tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73806315936445163802024-03-19T05:54:01.874-07:00Making Handmade BooksExploring the Crossroads of Art, Craft, Reading, and Creative Writing with Alisa GoldenAlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.comBlogger1085125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-81687868722677549702024-03-17T14:48:00.000-07:002024-03-17T14:48:32.910-07:00In the Presence Of: an Exhibit at Berkeley Art Center<p>I'm always (<i>choose an adjective:</i> relieved, happy, excited, pleased, inspired) when I visit an art gallery, center, or museum and see actual physical work obviously made by one (<i>choose a noun:</i> artist, maker, creative). That statement may seem puzzling, but in the past few years I've been frustrated by the lack of the artist's hand in the work. The mind may be there, the work may show a curiosity and a concept, but sometimes it feels random, like mirrors arranged in a room or lights that make the viewer's shadow the artwork, or crowd-sourced, like 1000 people wrote their wishes and here they are.</p><p>Currently, on view at the <a href="https://www.berkeleyartcenter.org" target="_blank">Berkeley Art Center</a> until April, 20, 2024, in the exhibition <i><a href="https://www.berkeleyartcenter.org/in-the-presence-of" target="_blank">In the Presence Of</a></i>, actual objects line the walls and pedestals, each made by an artist who is or was at one time a member of the collective, Asian American Women Artists Association. This is not a new collective, it was founded in 1989 by Flo Oy Wong and Betty Kano, both artists, as a support group and professional organization for Asian American women artists who were not seeing themselves represented or included in the wider art realm. A wonderful pdf that explains more in detail, and lists the artists included and their works can be found <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e84e6bbf817eb0b020753e6/t/65bd8d7a644f02037c91eb64/1706921338792/Online+booklet+-+IN+THE+PRESENCE+OF.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>I found the aforementioned pdf only after I had seen the show. It would have helped to read it beforehand since there were no names or numbers on the walls that corresponded to the works. The booklet does have a schematic with numbers and all the info, which is easy to follow, since the room is small and easy to navigate.</p><p>Briefly, I will show some pieces that caught my eye. I suspect you will understand why when you see them.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Lucy Arai, 2008.09; 2008.08; 2008.01</p><p style="text-align: center;">cotton, handmade paper, silk, sumi ink indigo, 18kt gold, acrylic</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnM7zY5-P4BVOi3_qmGC-Omq-Nqa3GwZ25kb3dfwZ4_3ECb6dlbyoy2BNYEabyfy_CIiSAJYWpEePG3VDLfnDBf84y6aZeWzRyUxe8URiSAlSYUJ6IGBXO9-lgMkSp3Yg2HXWYN4_VnRiUGFjN8P8sxGskN63uiIus_oqXAfJKatWhxqDYIWhBh6kHQw/s4032/IMG_7627.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnM7zY5-P4BVOi3_qmGC-Omq-Nqa3GwZ25kb3dfwZ4_3ECb6dlbyoy2BNYEabyfy_CIiSAJYWpEePG3VDLfnDBf84y6aZeWzRyUxe8URiSAlSYUJ6IGBXO9-lgMkSp3Yg2HXWYN4_VnRiUGFjN8P8sxGskN63uiIus_oqXAfJKatWhxqDYIWhBh6kHQw/w640-h480/IMG_7627.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Detail<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaOI9ivgr3O8hfroDH_Rnt9z2ExityVVoVp6Kdlm-y7-a_JJT1KP9wcY06Z4sRezAugI-cMPe64ulKDAU9EN_QN_fkzT8i_05wPlfC774o2UGNrKrL0JjGFZyHbhPKgb5jlHwg4O3ov78mDZluuGfhQuS_VEMOJSzy2KtO3zZ2BfdbrI4UCVlOdXM7Tw/s4032/IMG_7628.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaOI9ivgr3O8hfroDH_Rnt9z2ExityVVoVp6Kdlm-y7-a_JJT1KP9wcY06Z4sRezAugI-cMPe64ulKDAU9EN_QN_fkzT8i_05wPlfC774o2UGNrKrL0JjGFZyHbhPKgb5jlHwg4O3ov78mDZluuGfhQuS_VEMOJSzy2KtO3zZ2BfdbrI4UCVlOdXM7Tw/w640-h480/IMG_7628.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Detail<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IhcniW7NTs1wrsWnz8Pn39vXfu2mfpNbAu1-56RZD4QTm5F6pcS5KYbD0LYe9FMGj2d7LD853jFVvylhtiZNh7qoUn6K5Hi40hK89ibh3Tx_THJsUvwxtOymVMjIkQRJeS7Yq2RPF4XapAKFedMltOlSU-O1i6oWUNRWICmtJqcM_Hv3UOSPoAKCKQA/s4032/IMG_7629.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IhcniW7NTs1wrsWnz8Pn39vXfu2mfpNbAu1-56RZD4QTm5F6pcS5KYbD0LYe9FMGj2d7LD853jFVvylhtiZNh7qoUn6K5Hi40hK89ibh3Tx_THJsUvwxtOymVMjIkQRJeS7Yq2RPF4XapAKFedMltOlSU-O1i6oWUNRWICmtJqcM_Hv3UOSPoAKCKQA/w640-h480/IMG_7629.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>According to <a href="https://ww2.kqed.org/spark/lucy-arai/" target="_blank">this website</a>, Arai was sent to Japan to live with her aunt and uncle to learn about her mother's culture even though she did not speak Japanese, and they did not speak English. This experience of learning by doing and watching and without words is evident in her artwork. The sashiko shows up as stitched lines and patterns, the shibori as dyed fabric coverings, and the balls evoke the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temari_(toy)" target="_blank">temari</a> (embroidered balls) that were once played with as toys in Japan until rubber became more common, and the balls became artworks. <div><br /></div><div>Arai's balls are interesting in that they are hollow and open to the air or can be containers to more balls or globes. These have a lacy texture, due to the string (rather than opaque fabrics strips) that forms the main structure. Very delicate and beautiful, I think, yet also sturdy.<div><div><br /></div><div>A statement and more of her work <a href="https://art.state.gov/personnel/lucy_arai/" target="_blank">here</a> and other places online.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nancyhomarts.com/nancyhomarts.com/Art.html" target="_blank">Nancy Hom</a> (and friends), <i>AAWAA 35th Anniversary Mandala</i>, 2024: mixed media</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FWq880VgyIzTZGYz3DgRlYJxezZWE_uEIO-tBrM3cKJBN9rz3OV92WzksYzk19RYQpn74OQrLAEsCkYC1Ow0aIA9KPokq2k8Y5Pi5l43LGeaojxlNTqxTLTvn8bfpehwLQUFZQyuB0LNr4q487m0dMDbhMs2V55WYPE-wLOvMaocvNsKt__Jpt9tQlI/s4032/IMG_7630.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FWq880VgyIzTZGYz3DgRlYJxezZWE_uEIO-tBrM3cKJBN9rz3OV92WzksYzk19RYQpn74OQrLAEsCkYC1Ow0aIA9KPokq2k8Y5Pi5l43LGeaojxlNTqxTLTvn8bfpehwLQUFZQyuB0LNr4q487m0dMDbhMs2V55WYPE-wLOvMaocvNsKt__Jpt9tQlI/w640-h480/IMG_7630.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I was just really tickled by the "sponge" cake petit fours, which aren't obvious from a distance.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT3N8PxNaStMaJinH3oil-J6MW_fOOvHzVFhY8ZHm2oEV8ZXuhQQgMwgqBNqGtm_lVZz0sT1N4vGZXYzb15jN7Tn3KhPnaf0JVNM5jiGrJteM4NNzl_uPklmI6y6Z_jB8hv_xfH3NYzXNuTqIDT9k9cG07yC2pTmVmfFyMcBU-4gZgghO2BrivgRSzF4/s4032/IMG_7632.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT3N8PxNaStMaJinH3oil-J6MW_fOOvHzVFhY8ZHm2oEV8ZXuhQQgMwgqBNqGtm_lVZz0sT1N4vGZXYzb15jN7Tn3KhPnaf0JVNM5jiGrJteM4NNzl_uPklmI6y6Z_jB8hv_xfH3NYzXNuTqIDT9k9cG07yC2pTmVmfFyMcBU-4gZgghO2BrivgRSzF4/w640-h480/IMG_7632.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Shari Arai DeBoer, <i>Library of Imagination</i>, 2009</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">objects, artworks, handmade books, materials from AAWAA that inspire her</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I was interested to see her shaped pocket accordion, for one. But the whole portable art cabinet / book shelf idea appeals to me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1OD41WiXe-JFEJBSfpHcXMZjB-mCs-8nW94Q8bFGOsBod0AOyaoob5ERwKSuNXB8hy9rS5403JQ00qTqxpI1z03ulrOQlSHKONwCildTOoI85UeG9XHxBmCCWMx2pWCJuBnZF0G6tNGsR4UZfgZbBGywB-KW7eC6IBFSz-pqJ1FUCe95Z-zBbSsBDVo/s4032/IMG_7631.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1OD41WiXe-JFEJBSfpHcXMZjB-mCs-8nW94Q8bFGOsBod0AOyaoob5ERwKSuNXB8hy9rS5403JQ00qTqxpI1z03ulrOQlSHKONwCildTOoI85UeG9XHxBmCCWMx2pWCJuBnZF0G6tNGsR4UZfgZbBGywB-KW7eC6IBFSz-pqJ1FUCe95Z-zBbSsBDVo/w480-h640/IMG_7631.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Acebo_Davis" target="_blank">Terry Acebo Davis</a>, <i>Waiting for the Rain</i>, 2003</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Davis is a nurse as well as an artist.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is a copperplate etching from photographs of her paternal grandmother and radiographs of her father's brain after a stroke and poem by Davis that she wrote "as she walked through a cemetery in Seattle where the writer Carlos Bulosan and many Filipino elders were buried" (p11, exhibit pdf).</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjjBSdPTW9uoiVB5rUnV-SZAgxQdQL_j4xX5FeTINxbL7xKx_NrJl448HyLlRuL1RqoEHc2d1NqsFV4BswsyPwsRzlmXOqd7fLuInThWG74foa02I-wHPb495KmLiFgUZ68H3lByxxzGW6izm6pfWJ52l_DImRhtlekmwcqtLTBBuBzTVKxg3DTvxtUk/s4032/IMG_7633.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjjBSdPTW9uoiVB5rUnV-SZAgxQdQL_j4xX5FeTINxbL7xKx_NrJl448HyLlRuL1RqoEHc2d1NqsFV4BswsyPwsRzlmXOqd7fLuInThWG74foa02I-wHPb495KmLiFgUZ68H3lByxxzGW6izm6pfWJ52l_DImRhtlekmwcqtLTBBuBzTVKxg3DTvxtUk/w640-h480/IMG_7633.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A beautiful piece combining writing, art, science, memory, loss, and family.</div><br /><div>These tangible works not only showcase skills in design and making, but can continue to resonate emotionally, wordlessly, as the memories of them linger.<br /><p><br /></p></div></div></div>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-86408469553627872472024-03-15T10:07:00.000-07:002024-03-15T10:07:48.634-07:00Art Quilt: Unmoored<p>After an unusually big storm in the San Francisco bay area the end of January, a small sailboat, without sails, appeared, unmoored, at the water's edge near the Bay Trail where my friend and I walk. From the looks of its paint and overall condition, it looked neglected, possibly let loose, a feral boat. We took photos of it and wondered where its owner had gone, if it had been untethered on purpose or pulled free in the storm.</p><p>The whole world feels unmoored. An understatement, perhaps. On a personal level, I felt at loose ends myself, not sure in which direction to go. I spent a month or so making garments, inspired by the <a href="https://alabamachanin.com" target="_blank">Alabama Chanin</a> techniques, but their patterns didn't fit me well, and I am no dressmaker. Still, I liked the materials and the combination of stenciling and sewing, which I have incorporated on and off for at least twelve years, but hadn't really settled into as a style for my main art quilt work.</p><p>The abandoned boat began calling to me. It turned in the tides, stuck in the sand at low tide, and floated a little in higher tides. I saw its name, <i>Shell Craft.</i> I took more photos.</p><p>At this time I was experimenting with a dark green dye that didn't work on the garment I was dyeing, but as I like to do, I dyed some cotton before I discarded the dye batch. It was a compelling light teal: seafoam, perhaps? But bluer. I definitely had to do the boat.</p><p>And wood type. I still wanted to print wood type on the letterpress. It took some doing, but I was able to mix a color to match the dye. Prior to the printing, though, I had to order more letterpress ink as most of mine had dried up. To the letterpress printers out there: I am happy to report that the tubes of soy-based ink from <a href="https://nagraph.com" target="_blank">NA Graphics</a> print beautifully. (The company has been around forever, but they just started working with a new supplier.)</p><p>I cut the printed cloth into strips and began piecing. The gray is from the <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2024/01/eco-dye-experiment-avocado-pits.html" target="_blank">avocado pit dyeing</a> I did earlier. The quilt began to come together. I drew and cut a stencil and added it. Then made some stitching decisions. Machine sewing made a nice tight line for the riggings. Hand sewing with the knots showing felt right for the boat. Some running stitches to anchor it (okay, a pun) unobtrusively to the backing. And then the binding.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKU3axi-GvaZfNTxJgYPtGsOfYFif7rsA_epM7pM6pzAD00_FTkguDMJpAc5gXtUSGLVJh4OJNjxdMTeh5G4AQKgCJ-UgyeYgwumQtFT35rLp00Bm238H78SUu_HDb5dUHnHUSIKRtsfa2htChcIHJrjYu3OYX968DGrCLIYnywtVvTC7CpiCGFf0wio/s3875/IMG_7742.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3875" data-original-width="1875" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKU3axi-GvaZfNTxJgYPtGsOfYFif7rsA_epM7pM6pzAD00_FTkguDMJpAc5gXtUSGLVJh4OJNjxdMTeh5G4AQKgCJ-UgyeYgwumQtFT35rLp00Bm238H78SUu_HDb5dUHnHUSIKRtsfa2htChcIHJrjYu3OYX968DGrCLIYnywtVvTC7CpiCGFf0wio/w310-h640/IMG_7742.jpeg" width="310" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Unmoored</b><br />19.5 x 44" (49.5 x 112 cm)<br />Hand-dyed cotton; letterpress printed from wood type on cotton; fabric paint with handmade stencil on cotton; silk thread; cotton thread; button/craft thread; hand and machine quilted</p><p style="text-align: center;">Detail. Note the <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2024/02/cretan-stitch-for-cloth-and-books-and.html" target="_blank">Cretan stitch</a> in silk thread as decoration, letterpress overprinted wood type (white on the darker cloth as well), knots on the outside, dyed and <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2022/02/instructions-low-immersion-crumple.html" target="_blank">crumple-dyed</a> cotton:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7N0FEsYLG9x3BzywnGRvwc67gyo49F1I0ehqI26lFDeaLXlkCmYrmqUMM0D8HzSdXcJ17s_93slK1wzuhV1HCtpCHsp8zGudm_2OJPScChRsddKIwa_ctBoPHkEWayaU31WGJxR0_VOK27ySPchY2N6o8CwaMEd_Or1APWz0SFdxwz7TuCE63BNsXpGY/s1466/IMG_7745-detail-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1466" data-original-width="1100" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7N0FEsYLG9x3BzywnGRvwc67gyo49F1I0ehqI26lFDeaLXlkCmYrmqUMM0D8HzSdXcJ17s_93slK1wzuhV1HCtpCHsp8zGudm_2OJPScChRsddKIwa_ctBoPHkEWayaU31WGJxR0_VOK27ySPchY2N6o8CwaMEd_Or1APWz0SFdxwz7TuCE63BNsXpGY/w480-h640/IMG_7745-detail-sm.