This week

What I find most interesting are the events and objects that come in series during a week, even when they’re hiding among my own work.   See the coincidence post . When a customer asked me to make her an altar cloth, I accepted the commission gladly, but had no idea that when I looked back over prior work or work-in-progress, I have several pieces that  work as centerpieces for meditation areas.    I think she had a great idea to use a quilt for this purpose.

More than the sewing project itself, what this customer brought me was something new to explore.  She provided the fabric for this project and talked about the recipient as someone who “drums” and has an interest in Sacred Geometry. I had never heard the term before that I can remember, but when I looked it up, I was surprised to find out that the principles of design (which I use all the time)  are based on Sacred Geometry. 

I get all philosophical when things like this happen. 
I love how ’students’ inspire ‘teachers.’
I love how things just present when I’m just minding my own business.
I love how I find that I’ve been doing something right all along.

  

We are going to San Antonio, TX for the Husqvarna VIKING Convention on Sunday.  The new TOL sewing and embroidery machine will be unveiled on Sunday evening. We return on Thursday.  More…

 

Sew, but don’t stop blogging.

We are all in the same craft boat with our doubts, insecurities, lack of time, multiple interests.  I, for one, am so sad, in my isolated creative space,  that so many blogs are going away. Blogs I’ve grown attached to. It’s like the blog is just another craft project. that is finally finished.  Are any of you out there noticing this trend?  But people need to hear what you-all-too-busy-to-blog people have to say and what you are making to keep us all feeling okay about what we do. 

Now a yahoo list I just joined about a week ago… this is spooky!

I know there are still many of us out there, online, flickr, blogging, but I’m afraid I’m losing heart myself, with all the “endings.”  Something cheerful to close…

 

 

 

Talking Dresses

I’ve dredged up a old icon to spend time with lately. It goes back several years, and, as I mentioned in my last post, sometimes I revisit the sketchbook storehouse to get myself back into inspired mode.  So I decided to cut some templates and print the silhouette on plain fabric.  Then I dyed and painted more stuff.  I used my favorite green fabric paint color, with my favorite brown color and made some murky images. Then I took brighter fabric and traced the silhouette with bleach pen.  Then I dyed over some of the cheerier color and I got some murky thing again.  Some of the dresses are cut out and sewn back onto other fabric.  Some are just squares of fabric. All in all, I’ve tried to brighten them by surrounding them with more color, whether with fabric or stitching and I like what I’ve got. So far I’ve made four…and counting, I’m still not done.  These gals have become simple bags which may end up on (that labyrinth called) Etsy.

 

 

Nothing’s Original?

 

I came across the whole “copyright” issue of sorts (blog-style), which is a real hot button for me.  I am constantly producing ideas that turn into making stuff. I usually draw the idea in my sketchbook, or go backwards in my years of sketchbooks to discover an underutilized idea.   I’ve already lamented the insulated life of a shop owner a bit – not getting out much. My “excursions” mostly take the form of books (text and pictures), magazines, the prints on fabrics and notion catalogs. Now blogging. Even in isolation, creative people are bombarded with things that inspire and generate work. Being open to what is outside ourselves grows ideas. Being creative also demands a public life of sorts.  Putting our work out there is part of the process.  We are at risk as copiers and copied.

I don’t want to be scared to look for fear of being a “copier.”   On the other hand, how is a truly “original” idea defined?  

I look at the creative work I do as a commodity, especially now that I am trying to make a living with it.  I also represent a lot of creative people in that I sell their work, their cloth  and patterns.   I am constantly defending someone’s copyright and the labor that gave it to us. 

I came across liesl’s blog  “disdressed”  last night, purely by accident.  I know Liesl because I buy her patterns for the store, because she’s a talented designer who is trying to make a living too. I read her frustration and the mixed comments – pro and con,  with no easy answer.  In this visual world, there is no safe place to divert the eyes. Create honestly.

 

 

Maybe by tomorrow…

I’ll have something to show for the last few days of work.  I know it’s only two days since my last post, and last night was a night out with the girls and only some blurry photos of us flitting around Cathy’s kitchen, but I can’t forgive myself (I should) for not taking a macro shot or two, or finishing a project, even though I’m close. 

I did have a great encounter today with someone who is working in her Norwalk, CT neighborhood, to have women from different generations, come together through quilting.  They are using quilt-making as the bolt around which community conversation stirs positive experiences.  I so believe in this process and wish I could participate in some way.  At least our humble fabric will find its way into the quilt. 

One of my favorite parts of being in the shop is watching all these ideas being born.  

 

Day Off

We visited NYC this afternoon for errands and fun. One stop: The Museum of Modern Art. I almost cried in the presence of Rauchenberg’s fabrics, Derain’s color and Matisse’s composition.  The museum itself is the subject of many photographs. The Color exhibit was my goal, but we stayed to walk the other galleries and observe the crowds. What a great day, and no traffic on the way home. Oh, how I love the city!

 

Retreat to Ridgefield

While I was looking for an image to use for the invitation to our retreat in July, I realized it would make a great macro image, even though I didn’t take the shot today. 

 

Happy Accidents

Because there is something mentioned in the 30 Day Macro Challenge about possibly learning a bit more about my camera, I started to play with the buttons.  I even took out the book and played some more with the buttons.  I am on some still recording feature and I am surprised but pleased with the results.  

I love the grid.  I have been loving it for so long, even before it took me to the quilt. Long story, but… I can’t seem to get away from it and when I see it, I love it more.  So mistake or not, I am happy with this accident. Thanks to the Orange Flower for the inspiration.

 

Feedsacks of memory

I love vintage fabric, especially it seems when it’s from the 40’s.  So I lucked out over the weekend, when a super vintage vendor was down the row from our booth. I got three pieces that will eventually make it into a project. Maybe I’ll make a macro shot of it for the Orange Flower April Challenge.

 

grow

I wasn’t planning to add anything today, but was inevitably inspired by my blog searching. Everywhere I look are beautiful images of ordinary things made important by a closer view. Here is my contribution.  When people view my word houses they generally glance, but better to peek inside.  This is good advice for everything. The image is a close-up  of the one I made for my friend Pam.