PatStudio: A Celebration of Slowly Made Goods

Life in the slow lane

2012-01-06T14:51:00.000-05:00

There is more to life than increasing its speed.

Ghandi

Make time for just you

Put your feet up

Fall into a book

Watch rain drops slide down your window pane

Take long baths ---

one character in a Joanna Trollope novel calls them 'immense' baths

Do one thing at a time and enjoy it enormously

Build connections

Take inspiration where you find it

Not so regular resolutions

2012-01-02T11:14:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year

New Year's Day…now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions.

Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.

Mark Twain

4 not-so-regular-new-year resolutions for 2012:
Make time for art ----- every day;
Do something creative that is not focused on an end product ----- every day;
Keep a journal of ideas;
Use a sketchbook.

We really did have a White Christmas

2011-12-26T10:46:00.004-05:00

With only 20 minutes to spare for a White Christmas,

the snow came down.

We woke on Monday morning to a sparkling day.

The holiday season had a lot of hussle and bussle but is was also a wonderful family time.

Some highlights, dear to my heart:

Amy flew up from North Carolina -- a short visit but wonderful too!

Victoria returned from London--- just in time!

And, I got to meet the twins, Anna and Nola

Here they are with big sister, Evie.

Steve and Joann came east from Seattle to spend 5 days with us.

But now in these post-Christmas/pre-New Year days,

I am feeling a lazy kind of relaxation

and enjoying sleeping in, letting the days evolve and become what they may.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

To ride a horse is to ride the sky.

2011-12-24T13:29:00.000-05:00

A horse is the projection of peoples' dreams about themselves:
Strong, powerful, and beautiful
and the capacity to escape from the mundane.

Two Horses. Sunset

15x16"
12/2011

I made this wall hanging for Amy.

It began life as a large commercial panel with four large horses,

lots of sky, and some words of wisdom on the bottom.

Too big, I thought
so I cut out these two horses and a portion of the sky and setting sun.
I gave the piecelots of machine thread play
which created nice dimension and texture.

Overall, I am quite pleased with results.

2011-12-22T09:07:00.000-05:00

Take Joy!

There is nothing I can give you, which you have not;

But there is much, very much, that while I cannot give it, you can take.

No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in today.

Take heaven!

No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present instant.

Take peace!

The gloom of the world is but a shadow.

Behind it, yet within reach, is joy

. . . . And so, at this time, I greet you.

Fra Giovanni 1513 A.D

2011-12-21T13:18:00.005-05:00

Take joy!

Life is so generous a giver.

But we, judging its gifts by their covering,

cast them away as ugly or heavy or hard.

Remove the covering, and you will find beneath it a living splendor,

woven of love by wisdom, with power.
Welcome it, grasp it, and you touch the angel's hand that brings it to you.

2011-12-15T19:23:00.000-05:00

We are always acting on what has just finished happening.
It happened at least 1/30th of a second ago.

We think we're in the present, but we aren't.

The present we know is only a movie of the past.

Tom Wolf

2011-12-14T09:11:00.001-05:00

Creativity exists in the present moment.
You can't find it anywhere else."

Natalie Goldberg

An Iconic Bed Quilt .... Part Two

2011-12-13T11:45:00.001-05:00

I've made very slow progress on the Beatles Quilt for Victoria. Shamefully slow. The top has gone through several incarnations to get to the final product.

Sketched.
Auditioned fabric.
Cut.
Lay out the pieces.
Move them around.

Sketched again
And more.

Watched the new Martin Scorcese film about George,
the quiet Beatle, for inspiration.

This quilt, I thought, should be graphic and bold.
I wanted it to be black and white with pops of color.

The primary color fabric you see is a Nancy Crow design from the 1990s. I loved it so much I never wanted to cut into it. Was saving it for something so so special. And this is it.

I wanted to use images of the younger Fabulous Four.
I mean, who wants images of 65 and 70 year old men on their quilts!!!!!

And, sadly there are only two Fabulous men left.

I started the quilt in October.
Had a great time.
Learned alot.
Let myself go.
Reminisced a bit.

And now I'm just putting the final touches to the front and the verso (so named by my friend, Chris).
Getting it ready to be quilted.

Watch for An Iconic Bed Quilt

..... Part Three

We're just back from London!

2011-12-04T09:53:00.001-05:00

This is Victoria who has been studying in London this term at City University. Last spring, at eighteen years old, she received her high school diploma and an associates degree simultaneoulsy.

Studying abroad has been her dream since she was a little girl. Good grades and hard work made that dream come true; she flew to London in late August.

Larry and I thought this would be a great opportunity to see London and visit our Girl Across the Pond. Although Anglophiles, we've never been to London.

The London Eye


On Regent Street: Proper Burgers!

Hercule Poirot was once asked what he disliked most about English Cuisine; he remarked, 'the English don't have a cuisine, they have food.' In our limited experience, we beg to differ, Hercule. We had delicious dinners while in London. We especially loved pub food; Larry's favorite was the steak and ale pie at Victoria pub in Bayswater.

A visit to Harrod's in Knightsbridge was high on my list. We took public tranport from Bayswater to Knightsbridge and discovered that Harrod's is more than just shopping, Harrod's is a destination -- and an experience not to be missed.

Harrod's began in 1834 with two employees selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Now it covers 5 acres with 7000 employees and 330 departments.

There are18 restaurants in Harrods from wine bars, ice cream bars, a tea shop, pizza shop, Ladure for macarons, buffet dinners and lunches and more more more. We arrived in time for a late breakfast at the Terrace Bar.

Where everything is lovely, delicious, and expensive!

Pot of tea and breakfast breads for one person,15 pounds (or $23.47 US).

Ancient and modern

We took the BIG BUS tour on Sunday .... a great way to see the City when time is short. I was sorry I'd not been a better student of British history.

All Hallow's Church

Sculpture

Beautiful!

Seen from the tour bus on Regent Street.

We visited Camden Market where I purchased black and white wellies ---- what a treat to find so many boots in my size -- USA 5/UK 3. Larry said all of London must have come to the Market that Saturday -- in fact, it boasts 500,000 visitors a year! Crowds of young people, music, vendors selling clothes, shoes, and momemtos.

Victoria and I shopped in Oxford Street one evening after tea at the Lancaster London Hotel . Oxford Street is said to be the busiest shopping street in all of Europe.

Christmas lights are up and holiday music is everywhere. I loved seeing shops I'd read about in novels: Debenhams, Marks and Spencer, Selfridges.

We shopped at Primark which is said to offer 'trendy' clothes for people who hate to pay a lot.

A relaxing shopping experience it is not! But we had fun out-fitting Victoria for her trip to Poland with heavy jacket, boots, hat, scarf and gloves.

Occupy London: St. Paul's Cathedral

The first national strike in a generation was called while we were in London. The strike -- one day work stoppage by 2 million public service workers was planned for November 30, our departure day. We worried and wondered and watched BBC news everyday and the British Airways website for updates.

Sculpture: The Working Man
In the end, the strike did not affect the Heathrow Express or the airport.

Trust your choices. Please yourself.

2011-11-08T13:06:00.000-05:00

We have to trust our own choice after all, and end with the simple belief that what pleases us is beautiful.

Indeed, no other rule is of any use to us, and if we do but honestly please ourselves, and make forms which genuinely give us pleasure, we shall find ourselves with the power of designing beautiful things.

Richard Hatton

Painted & machine stitched antique lace fragments

glued to fabric with ordinary white glue;

painted with Jacquard Lumiere paints;

machine stitched when dry

The result is a page in an altered art book called,

Singing With A Full Voice.

I made my song a coat
Covered with embroideries

Out of old mythologies. . .

William Butler Yeats

Stitched cotton floss

I used this technique when creating a small art piece, called,

Trousers,

that celebrated my paternal grandmother's (left, above) daring-do

wearing pants in the early 1900s.

An abundance of French Knots.

Embroidery has a natural affinity for flowers.

It can also, of course,

represent nothing at all.

Entrapped fibers under shear fabric
with a frame of satin stitch

Another page in the same altered book,
Singing With A Full Voice.

2011-11-07T10:17:00.000-05:00

...damn everything but the circus...
damn everything that is

grim,

dull,
motionless,

unrisking,

inward turning,

damn everything

that won't get into the circle,

that won't enjoy,

that won't throw its heart into the tension,

surprise,

fear and delight of the circus,

the round world,

the full existence...

- e.e. cummings

2011-11-06T10:40:00.001-05:00

"When you take a flower in your hand

and really look at it,

it's your world for the moment."

Georgia O'Keefe

2011-10-27T08:57:00.000-04:00

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is not our light, but our darkness that most frightens us.

from "Singing With A Full Voice"
Altered Art Book
2006

We ask ourselves,

Who am I to be brilliant,

gorgeous,

talented,

fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

from "Singing With A Full Voice"
Altered Art Book

2006

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking

so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,

our presence automatically liberates others.”

-Marianne Williamson

An Iconic Bed Quilt

2011-10-26T15:05:00.002-04:00

Part One of the Iconic Bed Quilt

Victoria asked me to make her a quilt. Not just any quilt but a Beatles quilt. In all her 18 years I'd never made her a quilt; I'd made several for Anthony, her brother but none for her. Of course I may have been distracted by the countless dresses, capes, and doll clothes that I made for her.

Victoria wants a Beatles quilt. She is a third generation Beatles fan: I loved them, their early work especially but later really appreciated George Harrison's solo work in My Sweet Lord .... Give Me Love .....and, As My Guitar Gently Weeps . Victoria's mom (my daughter Amy), discovered the Beatles while in her teens and I have nice memories of Amy sitting on the floor with her flute, my youngest sister beside her with guitar ..... both playing from a Beatles songbook (circa 1980).

And now, here we go again!

