Stitch Journeys

This video has been in the works for a few months. It is a bit long but I hope you will be inspired to create your own Stitch Meditation practice. 

You can find the ones I have available for sale in the online store here or you can see them as I post them and claim it right away! 

It is always weird when something one does so naturally is sought after by others or when you find out that friends, especially close friends don’t do what you find such a basic part of your day. It makes you feel a bit like a freak! 

I have recently realized that I naturally do the ‘check-in’ on a consistent daily basis in one form or another and that many other people rarely do the 'check-in'. This boggles my mind! 

I thought everyone did regular check-ins.

The realization came to me as two more people asked me to help them do the ‘check-in’ in their studio space to help them be more orgnaized, professional and creative. Conversations with friends made me realize they don’t check in with their bodies or their spaces either.

You may be asking what is a 'check-in'?

A check-in is simply that…taking time to check in with why something is working, isn’t working or could be improved. I guess it could be a form of mindfullness. Maybe it is just an awareness.

When I walk into my studio, my office, my house, the Thread Lab, and even Cottonwood Center for the Arts I do a quick mental check-in to see if things are working well or if there is an annoyance that can be improved. What has been undone for so long that I no longer see it? 

I started this when I was managing a Pier 1 store way back in the day. It takes a bit of mindfulness to remember to do this and to be able to look at a space you enter every day with fresh eyes.

As an artist it is an excellent skill to cultivate!

Sometimes it means taking a look at why I am not doing something I want to do. Recently, I realized that I was spending less time with my stitch meditations. I checked-in and saw that the space wasn’t working for the inward focused task. You can see that quite clearly…

What a mess...there is stuff everywhere. Piles on all the windowsills, on the plant stand, and on the floor. Where did I put those scissors?

Fabrics and cool bits are all jumbled in a basket getting all smooshed and wrinkled, threads are everywhere! 

I did a little reorganization and now the space is welcoming and makes me want to sit and stitch.

All the fabrics are sorted by size-no longer a wrinkled mess, papers and cool bits are in a separate bin, I can even find my base flannel pieces! All the threads are on the top shelp with my scissors.

I do the same check-in with my body every day. What feels good, what feels less than great, am I tired, achy, how is my energy level? I don’t stop there though. I question why. Did I eat right today? Did I exercise enough? Did I get enough sleep?  Maybe this is because I was so sick for so long and it is partly by asking these questions daily that I was able to figure out what foods make me sick and which ones don’t.

I do the same thing with my emotional state….how do I feel? Am I on top of things or feeling overwhelmed? Why might I feel that way and what thoughts do I need to look at changing in order to get back to happy?

Check-ins are a huge part of self-care whether we are talking about your space or your health.

Have you done a check in lately? The winter solstice is a great day to schedule a check-in!

My check-in today is telling me I need to clean out my email in-box. :-) 

I have a gift for you to help increase your mindfulness and gratitude practices in 2016. 30 days of Gratitude texts from the gratitude coach, Terza Ekholm. 

You know those class videos you watch where the teacher has a droning voice and you can barely pay attention? And the other ones you bought that are simply a waste of valuable time because there isn’t any real meat?

Thermofax 101: Screen Printing Made Easy with Lyric Kinard is NOT one of those!

Lyric is cheerful and fun in her video and she makes you feel like you are there with her rather than watching a video. She is also willing to let you see her mistakes and shares how she could ‘fix’ them.

Thermofax 101 contains all the important information that you need to be successful in Thermofax screen printing and has some great extras such as other materials to use instead of paint, how to design your own screens and more.

Of course, you know…I love her section on creating an idea sampler book to use as a record of experiments and ideas for the future. Lyric also shares some great ideas for creating masks and using transparent extender for ghost printing.

If the design aspect of printing your own fabric makes you cringe don’t worry! Lyric has a great section on Color and Design that covers the most important basics without going into so much detail that you get lost.

Two thumbs up for sure!

I use Thermofax screens on fabric and paper! This image is from one of my journals. You can find the screens I sell on the Shop page! Or send me your designs to create your own original screens. 