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">Last week I noticed that the boat has a fluorescent green warning slapped on the side of the boat by the Contra Costa Sheriff. Apparently there are numerous <a href="https://www.columbian.com/news/2024/jan/22/california-struggles-to-deal-with-abandoned-boats/" target="_blank">abandoned boats</a> in the bay and have been for many years. The article has an interesting mention: some abandoned boats are able to be repurposed for those who are unhoused, unmoored.</p>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-24538457694161541302024-02-08T07:30:00.000-08:002024-02-08T07:30:00.133-08:00Cretan Stitch for Cloth and Books and "Corset"<p>After finding one book in the library by Natalie Chanin and making my quilt, "<a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2024/01/art-quilt-keystones.html" target="_blank">Keystones</a>," my tendency for obsession (call it research) kept me browsing the <a href="https://alabamachanin.com" target="_blank">Alabama Chanin website</a> and ultimately buying the <a href="https://alabamachanin.com/collections/the-school-of-making/studio-books" target="_blank">digital pattern for the "corset" as well as <i>The Geometry of Hand-Sewing</i>, the book of stitching patterns</a>, which comes with plastic pre-punched cards to practice stitching or use as a template.</p><p>The corset, like all of her patterns, is meant to be hand sewn, the pieces held together with running/straight stitches that are then folded over and stitched down (felled). For the binding, a decorative and stretchy stitch is suggested: the Cretan Stitch. I have a little trouble following hand-drawn diagrams, so I had to study it a while.</p><p>I was able to understand the stitch, get the pattern like a dance step, and work on getting the stitches even (not quite there yet), and finish the garment. Good enough for a first try, is my thought. (The Little House pins are small and very sharp, both they and the pin cushion ring are from Kimonomomo).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQkqgC14j2Ak89XJtpl75VvWA0rD-u8ZNDq9xS1NO_40vOOQPCl3BfjlPqczlj3SWjrabGLwHymuwb_u9RIKxlcqLnqndmevqgLP9cYmRLAfSiigMkEuJmi_dHCFbCPobxFWz55zsmXi2yEU8LMMGgiorog7ElcmHpTH4bx6WTEF9z2qrYwvsHRWfrsw/s4032/IMG_7354.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQkqgC14j2Ak89XJtpl75VvWA0rD-u8ZNDq9xS1NO_40vOOQPCl3BfjlPqczlj3SWjrabGLwHymuwb_u9RIKxlcqLnqndmevqgLP9cYmRLAfSiigMkEuJmi_dHCFbCPobxFWz55zsmXi2yEU8LMMGgiorog7ElcmHpTH4bx6WTEF9z2qrYwvsHRWfrsw/w640-h480/IMG_7354.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>It also occurred to me that it would be a nice decorative stitch for a side or stab binding of a book. For the garment, the bottom stitch (in my case) wrapped around the raw edge of the neck and arm edgings and just pierced at the fold. For a book, in place of the top set of holes, the thread could wrap around the spine. The example has exaggerated holes for clarity. It would work and look better with a smaller needle and soft covers.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevHeRPinfnkCABYlJjdhU5uTYB5-DCg7puALyhoVkPmTQxKyVhniHqfPtPA4rwnpZoPWf5p-5oLQkIIXKr1iKKK-7f1hwGUUidog0MBeEqtZCpM6WbKEZ8NUEOn-N0X_YUF5p8OM97n54mHUGe8M_5OfNV5BSU11qmPYguKlpu30pDfftSnyRzrpyh_A/s3352/IMG_7379.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1420" data-original-width="3352" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevHeRPinfnkCABYlJjdhU5uTYB5-DCg7puALyhoVkPmTQxKyVhniHqfPtPA4rwnpZoPWf5p-5oLQkIIXKr1iKKK-7f1hwGUUidog0MBeEqtZCpM6WbKEZ8NUEOn-N0X_YUF5p8OM97n54mHUGe8M_5OfNV5BSU11qmPYguKlpu30pDfftSnyRzrpyh_A/w400-h170/IMG_7379.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdiYkTu_gAJGvG-WuCYOxDwViG3xrP4L3UcCkYhnoYe8FlPCfcTvqJyCOwfWFTVHaY1-W5I5yVkexk1lVp7wmqxicA9WqkbPpu5KKUD9BcfzY-pEfmoi18CJusnluzZkMRoWGgtLAY4nnJ6qT7erSfCV01DKQudOF_qRIQO0T0-qU7odVPLYCK_M2cdA/s3238/IMG_7380.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1259" data-original-width="3238" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdiYkTu_gAJGvG-WuCYOxDwViG3xrP4L3UcCkYhnoYe8FlPCfcTvqJyCOwfWFTVHaY1-W5I5yVkexk1lVp7wmqxicA9WqkbPpu5KKUD9BcfzY-pEfmoi18CJusnluzZkMRoWGgtLAY4nnJ6qT7erSfCV01DKQudOF_qRIQO0T0-qU7odVPLYCK_M2cdA/w400-h155/IMG_7380.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Here's the actual pattern. There are four rows of holes. One row instead of holes could be around the edge of the book (as shown above) or the raw edge of cloth (as shown with the corset).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-MHKPR1CDCyEbh0ZVrzXtYTR9pteBfyQ3bYlZtU8w400LjvmXVGTPCq8nde_1UNVIi5vE5UoIyDq08iXU2MnDPZ3huVE6lm1eFGSxuAi6yw-kzotadsoM7td6-kbnOWvQssnkodNPC4DOgbLrrrAj_XfbyOE_mB_ZUkZKloqMVR3wSJo8lSZ-nU9A7g/s4032/IMG_7355.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-MHKPR1CDCyEbh0ZVrzXtYTR9pteBfyQ3bYlZtU8w400LjvmXVGTPCq8nde_1UNVIi5vE5UoIyDq08iXU2MnDPZ3huVE6lm1eFGSxuAi6yw-kzotadsoM7td6-kbnOWvQssnkodNPC4DOgbLrrrAj_XfbyOE_mB_ZUkZKloqMVR3wSJo8lSZ-nU9A7g/w640-h480/IMG_7355.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Natalie Chanin recommends Button Craft Thread; it is heavy duty, keeps the garment together when washed, and shows up well. It would be great for bookbinding as well since it does not break or stretch. I found it at JoAnn's as "Button & Craft" thread. Sewing the corset together plus the edgings took one full spool of 50 yards.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQd6rYXO0LyAMztazo2_JXinwXLMoZoJOoPlhoc9ZqseF_rYwNLLS2hDik-96aDNN9nbACak7FjB8pp9Fk5Sqn6pY_X5hHCS5DnhDnVez4Qr-ed6L-2cq1vj-kP4q1n6rHl0kdV9dK3zlWLO8UCezaZoIxagUz93W7MAH8_DuuXl8WEWGAMnVivYkV8w/s4032/IMG_7356.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQd6rYXO0LyAMztazo2_JXinwXLMoZoJOoPlhoc9ZqseF_rYwNLLS2hDik-96aDNN9nbACak7FjB8pp9Fk5Sqn6pY_X5hHCS5DnhDnVez4Qr-ed6L-2cq1vj-kP4q1n6rHl0kdV9dK3zlWLO8UCezaZoIxagUz93W7MAH8_DuuXl8WEWGAMnVivYkV8w/w640-h480/IMG_7356.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I'm going to name these holes, starting with lower left: <div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>lower (or lower middle zig-zag)</li><li>upper (or upper middle zig-zag)</li><li>top</li><li>and bottom </li></ul>Think about the direction you are sewing as you stitch. When you sew towards the top you will stitch into the upper middle, when you sew towards the bottom, stitch into the lower middle.<br /><div><br /></div><div>1. Knot the thread and come up at lower middle. You are heading toward the top now.</div><div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatfkpyfanCYBxSg-hOJJxqyvzXcx3oU7jXbhArX2RsEKOORHvR9KTw11gXgC9zM7wlwHV-_uNLigrz-I8YBUHVMM7fXZuvwQFsq2rB3i5WutmPSSe5uLiYqknZViaVqSy4aW7o5GGiSnGv_HpE0Y4AlKWHujfbTw4kTKvEvJDgnlAdpv5xJmDGR2XpsM/s4032/IMG_7357.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatfkpyfanCYBxSg-hOJJxqyvzXcx3oU7jXbhArX2RsEKOORHvR9KTw11gXgC9zM7wlwHV-_uNLigrz-I8YBUHVMM7fXZuvwQFsq2rB3i5WutmPSSe5uLiYqknZViaVqSy4aW7o5GGiSnGv_HpE0Y4AlKWHujfbTw4kTKvEvJDgnlAdpv5xJmDGR2XpsM/w640-h480/IMG_7357.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">2. Sew into upper middle hole to make a diagonal stitch.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-wOwf_1cY3NeBPqJqCv1zMUgpUj_MuRVgNfXHzOtHy0ZAgrETndZ5r7EltyjCIThxAWUO7n3M5AuMv0Ive83xsUQZiLZLSds2rTUu-YHTFWKUI-t1hkCpRLVTKteKyC6RF_mDQop-srLL01jwHvd5rOhlCo_x0LTmyokZFU1uzQPpW0JnFZ-a9wTvU0/s4032/IMG_7358.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-wOwf_1cY3NeBPqJqCv1zMUgpUj_MuRVgNfXHzOtHy0ZAgrETndZ5r7EltyjCIThxAWUO7n3M5AuMv0Ive83xsUQZiLZLSds2rTUu-YHTFWKUI-t1hkCpRLVTKteKyC6RF_mDQop-srLL01jwHvd5rOhlCo_x0LTmyokZFU1uzQPpW0JnFZ-a9wTvU0/w640-h480/IMG_7358.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>3. Come up through the top. (This hole is straight up from your last hole.)</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I6KcSJUwOJoBaVECv5tUSn2Rzc20da5n1z9qEd-4sIlkz21YYu3C_1_0QexBlh2vSilMg47_FBbMaIQQ8_oLWqdxw7f7tAhyphenhyphenVjgKdnVX01QSWquyRavy14toREXIDtKs0Bk-s9xQ7QL9fFGRNb18IawQOgzFSfTAU5fqE2FDis0tTxiP1RIWzfMrrB8/s4032/IMG_7359.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I6KcSJUwOJoBaVECv5tUSn2Rzc20da5n1z9qEd-4sIlkz21YYu3C_1_0QexBlh2vSilMg47_FBbMaIQQ8_oLWqdxw7f7tAhyphenhyphenVjgKdnVX01QSWquyRavy14toREXIDtKs0Bk-s9xQ7QL9fFGRNb18IawQOgzFSfTAU5fqE2FDis0tTxiP1RIWzfMrrB8/w640-h480/IMG_7359.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>4. Now you are heading back down. Take your needle under the stitch you just made with the two middles. Sometimes I will say loop it under, sometimes I might say catch the stitch.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsz6uxURms0tji7i0IoEVd8Fl86c-rUf7Yaj3UzhagvIZTYw56xsvWqYT4f40j8SvqoJPnqJnZJdbHRHygluYmNfWjrk0V9_DA-mQCA8TAoD2t6T4pF8v59IZRyLwfvxYRBaUh5FMIwJiU-2hjx59W2JrhWK2MDfEGG7NkqqrrygBOD32Oqsu51dY16o/s4032/IMG_7360.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsz6uxURms0tji7i0IoEVd8Fl86c-rUf7Yaj3UzhagvIZTYw56xsvWqYT4f40j8SvqoJPnqJnZJdbHRHygluYmNfWjrk0V9_DA-mQCA8TAoD2t6T4pF8v59IZRyLwfvxYRBaUh5FMIwJiU-2hjx59W2JrhWK2MDfEGG7NkqqrrygBOD32Oqsu51dY16o/w640-h480/IMG_7360.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">5. Sew down into the next lower middle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsPfe4Va8VeIF8uHPl_NuXj1kCqxv6nPxoezJQpyzNbMYMJWg3hm8jJgEfq9UmMJJcPItrHWjscvt7aGJLs1MxG-hJf4eMbjUd47JdWZS1Ft-cfGHNKmhyphenhyphenF55So8Ni3uDzXvF88UhIOB9pvh9B75E68PmHcabr1uRYG4s9Oc76vOHIuBi8NGqow6PBHs/s4032/IMG_7361.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsPfe4Va8VeIF8uHPl_NuXj1kCqxv6nPxoezJQpyzNbMYMJWg3hm8jJgEfq9UmMJJcPItrHWjscvt7aGJLs1MxG-hJf4eMbjUd47JdWZS1Ft-cfGHNKmhyphenhyphenF55So8Ni3uDzXvF88UhIOB9pvh9B75E68PmHcabr1uRYG4s9Oc76vOHIuBi8NGqow6PBHs/w640-h480/IMG_7361.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6. Sew up from the bottom. (This hole is directly straight down.)</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhICN0cpgfB-HkqJgLhG-7glYK92oVCQcGw5zSI-KeODbWmIBFfVCgUjDdHTuYd3wQTfsSuSdc63o24-obbMxzMaAfMGsuF2B_fTHR6UE8UP06r6BqbZo14AHLokDKhtWSYAr2aa-dpJrjVOpu0tYovZ-qHq5zF00QeEm20sdzneG7m-Z7jLFUooBRatcQ/s4032/IMG_7362.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhICN0cpgfB-HkqJgLhG-7glYK92oVCQcGw5zSI-KeODbWmIBFfVCgUjDdHTuYd3wQTfsSuSdc63o24-obbMxzMaAfMGsuF2B_fTHR6UE8UP06r6BqbZo14AHLokDKhtWSYAr2aa-dpJrjVOpu0tYovZ-qHq5zF00QeEm20sdzneG7m-Z7jLFUooBRatcQ/w640-h480/IMG_7362.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>7. Coming up again. Loop under the stitch.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpKF1nKYTrTCDpPda-wu5VXjp3f6LYRsgWA13QYyr0Jc11JiP5ZILx_CHVdfbNFuMhp37X3_aBHAcDyIIInxZZuqQyBoHAux4sC4Kg5uIxE12-_mAudJ5cgW4LCPzi6sJGkHSkNhrhEGM1wh_leWnJ41DNaHuyhaAeTuc69HCQ-YiGdtSiVsz3kH8ZW8/s4032/IMG_7363.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpKF1nKYTrTCDpPda-wu5VXjp3f6LYRsgWA13QYyr0Jc11JiP5ZILx_CHVdfbNFuMhp37X3_aBHAcDyIIInxZZuqQyBoHAux4sC4Kg5uIxE12-_mAudJ5cgW4LCPzi6sJGkHSkNhrhEGM1wh_leWnJ41DNaHuyhaAeTuc69HCQ-YiGdtSiVsz3kH8ZW8/w640-h480/IMG_7363.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>8. Sew into upper middle (this makes a diagonal stitch again).<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuginxKwrPv4jYMr_TiI0E4d5P_YiPtiiktzcqXF2hCUtl2OdvDeOKrusW3Wt-bzhWBomJjejIbHjQOG3U_jKoLIyiJELHX69tU7xmLuf9jYMgmfyG3KVNnhlLugh5uMxNH0ZCOFYV9GqngHIsS8HHPmk_1rrhKu3RV6DiUgY120QjrMn0Q_gdMuMbVw/s4032/IMG_7364.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuginxKwrPv4jYMr_TiI0E4d5P_YiPtiiktzcqXF2hCUtl2OdvDeOKrusW3Wt-bzhWBomJjejIbHjQOG3U_jKoLIyiJELHX69tU7xmLuf9jYMgmfyG3KVNnhlLugh5uMxNH0ZCOFYV9GqngHIsS8HHPmk_1rrhKu3RV6DiUgY120QjrMn0Q_gdMuMbVw/w640-h480/IMG_7364.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>9. Sew up through the top. (Straight up).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZfi_fN2F11fZK2iYzcgCxpU1pEa_klpbp8POk0I-4frRDUvoo63k5PJjYGzCdl_G7BosVD1aNcA70Isc3x7LszGYdQ-nm8e_1NwzCwDeuD4A9_QLilbqUVgCESMRaBwLok7CZBjxiPsyK7gJm_WV-TprhxVTCP4NBP-hBHuw2PhSV5P6DLxbr1URRDk/s4032/IMG_7365.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZfi_fN2F11fZK2iYzcgCxpU1pEa_klpbp8POk0I-4frRDUvoo63k5PJjYGzCdl_G7BosVD1aNcA70Isc3x7LszGYdQ-nm8e_1NwzCwDeuD4A9_QLilbqUVgCESMRaBwLok7CZBjxiPsyK7gJm_WV-TprhxVTCP4NBP-hBHuw2PhSV5P6DLxbr1URRDk/w640-h480/IMG_7365.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>10. Coming down again. Loop under the diagonal stitch.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PIeVCxM0mvbja38H2llbrgUB_ff9KmZXoArTWZ2ooWiW0Ai_nRZACMNsymcUmuts74Vk6JbM945jky5hKEMgz4_OzgIw64vjGsQuCY4rHYXAZDqcIClx0jSEb8jM8IvfI51ZauSvlFKUIeJ6l4sf0EssoAtJF4aUVTOoDKrTqjJH0JIBjLJPURRtcv0/s4032/IMG_7366.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PIeVCxM0mvbja38H2llbrgUB_ff9KmZXoArTWZ2ooWiW0Ai_nRZACMNsymcUmuts74Vk6JbM945jky5hKEMgz4_OzgIw64vjGsQuCY4rHYXAZDqcIClx0jSEb8jM8IvfI51ZauSvlFKUIeJ6l4sf0EssoAtJF4aUVTOoDKrTqjJH0JIBjLJPURRtcv0/w640-h480/IMG_7366.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>11. Sew down into lower middle (you're going diagonally).<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUsWrbmb-cGq37V-028bj9Dhd3MJhc3tEQqAVq6j96krTPklzoOeHmRxl2T3Z3SSe66HzO5f3IN6AgrAEdHMy7jI_XMJMBhx-SzHPf97k23KyLi4uesMNXI4F3EgegnI04DxVOqALq_Ji0gKrs28mY-yA7ogeBvVhtGv6HgQkqhcc-Q64k1hnyM-ogX-8/s4032/IMG_7367.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUsWrbmb-cGq37V-028bj9Dhd3MJhc3tEQqAVq6j96krTPklzoOeHmRxl2T3Z3SSe66HzO5f3IN6AgrAEdHMy7jI_XMJMBhx-SzHPf97k23KyLi4uesMNXI4F3EgegnI04DxVOqALq_Ji0gKrs28mY-yA7ogeBvVhtGv6HgQkqhcc-Q64k1hnyM-ogX-8/w640-h480/IMG_7367.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>12. Sew up through the bottom (this is straight up).<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAqTHAzh98JqLOfJmoeCVjTYQnCg6ZCnj596RWTLFmRuEwjE678Mlqh59M_3WtqiQIHxWgYo5XWkgXNpKGSnpv0ApLnS9i2HEybQMoCLC_ifMJ_XLj2UcYTqZH0erFnV2fdSoailQivrroFsSok7DQkT9pch3Nh2QRiVRYzp-KD4rrn53ifzEVZc34mY/s4032/IMG_7368.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAqTHAzh98JqLOfJmoeCVjTYQnCg6ZCnj596RWTLFmRuEwjE678Mlqh59M_3WtqiQIHxWgYo5XWkgXNpKGSnpv0ApLnS9i2HEybQMoCLC_ifMJ_XLj2UcYTqZH0erFnV2fdSoailQivrroFsSok7DQkT9pch3Nh2QRiVRYzp-KD4rrn53ifzEVZc34mY/w640-h480/IMG_7368.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>13. Loop under the diagonal stitch.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OvyIwXaOmzMCjJTJywSafEzNNzfNzzAzFQD9xPUMgYktmjZ0O71uaOzJTER4EzW_FXpVryXgMlgaijQTral98RO6hhvS3iB84q9U32wOuPrhVRopcBP-oxcdR7iqv5SpyJua0cZAnrR_drMNg4Eje6Rsznw5crmlzgobpVlOnRZf7gPJBshxSqNeOuk/s4032/IMG_7369.