timeline chatter

I am trying to work out some of the construction for the connections blocks I am still working on.
I have it all worked out in my head, but none of it has really been tested. I snapped a few photos of some starting steps this morning, so I can keep track of what has been done and to see what works out. Reference.

and for my own future reference and the sake of personal timeline:
Along with all else here there's so much of my boys on my mind.  Little one younger than he seems -always wiser than his years keeping up with best friend big brother. Big one the first at everything new to us at the front of it all and all involved and expected in that. Suddenly 3 years between them feels like a lot again, which I have not felt since they were tiny. Having so much fun with the things we can do because they are so big but then again a tiny bit sad that not a lot of the little left. Really honestly it's all wonderful - they both amaze me every single day and I am so excited for summer. All of this tangled up in all the budding leaves, singing birds, bike rides and all things fabric and thread.

shared inspiration :: love of leaves

I wanted to make a post with easy links to the people who have left links in the comments or are working not their own leaf projects. There are some very inspiring things leafing out. So sorry if I have missed anyone, just give me a nudge. Each sentence is a link so just click and visit. I am enjoying the spring momentum of this little leaf project. Thanks to all.

Robbie is working on a beaded leaf with wonderful color and texture. 

Marijke van Welzen creates beautiful quilted coats. This one with snakes and lots of leaves is my favorite.

Linda used fabric pastel crayon on leaves of grass with lovely results.

Linda also transferred really beautiful impressions of leaves onto fabric by pounding leaves against cloth.

Jude is stitching a lovely ivy leaf onto some of her own delicately colored eco-printed/dyed fabric.

and just in case you missed it...
These leaves were made by friends in a little newly formed sewing circle during our time together last week.

leafy gathering :: love of leaves

Three lovely ladies came over yesterday for painting and stitching. Everyone started a leaf or two.

 Their painting turned out so well. One friend brought her wonderful collection of pressed leaves, which I wish I had photographed. Thanks to her efforts we had plenty of leaves to choose from.

We were fortunate to have one very little lady present to keep us smiling. It was a great time.

Already looking forward to another round. Thanks so much ladies, for coming by!

Have a wonderful weekend.

just a few more of the sugar maples :: love of leaves

I hope you won't get tired of me talking about leaves and trees, because here I go again with the sugar maples. We have large old sugar maple trees surrounding our house and I like the idea of honoring their many years of shade and protection by making things for our house with images of sugar maple leaves. The same trees have also given us sap for maple syrup. Our house would feel very exposed without these trees. I worry they won't always be here but they have been with this house much longer than we have.

I took down several insulating curtains this week and now this little entry room at the front of the house is letting the light in and there's this little curtain panel on the door. It's a piece of osnaburg with three raw edges and I like it fine but have been imagining adding something to it for awhile.

I might stitch over the black marker lines someday or maybe not. I might also paint the lower leaves and the other half of those green ones yellow in the fall, or I might not.

Over the next few weeks a few other folks and I will be drawing, painting and or stitching some leaves  together or whatever they might want to sew. I am excited about that. It's silly that it took me so long to just ask.

sugar maple :: Acer saccharum :: love of leaves

So glad to hear from people far and near who are interested in stitching/beading/following along with the leaves.

For mine I have decided to make 2 blocks of each leaf to eventually piece into a quilt. Representing each in green as well as their fall coloring and also common name and scientific name. Kinda nerdy but I like it. I painted my green leaf with a wash of Pebeo Setacolor Transparent fabric paint. I used that same green and also a bit of turmeric! in water for the yellow leaf. ( I have a hot iron handy to quick set the wet paint (or turmeric) so it doesn't bleed too much. Keep the iron moving or you will get steam marks in the color. Be warned this may transfer some color to your iron. ) For light colored paintable fabric your own repurposed (or thrifted) all cotton sheets make for some quality yardage and that's what I have used here.

This is the back of the green leaf showing the piece of flannel backing for stability. I like to just use a simple backstitch to embroider the line work.

I finished up the yellow leaf in between other things today. My back doesn't do well with lots of sitting so I have one of those sort of kneeling office chairs for computer work. This makes my lap not at all horizontal but Eva still insists on sitting on it sometimes - claws out of course to secure herself against the slope.

I am so excited to have some Indiana friends and neighbors along for the leaves. Please let me know if there's anything I can share or show you. I have everything on hand to get you started. Also, thanks to all who shared their links in the comments of the last post. It's very inspiring to see what everyone is working on.

for the love of leaves :: won't you join me?

I have been craving something a little different to mix things up around here - something a little more interactive to offer all of you in addition to all of my talking to myself. So as we head into spring I am offering up an invitation for you to join me in making some stitched leaf quilt blocks. I have been dreaming of a quilt of drawn/stitched leaves for a long time and haven't managed to bring it into being - so more fun and more likely to happen with some company I hope. Or you could stitch along and make a pillow cover, tote bag, curtains or whatever. Even though I am about to lay out my own wordy plan - I really see this as a very open-ended and informal adventure - just for fun with whomever might be interested - a means to a sort of sewing circle built around a love for leaves.

I will share my leaf drawings for you to use if you choose. Each can be transferred to fabric by sunny window tracing method or whatever works best for you. Of course you could and should draw your own leaves and use those too, especially leaves from your neck of the woods. The rest of the world's leaves will be very underrepresented with what I have available here in Indiana. You might also be willing to share those with neighbors of like-leafed areas. I will share my stitching progress as I go along and I am really hoping that if you choose to join me you might do the same.

I think this could be something my family and I can enjoy collaborating on as spring turns to summer break - a leaf collection to someday snuggle up with. I am really just so excited to see the leaves here and it's always an event that offers me lots of inspiration and momentum so I thought it would be fun to share that. The leaves here haven't actually emerged yet but luckily I pressed lots of leaves last season - and so I do have a bit of reference on hand. I will start this off with an old favorite for the first block…

Sugar maple :: Acer saccharum

I plan to use a 12" square piece of fabric for each block and will likely use a bit of flannel on the back to add stability for stitching the lines. I am going to try and keep it simple with stitched lines and using fabric I have on hand. I am hoping you might do whatever sounds fun to you. If this is all new to you and you want to stitch along, I will do my best to answer any questions you may have.

Not so wordy from here on out. Just leaves and stitching and sharing. All posts for this project will be under "Love of Leaves" in the Posts by Label section in the side bar to the right. Hope some of you will join me.

Happy weekend and happy spring.

green outside the lines

I am still working on these pieces so far referred to as connections. Each of them a part of something(s) I have plans to bring together. I have been working with this one to hang on to some of that spontaneity of a sketch - with the color and the line. So between them all there will be a little bit of wandering back and forth. Everything feels a bit lighter with the arrival of spring. This is me lightening up a little.

The spirals in the tulip leaves get me every time.

and two weeks later - completely unfurled and reaching for the sky.

part seashell

I love combing a beach for seashells almost as much as looking for fossils. I love it that fossilized shells and sea creatures in our Indiana creek beds connect this landlocked midwest with an ancient ocean. I am all Indiana soil, creek water, redbud and dogwood, but there's a little bit of seashell in there too - from way back.

We've been keeping company with good friends and the ocean. All that seawater - the perspective leaves me feeling small, in good ways. Some things fade away and what's important has come into focus again. 

I am really very ready to warmly welcome an Indiana spring.