Running with stitches...

Scraps.  Lots and lots of them.  Fabrics piled according to color are starting to commandeer an entire corner of my workroom.  Recycled, discarded, second-hands and third-hands, the entire lot has come from being something else.  This idea sits well with me and I think I could spend the rest of my life and never touch new cloth again.

Stitching a few bits & pieces together now, making "components" for use in the upcoming Cloth to Cloth workshop, taught by Jude Hill.  Still working with raw, torn edges...admitting here that I am completely smitten with all things frayed.  

Also smitten with the simple running stitch.  What a restful enterprise coming from a stitch named for so much movement!  Nosed around, trying to learn more about it & came upon this magnificent book:

Kantha: The Embroidered Quilts of Bengal

from the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz and the Stella Kramrisch Collections

It's the catalog from an exhibition I wish I hadn't missed, on display earlier in the year at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  This is the first book-length study on kanthas published outside of South Asia - 304 pages of gloriously illustrated splendor.  More examples from the exhibition can be found on the museum site here. 

Some potent words from Darielle Mason, the Stella Kramrisch Curator of Indian and Himalyan Art, who organized the exhibition,

"Like American patchwork quilts, kanthas are about memory.

They connect families and generations and they connect

the present with the past.

The everyday lives of Bengali women were seldom recorded

prior to the late 20th century, so kanthas are often

the only surviving physical traces of women's presence,

and the only way their personal voices may be heard."

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You're not in Kansas anymore...

Ventured off the usual blog path today and wrote a little story to go along with this photo...India is up to a bit of fun over on her blog and has set up quite the irresistible challenge to answer this question:  how in the world did that pile of wet AND burned laundry end up on the pavement?  Pop on over to read the stories ~ if you're in the mood for some chuckles, that's the place you wanna be!  

Here's my tale...

You're Not in Kansas Anymore

The Wicked Witch of the West was cruising around looking for trouble, a favored pastime. But the Fitzroy streets were quiet and her disgruntlement was brewing. Where was everyone? Safely ensconced in their tidy little houses, she suspected. With great disgust she fumed and grumbled obscenities to herself, all the while keeping close watch on the streets, itching for mayhem.

The she spied the open door. The launderette was deserted.

Ah ha! This could be the perfect opportunity to wash her colorful undergarments without anyone knowing. After all, she had a reputation to uphold. Having flown half way around the world, she hadn't realized how cold the winter would be in this Land of Oz so she had been forced to don several layers of girlie apparel under her voluminous black cape. Peach colored leggings, an aqua chamise, lavender knee socks, all worn by the meanest, baddest witch of them all?! This was a secret that must never be known.

Dashing quickly inside, the Wicked Witch chuckled to herself (in the evil way that only witches can do), propped her broom against the washer and felt secure in the knowledge that if spotted by any passerby she would surely be taken for the cleaning woman. She went about her task with feverish intensity.

Anxiety rose while the dryer spinned - it was now growing light outside. I must make haste, she thought, and without further ado, swung open the dryer door, removed all her pretties before they were completely dry, put them on and got as far as the doorway...and melted right there on the sidewalk.

Morale of the story: when you are the Wicked Witch of the West, lost in the Land of Oz, remember to dry clean only.

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Mending with the blues

The other day over at her place, Spirit Cloth, Jude was playing with gaps.  This got me to thinking about a few gaps of my own...

...ever thought about whether you are left-kneed or right-kneed?  Neither had I until I realized that ALL of my favorite jeans eventually look just like this -- a big hole in the left knee.  Never the right -- just the left.  Good to have things in ones life one can always count on, I suppose  ;>}

Pawing through the mending pile, the choice for the *sacrificial lamb* jeans was not the least bit difficult.  You should see the derriere on this pair...beyond hope I decided.  Off with its leg!

Thought it would be fun to just play with stitches, no particular goal in mind except to stop the drafts and add some reinforcement so out came a menagerie of embroidery thread recently gleaned from the local thrift store.  Ended up using every blue in the bag.

Kept the raggedy edges all 'round (I'm prone to that lately) although future laundering should fray them up nicely.  In the meantime, my favorite gardening jeans have a new lease on their days in the dirt.  Thanks to Jude for inspiring with her own particular style of "knee keepers."  


I love my new knee.  But look at that perfect RIGHT knee...what's up with that?!  One of life's mysteries.

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Owls returning...

Owl encounters are not uncommon in these parts.  If the surrounds are suitable, the eats plentiful, chances are good for visitations.   Several species have habitat here and while most visits are welcome, the occasional traveller can be a bit alarming...

The first autumn in this house surrounded by woods, a juvenile barn owl must have decided to explore the chimney opening a bit too closely and fell right down the shaft.  Alone here at the time, I had no idea what was causing all the racket -- all I knew was that unnerving sounds of shuffling and scratching were coming from inside the chimney and something ALIVE was trapped.  The damper was closed so no chance of said creature escaping into the house, but how in the world was I going to get this poor trapped thing, out?