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OvyIwXaOmzMCjJTJywSafEzNNzfNzzAzFQD9xPUMgYktmjZ0O71uaOzJTER4EzW_FXpVryXgMlgaijQTral98RO6hhvS3iB84q9U32wOuPrhVRopcBP-oxcdR7iqv5SpyJua0cZAnrR_drMNg4Eje6Rsznw5crmlzgobpVlOnRZf7gPJBshxSqNeOuk/w640-h480/IMG_7369.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>14. Coming up again. Sew into the upper middle.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTxAkKMDujegapod_GJCdZrSy4n_H7yylNvMhRsGLpa0dUF0B4Ds6phAcZFsv10Lirvz4NzlraXZrG9phW0ZWqpDM21K4rD_3IerIGgv_zND0Tjtj4jvN2pXDYxaf4BxmlBk7qO4whBw99oXfz77Fc4WrAMAXhZK8Yoi2bSt4X6qLKGQani9Zh5QIqAg/s4032/IMG_7370.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTxAkKMDujegapod_GJCdZrSy4n_H7yylNvMhRsGLpa0dUF0B4Ds6phAcZFsv10Lirvz4NzlraXZrG9phW0ZWqpDM21K4rD_3IerIGgv_zND0Tjtj4jvN2pXDYxaf4BxmlBk7qO4whBw99oXfz77Fc4WrAMAXhZK8Yoi2bSt4X6qLKGQani9Zh5QIqAg/w640-h480/IMG_7370.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>You can see the pentagon/house shape emerging, both right-side up and upside down.<div><br /></div><div>15. Sew up at the top.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEugzVF26PD45AUp10PlP1BTcbQZirH0kv-BNvACgIJNxHB1SUp0yJw-bOve9hnpgTrOB7Aro71heNi7ZcgCppMr1QiOICnojKGsDUxxfypvMnaAjmJBRjNJHwBVhQsY31M3BkJIqen_odBAzv2Zq_dO2hTVRW2rW1zjWXai6NsY9h37L8P8-bbVX5tQ/s4032/IMG_7371.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEugzVF26PD45AUp10PlP1BTcbQZirH0kv-BNvACgIJNxHB1SUp0yJw-bOve9hnpgTrOB7Aro71heNi7ZcgCppMr1QiOICnojKGsDUxxfypvMnaAjmJBRjNJHwBVhQsY31M3BkJIqen_odBAzv2Zq_dO2hTVRW2rW1zjWXai6NsY9h37L8P8-bbVX5tQ/w640-h480/IMG_7371.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">16. Coming down again. Go/loop under the diagonal stitch in the direction you are sewing (in this case, as always per these instructions, to the right).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwLYbaRwetbNgInPP6ltOyxlAHDl6nOplnK6S5e73RDJCK6Di8cLF6mdl7OczXE0ydoXT5TiQaeuXLAOjeE_SsnQRQdpW4BD2Gs5GPBtxVX8v3chYbnvuZT08-vMAUZDHFzw_xuHp1V_-tQGvp_Z_GUsbylkee7_397tGio2f7DCe8_hRdbZDQpGv8W0/s4032/IMG_7372.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwLYbaRwetbNgInPP6ltOyxlAHDl6nOplnK6S5e73RDJCK6Di8cLF6mdl7OczXE0ydoXT5TiQaeuXLAOjeE_SsnQRQdpW4BD2Gs5GPBtxVX8v3chYbnvuZT08-vMAUZDHFzw_xuHp1V_-tQGvp_Z_GUsbylkee7_397tGio2f7DCe8_hRdbZDQpGv8W0/w640-h480/IMG_7372.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">17. Sew down into the lower middle hole. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9KOmfG0mK5gcQJyuD3i32J7z9bCyRjzGghNWzogxOol5R13LW52xj0jei7X-_PcTL33_1kkkTe6uQykT5ACMYs6zTqKoPKppwafZajeL_o7475SLE9U45IiRherJQPGG0UGnQZEi8Ql9m3cymiUWSI3e7awDPGh-wZTrxJKbLYg3aqc9ojnooQVrDXs/s4032/IMG_7373.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9KOmfG0mK5gcQJyuD3i32J7z9bCyRjzGghNWzogxOol5R13LW52xj0jei7X-_PcTL33_1kkkTe6uQykT5ACMYs6zTqKoPKppwafZajeL_o7475SLE9U45IiRherJQPGG0UGnQZEi8Ql9m3cymiUWSI3e7awDPGh-wZTrxJKbLYg3aqc9ojnooQVrDXs/w640-h480/IMG_7373.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then continue the pattern: up from the bottom, catch and under, down into the upper, up from the top, catch and under, down into the lower. And so on. Repeat until you've completed the project.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I found that seeing the back helped. You can see how the stitches can either anchor the spine of a book or the raw edge of a cloth edge binding.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutRdQHb6weoGRDpkW-UTfyYpPqpPjjsa7-7FUWzT0cKOw70fYCaTX7-JDZwcTipQ1VrQDcuUckjXOqjijqGnzTpPRbofqBSZHXXwu2TjVGVxO_hQ7RJc6bNTr0W_CBxph3Ubbv7Um8dB5KhBIBruhjUOli6DkkbG5s1eu1kmx7muclRwb-fbI0Ugsn4Q/s4032/IMG_7375.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutRdQHb6weoGRDpkW-UTfyYpPqpPjjsa7-7FUWzT0cKOw70fYCaTX7-JDZwcTipQ1VrQDcuUckjXOqjijqGnzTpPRbofqBSZHXXwu2TjVGVxO_hQ7RJc6bNTr0W_CBxph3Ubbv7Um8dB5KhBIBruhjUOli6DkkbG5s1eu1kmx7muclRwb-fbI0Ugsn4Q/w640-h480/IMG_7375.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">It takes some time to get into the rhythm and get the spacing straight if you haven't marked it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVj6ApDkyJPeHl8sgNWIEZyQR-VMJX0vaefdSCiB26iMoI5uBGnf2AF_xNWjkaLqf94hA2sarmUXBuRhfb_kDu039pN33t_NSw6dAD-Gp39-6Yq_qie16CiRrUT1WVPwH_Y1MKCsuCmcPFyvaIHSxOfV7ASW9ySgbarlygHMbgXG5MA4Bh_Og7j9UVEo/s4032/IMG_7377%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVj6ApDkyJPeHl8sgNWIEZyQR-VMJX0vaefdSCiB26iMoI5uBGnf2AF_xNWjkaLqf94hA2sarmUXBuRhfb_kDu039pN33t_NSw6dAD-Gp39-6Yq_qie16CiRrUT1WVPwH_Y1MKCsuCmcPFyvaIHSxOfV7ASW9ySgbarlygHMbgXG5MA4Bh_Og7j9UVEo/w640-h480/IMG_7377%202.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUNooRDyxr_6LF57pE-8F_CujYnK4rIjVSyrdMRE1OYRxG82ZH_3vA_nYLggo6Sbg4SNmKZZTwJR2aNnNnq2Trjwj4CsxkJXE8xCLMtAV2nnR3uwJbOloL8x7S2zZLeGxTYI11uxU_EuD3sGcn9TE0w_hHyW9YZq1YaSYSs8h4I4w8TJZj1ymUJXU5bg/s4032/IMG_7378%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUNooRDyxr_6LF57pE-8F_CujYnK4rIjVSyrdMRE1OYRxG82ZH_3vA_nYLggo6Sbg4SNmKZZTwJR2aNnNnq2Trjwj4CsxkJXE8xCLMtAV2nnR3uwJbOloL8x7S2zZLeGxTYI11uxU_EuD3sGcn9TE0w_hHyW9YZq1YaSYSs8h4I4w8TJZj1ymUJXU5bg/w640-h480/IMG_7378%202.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>The Cretan Stitch is a traditional stitch: my friend at <a href="http://www.textilestudio.com" target="_blank">Arts & Crafts Period Textiles</a> (my collaborator on <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2023/09/book-art-video-letters-of-transit-bird.html" target="_blank">Letters of Transit: Bird Passports</a>) pointed it out in a little booklet from 1964 that she's had since she was a child.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-dBU30IYOMFn98_aHUkX_tvKDUuR09vYdjLYPmd-50l1dO5Ynai6bthF5pXwiRkIK8j3ctkpPZduI3dLTW1uv-_hu19dtIa-TV5VE2-jItJEDD6mot_bkJZm96Fv0hvKwN5E0ca0Wny9DrqEc6P0oBV7bXRJ3gqPy9ETZsGnN9jdI2q4LS5AOs1WfOw/s1117/image000000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1117" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-dBU30IYOMFn98_aHUkX_tvKDUuR09vYdjLYPmd-50l1dO5Ynai6bthF5pXwiRkIK8j3ctkpPZduI3dLTW1uv-_hu19dtIa-TV5VE2-jItJEDD6mot_bkJZm96Fv0hvKwN5E0ca0Wny9DrqEc6P0oBV7bXRJ3gqPy9ETZsGnN9jdI2q4LS5AOs1WfOw/w400-h379/image000000.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="text-align: center;">The Alabama Chanin brand uses organic cotton knit or vintage t-shirts for all their clothes. Spoonflower has organic cotton knit that can be ordered with any decorative pattern printed on it (including mine, shown <a href="https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/everbird" target="_blank">here</a>). I cut this corset from stretch velvet. </span>And I just ordered the "Factory Dress" pattern. I'm going to hand dye some <a href="https://www.dharmatrading.com/fabric/cotton/cotton-jersey-60-inch.html" target="_blank">cotton jersey from Dharma</a> for the dress. Making a garment is satisfying.<br /><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Corset front</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSm7JUlukaf_wKzvmMh_P0AbXL3eUu8PCqwodm0pNKqpshV3HIbXBUo2Flp-6THwAZCDtt7mgi7FYPOfmg322nS1hC4AH_BpSM_Vacc5KdckzDSgbZNKYsFEzVfEuKybFWrJgFwtqDK-zXSdDL0reu6UlXNCViprogA4w105H4ymmd2BAUQL5gA-SPR1o/s3355/IMG_7393-corset.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3355" data-original-width="2525" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSm7JUlukaf_wKzvmMh_P0AbXL3eUu8PCqwodm0pNKqpshV3HIbXBUo2Flp-6THwAZCDtt7mgi7FYPOfmg322nS1hC4AH_BpSM_Vacc5KdckzDSgbZNKYsFEzVfEuKybFWrJgFwtqDK-zXSdDL0reu6UlXNCViprogA4w105H4ymmd2BAUQL5gA-SPR1o/w482-h640/IMG_7393-corset.jpeg" width="482" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Corset back</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDPpO-fsGVIQnlCgJSNG1SbawzI3Z_fgzA8-eXI7leKlZ771oRparb8jJWGjOPOTPLld6KF85mHd-iIbFRZ8n8r7V1JfG468YPJtE0f7TfW_2SIjEnpfWXdok986h3Txs78ZO7_i6Xka3FF6LsjeKuoFDgo0TM_RCy8yYLFIhSmUFtjnTXcpbgw8a1NY/s3113/IMG_7394-corset-back.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3113" data-original-width="2463" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDPpO-fsGVIQnlCgJSNG1SbawzI3Z_fgzA8-eXI7leKlZ771oRparb8jJWGjOPOTPLld6KF85mHd-iIbFRZ8n8r7V1JfG468YPJtE0f7TfW_2SIjEnpfWXdok986h3Txs78ZO7_i6Xka3FF6LsjeKuoFDgo0TM_RCy8yYLFIhSmUFtjnTXcpbgw8a1NY/w506-h640/IMG_7394-corset-back.jpeg" width="506" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-11329148872688687692024-02-06T07:30:00.000-08:002024-02-06T07:30:00.130-08:00Art Quilt(s): Waiting for Peace to Land<p>When the rain stops after forty days and forty nights, Noah first sends out a raven, then a dove (three times) as scouts, hoping for a time when it will be safe for his family and the animals to disembark the ark. When will the flood be over? The raven flies around and around; we don't know what else it does. The first dove returns to the ark, the second brings back an olive leaf, the third does not return. Later, God sends a rainbow as a promise that humanity will not be wiped out again.</p><p>These two connected quilts are inspired by the story of the birds from Noah's ark and that promise. The title is a comment on the biblical story as well as what is happening in the world today. We can feel divisions across many aspects of our lives: loss of friends to arguments and beliefs, as well as misguided social media postings, and misdirected anger, among other things. And it's complicated, complex, and in certain circumstances, nearly impossible to reconcile. We have to hold so many conflicting ideas in our heads at once. We have to find peace within ourselves as well as in the world.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJKbKxXbwAJjZ_D5orNeWmioGMxtiuj1knQpRqERVyB-ACXDA1fZTfDg3Gf-zte9_pa5A6QT4A82fi4Pkpcc1Jiw_9u6wLDvCg2etUhT6bR-SEEzAyyHGT22Q42h4XBL_Z-fDuqnEaD-4rz3U1hs7mBCjJ5_3myIJbzQcoVun3bmnVMcRAZZbHK9XCKA/s3863/IMG_7396-waiting-for-peace-to-land.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2012" data-original-width="3863" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJKbKxXbwAJjZ_D5orNeWmioGMxtiuj1knQpRqERVyB-ACXDA1fZTfDg3Gf-zte9_pa5A6QT4A82fi4Pkpcc1Jiw_9u6wLDvCg2etUhT6bR-SEEzAyyHGT22Q42h4XBL_Z-fDuqnEaD-4rz3U1hs7mBCjJ5_3myIJbzQcoVun3bmnVMcRAZZbHK9XCKA/w640-h334/IMG_7396-waiting-for-peace-to-land.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Waiting for Peace to Land</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">12"w x 12"h (30 cm x 30 cm)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hand-stenciled birds on cotton; velvet, linen, silk binding; seed beads; reverse appliqué; embroidery; beading; hand quilted</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Detail, doves:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGamFp3q1Zy_5aZYafRxTOHBVcC4iyumDlowubFbIDYDap6Z0G3-eRYMdom7pGzvmU6-EAw4NZMfp7j6EjThBZmxdRwM16_L0kjvbCMyjzpChv8PZWlw2E8t4HqkrL7btJj9dWDwGk94-IgXfaYLRME4sAO0YceT2HgrG2z_N-oLcEJh-umq0S8vBc3K4/s1500/IMG_7385-detail-waiting-for-peace-doves.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGamFp3q1Zy_5aZYafRxTOHBVcC4iyumDlowubFbIDYDap6Z0G3-eRYMdom7pGzvmU6-EAw4NZMfp7j6EjThBZmxdRwM16_L0kjvbCMyjzpChv8PZWlw2E8t4HqkrL7btJj9dWDwGk94-IgXfaYLRME4sAO0YceT2HgrG2z_N-oLcEJh-umq0S8vBc3K4/w640-h480/IMG_7385-detail-waiting-for-peace-doves.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Backs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2obDID580KPTEzE1Q3czaOINX-MNw5-ZhAeKitwga1G3hUi3CnYj8Woqq9PUdkbsYE321I7_9rah7tuLJJoO46Wj6nkIkbaeR807q8EuwJEigf3UrTPa0myqEcwp-qdAq2_U3tJms-P4K0WNLAYeDcYdDbPDDG5JhV7R0gnS-D8B8DLM7W1kwbpY-h8/s4032/IMG_7391-backs.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2187" data-original-width="4032" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2obDID580KPTEzE1Q3czaOINX-MNw5-ZhAeKitwga1G3hUi3CnYj8Woqq9PUdkbsYE321I7_9rah7tuLJJoO46Wj6nkIkbaeR807q8EuwJEigf3UrTPa0myqEcwp-qdAq2_U3tJms-P4K0WNLAYeDcYdDbPDDG5JhV7R0gnS-D8B8DLM7W1kwbpY-h8/w640-h348/IMG_7391-backs.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In 2019, I created an interpretation of the raven's story as <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2019/08/birds-of-bible-raven.html" target="_blank">book art</a>, then as a video of the book <a href="https://youtu.be/fUPRQgARbjE?si=frZurrQtxQm7OyfD" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">GENESIS</div><p></p><p><i>At the end of 40 days, Noah opened the window of the ark he had made and sent out the raven; it went to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. </i>(8.6-8.7)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p><i>Then he sent out the dove to see whether the waters had decreased from the surface of the ground. But the dove could not find a resting place for its foot and returned to him to the ark, for there was water all over the earth. So putting out his hand, he took it into the ark with him. He waited another seven days, and again sent the dove out from the ark. The dove came back to him toward evening, and there in its bill was a plucked-off olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the waters had decreased on the earth. He waited still another seven days and sent the dove forth; and it did not return to him any more.</i> (8.8-8.12)</p><p><i>When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between G-d and all living creatures, all flesh that is on earth. </i>(8.16)</p></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-87450224822334576722024-01-30T07:30:00.000-08:002024-01-30T07:30:00.141-08:00Art Quilt: We're Gonna Live in the Trees + Quilting Gloves<p>Sometimes a collection of materials becomes a series, of sorts. I still had scraps left over from <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2024/01/art-quilt-owl-construction.html" target="_blank">Owl Construction</a>, and <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2024/01/art-quilt-heartstrings.html" target="_blank">Heartstrings</a> and <a href="https://star82review.com/11.4/golden-division.html" target="_blank">Division</a>, all of which were made with extra pieces from <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2023/12/art-quilt-wheres-owl.html" target="_blank">Where's Owl</a> and <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2023/12/art-quilt-home-more-or-less.html" target="_blank">Home More or Less</a>, so I pieced together one last relative, adding more scraps, based on a song by Robyn Hitchcock of the same name, "<a href="https://youtu.be/yyasvS_YUpw?si=WS7CWisiduBVW61F" target="_blank">We're Gonna Live in the Trees</a>." </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-s8Mh8FgjDApicejsfEWi1AhdVtyXr-bSxUQBEmgBsm3V-35UOvuDt-z5lVuFfr3JeyZsYBmtqm_EKorjjsR0fC9Ia8w5FbzaPJVghzdZxKzcJ1fZYNvyDiFos4-vghndIiN9vAdRDhve6rQLdauo4RmYIakHo2KbldufXBMj9li0gBBZwjsicoBFxc/s3887/IMG_7336.