Want to win a copy? Leave a comment below telling me what shape you would most love to print. I will chose a winner right before I head to Quilt Market next week on Tues May 12, 2015.

Don’t want to take a chance on winning? You can get your copy here: http://lyrickinard.com/2015/02/thermofax-101-instructional-dvd/

Check out the rest of the blog hop for more chances to win!

April 24 Cheryl Rezendez  http://www.cherylrezendes.com

April 25  Leslie Tucker Jenison  http://leslietuckerjenison.blogspot.com   

April 28  Sue Bleiweiss  http://www.suebleiweiss.com/blog/

April 30  Judy Gula  http://www.artisticartifacts.com/blog/

 May 1  Sue & Elizabeth Gibson  http://pgfiber2art.blogspot.com/

May 2  Judy Coates Perez  http://www.judycoatesperez.com

May 4  Linda Stokes  www.lindastokes-textileartist.com

May 6  Jane Davila  http://janedavila.blogspot.com

May 6 Melanie Testa http://melanietesta.com/blog/

May 8  Carol Sloan  http://carolbsloan.blogspot.com

May 9  Kathy York  http://aquamoonartquilts.blogspot.com

May 11  Susan Brubaker Knapp  http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com

May 12  Desiree Habicht  http://myclothesline.blogspot.com

May 13  Jamie Fingal  http://JamieFingalDesigns.blogspot.com/

May 14  Deborah Boschert  http://deborahsjournal.blogspot.com

May 15  Sarah Ann Smith  sarahannsmith.com/weblog

You may have noticed that my stitch buddy, Ruth Chandler has not been writing blog posts here on Textile Evolution. A few of you have asked if she is ok. No worries, Ruth is well and stitching up a storm! We get together as often as possible for stitching fun and experimentation!

Ruth has created her own space on the interwebs as she refines her stitch goals and re-defines her business goals. You can find Ruth at: Ruth Chandler Designs. Be sure to head over there to follow her blog.

Ruth is focusing on the things she loves: Shibori, indigo dyeing, modern hand stitch and clothing construction.

Looking to take a class with Ruth? She has some wonderful classes at Art and Soul in Portland OR in March 2015. Including Indigo/Shibori, Modern hand stitch and Boro.

For those of you in Colorado, Ruth also teaches at Blue Twig Studio in Colorado Sprigs. 

I recently had the pleasure of creating a podcast with Mark Lipinski of the Slow Stitching Movement. Ruth Chandler and I ran into Mark on the sidewalk at the end of quilt market in November. Practically the first words out of my mouth were "I am so mad at you for coining the term 'Slow Stitching Movement' before we could!" 

We spent the next 40 minutes taking up precious sidewalk space as the throngs left the convention center but we hardly noticed the annoyed looks because we were deep in conversation about a topic we are all passionate about: Slow Stitching!

Mark has create a great website for the Slow Stitching Movement to call home and you can find interesting blog posts as well as podcasts by your favorite stitchers!

Listen to my podcast.

Listen to Ruth's podcast.

Do you want to learn more about slow stitching? Join me in Portland OR March 8, 2015 for my class Stitch Meditations

Today is day 100 of my friend Deb Prewitt's 100 Days to 100% challenge! I took on the challenge of doing a stitch meditation every day. If you have been following along you know I didn't stitch every day and have not achieved my 100% goal.  I did make great progress towards my goal of taking time to slow down and stitch or just be every day.

The progress is what is important more than the 100%. 

I pushed through some layers of excuses along the way. 

I discovered ways around some stumbling blocks like not having everything ready to go ahead of time. I created a stitch basket and box that have lots of bits and leftovers that I find when I clean my studio up. Now, I have lots of ingredients for my daily stitch at hand so I can just sit down and grab some things and stitch.

I did not beat myself up when I didn't meet the daily challenge. Life is about flexibility and forgiveness.

I did fall in love with the process of stitching small bits of things together. When I am not able to make the time to stitch I miss it! That means I am well on the way to making my stitch meditation practice a non-negotiable in my life. 

On some of the days that I couldn't stitch I did use a traditional guided meditation. Yay for me!

