Back from the dead

okay... the almost dead

well... maybe just from the languishing... or from the misplaced!

I am trying to get back to blogging!!!! More for myself than for any blog readers who may still be around to read my blog!

I am hoping that posting will keep me accountable... keep me on track... make sure that I follow through with my intentions, with my projects.....

and to help with that, I have created a "To Do" page with my must start and finish projects. As I work on them, I will post my progress. My plan is to post at least 3 times per week...

Monday: fiber art/textiles

Wednesday: photographs

Friday: mixed media/journaling

Being that it is Monday, it is time to post about my fiber art/textiles work....

Before the holidays, I did a bit of snow dyeing...

for a new project which is now the second in a series that began with this piece originally made for the "balance" challenge with my Tangled Textile blog friends...

Life is a Delicate Balance

(aka Life I)

I found an image on Google under "frustrated", saved it, enlarged it, changed it to black and white, and sketched an outline of the body, adding "my head" to the sketch...

and to date, using my hand painted and hand dyed fabrics, I have created the basic design...

the plan is to call this piece Life II: I Have a Teenager (that topic could probably take a month of posts but I won't bore you with the miserable details!)

The plan now is to hand applique the pieces to the snow dyed fabric background and then, similar to Life I, hand embroider some lettering and embellish with pearl cotton or embroidery floss and perhaps, some beading.

By the way, the photos of this project were taken at my new-to-me studio!!!! Yes, I moved into a studio in the beginning of October at a rehabilitated shirt factory which is home to a community of artisans...

I am sharing the space with two of my fiber art friends.

These first two photos show my area when I was setting up...

because, of course, my area is now completely filled with all kinds of stuff!!!

The Shirt Factory had a couple of weekend open houses and this is a collage of our studio set up for visitors....

I am using my studio space for my fiber art and textile projects, especially all the messy painting, dyeing, stamping, fusing, printing... as well as for all my equally messy mixed media but I will still do most of my sewing with my Bernina in my home sewing room which has been re-organized some since a lot of my supplies have moved out...

Oh! I just spotted another project to add to the list! A bargello that popped into my head one day... luckily, there is no due date on this one!

Stay tuned for more!!!!

Great friends from afar.....

Several years ago, I began following a blog of a group of twelve fiber artists who met online and shared an art journey together.

Eventually, one of its founders, Diane Perrin Hock, offered to help create new groups of those interested in beginning a joint online art journey... and so, I became a member of Tangled Textiles!!

Over these last several years, as a group...

 

we have grown to be friends...

 

we have gotten to know each others' styles....

 

shared our lives ...

enjoyed some laughs ...

shared our sorrows...

 

some of us have met in person...

 

and we have evolved as artists...

 

All of which make for great friends--

even if we are physically distant. 

  Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

-Marcel Proust

...and I am blooming!

Hop on over to our blog to see all of our beautiful art and our latest challenge!

I'm back in the saddle again!

I have actually blogged a few times already this year and it doesn't feel so foreign any more!

Winter in upstate NY never ceases to surprise us...

In the past week, we have had frigid temperatures

mixed in some warmer temperatures and pouring rain...

and a wee bit of snow too!

Today, we saw the sun and it melted more snow!

So I am glad that I did my snow dyeing when I did 

and the results were spectacular, if I say so myself!!!

I am not sure what I will do with these fabrics...

Mr. U would like to frame one of them!

Besides the dyeing,

I managed to complete my week 2 Life Book activity...

hosted by Micki Wilde.

So far, I am keeping up (as one of my big fears is falling behind!)

And finally,

our Tangled Textiles blog group has finished yet another themed challenge!

After months and months of deliberation over the theme "music"

I created this quiltie...

I am thinking that I might add some embellishments in the form of beading

and I started on the "i"

but I will have to pour over my beading books and 

search online for some ideas!!!

YEEEHAW!!!

I am off to play.... giddy-up!

brrrrr-ing in the new year!

Like most of the continent of North America, our little corner of upstate NY encountered some interesting weather in the first week of 2014...

 a foot of snow..frigid temperatures.. warm up and pouring rain,.. and back to frigid weather....

So, I have been hunkering down in my cleaned up studio and creating!!!

I don't create resolutions but after a pretty moody, rollercoaster ride last year, 

I have resolved to let go of those paralyzing feelings and embrace...

(created with my hand dyed fabrics)
Inspired by Victoria.

I also hope to blog more (I miss the blogging world!)

This year, I joined Life Book 2014

and as part of our first day's warm up..

we had a meditation 

in which my word for the year appeared!!!

and then we had a lesson with Tam in which we tried our hands at creating our angel/guardian.

