The Best Layed Plans...

 I started December with a plan to do a small painting and clear a section of clutter every day.  Well, it's day 9 and I have 2 done and one partially done.

The problem was the clutter clearing.  I had a pile of art journals and writing journals and, of course, I had to go through them to see what I had done.  Among the written ones I was reminded of something I had done with a Jane LaFazio class and I immediately had to look to see if I still had that class on my computer.  I did so I decided I had to make another one -- a Christmas one.  This is one that I put on the back of a denim vest.

They're fun to make and I have lots of red and green fabric.  Since I didn't make a new table runner this year I'm making one of these for the center of our kitchen table.  The process is addictive so I may make a few of them.  Perhaps they'll become another table runner, the first one I made many years ago has seen better days. I've since made them in a variety of styles and sized. I enjoy putting the parts together and then in the evening while watching TV I add embroidery and other embellishments.  

So sewing a patch every day has replaced the daily painting but the clutter clearing continues.  As long as something else I find doesn't distract me.

Finally Finished

It took me 6 years but it was worth it.  No, I didn't work on it regularly, in fact I believe there was actually a year when I didn't work on it at all.  I had it done once, decided it was too small so put it away for a very long time. The idea of more blocks didn't appeal.  This is my 2nd quilt.  I made the first one 40 years ago.  Decided then it wasn't my thing, too many rules and too many exact measurements so the blocks go together.

 

Finally I decided I didn't need to do blocks, I could do whatever I wanted.  After all it is my quilt.  So I took it apart and started over and I love the result.  Once done it had to be quilted, that was going to be another problem, who or how?  Enter my friends Betty Boyink Roberts who owns a long arm and Beth Hwacinski who wanted to learn how to use Betty's long arm. 

Beth used my quilt to practice.  I don't think she needs anymore practice.  Here are some examples of what she did. 

Coffee and books (we read a lot)

A hat, there are more, I do love hats

 

Another love, oars from an old rowboat

No need to explain this one.

 

I haven't done much painting this week, binding this to finish it took much of my time.  And I may think about making another quilt one of these days.

 

And the flu hit our grandson so we had him for a couple days.  He's well now and rested.

Some Things Revisited

It's no secret I've been clearing some clutter from my studio and unearthing things I had forgotten.  I did this in 2014.  I have a sketchbook almost full of these images called Zendangles.  Something similar to Zentangle but to me, much more fun

One of the Dangles in the sketchbook was a start, not much to it.  So I decided to add more.  I haven't done any color yet, maybe later today or tonight.  Last night I taught my class the basics, they had a good time with it and some of them will probably do more.  It's addictive.

The other thing I did yesterday was pick up the sampler my mother started.  I should have blocked it myself before having it framed because they didn't get it straight.  She would not like that which is the only reason I think it should be straight.  For now it will hang in my sewing room, above her machine.  It is a reminder to me that while there are many ways we are alike... note unfinished sketchbook above and unfinished sampler.... there are also many ways we are different and that's okay.

I inherited her talent (she was an artist) and her love of fiber and fashion though you wouldn't know that to see me now, jeans and sweatshirts are my go to wardrobe. She liked perfect seams and stitches, I don't like staying in the lines nor do I feel compelled to have straight seams.  If they are that's fine, if not that's okay too.  But for the things she liked to sew it was important... fashion, clothes, she was a fashion designer through and through.  I prefer sewing art quilts and other just plain fun things like wonky dolls and angels.

A Bit Of Stitching

No drawing yesterday, instead I stitched.  I put some scraps together for the winter blanket I have been working on for a very long time; it seems to get put on the back burner often.  The scrap that says "create" is from a demonstration I did for my creativity class.  The partial circles on the right are from a stencil; I drew in the ones lower left and plan to embroider them.

The other piece I worked on is from a flea market find.  This was the back of something, perhaps a jacket, maybe a vest.  I don't know, I only got the back.  I've had it for a couple years and kept wondering what I would do with it.

Finally, a light dawned.  Another bag.  Like I really need another bag but I do enjoy making them.  The stitching on this is questionable.  I'm not sure it would hold up as a bag but I didn't want to take away from the look so I'm stitching so it doesn't show unless one looks very close.  I didn't take a photo close so you can't really see that.  Maybe when I'm done, I have a lot still to be done.

Today is Tuesday, Tuesday Painters are going back to Hemlock Crossing so it will be a painting day.

New Year, New Beginnings

Time to play and that is just what this is, playing, doing some experimenting.  I need to know what acrylics will do, I need to play without a plan and I need to do it every day.  That's why I've accepted the 30 Day Challenge... 30 paintings in 30 days is doable.  I've done it before but in the past there has been a specific theme.  This time my theme is just to play and not worry about making a painting.  Sometimes one may evolve but that isn't my aim.  It is simply to get something down on paper every day and this is day 1.

