Stitching My Story

How to Avoid Writing an Essay on Prehistoric Venus Figures, Cave Paintings, and Mesopotamian Artwork...

 

...make yo-yo's out of funny pictures.

 

 

 

View From a Happy Day...

 

An early morning run with my BFF, followed by an iced mocha and a backwards-knitting discussion. The woman is downright AMBIDEXTROUS when you put a set of knitting needles in her hand.

A bit of embroidery-- continuing on with the blind contour hand drawings and trying to decide on a quote to put on the pocket.

A new bobbin full of hand dyed wool, along with the realization that I need to occasionally step away from the cool side of the color wheel.

Using Blind Contour Drawings as Embroidery designs...

"An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love being in school again, but I find myself CRAVING fabric, needles and thread. Funny thing is, after having been immersed in brushes and paint, drawaing pads and pencils, and a LOT of Adobe Creatvie Suite these past six months, fabric INSPRIATION has been elusive.

Today, cleaning out my school bag in preparation for summer classes (photography, typography and visual dialogue), I found a gazillion blind contour drawings-- many of them of my hands, which were unfailingly nearby when I needed something to draw. Even though these drawings are out of proportion and wonky (and maybe even BECAUSE they are), I like them! I like the freedom they represent. Nobody expects blind contour drawings to LOOK like what they are and that quiets the noisy little critic in me.

Inspiration hit! I grabbed my grubby, plain art apron and started transferring the hand drawings onto it. I find that both using a light table and drawing directly on the fabric, and using embroidery transfer paper to trace designs work quite well for this purpose. The plan is to fill the surface of the apron with these drawings and embroider them in a rainbow of colors.  My fingers feel so happy to be stitching again, and the experience was a reminder that sometimes finding one's inspiration is as simple as just BEGINNING.

Hey Maxine...

Another custom stuffie. This one for soon-to-be 70-year-old Maxine. Funny, I don't know her personally, yet in the process of creating stuffies, I still manage to BOND and get a little attached. Wishing you a happy birthday, Maxine!

 

Nonno Stuffie ...

Grandbaby O's other grandpa ("Nonno") headed back to Italy this past week after a two month visit. Baby O grew very attached during the visit and he is now speaking Italian like the language BELONGS to him!

To make the parting a little easier, I stitched up a stuffed Nonno so they could still play "together" until their next real life visit.

P.S. I got a new Canon Rebel camera. (Thank you, Hilary!!) Don't my pictures look a million times better?! (Thanks also to Nicole for showing me how to turn it on *grin*).

Short, Short Story Bracelets Published!

  In stores April 1st.

Friendships and Dads and Colored Pencil Pockets...

Last month, this long time friend passed away. After losing dad, it was a hard event to process. I am still trying to sort it all out in my head. We hadn't really had that much contact over the past couple of years, yet the few scattered emails and coffee dates we had were heartfelt and significant. They changed the way I process my world, as well as the way I feel about calling myself an artist. Sherri was every bit as much a teacher as a friend.

I've been looking at this picture a lot lately. It's only from 4 or 5 years ago, but if feels like a lifetime ago... somehow back in more carefree days. I keep trying to figure out if my days have changed significantly since then... or if I've changed... of if I have a bad memory and the days weren't actually all that carefree. This picture was taken before her husband was diagnosed and died of a brain tumor, and before my dad was diagnosed and died of prostate cancer. Life, as good as it is and as grateful as I am, has felt like it's had a fat little gray cloud hung above it by comparison.

It was interesting timing that today my friend Betsey returned this brightly colored pencil pocket to me. I'd made it for Sherri ages ago and Bets had found it while sorting through Sherri's studio.

See the possibilites.

Just the other night, after registering for spring art classes, and thinking ahead to ARTFEST and a summer garden, I realized that I was actually looking forward to things again. I could see clearly that this past year had been one dedicated to moving through the moments.... one at a time... some indescribably wonderful, and some nearly unbearable. I didn't realize it before the other night, but looking forward to things has not been a part of my reality in a while.

See the possibilities.

Last night I had a dream that my dad was sitting in  his chair in his living room, and I was at the dining room table. It's a small house and the dining room is maybe 15 feet from his chair but, in my dream, the table and his chair were REALLY far apart. I could see him perfectly and he was Ok-- just far away from me. Upon waking, I realized that's how my experience of death feels... like my dad (and now Sherri) are OK, just really far away.

  As we move out of winter and into spring, I am going to keep embracing the message that Betsey brought me today: See the possibilities.
 

 

More Signs of Being in School....

My work on display at the university!

Christmas Knitting Roll for my BFF....

I made this for Cindy for Christmas.

I modified and used this pattern.

I bought the needles on Amazon.

A Painted Canvas Journal...

One of my goals for fall has been to spend 15 minutes daily drawing and writing. Sometimes it's easy and I do more... sometimes the "15:15" staring up at me from my daily to-do list FoRcEs the marks onto the pages of my journal. Either way, I find that following through on the commitment changes how I feel about my day much the same way running does. I feel a sense of accomplishment and my busy head quiets a little bit.

I made this journal with nice heavy pages. It holds a pencil and pen for both drawing and writing. Tossed in my bag, I am ready for my daily tasks anytime.

Wanna join me? It doesn't have to be drawing or writing, and it doesn't have to be two different activities. My BFF committed to 15 minutes of piano practice a day.

How would you fill 15 minutes?