Playing the Field

    This past month I have jumped from one activity to another.I will count or list backwards. Last night Joe wanted a "business" card. I had seen an ad on Facebook for 500 cards, $9 or so, from Vista Print that makes handsome cards for artists. I had fun putting one together for Joe and then decided to have a professional one for my mini traveling art show... not for selling but to send people to my website or blog. I decided to make my card two-sided with info on the front and a bigger painting filling the other side. I chose a stiffer paper and a few other amenities that made the purchase add up to three time$ as much. The trick is to stay at the site for a couple of hours and click on all the graphic buttons and explore and explore some more for variation and possibility. Lots of fun!

     I attended a Winter Workshop for Quilters' Connection and learned about Boro stitching, the old traditional Japanese method of slow stitching and repair. I decided to practice these stitches doing Sashiko which I have enjoyed sewing in the car on trips to NYC. For Boro stitching one might take a piece of fabric and pin a variety of little fabrics to it and stitch away freely, collaging in different colors, wild and free without a machine..Carol Ann Grotrian was the teacher and has samples at her site. I got sharper needles with a wide gold hole for thread, and at PurlSoho in NYC some more Sashiko navy patterned fabrics/white thread to work in the car home.Here is Sharon's:

      At the workshop I learned another way to make fabric postcards which are a delight to receive and send.In the afternoon I got further instruction on Instagram from Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, tv personality and craft powerhouse. I have three accounts on Instagram and still learned from her. The important thing is to participate regularly on Instagram to remember all! My granddaughters are obsessed with Instagram, their brother says, so I am motivated and it is a good place to display art...in my case, quick urban sketches.I love versatile, friendly, talented quilters.

     Joe and I were off in NYC when kids were in Egypt and stopped at The Compleat Sculptor to get a few more  tools for wax and clay. We attended the Neue Gallery's The Self-Portrait, from Schiele to Beckmann, opening day. I loved seeing some of my  favorite paintings from private collections, before viewed only in books.I found that Lovis Corinth painted himself on July 21 every birthday. Since my big one is July 20, I hope to follow that tradition. I want to do more ink, charcoal and block prints inspired by that show.I better get busy rather than typing!

Kantha has me IN STITCHES...all unfinished

    Simplify is my temporary mantra! In the car on trips or errands, I love to hand-stitch while Joe drives ~ from improvisation to Sashiko (see my April 22, 2012 post). Friend Donna Jean spent time at Quilting on the Lake and returned with ideas on Kantha stitchery from South Asia and Black Embroidery of Elizabethan times. I had to try my hand. When I could not do a stitch, I tried another. You could draw with white pencil, but inventing was more fun. I felt creative! Everyone feels they can do Kantha. Up and down with a needle and thread. I sew with two fabrics together.

    From pockets to pocket books! What to keep my needle, thread and scissors in on a trip for easy access? I happened on Abigail Adams' pockets at the RISD Museum in Rhode Island. I took this photo and sketched a similar pattern about 14" long. These pockets were worn inside and outside skirts. I don't have to unzip  or unsnap anything, and the pocket holds my tools and fabric as I run out the door, am in the car or at a meeting. I used an upholstery remnant, crewel needle and #5 or #8 thread. I am regularly amazed these days that what excites me is of little interest to others; but I wanted to share. At least Hannah (10) wanted the floral effort, and Erika (8) started on skeletons.

     While in NYC last week, we saw the fabulous Matisse Cut-out show. I had, just before leaving, spontaneously cut out fabric for a Boston slice quilt (that is as far as I got)...now what to do? Fix the goose's head for one. I just read in my novel about "coincidence's being a messenger of truth." And again...in NJ we saw Yvonne Well's contemporary narrative quilt cut-outs at the Montclair Art Museum, a magnetic board of fabrics for children/adults to make and quilt and Rayna Gillman. That is half the story, a wonderful experience. I am not mentioning Shiele portraits, The Boys in the Boat, the New Haven museums, Roz Chast in Greenwich, CT. Click on photos to enlarge.

   

Yvonne Wells'

Grandchildren motivate one to craft

      Hannah and I recently visited The City Quilter where she got involved with My New Sewing Book edited by Susan Akass and I bought Journey to Inspired Art Quilting by Jean Wells and Connecting Design to Stitch by Sandra Meech. To observe her interest to read to gather what she needed for her projects made this one of the happiest days of my life. But she was off to camp so we brought the other two grandchildren home here to Camp Hicks.

(Click on the photos to enlarge)

       Erika and David hit my studio coloring. In fact, Erika, after letting me draw her, wanted to draw me and her brother with a charcoal pencil. He accidentally turned into a monster, she said.