The other thing I'm working on is clearing out some clutter and reorganizing both of my studios, one is stitching, the other is painting.  While sorting in the stitching studio today I came across a piece of my mother's needlepoint.... unfinished.  A lot of my mother's work was unfinished.  She would see something new she wanted to try and go for it forgetting about the piece she was working on at the moment.  Damn, that's where I get that from!  Hadn't made the connection until now.  Anyway, this piece I really like and I wanted to frame it just as it is... unfinished.  However, my very left brained spouse said to way, you have to finish it first.  Well that isn't going to happen so I put it away.  Now it's back out and it is going to be framed just as it is because it is Mother.

It's been a good day, good start on what is going to be a good year!  Happy New Year.

Back to Stitching & Some Painting

Years ago I made a simple table runner for a table that sat in front of our living room window in our old house.  One side was Christmas fabric, at least I thought of it as Christmas.  I was with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law at the time and they didn't think it looked like Christmas at all.  We all have different taste don't we.

Anyway, the other side was just plain burgundy so when Christmas was over, it was turned over and pretty much stayed there all year.  Eventually the fabric faded badly along with the boarder binding which showed on both sides so I put it aside planning to throw it away.  That was probably 20 years ago.  Every time I went to get rid of it I looked at the Christmas side and put it back on the shelf.  I still love the fabric.

Finally, this year I decided to forget the bad side and just put new binding on so I can use the Christmas side.  Here is the bad side...you can see it once was quite nice

And here is the Christmas side with the new boarder.  Not a perfect match but close and now I can use it again.... for many more years since it will only be out for Christmas.

I've also done a little more painting, working on some starts that my friend Annie Morgan gave me so finish.  They aren't finished yet, I have to sit with them for awhile, they'll tell me where to go next, I hope.  These are mixed media pieces which is something I've been playing with for awhile.

I added the pears, no I brought out the pears on this one, added more white for contrast and gave more definition to the line work.  Much of the color was there but fainter, I added to it.

On the one below the lower left side and making the whites whiter and the golds golder is all I've done and I am thinking this one may be done.  What do you think?

Simplify

Something I've been thinking about... Simplify, I’m entertaining that idea.  I wonder if I can apply it...

            … to colors in a piece of work

            … to objects in my composition

            … to stuff in my studio  (oh yes, I do need to apply it here.

            … to time to complete a project (maybe avoid overworking an idea)

What do you think?  Have you tried to apply this to your life or maybe it’s an automatic for you.

Yesterday I spent the day in Holland Hospital, my spouse had back surgery and all is well except I didn’t get much art work done.  A bit of stitching but I haven’t taken the time to scan so a short post. Tonight he came home so I'm going to be his nurse for next few days, not much art work to get done but he is worth taking good care of.

The Winter Quilt

Just a quick post to show some progress.  I did a little work on this piece yesterday, weaving to see if I can make it a bit lighter in value.

It looks like it will help some but it will take more than just the doors.  I'll do a little more this afternoon and see how it goes. 

The Moon and Stars

Yesterday I did a little more work on this little one.  I have no idea where it's going to end up but for now, it's fun going.

A little sketching and a lot of stitching

It's part of my DNA; stitching.  And for a long time I denied it. "No, I do not like to stitch."  Yes, I can do it but I don't like too.  But I kept buying fabric and embroidery floss and yarn, and I didn't get rid of all of the leftover fabric, yarn and equipment from earlier days -- way earlier.  Comparing a package of my embroidery needles with some I looked at last week -- the package of Boye needles I have, still marked 15 cents and it's just one of many.  The package of the cheaper brand I looked at... $2.49.

So why am I writing about this you ask.  Because I've discovered that I truly do like to stitch, what I didn't like was having to do it perfectly.  Yes, there are some things that I'd like to do better and I'm willing to practice those things so I know I will get better -- again.  A blog I enjoy is Jude Hill's Spirit Cloth, she practices on small pieces and keeps them, sometimes using them later in larger works.  I like that idea.  I also like Jude's classes and started to watch videos of a heart class.  I thought I'd do the heart thing so started with this one...

But realized I seemed to be doing more circles. Hmmm, is that because I seem to run in circles at times or at least feel like I am. Perhaps.  Anyway circles became moons became faces.  Here are a few...

 This one is a piece of discharged denim, I added stitch to the center trying repeat sizes.

then another discharged piece that still needs something

 This one got a face

So did this one though not a happy one.

And this one

Then I decided to try printing a face on fabric and adding it to other fabric.  This is a Christy Girl from a very old book I have.  If the book where in good shape it would be something to sell but it isn't so I use the pages.

And then just faces that may end up as circles but at the moment, just features

 

And then I had to practice some stitches I like to do.  The woven picot forms the petals and french knots fill the center.

The woven spider web is another one I love to do.

And an open circle, something Jude posted that I had to try

Jude also does a lot of feathers so I had to try one of those too.

But still painting as well.  Here are a couple sketches done with my Tuesday Painters.

Beth's Bonsai

and Connie's Coffee Grinder that isn't functional.

Now I'm off to do more work on that first piece I posted today.  I need to finish the satin stitch and then put it away for awhile.