all that cannot be let go

Every scrap of thread, fabric, or yarn I find

is just a little directional encouragement away from

an engagingly tender line.

The roots, vines, veins, sinew, filaments, and fibers that hold everything together 

are rendered from all that cannot be let go.

(detail photos of recent works - I Felt a Connection and Dearest Spring)

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".

Thread of Days into May

I started working on this post when the title would have been "...into April" and then lost my hold on that whole month.

Many bicycle related things going on: My husband and I have become more involved in our boys' bike team and really enjoying meeting new friends with a passion for being outdoors and nurturing a lifetime love of bike riding. We have spent some time nursing our 12 year old's broken collarbone, also bike related. In his new place on the sidelines, he has become a contributing member to many conversations and I have learned so much about him by just listening. But, one boy a bit broken and slowing down seems to have resulted in our other boy just going faster and faster. Oh. My. 

It's a very busy time, and my absolute favorite season. I can't get enough of all the green and being completely worn out from digging in dirt all day is really the best kind of tired. End of the year school activities are near, summer trips and visitors inching closer, and the garden growing faster than we can keep up with. These threads of days continue into green.Thanks so much to all who are still following along here, despite all my gaps in communication.

Thread of Days

January is gone! I started this in November right around Thanksgiving. A day spent in the creek at my parents' house started the fossils. Then a tangle of things after that.

I was inspired to work on a sort of journal kind of stitching after following the last few months of Lynn Harrigan's daily calendar project on Instagram. For one year, Lynn beautifully documented the weather and experiences of each day in thread.

This project of mine grows by week rather than by day. I really wanted to work on something about process. No pulling threads out or worrying too much about how it turns out, I will just keep drawing and stitching.

I wanted to put things I might put in a sketchbook directly onto the cloth and then stitch them into it. I have been using a bit of walnut ink saved from fall for the occasional shading.

My firstborn had his 12th birthday last week and on we go. I thought I would say a lot more about all the imagery, but I don't really need to now. January is gone and it's all I can do to keep up. It's all in the threads and that's the point.

Maybe just a bit about the most recent stitches...a memory of last weekend's walk by moonlight through the pasture and woods. An idea of my wonderful park ranger at heart husband. We had friends, kids, and dogs along with us and could see well enough with the moonlight reflected off the snow. 

The little drawing of the woven bits = just a fragment of some recent developments.