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3887" data-original-width="2465" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-s8Mh8FgjDApicejsfEWi1AhdVtyXr-bSxUQBEmgBsm3V-35UOvuDt-z5lVuFfr3JeyZsYBmtqm_EKorjjsR0fC9Ia8w5FbzaPJVghzdZxKzcJ1fZYNvyDiFos4-vghndIiN9vAdRDhve6rQLdauo4RmYIakHo2KbldufXBMj9li0gBBZwjsicoBFxc/w406-h640/IMG_7336.jpeg" width="406" /></a></div><b><br /></b><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>We're Gonna Live in the Trees</b><br />15.75 x 27.5" (40 cm x 70 cm)<br />Letterpress printing from wood type on cotton; found cotton; stenciled cotton; Japanese yarn-dyed cotton; cotton thread; embroidery; free-motion quilting</p><p style="text-align: center;">Detail:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWFv34JZBSRvVy3UW50EGN3Ko5DHa7RjVDuU9_hy95eYglyD0cNOiHzAGZo-b59vFupoe64Mh6jlO5jyUKUPfPlmdqZ8XPfd_E7yUhNrXdRAWJt802lSUMBqw2BsCexc8I4vRTQ90oQrvSk1Sbe90Q8jZaQnsfXCYmOXrDNZkl05mqhZMhwDAzOD4GWM/s4032/IMG_7333.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWFv34JZBSRvVy3UW50EGN3Ko5DHa7RjVDuU9_hy95eYglyD0cNOiHzAGZo-b59vFupoe64Mh6jlO5jyUKUPfPlmdqZ8XPfd_E7yUhNrXdRAWJt802lSUMBqw2BsCexc8I4vRTQ90oQrvSk1Sbe90Q8jZaQnsfXCYmOXrDNZkl05mqhZMhwDAzOD4GWM/w480-h640/IMG_7333.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I used variegated thread for the free-motion quilting, thinking about the patterns in bark. To finish it off, I hand-stitched outlines of leaves.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Back:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DVnlcw6TXzE0Nsf2vDQV6dVJcmZ-1BtkPZYRf8StSJDSFRzm6vyjDahf65NlwymIJBwphxRpm4Ua4Mdo5emNIcFlU8TXXDYdDFzBGuw5oF-jpUwe8UiEguZx28BREZwRH_AC_460u6GQ384Wxg3wUwD67bzAT3CAF_CI8BqPkS9DgJmPLGSXOHg_1AY/s3989/IMG_7331.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3989" data-original-width="2406" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DVnlcw6TXzE0Nsf2vDQV6dVJcmZ-1BtkPZYRf8StSJDSFRzm6vyjDahf65NlwymIJBwphxRpm4Ua4Mdo5emNIcFlU8TXXDYdDFzBGuw5oF-jpUwe8UiEguZx28BREZwRH_AC_460u6GQ384Wxg3wUwD67bzAT3CAF_CI8BqPkS9DgJmPLGSXOHg_1AY/w386-h640/IMG_7331.jpeg" width="386" /></a></div><p>I've continued reading many books about birds and trees and the environment and feeling more and more that we are all tightly connected. What we do in one area affects another. The frames of our buildings are wood; we are already living in the trees. Are we? Aren't we?</p><p>*</p><p>And Then There Were Quilting Gloves.</p><p>When I was free-motion quilting <i>Owl Construction</i> I wore the little grippy fingertips I had gotten at Daiso (a kind of Japanese dollar store) for a couple of dollars (the package has five); they are cute and have been serviceable, but they occasionally fall off. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgN2uMGcgaN41s0evKQ_ZQIUXVHuZQojqZqV50IMxjtTrq2NmxlSpl-BzeHyiHQoMQEIa37Y9wfgrAHZ5ftrWXlY7JLSXyc0mju6sw8vbitGxBmiflnrC7D-Zo7Zqn5Ri-Z2cYmOXK1W6gbdIedTZ3MqDEoEx2nZC3wg7p-kGlv2K9TMtkVZIPxQY96vFI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgN2uMGcgaN41s0evKQ_ZQIUXVHuZQojqZqV50IMxjtTrq2NmxlSpl-BzeHyiHQoMQEIa37Y9wfgrAHZ5ftrWXlY7JLSXyc0mju6sw8vbitGxBmiflnrC7D-Zo7Zqn5Ri-Z2cYmOXK1W6gbdIedTZ3MqDEoEx2nZC3wg7p-kGlv2K9TMtkVZIPxQY96vFI=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />I also started getting hand cramps in my left hand. I had read about some quilting gloves with grippy tips; I ordered some <a href="https://amzn.to/47Xzgq4" target="_blank">Machingers</a> (Amazon link) and tried them out for <i>We're Gonna Live in the Trees</i>. They are comfortable, breathable, and the grippy tips are just grippy enough to let me guide the cloth and even lift my hand to move it without stalling the process. I wish I had gotten them sooner. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_TufdQSfunxJt9wgg3cLDIP9KmbHZI1I2wHhUKGnhWxKzDXR2nGpDFB3Nmkn0CKRPNBFljL7JJIkj4b9TWdD2g84rKkKdeseYJ0B0nc_6lUd1Ee_ihfnZEvFba0I0HuQBQbtiWOe3VTwaY2rEzU7CX7qoOT0MnzkUPJ1Mz0tdfnFRP9aIiynUIJqsSpQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_TufdQSfunxJt9wgg3cLDIP9KmbHZI1I2wHhUKGnhWxKzDXR2nGpDFB3Nmkn0CKRPNBFljL7JJIkj4b9TWdD2g84rKkKdeseYJ0B0nc_6lUd1Ee_ihfnZEvFba0I0HuQBQbtiWOe3VTwaY2rEzU7CX7qoOT0MnzkUPJ1Mz0tdfnFRP9aIiynUIJqsSpQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />The sizes run rather large. The Amazon page shows a picture of how to tell what size you need, except no measurements are given! This is what I measured when the package arrived:<p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>XS 6.25" (16 cm)</li><li>S/M 7.0" (17.8 cm)</li><li>M/L 7.75" (19.7 cm)</li><li>XL 8.5"(21.5 cm)</li></ul><div>The size is measured from the base of the palm to your tallest finger. The XS are perfect for me and my hand measures 6.75" (17 cm). Another note: A friend tried the S/M but sent them back for the XS.</div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe you already know about them. Maybe you even have a pair. But if not and you need a better grip on your sewing, well, check them out! And happy stitching!</div><p></p>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-20631506398524505652024-01-28T09:55:00.000-08:002024-01-28T09:55:29.906-08:00Book Art Video: Epictetus: Once Said a Stoic<p>When we experience pain or a loss, we instinctively seek comfort. Some find it in religion, the arts, food, substances, exercise, or many other things. In 2003, after our son died, we started reading Stoic philosophy, starting with Epictetus, who lived in the first century. He was an enslaved man, could not walk, and when he was free he taught his philosophy of life.</p><p>My understanding of the philosophy is not that you keep a "stiff upper lip" as the saying goes, but that you accept responsibility for the things you can control and the choices you make. If you want to go somewhere, for example, and know there is a chance that something you won't like will happen there, you accept it if it does. You don't have to like it, but you don't get angry about it or blame others or blame yourself for going. You have a choice how you respond.</p><p>To remind myself, and perhaps be of help to others, I printed a miniature book with brief excerpts from Epictetus. I've posted a longer video of it at my channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@nevermindtheart" target="_blank">never mind</a> and embedded it, below. There still may be a few copies left <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/242026476/once-said-a-stoic-epictetus?click_key=afd8d7d17bca189463998c266e18fe0640a4acf8%3A242026476&click_sum=0a045653&ref=shop_home_feat_1&frs=1" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><b>Epictetus: Once Said a Stoic</b></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sHIsRCfDAO8?si=CXYa2ZFzdE8k7JGh" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-38314613622045725192024-01-23T07:30:00.000-08:002024-01-23T07:30:00.128-08:00Art Quilt: Keystones<p> A friend had recommended a book of embroidery stitches by Natalie Chanin, but I had forgotten the title and ended up checking out the newest book, <a href="https://amzn.to/47FQ7NI" target="_blank">Embroidery Threads and Stories from Alabama Chanin and the School of Making</a> (Amazon associates link). It's a beautiful book, published by Abrams, and I was over-the-top inspired by the technique of merging stencil and reverse appliqué, both of which I have done before, but not together. </p><p>The photos are luscious, the story exciting for anyone working in textiles, I think. I like the raw-edge style and the simple, almost scrappy, way the clothes are sewn together, making them beautiful and lively works of art in themselves. I looked at the <a href="https://alabamachanin.com" target="_blank">Alabama Chanin website</a> and saw a fitted dress they sell, all handmade, for $1238. I can see why. The "<a href="https://alabamachanin.com/products/swatch-of-the-month-2024" target="_blank">Swatch of the Month</a>" gives you a good idea of the style/technique.</p><p>I had to try this out. Several months ago, while working on the otter, kelp, and seaweed quilts, <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2023/10/art-quilt-hidden-otter.html" target="_blank">The Hidden Otter</a>, <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2023/10/art-quilt-kelp-kelp-garibaldi.html" target="_blank">Kelp Kelp Garibaldi</a>, <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2023/11/art-quilt-kelp-kelp-otter.html" target="_blank">Kelp Kelp Otter</a>, and <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2023/11/art-quilt-kelp-sea-gold.html" target="_blank">Kelp: Sea Gold</a>, I had created and stenciled some kelp over an otter print I had designed and hand dyed, but couldn't find a use for it. Here is where it could work.</p><p>In the <a href="https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams/sea-otter-cam" target="_blank">otter patter at the Monterey Bay Aquarium narrated feeding</a> (check it out at 10:30, 1:30 and/or 3:30pm Pacific Time) the naturalists always mention that the Southern Sea Otter is a "keystone species," protecting the kelp by eating the purple urchins that can decimate it. The kelp is home to numerous small creatures and it functions as a forest by using carbon dioxide and creating oxygen and sugar. The two together, in my mind, are "keystones."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVliZ85bmWGSGKhHkwIPXOVdJ5pA8Wkehva_jhQtKPRGe7sl9GBUpmknlCzfsP_GGjOPFhMSzlKDj80T4BS9GZae_OLFhc1qvRiuv32I-h488Ksr3hM_JXOb2rRN7RsUYeLfm1sqHUNy20VZO5wjXZRhGRqWae7WfNFALV4hBSqIJ5dI1KT52CeBG3MOc/s3920/IMG_7273-keystones.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3920" data-original-width="1411" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVliZ85bmWGSGKhHkwIPXOVdJ5pA8Wkehva_jhQtKPRGe7sl9GBUpmknlCzfsP_GGjOPFhMSzlKDj80T4BS9GZae_OLFhc1qvRiuv32I-h488Ksr3hM_JXOb2rRN7RsUYeLfm1sqHUNy20VZO5wjXZRhGRqWae7WfNFALV4hBSqIJ5dI1KT52CeBG3MOc/w230-h640/IMG_7273-keystones.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Keystones</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">8"w x 24"h (20.5 cm x 61 cm)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hand stenciled on original otter design and hand-dyed cotton; found cotton; velvet; Japanese yarn-dyed cotton; reverse appliqué; embroidery thread; hand quilted</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhTBy_3twmV1KYt8iEj7sVVfdEGlR_aEUMQOMMJz00a6iYHMfmlM6DJzPJcnXkwrWZ06StNDUImgy7YCgMSG7mAf1cIYYnt2s4WX2TOgb5Q_Yz6yrr2N5_sQP2mny8UD_hyphenhyphenLiLHr4S1oNWMXbmYaQqEYpF3flU7xQYIDwN_qVuAIudIxnvOq4ZCH7gNk/s4032/IMG_7278.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhTBy_3twmV1KYt8iEj7sVVfdEGlR_aEUMQOMMJz00a6iYHMfmlM6DJzPJcnXkwrWZ06StNDUImgy7YCgMSG7mAf1cIYYnt2s4WX2TOgb5Q_Yz6yrr2N5_sQP2mny8UD_hyphenhyphenLiLHr4S1oNWMXbmYaQqEYpF3flU7xQYIDwN_qVuAIudIxnvOq4ZCH7gNk/w300-h400/IMG_7278.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BetN8i4PMy3YlgK4Zyd5BFAE_gqkgHiYbAQ-tECNldqU-PNNVGGTJ7rQsTI5MvQxuF5fUBrUM9DkPI-zAqxUGW4Vt3yhMTXpwUX-9Urp0IrYJThpTpXA2dqB_gUxfMTXtRubUDHHsfpF7ZRnvUdwqw4zlOGOvx9h9HN0aM0UoDb-gp8NdALzDcyXinI/s4032/IMG_7279.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BetN8i4PMy3YlgK4Zyd5BFAE_gqkgHiYbAQ-tECNldqU-PNNVGGTJ7rQsTI5MvQxuF5fUBrUM9DkPI-zAqxUGW4Vt3yhMTXpwUX-9Urp0IrYJThpTpXA2dqB_gUxfMTXtRubUDHHsfpF7ZRnvUdwqw4zlOGOvx9h9HN0aM0UoDb-gp8NdALzDcyXinI/w480-h640/IMG_7279.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>The book my friend recommended was actually <a href="https://amzn.to/48zZS1p" target="_blank">The Geometry of Hand-Sewing: A Romance in Stitches and Embroidery from Alabama Chanin and The School of Making</a> (Amazon associates link). There are more books from her with patterns and techniques. I will have to look up the rest as well.</p>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-39324550850580105362024-01-16T07:30:00.000-08:002024-01-16T07:30:00.131-08:00Art Quilt: Owl Construction<p>As I made the <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2024/01/piecing-circle-in-square-challenge.html" target="_blank">turntable covers</a>, I became obsessed with piecing whole circles and began to wonder how I could use them in an actual artwork. I drew some little houses in my journal, staggering them, and they reminded me of bird houses, or bird boxes. Which birds were cavity nesters, who would live in a bird box? Bluebirds, chickadees, Bewick's wrens, and owls. I looked up owl boxes and discovered many of the ones shown have horizontal slats on the front like little ladders. That was it. Owl boxes they would be. I had leftover OWL pieces that I had printed in wood type for <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7380631593644516380/3932455085058010536" target="_blank">Where's Owl</a>, and leftover HOME pieces that I used in <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2023/12/art-quilt-home-more-or-less.html" target="_blank">Home More or Less</a>, and some found cotton printed with a variety of owls.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_pLoUsmanVBC_lVY01FCOrhzz8cXPrVC9MKFeBetGBABlfiNkjQQO57xWtLJOsxbkgozi8ip69aYcK8ObW6wQQ_DywGiy3to-nx0ffzSsx_sWUnunitCFc8g83TtZcrGz71B45uXi6wYOdMdec1oN1BjdOmWQRGwwK8M43xHa3n_n9jn2NBMGfW3DfcI/s2297/owl-construction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2297" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_pLoUsmanVBC_lVY01FCOrhzz8cXPrVC9MKFeBetGBABlfiNkjQQO57xWtLJOsxbkgozi8ip69aYcK8ObW6wQQ_DywGiy3to-nx0ffzSsx_sWUnunitCFc8g83TtZcrGz71B45uXi6wYOdMdec1oN1BjdOmWQRGwwK8M43xHa3n_n9jn2NBMGfW3DfcI/w418-h640/owl-construction.