Making Waves

I liked the way the fabric looks as it is being fed into the machine... more tomorrow, I'm still playing catch up after the 3 day craft fair this past weekend.

Tucking in

Have started another experiment using the tucking/pleating I used on the screen, but in a more organized way.

I won't be getting too far with it tonight but I marked off intervals on the radiating pleat lines on one of the discharge/burn/overdye experiments from last month...

I will try to get it stitched tomorrow night, too tired tonight, will be tucking myself in soon.

Observations from a craft fair

Yup I'm still wrapping rocks.

It was kind of amusing to bring them with me to a craft fair I did a couple of weekends ago. I find it gives me a sort of instant insight into people.

the first question is "what are you making?" "I'm wrapping rocks with thread"

then the question changes to "why?" "cause it looks neat... see?"

At this point people would either slowly move away from me figuring it was some sort of therapy

(possibly correct)

or they would move closer and take a look at it and engage.

Some wanted to turn it into something more "those could be used as jewelry"

and a very few were interested in the small objects just as they were, discussing the idea of an object being imbued with a spirit of its own.

Honestly I don't know why I am wrapping rocks with thread. I am just playing and it is fun.

good enough for me.

(I am taking them with me to the next couple of craft fairs though!)

Finished Screen

Sewed the panels onto the frame Friday night and put the screen back together on Saturday morning. So happy I was able to get some photos of the finished screen in daylight.

It is now residing in our bedroom.

I'm really interested in the manipulation of the shibori by way of tucking the fabric. I like the solution because it keeps the shibori intact. Usually I'm not too precious about the fabrics I make but in this case I just didn't want to lose any of the flow of the pattern.

(In case you haven't seen the development of it check here, here and here for more)

I have another piece of the discharged fabric that seems to suggest itself for another of this kind of experiment.

I've been having some difficulty getting into the blogging flow lately.

I'm torn between reestablishing my daily blogging schedule and up leveling the quality of the blog itself.

On the one hand I like the discipline that daily blogging reinforces, however the other hand is that many of the daily posts are sort of lame. Ideally I would like all of my posts to have some quality to them.

I am waffling back and forth as I try to sort it out.

The Shape of Things

Noticed more of the Japanese maple leaves today as I was walking. They have begun to dry and contract in upon themselves to form complex shapes.
Legs and arms to lift themselves off of the ground and skitter about on.
As the autumn season progresses and the colors fade the shapes and forms of things start to catch the attention. The bones of the world come clearer into view.

Its a different view

Less flamboyant in color

With a drama all its own...

Stuff I've Found

I've been collecting odds and ends my whole life. As an adult I've sort of censored the impulse after all its not very "grown up" to drag home bits and pieces. I've been easing off of that policy lately and so if it is fascinating and vermin free and unlikely to smell bad I collect it and keep it around.
Some recent finds...
Crimson Japanese maple leaves, the last beauties of the season. These will join others that I have been pressing for some special folks in the Southwest who don't get to see quite the same fall colors as we enjoy around these parts.

Paper wasp nest (uninhabited thankfully!)
I Love the quiet rhythm of the cells and the play of light over it reminds me of shibori.

Insect carved twigs
They really look like mysterious runic writing, beetle tales.

One perfect dot

This one is for jude! I have been following her dotted line for months....

and I'm so excited that she will be putting out a book!

Turning the clocks back means that most of my free time is in the dark now, except for weekends. I don't mind too much. I make a habit of getting outside during the day when I'm at work to take the dog for walks (she comes to work with us ever since her illness last Febuary). I think that those little sips of daylight make all the difference in the world to my mood.

I would like to be able to take well lit photos in the daylight but lets face it I don't manage that very well in the summer either...

a little frustrating.

I have begun the refinishing of the folding screen and I'm planning to finish the project this weekend (fingers crossed on that). I caught this little sliver of sun on it in the morning as I was leaving the house.

Balance

Thinking about balance lately, about how to define myself without losing anything of importance
Lanie's post regarding being a maker touched on a subject that has been in the forefront of my mind lately... what am I?
Declaring myself an artist seems over the top somehow.
I don't seem to stick to themes long enough to be one.
Being an artisan seems to be beyond my levels of technical skill.
I have to admit I am lackadaisical when it comes to selling and developing product so "crafter/retailer" seems to be a bad fit.
Yet I think that "hobbiest" implies a casualness that is not a part of me.
Perhaps the name isn't that important, and now is not the time to settle deeply into one single thing.
Perhaps its about developing balance and learning to trust my heart in these choices.
This may take awhile.

Twists and Turns

Needed a little me time today.
Began a new set of rocks.

Tried some new colors

Exploring color and contrast

Open spaces

Technical challenges

Wrapping itself

Ways to explore balance

Balance of it all