Snow Day Coming!

So, the forecast calls for a 2-day, "20 year" snow event.  We are due for 13-19 inches in our area, 9 miles northeast of Flagstaff.  The Storm Warning says travel will be very difficult to impossible.  So I changed our grocery store day from Friday to today to make sure we don't run out of supplies, and now we have absolutely no need to leave the property!  I will be out shoveling periodically (have to be able to refill the bird feeders!), but otherwise, my plan is to spend time on my fabric collages... yaay!  I have 3 foundations in progress.... two ready for hand stitching, one ready for decorative
machine stitching, something I have wanted to try for a long time!
Here is a quick sampler I made up to test the stitch variations:

I have had my sewing machine for 11 years, and other than the zigzag stitch and a few brief

experiments, I have never used the decorative stitches!  Time to spread my wings, right!

Here is the collage I plan to machine stitch:

And I am trying Mistyfuse for the first time - I usually use Wonder Under to fuse fabrics.  Mistyfuse reminds me a little of spider webs... clingy and a little sticky, but I hear it is fabulous to sew with, so I will see how I like it.

I have pulled together a collection of threads to try, so I'm all set for the storm.

And here is one of the other foundations I have combined for hand stitching:

It seemed to take a very long time for me to find just the right combination of fabrics for

this, but a) I have a ton of fabric scraps to choose from, and b) I couldn't just throw together

any old fabrics... they have to play well together!  

Lastly, this is a work in progress - I have stitched down the oak leaf and done some other hand stitching since I took this picture, but it still needs more work.  

I had originally planned to attach a real oak leaf from one of our Gambel Oaks, but decided instead

to use it to create a pattern.  I used some hand dyed cotton twill to make the leaf, then used variegated quilt thread to create the details.  

I think these projects should keep me occupied over the next few days and beyond.  If I really get tired of stitching, there's always housework, but who am I kidding?!  Snow Day =  Sew Day, right?

😄

More stitch meditations

This has become my new obsession, and a lovely way to get back into doing hand stitching.  I spend time each day adding stitches and perhaps some embellishments to 4 inch squares of fabric:

I'm enjoying the process, and it is very calming to an overactive mind!  

But being who I am, I started wondering what I could do with these little squares... other than have them pile up and clutter an already insanely chaotic studio:

So here are a few groupings of the meditations:

I also trimmed one down and mounted it on a 4 inch canvas:

I'm sure there are other ways to use these, and will continue to mull that over... just not

while I'm stitching.  I am really enjoying the time I spend on these!  Plenty of time to hatch new

ways to use them... later!

More explorations

One of the things on my "Try this" list has been silk fiber vessels... something I have seen on Pinterest which really intrigued me.  So I finally gave it a try recently, using a square of hand dyed silk draped around a glass vase:

I put an LED tea light inside, and have since bought some votives which are a little larger.  Makes a nice glow, and the vase can also be used for floral displays.  Here's another one I made, using a fish-bowl shape:

The one below combined hand dyed silk with various fibers, and I removed the glass bowl after the vessel was dry.

I have ideas for more of these, and may even try making some with silk fibers, instead of the silk fabric.  

On another note, I recently saw a video by Liz Kettle, artist, on 15 minute stitch meditations and it caught my fancy.  The idea is to just stitch, with no outcome in mind, to just relax and enjoy the process.  I have done a few 4" x 4" squares so far, using scraps of fabric and various threads... I love making these!

I have wanted to get back into doing hand work for quite awhile, and just never seemed to be able to transition into it... kind of like a block.  Now I have a daily exercise to get me to put needle to thread and play, and it's helping me find my voice again, stitch-wise!

On the gallery front, sales have been brisk this month... the hot pads and mug rugs have all sold, most of my Pine Cone ornaments are gone and several bowls are going to new homes, along with some shirts & tops.  I have 2 more shifts at the gallery for the year, then the slow-down period will be here and I plan to bring my stitch meditation squares with me to while away the hours in the next month or so.

Happy Holidays to all, and hope you find time to feed your creative muse during the winter days ahead!

