I have a new blog and it's moving day.

Hi, all. I've made a move to a new blog over HERE. This old blog will remain up and referenced in new posts on the new blog. This place has become cumbersome and a source of frustration in getting things to post the way I wanted them to. Looking forward to posting again with a tidy new mobile adaptable format over at the new blog, so I hope you will visit me there.

State of Flux

Meet State of Flux, completed in April. Inspired (among other things) by discoveries of ambiguous creatures whose life cycles may metamorphose into something that could consume every leaf off of the tender plants I have so carefully planted and nurtured, or...be the awkward beginning of something beneficial and beautiful. Inherent or instinctive behaviors can be very hard to identify by outward appearances.

Making something 3-dimensional was challenging and inspiring. I look forward to working on something like this again and applying what I learned this time around.

State of Flux is currently at the Indianapolis Art Center as part of the Curio Cabinet Exhibition until August 5. I found the theme behind Curio Cabinet so inspiring -  "examining the role of art in inspiring curiosity, mystery, intrigue and wonder".

hibernation

My seasonal hibernation time is here. I am spending the moments between everything else stitching but I am all out of words for the how and why. My boys are running circles around me as we all try to move indoors for the winter season. Life is good and days are full.

I will be away from this blog for awhile - maybe until the new year begins. Please pardon my absence here as I settle into winter and holiday with my family. Thanks so much to all who take time to visit here. I am grateful.

If you would care to follow along one little photo at time you may find me over at Instagram every once in awhile. I have grown fond of the clean and quiet format over there and this change of season seems like a good time to try it out. fiberartandcraft (link in the sidebar)

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.

A Feather Story

I wanted to say something about Jude's Feather Project. I haven't made my feathers to send to her yet - but I am working on it. Please go on over to Spirit Cloth and have a look and read about what she has planned for the feathers.

and... the front porch basket of our pond place has a little bird nest inside. Brett found the nest and gave it to me in March? and we have also been sticking feathers into the nest as we find them on walks - there were maybe three small feathers and one big turkey feather in there so far.



Recently I heard and then saw a wren singing on the porch rail - then saw him flying off a few times. The small feathers from the basket went missing. Birds are collectors too - it's fine if he needed them - I was so curious why he would take them. One evening right before we all went to bed it started raining. Rain has been a rare occurrence so we all went out to feel the rain cooling the air and there he was. Snuggled right into the nest - head tucked under his body out of sight but his little wren tail was sticking straight out. He slept through all the gasping, photo flashing, boys being lifted to see and all the excitement. He was gone in the morning, but I like to think he? will be the nighttime guardian of our doorway for awhile...

Pssst....

I added a subscribe tool to the right-hand sidebar - all the way down. I hope to post in the next few days - we are squeezing in every last fun thing before back to school. I'll be back soon...

Tidy

My sewing room/studio is finally clean. It has been close for weeks - but it was tidy enough that it was so much easier to sew and always much more fun to pop in and sew for a bit than to pop in and finish the cleaning. This is as clean as it has ever been and ever, ever will be. I hope I can keep it looking this way for at least a little while.

The tour: Photo 1) My computer/printer area. I just put the quilt over the computer table yesterday. I love the height and size of the table but the table itself did not blend well with the other items in the room - it wasn't very cozy - but I think the thrift store quilt turned tablecloth does the trick. The armoire has large drawers that now hold current projects in trays and boxes. I can slide something out and work on it and then put it away. Photo 2) My little sewing nook. This is a tiny little awkward space that leads towards the window. The light is really nice here. My ironing board just fits in there next to my sewing machine table. I have only hit my head in a bad way on that roof line edge of the ceiling two times - it brought me to my knees - but it hasn't happened lately. Photo 3) My storage hutch and the boys' craft table corner. The hutch holds tons of supplies and still isn't full - it was a good find. One side of the bottom holds all the boys' stuff for coloring, cutting, gluing, stamping - whatever. I really wanted a space in here for them to sit with me.

The weather is definitely turning towards more hours indoors. I think I got this little room ready just in time.

Projects

I am busy finishing several gift projects that are all going well, and I hope to post photos of them soon. We are also just busy with summer - visiting friends and family, swimming, playing, trying to relax a bit.

I have been playing around more and more with the freehand machine stitches. Such a soothing activity when it is going well. The small piece above is about 4" wide. Not sure about the black thread, maybe too contrasty - but excited that it looks almost like a drawing. Funny that a scribble from a sewing machine can look so much like my scribbles from a pencil when guided by the same hand. Maybe graphite colored thread next time...

Quilt On Vacation

We are back from a week long vacation in Canada with good friends. My little maple leaf quilt went with me - and I made a bit of progress on it - although you cannot tell from this photo - maybe taken the first day there. I hope to start posting more often soon...

Contemporary Quilting Bee

I am excited to be presenting some of my favorite techniques for the Indy Craft Mafia Contemporary Quilting Bee - Sunday, April 26. I have been working on some samples featuring these techniques. One shown above - used fabric softener sheets machine stitched over bits of fabric and thread. It has a very nice transparent, rice paper effect...

Bluets

This one has had some changes - I ended up sewing on a darker "frame". I also added some knots and stitches. It is on display at the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library this month, along with artwork by several other local artists. The pieces are all of a garden or flower theme in association with guest speaker Gordon Hayward's presentation "Fine Paintings As Inspiration for Garden Design" on Saturday, April 25th.

Art Quilts on Brick Walls

Several of my art quilts along with those of Janet Cohen are on display at the Cobblestone Grill in Zionsville now through March as part of the Zionsville Art Initiative's Art & Space Program.