Realization

Months ago I posted the sketch for this.
It is finally tacked together and ready to join the dance.
I am taking my time to compose it all as well as I can.
There is much looking, then stitching, and looking again.
The rythym is like breathing.

Unfinished

I have begun to revisit some unfinished work, pieces started in jude's class a couple of years ago.
Explorations of weave, stitch and dye.
I prefer the look of hand stitching with the shibori so finishing these is taking some time.
Thickets are a theme in this one
Slowly tracing bare branches
I'm giving it a few stitches each day as the trees outside fill with leaves.

Expanding Focus

 Begining close up

Pulling back, seeing more

 Finding larger shapes

 Looking outward again

Planning

A sketch,
thinking the story through
I've almost finished stablizing the back
Its large
56" by 44"
and it may get larger before its done

Some things persist even as I release others. The wall is still full of birds and moons

 The shibori nest is growing a thicket to support it

Pieces of a night sky are slowly knittting together.
And stones are gathered in the corners of the room waiting with patience

Release

dusty and funny smelling

Life is disrupted, the house is under upgrade/construction
(repeat as much as necessary "it will all be worth it, it will all be worth it ...")
First we painted the Living room; then the contractor began the finish work on the cellar (this continues); next the heat quit taking out our hot water on Thanksgiving during Brians visit from NB; then the dogs both got sick and had to see the vet/rounds of medications; the dishwasher broke (whatever); and now the heater has broken again. I am presently cold and dirty and the boy is having a nervous breakdown because strangers are entering the house 5 days a week.

on alert

Getting the cellar done meant relocating all of my supplies, inventory, and old portfolios as well as everything else down there out and into the garage. Here is a picture of my dye studio at present

uncondusive to dyeing, or anything else

Its that old crisis-opportunity deal.
the word of the year has been chosen.
Release.
I have too much stuff I'm hanging onto
A whole inventory of shop stuff, the unresolved stuff, a whole past of stuff

30+ years

These portfolios are heavy, they weigh on my heart.
30+ years of classes and artwork that I don't really know what to do with or what it was for.
I do know that it adds up into me as I am now
I would like the space to begin moving forward unimpeaded by old unresolved questions so I can explore some new unresolved questions.

still thinking of nests

It will take some time to process and to release it all.
I've done this process before up to a point this time I'd like to go deeper.

Homemaking

My attraction to nests is ongoing.

A small shibori nest, stitched last spring...? Perhaps earlier than that.
The fabric is from my first karate ghi, a really strong cotton twill.
I will tack it down when it is dry, no ironing, I like the shape of it.