Tomorrow starts another 100 days. I will continue my stitch meditations and will add another challenge to myself. 

I think my new challenge will be a daily sketch. That will be challenging for me. Actually trying to do something every day consistantly..day in and day out...is the real challenge. :-)

Want to play along? What will you challenge yourself to do during the next 100 days? Eat better, walk more, create something, love more? 

Leave a comment and share your goals.

Use the hastag #100daysto100% in your social media posts so we can cheer you on too.

What is the best machine sewing thread?

That is the most asked question during my classes and lectures. The answer of course is more complicated than just naming one thread company because it depends on what you are doing. But, what most people just want to know is what thread I use the most in my work.

I researched every brand of thread that I could get my hands on when I was writing Threads: the Basics and Beyond. I tested small batch hand-dyed threads, big name thread, no-name thread, new companies, old companies and designer brand threads. What I found was that there really isn’t any bad thread out there (with the sole exception of the 3 spools for $1 bin but no serious thread aficionado would even consider that stuff!)

When I reveal to them that I most often use Coats and Clark and Star brand I often get an audible gasp! Really? Coats and Clark? Not some fancy imported expensive thread? Yes, my go to thread brand is Coats and Clark. No, they don’t pay me to say that. I like all of their threads and use the Cotton Covered and Dual Duty fine and medium weight as my go to threads for piecing and general stitching. Plus, Coats has a huge array of colors and weights to choose from. I love the new Dual Duty heavy threads for hand stitching.

When I am thread painting I pull out my large spools of Star variegated threads. Many of the variegated Star thread are designed by Terry White, thread painter extraordinaire. The color blends are fantastic for thread painting with smooth transitions of color that give a rich and luscious piece. The large spools ensure that I won’t run out half way through my project.

I found that most ‘thread’ problems were really spool problems, needle problems or tension problems. This is especially true with metallic threads. Fortunately, there are easy fixes for these problems.

I love that Coats and Clark and Star threads are not expensive because that means I can have a larger stash of yummy colors! It also means I have more money to spend on some of my favorite expensive hand-dyed threads for hand stitching and embellishing.

Final note: Threads: The Basics and Beyond will be back in stock later this summer. YIPPEE! I will let you know here and on Facebook!

I have been in Northern VA the last 10 days teaching at Artistic Artifacts and getting ready for spring quilt market in Pittsburgh this upcoming weekend. On Mother's Day, me, Ruth Chandler, Judy Gula and her sister's family all trekked into Washington DC to the Anacostia Community Museum and were treated to a unique and amazing exhibit.

The exhibit is titled Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence. Ubuhle means 'beauty' in the Xhosa and Zulu languages. We found both the beadwork and the women creating the art to truly be beautiful in every sense of the word.  I know my photos barely capture the details so if you get to the DC area before Sept 21, 2014 be sure to put this on your list.

magnificent panels joined to create a wall size installation.

Ubuhle is a former sugar plantation that has been transformed into a center of independence for rural women where they can learn traditional beading skills to support themselves.

The beaded textiles are completed with simple Czech glass seed beads as whole cloth artworks. The artists call their pieces ndwango which translates loosely as rag or cloth. As is with the case with much textile art, these pieces take months complete and become imbued with the life joys and sorrows that each artist experiences in that time. You can feel their happiness and sadness as you soak in each beautiful piece.

The bull pieces were about 4' wide by 3' tall. We kept wondering how much each of these pieces weighed. Sorry about the blurry photos. The museum light was low and I didn't want to use a flash.

As a fun little bonus there was a listing of beading resources available for the public and my book: First Time Beading on Fabric was among them! Me at the Smithsonian!

I am inspired to pull out the beads and get to work! How about you?

I just got home from a trip to the Northwest! 4 days in Portland OR cooking up plans for Art and Soul and then 9 days in Bremerton WA welcoming the newest Kettle boy into the family. I am thrilled to introduce Isaak Alexander...just as handsome as his big brothers.

Babies are a different sort of mark making...more of the eternal passing on our DNA type of mark making.

While I was away I didn't have much time for mark making every day. Some days were just too full of cuddling Isaak and battling zombies to pull out my sketchbook but I do have a few to share with you this week.

