an honorable mention

I recently sent work in for an invitational exhibit, Breaking Boundaries: The Art of the Quilt. Its being shown in the hallway just outside Gallery 50 in Traverse City, MI. Curator Desi Vaughn was kind enough to send me a couple shots of the show since I wasn't able to make it out there. Below is a shot of the exhibit space.



I was also very tickled (perhaps even tickled pink) to learn that one of my pieces, Talk to Me I, (shown on the left in the photo below) earned an Honorable Mention.



I am thrilled to have one of my new works noticed from among the 100 works hanging in the show. You can read about all the award winners in the latest post on the gallery's blog.

The exhibit hangs until December 31, 2008 - please stop by and view it if you are able. Many thanks to Desi and the gallery for putting together a beautiful exhibit and inviting me to be a part of it.


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Where I Stand Sunday's One Year Anniversary

It is the burning decay that sets the color on fire in this season. The idea that beauty can be found even in endings is somewhat at odds with its normal definition. Yet as I stand still and smell the dank earth reclaiming what the summer took so long to grow, a calm stills over me. There is a schedule and a purpose to be met, an agenda that will override everything else. The loss of control is soothing as time slips between the cracks.

This photo marks the one year anniversary of my Where I Stand photo essay. In order to celebrate, I am putting together a 7"x7" book containing all the photos and journaling for the first year of the project. (It will be available in a few weeks.) If you are a fan of Where I Stand, leave a comment on this post telling me which photo is your favorite and why. Next Sunday I will select a winner and that person will receive a free copy of the book. You can see all of the images in one spot here.

Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell.

he is plotting

I've said - on more then one occasion - that the only reason that Dooley gets away with being such a stinker sometimes is because he is so cute. He'll look directly at you when you tell him not to do something (and don't tell me he doesn't understand because he's a dog, he does. He learned what the word 'no' meant before he learned his own name. He was a challenging puppy.) and then turns around and does it anyway.

I've known for some time that he has issues with my laptop. He views it as an attention sucker and that means there is not as much of the coveted stuff thrown his way. But this morning I witnessed a long thought out plan put into action.

I set my laptop on my foot stool that I keep by my chair to go get some water. I do this all the time, its not unusual. One of the nice things about Dooley dog being an older boy is that he doesn't get into trouble as much as he used to so I don't hesitate to leave things near his level or on the floor. He usually just stares at it, gives it a sniff and then gets bored with it.

Not this time.

I walked back in to see him working to nudge my laptop over the edge of the foot stool!!!!

He very nearly had it past its center of gravity and it was beginning to tilt. When I shouted for him to knock it off he stopped, gave me a dirty look and then proceeded to lick it. I've known he has a hatred for the little silver block of machinery since he's figured out how to unplug my power cord (its magnetic so it pops out of the port easy, no harm done aside from annoying the hell out of me) and he has even taken to pushing on the screen with his paw when he wants attention.

But there has never been an attempt on its life before.

He's sitting under my chair now, snoring. Obviously he is in no way upset over the scolding I gave him. *sigh* Its a good thing I obsessively back up what is on my laptop, especially now that I know there is a hit out against it. He is more crafty then I gave him credit for. I have this image in my mind of walking into the mac store with a mangled laptop and me having to explain, "Well, I have this westie and he just doesn't care for your products..."

The laptop will be residing on top of the coffee table from now on. Little man has a severe disadvantage in that he is only about 18 inches tall. It doesn't take a lot of effort on my part to outmaneuver him.

I have a feeling this is going to be an ongoing battle....Dooley vs. the laptop....this could get ugly....


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hot off the presses

With One Voice

2008 Breaking Trad...

By curated by Lynn Kr...

The 2008 Breaking Traditions exhibit is finally on the road, traveling to different destinations and I'm quite proud of it. When I decided to make the exhibit travel, I knew some kind of catalog would need to go with it. The artist statements for all the work in the show are really what drives home the intent of each piece and it was very important that people be able to read them when viewing the artwork.

I spent a lot of time shopping around on various book publishing sites and finally settled on Blurb.com. The catalog came together pretty easily and its now available for purchase from their site.

If you click on the image above, it will take you right to the catalog. This is an opportunity to have a permanent record of the exhibit. Although I also publish an online catalog, I will archive it off when the 2009 exhibit debuts. That means that the images of each quilt will be shrunk down to a thumbnail size and all the artist statements will be removed. So the catalog will allow you to have all of this information in a printed form forever.

Its a truly moving exhibit, one that is especially important during these times when all you hear on the news is about negative things. This exhibit highlights positive individuals and organizations that make our world a better place to live in. Its incredibly inspiring.

In fact, the catalog has been so popular since I announced it was available, it has made it to Blurb's bestseller page.

I hope you will consider getting the catalog and enjoy having this little piece of positive energy in your life!


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quick! throw in a lifeline!

My studio has officially gotten out of control. My back is beyond cranky today so I decided to grab the siblings to this quilt and this quilt, lay down on the sofa to obsessively watch True Blood and stitch on them.

I can't find them.

The studio has eaten them. I remember fusing the layers together (that's how I baste), I remember placing them off to the side to get them out of the way, I even remember putting the spool of dark red thread by it because its what I used on the other two and I want them to be a cohesive series.