But does Victoria want a Beatles wall hanging, lap or a bed quilt?

She tells me she wants a bed quilt for her dorm at Arcadia University in Pennsylvania. . . . Victoria is on the right, in the picture above right; it was taken in London this past September.

Design

I want this quilt to be bold and graphic. I see it in black and white and with pops of color. Maybe some red, orange or yellow. I can see images of the fabulous four on it and even song titles and lyrics upon it.

I am off and running . . . but .. . As you will see . . . . not too fast . . .

On the left, is a quick sketch of some early ideas -- I was just thinking on paper, not being restricted by the notion of producing a usable product.

This is a later, and a more thoughtful rendition of an idea but it's just a too traditional.

And more constrained than I'd imagined.

. . . . Although it could be usuable if I staggered the rows just a bit ......

Here's some initial prep work for image transfers.

The quilt will be 'reversible' or in other words, no front or back. I didn't know what to call the 'other side' until my friend Chris used the word 'verso'.

Below was my first idea for the 'verso'. But it was a short-lived idea at best.

My next idea was to use off-cuts from the quilt blocks to create a black and white weaving for the center of the back. Oh too fragile, I suspect.

Beginning
I settled in to audition, cut, sew, lay-out blocks. This is the first time in years that I've made a bed-sized quilt. My skills are rusty to say the least.

Up until this point, I was pleased with my progress.

Until one very late night of insomnia when I took some photos.

"OH NO ... OH NO".

"Get that YellowBlueRed outta there! And the vertical sashing has to go too".

This project needs editing, ruthless editing. And more work at the drawing table.

An Iconic Bed Quilt ... Part Two soon.

In Praise of Moodling

2011-10-23T09:30:00.000-04:00

“So you see, imagination needs moodling –

long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering.”

— Brenda Ueland

Where do you 'moodle'?

. . . . I 'moodle' in a rocking chair looking out towards White Island from Star.

. . . . I 'moodle' in nearly any room in my house

. . . 'moodling' a day away is very easy on Star Island.

. . . .or on Long Sands Beach

What you can do with paper and fabric

2011-10-22T09:17:00.003-04:00

Computer Paper, Glossy Magazine Paper,

Beads, Embroidery Floss, Contemporary Japanese Fabric

8 x 12

In-Progress

A little Asian-inspired collage that started as a page for a concertina book but quickly grew too large for what I had in mind.

I started with two pieces of contemporary Japanese fabric. The woman was fussy cut from one piece; her hair heavily embroidered with black floss and embellished with beads. I cut her fabric face away from the print. Then printed Japanese characters on ordinary computer paper and then scrunched and crumbled them until they had a 'drape' similar to fabric. I laid the paper on the diagonal and like the way it gives her a demure appearance. For the fan, I used the same procedure but with slick and glossy magazine paper again scrunched and crumbled. In order to produce the soft fabric-like drape with magazine paper, it takes a little more care and time, otherwise the paper will 'crack'. I'm very happy with how the fan gives the appearance of stained glass. I hand-beaded the perimeter of the fan and along its spokes.

This was a liberating process with no sketching in advance. It was a completely organic process letting one part flow into the next and the fabric 'speak' to me.

However, for a year I had a subscription to Workshop on the Web (WOW) and it was there I discovered the paper scrunching technique; I've been playing with it in various forms since then.

I'm pretty pleased with the collage thus far but the work needs the addition of quilting stitches along the background landscape then mounting.

2011-10-21T09:54:00.000-04:00

Creativity comes from trust.

Trust your instincts.

And never hope more than you work.

Quote:

Rita Mae Brown

Fabric concertina book:
Fabric; window screen; found objects; fabric and commercial beads; metal buttons; embroidery; silk; Japanese and contemporary domestic fabrics.
2011

SlowlyMadeGoods

2011-10-20T08:24:00.001-04:00

Be faithful to that which exists nowhere but in yourself --
and thus make yourself indispensable.

Andre Gide

I made a little collage. My intention was to use it in a concertina book

But try as I might that is decidedly NOT what this fabric wanted.

So, I set it aside.

For quite a few months.

When later it was re-visited, I let the fabric speak to me.

I trimmed. And played. And the result is this fabric sculpture.

Free standing soft sculpture;

fabric collage, beads;

2011

2011-10-18T08:16:00.003-04:00

(from Portsmouth Fabric Company's website and online store)

I submitted two art bras for this exhibit; both can be seen on the Brick Wall.

One of them, "I Suppose, Anything Goes"

appears on the bottom in the advertisement above.

Paper, fabric trim, found object, fringe

2011

. . . Processing . . .

2011-10-15T08:53:00.004-04:00

At quilt shows, I am often struck by quilts with descriptions that include how many of this or that element went into making the whole. Or how many hours of hand-sewing or quilting it took to produce the work. I stand in awe of the patience and persistence of these artists. And always I think I should keep a journal of the my processes. But I never do. I never have.

Enter, the Process Pledge. An epiphany for me: one of life's little "a-ha" moments. For me, the Pledge is a catalyst to do what I have wanted to do but didn't make time for.

During 2011, I worked on two collaborative art quilts. Today, I want to talk about one of these, Low Tide, a joint effort by 5 women from the Seacoast Association of Fiber Artists (SAFA).

This is the finished piece, Low Tide, hanging in the Images (Lowell, Massachusetts) show in August 2011.

It was my first attempt at a landscape or seascape art quilt therefore it stretched me out of my comfort zone. A good stretch. I learned a lot. Unfortunately, I did not keep a written journal of my process nor do I have a good photo record of the many, many incarnations of my slice.

This is my finished slice.

I couched yarn and dry felted roving for the sky and water. This part of the slice intrigued me but I couldn't, just couldn't get the colors right and did it over several times

The sea foam is variously antigue lace with roving and cheescloth.

The sand is layers of hand-dyed cotton and a shear overlay and

hand-stitching kantha-style to get a grainy, watery effect. Here it is partially stitched; the white space on the right is where the sea gull and more rocks will be placed.

The out-cropping of rocks are a sort of ruched cotton print with gray and black and tan.

The little sea gull is crewel embroidery using a variety of yarn.

About the process:

For this work, SAFA, a group of 10 women, divided itself into 2 groups of 5 artists each working from two photo inspirations. The photos were enlarged and then divided into 5 slices. Each woman received a black and white enlargement in what would be the finished size and a color enlargement (8x10).

We completed two art quilts, Low Tide and Trapped, for March exhibit in Artistry for Home in Portsmouth. They were later shown in Fabulous Fibers (York Art Association) in June; and, at Images in Lowell, Massachusetts in August. Now, in October, they are on exhibit at the Cocheco Quilt Guild's annual show in Rochester, New Hampshire.

We called our work 'collaborative art quilting' but really each slice was the individual artist's interpretation of the photo; each artist used her own unique style and techniques. Some of us paint on fabric; others use digital imagery and holographic effects; I use a lot of hand-work. During the process, we didn't meet or communicate except to discuss borders and binding. It was actually happenstance that our colors were similar and major lines similar because we intended the slices to hang together on two long slats, top and bottom.

Making Art is Sometimes Messy

2011-10-13T12:59:00.002-04:00

I did it. Just the other day, I took the pledge. The Process Pledge, that is.

I, SlowlyMadeGoods, pledge to talk more about my creative process, to share my experiences in creating fiber art even when putting those into words is difficult or I worry about whether I am being clear.....

1. I pledge to blog about my muse, when s/he appears and what I do when s/he is absent for a while;

2. I pledge to blog about the creative process from start to finish.

3. I pledge to post about the ups and downs of creation.

4. Yes, I, slowlymadegoods, pledge to put my gut feelings in my blog because a Art making is not always neat and picture perfect.

Sometimes art-making is messy.

Go and Do

2011-10-13T12:38:00.001-04:00

From the Portsmouth Herald, Thursday, October 13:

Bizarre Bras raises awareness of breast cancer

York Art Association's Fiber and Silk Artist's Group completed their summer challenge...These creative bras are part of an exhibit titled Bizarre Bras. Its purpose is to raise awareness of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Bizarre Bras is on display at the Portsmouth Fabric Company through Oct. 30. The Portsmouth Fabric Company is located at 112 Penhallow St., Portsmouth. They are open: Mon. - Sat. 9:30-5:30 p.m. and Sun. noon-5 p.m.

The Fiber and Silk group meet at York Art Association on the second Monday of every month at 1 p.m.

The York Art Association promotes the arts, and encourages creativity by offering a venue for artists to show, and perform their work, supporting arts education, and encouraging collectors to buy local art. YAA strives to foster cultural appreciation among residents, and visitors to the York area. YAA is located at 394 York St. (Rt. 1A) in York, Maine. Summer hours are: Thurs. and Fri. 2-7 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. 11 — 4 p.m. Call (207) 363-4049, or visit www.yorkartassocation.com for information.

Photo by Carol Powley, YAA Fiber Artist

Twenty Art Bras

2011-10-10T09:54:00.002-04:00

Bizarre Bras is an exhibit created by the Fiber and Silk Artists/York Art Association, a young and growing group of about a dozen women from NH and Maine. The bras will be on display at the Portsmouth Fabric Company for the month of October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Here are more of the amusing, whimsical, and creatively juicy bras.

This bra in orange and purple, called "Falling Leaves"
is one of my contributions to the exhibit.

Turn turn turn . . .

2011-09-26T10:20:00.000-04:00

I've been away from blogland for nearly 15 months. I've often thought about about returning but just never got fully motivated. But this is the season of my return. I'm back and glad to be.

I joined two regional art groups: Seacoast Association of Fiber Artists; Fiber and Silk Artists of York Art Association; and, one national art organization: Studio Art Quilt Associates. I've been inspired and encouraged by new fiber-artist friends in the two local/regional groups. While I don't necessarily feel competitive about my work, these women have inspired me to (1) try new techniques, (2) complete work! and exhibit work.

