OMG - Amazing...!

I've just surfed past Gabrielle Swain's blog, handmaiden, where today she carries an interview with Eric Maisel, author of Van Gogh Blues.

I am utterly astounded. This resonates SO MUCH with how I feel that I am speechless! I am going to order this book right away. This I have to read.

Strips

I previouslt mentioned cutting strips. TONS of strips. I went through stashes of scraps, ironing them and cutting strips. Some were fabrics I didn't like, some were fabrics I cut to add some colour and variety/interest.

I tried to sort them by value, with some success, although in hindsight there are always some that stray to the wrong group and you don't catch them until you've already cut out the blocks.

Here they are from lightest to darkest and I am really not happy with them. So this project has stalled, while I try and figure out what it is that I don't like, and what it needs to make it right.

I'm not very good when I hit a snag. I tend to get very dis-spirited and self-critical, instead of realising that this is when I actually LEARN something. Must.Remember.That.

A lolcat without the bad spelling

I'm on your batting, remembering my past life (as a prawn!)

Festive Season - my version

Those who read my "festive season" entries will know that I don't really do the festive season. However I did have leave from work and so I had some time...

My girls, of course, do not let me off the Xmas thing entirely (the idea of abandoning the presents has never quite taken off) and then there was also this issue of Quilting Arts Gifts, with some very inspiring things to make... so this is what transpired:
Of course I do realise it's way too late for the so-called "festive season" but that's too bad. Those who have the Gifts issue of Quilting Arts Magazine will recognise it, but I gave it 7 sides instead of 3 or 4 or whatever the article said, and I made it round instead of with straight sides.
I had tremendous fun making this. I used iron-on interfacing as the base and cut fabric into scraps and ironed them to the base fabric, together with bit of lace, braid etc. I am a compulsive hoarder, so I used up lots of my little bits and completely justified my hoarding, which will now intensify even more! Then I free-motion machined all over it to hold everything down. I had a long string of beads left over from making the chandelier, which I decided to drape around it.

It's something about using up all the little bits that others throw away that keeps drawing me. I know you can't "make a silk purse out of a sow's ear", but that is not going to stop me trying! I'm learning what "bits" have potential and which don't, but I don't throw even a 5cm bit of thread away anymore. I have lots of little jars and bins everywhere to save them in. Gives me great pleasure. (I didn't ever claim to be sane, did I? If so, let me retract that immediately.)

So now I have this... um... Festive Season OBJECT. It is about half a metre tall. Jessica said it looks like a wedding dress (!) (I love that I always get straight talk from my daughters.) What do I do with it? Pack it away in a box until the 2008 festive season...? I guess so, what a pity. Oh well, next year I will either be pleasantly surprised and impressed, or I will wonder what on earth I was thinking, which will give me great amusement... :)

Sewing companion

Nothing is sacred anymore....

He sits and watches the needle go up and down, up and down, up and down. I had to stop when he tried to grab the thread - I am so afraid I will sew over his paw. But he really is small enough that he can lie in this space while I sew. And I guess the sewing bed is nice and warm to lie on.

Ahhhhhhh, it's the simple joys, isn't it? Whatever I'm feeling, this little mite can make it better, with his huge eyes gazing up and his little engine purring away...

Yup, I'm in love.

Blue vessel again

Some time back I promised some better pictures, and I have been making some effort in this regard. I'm still puzzled over the focus of my camera, which is supposed automatic but then comes out blurred. I wish the focus was manual like in the old days - I took much better pictures then!!

I'm pleased with how this came out. It is all made from bits of scraps from other projects sandwiched between two layers of vegetable netting, which I saved from something I bought. You can barely make out the netting in the detail picture below - but it is even hard to see in real life.

And it's been useful. I save bits of fabric in it, or spools of thread or the wrapped threads I went on a binge of making.

I emptied it recently and put it next to me on the couch to refill with thread scraps from what I was working on... and when I looked again:

*BOTH* kittens had snuggled up in it...! {smile} (I suppose it is a compliment.)