But apparently that is where the trail ends. I pushed things around (and made a bigger mess in the process) and talked to myself in a crabby tone. How does one loose four new pieces of artwork?!?

I even accused Dooley of conspiring against me. He's been pretty demanding lately, constantly yipping at me and griping because of the lack of attention he is getting. Believe me, I would not put it past little man to sabotage my stuff. Especially when he stood in the doorway during my search watching intensely. You could almost hear him thinking Oh! She's getting warmer! Warmer! Hot! Oh no, now she's getting colder! Ha!

*sigh* I'm considering telling Mary to bring me a roll of caution tape and just seal the room off. Seriously...an intervention is needed...

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it ain't for sissies

Behold, my first foray into lace knitting. This is the Rivolo pattern by Anne Hanson. I could tell you that its a piece of cake, that the yarn is perfect and the finished product is simply falling off my needles without any effort.

But that would make me a rotten liar.

Truth is, what you see above is the tenth attempt at knitting this project. Yes, you read that correctly, I frogged it nine times (and cursed repeatedly) before I finally got the hang of it. But before you go thinking that its a problem with the pattern, let me assure you that it is not.

I have this habit of falling in love with knitting blogs, and it seems that each person I really dig specializes in a particular knit. The Yarn Harlot inspired me to knit socks, Yarnhog has me moving toward sweaters and Knitspot coaxed me into loving lace. So I read these blogs and see finished object after finished object of pure perfection and decide that I can do it too.

With equally impressive results.

On the first try.

Never mind the fact that I hadn't a clue how to knit socks (took a class, got that one down), I've never attempted a sweater (this is still debatable, the pattern and yarn I bought for my first one kind of scared me, I'm convinced the pattern is written in an alien language) and I've heard nasty stories about how fiddly lace can be (how hard can it be? Just read the darn pattern and have at.)

That last comment concerning the lace knitting came back to bite me in the tush - H A R D.

I've pretty much come to the conclusion that in the grand scheme of the knitting world, I am a scarf addict. I only have one neck but you wouldn't know it to look at the collection I have hanging on the back of the door in my bedroom. Most I've made but that doesn't stop me from buying them either. I totally dig scarves in a completely obsessive and unnatural way.

So when I kept drooling over the patterns over at Knitspot, I decided to give one of her scarves a go. I even emailed her and told her I'd never knitted lace before and would the pattern I chose be good for a newbie. She said yes, its a simple pattern. I was good to go. (Just for the record, I want to state that the pattern is perfect. In every way. It is clearly written, very simple and quite pretty. I highly recommend Anne's patterns. My problems stem from the fact that I am a moron.)

Several things went wrong immediately:

1) I did not own lace needles. I attempted to knit the scarf on regular wooden ones. All I did was manage to mutilate the poor yarn.

2) I decided I could knit this while resting my back (which means laying down) and watching television. Apparently lace knitting is much like Dooley, it demands your full attention at all times.

3) I got the correct needles and got all pissy at the fact that they are ciruclar needles. Circulars are not my favorites and I resented (greatly) that I had to use them, especially since I am knitting something flat. I became irrationaly angry at that cable and swore like a sailor. (If anyone knows if there is such a thing as straight lace needles, I would love to know about it. You'll be sparing poor Dooley from having to listen to his foul mouthed sister.)

4) I chose a yarn that was heavily variegated. Gorgeous colors of greens and super soft - and looked completely like crap when you try to knit a stitch pattern into it. It sucked up that stitch pattern like a black hole and even though I tried to deny it was happening, it was clear that I was going to spend a lot of time knitting a pattern no one would be able to see. &$(*@^#@^!

5) I banished the partially knitted variegated green blob for a month. Made me feel better.

6) I saw a post on Yarnhog's blog about her lace knitting torture and how she broke down the pattern to make it easier to read. I shamlessly copied her and quickly dug out my pattern and laughed gleefully as I broke the pattern down into submission.

7) I glared at the green yarn and pitiful attempt at knitting this lovely pattern. (It made me feel better, I highly recommend it for knits that don't do your bidding.)

8) I decided I need to go down one needle size and grumbled as I realized that meant I would have to buy another stinking circular needle. I procured said needle and dug around in the stash to find a more subtly variegated yarn to use. (Apparently I am completely incapable of buying solid colored yarn. I may have to remedy that.)

9) Okay, all set. Smaller needle, better yarn, pattern broken down to the point that a monkey could read it. Should be cake now.

10) Mangle pattern in every way for two repeats. Cuss. Decide that I've already ripped it out so many times that one more time won't hurt. Watch as my mother debates whether or not I've lost my mind.

11) Decide that I am far more stubborn then this yarn and pattern. People have been knitting lace for centuries, surely I can tackle this simple pretty pattern. I am not a moron, I am not a moron, I am not a moron...

12) Cast on fifty stitches - again. Begin knitting, laugh hysterically when I get to the end of the row and have the correct number of stitches. Success! Success is mine! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!


And that's about where I'm at right now. I've got almost ten repeats on it and the pattern calls for thirty. Since I like my scarves to be on the longer side, I'll probably end up adding on at least ten extra repeats. The yarn is my absolute favorite color, a mix of rust orange and brown.

Now that it is behaving, I'm totally loving it. So much in fact that I went back to Anne's shop and bought two more scarf patterns.