I've exhibited my work in three shows during 2011: Artistry in the Home, Portsmouth NH; Fabulous Fibers, York Maine; and, Images, Lowell Massachusetts.

I completed work on two collaborative art quilts. The first, ten artists working together in two groups of five each created a panel inspired by seascapes. The other collaborative quilt, with three women, was inspired by a photograph of Poros that I took some years ago; Poros is an island in the Aegean Sea.

My work will be in two exhibits in October: Bizarre Bras, honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month; and the Cocheco Quilt show in Rochester New Hampshire.

And, last but not least, my soft sculpture took a second place in the Fabulous Fiber Show last June.


Compass Rose completed years ago and left to languish in hiding in a box beneath my bed. This year it was framed and hung over our fireplace. I wonder now why I kept it from view?

This large quilt was hand-stitched and assembled. It too was kept in an archival box under the bed. Now it is hung on a wall in a sitting room downstairs.

A small collage of paper and fabric that was entered in the Fabulous Fibers show.


The first collaborative quilt. This one of sea gulls at low tide.

Loveliness .... June ...... and memories

2010-06-01T11:13:00.000-04:00

And since all this loveliness can not be Heaven,
I know in my heart it is June.

–Abba Goold Woolson (1838–1921)

Memories . . . .

2010-05-16T10:00:00.002-04:00

Larry is a book collector.

While looking through some of his recent acquisitions, he found a great cache of small vintage paper dolls from the 1940s 1950s. The dolls and their clothes - dozens and dozens -- were carefully and precisely cut from newspapers and pressed into one of his books. He passed them on to me.

So, I put the paper dolls up for sale in my etsy shop.
And, showed them on my facebook page. And that is where the memories began to flow.

First, I heard from my cousin, Marilyn, who grew moved to California from Schenectedy when she and I were about ten years old. Now, she lives in Wisconsin and we've only seen one another twice in the last 50 years. But she read about the vintage paper dolls on facebook and immediately sent a comment with a childhood memory of playing with paper dolls that her mother drew for her. She said she also had store-bought paper dolls but the ones her mom made were her favorites.

Then, a former work colleague who I haven't seen in about a year sent a comment with her memories of playing with paper dolls. She said she grew up in a city in New York; favorite place to play with her paper dolls was on the front stoop.

I really cherish these shared memories and was mightily surprised that my little etsy listing would garner so much personal interest ........ and then I began to think about my own childhood........

Of a little girl who loved to visit her paternal grandparents. Who was in fact doted upon because she was the girl they never had and was the first grandchild.

My grandfather religiously cut Betsy McCall paper dolls from the Boston Sunday newspaper. He saved them in a dark brown basket that he kept by his chair in their sitting room...

...they were always there and ready for me when I visited or spent the night with them.

And of a little girl who played paper dolls in the kitchen while her mother ironed or cooked or did other chores. The kitchen had wainscotting halfway up the wall and that is where I placed my paper dolls after dressing them.......little girl paper dolls named 'Candy' and movie star paper dolls with their glamorous clothes all displayed along my kitchen walls. I remember my mother would have the radio on while she worked and I played ..... I remember my mother listening to the McCarthy hearings ..... I remember the coronation of Queen Elizabeth

...... all the while innocently playing at make-believe.

Odiorne Point "Holding Fast"

2010-05-13T19:47:00.001-04:00

On Sunday, we drove inland and across New Hampshire into Vermont. We climbed Mt Kearsarge to Winslow, a very nice state park. The top of Kearsarge is about 3000 feet. Nice view. The temps were in the 30s; we planned a picnic and a walk ..... too too coooold. We had the picnic but ate exceedingly fast! And wished we'd brought a thermos of coffee.

And finally today ! ! ! I drove over to Rochester and ! ! ! I finished the knitted kelp project. Well, it was another deconstruction but now I am pleased with it. Here's some photos.

Here is the rock atop the painted pedestal with wire knitted kelp draping down

Joanne, my partner in the project, painted the pedestal and did the lettering. We chose to use the words "holdfast" "holding fast" "just holding" because the topmost part of the kelp is called a holdfast and is the part, like a suction cup, that attaches itself to rocks and marine debris. Joanne is a storyteller/poet and she created an original poem to go with the piece. Her poem tells of the tenacity of the first New Hampshire settlers who came to what was later to be known as "Odiorne Point". It also recounts the perseverance and dedication and loyalty of the military in guarding the port from enemy invaders during WWII. I don't have a copy handy but will add it when I do. It is lovely. Poignant and just right.

Imagine A Woman In Love With Herself

2010-05-06T08:04:00.004-04:00

Imagine a woman who believes
it is right and good she is a woman.
A woman who honors her experience
and tells her stories.
Who refuses to carry the sins of others
within her body and life.

Imagine a woman who trusts
and respects herself.
A woman who listens to her
needs and desires.
Who meets them with
tenderness and grace.

Imagine a woman who
acknowledges the past's
influence on the present.
A woman who has walked
through her past.
Who has healed into the present.

Imagine a woman who
authors her own life.
A woman who exerts,
initiates, and moves
on her own behalf.
Who refuses to surrender
except to her truest self
and wisest voice.

Imagine a woman
who names her own gods.
A woman who imagines
the divine in her image
and likeness.
Who designs a personal
spirituality to inform her daily life.

Imagine a woman in love
with her own body.
A woman who believes
her body is enough,
just as it is.
Who celebrates
her body's rhythms
and cycles as an
exquisite resource.

Imagine a woman
who honors the body
of the Goddess in her
changing body.
A woman who celebrates
the accumulation of her years
and her wisdom.
Who refuses to use her
life-energy disguising the changes
in her body and life.

Imagine a woman
who values the women
in her life.
A woman who sits in
circles of women.
Who is reminded
of the truth about herself
when she forgets.

Imagine yourself as this woman.

By Patricia Lynn Reilly

SAQA - Studio Art Quilt Associates

2010-05-01T21:19:00.002-04:00

Today I attended my first SAQA meeting of the six New England states. There were about 16 women representing Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine in attendance at the meet-up amiably hosted by a Hillsborough NH member.

Not just 16 women in attendance but really talented women who are producing quite incredible work. Unique. Original. Compelling. I came away really juiced and ready to work.

Two of the women, both from Massachusetts, inspired me with their personal challenge to produce one 6x8 art quilt each week.

This seems like a really good way to stay 'in the groove'; keep the creative juices flowing even in difficult times that can easily become dry times.

I think I'll pick up the suggestion for 6x8 personal challenge. Although I did invite Judy M. to join me ....... Stay tuned.

For a long time now I've worked alone without benefit of collegial support and encouragement. Some years ago when I worked in Concord NH I joined the Capital Quilters -- a fine group of women where I made good solid friends. But since moving away, I've not found a similar group nor had the luxury of that kind of support, encouragement and camaraderie that happens when like minded spirits get together.

Fortunately, Wen Redmond found me last year and extended an invitation to join the Seacoast Area Fiber Artists with her. We are about 12-strong in membership, a lively, fun, interesting, and talented group. I am loving the the opportunity to share with these women who are producing such wonderful work -- some of which you can see here and here .

From that invitation, came membership in SAQA.

Asian-Inspired Concertina Book

2010-04-25T19:45:00.002-04:00

This concertina book was a winter project

6x4 inches ..... 12 panels

Nearly complete, it had to be set aside because of work to be done on the wire knitting project and visits with my mom in Massachusetts -- 90 miles from York, Maine

Paper, glass beads

Silk, cotton, wire,

Painted non-wovens

Kantha stitching

Metallic threads

Hand-made beads

Found objects (such as black screening)

And odd bits and bobs.

This panel is painted non-woven interfacing
Japanese contemporary fabric.
Stitching with metallic threads
and studded with glass beads

Below you can see some of my wire knitting --
practice knitting that found a home.

I love making fabric books.
Its exciting to stand aside and let the narrative flow ......

Well,
I should admit that this book went through several (or more) deconstructions before it got to this place.

Ah.
Slow cloth.

The wheels are turning . . . . ideas churning . . . . .

2010-04-23T19:12:00.002-04:00

In the intervening days and weeks since my last post I've been busy with the stuff and things of life......but in between my little brain is beginning to conceive of a re-designed blog. Really it has been nearly one year since I started this blog. It has been fun and I've made some wonderful cyber-friends because of the blog. But now....well, perhaps its time for a little change of scenery. So stay tuned.

Meanwhile, an update on my mother. She continues to improve in body and spirit. An indomitable woman, I think. There are a number of in-home providers offering help (physical therapy, visiting nurse, and personal care aides). In addition, my sisters and I have all worked to shop for groceries, cook and clean. And just be with her.

And, I say again because it is so true: I am so glad to have this time with my mother. On my visits, I usually make a special lunch that we share. We talk and reminisce. She tells stories. Some I've heard. Some are new. It matters not. I ask questions. She helps with my knitting. I bring her films on dvd to watch.

I remembered her telling me once long ago that has a teenager she was fascinated with Wallis Simpson and the abdication of King Edward. Surprisingly I found a film entitled, Edward and Wallis, which we watched with delight. This week it was, The Bette Davis Story, a documentary narrated by Susan Sarandon.

In between times, I've completed my knitted wire sculpture for the public art exhibit and will post images soon. The work of my associates is just wonderful -- you can take a peek at www.artesprit.org. This will be a fine exhibit.

I am so glad to have had this time with you today

2010-03-21T13:19:00.002-04:00

Well, I have disappeared from the blog-o-sphere again

and am not sure how faithful I will be in the near future.

