new embroidery and projects

page 26.

books. I can't seem to have enough of them...some unread, some littered with bookmarks and pageholders for places I have been or want to return. Sometimes I just walk into the room where most of my books live and stare at the shelves in wonder. Topics that span the gamut staring back at me. I have never been one to choose one thing to do and stick with it, and my book collection is a great indicator of how my brain works. One Sunday morning I decided to take a moment with each of my books - even if just to open it and put it back on the shelf. Pay some attention to the neglected paper, ink and information taking up space in my house. I started to scan one page of each book - I chose page 26 - some books don't have a page 26 - so in that case it was 16. This number was completely random. After he woke up and I informed him of my latest determined task, Daniel suggested I do the first or last page, but I was already too far gone. 

As the afternoon approached, and I had finished my morning coffee, I stopped scanning - at 79 to be exact. The second shelf of 5 and more in the other room. I will finish, and when I do these pages will become something. 

a place for everything

new and improved workspace. 

 

showers of inspiration

I know a few people with new babies on the way...inspiring baby related creations. 

Random Sewing Projects

I have this list of random sewing projects that I need to do....today I crossed two off the list.
First - a case for my iphone. I can't find one that isn't leather or ugly or some bondage looking sleeve that has a flip top so I can "expose the screen". No thanks, I am not into accessorizing like that. I even bought a plastic cover for the back, and it hurt my ear. Bad design, it landed right over the cartilage part of the ear...ouch. So, I prefer the invisi-sheild (weird space age material that won't scratch - supposedly the military uses it on helicopter blades - I don't know about that, but it is pretty strong) and my grey wool felt and embroidery sleeve.
The inside is lined with this funky velour type fabric, which I wouldn't use if I was making one for anyone else because it is sort of fuzzy and makes the phone a bit linty when it is slipped out of the sleeve. But I still love it. The embroidery started out inspired by my living room rug and the crystal trees in the front yard - covered in ice for days.
Then it turned into something that makes me think of neurons. Anyway, here it is:




to see more pics of the iphone sleeve, visit my flickr site

Then I was on a roll..so I finally, after a long time needing to do it, I made an elastic bracelet for my pin cushion. I have had this pin cushion since I was about 10...or old enough to have pins of my own. Some of the pins are from way back when. I never use them because they are the straight kind without balls on the end, but the stay there stuck in my favorite pin cushion. I used to have a thing for snoopy...
Sometimes the pins poke through the back, so that will be something I have to look out for, but wearing the pin cushion on your wrist when working on clothing is so helpful -- it makes everything easier. 

Making things together

Nothing beats working in a studio. There is one thing that they do not teach you in art school, how to work without seven other people around drilling, hammering, talking, playing music, fighting, laughing....creating things with you. This is the reason I continue to go back to school - my last group, the class of Feb '05 from Vermont College of Fine Arts, remains in touch, through the magic of the internet -we even collaborated on an online exhibition with the theme of connections.
And, this is the reason I love my job - each day my students are creating art together which makes me happy.

Team Etsy - Philly

The nice people on etsy team philly added my soaring owl pillow to a treasury!

TEAM TREASURY!

please check it out.

why not?

I think I spend too much time thinking about why not to make things I think about making...or why not to pursue some crazy idea and why that idea will not amount to anything. Like this skirt for instance....if I make it, who will wear it? I certainly won't, it isn't something I would wear, but I really want to make it. I think it is amazing and beautiful and I love circle skirts, they aren't really made for someone with my body type though. But there is someone who it will look awesome on, that that is the reason to make it.
Speaking of this sort of thing, I made altered this skirt some time ago:



It is a two panel skirt that I got to wear to a wedding a long time ago -- it didn't look that great then, but I still loved it because of it's silver fabric...anyway, I held onto it for a while then decided to applique this 60's satin fabric to the surface.
I love it and need to sell it or give it away to someone who will wear it.

thankful for digestion.

Here are some yoga tips for post-thanksgiving tummy aches and a gratitude meditation from Yoga Journal.

fashion illustrations