        In no time at all, I was pulling out all the projects I had played with 40 years ago or had never opened. The best projects were the Fancy Nancy quilt and pillow Erika designed; the Sculpey III, a polymer clay that stays soft until you cook it in the oven; and the wire jewelry created with telephone wire. I had an old pasta rolling machine that made the clay malleable and both children loved passing the clay through the rollers. Erika made several necklaces out of the recycled telephone wire which she wrapped around popcycle sticks and round dowels. She put the beads onto another wire and shaped the ends into hook and eyes to make necklaces.  Although we both worked on beads with the Sculpey III while David cut out the clay with cookie cutters, Erika wanted to make pinch pots and baskets. We had so much fun.

      Today their mother and father picked them up and Erika left with a Sashiko coaster project in hand to sew on the road, just as LinLin did on drive bringing her to visit!

       We had a few failures: the plaster animals that never dried in the rubber latex molds so we could paint them. However, I am so glad to finally have had an excuse and the time to make the polymer clay beads. I would never have gotten to them if not for the children. Ceramic mosaics are next! I also loved introducing Erika to the notion that you can learn a lot studying instructional photos...not just reading the instructions. She starts first grade in September.



     

Stitching on the road: a Sashiko in color

    When Joe and I drove four hours away to see the grandchildren in ballet recitals, I put on a British mystery CD for us to listen to and I stitched away while Joe drove through the heavy rain. Ellen had showed me her pattern for a multi-colored Sashiko piece and how to braid Sashiko embroidery thread to make it easy to pull out a single color to work with. Debbie said Erika Wilson also taught about braiding the thread.

(Click to enlarge the photos)





     This piece is about 12" x 12." It is fun to have something one can finish. I bought a quarter yard of several deep colors from green to red and purple to create some Sashiko coasters or little sachet bags using  plain white or off-white Sashiko embroidery thread...a modest task only for the road. I got this idea at The City Quilter!

     I also found this fine panel to make something for the children. Maybe I could add batting and a backing and the girls could do their own hand quilting if they felt comfortable doing so.  I came to the conclusion on this trip, that I should make up some SMALL projects ahead of time for them to play with. Usually they want to create something enormous like a quilt from scratch for brother David;  and that is not realistic. Hannah says she is ready to deal with her Hello Kitty Janome sewing machine. 

Craft for the Car: Sashiko coasters

     Sashiko is meditative. Sashiko is satisfying. Like quilting, it puzzles my family and friends why I do it. Maybe I wanted something I thought the granddaughters could sew easily. Perhaps friends who want to craft, but say they cannot, could enjoy this. I do hope I develop good muscle memory to one day hand-quilt,  rather than machine stitch, a quilt. I always start with the most complicated patterns because they are more interesting to have, should I quit. I will pad, back and stitch these to the proper size for coasters, but they were so easy to handle while Joe drove the car.

      Sashiko kits are available online. I got mine at the New England Quilt Museum and the City Quilter. I bought the thread and needles, and that is all one needs. The blue fabric is marked with stitching guides that wash out. I kept poking myself as I loaded many stitches onto my needle so I bought some stick-on thimbles. After wearing one, I found I never stuck myself again. I find it easy to pull the thread through, but people also use wider rubber bands or finger protectors from the drug store to pull the loaded needles through the fabric. 

         

     When I first got interested in Sashiko, I bought books and tools to print my own designs on navy fabric. Ellen showed me the beauty of the colored threads and how to start and end without knots. There are preferred paths to follow when stitching, but it is not imperative. 

      

      I picked up 12" x 12" pillow forms at JoAnn's half price last week. Needle-pointing coasters and knitting are great travel crafts, but Sashiko coasters are a new one for me. Click to enlarge the photos to see mistakes that happen when you hit potholes or before one learns all the rules! In all honesty, I take out my stitches a lot so it may not be so easy for children. I believe perfection doesn't happen for me, even in easy tasks.

Atara's Art: a colorful life

     At a meeting of the Studio Art Quilt Association ( SAQA) at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Ma., I was intriqued and moved by Atara Halpern's work, so much so that I phoned her in a neighboring town to see when I could look at it again.

Click to enlarge all photos!

    In no time at all, this generous soul who did not know me had provided a delightful lunch and invited me into her quilting bee where I met other clever people from a neighboring guild.

      Surprise is important for fun and Atara delivers when we meet. Mid-December she laid out her hand-stitched colorful place mats which have metallic free machine stitching for the quilting. She embellished them with the colorful lunch for the bee. Hand stitching, as in these place mats, is fun to have to work on when traveling.