My mom, at nearly 87, suddenly is in need of a lot of support to remain independent.

Her vision and hearing are failing; and she is beginning to experience problems with short-term memory.

Until last summer, she worked as a Senior Companion, drove her car just about anywhere she wanted,

and walked 3 miles several times a week.

My Mom in 2009.

It is surprising and sad to see how needy she has become - so quickly.

Her goal is to remain as independent as possible.
Last week, my sister Susan and I worked to acquire
and establish the services she needs to live in her own home for as long as she can.

Here she is on a date with my father.

They were married in 1942 and had 6 children

1944, Pat;

and David in 1946,

1954, Nancy; 1956, Susan; 1960, Donna; 1962, Michelle.

And 10 great-grand children

Amy, Jonathan,

Kimberly, Robbi,

Dustin, Christopher,

Sarah,

Esther, Ari, and Noah.

Each time I leave her, I say,

"I am so glad to have had this time with you today".

Pink. I'm in the pink (with update)

2010-03-06T09:51:00.002-05:00

I am in the pink

With temps in the high 40s and up to 50 degrees today

I am thinking spring

And counting the days 'til March 21

the day that signals the vernal equinox.

Am I rushing the calender?

You bet!

Will take myself to the beach this noon time

Will take a walk and smell the sea

and revel in the sunshine for a while.

What's on your agenda for the day?

**********

UPDATE

Just returned from my walk on the beach.
Glorious 58 degrees now; no wind; clear sky.
But the amazing thing is that the beach was populated with barefoot teens in halters;
people relaxing in beach chairs with books, snacks or lunch.
And every dog of every variety who lives in York
was on the beach making friendly with other (dogs).
Surfers aplenty
Lots of waves breaking just right for glorious-looking rides.
I didn't.

Came home and made fresh coffee in my new French Press. Ahhh life is good........

O My..... the more things change....the more they stay the same

2010-03-04T10:28:00.000-05:00

Times are bad
Children don't obey their parents
and everyone is writing a book

Attributed to Cicero

1st Century Roman

Winter Passes Winter Pasttimes

2010-03-03T14:59:00.001-05:00

I've had exotic purple irises on the dining room table this week --

they came from France, I think or somewhere warm and sunny.

They were a great distraction from

cold, wind, snow and hard rains and power outages

that have been visited upon us in recent days and weeks.

This is probably the last of the paperwhites for this season

but oh their sweet deliciousness fills the room.

Larry and I have been addicted to the new Masterpiece Theater season.

We loved Cranford with Dame Judy

.
In fact Larry was inspired to read several books by the same author

(whose name I have misplaced).

We loved all three of the Jane Austen's

Emma

Northanger Abbey
and Persuasion

Whereupon, I revisited Sense and Sensibility -
with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. Ahhh.

Couldn't let a good thing go and borrowed
The Jane Austin Book Club from our local public library.

A good read about a group of women and one exceptional man

who meet to discuss Austen's books.

Appendices have lists and summaries of her books

and comments made by other literary figures about Austin.

Good winter pasttimes for sure.

I saw two great films this winter:

Coco Before Chanel --

Coco played during the Telluride By The Sea film festival last summer
in Portsmouth but I couldn't get tickets.
Did manage to get some for Bright Star
though I had to wait until January
for the return of Coco. But it was worth the wait.

An Education --

A new British coming-of-age film that was nominated for an oscar. Another terrific film.

We are edging ever closer to spring.

And, I for one, will happily shed my coats and hats and boots and gloves.

So what have you been doing?

2010-03-01T19:49:00.000-05:00

I have been working on a new concertina book.

I challenged myself to work black and white. With a little red. And some taupe. And gold. The book has gone through a number of phases: create, deconstruct, reconstruct. Take apart. Salvage. Re-build. Here are some pages in process. Beware the pins.

A little weaving. Some couching. Hand-made beads. Lots of stitching and beading.

Another project: Couching (again) on cotton and linen and French wired ribbon with hand-made beads

And still, another project: playing with reverse applique using paper. Both are incomplete but not for long.

That's it for tonight. I'll soon get around to visit you all. I've missed your thoughts, words and pictures. And your inspiring work.

I'm back and I didn't mean to be gone so long......

2010-03-01T10:12:00.000-05:00

and without saying 'goodbye' or 'I will return'.

Before I catch you all up on stuff and things in my creative life, I want to apologize for the offensive material that was placed on my blog in the comments section. It was written in Japanese. I thought it was 'text'. I tried to delete it. Was unsuccessful. Got busy and sort of forgot about it.

Until today when Larry looked at my blog and noticed those comments were links to horrible sites.

Well, I got very aggressive and did learn to delete comments. And I am so sorry if any reader clicked on those links.

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

UPDATE ON CREATIVITY LATER.

Teaching at artstream.....

2010-01-25T08:13:00.001-05:00

Fabric Journal

I will be teaching a class in Fabric Journals at artstream studios

in Rochester NH on Thursday evenings from 6 to 7:30 for eight weeks
beginning this week, January 28.

This is an example:

Here are some details:

What's Inspiring Me In This Moment?

2010-01-17T09:39:00.004-05:00

My mind is on wire, working with wire, knitting and crocheting with wire, wire sculpture and there's so much to be inspired by in the autumn 2009 issue of Surface Design magazine, a creative exploration of fiber and fabric, especially this crocheted copper wire piece shown on the page depicted above called, DOILY, by Doug Guildford, a Nova Scotia native, from an ongoing series begun in 2005 .....

.... and the one below called NET of crocheted stainless steel wire and glass begun in 2002

What's Up .... Pussycat?

2010-01-16T08:14:00.005-05:00

I entered the new year with a few goals and aspirations (improve knitting skills; stretch my creative muscles; build my repertoire of technique in fiber art). All good goals and I got a good start .... but oh my that studio garret of mine was all a-jumble after the autumn preparing for Open Studios and making gifts. So I added, organizing, de-cluttering, and de-stashing to my list of must-do's for the new year.

I slowly progressed through the studio organizing by making 4 piles: 1, for keeping; 1, for Goodwill; 1, for my niece; 1, for ebay. Oh what a difference that effort made to how things look and feel to me. And then a re-organizing. Ahhhh. I can find what I want. I discovered things I'd forgotten about. I recommend this activity ..... clears the brain. I feel 5 pounds lighter (oh, I wish...).

Clearing, cleaning and organizing were good tasks while my brain has been busy thinking through an art project: I am participating in a public art project for Art Esprit, a non-profit arts organization in Rochester whose mission is:

Create a network of literary and visual artists in the greater Rochester area.
Foster appreciation of and participation in the literary and visual arts through installations, exhibitions, readings and educational programs.
Support the Rochester Poet Laureate Program.
Promote and nurture the artist.

Projects pair artists with poets; last year's project was called the "Shoes of Rochester" - Rochester is an old shoe factory town and this was a way of honoring the past. Various styles of shoes were placed around the town, with an opening ceremony and walking tours for 4 or 5 months duration. A fun project that resulted in great community spirit -- a way to help a town smile.

This year, the project is "If Rocks Could Talk" and I am delighted to be part of the group effort. My plan is to work in wire and I have spent a bit of time ruminating on this and how I will execute my idea. Will keep you posted.
*****

I have been absent from the blog-o-sphere for nearly a week. What's with that, you ask? Well, dental surgery for one thing. Oh yuk. Took the wind out of my sails for a bit but the aftermath is surprisingly uneventful.

And then the knitting. Ah yes.My KnitPicks order arrived the other day with new skinny needles (size 3 and 5) and sock yarn to make a pair for Larry and one for me. Optimistic? Perhaps. .... still practising on worsted weight yarn and size 7 needles.

And then last week, I opened an ebay shop for my de-stashing -- fabric, vintage/antique laces and linens. Visit me at "patsvintagestudio".

And then the other. The dreaded. Oral surgery this past Wednesday. But, in fact, the after-math was not nearly as difficult as I'd imagined. Swelling is down; no pain -- lots of gain.

Oh this girl's been busy.

Learning and growing ....

2010-01-06T14:09:00.000-05:00

In this there is no measuring with time.

A year doesn't matter;

ten years are nothing.

To be an artist means not to compute or count;

it means to ripen as the tree,

which does not force its sap,

but stand unshaken in the storms of spring

with no fear that summer might not follow.

It will come regardless.

But it comes only to those

who live as though eternity

stretches before them,

carefree,

silent,

and endless.

I learn it daily,

learn it with many pains,

for which I am grateful.

Patience is all!

Rainer Maria Rilke

Letters to A Young Poet

The nicest thing: a little story of generosity (WOW)

2010-01-06T09:01:00.000-05:00

I have a new subscription to

Maggie Grey's
Workshop on the Web -

the quarterly textile review

...... and am well-pleased with the opportunity to explore new techniques and projects every four months during 2010. I have been interested in online classes in fiber and textiles and this is my virgin foray into that world.

Among the December (09) projects was one called the Net Bag Technique by artist and author Gina Ferrari of Fan My Flame. I read Gina's blog regularly; she is amazingly talented; has seemingly boundless energy; and, I learned is generous to boot!

Well, Gina's project on WOW intrigued me and I thought to try it first but got stuck on one of the materials needed that Gina referred to as "Bond". Unfamiliar with the name/product, I looked through my little stash to see if I had something similar by another name; i searched and searched through various online suppliers (like Joggles and the Thread Studio). I "googled" the name 'Bond' but to no avail.

Then I emailed Gina to ask for information on the product. She sent back an email quick as can be. And offered to send me a sample to try. How nice!

The package arrived on Monday this week and also included a note from Gina and the name of a supplier in the UK where I can purchase Bond.

And I am off to play!!!!