I'm afraid to tempt the knitting fates, but it appears that I may be a lace knitter after all. But let me tell you, it ain't for sissies.

Of course, I have to block this thing after I'm done with it. I had decided when I started it that I would do it without blocking wires but I'm beginning to wonder if that might be the final push over the edge to insanity. I would appreciate any blocking advice anyone has to offer. Otherwise you'll be able to hear the weeping from Michigan clear across the country.

off on a tangent

I'm not one of those artists that can give you an explanation of why I make the things I do or the deep meaning behind them. As I listen to other artists talk about their methods, their intentions, their motivations behind creating what they create, I find myself unable to relate.

That's not to say that I don't understand that there is some part of my brain dedicated solely to creating. The truth is, I don't want to dissect it. I don't want to know where the ideas come from, I don't need to know how I do things, I don't care about the "whys." I enjoy the fact that I have no control over that side of myself and that when I step into my studio, I'm not the one in charge anymore.

And I tend not to post too often about this stuff because...well...kind of makes me feel like I'm standing a crowded room naked. All of it comes from a raw place that it isn't used to being in the forefront so I tend to keep it to myself.

Sounds quirky weird but there it is.

Every once in a while, though, I'm taken off guard. It seems that it doesn't matter what my agenda is, things are going to move on without my permission. I recently learned some new techniques and in two days time, I found myself looking at five completed pieces that are so totally different from what I usually do, that I'm eyeing them with suspicion. This kind of shift has happened before but this feels more extreme to me then the last time I found myself in this position.

They skirt the edge of fiber art, leaning heavily into surface design and collage. I'm not quite sure what to make of them. Here are the little devils:








They are strong pieces. I plan to make more but right now, I'm just staring at them. I admit that I've been feeling somewhat constrained by art quilts lately. I'm in no way saying that I plan to abandon them but I've been wanting....something different. A new way of putting things down to add into the mix.

So there it is. My brain run off on a tangent. Unexpected artwork? Please enter stage left...

I'm also faced with the problem of how to display these. They are a single layer, tons of stuff on the top of them (which makes sewing through them at this point an exercise in masochism) but they really need some kind of backing so that they can hang.

Anyone have a brilliant idea of what to do in that department?

Where I Stand Sunday

Words are replaced by senses, taking over where thoughts once resided. Crisp snapping of leaf edges as I walk over them, a painter’s palette of color spilled everywhere, a fluid chill sliding around the sunlight, a stillness hanging in the air like a lullaby. I could stand at the edge of this season forever, easily slipping into step with its well worn melody.

Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell.



**To see my Where I Stand essay in its entirety, please visit my website.

this is me

Michele of fabulous Eyembellishments tagged me for a meme. According to the rules on her blog, I must list six random facts about myself. So here goes:

1) I am, in all honesty, an intensely shy person. I have to work quite hard to be in the forefront of certain situations but really do prefer to be behind the scenes.

2) I've never liked barbie dolls. As a little girl I would either pull their heads off or squish them down on their necks so it looked like they were about to pop.

3) I am petrified of bugs. (Okay, maybe not a new fact, but still.) I make others squish them dead because I can't bear to feel their little bug bodies crunch.

4) I've been writing stories on a regular basis now. I have one that is expanding quite well and I hope to make something of it someday soon.

5) I type 117 words a minute. And those are just the ones that are spelled correctly.

6) I rarely paint my fingernails. (They are currently painted black in honor of Halloween.) I do, however, paint my toenails as soon as summer allows me to walk around barefoot and will change the color constantly over the summer season.

Whoa...deep revelations, huh? What can I say? I'm a simple chick. If you want to read more fascinating tidbits about me, you can read an excessively long list here.

So now I have to tag six other people to do the same. But first, let me post the rules:

The rules are as follows:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.

Here's who I'm taggin':

1) Mary - new blogger, great artist

2) Jackie - phenominal art quilter

3) Cathy - I've forewarned her that this tag means she will actually have to post to her blog and she swore she was okay with that

4) Deb - who is the goddess of all things wool

5) Leann - who needs to take a break from cleaning bathrooms

6) Kat - who puts us all to shame not only because she has made 233 things to date but because they all kick booty

Be sure to check out their blogs, they're a fun bunch.

Oh, and Michele mentioned on her post that she plans to hypnotize me and steal Dooley dog and my sock creatures. I only have one response: THEY ARE MINE! ALL MINE! MUAHAHAHAHAHAH! ;-)

Where I Stand Sunday

As the earth stills and becomes sleepy, a surprise pushes past the wooden fence, determined to stretch into the cold air. The pale wash staining the petals mingles with the burning autumn colors, completely at ease with the stark difference. The wind pushes around me, shifting everything into a small sway. It carries with it a quiet peace, welcome and easily embraced.

Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell.


**To see my Where I Stand essay in its entirety, please visit my website.

ahem?

So I am not one of those people that will lament about the end of summer. I'm more along the lines of holding the door open and mumbling something like, "Don't let it hit your a** on the way out."

I hate the heat. More to the point, I hate the sun. My skin is beyond fair and I don't appreciate the really bright days. Mostly they just make me want to hide inside so I tend to prefer the more overcast cooler weather.

I was happy when august fell off the calendar and I was looking at september. It meant that cooler weather was on the way.