Good friend Sam, well versed in all things animal and raptor-like, responded in his utterly  chivalrous and true Sam style (as he has since done several times over the years) and arrived armed with everything one might need for a rescue.  The plan was to temporarily "blind" whatever it was with that bright shop light you see glowing within the fireplace.  Then s-l-o-w-l-y, push the damper up in the hope of releasing the misfortunate one...whatever IT was.  Much to our surprise and amazement, this youngster plopped out.  By all appearances unscathed, he was nevertheless very peeved.  Barn owls can throw quite the hissy fit, literally.  Here he is protesting at the top of his lungs.  Please pardon the blurry photos -- it was quite the moment!

My young visitor was soon released into the night, gliding away on little grateful wings, I'm sure.  A successful outcome and a good memory.

This lucky Great horned (see the garter snake he's gobbling?) was one of last years welcome visitors, having decided to devour its meal *outside* on the front gate arbor rather than, shall we say, showing up at the dinner table or somewhere else meant more for humans.  

The past few nights I've heard them...owls in the woods again, hooting it up .  Although it's the last day of August, my most favorite heralds of autumn have certainly returned.  I checked the damper -- it's closed.  :>]]

Painting by Valentine Cameron Prinsep,  first exhibited 1863

~ Il Barbagianni (The Owl) ~

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Change my world...

Filled the house with music today...great, glorious Celtic music.  Spent awhile working on this,  

and danced in my socks across the wooden floors to some mighty fine fiddlers!


Drenched my soul and was mightily transported elsewhere...swept away by this voice...

and this one...

In anticipation of unusual mark making ~ with the help of Brother Trees ~ a lovely tribute to the ancient pines was found.

May your weekend be taking you wherever you need to go,

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Meteors and stars...

August.  Summer nights with clear skies.  Every year around this time the Perseid meteor shower puts on its show...part of what defines summer for me.  Years ago this is what I might have seen...the view from Land's End, San Francisco.  With quite a lot of light pollution from big cities, not many stars were ever visible.  photo courtesy of ehoyer   

I don't live there anymore.  Here's what home looks like these nights...nights with a bizillion stars.

photo courtesy of lucasmopdx

Not the moon you're seeing there, but the planet Venus.  There's no moon this year between midnight & dawn to interrupt the meteoric display.  Scientists say that 2010 is a good year for the Perseids.  From NASA:

The Perseid meteor shower is caused by debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle.

Every 133 years the huge comet swings through the inner solar system and leaves

behind a trail of dust and gravel.  When Earth passes through the debris,

specks of comet-stuff hit the atmosphere at 140,000 mph and disintegrate

in flashes of light.

The meteors are called Perseids because they fly out of the constellation Perseus.

Swift-Tuttle's debris zone is so wide, Earth spends weeks inside it.

Indeed, we are in the outskirts now, and sky watchers are already reporting

a trickle of late-night Perseids.

Sky watchers.  That would be me.  And this one...who follows me everywhere including out to the garden at midnight.  Who is my shining star by any definition.

She has a new "hedgie."  No less than 5 squeekers hidden within.  Bigger than dawg's whole head.  Hysterical  :>]]

May you find stars wherever you look for them,

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Man dreams of flight...

'Man Dreams of Flight...Owls Wonder if This is Wise'

Just giving a little shout-out to art photographer extraordinaire, Susan Tuttle, and her amazing, totally fun, online digital manipulation workshops. Starting this evening, she is running three summer workshops (simultaneously):  Digital Layers and Photomanipulation 1 and 2 with use of Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Photoshop/CS.  Click on this linkie to read all about them.  No need to have much background with these programs...a desire to learn will see you through.  Well, and a little propensity for diving off the high dive  :>]]


The absolute BEST part of Susan's workshops (I've done two so far) is that you can work entirely at your own pace.  The month long courses are divided into three "projects" per week so you can work on one, or all three...or none, if life takes over for a bit as it often does.  Or you can work like a maniac and create to your heart's desire!  It's not at all like having homework due on a certain day.  You are your own taskmaster.  If you're prone to "night owling" it like I am, much can be accomplished in the wee hours of morn.


I posted about Digital Layers here and Digital Photomanipulation here.  Also, Susan set up a Flickr pool for all the participants and this is where one can have a pretty amazing time watching what others are creating.


If you've ever had an inclination to explore this kind of world I'm not sure you could find a more generous (with her knowledge & helpfulness), creative, and all around sweet person to be your guide.  Guess you can tell I'm kind of a fan.  I know this post is short notice but don't dismay. More workshops are coming this fall...some *new*!


'Man Dreams of Flight...' is composed of four layers.  My Flickr linkie is here if you'd like to see the image sources.  What a world there is out in pixel land.  Please do let me know if you're venturing there...

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Story cloth...

...a bit of a departure for me, this kind of stitching, this kind of story telling.  Actually, it's more than a departure - I think this is a new path.  