Janus, Part 2

2010-01-05T18:05:00.001-05:00

My one successful sock has given me confidence

So I placed an order with KnitPicks for DPNs in sizes I don't have and ordered sock yarn, too.
SOCK YARN!
And little tiny, slivers of knitting needles and think, skinny yarn.
OMG.
Is this me?

Janus looking forward

2010-01-05T10:29:00.001-05:00

Ruler of new beginnings, and gates and doors, the Roman god Janus gave January its name. He was pictured as two-faced so that one face looked forward into the future while the other took a retrospective view. Janus presided over the temple of peace, where the doors were opened only during wartime. It was a place of safety, where new beginnings and new resolutions could be forged.

(from the Old Farmer's Almanac)

Increasing my knitting skills are among my personal challenges for 2010 (gosh it feels weird typing that date). I learned to knit late in 2008. I made scarves. With and without patterns. I knit hand bags and purses some designed for felting. I started a sweater in cotton yarn from Plymouth called Wild Flower. And set it down after too many false starts.

So, in 2010, I want to:
* finish the sweater
* learn to make socks
* learn to knit a cable stitch.

I got a head-start on sock-making over the new year holiday ..... purchased size 5 DPNs and a pattern. I had some Peace Fleece worsted that would make a good start to sock-knitting. Then, I made at least 40 unsuccessful tries at knitting the heel.

The pattern is from a Yankee Design flyer with a basic style for children, women and men. After so many tries, I determined the 'math' in the pattern was wrong. So I turned to Ravelry where I discovered "Silver's Sock Class". Now Silver is a lady who knows socks! Where the Yankee Design pattern left a lot to the imagination -- or assumed the knitter knows more than she does, Silver takes the time to describe in fine detail. She uses large, hi-resolution images. She gives lots of hints and suggestions.

I had moderate success! I got down the leg, over the heel, turned the heel, created the gusset, knit the foot and toes. Now, I just need to graft the toes and I'll be the proud owner on one hand-knit sock.

So, the question of the hour is:

Will I be able to produce a match to my one hand-knit sock?

Joy, Sun, Wonder, Creativity......

2009-12-31T07:53:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!

May you have

moments of pure joy

days of sunshine

weeks of wonder

months of creative outpouring

Walking through the rooms of our lives ....

2009-12-30T22:11:00.000-05:00

We spend January 1 walking through our lives,
room by room,
drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.
Maybe this year, to balance the list,
we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives not looking for flaws,
but for potential.

I really like this quote by Ellen Goodman. It fits the activity most of us for most of our lives have engaged in at this time of the year: reflecting on how to be better people; healthier humans; trimmer, thinner and more fit. Loving ourselves less than we ought. Planning personal changes not from self-love but from self-loathing.

Sure, I could make another new year's resolution to lose those nasty ten pounds. I could resolve to exercise every day. Eat more salads. I could. But I won't.

This year I want to focus not on becoming the 'person I should be' but on nurturing my creative spirit. Not because I should. Not because it will make me a better, healthier person. But because it brings me joy and fulfillment. Makes me laugh. Brings me happiness.

This year I will
s. t. r. e. t. c. h.
my creative spirit

By learning new techniques through Workshop on the Web

By participating in challenges.
For example, a tantalizing one from musings of a textile itinerant

..... a challenge .... to follow the KISS- Keep it Simple Stupid principle .... make a 50 cm square quilt using only two coloured fabrics ( or white for that matter) and threads ( as many colours as you would like) but using only straight stitch by hand or machine- no fancy stitches- of course straight stitching can be done in any form- and absolutely no embellishing- just fabric and stitch and your imagination -- with a march deadline.

And, from Fiber Arts/Mixed Media, this challenge for January: Pick one of your ugly, or plain, or "why did I ever buy that" commercial fabrics, and enhance it with fabric paint so that you end up liking it! Paint over it completely, outline or color in the shapes, give it an all-over tint, etc. We want to see before and after pictures of the fabric (any size piece). This is a technique challenge— you don't have to use your painted fabric in a project to enter. But once you gussy it up with paint, you'll be inspired to make something fabulous!

A woman of wisdom .....

2009-12-30T11:03:00.000-05:00

"I am a woman of wisdom, strength and grace.
And this is true."

So reads the first page of a fabric art journal that I made to celebrate my mother's life.

My mother, Doris, was the fourth of ten children, born in 1923. Her mother's death in 1932, her father's lingering despair, the Great Depression and World War II were the defining events of her young life.

The first photo is a picture of my mother, some of her siblings, her father and stepmother. It was taken in the late 1930s.

Creating this page, I used layers of fabric, silk ribbon and beads; couching and embroidery; lace and found objects.

The second page is entitled, Sea Goddess, Sea Blue Goddess. My mother's name, Doris, has origins in Greek mythology and references to the sea. My mother was a strong and avid swimmer; I loved the connection to the mythic story. It was fun and challenging to depict the "underworld" with silk ribbon, beading, quilting, applique and stencil.

Here is my mother on her wedding day in 1942. I created this page with layers of fabric ~~

white on white satin, overlaid with sheer printed fabric that I beaded, quilted and embellished with ribbon and faux pearls.

The revolutionary artist

2009-12-27T06:46:00.004-05:00

Forms

colors

sensuous relationships

rhythms

textures

tones

transmutations of energy

all belong to the natural world.

Before humans arrived, their power was there; they were nameless yet not powerless. To touch their power, humans had to name them: whorl, branch, rift, stipple, crust, cone, striation, froth, sponge, flake, fringe, gully, rut, tuft, grain, bunch, slime, scale, spine, streak, globe.

Over so many millennia, so many cultures, humans have reached into preexisting nature and made art:

to celebrate
to drive off evil
to nourish memory
to conjure the desired visitation.

The revolutionary artist, the relayer of possibility, draws on such powers, in opposition to a technocratic society's hatred of multiformity, hatred of the natural world, hatred of the body, hatred of darkness and women, hatred of disobedience.

The revolutionary poet loves people,

rivers,

other creatures,

stones,

trees inseparably from art,

and is not ashamed of any of these loves, and for them conjures a language that is public, intimate, inviting, terrifying and beloved."

from: What is Found There: Notebooks on Poetry and Politics
by: Adrienne Rich, published by Norton & Company, Inc, 1993
1000 copies were printed

This compelling piece was given to the Seacoast Area Fiber Artists by one of its members at the holiday luncheon last week. I share it with you, my creative sisters and cyber friends.

2009-12-26T07:42:00.001-05:00

Make Every Day a Holiday

Celebrate Just Living.

A magic wand.....

2009-12-22T06:36:00.001-05:00

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world,
and behold,
everything is softer and more beautiful.

Norman Vincent Peale

A web in a loom?

2009-12-20T08:36:00.000-05:00

Shall we liken Christmas to the web in a loom?

There are many weavers, who work into the pattern the experience of their lives. When one generation goes, another comes to take up the weft where it has been dropped. The pattern changes as the mind changes, yet never begins quite anew.

At first, we are not sure that we discern the pattern,
but at last we see that, unknown to the weavers themselves,
something has taken shape before our eyes, and that they have made something very beautiful, something which compels our understanding."

How have your experiences changed the patterns of your Christmas holidays?
What family rituals have you kept?
What new one have you introduced?

Earl W. Count

4,000 Years of Christmas

Open hearts

2009-12-19T07:29:00.000-05:00

I am sure that I have always thought of Christmas time ... as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely.

Charles Dickens

Hope...peace...love

2009-12-18T09:34:00.000-05:00

May you have the gladness of Christmas

which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas

which is peace;
The heart of Christmas

which is love.

Ada V. Hendricks

Home Again

2009-12-17T15:19:00.002-05:00

Glorious Season

activities of making

in the workroom and the kitchen

gifts created

cookies from the oven

packages wrapped and mailed

to Seattle and Florida

ahhhhh

Seacoast Area Fiber Artists

luncheon today

generosity

warmth

joy

sharing hand-made treasures

Home Again

...... and glad to be out of the elements .......

Steady temperature -- 13
Wind chill values this afternoon -- 6 below.

2009-12-11T12:41:00.000-05:00

I have been absent from my blog in the last little bit.

All my time is given over to playing Mrs. Claus in my workshop.

Will soon have the fruits of my labors of love to share with you.

I hope you are enjoying these December days.

Wishing you good cheer

time for play

and

joy.

International Art Exchange

2009-12-06T08:40:00.004-05:00

My friend Susan at artstream gallery asked me to participate in an International Art Exchange.

At first, I thought, "nah". Sounds too much like a chain letter. Well, it is structured like a chain letter where you send one piece of art to the person on the top of a two-person list. And then wait for the mail to deliver up to 36 pieces of art in return. Theoretically, from everywhere. Doubting Thomas that I am, I didn't really think I'd get anything in return mail. But still . . . . I sent off my package to Flossy-P in Australia. Flossy blogged about the Art Exchange on December 1 and included photos of the gifts she'd recieved -- all from New Hampshire and Maine. ....... Then, on Friday, I received my first exchange in the mail. From Jenny, the quiltcookie, in North Carolina.

Not only did I get these beautiful quilted coasters from Jenny but she included a note to let me know that she was responding to the art exchange from Kathy Lee, fiber artist from Old Orchard Beach in Maine.

I recently met Kathy at the Seacoast Area Fiber Artists, a textile group of about 10 women artists founded by Wen Redmond. Wen has a studio in the old Salmon Falls Mill and a few months ago emailed to invite me to join the group. I did. Happily.

. . . . not to be greedy.....but......maybe there will be another package in the mail ......

Now, when I got my mail on Friday, the package from Jenny in North Carolina looked like this

ripped .. torn .. and dirty ..

It was placed inside a clear plastic envelope by the USPS with big, black, bold letters upon it reading:

WE CARE!

It's quite amazing that I received it at all and in good condition.