But really...

Cooler. Not cold. There is a freakin' difference...

I had a doctor's appointment this morning and had tossed on a light jacket. I took two steps out the door and thought, Yeah, not so much. I went back into the house and had to put on a wool jacket and grabbed one of my knitted scarves. When I got in the car, I will admit to staring like I was stupid when the temperature meter read 39 degrees.

I'm a bit annoyed that we seem to have skipped autumn. Its my favorite season and considering the fact that I had to suffer through disgustingly hot days that made you feel like someone was trying to smother you with a down comforter, I think I should get to enjoy my favorite time of year more then just a few days. But Mother Nature controls Michigan's weather with all the rationality of a woman with a wicked case of PMS and no chocolate in sight. I guess I shouldn't really be that surprised.

So I'm really enjoying the fact that although I need to put on extra clothes, I can walk outside without intensifying the freckles on my face. (Its so annoying, I can't even tell you. I'm fair and have freckles and my hair is auburn. I feel like a complete dork in the summertime.)

We actually turned the furnace on yesterday to get the dampness out of the air.

I do have one regret though, Dooley got a haircut. It would seem that was pretty much all the provocation the weather needed to turn on us. I dug little man's coat out from the back of the closet and I can't really tell if he likes it. Its an olive green corduroy number with big buttons on the back for decoration. He does look charming in it. I tried to get a picture of him in it but he gave me a dirty look and I told him I wouldn't shatter everyone's impression of his angelic image by posting his filthy look. I'm not sure if it was the camera or the coat that made him so moody.

So it would seem that summer is officially over and the cold weather is settling in. (Why am I hearing the music to Ding Dong the Witch is Dead?)

creature board, knitting ADD and vampires

Today is one of those days outside: overcast, grey, sleepy. Dooley is snoring like I slipped him a sleeping pill (I assure you I did not, its his little doggies instincts kicking in with the arrival of the autumn weather). In all honesty, I don't mind this weather. Cathy says its my inner vampire coming out, she could be right.

I was tempted to stay on the sofa and bury my nose in some books but seeing as how my back is feeling halfway decent today, I decided that I really needed to do something about this:

Mom doesn't understand how it keeps getting messed up. I told her Dooley did it. (I don't think she bought it.)

Its a combination of me starting about three thousand new projects, dropping them to concentrate on finishing up some things for deadlines and the Breaking Traditions exhibit. The room can only hold so much and when my back is bothering me, I often revert back to the dump-and-ignore method of cleaning. (Made much easier by the fact that the room has a door I can shut.)

As I was cleaning I came face to face with the pile of sock creatures that I've created over the past few months. I was kind of perplexed what to do with them and knew that if they were in reach of the stumpy westie, he would proceed to drag them out of my studio one by one every time he came up to visit me. So I got crafty and did this:


All but two of those guys are mine. The ones on the far right (the tall orange one with the drawn on face and the squat one with the light blue protruding eyeballs) are works by John Murphy, the author of Stupid Sock Creatures. He was teaching at expo this year and also had a small display of his work. I was signed up to take his workshop on sunday but had to bail out of it since my stupid iditotic uncooperative kill-joy party-pooper of a back wouldn't let up in the aching department. Jackie took my place so I was happy that it didn't go to waste. The angry orange one is one of his samples that he made during class, scored by Jackie during the course of the day (go Jackie!). John autographed his butt. It makes me giggle snort.

I purchased the one with the bulging blue eyes from his display. Here were all his minions that he put out for the expo:

He is a really down to earth guy, I got to talk to him a little bit. If you get a chance to meet him or take one of his classes, I highly recommend it. He's a great inspiration for all things weird.

While beating back the chaos in my studio, I also came across the stuff I bought at expo. (I didn't pick up much this year. There were a LOT of machines. Sewing, embroidery, long arm...I'm waiting for the one that will clean the house, do laundry and cook dinner while I make art. That one would be a best seller.) I was happy to find a very nice wool booth and picked up this:

Those, my friends, are future minions to be added to the creature board. The little bit next to them are eyeball buttons I scored at another booth. Couldn't beat that, the eyeballs on my guys need some work.

I also attempted to tame my yarn. (I never win, its more persistent then I am and I am weak.) I wound up two more skeins of sock yarn. I'm drooling intently over the one in the back. So much so that I am going to abandon (without guilt) the current pair of socks I am knitting. Much to my surprise, the current socks on the needles are from black yarn with little spots of color -- and they are boring the snot out of me. I want C O L O R. And I'm not sorry, no ma'am. No guilt here. (I'm trying to believe that, work with me, okay?)


See that there yarn with the circular needles sticking out of it and the index cards next to it? That's my lace scarf. (Couldn't you tell???) I'm taking a cue from Yarnhog and really getting serious about breaking down the pattern. This is my first attempt at lace and its not gone well. In all honesty, after I frogged it three times, I banished it to the corner and have been turning my nose up at it. Cleaning the studio unearthed it once again and now I'm ready to battle with it again. I'll win - oh yes, I'll win....

I began taking pictures of all the UFOs I had laying about but honestly? I don't think blogger would support that many pictures in one post. Just take my word for it, its not a pretty site.