I have found that even though I sometimes draw more realistic elements I feel so much freedom drawing the organic shapes and lines that I come across in my daily travels.

Some fun hand stitching!

This last one is just a little silly! We need more silly play in our life don't you think?

Have you been working on fitting art and creativity into your life more consistently? What stumbling blocks have you found?

My friend, Deb Prewitt, over at Blue Twig Studio threw down a challenge for 365 days of art for 2014. I have to admit that I am really terrible at consistency and the idea of publicly committing to a daily practice and posting it daily is just too overwhelming. On the other hand I have been trying to improve my consistency score. So, I decided in true mixed media fashion to twist the rules to suit my needs. I will tweek the challenge a bit and post my efforts as often as possible and not feel shame if I can't do it every day.

The spirit of the challenge is to take time to play, create and have fun every day while improving your skills. I have drawing had on my 'improve skills list' for at least 6 years. I have taken a few classes and have improved a bit so I thought I should revisit this drawing improvement idea for this challenge. In keeping with my guiding word of intention I asked myself to what end do I want to improve my drawing skills? I love illustration and detailed drawings and I can manage basic sketching. What exactly do I want to improve because let's face it...if I really loved drawing I would do more if it already.

I realized that my work is much more about mark making; recording marks in the world both man-made and nature made. I am fascinated by texture and line. While I would love to magically be able to sit down and sketch out a detailed street scene I don't care about it enough to put in the practice time. My work is becoming much more abstract; moving away from representational and that magical ability really wouldn't help move my art forward though it might impress people and increase my genius standing!

Sometimes my mark making will be on paper and sometimes with stitch. Here are two of my journal pages from this last week. I am dealing with a hand injury so all of my mark making has been with my left hand! I am enjoying this switch because I have less control and think that left handed drawing will have to become a frequent player in my mark making journey.

Anyone else want to play along?

Happy Holidays to all our Textile Evolution Community.

My studio mate Cass Mullane and I decided to whip up some fun textile cards for the staff at Cottonwood Center for the Arts where our studio is located. They were so fun and easy I thought you might like a quick tutorial.  I know it is a bit late for Christmas cards but this technique works with any theme. Cupcakes for birthdays, hearts for Valentines or shamrocks for St. Paddy's day...you get the idea.

Steps:

1. Rip strips of fabric 1/2" to 3/4" wide. This is a great stash buster for all those little bits you have left over from other projects.

2. Find a stabilizer for your base and cut to the desired size. Ours are 4"x6". Just about any stabilizer will work. You can use muslin, tear away stabilizer, craft fuse or Form-Flex All Purpose which is what we used.

3. Apply Misty Fuse fusible web to your stabilizer base unless it already has a fusible base.

4. Lay your strips on top of the fused stabilizer and follow manufacturer's directions to fuse the strips in place.

5. Now for the fun part! Embellish it!

6. You can stamp a design with paint on the surface like our tree cards.  Be sure to choose a strong design. I love wooden printing blocks for this part. After stamping the design we stitched with metallic thread and added some shimmer paint for extra shine.

7. Our sassy snowgirls are created using various sizes of faux ultra suede stitched with metallic thread. The black coal eyes and buttons are small circles of black fabric fused on the snowgirl bodies and their noses a simple open lazy daisy stitch. For a final jaunty touch we stitched on ripped strips of a plaid for a scarf. These girls are going out on the town!

8. Trim up your cards if needed and apply Misty Fuse to the back of the fabric/stabilizer. Fuse to a purchased card base. Stitch around the outside with a zigzag stitch and you are ready to receive the oohs and ahhhs from everyone who gets one.

This would be a great project to do with kids too.

You can find wooden printing blocks at Artistic Artifacts, and if you are in Colorado Springs Blue Twig Studio and I have blocks available.

Don't forget to take time to just be and breathe during this crazy busy time of year. Celebrate the seconds of extra sunlight we have each day and each precious moment with your loved ones.

Stitching is perfect for slowing us down...