But it was....in fine perfect pristine condition.

*****

We are technically 15 days from the official start of winter.

But

it snowed last night

and we awoke to this

..... looking east from my living room window.....

... the lane going southwest from our house in the woods.....

Have a happy, creative, lovely Sunday!

It was a strange morning

2009-12-03T16:55:00.003-05:00

I woke early this morning to hard rain

and howling winds

the rain pelted and puddled

then suddenly stopped

bright sun back lit rain on my windows

turning droplets to diamonds

this sudden turn of events was tempting

temps in the 60s

the beach called

i answered its beckoning
with pleasure
camera in hand

weather forecasters promised astronomical surf

in southern new england on south facing beaches

but not for my northern east facing beach
nonetheless the sea was angry
wild

strange morning

heavy storm clouds

suddenly

moved in and quickly away

shifting mood and color

the remainder of the day was spent in the studio

preparing for the gift-giving holiday to come

yesterday saw completion of several in-process knitting and felting projects

today, the beginning of spa bags for DILs

Like Jazz . . . .

2009-12-03T08:11:00.001-05:00

Life is a lot like jazz ...
it's best when you improvise.
George Gershwin

George Gershwin

appeared as a soloist

at a concert in Carnegie Hall

December 3, 1925

playing his “Concerto in F,”

the first jazz concerto

for the piano in musical history.

A glass more than half full

2009-12-01T07:55:00.000-05:00

Don’t dwell on what you lack;
dwell on what you have
and use it to the fullest with gratitude.

Don’t dwell on your failures;
learn from them and move on.

Don’t dwell on your fears or sorrows;
but on your hopes.

Marian Wright Edelman

founder

Children’s Defense Fund

A little of this.....and that......

2009-11-29T11:33:00.002-05:00

on the media:

Brooke Gladstone, i am not. but i might be the last person in the western world to see the movie, Australia.

i watched it yesterday settled into a comfy chair with cups of tea and knitting.

did you like this film?

i was mesmerized by the chemistry between the lead players, nicole kidman and hugh jackman.

i loved that charming little boy Brandon Walters who played Nullah.

the cattle rustling and wars between cattlemen reminded me of old-timey westerns.

the magic of the aboriginal grandfather, the mystical King George, played with awesome power by the Aboriginal dancer and musician David Gulpilil, was enticing.

but, on the whole, it was not the most memorable film or the greatest cinematic display, i suppose but a sweet treat for a lazy day after chores and a windy walk on the beach.

the day of feasting:
my youngest sister family joined us again this holiday .... Shelly, my sister, her partner, Katherine, and their children Esther (8+) and Ari and Noah (the twins, 3+) drove up from western Massachusetts . . . it was wonderful to have children in the house . . .

after the feast:
but i am really not a traditional cook and prefer more exotic menus and recipes ...... ethnic specialties. on this day, however, one feels compelled to stay with the traditional meal of roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn pudding and squash. although the fruits of my labor was appreciated and received compliments, i was underwhelmed by it all.

maybe next year:
i'd really like to do something other than the obvious . . . . .maybe

something a little lighter, please
in counter-point to the heaviness of turkey and its accroutrements, last evening i created a wonderful mediterranean fish stew cooked in a savory lobster broth with onions, garlic and tomatoes. (the broth from locally caught lobster; the tomatoes grown just down the road, lightly cooked and frozen for later use) and served with a nice little south african white wine, a gift from my sister, fresh salad and focaccia, it was a little feast.

i was not underwhelmed by this one . . .

recently read:

recently, i devoured a book called, Annie's Ghost and highly recommend this family memoir by Steve Luxenberg published in May, 2009.

the author's mother always said she was an only child. even into late adulthood it seemed to be a point of pride which she interjected in nearly every conversational opportunity. but shortly before she died, she discloses to her physician that she actually did have a sister -- a secret sibling kept hidden for decades.

Annie's Ghost is the author's quest to uncover this family secret but along the way he discovers there were other secrets so tightly held by this immigrant family.

the book is at once, a memoir, a mystery, a family saga, and a social history -- of immigration and institutionalization.

the story illustrates the Ukrainian immigrant experience in early 20th century US; and brings the reader from Michigan to California to Germany; from the rise of the Nazis and their wave of terror and war; to the rise of institutions through de-institutionalization in the US.

holiday gift-giving:
tales of black friday.
shopping malls swamped by people looking for bargains.
i was not among them and will not be in days and weeks to come.
i prefer hand-made gifts
a slow holiday
am knitting
felting
sewing gifts
this year as in years past.

will post pics as they are completed

For Gratitude: Take Joy

2009-11-26T01:00:00.002-05:00

For trust & hope

For joyful days

For Larry who wooed me with lilies

For living by the sea

For music
that soothes
comforts
lifts my spirit
opens my heart
moves my body

For books
to fall into
fall in love with
& read again & some again

For family and friends that give love and comfort

Warmth within

2009-11-25T06:54:00.001-05:00

What nature did
was remind her that ripeness is all,
that autumn is the richest season,
that preparing for snow means building a shelter,
that warmth within withstands whatever winter howls without.

from the poem,
"Ripening"
by Joanne McCarthy

Today's sunrise and sunset:

Sunrise 6:48 a.m.

Sunset 4:11 p.m.

Grateful with singleness of heart

2009-11-24T07:41:00.003-05:00

THANKSGIVING PRAYER

Give us truth in our thanksgiving
that we may be grateful with singleness of heart

We are thankful for the extravagance of the harvest

For flavors
fragrances
melodies
shapes and colors

For love, and the love that makes love
For new babies and old friends
For the strength that comes from courage
For the joy that is born of integrity
For the peace that flows from tenderness

For good books
interesting places
and unexpected beauty

For artists who make music
prophets who love justice
statesmen who make peace
and saints who make little heavens in places of distress

We are grateful for work and for days off
for letters from dear ones
and someone to write to

For things that touch our hearts
and bring tears to our eyes
for laughter and fun

For children who keep us young
experiences that make us wise
and friends who make us necessary

Today:

Sunrise 6:51 A.M.
Sunset 4:18 P.M.

wishing i remembered where i found

this lovely thanksgiving prayer

so i could give an attribution

Korak on the wall

2009-11-21T07:57:00.001-05:00

what i've been doing

my korak collection thus far.

no specific project in mind.

just the pleasure of playing with a new technique.

early this morning i pinned each piece to foam core.

to see what's there . . . . .

what might be there . . . .

what might emerge . . . .

if anything can be built upon . . .

possibilities?

wondering. . .

wondering?

Korak Under Gold

2009-11-20T10:38:00.002-05:00

hand-printed leaf under gold organza

center medalion for a korak patch

a companion

and another

audition

a bin of fragments

and so I'm thinking and wondering. a little 'what if' today. what if I bead the leaf. or embroider the veins.

My Korak

2009-11-19T09:27:00.002-05:00

still playing with korak-style piecing

for now each square has a secret:

its own raison d'etre

to say this technique fascinates me is to state the obvious:

i should be busily making holiday gifts for family

but here i sit:
bin of fragments

scissor, needle and thread

losing myself in the rhythm

auditioning

selecting

stitching

korak patches

paired with hand-printed leaves

fabric naturally dyed

with color from my herb garden

We woke this morning to the first serious frost. Fallen leaves are icy white. Frost on the mums. A crispy early morning. But we joyously anticipate temps in the mid- to high 50s by mid-day.

Quilts and The Matriach

2009-11-18T06:33:00.003-05:00

On the drive back home on Sunday from spending the weekend in Connecticut with my sisters and their husbands, we stopped in Lowell Massachusetts. Home of the New England Quilt Museum and our favorite Greek restaurant, Athenian Corner. At the Quilt Museum, it was the last day of the exhibit, "Master Pieces" -- Haberdashery Textiles in Antique Quilts "featuring quilts made from menswear, some of it recycled clothing.

". . . this remarkable exhibition brings together over 40 intriguing graphic works made from simple quilts.......Quilts on exhibit are made from suits and shirts, neckties, pajamas, military uniforms, work clothes, even woolen underwear and socks. Some resulted from the artful salvage of menswear swatch sample books and fabric mill remnants. Among the 40-plus quilts on exhibit are several that are made from military textiles, including both uniforms and medal ribbons. Like the Biblical hammering of swords into ploughshares, these quilts represent a transformation of military equipment to peaceable ends, with striking visual results.....Remarkable tributes to those who served, military quilts combine the material aspects of a serviceman's life with the comforts of home, creating works of beauty that transcend their time and the conflicts that gave rise to them."

Among the early quilts on exhibit, were those made of shirting fabric from the first quarter of the twentieth century. My grandmother made such a quilt. She was a factory girl working in the local shop that made Arrow shirts to be were sold to men of fashion around the world. Her job was sewing pockets to the fronts of these shirts.

At the end of a work day, factory girls were offered bags of shirting scraps for pennies. These were used for quilt making at home. My grandmother's sisters turned their scraps into beautiful quilts with intricate designs. Not so my grandmother; she would rather be dancing and she hurried through the task giving short shrift to design and color. Her quilt was very utilitarian. She started it, dropped and finally finished it 1921 when she was pregnant for my father. It is still in the family and treasured by my youngest sister, guardian of the shirting quilt.

So today, I am remembering my paternal grandmother, Madora Bond, born in Massachusetts in September 1896 and who lived most of her life in Leominster, a booming factory town in late 1900s, a prosperous town that lured French Canadian immigrants seeking jobs and a better life for themselves and their families.