Visiting BlogRing neighbours

So I popped in to Caity's blog today and she mentioned that Diane had challenged us to visit our "neighbours". I went to Diane's post and... since I am furiously trying to avoid work today, I went to visit 3 "Random" neighbours:

I saw Heidi from Georgia (in the USA, I assume although could be Russia) and saw some gorgeous felted bowls. What is it about bowls that make their shapes so pleasing?

Then I went to Dagmar in Germany(?) who had the most exquisite Nature-inchies as well as some very beautiful photographs she had taken on a photography course, that made me wish I had taken them so I could use them in my art! Language is no barrier when you have pictures of fibre art :)

And lastly to Fiona of Australia who had taken a hautingly beautiful photograph of waterlillies in the mist on the water. I followed a link to her website to see her work, and wish I could see it in person.

More about my "Previous" and "Next" neighbours in another post, but now I had better do some work...

New Kitty Joy!

Following the loss of our much loved Bobby and Smudge, we decided we needed more kittiness in our lives. I hereby present {drumroll, please.....!}

MICKEY: currently known as Mickey the Mite, since he's as small as a mouse, almost. He will become Mighty Mickey once he grows up.

SNAPE: mostly known as Snoopy for now, since he's also still little

and MATTHEW, also known as Tiger, since that was his previous name and is the one he actually responds to. When he feels like it. He's fully grown and was the rascal who just bewitched us at the SPCA and MADE us take him home. As you can see he moved right in and made himself at home. A real Thomas O'Malley, except that he is still sleek and only has one battle scar, a nick on his one ear. He has been singing duets with the other Tiger who lives next door, as they eye each other very suspiciously.

I fear I am falling in love with Mickey. He is SOOOOO affectionate and purry. I say "fear" because I know the hurt will be greater if there is more kitty-loss in our future (we've had a bad run), but it's better to have loved and lost and all that...

New books {grin}

I went shopping at kalahari.net again...

I'll post some reviews when I've had a better look at the four books I received. Meanwhile, here are web links to whet your appetite (do I get commission?) The name of the book links to the website of the book, or if there isn't one, to some place where you can read about the book. The name of the author links to that person's blog, or their website.

1: The Uncommon Quilter by Jeanne Williamson
2: Living the Creative Life by Rice Freeman-Zachery
3: The Soul's Palette by Cathy Malchiodi
4: The Creative Journal by Lucia Capacchione

Teesha Moore's fantastic site

Take a look at this great site!

No Photos :(

Alas, the USB ports are all broken, so although there has been much activity here, I cannot show you any of it :(

Nor can I show you the three new cats. Yes, three. I am becoming a batty old cat lady. We adopted two kittens, one from the local PicknPay notice board and one from the SPCA, and then while we were at the SPCA an adult tomcat SEDUCED us. I kid you not. He was ALL over us and so loving that we caved. He was neutered yesterday before we brought him home and he has been very grumpy ever since, and, I suspect, sore. Poor Matthew.

Mickey and Snape are the cutest and can't understand why the adult (cats) are so grumpy with them...

I have cut a gazillion strips and sorted through numerous old boxes of scraps, turfed out 5 bags, which will go out with the rubbish on Monday, and ironed all the ones that will be cut. A GOOD cleanout. The other fabric is stowed in the 3 lockers I bought at an auction once. They are open-mesh lockers, and my long-term goal is to reduce my fabrics to fit into these 3 only. I have way too much "junky" fabric (i.e. fabric I don't much like) and want to move it out of the way by making some scrap/charm quilts (possibly to sell).

At least that's the plan.

I have also made a few other things, but they will (sadly) have to wait until I can post pics. But I am Having Fun, which is a Good Thing.

Great fibre art blogs I've found

Fembellish Journal by N. Rene West

Layers of meaning by Serena Fenton

A bed quilt....??

I'm fond of reading the blog of Melody Johnson and she is currently busy PIECING a quilt. Suddenly this idea appeals to me too! (Sorry, I'm being such a copycat) The idea of cutting reams of strips and just sewing strips together sounds sooooooo soothing. And it would be fun to sort lights and darks again and work with tonal values. Melody, you may just have started something.... :)

The last one I did was with solid colours, but I have tons of printed scraps. Uh-oh.