About 13 years in the making but finally finished this weekend!! The good news is that I still love the fabrics and the pattern after working on it for all these years. My only regret is that when I started this the only fusible product readily available was Wonder Under. The center is layered fused fabric applique so it is really stiff in the floral sections.  Misty Fuse would have been so much better to use and would have left the quilt soft and cuddly.

I am very good at finishing projects but have a few large quilts that have been languishing for years...interrupted by quilts for the boys and more recently my grandchildren. I realized about 8 years ago that working on the same quilt (or any project) especially those that are repetitive blocks are just not my thing. I also moved away from making other people's patterns and started creating my own. I got rid of all those projects except for a few that I really loved. Getting rid of those I really didn't like anymore was such a great relief and gave me more room for art supplies. I highly recommend it. Of course finishing makes you feel Great too!

Anyone seen July around? I remember turning the calendar page to July but the next thing I knew it was the middle of August already! School starting? Really?

Ruth and I both had tons of company...grandchildren on both fronts and a few other house guests too. It was lots of fun and much laughter was heard at both our homes.

We did get some great work done too!

I finished this piece which was accepted into the Standing on the Shoulders of Cowboys exhibit at Cottonwood Center for the Arts in Colorado Springs. That was an honor because of the amazing number of pieces that were submitted. This piece, titled Rust 'N' Dust is composed of rust dyed fabrics and machine embroidery on an organza layer.

Ruth finished the final pieces for her new book Modern Hand Stitch the evening before she had hand surgery! Talk about a hard deadline. Her samples will amaze you and we will give you some sneak peeks over the coming weeks. Her book will be out later this fall.

Ruth has a bit of recuperation ahead of her so send her lots of healing energy. I know she can't wait to get back to stitching again.

I just spent 3 amazing days with fellow artists, Judy Gula of Artistic Artifacts in VA and Jamie Malden of Colouricious in the UK. We convened in VA at Artistic Artifacts to create, experiment and wreak creative havoc. Judy provided the space and access to her truly amazing stash. Judy's mom Pat brought us chocolate for fuel and her entire family welcomed us and tolerated our creative take over.  Jamie brought a new batch of wooden printing blocks from India and I brought thread and some pieces I had started.

Jamie Malden of Colouricous wood block printing a pieced quilt

Judy Gula and Jamie Malden discussing piecing techniques

Often when artists get together they bring their own piece to work on but we decided that we would love to create jointly. Wow! What a great experience. We completed 5 pieces and have 3 more in various stages to finish as soon as we get a chance. We created a glorious mess, shared laughter and stories

I learned so much by working side by side these fantastically creative women. It was such a great challenge to have one artist start a piece and hand it off to someone else to do the next step. Then it could be passed back to the first person or on to the third. and back again. Something I would never have thought to add to a piece was now mine to figure out the best way to incorporate it and then how could I make it even more than when it came to me? It was exciting, frustrating and challenging.

I also learned more about my own working process which is always a good thing! I came home with lots of great ideas for projects of my own. Judy recorded some videos about the different techniques we used so you will want to be sure to sign up for her newsletter so you don't miss them. I highly recommend this type of retreat for your own creative journey.

I once again find myself living 6 miles from the edge of a major wild fire.

Yesterday the fire spread 8 miles is a few hours.

6 miles is too close.

6 miles is scary.

There is nothing between me and the edge of the fire but hundreds of acres of trees. Trees stressed by years of drought.

This is the photo I took yesterday at 3:30 just a couple hours after the fire started.

This is the photo I took when I picked my son up from his colleg class. Just 3 hours later.

Of course when disaster strikes close to home you make plans for evacuation. Photos and family history are packed. Actually, they have been packed since the Waldo Canyon fire last year. We didn't get enough snow or rain this last year to warrent unpacking. My art work is at the studio in Colorado Springs. We have talked about what things are the most important to bring. We have a plan.

A plan doesn't help with the helpless feeling as you watch homes being turned to ashes in minutes.

I went down to my basement studio to finish up some packing for a trip to the mountains this weekend and I had such a wave of sadness hit me. Sadness that all of my 'stuff' my art supplies, vintage fabrics, vintage papers, art papers, bits and bobs could all vanish in an instant. Totally out of my control. There would be no way to replace any of it. Insurance wouldn't even begin to cover the precious bits I have collected over the years. 