I think part of the problem is this:


I have been reading until my eyeballs hurt since I've been off for my back. HBO came out with a new series called True Blood based on some books about vampires. To my surprise, I've totally fallen in love with it. So I popped onto amazon.com and started looking around for more stories. I decided to try Stephanie Meyer's series since there are over 2,400 reviews for it. Figured it stood a good chance of being a good story. (I'm quick, aren't I?)

I was surprised when I got the first one that they are a teen series but I don't care about that anymore. Each book averages about 500 pages and I am about a quarter through the third one. They are basically crack and I've not been doing much else but burying my face in them everyday. Won't last forever, I'm running out of book. **sob**

That's pretty much all I've got. Oh! I'm happy to announce that my friend Mary now has a blog. Go check it out, she's just getting started with it but its sure to be a riot!

Where I Stand Sunday

The energy present in the artwork hanging before me moves through the air, wrapping itself around anyone who dares to move closer for a better look. Each quilt bears the mark of its maker, telling its own story, proclaiming its own message in a loud tone. They all patiently wait to move on to their next venue, knowing that this is only the beginning of their journey and there is still much work to be done.

**To see the entire exhibit, go here.

**To see my Where I Stand essay in its entirety, please visit my website.



Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell.

what a rush

I will admit that quite often when I'm working on pulling together an exhibit, I sometimes loose sight of it. By that I mean that I become so familiar with the work and see it on a daily basis that I become accustomed to it. Its not to say that I am not impressed with it, but I learn to look at it with the same pair of eyes and it becomes part of my surroundings.

So because of that, its always a thrill when the exhibit goes up and I see it in a brand new setting, and I see people who are laying eyes on it for the first time and its like I get to see it all over again new too.

Today Jackie, Mary and I hung the Breaking Traditions exhibit for the American Sewing Expo this weekend. (Truth be told, Jackie and Mary hung it while I directed since my back is still acting up and I'm not able to do much. They rock. Go check out Jackie's blog, she's got a cool entry about both exhibits as well.)

When I stepped back to see the exhibit, my breath caught. Here's why:

Click on the image to view a larger version of the picture.

That is a 20 foot wide by 8 feet high wall of artwork about positive things/people organizations. Its over $1,000 worth of funds for the American Cancer Society. Its a lot of hard work by a lot of talented artists and its absolutely breathtaking.

I've always been proud of the exhibits I curate but this one I am especially proud of. I'm really excited that it is going to travel. I think it will have a great impact on everyone who sees it.

Another exhibit that also went up for the expo today is From the Back of the Sock Drawer, a sock creature exhibit. Joan and Deb tackled this one and its an incredibly fun exhibit! Take a look and see what you think:






Talk about a gigantic pile of creativity. Its absolutely amazing, you could stand there in front of that exhibit for hours and you'd probably never run out of new things to catch your eye.

Its totally awesome and I count myself lucky to be among so many creative people.

I also got incredibly excited and giddy because with the installation shot of Breaking Traditions at the ASE, I could finish my website.

So I launched that today as well. Go check it out if you have a sec, there is some new work on there that hasn't had much exposure and my Where I Stand photo essay in its entirety.

Its been a good day.

randomness

I don't have much in the way of a cohesive post so I just thought I'd give you a list of random stuff I'm doing instead. (I know you are intensely excited, hold back your enthusiasm.)

1) I am very nearly done obsessively redesigning my website for the third time. I don't know what my deal is. Every time I finish it I think I really like it, then I live with it for a year and decide its poo. So I've done it over again, this time with a cleaner look (the current color scheme started to wear on me quick, looks dingy - from the latin dingeta) so I went in the complete opposite direction. I'll probably complain in a few months that there isn't enough color. (I'd say bet me but I know I'll loose, I'm not that silly.) It goes live either this weekend or beginning of next, its got the online catalog for the '08 Breaking Traditions exhibit so the whole thing had to wait. It also has a gallery of all my Where I Stand shots, I'm excited for it. (Doesn't take much these days.)



2) I spent part of yesterday and today working on another quilt for Breaking Traditions. One of the quilts just didn't make it over to me (victim of Hurricane Ike) and of course I had already assembled all the panels so there was a big gaping hole. I can be OCD with the best of them but pulling apart thirteen panels to make sure they were all in alphabetical order is not on the agenda, especially when the exhibit hangs in two days. So pretend that my last name starts with an E instead of a K just this one time, okay?

Here's the quilt I made:

You'll have to wait for the online catalog to be published for an explanation.


3) My studio looks like there was a keg party held in there. So I have all the mess to clean up without having the benefits of the beer. Anyone want to come help me dig it out?


4) I found a ball of yarn on Dooley's blankets this morning. (He has two squishy blankets that are on the floor, kind of like a little nest. In a moment of poor judgement, we decided it would be nice if they were white. So is Dooley. He tends to blend in. Thank goodness his nose is black, it saves him from being squished.) I can't say that I blame him, it was one of those extra squishy ones. I actually got a dirty look from him when I took it back, still not sure how it ended up there...


5) I ordered more Moo mini cards tonight. I went through nearly all of my stash when I was at Open Studios at IQF in April. This time I ordered several with my photographs on them, including my Where I Stand shots. Oh, and I got stickers too, thought they looked neat. If anyone wants to trade cards, let me know and we can swap.


6) I'm contemplating learning how to dye sock yarn. Yarn is like crack...