Melody mentions Pie in the Sky Quilts which have some very yummy designs. I've also enjoyed this site, for designs: FreeSpirit although I've never made any of them. And for free quilt patterns you can't beat Free Quilt Patterns.

the reason why

I have been cleaning up, clearing old debris and organising papers, I found this piece I wrote about 12 years ago and since it relates to my art, I thought I'd post it here. It was written during my very long recovery from post-natal depression.

~~~~

I wandered around the exhibitions of art at the Arts Festival, reeling from the awe in my heart. The "high" art, the everyday art, the art that is a tribute to beauty and endeavour. I fearfully tried to let the beauty permeate; I tried to allow it inside, to feel it. I struggled with the fear; I wanted to run from it; I wanted to shut out the beauty and the light but I could not close myself, and then, at one moment...

... the beauty, the joy broke through my defences and touched my soul. At that point the tears arose and I felt pain. I stood, my heart tearing, joy and pain, fire and rain, mingled in a searing instant. I wanted pain, the familiar pain, not joy, but joy was not to be denied. And joy, once it came, did not come alone, there was no escape in the beauty, nowhere to hide from the pain.

... and I knew... the was the very heart of my life, the essence of my being, my reason why. The reason the cold tears run down my face while the warm blood runs through my veins. The reason why both must keep flowing...

... and I knew pain was not less than joy and joy not less than pain and that choosing life was to allow both, for in that, there is no choice.

Could it be...?

I do believe I am starting to feel better.... (she says cautiously and hopefully!) This is the time when I sing the praises of science, research and yes, pharmaceutical products! As much as I dislike the big profit-making machines of Big Pharma, I am grateful for medicines that enable us to have quality of life.
I have managed to make a few new things in the past few weeks, and at the end of the week I will get out the camera and get some pictures to post (and re-take some of the poorer shots that I posted).
Just two more days of work and then a 10-day Xmas break! Now that is one part of this "silly-season" that I CAN enjoy! :)

December

Halfway through the month already... have been cleaning the house, unpacking old boxes and throwing away junk. Not much to post, and not much to say :(
One of our cats was killed by the dog next door, and another went missing the following day, so we are not feeling very cheerful. I dislike this time of year, a time of seemingly enforced merriment, which is a challenge at the best of times, so the less said, the better...
Sorry about that.

wrapped threads

I've been unravelling. This is such a spectacular metaphor that it tickles me pink! I've unravelled a ton of fabric and am busy wrapping all the threads on my sewing machine. It's somewhat tedious and well suited to my current state of mind - at least when I feel better I will have a bunch of wrapped threads with which to create something.

Thread nests all over the place.

... and some of the wrapped threads:

Handdyes

I also did some dyeing while I was in hospital (lots of black humour associated with that verb, but let's not go there). The vessel in my previous post made up of hands, was made from one of those cloths and here are more: I used sun paints, mixed lots of colours, scrunched up the fabric to make lots of creases and submerged it in the dye, instead of pouring the dye on top, as I think one normally does with sun paints (since they're actually fabric paint, as opposed to fabric dye). When dried in the sun, all the cracks show up because of how the sun paint migrates to the areas which dry first. I just love this effect.

Back, with Vessels

Thank you, so much, Diane and Caitlin. I was touched by your kind comments on my previous post. I'm back again. I wish I could say I'm "all better", but it wouldn't be true, so let's move onto some on-topic content.
While I was in hospital, I received the latest issue of FiberArts, in which there were several vessels, which really inspired me. So here's what I produced:

Best practice in psychiatric treatment is recognised to be a multi-disciplinary approach - and so it was here too. Many hands, each with their own focus, joined together to catch and contain each person's issues.
I apologise again for my photography. Early dawn insomniac photography. One day, when I feel like I can face it, I'll learn how to take some better photos...

But don't hold your breath, please.

I'm away for a while

Not exactly a quilting post: but after much soul-searching, I've decided to follow the recommendation of the psydoc and go into hospital to sort out the treatment for my current depression. He estimates 2-3 weeks. I've packed fabrics, threads and will take my sewing machine. Hopefully, there are better days ahead...