up vertically, and they really cried out to be diagonal. So I took out all the pins, cut a few more bricks, laid it out, voila! Much better. The quilting is intended to evoke raindrops. I obviously need to bind it, and my plan is to then sew on many, many pearl buttons, like raindrops. Oh, did I mention? Every piece of fabric is from thrift shop clothing! Yep! and so are all the buttons I plan to use. I have been invited to display my work Spring 2015, particularly pieces from reclaimed textiles. So I'm concentrating on some new pieces that use more of those materials. It's really not difficult, given that I use them so regularly in the clothing I make.

That same friend laughed while I sewed up some new Kashmere pets....foxes!! I think they're cute! I love it when I can find argyle cashmere, it gives each animal a distinct personality.

Enjoy the pics, as I start my second sock, and stay warm and cozy as March comes roaring in!

A thrift shop duvet cover + linen shirt equals.....

Some cute new Gardening Aprons! Just in time for the Scioto Gardens Gardening & Arts Festival!

The reversible duvet cover was just languishing in the Art Barn, black & cream check on one side, toile on the other. A couple of linen shirts for pockets and bias trim, and voila!

I think they turned out really cute, and there are lots of times they would come in handy. I like the full coverage in the front, and the crossover back. I might need one of these when I'm painting or dyeing fabric; I don't like to get messy, and this would be practical!

Fabric Printing

I finished up all the prepared fabric squares from my QSDS workshop and here's a snippet of what I created!

I did some gingko leaves for my mom, and she's already absconded with them!


I also created some little doors; I've got some nice photos from Italy that I can combine these with, although some are sweet by themselves.


I had a lot of fun creating my own stamp motifs in both positive and negative shapes, and cutting out lots of vinyl stickers to use as resists. Now to create some new quilts!

So I took a class....

at QSDS last weekend! (Quilt Surface Design Symposium) with Melanie Testa. Very sweet instructor, great work, and we got stuff done.

We were taught to use thickened dye to monoprint and stamp on soda-ash soaked cloth. I wish I had finished more, but 2 days just isn't very long! But it's so fun to go to QSDS; gets your creative juices flowing again, or pouring out of you if you weren't stuck.

I still have some prepped blank fabric, and I brought home some of the gooey algaenate thickener, so I guess I need to do some more! It's a little messy, but that's what the Art Barn is for.
We had limited time, so we needed to stick to a single motif. I chose some gears; I cut some out of freezer paper to act as a resist, then I created my own positive and negative stamp with sticky back fun foam & acetate. Quick and easy techniques, and with more time and planning, I can imagine some really great results.

Working and loving it!

Busy working in the gorgeous studio.....I have a pile of cashmere sweaters from the thrift shop all washed and ready!

See the pile? so pretty!

I'm scheduled to do some arts & crafts type festivals this May & July, so I'm concentrating right now on increasing my inventory of super-soft and cuddly Kashmere Kitties....not only are they cute, but they're environmentally-friendly!


See the cut & sewn up "skins" that I made next?? They look a little creepy and forlorn like that, I know.


I've also drafted NEW patterns for cashmere plushness! I've got a pattern that doubles as either a lamb or a puppy (see the pink & blue skins lower left) and I re-patterned an Owl, mostly for Dear Daughter. That will be the argyle "skin" on the bottom right!

Stay tuned, I'll post pics as I get them all stuffed and pretty!

Smarty pants with no smart phone

I don't have a smart phone....I'm not really smart enough! But I have been fascinated with the cool-looking photos people post on Facebook, taken with Instagram. I like moody, misty, washed out, photos. Romantic, spooky, they just speak to me. But Instagram is only for Iphones, and I don't have any cool graphic design programs like Adobe or Photoshop, so what's a girl to do?

My favorite tool that comes with PCs is the Microsoft picture manager program; I like it alot better than the Windows manager that comes up on my home PC; I end up opening Microsoft manager there, too. It's easy, basic, I feel like I can handle it!

Sooooo.....I thought I'd explore a little more. I mean, I've used the tools to increase brightness, contrast, color on photos that I'm using for my Etsy shop, to enhance or correct. But I thought I would take it even further, and see what happens!

So let me show you:

Here is the original pic of my Kashmere Kitties, made from recycled thrift shop cashmere sweaters. I think it's sweet and endearing!

and Here is the pic with a bunch of the contrast and color taken out.

And the Last shot, I took the washed out version, and slid the hue and intensity over to the blue side! I think I like the middle version; it reminds me of a black and white photo with just a shot of color!

Ha! Now I can instagram, too!

First day of Autumn (where did my summer go?)

I don't know about you, but it almost seems as though I completely missed this summer. June went by in a blur, July was a week long, and I don't even remember there being an August! And now, it is Equinox, and the leaves are falling, and I dumped out my leggy petunia pots to get ready for pumpkins.

I have been busy, though, and it looks like I'll be stitching night and day from now until New Year's!

Beehive Bookstore is now selling "D-Town Totes...locally made bags for local folks"; yes, Red Panty tote bags, mostly made from scraps of upholstery fabrics given to me by an interior designer friend.

December First Friday here in town will be the opening night of a joint art effort between myself and supremely talented Cyrus Fire. I'm created plushies based on his paintings. The first is a character he painted as a label for a new, local beer brewer. Evil Cupcake Ale! See the pointy teeth?? See the disgruntled cherry on top?? Bad cupcake! I'm going to sneak some of my own plushies into the show, too, especially the Li'l Devils and Ghost Kitties. Maybe they will feast on zombie santa??

What?? Ghost Kitties & Devils in a movie??

Yep! That's taken up a good portion of my time lately! Well, that and Dear Daughter's Graduation from College, yippee!

alright, movie talk: I sell my Ghost Kitties on Etsy (love etsy!) and on the evening we got back from DD's graduation, had a message asking if I could make a quantity of L'il Devils and Ghost Kitties to decorate a set for a movie being filmed in Louisiana. My response: uh, YEAH! So, after a day or two working out the details, got the order for 2 dozen assorted!

Of course that meant I had to quickly make 10 Black kitties and 10 L'il Devils. Devils made of fabric that's out of print. So I dyed some, and finished them this morning. UPS'd them to Louisiana, and am hoping I will be told the name of the movie eventually, cause I certainly want to see these guys on the big screen!