There's a marvelous phenomenon happening within the cyber world...online workshops.  Artists are generously sharing their knowledge & experience through the computer these days.  If not for opportunities like this, I probably would never have the chance to learn about telling stories with cloth from a textile artist like Jude Hill.  Spirit Cloth is her blog, an inspiring place to visit and learn.

The 'Spirit Cloth' workshop is over now, but I am still (along with several others) finishing my piece.

Oh my, what I am learning!  I started out wanting to teach my hands to stitch.  And this is indeed happening.  What is also happening is learning the language of cloth...how different fabrics *sit* with each other, how edges speak...or shout, how moods can be created with piecing techniques and how texture lends personality.

My story cloth is also a sampler of sorts, as I've never before done any kind of quilting and I wanted to experiment with all that Jude had on offer.  I am even going to add words, something I mentioned in class that I have always avoided.  Just because I want to break some of my own rules - try on a new dress of a different color  :>]

All the cloth I'm using has been repurposed from something else.  Old shirts, blouses, stained linens, a torn skirt, and a discarded pillow case are included in this making.  Also, precious bits & pieces from blog friends in other parts of the world...Teresa's natural dye fragments from Australia...pink avocado-dyed sheers from Heike at Gerdiary, in Germany...Diane's amazing embroidery thread, all the way from France.

Working style for our class was completely improvisational.  There was/is no plan.  I didn't even have a story to begin with, just a jumble of cloth pieces waiting to tell me where they wanted to go.  And then the story did begin and the cloth went through several permutations.  This way of working is exactly like improvisational bead embroidery (my first love) and the entire reason I wanted to learn how to make story cloth bases.  Because for me, its all about creating landscapes where beads will live...

    

Now, a bit more stitching to do, words to collage into place, and then on to the beadwork...

Here are a few other stories that came from our workshop, each unique and WONDERFUL.
Manya
Cat
Susan C.
Linda S.
Lisa
Sandi
Pat
Suzanna

Till next time friends,

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Over the rainbow...

This story should perhaps start with, "Once upon a time, there was a soulbead sister named Grace..."  What is so amazing is that I've never actually met Grace, but somehow we are getting to know each other quite well through our mutual love of all things beady.  This often happens with bead people - we can't seem to help ourselves.  That's a long story in and of itself, but the important thing I want to share with you is that Grace has sent

the most incredible gift!

A collection of beaded cards - story cards really, each with their own theme - full of so much whimsy and delight, I just have to show them to you. Have you ever in your wildest, seen a flying butler?!  What is he doing out there in the garden with the chameleon and the ladybugs?

~ Chameleon eating buzzy bug ~

Czech brown striped beads, lampwork ladybugs, faceted Prenhite beads containing rutilated inclusions

Grace made all these cards all by hand.  They are hand stamped, with beads from her stash carefully stitched in place.  She kindly provided me the description of the various beads since some of them I had never even seen before.  Oh, be still my heart  :>]

~ Hoarding hedgehogs ~

Lampwork beads: turquoise discs & clear beads with cobalt dots, Tibetan bone beads

I should let you know that I have this *thing* for hedgehogs...ever since living in England awhile back where they'd come out at night and cavort on the lawn.  Took quite a strong liking to the little mites.  But I didn't know that Grace knew this!

~ Sealife ~

Stick pearls, seed pearls, African-trade Chevron beads, Japanese seed beads, vintage glass Czech beads

~ Draw your own beads! ~

Japanese seed beads, German molded glass beads (long "petal" beads & turquoise scarab beads)

I can't say I've left the best for last because all of these are so, so splendid, but I just get so darn happy whenever I look at this one:

~ Hedgies in my garden ~

Peruvian hedgies (ceramic?), green turquoise (tubes & pebbles), Howlite melon beads, amethyst beads

There's just no way to have a bad day when you've got hedgies around doing this,

and when you've got wonderful, creative people in the world who shine their light on you by gifting you something so AMAZING. 

But that's not quite the end of the story.  The evening of the day that Grace's gift arrived, the sky put on a beautiful light show.  I took this photo quite late in the evening across the veg garden.  After a rainy afternoon, the sunset turned the sky all pinky-gold...and this appeared,

a double rainbow.  You can just barely see the 2nd one, off to the right.  I couldn't help but think of Grace's gift as my own very special *pot of gold*...

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Ahh, summer solstice...

"On the Cliffs" by Henry Ryland

...the longest day of the year, the shortest night.  The wheel of the year turns and the traditional anticipation of summer is taking hold... 

I adore this painting.  It reminds me to keep looking forward, to be filled with anticipation and a searching soul. For reasons unknown ~ as I'm not much prone to ritual ~ I'm going to walk today (with dawg) to one of our special places, say some thank you's along the way to leafage, birdsong and the glorious sea air that surrounds us.  A quiet celebration with only two feet and four paws yet one filled with gratitude ~ deep, deep gratitude.

Happy solstice, my friends!

For a beautiful photograph of sunrise this morning at Stonehenge in Salisbury, England, look here.

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