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Owl Construction</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">25"w x 41.5"h (63.5 cm x 105.5 cm)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Letterpress printed from wood type on cotton; found cotton; Japanese cotton yarn-dyed and printed cotton; embroidery thread; free-motion quilted</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't know that the owls in general need human help, that perhaps the owl boxes are mostly for human enjoyment or satisfaction. But certain owls are losing habitats from logging and climate change, so owl boxes can be useful there. For more about owls, Jennifer Ackerman wrote a terrific new book that was quite an inspiration to me, <a href="https://amzn.to/3O4yIqW" target="_blank">What An Owl Knows</a> (Amazon associates link).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And the quilt has a poem, not included:<i> Listen in the dark / night's owl will appear / in another sense.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some details. In these you can see the found owl cloth, some embroidery, and the free-motion quilting reminiscent of leaves or branches.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDCCYI7bRUpoKzog-G4o1vK_WYvUxBMvoe99M-Z8kGLyhRUGJO1HOUm1BXioRUdC20fKEGPUzb0K9Bn4KK4grCwRDDj944Ll74DkRNKpaPlBwiHHsGFlEYYwPEaEIfMojHmblVf6JHuUb5O_yI0e8mJ664jdcCLxyP-6GHIStP2BdyRt26ot4dfAdXqc/s4032/IMG_7255.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDCCYI7bRUpoKzog-G4o1vK_WYvUxBMvoe99M-Z8kGLyhRUGJO1HOUm1BXioRUdC20fKEGPUzb0K9Bn4KK4grCwRDDj944Ll74DkRNKpaPlBwiHHsGFlEYYwPEaEIfMojHmblVf6JHuUb5O_yI0e8mJ664jdcCLxyP-6GHIStP2BdyRt26ot4dfAdXqc/w480-h640/IMG_7255.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIV4BJQcxOTwhW5UE8YLvoF2FeH8o7xVnjLSrnxRuYgDsXpvZBKX56r32C8n8Bg7VAtDNaCdwdFdjj9VykAtWoqPGcxxBvFXnnGWvRjr0C95oZldd2a75wLw6l7PvXm0Uh9KUz05VdO2iqPG3u9lc0eiQ_aTNP5OrMgBfJ7CcVUhChT41uBIW8Vjmamg/s4032/IMG_7256.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIV4BJQcxOTwhW5UE8YLvoF2FeH8o7xVnjLSrnxRuYgDsXpvZBKX56r32C8n8Bg7VAtDNaCdwdFdjj9VykAtWoqPGcxxBvFXnnGWvRjr0C95oZldd2a75wLw6l7PvXm0Uh9KUz05VdO2iqPG3u9lc0eiQ_aTNP5OrMgBfJ7CcVUhChT41uBIW8Vjmamg/w480-h640/IMG_7256.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpYIl5XFgDg1OFvwc9AyGPa9w10cBmQZVZjl1PRsNO_aQPSvHblt7JqSuJYMzWt8adTDY2ynKneT6yz1SPL6Uwv2zOBreXJ0gS1dFeDSRyAJFo7RJflYYBVrRqy6YgfgdIPoRUix8wRLazKPu_HXbdGIsW2_26bHIGwEocKvt7E8gfzhfxCGLJtXWG4o/s4032/IMG_7257.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpYIl5XFgDg1OFvwc9AyGPa9w10cBmQZVZjl1PRsNO_aQPSvHblt7JqSuJYMzWt8adTDY2ynKneT6yz1SPL6Uwv2zOBreXJ0gS1dFeDSRyAJFo7RJflYYBVrRqy6YgfgdIPoRUix8wRLazKPu_HXbdGIsW2_26bHIGwEocKvt7E8gfzhfxCGLJtXWG4o/w480-h640/IMG_7257.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And the back.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxI8Kt822oLdAn93vRyLTaBbLSbZGkiSv3K4vmLmfrNdOAUzu2R2mevFU5EVx-Ff1wtQiilgxU-hhyphenhyphenWB4iiVYl2JIsUkg94b2hhDaoZpS65aSotW3hbr2QJJTRZoMbb1H0qPdRbOjJqnpkHnVhJZMEjPLrZ-e2qVZr57rA2HYTVZJE_GYXSD8xl1x3I4/s3808/IMG_7271-owl-construction-back.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3808" data-original-width="2367" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxI8Kt822oLdAn93vRyLTaBbLSbZGkiSv3K4vmLmfrNdOAUzu2R2mevFU5EVx-Ff1wtQiilgxU-hhyphenhyphenWB4iiVYl2JIsUkg94b2hhDaoZpS65aSotW3hbr2QJJTRZoMbb1H0qPdRbOjJqnpkHnVhJZMEjPLrZ-e2qVZr57rA2HYTVZJE_GYXSD8xl1x3I4/w398-h640/IMG_7271-owl-construction-back.jpeg" width="398" /></a></div><br /><div>Although this quilt is part of my continued interest in birds and nature, it is also a continued look at housing. It may be a debatable idea or voluntary action to build boxes for birds, but it is fairly inexpensive and easy to do. On a larger scale, we know we still need to build more housing for people. A harder problem and project.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-66359080414612429562024-01-09T07:30:00.000-08:002024-01-09T07:30:00.137-08:00Eco Dye Experiment: Avocado Pits<p>I like flipping through quilting books in the library with the hope that something will reach out and grab me. There are traditional style quilts shown, which are helpful if I want to learn a traditional pattern, and art quilt books that can be either breathtaking or same-old/same-old, and books that are in between. </p><p>I found one recently that I decided to buy by Rachel May, <i><a href="https://amzn.to/47ghRbJ" target="_blank">Quilting with a Modern Slant</a></i> (amazon associate link). It has a nice mix of styles and techniques and approaches, great examples, and a few short instructions. Mostly it is a book of inspiration and stories behind the quilts and quilters. Not a beginner's book. But there are a few "how-tos" included.</p><p>I was particularly intrigued by the tutorial by Sasha Duerr on pp. 152-153: "Dyeing with Avocado Pits." What? Just boil them with the cloth and you get pink or maroon? Add an iron solution to turn it gray or blue or black? Neat! Must try, I thought. So I saved avocado pits. Once I had a dozen, I put them in a pot with water to boil.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJvTR7Agv_hxc6hxU038S1T3fW9jj8KseOIj733UVWkP3D3Y5Nba_7BFk5lUr0cdWM_S70gbgE6ZvwOezb3G7ZiJGtCmAJpNwlhvNb_AnuKzgoqblUSWi_1d4yuYVTY1LJe7I4XsqWpTpliAPqMlvKNK6l4qouiM-ghXrSjXx9IRqfHiOSroywHkmgBo/s4032/IMG_7145.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJvTR7Agv_hxc6hxU038S1T3fW9jj8KseOIj733UVWkP3D3Y5Nba_7BFk5lUr0cdWM_S70gbgE6ZvwOezb3G7ZiJGtCmAJpNwlhvNb_AnuKzgoqblUSWi_1d4yuYVTY1LJe7I4XsqWpTpliAPqMlvKNK6l4qouiM-ghXrSjXx9IRqfHiOSroywHkmgBo/w480-h640/IMG_7145.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p>I can't say I got the rich colors she describes, but it was an interesting experiment that I documented as I went along. After about 40 minutes, it looked like this:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDlDi0F7V976FOHI8dz3hPq5iZjgoWYdzOUXSwiIhh3E8MDZkXTuUNFOf5Yy4_UhBrf4JITsLJ4XWuciqa5aX4mLp6HfCCpE9PEGNKeu4ZQYyjBFlXwxdlE6llhKAXvgkV2IQktWWi_jFUGXS8G0Xjm2UDrvQmzA3-AsZ4aAfb7woF8HNI-jZRtyIgjI/s4032/IMG_7148.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDlDi0F7V976FOHI8dz3hPq5iZjgoWYdzOUXSwiIhh3E8MDZkXTuUNFOf5Yy4_UhBrf4JITsLJ4XWuciqa5aX4mLp6HfCCpE9PEGNKeu4ZQYyjBFlXwxdlE6llhKAXvgkV2IQktWWi_jFUGXS8G0Xjm2UDrvQmzA3-AsZ4aAfb7woF8HNI-jZRtyIgjI/w480-h640/IMG_7148.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I added the wet cotton cloth after the bath had been simmering about an hour and a half.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5y8Iynkeb_FHQFb0VAxuMrs70AOX45O96fI7gUB1tcyW0hCbv2y96B3HpTnN5ez_msf-2Dwbcn-_vwo0B9r4sutPYsW6ZsQ2TPrWX99LgIMSRipNniSzKXsecEDcrIBO3PFe5qvQR387LRqpKp4dZH3SN8Jn9a-cSu54_B7vP4z8zuNT5A8xnvWuLS0/s4032/IMG_7151.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5y8Iynkeb_FHQFb0VAxuMrs70AOX45O96fI7gUB1tcyW0hCbv2y96B3HpTnN5ez_msf-2Dwbcn-_vwo0B9r4sutPYsW6ZsQ2TPrWX99LgIMSRipNniSzKXsecEDcrIBO3PFe5qvQR387LRqpKp4dZH3SN8Jn9a-cSu54_B7vP4z8zuNT5A8xnvWuLS0/w480-h640/IMG_7151.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another hour later, I added the homemade iron solution, nearly all of it, eventually.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0wef20Ln5G3-FFi3By8kMP9w1aoHmeF4GfCo5GRKajBPt3OueurwSR8eLQrS7R2vIu_nqzn_P9uDCgAbBobNDmRM_iZp72qsBEaAbXtNGcw0C9bxGC0jG43ux-AFPp6o7yKgQWTByUibaCzC9g5ozF18WEaDZTMSSPNyhOc3t7e8uf0ngBfrKIGN6Gs/s4032/IMG_7146.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0wef20Ln5G3-FFi3By8kMP9w1aoHmeF4GfCo5GRKajBPt3OueurwSR8eLQrS7R2vIu_nqzn_P9uDCgAbBobNDmRM_iZp72qsBEaAbXtNGcw0C9bxGC0jG43ux-AFPp6o7yKgQWTByUibaCzC9g5ozF18WEaDZTMSSPNyhOc3t7e8uf0ngBfrKIGN6Gs/s320/IMG_7146.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLjvcQfq1nzrHiJ73G1bioopjJY2WhI7bX4XDXNt4m0mLDMF3CqmOULJMiPi591qRwDali_noiyv7KRZi2UEhytNckMLJCWZXP1SNT71HFKi6kzUwFD63xHdhXzXOuQHPYD8Xva3nc1R9a1hF8b78I2kBi16FMifcftnXSJqyAncgVPRxSm08JfJZyDc/s4032/IMG_7156.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLjvcQfq1nzrHiJ73G1bioopjJY2WhI7bX4XDXNt4m0mLDMF3CqmOULJMiPi591qRwDali_noiyv7KRZi2UEhytNckMLJCWZXP1SNT71HFKi6kzUwFD63xHdhXzXOuQHPYD8Xva3nc1R9a1hF8b78I2kBi16FMifcftnXSJqyAncgVPRxSm08JfJZyDc/w480-h640/IMG_7156.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It started reacting, as I had hoped.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEget-mW6fPu43RinoLnf9rIFJnwObOCmz-9jP7oTsjFzI9XZdxUI4TXJE0-PbGtaPRVihLTZ8zN6-3ts3vRb_PkaxBFGn8tyLwtL6HadpTnyrv6tfOl2dF53v39oVmm7dnjEjNumMmrH5qfF00uy7qlQ9H41PoJjfaeVkWWvgbme1Tj9cb2GQpKZw5HN-4/s4032/IMG_7159.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEget-mW6fPu43RinoLnf9rIFJnwObOCmz-9jP7oTsjFzI9XZdxUI4TXJE0-PbGtaPRVihLTZ8zN6-3ts3vRb_PkaxBFGn8tyLwtL6HadpTnyrv6tfOl2dF53v39oVmm7dnjEjNumMmrH5qfF00uy7qlQ9H41PoJjfaeVkWWvgbme1Tj9cb2GQpKZw5HN-4/w480-h640/IMG_7159.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p>At first I took photos every twenty minutes, but after adding the iron solution (rusty nails soaked in water/vinegar 2:1; my solution was three weeks old), I didn't see much further change, so I decided to let it soak overnight.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2rKQNOrtFQ2DGxt7Huy9KdpxwlynWazfcrr5YRt7hcgwBTf9yhgqbgOrcjteuQJVD73FjAApmV5coKAGUDTMfRWagT7ZsFFAue7nANb6hxLT5DYcpnCw48PWdYK5kZQ4RfnLmCYZA3hSgX610vR-HpdEkG9cDm3H8fYWSK26lUJP8Ncwkbp0eIGBOPI/s4032/IMG_7160.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2rKQNOrtFQ2DGxt7Huy9KdpxwlynWazfcrr5YRt7hcgwBTf9yhgqbgOrcjteuQJVD73FjAApmV5coKAGUDTMfRWagT7ZsFFAue7nANb6hxLT5DYcpnCw48PWdYK5kZQ4RfnLmCYZA3hSgX610vR-HpdEkG9cDm3H8fYWSK26lUJP8Ncwkbp0eIGBOPI/w480-h640/IMG_7160.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I rinsed it in hot water until I saw no more color escaping, then hung it to dry.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-F6Gp-gX4jeLvcfypEObbO7taPLDlyj7EO9kxhE0EfdzakCFPt8nNf1T3TTVc28pMOSdtOl3W12PT03uSm-rTpwsd-Ot_s0QN0Ure9gUWKIbqs_JcUPP8MFJAKDXdZupJgIKBNoSDUJqj4eKWFNR5pUUjuEZkEX7Bd0kXql-uBtAZmWnP_i50hEqXBqE/s4032/IMG_7161.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-F6Gp-gX4jeLvcfypEObbO7taPLDlyj7EO9kxhE0EfdzakCFPt8nNf1T3TTVc28pMOSdtOl3W12PT03uSm-rTpwsd-Ot_s0QN0Ure9gUWKIbqs_JcUPP8MFJAKDXdZupJgIKBNoSDUJqj4eKWFNR5pUUjuEZkEX7Bd0kXql-uBtAZmWnP_i50hEqXBqE/w640-h480/IMG_7161.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2TCGqZ24vM-nfgto3ZatCNiHZfgUI3UHTh3Wj7M8AdhBKo5B62F3O2Sie-RyQmaOEVCiUhRvzZjjVhgRDPAS0-zqsO9xHinncQwiz59HyTs6xKfQzePj-zyp4yAXcY6pq0aqPaWKBbOaEzP0SLvOlB0wYJpSfVYRiJuX4px6OA13N8yy0-9xrsI4eXU/s4032/IMG_7162.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2TCGqZ24vM-nfgto3ZatCNiHZfgUI3UHTh3Wj7M8AdhBKo5B62F3O2Sie-RyQmaOEVCiUhRvzZjjVhgRDPAS0-zqsO9xHinncQwiz59HyTs6xKfQzePj-zyp4yAXcY6pq0aqPaWKBbOaEzP0SLvOlB0wYJpSfVYRiJuX4px6OA13N8yy0-9xrsI4eXU/w640-h480/IMG_7162.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>When I ironed it out I ended up with a medium light gray with interesting markings. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULpuY-gt2NoNjf343t_uIn5nqrY_9UnoManovHqpysXbCx9upk2wLHe-oZJgWkCGRyNWmkLfmHQQFhdDBKp8HIoaXVZaD0MNBcuRsTzo-b_cqWEGevf7YtsWqpNNCU4Iyl38GOxVdZ4g8s8QUbQEwBB13xyHLoZYd9CnxWVVS05xLf0lOKISaGgyzX4M/s4032/IMG_7163.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULpuY-gt2NoNjf343t_uIn5nqrY_9UnoManovHqpysXbCx9upk2wLHe-oZJgWkCGRyNWmkLfmHQQFhdDBKp8HIoaXVZaD0MNBcuRsTzo-b_cqWEGevf7YtsWqpNNCU4Iyl38GOxVdZ4g8s8QUbQEwBB13xyHLoZYd9CnxWVVS05xLf0lOKISaGgyzX4M/w640-h480/IMG_7163.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IOVhir7bZhUWspmy6G7vWm_WfbCKYDaXIh0iF-3UcXZOejv6De1TchM9lLd3vKEYA_s06ANB587gOGCATjpIl7NoUob9D1AKvSHJkZXbKJvW_qpsXJbpNJSxDffBZw4LbCbnclmD3FOsvqMi2l8pzQHsWQO_Cy-fqIvT9LUXvXwpoeolQ2I2nQT3fH4/s4032/IMG_7164.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IOVhir7bZhUWspmy6G7vWm_WfbCKYDaXIh0iF-3UcXZOejv6De1TchM9lLd3vKEYA_s06ANB587gOGCATjpIl7NoUob9D1AKvSHJkZXbKJvW_qpsXJbpNJSxDffBZw4LbCbnclmD3FOsvqMi2l8pzQHsWQO_Cy-fqIvT9LUXvXwpoeolQ2I2nQT3fH4/w480-h640/IMG_7164.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p>I used about a dozen pits. The only thing I can think of why I didn't get a darker color was that I needed to scour the fabric more. I used a "Ready for Dye (RFD)" cotton, and I don't remember if I had washed it prior to storing it or not. Other variables: she suggests using "fresh" pits, or ones immediately frozen (I kept mine out in a bucket until I needed them); and she suggests the iron solution can be used "after one or two weeks" and mine was three-weeks old.</p><p>But I can use it. I can always use whatever I dye… ; )</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-88196319433802226992024-01-08T15:12:00.000-08:002024-01-08T15:12:40.863-08:00Star 82 Review 11.4 Publication<p>I'm a little behind announcing it, but the 2023 winter issue, 11.4, of Star 82 Review, the online and print literary and art magazine I have been publishing since 2013, is available in both the free online form and a lovely print edition that can be ordered from LULU. </p><p>It's a very special issue because it is filled with more art and art+writing than usual, including collage poems and painted poems. It's a visual feast that, because of its unique qualities, is being printed on thicker glossy paper to make the art really shine. It is star-studded as well, with work from Lisa Kokin, Lauren Ari, Daniel Lehan, Hugh Behm-Steinberg, Sarah Kobrinsky, Howie Good, Richard Herring, and many, many more. I hope you enjoy it.</p><p>Star 82 Review <a href="https://star82review.com/11.4/contents.html" target="_blank">online</a></p><p>Star 82 Review print: more information at <a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/alisa-golden/star-82-review-114/paperback/product-2mmwvpz.html?page=1&pageSize=4" target="_blank">LULU</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDL387TqT3PLSUZ9WAj4vxJWUtIhDQSYC3jOYA9UO3-7NHVlZHHhGcvJkMfJpKYy8s4J7ow5ld3kL4oO0xvxpn7jldmT-6Te97GEF9IvynWQET1qGZcYqyGK04jVbNidFLjvVi43wuHR3dzqmTOlPRSNXJVyXaHnHDYENFX6f4MTIZWCbUMRfc6CzWDc/s1691/00.%20cover-11.4-front-smaller.