More korak, please

2009-11-17T09:01:00.002-05:00

still enjoying
just playing

with bits and bobs

of different fabrics from my stash of fragments

sorting through fragments

selecting

auditioning

remembering the original purchase
what i originally created

remembering the textile designer

that black and grey

with partial circles showing

is a nancy crow fabric

from the 1990s

she was my favorite textile designer of that period:
it took a long while before i wanted to cut into her fabulous designs

the red with black and gold

is an african import

the large triangle is japanese indigo

A little Korak, please

2009-11-16T15:51:00.002-05:00

These are my first attempts at korak-style piecing.

I'm sewing fabric fragments onto a background fabric by making folds in the cloth and pinning them down. Each new piece is laid over the previous one and pinned and then hand-pieced.

Eva gave me instructions to get me started and I plunged right in.....my usual tempo. But after a bit, I began to wonder what exactly defines korak piecing. Is it the folded-over- fabrics? Is it the style of the quilt?

Perhaps they typically used folk art as a central motif or design element? What do modern era koraks look like?

Eva, once again helpful, told me about Ruth Tschudy and shared this link with me where I got the following quote and description.

The word «Korak» (meaning «patch») is today’s applied word of an old technique from Central Asia (mainly Turkistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan). Little literature is available on the subject, which is why Ruth Tschudy wrote a book about it, in which she explains the art and how to learn it.

«Korak» will always be produced and sewed by hand. The most important materials are several and different parts of fabrics and cloths. You then need a pair of scissors, a ruler, an iron, a foxglove, and some pins. First then, you make a drawing and then create accordingly a template of the planned patchwork. According to your puzzle, pieces of cloths will then be cut and pressed on to a basic surface of fabrics. Then, each piece will be sewed together and your art is completed. The book features the variety of patchworks; accompanied by small stories and insights of the artist (this publication is both in German and English).

This is one beautiful example of Ruth's work

And over here you will find excellent antique koraks. I received this link from Eva today and was thrilled and delighted to view these beautiful koraks online. Inspiring.

For now, I am playing. With no clear thought of 'what my korak will be'.

A little korak? Hmmmmmm

2009-11-14T10:10:00.000-05:00

..... and with a little luck and some practice .....

with help from Eva in Hamburg whose blog i faithfully read
I am trying my hand at korak style piecing

I like the idea of korak
it seems to be designed
fabric fragments and scraps

And I have SCRAPS
vintage and contemporary
spanning 20 years of quilting.

Today looks like late autumn

hardly a leaf on the trees

tons fell to earth

but have been raked

bagged and brought into the woods as mulch

It's raining but not cold
temps forecast for the 50s and 60s tomorrow

This is a weekend away for us

an infrequent one

we are meeting two of my sisters

and their husbands

in Connecticut

for dinner

a show

and playing in the casino

Yeah for a weekend to play!

I'll be seeing you.....

2009-11-11T01:00:00.000-05:00

July 22, 1945

Germany

Dearest,

I am on my way back to camp. I'm almost there . . . . . I've been in (this) place for two days . . . . getting lots of rest and good food.

How are you, darling . . . . And Patty?

As for me, I am in the best of health.

I haven't heard anything about going home but it won't be too long now, I hope.

Write often, darling.

I love you with all my heart.

And hope to see you soon.

Love and Kisses, Bob

PS.
Give Patty a big kiss for me.

I love you, Dot.

Below the body of this short letter is the admonition to:

REPLY BY V-MAIL

They were so young, those WWII warriors.

He was only 24 when he wrote this letter. They were married in 1942 but there wasn't much time for them to be together, to know each other. The war was on; he was married in his uniform.

My father and his two brothers, Norman and Richard, fought the 'good war'. His father, Noe Pierre, was a casualty of WWI and spent most of his adult life in and out of veteran's hospitals suffering the effects of mustard gas. Noe was a staunch advocate for returning soldiers of WWII and worked tirelessly for them when he was able. I have such clear memories of him in the lead automobile heading up the Memorial Day Parade in our Massachusetts town. The military and patriotism were important themes in his household.

During the war years, my mother and I lived with my paternal grandparents. I was the first grandchild and doted on and probably spoiled by my mother, grandparents and youngest uncle, Richard, who was still at home when I was born. I'm told that he would gather me into his arms, take me into his bedroom, prop me on pillows on his bed and tell all about his latest 'girl' and his date for the evening.

I recall a room that functioned as an office for my grandfather with a large desk and world globe. My mother said that he also had a large map of the world over his desk on which he plotted the advance of the allied forces.

He had a bald, shiny head and I loved the way it smelled. I have never smelled that fragrance again.

A tribute to veterans

written and previously published

on an older blog

Images for inspiration

2009-11-09T13:29:00.000-05:00

This is not not just any old barn you see

it is an iconic barn

named "Motif #1"

located on the shore in Rockport

reputed to be one of the scenes most painted by artists

The gate opens

light plays

Cape Porpoise

Open Doors

2009-11-08T08:57:00.002-05:00

This weekend is NH Open Doors. Every where around the state, artists, artisans, small businesses are 'open' and celebrating the diversity of NH. I was invited to participate in the Open Doors project with my friends Susan and Mary Jo (artstream) at open studios in their gallery in Rochester. There were about 30 artists including those represented by the gallery and a bevy of invited guests like myself including:

Miss Hawklette, a spinner/hand-dyer had the most delicious wool and colors. There was a metal smith/fiber artist who created edge-y art jewelry. A rug hooker who did lovely, fun and wonderful rugs, mats and other decorative items. Several fine artists with sketches and paintings. And the sweetest little potter: 10 years old and learning from a master -- owns her own kiln and has a studio in her basement.

Megan Bogonovich , NH ceramacist , who is represented by artstream was there .

Representatives from the NH Poetry Society

were on hand in the afternoon to give poetry readings.

Here's a few images of work that I brought to NH Open Doors
This is "Kitamba" a small beaded and quilted wallhanging

O Radio Days

2009-11-07T07:06:00.003-05:00

The time I am remembering.....

I was a young wife . . . very young by today's standards. . . a stay-at-home mom with two children under the age of three.

We'd just purchased our first home in a tiny village in that little corner of the world where Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts sort-of-meet. A mere 300 souls inhabited that quiet village whose life centered around the village green which included a past-its-prime-country inn, the town hall, a general store, post office and library (only opened on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons).

The house had been occupied by the same family for a quarter century and was always called, "the Anderson house" -- even after the Anderson's were gone and we were paying the mortgage, re-roofing, and gardening there. It was a large house; we had little money and were grateful to relatives who offered furniture from their attics which I stripped, sanded, painted, stained and recovered. And so we created a home with an interesting, if eclectic mix of styles that we loved. Our rooms always brought smiles to the faces of visitors.

Many of our possessions came from the home of a family friend who had lived in the same house all her married life. The home was at the end of a short, narrow lane, a small cottage style house with seven rooms, two large porches front and back, a wonderful grape arbor, pear and apple trees, French lilacs and the tiniest tiniest garage you can imagine. The husband died first; they had no children; the widow became frail and forgetful. The only relative, a New York city cousin arranged for her to live in a nursing home and asked us to house-sit (but that is another story for another day!).

Later when we purchased this house in the little village 50 miles away, they offered the contents of the house to us. That house was packed with the stuff and things of their long life together: Mission and Stickley. Lots of the heavy, ornate oak. The dining room table was claw footed with a matching glass fronted tall chest and buffet typical of the 20s and 30s. Tall, Victorian pressed-back chairs that I fondly called 'vickie chairs'. We accepted their offer.

Among the furniture given to us was a tall floor-model tube radio from the mid-1930s. It was in pristine condition, it's cabinetry was smooth and glistening without a scratch or a dent. The original purchase papers were folded into an envelope and tucked into the back. And, wonder of wonders, it played. And so this radio, along with other treasures from the house moved with us to our new house in the tiny village.

The tall radio stood proudly in our house and was often a topic of conversation ~~~ which was, really, all we ever asked of it.

But one day a friend and neighbor who had moved to the village about the same time as we came by for a visit and coffee. I am certain she had seen the radio before but I doubt she'd ever commented on it. On this day, however, she asked:

Oh! Does it still play all the old radio programs!

Pleasant memories....

redux....

republished

A Wooly Wedding?

2009-11-05T19:52:00.001-05:00

Isn't this great!

The bride wore a wedding gown
made of wool from sheep she raised herself.

This photo ran in the Daily Mail (UK) but I found it surfing the web. Love it!

Memories

2009-11-04T07:58:00.003-05:00

My grandparents lived on the first floor of a neat triple-decker with wide porches and large back garden.

He was Noe Pierre Valois; she was Medora Bond; I think they were a handsome couple. Both were born in central Massachusetts: he in Worcester, she in Holden but they were raised in Leominster and made their home there. Noe's father owned a meat market; Dora's father was a barber.

The Valois family fancied themselves quite 'above' the Bonds: they came to the US directly from France while the Bonds came from Canada. My recollection is that Noe was rather dour; Dora on the other hand was extroverted and fun-loving; she loved people, parties and dancing. She loved to laugh. Noe was disabled from mustard gas in the First World War and lived most of his life in and out of hospitals; he was only 58 when he died. Dora was essentially the wage earner as the government did not provide disability compensation for WWI veteran's until the late 1930s. She lived until mid-way through her eighth decade.

Their house on Spruce Street was in a neighborhood called, "French Hill", one of several villages that dotted Leominster. By the way, the town is not pronounced: Lem-stah as in the English market town that is its namesake. It is not pronounced: Lee-o-min-ster as the uninitiated want to say. No, it is Lem-in-ster.
French Hill was populated by French-Canadians who came seeking work in the comb and shirt factories there. They proved to be hard and steady workers capable of keeping up with 12-hour work days, 6 days a week and able built new lives for themselves and their families.