      Atara showed us the first quilt she made, combined in parts, for her bedroom seven years ago. She made more quilts.  The Secret Garden below is one of many shared in a quilt show. She is now working on another Secret Garden.  Since I have been doing some sashiko, I was interested in this other quilt she "saved" from a too loose fabric by close straight hand stitching.

        Apologies for only a few snapshots of all the many interesting, moving works Atara has created. I had to twist her arm to get these. I will be so glad when she has a website so others can see her portfolio of fine hand work...such as the Gardens of Cambridge and other quilts with links to literature. Of course, you really need to see them in person...the buildup of grass and trees, rock and bark, for surface excitement and feel the hours of thought that have gone into the densely hand-stitched creations.

The Secret Garden

Sneak Preview with Shorts

      Ann encouraged me to join a Round Robin quilt group. (This posting is a secret since the work is not to be seen before reveal day. However, everyone is busy. My RR group does not know about my blog,  and I want a blog/record.) I am a novice quilter and have never made a big quilt. I met with the group, presented my medallion to be set on point, and took home Evelyn's. She had paper pieced a detailed compass and provided fabrics. For the first round, we were given intricate (to me) mathematical formulas to use to set the corner triangles. Not wanting to ruin quilting for myself by following formulas, I set out as I do with journal quilts:  I cut and paste to see what develops.

     I got out my trusty Shape Cut Plus and rotary cutter to slice up some strips of fabric. This ruler helps to cut strips fast and straight. The problem comes trying to size and to fit the finished triangle. I did not do a perfect job at all, but I tried.

      We are supposed to have fun and take chances. I will pass my work on to Rosemary and receive a medallion with corners from Evelyn for the next round. On Rotation two, we are to add a pieced border 2 inches to 6 inches wide. We may use squares or rectangles. We are to border all four sides and add a framing piece around the outer edge of our completed work. Egads. I may need instruction.

        After each stage we take photos, but somehow the owner (who will keep the quilt begun with her medallion) won't see any work on her quilt until all rounds are complete on Reveal Day.

      I am eager to get back to Sashiko which I so enjoyed Thanksgiving evenings. It is meditative and fun for grandchildren. The straight stitches are something young children can do to also have a product (pillow, coasters). It can prepare me for hand quilting and moderation :*) I have put some projects in stockings. Although I have posted on Sashiko before, you must visit Ellen Katz's blog "File Under Fiber" for a solid introduction.

Hannah's 7th: a quilted card

    Hannah turned seven and celebrated with friends at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.  After creating a birthday banner, the group broke into two groups and the princesses sashayed off to look at four entirely different areas of the MFA which touched on royalty, returning after the tour, questions and answers to make copper pendants, have story time and dessert. Guests left with big 3D plaster royal cupcakes and paint palette in a bag. Some parents chaperoned and enjoyed the museum afterwards.The interns were fabulous and the project age appropriate. I was staggered by the new museum.

Hannah is seven and a sewer (click to enlarge)

    If I remember, I try to make the girls a journal quilt for their birthday. This was a close call. I am making challenge quilts involving Alice and Wonderland, and Hannah has that long blond hair. I fused "her," cut out the figure, and took her to my stash. The two background fabrics fell into my lap. I lightly quilted all, placing a bright erratic pink polka dot on the back after the batting. I free motion wrote, "Hannah is seven and a sewer."

     Hannah is proud of the sewing she has learned this year, embroidery and Sashiko. She wants to make a quilt. Alas, she is moving.Whereas I was going to make "her" with wings, carrying my heart, I sewed the heart onto the pocket here and we drove it by to her tonight with CDs of her birthday party to enjoy and send to her other grandmother.  I also included a CD of her making the origami bird available at YouTube. For her birthday I gave her A Book of Artageous Projects by Klutz in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art that I bought locally.

    

Sashiko: another portable craft!

    Portable crafts like bead crochet excite me. I always want a craft or a book in my purse. I just discovered another easily portable craft, Sashiko. It is "Zen" for sewers.
    Sashiko is a form of Japanese needlework with a fascinating history, which evolved, I have read, from patching fisherman's clothes long ago. Today these decorative running stitches are seen mostly in quilting and embroidery, a white thread on an indigo or navy loosely woven hopsack. I bought some red thread, special long needles with an eye big enough to handle the floss, and a fabric with a pattern already applied. Google the many images you can see or design for yourself. Many have a history.

     Fundo (counterweights) is a design developed during the Edo period drawn from the idea of market balance scales.  I bought my materials at the New England Quilt Museum. Then I picked up Mary Parker's book from the library to learn more of the history of the many patterns. My fabric had the pattern printed on it with enough backing for a pillow. I hope to put my hand on the sampler for coasters and stitch up this pillow. The Purl Bee has a tutorial.  I will definitely do more.
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