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1691" data-original-width="1100" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDL387TqT3PLSUZ9WAj4vxJWUtIhDQSYC3jOYA9UO3-7NHVlZHHhGcvJkMfJpKYy8s4J7ow5ld3kL4oO0xvxpn7jldmT-6Te97GEF9IvynWQET1qGZcYqyGK04jVbNidFLjvVi43wuHR3dzqmTOlPRSNXJVyXaHnHDYENFX6f4MTIZWCbUMRfc6CzWDc/w416-h640/00.%20cover-11.4-front-smaller.png" width="416" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-11056224268538909522024-01-04T07:30:00.000-08:002024-01-04T07:30:00.131-08:00Art Quilt: Heartstrings<p>I'm still obsessed with circles, but I had a wholehearted idea for some half hearts. My sweetie was in Covid isolation, and I still had leftover printed pieces from the <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2023/12/art-quilt-home-more-or-less.html" target="_blank">Home More or Less</a> quilt, so it all seemed to fit together.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4ZKSzGe3dBXEwQQN9l26xG7g6_RksXlpX0pGmOrKv3Gxm3yKwkVW09fTZSZwEZyoVlA4dIpSl7_AtTLUTduqYhrJ4KP0gg2Vv6iXhle6M4rBWtuNrKcqJuhuBv-9A7CRc7-dkLpjXukmcB5xZvv9WHqHkCoM1raCHxYsSKDKYQqk-gnmmBayriSVoS8/s4032/IMG_7202-heartstrings-crop-lighter.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1118" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4ZKSzGe3dBXEwQQN9l26xG7g6_RksXlpX0pGmOrKv3Gxm3yKwkVW09fTZSZwEZyoVlA4dIpSl7_AtTLUTduqYhrJ4KP0gg2Vv6iXhle6M4rBWtuNrKcqJuhuBv-9A7CRc7-dkLpjXukmcB5xZvv9WHqHkCoM1raCHxYsSKDKYQqk-gnmmBayriSVoS8/w178-h640/IMG_7202-heartstrings-crop-lighter.jpeg" width="178" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Heartstrings</b><br />8.25"w x 37.25" (21 cm x 94.5 cm)<br />Letterpress printed from wood type on cotton; found cotton; Japanese printed cotton; cotton thread; free-motion and hand quilting</p><p>Some found cloth for the red hearts and backgrounds and strips of Japanese feather-print cloth for the binding. The found red cloth looked a bit feathery as well.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5u1CZTOTD337hCghLplAn6fCD4ppIMko__JctGvkwGfAxlr3wlg-AyxDA2YGzA17GAVR3H-DwJnEswbk6CBhknreUPf_6opuDOjKjZPOa1e8RCmpc8Q5KXsmPFx2kfv7L6WDG4Z_OXEZNV4c19GVll4tUHo7J8mynQxoPHVLIfLeqjTXA3okDvdpabzM/s3969/IMG_7206-detail-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3969" data-original-width="2976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5u1CZTOTD337hCghLplAn6fCD4ppIMko__JctGvkwGfAxlr3wlg-AyxDA2YGzA17GAVR3H-DwJnEswbk6CBhknreUPf_6opuDOjKjZPOa1e8RCmpc8Q5KXsmPFx2kfv7L6WDG4Z_OXEZNV4c19GVll4tUHo7J8mynQxoPHVLIfLeqjTXA3okDvdpabzM/w480-h640/IMG_7206-detail-1.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p>Free-motion strings of hearts in variegated black and white for the quilting as well as hand-stitched half hearts in black, white, and light metallic gold hand stitching.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIalc9BRW0q9m23boCNrLoU2OOrlLo_2Vd-l6L5c-pnibA856blMrl9kx1pm4_y_O3ZNl19y-oDLaYLVxAh8LFO16Til7B_7A-L-S2hDY0VTnI9q433G1QFoX2-oTX2wCZEy80ipj4HkcA9O5Cnf933-BXJwr0b9oy-QrdQBdiNnH4EFheSqKPxGWhwHg/s4032/IMG_7208-detail-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIalc9BRW0q9m23boCNrLoU2OOrlLo_2Vd-l6L5c-pnibA856blMrl9kx1pm4_y_O3ZNl19y-oDLaYLVxAh8LFO16Til7B_7A-L-S2hDY0VTnI9q433G1QFoX2-oTX2wCZEy80ipj4HkcA9O5Cnf933-BXJwr0b9oy-QrdQBdiNnH4EFheSqKPxGWhwHg/w480-h640/IMG_7208-detail-2.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGK0ATriPdzYJ4_6Mrw4RcbqfRMPIQEEDNq6egqdYnO8lwhlYxH0nfxrDkTUEvYyCIqXCU4QdlgEtcIOOFkP4LHZGUUfjqNGeDZaLfZhZ7LS9xre7hlcF2goz19asMXNUqRCLr9yam4ZJIYwsqM6U8bCtip79xY18qfsti74x7D9mdAmJOe9QyqUyul94/s4032/IMG_7209-detail-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGK0ATriPdzYJ4_6Mrw4RcbqfRMPIQEEDNq6egqdYnO8lwhlYxH0nfxrDkTUEvYyCIqXCU4QdlgEtcIOOFkP4LHZGUUfjqNGeDZaLfZhZ7LS9xre7hlcF2goz19asMXNUqRCLr9yam4ZJIYwsqM6U8bCtip79xY18qfsti74x7D9mdAmJOe9QyqUyul94/w480-h640/IMG_7209-detail-3.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The music running through my head throughout the making of this art quilt was Lene Lovich's song from her 1978 <i>Stateless</i> album, "Home." you can see her sing it in a video <a href="https://youtu.be/UQG7AgByOek?si=ISzUIa3hlWEs9EIY" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><p><br /></p>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-41887549001625893422024-01-02T07:30:00.000-08:002024-01-02T07:30:00.241-08:00Piecing a Circle in a Square: A Challenge<p> My sister asked if I would make a cover for their turntable. "Knock yourself out," she said (at least that is what I remember). As usual, I thought about the connection between content and form and came to the conclusion that the project needed to have circles to evoke LPs. I could have made circles by a simple stitch-on, raw-appliqué process. I could have made circles with reverse appliqué. I could have made circles by clamping cloth between two tin can lids and dyeing the fabric. But I wanted to learn something new, and I really wanted it to look like this, so I took on the challenge of piecing a circle in a square.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJ9h9znJLs_ygFM40T2h2J2kqpXnnSDRhM392UjhMVUODAUpEuFKVFosdwQ4-e4SbuD0eNdoiEO0Uq0Cd9ImGpwPj6HuFOClqOffy4gj8U4-tuklZ1D-V6Jjg4KWijwFOMWHoh8F_8IcBQTJLmV4jERgrblGwpJmN8_gHT-DGooNTPYL2_O7ieyuhVm4/s1500/IMG_7125-turntable%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="1500" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJ9h9znJLs_ygFM40T2h2J2kqpXnnSDRhM392UjhMVUODAUpEuFKVFosdwQ4-e4SbuD0eNdoiEO0Uq0Cd9ImGpwPj6HuFOClqOffy4gj8U4-tuklZ1D-V6Jjg4KWijwFOMWHoh8F_8IcBQTJLmV4jERgrblGwpJmN8_gHT-DGooNTPYL2_O7ieyuhVm4/w640-h348/IMG_7125-turntable%20cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I must start by saying that this is hard. It took time. One patch took me 30-40 minutes. I sewed at least a dozen before I was even close to making one look right. And by right I mean with no cloth bunching up. Or maybe a tiny bit. Not perfect. There are many good tutorial videos online but the little details they mention only become obvious as you yourself are sewing around that circle. I had to figure out the adjustments as I went along.</p><p>1. The cutout in the square and the circle cutout to be pieced in are different sizes: the background square's hole is ONE INCH smaller than the circle to be pieced inside it. </p><p>The videos say, "choose a size circle you want, then add one half inch to the main circle and subtract one half inch from the background circle." This allows for a 1/4" seam.</p><p><b>Tools:</b> sewing machine, pins, fabric marking pencil (white for dark fabric, regular pencil okay for lighter fabrics because it will not show in finished piece), 2 circles, one an inch larger than the other (storebought templates, or homemade paper ones), seam ripper or tweezers, spray bottle, iron, ironing board</p><p><b>Materials:</b> cotton fabric, thread</p><p>2. I wanted 4" circles, which are kind of small. I suspect I would have had an easier time with larger circles, perhaps more like 6". I created a pattern in a drawing program (Affinity Designer) for a 4.5" circle and a 3.4" circle and printed it out. I originally made a 3.5" circle, but found the cloth kept bunching up on the outside. I don't know if that tenth of an inch was because of how it printed out or I wasn't cutting exactly or what, but ultimately it made a difference.</p><p>3. I cut out the paper circles and folded the larger one in half and the smaller one in half both ways to make equal quarters, then opened them. I would use these folds when I cut out the cloth.</p><p>4. I trimmed the background fabric pieces to 6" squares, (2" larger than my desired 4" circle). I could have used more margin, but I saw that three circles in a row would fit the project.</p><p>5. I finger pressed the squares in half both ways and diagonal both ways so I had 4 folds/8 sections.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhepfivD5y1QiFr5zEji8wZw2tWH9MdewDZx1eSG1xAbt5S5s3qglASK-QfkJtMEXIeYkHgL1kQwznpLzy-oPo17FGSH-0GGmOVSo0Ebq8og4vMPCR1a2N8n31nV9rXe8gE5zg8488VicheM9CIsmQ10S5jaKWTGdCC2sneHwGnEc2rftUMN6ugaPJas/s1500/IMG_7137-folded%20background.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1467" data-original-width="1500" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhepfivD5y1QiFr5zEji8wZw2tWH9MdewDZx1eSG1xAbt5S5s3qglASK-QfkJtMEXIeYkHgL1kQwznpLzy-oPo17FGSH-0GGmOVSo0Ebq8og4vMPCR1a2N8n31nV9rXe8gE5zg8488VicheM9CIsmQ10S5jaKWTGdCC2sneHwGnEc2rftUMN6ugaPJas/w640-h626/IMG_7137-folded%20background.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>6. I folded the square in half and sandwiched it with the smaller circle, aligning two of the folds. Pinned the half circle down.</p><p>7. Pinching the paper circle at the edge and rotating the cloth as I cut, I carefully trimmed out the background circle. Removed the pin. Opened it up. Marked the folds at the circle edges with a white pencil (dark cloth).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIsNNT0WSe9X_rqJoGnf299pv2Tof5UEg0wDvPO32naBS5hp_Q82uw8Q4Tug8qvbPYFQIeYFbBZTXxOCOmqxvVn_H_zwrYP1GusasbR7g1qohAdOwK75bxcg86ldajAdIZlZFt_2MmZ9nQ151hJXhpXoRp1X5DtfVlIekyirZP9MjNL5w78SwRD-SdLI/s2000/IMG_7138-cutting%20background.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIsNNT0WSe9X_rqJoGnf299pv2Tof5UEg0wDvPO32naBS5hp_Q82uw8Q4Tug8qvbPYFQIeYFbBZTXxOCOmqxvVn_H_zwrYP1GusasbR7g1qohAdOwK75bxcg86ldajAdIZlZFt_2MmZ9nQ151hJXhpXoRp1X5DtfVlIekyirZP9MjNL5w78SwRD-SdLI/w480-h640/IMG_7138-cutting%20background.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwcEEEh6XplBs5Gcrsf_F7KCLeUvbrgv7IgzaUUpUfDdo21Px1yPlTVNcWCmK_nlaEQD_VD8qTptim9VOm-Hg7iNtIJoxUDOvtQIp872PnBaCTdjEi5ht-OHhOFHVdZ95a9-PDRwGoh1w5YiyT9JpoyQe2JthOMx56HDx6s_JwRUskFy-YQ3S2KKMQN4/s1500/IMG_7139-marking%20background.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1477" data-original-width="1500" height="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwcEEEh6XplBs5Gcrsf_F7KCLeUvbrgv7IgzaUUpUfDdo21Px1yPlTVNcWCmK_nlaEQD_VD8qTptim9VOm-Hg7iNtIJoxUDOvtQIp872PnBaCTdjEi5ht-OHhOFHVdZ95a9-PDRwGoh1w5YiyT9JpoyQe2JthOMx56HDx6s_JwRUskFy-YQ3S2KKMQN4/w640-h630/IMG_7139-marking%20background.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>8. Folded a piece of cloth in half and sandwiched the larger paper circle around it. Pinned it. Pinched the paper and carefully cut out the main circle by rotating the cloth as I cut.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzV_E28hH7MOre3orbk34AkME0He3bcl8xfvJJieLHIcsjoGTBmlKF9DMbosfjrtAhSS5JUkEZ81LvfCtUeec43X-HHlxSQ3xMOmYh_t2pbcs5RueWvBmMlPvVRg_7wiIsgyHnNmPko8XDns8iqFmaAoYQC1G8DWDJ4Uanvd_Q1bk7a3-EfUPpL0NSXs/s1759/IMG_7140-cutting%20circle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1759" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzV_E28hH7MOre3orbk34AkME0He3bcl8xfvJJieLHIcsjoGTBmlKF9DMbosfjrtAhSS5JUkEZ81LvfCtUeec43X-HHlxSQ3xMOmYh_t2pbcs5RueWvBmMlPvVRg_7wiIsgyHnNmPko8XDns8iqFmaAoYQC1G8DWDJ4Uanvd_Q1bk7a3-EfUPpL0NSXs/w546-h640/IMG_7140-cutting%20circle.jpg" width="546" /></a></div><br /><p>9. Finger pressed the circle in half, in half again, lined up the folds to fold "diagonally" and the other way as well. These now matched the folds of the background.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwd5zYTdgMfcqPSocOSwFEP_L7f6IzESiMrV8Ts_KQHvWJbJJb81o0n_6DjsnPMtZ1_vBA5FlnKSKGsDZxkplwOpxrdrByT-29NOiv2KmpUMxj8rlPlOjl_3uQYtYsAhnPiHcuwcyCxz5D7IzvI7CSBTblGpm2QOyQhuv3V70FWdiolColIfn39iLwNY/s1500/IMG_7141-marking-aligning.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1335" data-original-width="1500" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwd5zYTdgMfcqPSocOSwFEP_L7f6IzESiMrV8Ts_KQHvWJbJJb81o0n_6DjsnPMtZ1_vBA5FlnKSKGsDZxkplwOpxrdrByT-29NOiv2KmpUMxj8rlPlOjl_3uQYtYsAhnPiHcuwcyCxz5D7IzvI7CSBTblGpm2QOyQhuv3V70FWdiolColIfn39iLwNY/w640-h570/IMG_7141-marking-aligning.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>10. With the right sides of the cloth together, matched up the marks and pinned the circle into the background with the pins on the background side. Pinned one set of marks, then pinned the one set across from it. In the end It looked like a little cup.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwI9q9tQrRMkw224rIhHXEnG_w_i4M22uVzGlW4u_NkWq_VxRK9HmZSKd6DY9IqWJa2SwLIqnOFs7LMw0GAT4CxgOVodTzW-nkX2dx2Gj6uwaC-Mk2w6pOt5f-ac4Ui3l0rAfU5Ja-U1zZuS_9RvqCyzM5ixHW_xsmUhoePVEiwDS6R_uZhwSUsq_8nYA/s2000/IMG_7142-starting%20to%20pin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwI9q9tQrRMkw224rIhHXEnG_w_i4M22uVzGlW4u_NkWq_VxRK9HmZSKd6DY9IqWJa2SwLIqnOFs7LMw0GAT4CxgOVodTzW-nkX2dx2Gj6uwaC-Mk2w6pOt5f-ac4Ui3l0rAfU5Ja-U1zZuS_9RvqCyzM5ixHW_xsmUhoePVEiwDS6R_uZhwSUsq_8nYA/w480-h640/IMG_7142-starting%20to%20pin.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJb3Z5gRlh1t7ysGILP4ofbmcUjnd1m-1T1pOCG53iqLm206I_j8KUX_pNGZ-7Hk0ozcXxn0113jl6cnFmn79SiB8bc1-eMcylYbsjl1fucDiU9PvK8RJt9694TmDjuhYpk3zm3MYDgfWeFBCucoCKvoQPtpqCPCF1_TyqtNO1-AG2uPVhW0-cYSMKJA/s1500/IMG_7143-all-pinned-top.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1346" data-original-width="1500" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJb3Z5gRlh1t7ysGILP4ofbmcUjnd1m-1T1pOCG53iqLm206I_j8KUX_pNGZ-7Hk0ozcXxn0113jl6cnFmn79SiB8bc1-eMcylYbsjl1fucDiU9PvK8RJt9694TmDjuhYpk3zm3MYDgfWeFBCucoCKvoQPtpqCPCF1_TyqtNO1-AG2uPVhW0-cYSMKJA/w640-h574/IMG_7143-all-pinned-top.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4y46C6sl6HEC2PsAfp1nMoQuTXsfrm8iislB6rUh6Kh-S003hCDqabnBSm9tdU92c7mly3Ed0WVcRKt4VSAD7rSNqBsaoOHGs2Hrq83rsXcfQeyiqVI_Yx9hhT80hfEUtf4mHaEH2OE6s7qdwx45ncvJIvDb9eygpUXeI1BucfriZjqpc810Wv868Pc/s1500/IMG_7144-all-pinned-side.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4y46C6sl6HEC2PsAfp1nMoQuTXsfrm8iislB6rUh6Kh-S003hCDqabnBSm9tdU92c7mly3Ed0WVcRKt4VSAD7rSNqBsaoOHGs2Hrq83rsXcfQeyiqVI_Yx9hhT80hfEUtf4mHaEH2OE6s7qdwx45ncvJIvDb9eygpUXeI1BucfriZjqpc810Wv868Pc/w640-h480/IMG_7144-all-pinned-side.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>11. I used the symmetrical presser foot, but kept the needle to the left to give me the quarter inch margin when stitching. With the circle down, I started sewing just after a pin, making sure both fabrics were flat for 1-5 stitches. Okay, changing into instructional language now.