I've been busy!

Nothing new there, but I have had lots to do this past month, and I feel like I'm breaking new ground for me again! 
Of course, there's been the push to make items for the gallery... holiday shoppers have been making the rounds ever since Black Friday, and items are being scooped up, leaving gaps in my inventory to fill.

     

  

In addition to creating more inventory, I have been starting to learn wet felting techniques.  I have found some tutorials on line, but also signed up for an on-line course from UK fiber artist Jackie Cardy, who makes fabulous wet felted work, and has created a 12 lesson course that is very informative and easy to follow.  In addition to wet felting techniques, she demonstrates how she uses machine embroidery and hand embroidery to create her beautiful work...  here's an example of her lovely work:

Isn't this amazing?

I'm in the process of working on a small wet felted piece that has been machine embroidered, and is now in the process of being hand embroidered.  I'm sure at some point, I will be adding some beads, but for now I'm working to highlight areas with hand stitching, something that has been on my list of things to get back into:

While I have been following her course, I have also been trying my hand at wet felted vessels, something I really want to learn.  I won't show the first 2 attempts... totally learning pieces, but the third one came out pretty nice:

It's pretty small, only about 3 1/2" high by 5" wide, but it is a good start, I think.  Again, I found a great tutorial by a gal at Living Felt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm6qmoxSgis&t=906s.  It's actually a 2-part video, well worth the view for anyone wanting to learn how to make these.

And that's been what has been keeping me busy this past month!  

Holiday gift items

I've been busy of late, beefing up my Holiday gift items for the gallery.  Here are some recent items that will be in the gallery soon:

Pine Cone Ornaments

Devore Cutout silk/rayon scarves

Coiled fabric hot pads

Mug Rugs, back by popular demand

Fringed silk/rayon cut velvet scarves

If you are in the Flagstaff area, I hope you will stop by the Arts Connection Gallery at Flagstaff Mall and make us your "go to" place for holiday shopping!  If you are out of the area and interested in my work, please contact me via e-mail (see my profile).  

October Show and Tell

This has been a busy month for me!  I am working to build up my inventory for Holiday shopping.

Silk Scarves

Trivets in 3 sizes

I also taught my first Lids, Handles and Embellishments bowl class on the 13th.

I had 5 lovely gals in class, and they took off running with these new techniques!

And I have continued to add items to my Artfire Store, for those who are not in the Flagstaff Area.

Weather-wise, we had our first snowfall of the season:

I stayed home and thoroughly enjoyed watching it come down... love the changing seasons!

Last week, my friend Cinde and I took a day trip through Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona and ended up in Jerome, a quaint art colony located in an old mining town.  I didn't get shots of the town, but did get a shot of the San Francisco Peaks in the distance:

So with just a couple of weeks until the Holiday Expo show November 3, I'm busy working on what I will bring to sell.  The show will be at the Flagstaff Mall from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and there will be a number of Artists' Coalition of Flagstaff Artists there to show and sell their work.  If you are in the area, I hope you will stop by!

Welcome to Autumn!

I love all the seasons, but have a special place in my heart for Autumn.  Some of my favorite early memories are of me helping my mom decorate for Halloween, and loving the autumn leaves as they turned glorious yellows, oranges and reds before falling from the trees.  Over the years, autumn leaves have been a recurring theme in my work, and this year is no different.  recently, I custom dyed an Autumn Leaves batik shirt for a dear friend:

And as I have done in past years, I decorated a couple of my coiled fabric bowls with fabric autumn leaves:

I actually made up a number of leaves before making the bowl and lid above, so I have lots left over for other projects!

Several years ago, I did a couple of Autumn Leaves batik art quilts, and still have one hanging in my office:

I made a few coiled bowls that I plastered and painted, with Autumn leaves themes:

And a few years back, I made some framed Autumn Leaves pieces:

Now I'm looking at ideas on pinterest for other ways to use autumn leaves in my work... obsessed?  Maybe!  But they have been a strong influence on my work for many years now, and will probably continue to crop up in my art.  Can't beat Nature for inspiration!