My sadness didn't last more than a couple minutes. I started sorting through some fabrics and quickly realized that it is all just 'stuff'. What is

Ruth and I both adore Art Gallery Fabrics! The hand of these fabrics is simply amazing. The patterns are unique, cutting edge and the colors incredibly yummy! We did a video--correction LIZ did a video Ruth will not be held responsibile for this---of the beautiful Art Gallery Fabrics booth at Spring Quilt Market in Portland.

Vendors spend an incredible amount of time, energy and money to create a unique booth at quilt market. We thought you all might enjoy seeing it. Apologies for the video! Liz kept thinking she could re-orient the camera. She blames it on her enthusiam for showing you all how awesome their booth is.

How about a chance to win this amazing piece of art by Serena Barton? Details at the bottom!

My friend Serena Barton has a new book out that you are going to LOVE! It is titled: Wabi-Sabi Art Workshop and it is full of fun mixed media techniques that embody the Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi or embracing imperfection.

I decided to put one of the exercises in the book to the test by trying it out on my Tuesday Tarts group. We are a bunch of textile based mixed media artist who meet once a month to try out a new technique. This month was my turn to teach so I picked one of the projects in Serena's book: Acrylic Paint and Re-Inkers (page 28). We ended up with a larger than normal group because it is summer so I had to stand on a chair to be seen and heard. It was pretty funny.

Of course finding the exact same re-inkers Serena used proved to be a problem but we went with the assortment we had. I did experiment with the Adirondack Color Mists and they worked well although the color may be slightly less intense. This group is good with going with the flow. Actually, they are excellent at just playing and not worrying about the final product!  One member experimented with using alcohol inks and we had a lot of different brands of re-inkers. The re-inkers are available on-line if you don't have a store near you that sells them.

Here is the series of photos I took as we worked through Serena's excellent step by step instructions. I had created a sample but just read the directions to everyone as we went along. We only spent a little over an hour on these and everyone created a great piece and had a lot of fun just playing.

Look how clean and neat it is...didn't stay that way long.

At this point paint was flinging and I had to get out a bull horn to be heard over the chatter and laughter!

The layers and depth we were able to get using Serena's techniques is great...though hard to tell in the group photo. There is a lot to explore in this book and everyone in the group loved the possibilities between the covers.

I am just one stop on the blog hop so you will want to check out these other blogs for their projects and interviews. Jill Berry has a book to give away and is drawing on June 10.

6/1: Sara Naumann
6/3: Jill Berry
6/4 Carol Sloan
6/5 Liz Kettle
6/6 Joanne Sharpe
6/8 Seth Apter
6/9 Alicia Caudle
6/10 Pam Carriker

Now to enter to win the beautiful piece of Serena's you need to go visit her new wabi sabi art workshop blog. Leave a comment to enter. She is drawing on June 8. If you win you might want to remember that my birthday is on the 16th! :-)

Last little goodie! You can find Wabi-Sabi Art Workshop on-line and at book stores but Serena has a special offer!!

http://www.serenabarton.com/classes.php

Now, go make something!

Liz

When was the last time you created something for no good reason?

I love creating Artist Trading Cards aka ATCs so much that quite a few years ago I started a trading group here in town. ATCs are made for the pure fun of it. There are no rules except the size. There is no reason for them to exist except for personal pleasure of their creation. I haven't been able to attend much the last couple years because of my busy travel schedule. But, this Saturday I was in town and made the commitment to myself to make ATCs to trade.

I had so much fun and it only took a little over an hour! Often it is difficult to give ourselves the precious gift of time to create and play but the rewards are so much more than the 'thing' we end up with. I felt happy, energized and relaxed all at the same time.

To create these cards I started with some gelatin plate printed tissue papers I had made. I stamped the tissue papers with half circles using Colorbox Mica Magic stamp pads. Then I screen-printed the flower seed image using one of my thermofax screens and black paint. I added one more layer of screen-printed flowers with a pearlescent paint from Stewart Gill. I cut the tissue papers into the 2.5" x 3.5" ATC size and fused them to Peltex stabilizer. For the backs I used some of the remaining tissue paper or some dyed paper towel fused to the back of the Peltex. To finish the edges I rubbed on the same metallic ink from the stamp pads. Signed and numbered them and done.