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnqH-Vi0NVJmDt2QQACuMqxnvMigsSrRunrC0WQgYGBB1MZjpunu1c8ivtia9a6p-JbtMKP3ooLQevVrXB0VjCTNPzUwkyP-k8N376ChvIQYaDIH335zKhIiS3cA9DYEtYFfbpbREcsRASvMhGkq58Ic1pkZXQ-0aIVJk5WH54oXM9Vz7o3Muc4FRfwc/s1500/IMG_7129-beginning%20to%20sew.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1500" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnqH-Vi0NVJmDt2QQACuMqxnvMigsSrRunrC0WQgYGBB1MZjpunu1c8ivtia9a6p-JbtMKP3ooLQevVrXB0VjCTNPzUwkyP-k8N376ChvIQYaDIH335zKhIiS3cA9DYEtYFfbpbREcsRASvMhGkq58Ic1pkZXQ-0aIVJk5WH54oXM9Vz7o3Muc4FRfwc/w640-h392/IMG_7129-beginning%20to%20sew.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>12. Pick up the presser foot. Make sure the fabrics are still aligned and smooth out the fabric to the side and just in front of the needle. Use your finger to smooth out the fabric; a seam ripper or tweezers is a helpful tool to hold the edges in place until you lower the presser foot.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIY7QY_xwc9wSWdAfk8UKSPhco4zPT-CZUXtbAB7uzSCfhQ1Dr-AnraCayT2P2loyOZVIKEnPheiK1hTnfzl7rfvNOO4MeNTAY680aDn1vGilUCAJZ9sUBh437PiaF0VNx-DWoFlTnPnqT738igaT_YuPLYl73E4m22HF-hrdI8mZlsQJhTEiVJ6JJ64/s1500/IMG_7134-adjusting%20edges.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIY7QY_xwc9wSWdAfk8UKSPhco4zPT-CZUXtbAB7uzSCfhQ1Dr-AnraCayT2P2loyOZVIKEnPheiK1hTnfzl7rfvNOO4MeNTAY680aDn1vGilUCAJZ9sUBh437PiaF0VNx-DWoFlTnPnqT738igaT_YuPLYl73E4m22HF-hrdI8mZlsQJhTEiVJ6JJ64/w640-h480/IMG_7134-adjusting%20edges.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>13. Lower the presser foot and sew 3-5 stitches. </p><p>14. Keep picking up the presser foot, pulling the fabrics to align them, and smoothing the way for the needle until you get all the way around. This took me 25 minutes.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQmcE_3AgdOB_EiVZ0bbFEZYale6zRC-VVcVPqoGmrX9yogAhhgqLE7ggQholgzl4esjVui0w0_PclcBYKrOEx_h3VOI-Arwyj-8cNFOab41Q7KMWFj-cN-Fzh-yMCf1Ce-Nw6R_4UVznOYVPa6ccenh4gDOQeXv-g91Cbnd3k4GpNbpNtZSCKaVz3iU/s1500/IMG_7130-beginning%20to%20iron.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQmcE_3AgdOB_EiVZ0bbFEZYale6zRC-VVcVPqoGmrX9yogAhhgqLE7ggQholgzl4esjVui0w0_PclcBYKrOEx_h3VOI-Arwyj-8cNFOab41Q7KMWFj-cN-Fzh-yMCf1Ce-Nw6R_4UVznOYVPa6ccenh4gDOQeXv-g91Cbnd3k4GpNbpNtZSCKaVz3iU/w640-h480/IMG_7130-beginning%20to%20iron.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>15. Spray the patch with water, front and back.</p><p>16. Iron out the seams around the circle.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82BfZXYwoegYS2F58dC3THwDzxxeExX3lPMrYTp9IsYEwtR8fyf0gLSWNXlhwZoMWv-LsuVaWWS5ssGl6ZCSuwHP005B05O2gv3jnd0v6Sd044hA_SvnpbQotfsgGUppuoimyDe-EPABsVpIWZzc5Da8542XcN_XkZlNSwjFrKcXkUIToCwg1x4CN_hI/s1618/IMG_7132-circle%20seams%20open.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1618" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82BfZXYwoegYS2F58dC3THwDzxxeExX3lPMrYTp9IsYEwtR8fyf0gLSWNXlhwZoMWv-LsuVaWWS5ssGl6ZCSuwHP005B05O2gv3jnd0v6Sd044hA_SvnpbQotfsgGUppuoimyDe-EPABsVpIWZzc5Da8542XcN_XkZlNSwjFrKcXkUIToCwg1x4CN_hI/w594-h640/IMG_7132-circle%20seams%20open.jpg" width="594" /></a></div><p>17. Flip the patch over and iron out the circle/background. You may need to do this a few times, wetting, stretching, and blocking the patch to get out any creases. There still may be a couple wrinkles. Yeah, there are two little tucks in this one.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RyZUHSvemFVhJq8LQnpSh3n2PPDEH7G_kHErJ_ciT2DMwl7OFZvxKMdQHficFAs8yDc-zveIbSTTdg21d32gD1McmM7FvugqTYRQQJ0uLtsN2kMAx-IAHJ9VZPOQYrT-1Lin_8nMPDzDz0r7W9bwrQ5C7X-msCgAyVgPw68RQHB1yS5AVI88GwBQGcM/s1553/IMG_7133-before%20trimming.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1553" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RyZUHSvemFVhJq8LQnpSh3n2PPDEH7G_kHErJ_ciT2DMwl7OFZvxKMdQHficFAs8yDc-zveIbSTTdg21d32gD1McmM7FvugqTYRQQJ0uLtsN2kMAx-IAHJ9VZPOQYrT-1Lin_8nMPDzDz0r7W9bwrQ5C7X-msCgAyVgPw68RQHB1yS5AVI88GwBQGcM/w618-h640/IMG_7133-before%20trimming.jpg" width="618" /></a></div><br /><p>18. For all of them the edges were a little wonky, so I trimmed the 6" squares down to 5 1/2".</p><p>The main thing I learned was that the cutting must be exact, the seam allowance must be exact. And above all, to take it slowly. Very, very slowly.</p><p>And so, a turntable cover was born. Actually, two. One for us as well. I call them "The Platters."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qmywdrlS3_YshrGFHxrSN19JrV17HB0NKq1ZVGDh6InjfiehDPwzLonLDDCwnKsINvphDtK6ZDt24_Is_6I4Mm25Nmfv_wFSldcR853neVPXgej7NBMFwK8fc8qVKfvSB52xmQZWm-Z63YXHEUC3t8DS0zq-wCNpyYgwOZ62Uf-gJrZBnhTR7xdSmX0/s3981/IMG_7135-cover2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1996" data-original-width="3981" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qmywdrlS3_YshrGFHxrSN19JrV17HB0NKq1ZVGDh6InjfiehDPwzLonLDDCwnKsINvphDtK6ZDt24_Is_6I4Mm25Nmfv_wFSldcR853neVPXgej7NBMFwK8fc8qVKfvSB52xmQZWm-Z63YXHEUC3t8DS0zq-wCNpyYgwOZ62Uf-gJrZBnhTR7xdSmX0/w640-h320/IMG_7135-cover2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm now obsessed with sewing these circles. At circle 24, I'm getting better. And faster.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The most helpful video I watched was <a href="https://youtu.be/oK4Wv1l61J0?si=j-ZBss0CLnLg7rRS" target="_blank">here</a>, by Modern Quilt Studio.</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-22017520760448135412023-12-27T12:36:00.000-08:002023-12-27T12:36:51.342-08:00Art Quilt: Home More or Less<p>As I was working on the otter and kelp quilts in October, I printed and overprinted the word HOME in wood type, thinking I would make a black and white quilt about the unhoused and homelessness. I knew the title: "Home More or Less," and I knew it would be a cityscape. As I started arranging it, the colorist in me couldn't just work with the black and white, so, two months later, it became a cityscape at sunset. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gm2ai_7cVT5JAwDMMOpGmhBm5UtGKtsEDsVqXsYpo-Hpw6zesBqAper6ByIUR50wQSgWiYm4p07a62L2q60OXP8nX8hyemtFKiN6OEsyZQ5hDanA7ziAuIupWzrTpkcdGr25kMAXN9MFPBZIac2DMjhEhypoTinEv4Vemhdg8S33Ze0osi4Nu7NOh4w/s1500/home.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1500" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gm2ai_7cVT5JAwDMMOpGmhBm5UtGKtsEDsVqXsYpo-Hpw6zesBqAper6ByIUR50wQSgWiYm4p07a62L2q60OXP8nX8hyemtFKiN6OEsyZQ5hDanA7ziAuIupWzrTpkcdGr25kMAXN9MFPBZIac2DMjhEhypoTinEv4Vemhdg8S33Ze0osi4Nu7NOh4w/w640-h458/home.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Home More or Less</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">42.5"w x 30"h (108 cm x 76 cm)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Letterpress printed from wood type on cotton; hand-dyed cotton and linen; hand-dyed velvet; hand-pigmented linen; yarn-dyed Japanese cotton; embroidery thread quilting; free-motion quilted</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;">It also has a sidewalk of scraps in front. I quilted by stitching a few places across the letters in black and in shades of gray, and then…what to do with the background?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGyI6Hnb8auBvHUsUVMcH5RVPMvZanrGTx2etvWN2PaE1F6N3Cg9Q4ZWVpNC_Y43wHF0HskuzoWF0Ktv47sD8AX627AS3MVrxDwgxmsNKOPwac64rafaP-3mNJNl5s-drIIbsgzv9N0Uf4EwXrzXy9srqmaik6ebwI21PyboVcvjsoKOV4FVvYxf90jc/s4032/IMG_7179.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGyI6Hnb8auBvHUsUVMcH5RVPMvZanrGTx2etvWN2PaE1F6N3Cg9Q4ZWVpNC_Y43wHF0HskuzoWF0Ktv47sD8AX627AS3MVrxDwgxmsNKOPwac64rafaP-3mNJNl5s-drIIbsgzv9N0Uf4EwXrzXy9srqmaik6ebwI21PyboVcvjsoKOV4FVvYxf90jc/w480-h640/IMG_7179.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">I wrestled with ideas from sashiko patterns, simple running stitches, free-motion quilting, but had to let it sit. It needed more <i>something</i>. I worked on other quilts. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I had written a poem several years ago about the city, a city, being in a city, city life persona: how about free-motion quilting that? Yes. A poetry quilt. I know it is nearly impossible to read, but that's okay. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wT1Upt94akAnYS09vxHHbJ3NVdJDGZQM3ostAg-2l9jvcSqeeyqXmFHoUoJRjQVPuNo48MOXJhk1oP-g2rky2mgFX8lczz7dLAf82tAzls6QRdxl0GiZNmWsrOUSvp1b0LQprpjzpjs_zRzUcvCWwbVm1dsbRUsZMe5rU5Msxe7gZ5ci3TM0POysKuo/s4032/IMG_7171.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wT1Upt94akAnYS09vxHHbJ3NVdJDGZQM3ostAg-2l9jvcSqeeyqXmFHoUoJRjQVPuNo48MOXJhk1oP-g2rky2mgFX8lczz7dLAf82tAzls6QRdxl0GiZNmWsrOUSvp1b0LQprpjzpjs_zRzUcvCWwbVm1dsbRUsZMe5rU5Msxe7gZ5ci3TM0POysKuo/w480-h640/IMG_7171.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">Here is the prose poem straight up; it repeats words randomly on the quilt.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>I put on dark glasses over my real eyes. I tug my jacket over my wings. I pull on heavy boots over my claws. I gargle and spit. Now I am ready for your torrent of words: your sighs and your signs. Now I am ready for my life in the city.</i></p><p style="text-align: left;">And the back.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyiqDFBTB2yLo6Edwgy1E9XG4F0GBX6fKHy-9loABiBPWj_SqA8c_h93aMXzlp4sIseWjL5ZviAOCECddvdS8y0uzdjWkjbnbxoBlBeK5aESgQ6VXy_wskzlRdjdcJSQDsR2_3Jaz3rGhoagB9ny92B0decEa-DZXC5Iua2mUQTHZg50fjKcTMEeNTHE/s4032/IMG_7181.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyiqDFBTB2yLo6Edwgy1E9XG4F0GBX6fKHy-9loABiBPWj_SqA8c_h93aMXzlp4sIseWjL5ZviAOCECddvdS8y0uzdjWkjbnbxoBlBeK5aESgQ6VXy_wskzlRdjdcJSQDsR2_3Jaz3rGhoagB9ny92B0decEa-DZXC5Iua2mUQTHZg50fjKcTMEeNTHE/w640-h480/IMG_7181.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><br /><p style="text-align: left;">On to the next project…</p></div><br /><p><br /></p>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-43186059871264686142023-12-17T11:28:00.000-08:002023-12-17T11:30:58.679-08:00Art Quilt: Where's Owl?<p>Down by San Francisco Bay, from November until March or so, you might see a burrowing owl standing on a rock at the edge of the water. But it blends in so well, camouflaged in color and form as if it were a rock itself, that someone will likely need to point it out for you. At least at first. In my weekly winter walks by the bay, a friend and I often go to look for the burrowing owl, hoping it will turn its head in a half circle to look at us with its big yellow eyes.</p><p>I've always been interested in layering printed wood type and using the letters to add meaning or at least to point in the same direction as the theme. In Where's Owl?, I've printed all the Os, Ws, and Ls that I own. Most were sent to me by my uncle after my grandfather died; my grandfather owned a printing plant, and for whatever reason, the wood type letters were left behind and my uncle thought I would like to "make a coffee table out of them." As a letterpress printer I thought, "Heck no, I'm going to print them!"</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrUJXUFLzSZHpL0I8RianfmqCMEMPBzN51LnGh5ETMNZ4NFXqf8BqCDrPot6uoqtVezjEZvKBZuA27RDfzHSVXuzUeWUiDzmRYQLhfE6Pp4wnlcs3mZ8I2_6lCAvhpWrxmqV-ZpCIqn32QzFN6QYYSCyjOffq9JVqpaSgQIxn41Wqx1IUC1q-MKLrqwo/s1779/IMG_7070-full-crop-small.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1779" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrUJXUFLzSZHpL0I8RianfmqCMEMPBzN51LnGh5ETMNZ4NFXqf8BqCDrPot6uoqtVezjEZvKBZuA27RDfzHSVXuzUeWUiDzmRYQLhfE6Pp4wnlcs3mZ8I2_6lCAvhpWrxmqV-ZpCIqn32QzFN6QYYSCyjOffq9JVqpaSgQIxn41Wqx1IUC1q-MKLrqwo/w540-h640/IMG_7070-full-crop-small.jpg" width="540" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Where's Owl?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">21"w x 25"h (53.5 cm x 63.5 cm)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Letterpress printing from wood type on cotton; hand-dyed cotton; Japanese yarn-dyed cotton; cotton thread; reverse appliqué; embroidery; sashiko-style "crossed birds" pattern; free-motion quilting</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I sewed a reverse appliqué over one section of the letterpress printed cloth, then pieced it with the rest of the material. I embroidered the face once it was all sewn together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GzOwt7d-zLNqyncb593fcrKiynBqtc_uP-3A3mFWQjXDXKozh2BRY2ZH9Ug08I3qcM4idLne5bg62Uob-WtTGEyokN0t9tpIeNN_wbX1jiF4qtuBXg4ZO5cSC2JajHx3_BFvhVONuPB28lqiIs4PfETba0viSazdu1Kio0FYFPyf_7ou3mlKqmst-uc/s1736/IMG_7077-det-sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1736" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GzOwt7d-zLNqyncb593fcrKiynBqtc_uP-3A3mFWQjXDXKozh2BRY2ZH9Ug08I3qcM4idLne5bg62Uob-WtTGEyokN0t9tpIeNN_wbX1jiF4qtuBXg4ZO5cSC2JajHx3_BFvhVONuPB28lqiIs4PfETba0viSazdu1Kio0FYFPyf_7ou3mlKqmst-uc/w552-h640/IMG_7077-det-sm.jpg" width="552" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I like to choose sashiko patterns based on their names. This one is "crossed birds."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVg4f4qGT7X8y9xUbU-IKfvA2qJvs-k9hGYoVz_8Hk-Db-sR3R4S-eDBD6rjXvlC7MCLqVVySb5mr1Qm7vKnR8AbyTo3j4oksqfqXmFWqZxOTgFg7Cj3DRVt13px4_B85BFlU3DUlW_lO7SeJXRsEB109slDC49ym-ay9TIOYIMidV0q9bzoNxLllV0w/s1600/IMG_7081-bot-edge-crossedbirds-sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVg4f4qGT7X8y9xUbU-IKfvA2qJvs-k9hGYoVz_8Hk-Db-sR3R4S-eDBD6rjXvlC7MCLqVVySb5mr1Qm7vKnR8AbyTo3j4oksqfqXmFWqZxOTgFg7Cj3DRVt13px4_B85BFlU3DUlW_lO7SeJXRsEB109slDC49ym-ay9TIOYIMidV0q9bzoNxLllV0w/w480-h640/IMG_7081-bot-edge-crossedbirds-sm.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To give the border a different look and texture, I free-motion quilted the edges thinking about rocks and natural patterns. And here's the back:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssvVaDyhav_DPYooxCcSKbzj1X5WKpoSvFDtK56OASFJSxeb03oCqFPHGbymF4xgKueXehsE5ob7bb43FfZpzey2lV57EdMQmjg3kvayt0fdpbVLkzmbKDmO4TChapK92AzCRBvVUllPjJJYKCXtxn_i22jNHhEfibnEUaEvkJbwxi10c7WhePsSf1cg/s1791/IMG_7084-back-sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1791" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssvVaDyhav_DPYooxCcSKbzj1X5WKpoSvFDtK56OASFJSxeb03oCqFPHGbymF4xgKueXehsE5ob7bb43FfZpzey2lV57EdMQmjg3kvayt0fdpbVLkzmbKDmO4TChapK92AzCRBvVUllPjJJYKCXtxn_i22jNHhEfibnEUaEvkJbwxi10c7WhePsSf1cg/w536-h640/IMG_7084-back-sm.jpg" width="536" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It is a relief to take a little solace in the natural world.