7) Its a good thing I have so much wool in the house. Mom is having hot flashes from hell and keeps opening all the windows and turning on all the fans. I am dressed like I live on an iceberg and wondering if it would be weird if I took all my wool yarn out of my stash and buried myself in it.


Ummmm...I guess that's it. I'm kind of boring right now. I've been fiddling with getting things all packed up for the exhibit. Since my back is bad right now (I found out I have arthritis in my lower back also so I have a sneaking suspicion that's why I don't fare well when the seasons change) its taken me working on it off an on all day to get it done. But done it is and I have a couple lovely friends ready to hang them for me so all is well.

I'm also looking forward to seeing the sock creature exhibit the fiber art group I belong to is putting together for expo. Should be hysterically cute and funny!

I'll have lots of photos to share so that should be more interesting then just a random ramble. The blog will be fed well shortly...

are you on ravelry?

Okay, I have to shamelessly publicly admit that I am on Ravelry and have severely neglected my spot there. I'm working on fixing that. I've been gathering projects to take pictures because regardless of what my notebook says, I have finished more then half a pair of socks.

So I realized that I don't have many contacts/friends on there and its making me feel a little whiny. So if you are on there and would like to be my friend (oh, that sounds appealing. Almost like a stranger asking a little girl if she wants some candy...ugh...), leave me a comment with your ID and we can bond. I really want to build up my spot there, I figure its kind of rude that I've been ignoring it for so long.

My ID is redheadknitter75.

See you there.

a mountain of sheep hair

I've been going slightly insane lately due to the fact that I rarely leave the house. And on the occasions when I do, its for a doctor's appointment. While necessary, I'm sure you'll agree that they just aren't all that fun.

So when I heard about the fleece fair that was coming up today by a local spinning group that was pretty close to the house, I begged a ride off my friend Carol, grabbed my cane and got two hours out of the house that restored my sanity and also got me some sheep hair.

I've been to their fleece fair in the past but this is the first time that I went as a spinner. Granted, I'm a fledgling spinner but I was excited to go be among all that roving and wheels and spindles. I wish I had taken my camera because there is no way to describe what this fair looks like. They take over a middle school gymnasium and set up tables and there are literally mountains of roving all over the place. In every color imaginable. In every fiber imaginable. Its quite the site to behold.

When we were walking up to the door there was a sign stating that they now accept visa and mastercard. Luckily I intentionally left mine at home. I'm really interested in getting a spinning wheel but have not researched them enough and am not physically able to take lessons to learn how to use it so I want to wait until my back is done torturing me.

I got some pretty nifty roving, here's Dooley dog checking it out:

He always gets all a twitter when I bring home handspun yarn or roving. I'm not sure if he gets excited because he knows its from another animal or if he thinks they are imposters and wants to take revenge on them. Its hard to tell. See that multi-colored one he's nudging in the picture? He rolled it halway across the living room before I realized what he did and had to screech at him to knock it off. No telling if pulling and yanking would have been next.

The colors on each of these are really pretty. They all contain a mixture of wool and mohair so they are soft and squishy. Here, admire the colors with me:


This one didn't have a name for the color on it but I'm calling it autumn. (Its richer in person, my camera is being crabby.)




This one is called Fiesta. Very pretty. I was eyeballing this one for a while and then when I saw a sample that had been spun up I caved. Its very pretty and apparently has the added bonus of rolling well should your dog be interested in a gigantic wool ball as a toy.






The last one is Oaks and Acorns. (Also richer in person.) This one is going to have a very slight variegation in it and I'm liking that, I'll be able to do a stitch pattern with this that won't get destroyed by all the colors.

I still have two rovings I bought from them last fair for felting that are straight up wool that I considered spinning but they are pretty coarse so I don't think I want to use those for spinning. They are going to have to be felting material.

I consider the fact that I came home with only these a triumph. I stood and stared at several spinners as they were working on their wheels. (I tried really hard to not look like a creepy stalker but I'm not sure I accomplished it. I was kind of entranced.) They were friendly, one was a licensed dealer for the smaller one she was working on and was trying to convince me to come to a meeting to try them out. I'm going to once I'm feeling better.

So now my back hurts like the devil and I'm going to go lay on the sofa to appease it and read a book. I'm hoping to feel well enough later on today so I can sit up for a little while and start spinning one of these.

Which one should I start first?

Where I Stand Sunday

The expression is always the same, looking up from below, eager to see what my next move will be. He moves around my feet constantly, replacing my shadow at every opportunity. He has claimed a portion of my life that I am glad to turn over to him. As I move through my day I can count on him, trailing behind me, inspecting my activities, seeking a moment when he can shuffle beneath my hand for some contact. He is the definition of unconditional love.

Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell.

it doesn't always work

I got an email a few days ago from a reader asking me if I could explain to her how I go about designing my art quilts. I asked her if she would mind if I talked about it in a blog post, she said go for it, so I am.

To be honest, my first instinct was to say, "I don't really have a process." But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I kind of do. Its a bit whacked but it seems to be a recurring method of the way I work so it would seem that I do, indeed, have a process.

I'm not one of those artists that sit and ponder a piece for months and sketch it out and measure and angst about everything being perfect. I have respect for these people but I just can't work that way. I start with either a piece of fabric that I like or an embellishment and go at it.