I challenge you to carve out an hour to play this week. No need to create a finished product or even strive for something beautiful; just play. You will be so glad you did.

Liz

Liz Here ~

Are you ready to get back into the studio to play but find that you just don't have any ideas or motivation? That is what happens to us after the busy fall show season followed by the holidays. Ruth and I get the January creative blahs. We were thinking about this problem when we visited Treenway Silks recently where we became totally enamoured with their Creative Silk Packs. Such delicious colors and textures! Thus, our Winter Creative Challenge was born.

Do you want to play with us? You can get your own yummy package of goodies from Blue Twig Studio or Treenway Silk.

The rules: In the spirit of keeping this totally fun and playful we don't have any rules! We do have a due date so we don't procrastinate forever...you know how that happens! Due by March 15. Get your Creastive Silk Pack and make something. Make a couple somethings. Share your photos with us and we will feature you and your work on our blog and Facebook. e-mail either of us: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ruth picked the Wild Berries pack and of course I choose Eat your GreensI started playing with mine yesterday. When I opened my package it looked like this:

So much possibility!

A few hours later it looked like this:

I added in some Treenway hand dyed silk ribbon. Then I started stitching but don't have a photo of that yet. I have to say I barely made a dent in the contents of the Creative Silk Pack so I know I will get at least 2 projects out of it. I wish the photos really showed how awesome the colors are.

We will both post photos of our progress.

So, come on...Jump in and play with us. Let's chase away the winter blahs together.

Ihad the pleasure of spending last Sunday dyeing fabric with a bunch of great friends. I don't know why dyeing is so dang exhausting but it has taken me a few days to get my fabric rinsed and dried. As you can see from the pile above that there is still a lot of untangling, ironing and folding to be done. And that is only the reds pile. I have a mound of blues and greens too. I keep coming across this quote lately; 'how you do anything is how you do everything', and my dye day adventure made me realize just how true it is. You see, I am completely unable to plan and fuss with my dye color choices. I rarely pay attention to the rules for more than 15 minutes. I don't approach it or any other part of my life in an organized or methodical manner. I approach dyeing more like a mad scientist. A little red here, a little orange there...ohhh what happens if I add in brown? Maybe a little violet or how about some blue?  Now that I think about it, I cook the same way too.

Johann Dippel is the classic mad scientist! Dippel was born in Castle Frankenstein and it is suggested that Mary Shelley modeled at least part of her infamous book on Dippel's adventures. In addition to his experiments in alchemy, anatomy and his quest for the elixir of life, Johann Dippel is credited with the formulation of the first chemical dye that we call Prussian Blue. He discovered it by accident. He was supposedly trying to make red. Sounds like my dyeing misadventures. Now, the problem with this approach (some would say) is that I can't replicate anything. Ever! I so admire friends who can plan to dye certain colors and actually end up with the perfect color for their needs. I wish I could be like them. But, I can't. I have tried and it just doesn't work out for me. I start off with intention to create yellows, oranges and blues. When I finish i realize that while I have a few of those, I also have a pile of unintended greens, purples and reds. I get into the zone and forget all my good intentions. The same problem presents itself when I am advised that I must create a cohesive body of work if my art is to be taken seriously by others. Really? I am totally out of luck then. I am way too interested in telling stories and communicating ideas to limit my tools, media and techniques enough to create this cohesive body of work. I would love to be organized, have carefully laid out plans for the future and have a place for everything with everything in its place but I have made peace with my unruly ways and organized piles that threaten to topple over. It has taken me longer to come to terms with the way I approach making art. However,  I now know that my eclectic way of creating art is just as valid as those who can pull together that cohesive body of work. Deep down I know that a few of those organized artists I wish I could emulate probably wish they could work more like me. Maybe I should get a lab coat. What is your working style? Mad scientist or organized surgeon?