I am doing my work on individual sheets of watercolor paper

and will bind them together at the end of the year.

I haven't finished this week's activity which was facilitated by Micki Wilde but will post it later this week (I hope.)

In the meantime, I am finishing up my latest challenge 

with my online group, Tangled Textiles....

and Janet chose

so I am trying to finish this project by Sunday,
when it is due (after we all agreed on an extension.)

Of course,
I waited until the last minute to begin my piece
and it looks nothing like my original plan!
I tend to get an idea in my head
and I let my brain cells kick around the concept for awhile
(I rarely create a sketch or two)
and usually, the end product is
completely dissimilar from the original plan.
This time is no exception!

I might have a second piece in the works as well,

depending on whether my vision can be translated to fabric.

And whether I just run of time or steam.

Stay warm!!!

Finally done!

Welcome to my cozy studio!!!

I used to call it my sewing room but

I do so much non-sewing supplies in there 

that I have come to call it my studio!!

As you open the French doors,

you can see my sewing nook, 

work station, lounging area and

some of my storage....

Mr. U made me a cutting table many years ago.

It is well loved and used all the time. When not in use,

it often becomes a place to make incredible piles 

of who knows what!

The desk is a later addition.

I now have my laptop there 

for doing my landlord paperwork, etc.

From the desk, you can see some of my knick knacks

on one of the built-in shelves Mr. U constructed, 

as well as some of the art I have displayed

and lots of my mixed media supplies.

and finally....

my floor-to-ceiling built-in shelves, also constructed by Mr. U,

that hold my fabric, mixed media supplies, 

a plethora of books and so much more!

Some of the art on the wall was made by me, 

however, much of the art on the desk side of the studio is

from online swaps and online friends which I covet!

Of course, I could always use more storage space

and more wall space for display

but I am fortunate to have my own studio space!

So... now I am ready to create!

I have a quiltie to make for our Tangled Textiles blog

which is due at the end of January after we decided 

to extend the deadline.

I also enrolled in Life Book 2014

and I am about ready to get started!!!

Now to enjoy my clean and cozy nook!

Yo Amy...

If you have followed my blog (when I actually used to post regularly),

you will know that I have been a gym-goer for many years

and I am there pretty early in the day. 

After some changes to my old gym,

I decided to try out a new place.

I have been going there for over a year....

it has lots of machines 

but unfortunately, no classes 

and no bandanas!!!

What? ... you say.

Well, for a few years, I have been folding up bandanas

 and wearing them on my head
indoors and outdoors to

(1) keep my short hair off my face, 

and 

(2) soak up the sweat on my head

(and even occasionally keeping my ears warm!)

BUT

when I signed in on Saturday,

I was told that the gym rule is ...

no wearing bandanas!!

WHAT?!

I was given no reasonable explanation

but asking around later

apparently, 

there are some connections between gangs and bandana-wearing.

ABSURD!!!

Regulation "head gear" includes baseball caps (like they aren't gang magnets!)
and sweat bands,

so I have started wearing butt ugly, terry sweatbands...

however, 

today, I cut up a 21.5 inch square of some older Amy Butler fabric

finished the edges with two rounds of zigzag stitching 

and voila....

I have a designer sweat catching headband!!!

And if questioned..

I will tell them at the gym 

that I belong to Amy's gang!!! 

Our weapons are rotary cutters

and we are really mean with a sewing machine!!!

And just so you don't think that all I have been creating 

are bandanas  headscarves,

Last week, I revealed my latest quilt for
our blue challenge at 

Tangled Textiles....

"Homage to a Clothing Staple or Yes, Neil, Forever in Blue Jeans"

You can see all 8 of the quilts here

Now if you don't mind
I am gonna go hang out with my homeys (Robert Kaufman, Amy Butler, Moda.....)!

The real crafting wars!

It really is a losing battle!!!! 

 Remember how I cleaned my studio last week?!!! 

 

Well I began to create again... 

or rather bludgeon...

when it got to be too barbaric in my studio....

 I invaded the family room...

and ambushed the table!

(truth be told.... there is a ceiling fan above the table and I can watch trashy tv shows while I create!)

and when that space was overcome...

I assaulted the kitchen!!! 

And if I get really desparate,

there are many other surfaces in our house
that may become victim of my next brutal attack!!! 

In the meantime,

i have launched an invasion over at Tangled Textiles

with my latest creation!

Do you remember this commercial?

 Well....

this is a thread sketched brain in a frying pan...

Why did I make a thread sketched brain?!!!!

Find out over here
because today is reveal day at Tangled Textiles.

I have been known to do weird things!

No drugs needed!