Not every element is thought through prior to beginning. If there is one aspect of the piece that I know what I want to do, I tackle that and then when its done, I move on to the other spots and work to pull it all together.

Its pretty much like intentionally backing yourself into a corner to see if you can get out of it.

See? Told you it was a little whacked.

Does it always work? Nope. Sometimes all I end up doing is giving myself a headache. Take these, for example:


The fact that these are residing on the floor is not a good sign. Its kind of where my art quilts go to die. (It also allows me to step on them in revenge when they frustrate me.) If they are stationed on the floor, that means I'm having major issues with them and have decided that I just need to stare at them for a while. I move on to other projects that like me more and just wait to see if something strikes my fancy.

I've been staring at these for at least a month now and finally decided to give up last night. Not entirely on working with these images but with the format that I have them in. Its making me cross eyed and I have considered pretty much every option (including gasoline and matches) but nothing makes me have that *aha* moment.

So they will get tossed in the box I have reserved for works that have gotten on my last nerve and will most likely be recycled into a different form in the future. I have a new idea for these images and will pursue that and already I can feel the *aha* working its way into my brain.

I pretty much tackle every work this way. That's how Red Bird started too, a much more successful result.

I had the three bird linocut prints that I had made some time ago and started fiddling with inking them and it went from there. The blue is one of my hand dyed fabrics and it reminded me of a moody sky. I stitched down the images, did the strong stitching around the edges and then left it alone for about a week. The rest of it filled in almost on its own. (This one rested on my ironing board, not the floor. It felt easy so I knew it would work, no floor for it.)

I wish I could say, "I do this and then I do this and if you do this then you can do it too." Its just not that simple. Everyone works so differently that its impossible for me to really explain every step. What I can tell you is that I really feel its important not to over think things. Of course there is thought put into each piece but if you chip away at each element one at a time, then you'll be surprised how it will come together and your brain won't hurt. At least that's how I do it.

I don't know if that helped...it may have just been a very long ramble...

And just for the record, I have tried these methods with knitting and crocheting and let's just say, all that I ended up with is a very healthy respect for knit/crochet designers. There's that math thing in those arts that simply has no sense of humor at all.

In case my explanation disappoints, here's another adorable picture of Dooley to distract you:


He sends hugs and cuddles to you all. *smooch*

it's a sickness

I’ve always considered myself to have a healthy stash when it comes to my fabric and yarn. Its not too fat, not too skinny, its just right. I work hard to keep a balance with it and I’ve really become much picker about what I decide to bring home with me when I’m shopping. (Mostly its based on how much room I think it will suck up to just have it hanging about if its not for a specific project that is coming up quickly.)

In comparison to some people I know (or blogs I have read), I don’t feel like my fiber addiction is out of control. I don’t have 40 rubbermaid containers full of fabric (but I would love to shop through a stash like that) nor do I have enough yarn to open my own shop (although secretly I wish I did). I’m by no means judging, just saying that if you put those collections next to mine, mine would be the mini-me of stashes.

Then two things came in the mail today that have me all twitchy and thinking about shredding my credit card.

The first was a catalog from Keepsake Quilting. I’m not really sure what my deal is lately but I’ve become interested in some of the more graphic traditional quilts. Nothing exuberant and usually the patterns that are so simple Dooley could sew them are the ones I’m attracted to.

But I’m beginning to wonder if there is some kind of magical crack spell on that catalog because it doesn’t matter how complicated something looks, I start to think I should give it a shot. After all, a Baltimore album quilt is a snap, right? (That was laced with heavy sarcasm, I have nothing but awe for the artists that make these types of quilts, they look more complicated then brain surgery.)

I usually treat these catalogs as nothing more then a nice distraction to browse through. Now its like throwing gasoline on a fire and I’m starting to want to make some of the things in there. From what I understand, this is how the uncontrollable collecting of ten yard cuts of one particular print begins. Ack.

The other thing that came in the mail today that is just, well, cruel, is the latest issue of Craft magazine. I used to just pick this up when I came across it but decided to go ahead and subscribe to it since I’ve enjoyed the last couple issues so much.

That may have been a mistake.

This issue is all about weaving. Which is something I’ve been peeking at for a long time now. In fact, its something I’ve been experimenting with with fabric lately. (No successful attempts so that’s why you haven’t seen any of it. Pitiful looking work is doomed to reside in my studio only for the rest of its lifetime until I get tired of moving it around and introduce it to the trash can or tear it apart and re-purpose its guts for another project.)

So now I’ve got this cute magazine sitting here staring at me saying, “Go ahead, weave something. You know you wanna. Not sure? Here, look how neat it is and how simple too….”

Devil magazine. (Where are those matches?)

I will be strong. I have to draw the line somewhere when it comes to the areas I work in, right? Currently I create art quilts, knit, crochet, embroider, tat, make plushies and now spin. And with all those, I could work until the day I'm a hundred-years-old and not exhaust everything they have to offer.

So why would I even consider adding in something else?

I’m beginning to think it’s a sickness. A wretched addictive consuming sickness that makes you crave hits of fiber (in any form) and really flares up when you discover another facet of the medium that you hadn’t been exposed to.

I’m not really sure what to do. I mean, I’m a strong minded woman, I should be able to resist fluffs of fabric, no matter if it’s a big wad of sheep hair or twisted up into yarn.

