:HOME:work

been sick... still am, but at least i'm not flat on my back.



haven't been doing ANYthing cloth related. it was taking all my strength to keep the grands from clobbering each other. i vowed this weekend to get back to it though. ripped up some strips and got to work night before last.



i'm trying to get caught up on all the methods at class. the tapestry, the double weave, cut out and mask... check check check. i think that's all of them.



i am going to use all these methods more extensively in the HOME comforter work. i just wanted to try em' out to get a feel for them.

For the comfort

over the weekend i started work on covering the comforter.



weaved strips of scrap cloth over several hours. several more hours of stitching. have to remember to find a comfortable position while stitching. don't avoid sitting on the cloth.



had a lot of fun here. everything just flowed. if my fingers (and my back) would've held up, i think i could've done a lot more.



i basted all the outer edges with leftover pieces of floss like a tied quilt so i can easily cut later to insert more fabric as i go. will be working on the quilting over the next several days.

i'm feeling agitated this morning. granddaughter and grandson decided i did not need any alone time this weekend. they were back to their old lock picking ways. add to that caffiene, icky rash and fruit flies. i'm on the edge. and i'm trying to talk myself down. hahahahaha

Weaving and unraveling

these are my two latest pieces for the cloth to cloth class.



i accidentally realized that light shines through this block.



this is all just pinned not yet basted. i think because i wasn't totally sure of the framing fabrics, but i'm gonna just go for it and leave em be.



this is the same type of weaving with as the previous post only with a backing. yellowish fabric is from an old 1970's sheet and it was a nice accident that the circle of the flower appeared in the lower block. the print is also a little darker than it's looks in this photo.

so that was the weaving... now the unraveling. this class is amazing. not only am i learning more about the feel and personality of cloth, i'm learning about the feel and personality of me. cloth is magic.

remembering my lifelong friendship i've had with natural cloth. how a certain blanket gave me comfort and security as a child. how silk ribbons rubbed against my cheek calmed me down. tears and fights with mom over polyester pantsuits and turtlenecks... hahahahaha they suffocated me! loving my levis, indian print gauze blouses, fringe leather mocs...

also learning an organic organization for working and enjoying. the natural process seeping over into and making it's way out to the outer overlooked corners of my experience. :thanks to suzanna and grace: for the words on the quiet and the slow.

i yam what i yam.

Getting it together

it's been a long time since i've taken a class. the class i'm taking is a freeform freeflowing one and thank goodness. i'm still a little overwhelmed. i am really slow. i'm realizing more about how i work... my :thought to manifestation: process. i take a lot of time thinking about things. which can be good, but i'm realizing where it makes me stop action. where it stops the freeflow from :wherever things come from:.

also realizing just how quiet i am. probably a mixture of shy and just not inclined to talking a lot. i think a lot about what i see, but it feels only relevant to me. i'm not used to voicing my thoughts all time. feels strange to me. probably a cultural thing. runs against the grain of this internet world. i'm trying to figure out how to make a balance of this, since i obviously want to participate in this forum (i'm here).

can't forget to factor in the grandbaybees... a terrible two and a frazzling four... :)

so i'm in the process of figuring it all out or at least as much as i can, from what i'm aware of at this point...

Carried away

this is the back panel for daughter's bag. it was supposed to be simple patchwork with maybe a little something in the corner... what happened? hahahahaha



i guess it has no back now. only two fronts. she can choose.



more wishing... the land of magic and dreams lies just beyond the heart. love is the gateway.

justa little bit

i didn't do much to it... added the star's face and rainbow :wish:drops.



also quilted in up a bit. still trying to figure out what/why/where of the words. going to turn it into a bag today.



adding this photo because it's the only one to show the cloth's true color. i took it by accident.

i was on a high yesterday. had a pretty good day. talked to the kids, visited mom, ate some food, did some shopping, watched a movie.

For the wishes

on the stars.



i finally started one of the makeup/catch all bags. this one's for daughter. her favorite color is red. she is currently far away from home trying to make her dreams come true.

i guess you'd i'd call this a wish pot. came out a little funky. i freecut/handed it and i plan on adding the words "star light, star bright..."

i received a huge mother's day card from daughter today. it made me cry. i miss her so much.
---

i forgot to add that the star is made in the style of jude at what if.

Moment with the Moon

a memento.



it's been pretty hectic around here. most of the hectic in my mind i'm sure. rush rush rush. conflict with slow slow slow. i feel fear when i'm rushing. fear of losing something, missing something. fear of the tic. tock.



noticed how tangible the moment/story is with one of these cloths. the thoughts jump out at me. they jump into my brain complete with feeling, ideas, problems, solutions. magic. and i did not realize how powerful that could be.



also noticed i question the quilting part of the cloth. i wonder why. fear/conflict of perfection/non performance going on in my head? after i do it though, i love it.

while stitching this, i forgot this was supposed to go on my comforter. is that yarn/vine/umbilical cord going to hold up to washing? is it gonna get all wibbly wobbly? well we'll see...

Luna:see:

i'm finally feeling like i'm back on this plane. that starry way out feeling is fading. she set me down softly. luna:see: gone.



i didn't do too much to the panel last night. i'm not quite sure where it is going from here. last night, it was looking finished to me, but i think there's more to add. i'd wanted to do some running stitches across it to quilt it. i'm not sure if it will look right though.



i plan on starting the make-up bag cloths this evening and maybe doing a little work on the second panel.

*
One night as Dick lay fast asleep,
Into his drowsy eyes
A great still light began to creep
From out the silent skies.
It was the lovely moon's, for when
He raised his dreamy head,
Her surge of silver filled the pane
And streamed across his bed.
So, for a while, each gazed at each-
Dick and the solemn moon-
Till, climbing slowly on her way,
She vanished, and was gone.

-- Walter de la Mare

That journey

traveling the vine.



i think miss moon is camped out on my left shoulder. she's been whispering in my ear forever now.

i've had many moons like this past one and i've forgotten or wasn't aware of many many past moons. i realize (again?), this moon, however that remembering/knowing helped/helps me to ride it out.



the journey a symmetrically imperfect tangled vine. it's not straight, but it's not too scary either. just enough curve to sway me from one side to another and jostle me around a bit, if i'm smiled upon. it's a vine growing from emotions fueled by a clear or cloudy perspective.

i put the quarter moons together using jude's paperless piecing video. i tried it out last week on some entsy teensy squares for practice and the stitchin felt really good. it forced me to hold the pieces in my hands in such a way that produced really good sturdy control.

now to add some words and other stuff?.

Unspeakable speaking

this is something i came up with several weeks ago



when i was thinking about the unspeakable elements. i'd forgot about it and just came across this photo. i don't think i'll be working on it right away. the new blue is the line leader in my thoughts.

it's a rough rough throw together of the weaving method from jude/spirit cloth. these strips are leftovers from previous projects.

this is a set aside.

Out the window

i took the day yesterday to do nothing.



i did things, but just fun or relaxing things. i posted myself on the couch, played with the kids and stared out the window.

started thinking about words. i get spellbound at the mystery of words and language. words are the foundation of how i think of the world. if i think of the world through a different language, the perception changes. co-opting words and rearranging letters is magical. i know this doesn't directly link to stitching, but i was thinking if somehow it could. it hasn't come to me yet, but i hope there is something there.