Their social life, family and work life was centered in neighborhood.
More specifically around the church. My grandparents home on Spruce Street was only a short walk to Mechanic Street where St. Cecilia's church, school, convent and rectory stood. It was also walking distance to Cluet & Peobody on Water Street where my grandmother sewed men's shirts for the Arrow Shirt Company. In this house on Spruce Street, they raised three sons, Robert, my father and Norman and Richard. This was also the house that sheltered my mother and I during the war years. And, they were still in that house in 1954 when my grandfather died.

My memories of their 'parlor' or 'front room' are dim. I don't think I ever sat in there and suppose it was saved for some 'state' occasions but what those might have been eludes me. This room was separated by pocket doors from a sitting room that doubled as an office for my grandfather. Here my memories are more vivid. My grandparents had two "easy" chairs in this sitting room, for reading and watching their floor model TV with its tiny screen. By my grandmother's chair was her crochet bag with the current pattern, yarn and needles. From this barkcloth bag emerged socks, mittens, hats, afgans and scarves with a ferocious regularity. Later, her hands deformed from arthritis, she continued to crochet, saying she could not stop, would not stop crocheting for fear of her hands crippling.

Of paperdolls & losses. On the floor by my grandfather's chair was a mahogany-colored basket. It was always there and held an ever-growing collection of Betsy McCall paperdolls that he meticulouly cut for me from the Sunday paper; I loved him for this and so much more.
I loved Betsy McCall; her pretty clothes and accessories always gave me something new to play with when we visited during the week.

Often I wondered what became of that mahogony-colored basket and my paperdoll collection. I was after all only 10 when he died. But I have no recollection of them after his death.

My grandmother did not stay long in that apartment after his death even tho' it had been her home for nearly a quarter century; perhaps she moved in haste. Perhaps her married sons and daughters-in-law who helped her move to a tiny place were unaware of the real value of those paper dolls......of how precious they were to me.

My grandmother's jewels. I was often invited to spend the night with my grandmother while she lived on Spruce Street. I loved snuggling down in her great and cozy bed. I loved waking to the sound of her slippers - her 'chausettes' - glide across the floor while she moved about the kitchen preparing breakfast. She always gave me hot cocoa and a 'folded-over' toasted marshmallow sandwich---for which there was no equal in my life!

Her jewelry box was filled with costume baubles and a few pieces of 'good' jewelry. It never ceased to beguile me and I would ask if I could 'clean' her jewelry box which was my way of asking for stories. She allowed me to empty the contents of the box and told me stories about who gave her those earings or that bracelet, or on what occasion a certain piece was worn. In that box was a lovely saphire ring that she always said would be mine 'some day'. I don't know where my ring got to........or who has it.

Ice cream cones and cotton candy.
Their house was three or four doors from the corner on which stood Giguere's Drug Store. In my child's eye, it was a large place, semi-dark, deep, cavernous and always cool . It had a very distinctive smell -- clean but pungent with a hint of chemical. A trip to Giguere's Drug with a nickel to spend was a glorious and grown-up event to purchase a vanilla ice cream cone.

My grandmother's little black book was for recording every expenditure: a nickel for this; a few cents for that. She loved ice cream. And she smoked. The little black book kept on shelf over the stove was meant to note each of these innocent purchases. I'm not sure whether I remember this or if it was told to me later but this accounting for such small daily purchases was not a task invented by Medora. No. My grandmother would never have dreamed up such a task for herself. Although she was the main wage earner, she handed over her weekly wages to my grandfather. He made all the decisions about what to spend,how much to save. It was he who demanded she account for every penny. Others have called Noe controlling; I don't know this from personal experience. But I do remember the following story of .......

A 1949 Plymouth of which they were quite proud. They purchased it new for $1300 and it was always kept in pristine cleanliness inside and out. I recall its interior: a 'picky' woolly gray upholstery that was wicked to sit upon on a hot summer's day.

Well, the event I am about to share happened on a particular summer day when my grandfather invited me out for a ride to the nearby amusement park. We were to travel by car, his Plymouth. I remember it so clearly and suspect it was a rare and unusual event as he was unwell most of the time. Perhaps on this day he felt strong and happy and generous. Perhaps he just wanted to offer his first grandchild and only granddaughter a summer treat. Whatever the motivation, when we got to the Park, he offered me a cotton candy.

Cotton candy!

He presented me with the great-gooey-sweetness-on-a-paper-cone.

Ahhhhh. I sat in the back seat planning to savor the sensation of sugar melting on my tongue. What happened next is not clear in details. But I do know that somehow I got cotton candy all over his spotlessly clean picky gray back seat upholstery. Now, I don't recall his words but I do remember his displeasure. His impatience and frustration. Sadly, he probably only had energy for the ride and loved the idea of a treat but was unprepared for the clumsiness of a 6 year old over-excited little girl.

Veteran's Hospitals
My grandfather was not an every-day part of my life. He was wounded in the first world war and spent the remainder of his life disabled from mustard gas and was often in veteran's hospitals for weeks and months at a time. A typical Sunday for my father, mother, grandmother, brother and I was to visit him in whichever Massachusetts VA hospital he was in at the time. The trip usually involved Sunday dinner in a restaurant. My parents tried diligently to make these trips fun for brother and I by planning to stop at historical sites -- Bunker Hill Monument; Old Ironsides; and other important places.

Then he was gone
The phone ringing. A lot of late night activity in the house. My father sitting on the last step of the stairs leading to the second floor of our house on Vine Street. Head in hands, my father is weeping. It's frightening; I've never seen him cry. I learn my grandfather has died. He was only 58 years old.

Amazing to me now as I am 7 years older today than he was when he died. And he seemed so old to me then.

I wasn't allowed to say goodbye; I was "protected" from the rituals of death.
I don't have a clear last memory of him.

Memories...redux......

republished from an old blog....

November just does that.....

Wise women celebrate

2009-11-01T07:27:00.053-05:00

I like spring, but it is too young.

I like summer, but it is too proud.

So I like best of all autumn,

because its tone is mellower,

its colours are richer,

and it is tinged with a little sorrow.

Its golden richness speaks not of the innocence of spring,

nor the power of summer, but of the mellowness

and kindly wisdom of approaching age.

It knows the limitations of life and is content."

Lin Yutang

after the heat of summer,

cool bright autumn

after the passion of youth,

cool, quiet wisdom

november

wise women

celebrate the crone

Watching

the moon

at dawn

solitary,

mid-sky

I knew myself
completely
no
part
left
out

images uploaded by PatStudio from an original altered book entitled,
Singing With A Full Voice, 2006,
celebrating the ages of women

A sense of endings

2009-10-30T19:42:00.000-04:00

"On a smoke gray afternoon

in October,

we sat on the porch,

wrapped in sweaters

against the stiff little wind

out of the east.

Soon it would bring rain;

you could smell it coming,

and there would be a big wind,

because it was born in the east

where all the changes get started.

It would be the end of the lingering,

muted colors

and probably the end of the long sweet fall.

Already we lit the fire earlier,

and came in out of the purpling twilight

ready for heat and drinks and hot food.

But on this afternoon,

the sense of endings was powerful,

and we shivered on the porch longer than we might have otherwise."

Islands

Ann Rivers Siddons

2004

my love is for lightness.....

2009-10-28T08:32:00.000-04:00

I have been younger in October
than in all the months of spring
walnut and may leaves the color
of shoulders at the end of summer
a month that has been to the mountain
and become light there
the long grass lies pointing uphill
even in death for a reason
that none of us knows
and the wren laughs in the early shade now
come again shining glance in your good time
naked air late morning
my love is for lightness
of touch

foot feather
the day is yet one more yellow leaf
and without turning

I kiss the light
by an old well on the last of the month
gathering wild rose hips
in the sun."

W. S. Merwin,

The Love of October

PatStudio: A Celebration of Slowly Made Goods

Life in the slow lane

Not so regular resolutions

We really did have a White Christmas

To ride a horse is to ride the sky.

An Iconic Bed Quilt .... Part Two

We're just back from London!

Trust your choices. Please yourself.

An Iconic Bed Quilt

In Praise of Moodling

What you can do with paper and fabric

. . . Processing . . .

Making Art is Sometimes Messy

Go and Do

Bizarre Bras raises awareness of breast cancer

Twenty Art Bras

Turn turn turn . . .

Loveliness .... June ...... and memories

Memories . . . .

Odiorne Point "Holding Fast"

Imagine A Woman In Love With Herself

SAQA - Studio Art Quilt Associates

Asian-Inspired Concertina Book

The wheels are turning . . . . ideas churning . . . . .

I am so glad to have had this time with you today

Pink. I'm in the pink (with update)

O My..... the more things change....the more they stay the same

Winter Passes Winter Pasttimes

So what have you been doing?

I'm back and I didn't mean to be gone so long......

Teaching at artstream.....

What's Inspiring Me In This Moment?

What's Up .... Pussycat?

Learning and growing ....

The nicest thing: a little story of generosity (WOW)

Janus, Part 2

Janus looking forward

Joy, Sun, Wonder, Creativity......

Walking through the rooms of our lives ....

A woman of wisdom .....

The revolutionary artist

A magic wand.....

A web in a loom?

Open hearts

Hope...peace...love

Home Again

International Art Exchange

It was a strange morning

Like Jazz . . . .

A glass more than half full

A little of this.....and that......

For Gratitude: Take Joy

Warmth within

Grateful with singleness of heart

Sunrise 6:51 A.M. Sunset 4:18 P.M.

Korak on the wall

Korak Under Gold

My Korak

Quilts and The Matriach

More korak, please

A little Korak, please

A little korak? Hmmmmmm

I'll be seeing you.....

Images for inspiration

Open Doors

O Radio Days

A Wooly Wedding?

Memories

Wise women celebrate

A sense of endings

my love is for lightness.....

Sunrise 6:51 A.M.
Sunset 4:18 P.M.