Its not going well so far.

If someone is aware of a 12-step program for this, I would appreciate some literature on it. It would be nice to be among those who understand (especially if anyone in the program is a weaver, I'd love to sit next to him/her at the meetings)...

wish i had been there

The curator of Rare Threads on the Fringe, Sylvia Walworth, was very kind and sent out this photo of the exhibit.

I wasn't able to attend the opening since my back is still exerting its rule over my every action but I'm really happy to be able to see one of my pieces in this shot.

If you look at the back wall just below the windows is Interruption. The space looks very nice and it looks like the show is awesome!

Where I Stand Sunday

It’s like moving through a daydream, the world trapped beneath a darker shade of pale. The sky is burdened with water and weight from Hurricane Ike, unable to move from beneath his intent. Day has not looked like day for forty-eight hours now, the sunlight unable to claw its way through the grey. We wait for the rains, knowing that Mother Nature is not entirely done with the storm.

Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell.

go visit my artwork

I might be stuck at home but my artwork is really getting around lately. I was in my studio today attempting to find the surface of my worktable (translation: I've not been motivated to clean, its resembling a landfill in there) and I realized I have a lot of blank spaces on my walls.

Then I remembered that I just sent out several pieces to four exhibits and most are opening shortly. (I blame the meds for my back for not realizing this immediately.)

So I thought I would let you know where the buggers will be so you can go check them out as well as the other beautiful artwork in the exhibits.

Italy's Arches


Michigan Quilt Artist Invitational
Opening reception on September 12 from 6pm-9pm
Greater Flint Arts Council Gallery
Flint, Michigan
exhibit to travel around Michigan through 2010

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Closure

Rare Threads on the Fringe
Jordan River Arts Council
East Jordan, Michigan
September 14 - October 12

**Three other pieces were also juried into this exhibit.
They are Interruption, Fragile I and Fragile II.

**********************************************

Reading Tea Leaves

Art of the Quilt
American Sewing Expo
Rock Financial Showplace
Novi, Michigan
September 26-September 28

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Red Bird

Breaking Boundaries: Art of the Quilt
Gallery 50
Traverse City, Michigan
October 1 - December 31

**Two other works will also be sent in addition to this piece.

So that's why my studio has gaps right now. These are all new works and I've got more cookin'.

Oh, and by the way?

The largest one is 24".

Just sayin'.

give me a break, okay?

I've been reading a discussion on an email list that I belong to that I find...well...tedious.

The discussion revolves around what size a piece of fiber art should be in order to be labeled as an art quilt. Some say that if its small (meaning under 20"), then its an experiment and has no place in the art quilt world and, therefore, in an exhibit.

So now we've gone from trying to defend the idea that even though these works are quilts, they are more art and not traditional bed quilts to trying to dictate what size something has to be to be worthy of being labeled as art.

It would seem to me that some people spend an inordinate amount of time trying to classify things and make sure that there are a set of rules that suit them. I'm particularly frustrated by this conversation because I don't work in a large format - so apparently, to some people, I should not have a place in exhibits.

Hmmmm.

Maybe someone should let all those jurors who accepted me into numerous shows know that.

I consider myself extremely lucky to have a studio space. But even with that, the idea of working on large pieces (in the 50" range and up) is just totally unrealistic. As is the idea that I could compete with artists who have purchased $15k longarm sewing machines.

I do what I do because my space dictates it. I do what I do because I still enjoy stitching by hand, even though I often catch a lot of flack from people over this. I do what I do because I like smaller works that feel more intimate and draw people in. And I don't think I should have to defend that to anyone, especially to someone working in the same media as me.

I guess the recurring conversation of trying to define what is art is so tiring. I don't understand why anyone needs a definition.

So why don't we try this? Why don't we all just go make things and be happy and fill the world with artwork and not worry about what other people are doing?

Might be a novel concept.

mischief in the studio

So like I said in a previous post, I finished up three more sock creatures a couple days ago. I've also got seven creatures here from Michele visiting so they've kind of taken over the studio. I was up there today to wrangle them together and I found them basically partying in there.

Michele warned me that they were mischief makers but I guess I wasn't prepared for all the shenanigans they got up to!

First off, I managed to pull them all together for a group shot:

The two blue rugrats with the striped ears are mine. As is the one in the way back with the red eyeballs. The rest are visiting from Colorado and are certainly far more comical then my guys. In fact, they were a bit of a bad influence. Here's what they got up to:

Hanging out amongst the mixed media supplies.

He said he was attracted to the shape of my spritzing bottle. I wonder why?

They were also interested in the dyeing and embroidery supplies. I wonder if I could put them to work while they are here?

I got a critique on my new artwork.

They were also quite interested in the photography aspect of it all. It was hard to keep them out of the frame of the photo but I managed.

These two were digging the plants.

Just hanging about.

Groovin' to the iPod. Can't say as I blame them, Annie Lennox was playing after all.

I'm pretty sure this guy was making eyes at the punk plushie that is hanging on the wall. I hope I didn't break any hearts when I pulled them away from each other.

These guys are definitely a lot of fun! I'm planning on making them some more cousins when I'm feeling up to it. I started physical therapy today and am not feeling too spunky at the moment. I'm already plotting the new ones so keep an eye out for them!