On My Sewing Table

Thinking, contemplating my next move, lots of ideas rambling through my head seemingly too many some times, but then it occurred to me that I can marry several "themes" I've previously worked on for a greater continuity.

More to come later.

Some Bird Art

Little medallions with featuring Black Birds in Tree, alcohol inks to the left, shiva paintstiks to the right (prussian blue)

Experimenting with copic markers and gelli pens on scrap booking paper.  Barely noticeable at the bottom are three of the washi tapes I purchased last weekend.  This will probably end up as the cover for my "new to me" journal.  Crow is from my Three Crows Stencil.

More birds to come, I'm working on a major project (all new work for an upcoming solo show) the big reveal will happen and soon, until then here's my latest samples to see how the various mediums work with the stencils.

Journal Makings

I was planning on making a 4 x 6 inch journal this evening but my block of 4 x 6 solid color papers seems to have gone AWOL!  So maybe tomorrow evening instead?

Mark Making with Nature eBook Combo!!!

Tired of waiting for Spring? 

Itching to drag out those Natural Dye supplies?  

Then wait no more!!!

Mark Making with Nature eBook Combo

$9.95

WIP All Beaded Up

Now with more beads, and definition.

Today's Haul

Today's haul from JB Knacker in Gilbert, Iowa.

Five inch brass numbers, need the "3" and the "0" still.

Vintage jello cup to experiment with.

Some millinery bits.

Thimbles: one metal one silver.

Wasbi tape from Pixi's in Gilbert, Iowa.  She has every color and pattern imaginable, plus several sizes, in stock.

Pearl white wasbi tape.

Auditioning Fabrics

Found some folded points, etc., in a box of vintage fabrics I picked up along the way and am now auditioning them to use in an upcoming body of work. I think I may rust dye some of the red and white gingham as it's too clean and too cheerful.  

The netting and metallic mesh was in a box on my shelf. 

Mending

A bundle of sleeves.

For some reason the first wife's mother kept the sleeves from several shirts, I unrolled the bundle today (What you think I'd throw away all of those textile treasures??? Bite your tongue!) mostly because this bit of madras type fabric was peaking out, looking all spring like.

Love the way she butted the torn edges together, adding some matching threads and stitched them together with the skill of a surgeon!

  Imagine my joy when I discovered that it had been mended, and in several places.

Weekend Finds

Now that I'm feeling slightly better, I picked these yummies up at JB Knacker this past weekend, my favorite vintage shop ever!!!  The tureen will hold my vintage bead and bauble collection.  The calligraphy and fountain pen tips, well for lettering of course.

WIP - All Beaded Up

I started this piece about a year after mom passed away in 2005, it's cigarette papers layered atop digitally printed cotton fabric and interfacing.  Machine stitched, hand stitched, beaded.

I have a lovely greyish black glass bead that I'm using to outline her shirt and arm.

Bead detail.

Interestingly enough I didn't have any grey threads in my collection, and wanted some for working on this piece so ventured over to JoAnn's and found these lovely shades of grey, in both pearl cotton and cotton floss.

Studio Notes March 5th, 2014

I'm not sure why I'm having so many issues with Blogger of late, but it's interfering with my ability to post, well whenever I like!

Monday I went to Cherokee Iowa with my BFF Brenda to help with hanging her show at the Sanford Museum, help might be a bit of an exaggeration but I'm sure she was happy for the company as it's a long boring drive there and back.  

While on the drive we talked about my upcoming solo show, and why I still didn't have any work produced  yet for said show.  After six hours of beating a dead horse I'm back to these niches I created last spring for another show but always felt like I could have done more.  I love the cut outs in these pieces, I love the birds, the stitching, etc., and want to pursue this further, pushing the limits and see what will happen only with digitally printed and rusted fabrics.

Since I found out my show isn't being hung next month but rather in May I have extra time now to explore the possibilities.

Three Day Sale Mark Making with Nature Video Series

Three Day Sale

Mark Making with Nature Video Series

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https://vimeo.com/ondemand/9277

Irish Rose Sample

I haven't decided upon the orientation yet, I found this Irish Rose medallion in my stash and decided it needed to have it's story told sooner than later.  Off to add more stitching.

Pigment Painting Live Stream

I will be Live Streaming this evening at 8 pm Central Time (Iowa), join me for chat while I paint fabrics with earth pigments for an upcoming solo show!

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mark-making-with-nature

More Stitching

Adding more vine tendrils and bits.
Hand dyed french cotton threads, natural dyed flax, natural dyed painted silk chiffon, on white silk dupioni fabric. Machine and hand stitched.

Working with hand dyed french cotton thread, I'm using a single strand to create a background layer of delicate tendrils.

Working with a couple of colors of hand dyed french cotton thread.  Next I will add more vine bits (like the upper left hand corner) using the same thread only double stranded.

I'm using the ivy bits on my house as my inspiration.

I love how they crisscross defying the laws of design!

Desk Ideas

I'll have to clean it out first, but this lovely little secretaries desk sits right across from my computer table in my studio!  It won't replace my office desk, but will give me a place to put important stuff that I use on a daily basis in my studio.  Speaking of my office it's in sad need of cleaning, ever since I moved the computer out of there I haven't been spending any time in there, which I need to resolve and soon.

Sandman in progress

Stitching now with indigo dyed linen threads.

WIP ~ Sandman

WIP ~ Sandman

4x6 or so inches

Natural and rust dyed cotton scrim atop monoprinted muslin fabric.  Hand stitched with natural and commercial dyed cotton threads, wool batting.

I will be adding some machine stitching next and then will go back into the piece with more stab stitching, maybe layer some more cheesecloth onto the surface and then add french knots and some coils.

This is a small piece I started around 7pm this evening designed to get me back into the habit of stitching as I have a solo show to prep for that I'll be hanging in April, most of those pieces will be machine stitched and then waxed (encaustic).

Journal Cover

Went to Lowe's today to find black duct tape, and a new water heater, I found red duct tape with polka dots and no black duct tape.  The story about the water heater will be on my other blog.

I love the polka dot duct tape, my only complaint is that it doesn't come in the yellow, orange, or apple green, only red.  Oh and I still want some black duct tape for another project that's currently in progress.

Now all I have to do is go to Staples and pick up one of those ring binder doohickies for my journal pages and I'm set to go.  I have a back up plan, just in case I'm not able to find the ring binder thingy, I will add grommets to the front and back covers and then add some of those big rings thingies for the pages and dividers.  

Over all I'm quite happy with this project, it's been helpful in putting together my new business plan, my overall mission, and how I hope to get there!  I still have gobs of questions I don't know how to answer and will be thinking about those as I clean out the furnace room this week, in preparation for the removal of the old water heater and arrival of the new unit!