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wishing you light and love.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Alisa</div>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-72926364438434915482023-11-30T07:30:00.000-08:002023-11-30T07:30:00.255-08:00NaNoWriMo 2023: What I Learned to Write<p>It has been four years since I completed the first NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and I was grateful that I had kept notes (one entry <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2019/11/nanowrimo-writing-week-1.html" target="_blank">here</a>) so I could re-orient myself to the process for this year. The main set-up idea was to create about 29 blank Word/Pages files labeled Day 1, etc. This past year has been a complicated one for me emotionally, and I had been avoiding certain kinds of writing because it was just too hard, which was why I decided it was time to let things work themself out with a full month of writing for at least a concentrated hour to hour and a half every day. Once again, it was a challenge. Several times I wanted to just stop. My brain was full. I couldn't think of a story. Bla bla bla.</p><p>I knew there was no way I would have a big arc for a novel, but I would concentrate on writing short stories, even if I had to write a few short-short stories in one day. It turned out that once I let myself go deeper, there was only one longer story a day. Every night I was sure I had no idea what the next story would be. But the next day there was always something: sometimes an object sparked my interest, sometimes an emotion or interaction, sometimes a place, sometimes the fragment of a dream.</p><p>I had made a list of things I wanted to attack. And to give it a structure or theme, I chose the title "Small Attachments" and made a list of attachments to the Kitchen Aid mixer (because there are so many.) Ultimately, some of my notes grabbed me and became real stories, others became half-assed sketches, and once those were out of my system, my imagination took over. It was as if the creative part of my writing brain had been buried. By the last several stories I was working with a clean brain.</p><p>One thing that was new and helpful: I typed my start time in the header so I knew how long I had been writing. The header doesn't show up in the word count. Then I logged in to update my progress at the <a href="https://nanowrimo.org" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo website</a>. You can choose to make it all public or private. I keep it private, just for me.</p><p>I finished a day early. It was such a release. I felt like crying. Got my badge. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNITkQMkqCnNK5pqL46a2qA0HU6MJIcMwA1hNBRLLwgzTPyTBCD-jo_lD_l_yiZbGk7b24saNI9zan6GvuriEHsbj2nwoGZBvO9-96SPOlVEJO3ZEQ65I9xxGn_ZOYgF2idXX3WSMQm_IhZ2wd05SdbbQBC3xGm65DkGdhx-xNaQm2a8jVwqONaIyVrk/s1000/2023-NaNoWriMo-Winner-Badge.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNITkQMkqCnNK5pqL46a2qA0HU6MJIcMwA1hNBRLLwgzTPyTBCD-jo_lD_l_yiZbGk7b24saNI9zan6GvuriEHsbj2nwoGZBvO9-96SPOlVEJO3ZEQ65I9xxGn_ZOYgF2idXX3WSMQm_IhZ2wd05SdbbQBC3xGm65DkGdhx-xNaQm2a8jVwqONaIyVrk/w640-h640/2023-NaNoWriMo-Winner-Badge.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>And donated to their program, which includes youth education and teacher resources. From their website: <i>NaNoWriMo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides the structure, community, and encouragement to help people use their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds – on and off the page.</i></p><p>This month I am also reading an instructional book by the fiction writer George Saunders, <a href="https://amzn.to/47OenxE" target="_blank">A Swim in a Pond in the Rain</a> [paid Amazon link], based on the Russian Literature course he teaches at Syracuse University. Although I had studied three years at San Francisco State University and graduated with an MFA in Creative Writing, I found that there was much to learn from Saunders' book. It wasn't so much new material as a new angle of looking at a story. Saunders breaks a story down and shows what might stop the reader and what propels them onward. I've always had trouble with plot, so it was a big help to me. He used the word "unexpected," which was helpful: what is something unexpected that might happen next? It is related to the idea of the "stakes of a story," which I wrote about in 2010 <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2010/11/stakes-of-story.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>A friend joked that December will be NaNoEdMo (National Novel Editing Month), and that may be the case. I will have a lot to work with! It is also often true that the first paragraph one writes is like a clearing of the throat, a way to get to that clear voice and one should toss it out. The first stories may be like that as well. We shall see. Even if none of these stories are worth pursuing, the process was certainly enlightening. Will I do it again? When I feel compelled to, I will.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAO76hE8Ng8RNR2rlEnV2yx0y-MMzEuadECdT1sfRbgZM2HmVOCFDWJ47WWbRpNZszxoUHxrhytdWAj-M9LU-2zKry7S60ka6QJ9Cm28da6CdsWs9IPmY2Wyl9inAzjT7fb5ONcIiT7qhaeuTYAX8nNH2mbUjxc1nLF0-gZJSY8VMXgJQ1Xxn2IRm0u0g/s2560/P1050235.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAO76hE8Ng8RNR2rlEnV2yx0y-MMzEuadECdT1sfRbgZM2HmVOCFDWJ47WWbRpNZszxoUHxrhytdWAj-M9LU-2zKry7S60ka6QJ9Cm28da6CdsWs9IPmY2Wyl9inAzjT7fb5ONcIiT7qhaeuTYAX8nNH2mbUjxc1nLF0-gZJSY8VMXgJQ1Xxn2IRm0u0g/w640-h480/P1050235.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pond in the Rain, 2008</div><p><br /></p>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-5593094200572647412023-11-28T07:30:00.000-08:002023-11-28T07:30:00.126-08:00At the Edge: a Quiltlet<p>Sometimes when I am working on a labor-intensive, larger piece, I have an idea for a technique or method or subject I must work with immediately, so I make something small, like a snack between large meals. My preoccupation with the ocean, really a lifelong love, sent me to a micro-examination of the bubbly waves that lap the shore.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9M_GiIb3wqlFOhssq4iUZQoA8dzNWuWOqZo-ldDiPahMN-afq2YDcjPsTx9_EChk5i-PTRAKXrtGKtaPnFttvA8db3px8tjYiBXBIU-UeJ-H_7T1LOofRFBjuMEtbpke5xjUUaCF8ToVoLZ_ZZg5Zi83fFoDcHuUKuDpyP3a6ZJ3iN7NbgxLBeaTQ2A4/s1500/at-the-edge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="1500" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9M_GiIb3wqlFOhssq4iUZQoA8dzNWuWOqZo-ldDiPahMN-afq2YDcjPsTx9_EChk5i-PTRAKXrtGKtaPnFttvA8db3px8tjYiBXBIU-UeJ-H_7T1LOofRFBjuMEtbpke5xjUUaCF8ToVoLZ_ZZg5Zi83fFoDcHuUKuDpyP3a6ZJ3iN7NbgxLBeaTQ2A4/w640-h544/at-the-edge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>At the Edge</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">14"w x 12"h (35.5 cm x 30.5 cm)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Linen, ice-dyed cotton; cotton and metallic threads; watercolor ground; watercolor; metallic brush pen; hand quilting; free-motion quilting</div><p>I started by drawing in my journal until I was satisfied with the marks, then began to machine sew with the free-motion foot.</p><p>Because I knew I wanted to add watercolor to the picture, I used one of the pieces of linen I had pre-treated with watercolor ground. At the very edges of the waves I also added metallic gold from a brush pen.</p><p>To round out the textures I hand stitched with embroidery thread and created French knots with gold and silver metallic thread.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-imZCPjKnTJcVnRPTq1QkKyefSdJaMnFzsk0IB5cOB2uogooFOIqr1ZZSVyVWl83DiRx_Ekfd3-LP-_XkST4D9JXR0aZOC1azOuWWgA7Yi0tkXIvn9pw_3VpzLtDH4mQMqSWL1iRx3-Zl4UhMRACUCFHnQk7bE-TrDQYIhBe6UuMuymKjUHmrvigVVw/s4032/IMG_6978.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-imZCPjKnTJcVnRPTq1QkKyefSdJaMnFzsk0IB5cOB2uogooFOIqr1ZZSVyVWl83DiRx_Ekfd3-LP-_XkST4D9JXR0aZOC1azOuWWgA7Yi0tkXIvn9pw_3VpzLtDH4mQMqSWL1iRx3-Zl4UhMRACUCFHnQk7bE-TrDQYIhBe6UuMuymKjUHmrvigVVw/w640-h480/IMG_6978.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>With this piece came the question: what does foam look like, which led to: what happens at the edge of the wave, and then became even broader: what happens at the edges of anything? The edge is where we take a risk, leading us to something new. Comedians work at the edge, saying things we might think, surprising us by observing something we might know but did not realize we noticed. And of course many birds live at or are sustained by the edges. Sanderlings and other shorebirds hug the edge to feed. There is magic there.</p>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-24660247969292471712023-11-24T09:55:00.000-08:002023-11-24T09:55:08.407-08:00Art Quilt: Kelp: Sea Gold<p>Continuing my exploration of kelp and otters, the fourth quilt in the series is a detailed look at the kelp itself. Kelp in the ocean is equivalent to the tree on land, in groups both are referred to as forests as they convert carbon dioxide into sugar and oxygen. Tides pull pieces of the kelp up onto the beach where we (okay, I, anyway) can marvel at the patterns and textures of the fronds. This quilt then, the kelp framed in hand-dyed green velvet, is an homage to the beauty found there, our gold under the sea.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLlEu4FdFIj7xLN2OIb7_9ekKh1goSQ8hpgubsBDrmXNK5Etj_qll8PpO4zTuWj7UHev-DDJ_y7RCm16LzXUSwdURyBYlvnYruL2NAImb42bcxwW_XNs9x19h0hCk2dloM2i66LurB3c8UG93r4ifVtROwEVimZtvOeOvo2LRfxd0-UDxhM2OKKsAokA/s1840/kelp-sea-gold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1840" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLlEu4FdFIj7xLN2OIb7_9ekKh1goSQ8hpgubsBDrmXNK5Etj_qll8PpO4zTuWj7UHev-DDJ_y7RCm16LzXUSwdURyBYlvnYruL2NAImb42bcxwW_XNs9x19h0hCk2dloM2i66LurB3c8UG93r4ifVtROwEVimZtvOeOvo2LRfxd0-UDxhM2OKKsAokA/w522-h640/kelp-sea-gold.jpg" width="522" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Kelp: Sea Gold</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">19"w x 23.75"h (48 cm x 60.5 cm)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hand-dyed velvet; letterpress printed cotton from wood type; Japanese yarn-dyed cotton; watercolor ground; graphite; embroidery thread; metallic thread; variegated green cotton sashiko thread; machine pieced; free-motion quilted</div><br /><p>I painted linen with watercolor ground, then drew the pattern and embroidered it, starting with variegated green cotton sashiko thread. I realized I wanted more depth, so I started changing up the colors, fading to gray at the edges, and including silver and gold metallic thread. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojihLPCg6FUjFh6KWAexbhZa2N62tnjc7o4KTdifDEosWBS53Z9AuKk_qOfGdcwcRG3cZlEYItmoxIz_rlTICJT1C7w1qrkEeCrUVo45tpREBN43HBYYi7HqYA57WKSX3MFQROwzE86uH5L6gB9msDH9xEt6nrVdLesBFv1GaLmlHEfBQbNKzLfznQbw/s3383/IMG_6852-partial.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3383" data-original-width="2537" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojihLPCg6FUjFh6KWAexbhZa2N62tnjc7o4KTdifDEosWBS53Z9AuKk_qOfGdcwcRG3cZlEYItmoxIz_rlTICJT1C7w1qrkEeCrUVo45tpREBN43HBYYi7HqYA57WKSX3MFQROwzE86uH5L6gB9msDH9xEt6nrVdLesBFv1GaLmlHEfBQbNKzLfznQbw/w480-h640/IMG_6852-partial.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(So, those little green lumps up there, not part of the quilt but that seem to match it, are weights I made from a Spoonflower pattern I designed called <a href="https://www.spoonflower.com/en/fabric/14296136-moss-meander-by-everbird" target="_blank">Moss Meander</a> and had printed in "Celosia Velvet." Spoonflower is having a sale today, for Black Friday, if you are interested. Many more patterns available at my shop, <a href="https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/everbird" target="_blank">Everbird</a>.) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrG2Y4y25ktmwiKIB7m7Zq-DMRI9eeoblPQobozzfD3Qdj0U5hKdySn1zE47xV8zt6kSJKZ0jj493s7AGEDQnXSDrP4DvVR25xB4khxUNoAhoktFQp-zNMe3lz8jdMa6HbLFcraMko2vhvu5MIhLm7qpzUthixXZY2vqBriFM0facid56dpE2H5sulws/s2000/kelp-sea-gold-detail01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrG2Y4y25ktmwiKIB7m7Zq-DMRI9eeoblPQobozzfD3Qdj0U5hKdySn1zE47xV8zt6kSJKZ0jj493s7AGEDQnXSDrP4DvVR25xB4khxUNoAhoktFQp-zNMe3lz8jdMa6HbLFcraMko2vhvu5MIhLm7qpzUthixXZY2vqBriFM0facid56dpE2H5sulws/w480-h640/kelp-sea-gold-detail01.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>When I got to the bulb (called, unflatteringly, a bladder), I was momentarily stumped. I began stitching around one edge, but then changed course and shaped a scrap of the letterpress printed cotton I had used in <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2023/10/art-quilt-kelp-kelp-garibaldi.html" target="_blank">Kelp Kelp Garibaldi</a> and <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2023/11/art-quilt-kelp-kelp-otter.html" target="_blank">Kelp Kelp Otter</a> to fit. I embroidered over parts of the printed cotton, leaving some unstitched for contrast and texture.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GoUjZFiFFgjIE2R5IDBT_GgfXEVeNc4E-FwahPofbAq7oBInHfWyZPegVNhoMehJ3usYhpx3FsI6jkzkQCT4HjhuA_bYLFJ6nx3-aP9hg3XTSoFTaYRIDtqhvDMIgOSLgyZ3jNO-TVtg5j2NfM4Ei-7TZ-oIjzkTbrdg_tcEEOwMHJmrsGUtky951Kc/s2000/kelp-sea-gold-detail02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GoUjZFiFFgjIE2R5IDBT_GgfXEVeNc4E-FwahPofbAq7oBInHfWyZPegVNhoMehJ3usYhpx3FsI6jkzkQCT4HjhuA_bYLFJ6nx3-aP9hg3XTSoFTaYRIDtqhvDMIgOSLgyZ3jNO-TVtg5j2NfM4Ei-7TZ-oIjzkTbrdg_tcEEOwMHJmrsGUtky951Kc/w480-h640/kelp-sea-gold-detail02.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was a project I had in mind for a month or so, but was inspired to begin after seeing an exhibit of work by <a href="https://www.edith-edith.com/sculpture.html" target="_blank">Edith Sauer Polonik</a> at our local <a href="http://www.sticksframing.com" target="_blank">Sticks Picture Framing and Fine Art</a> shop. My fingers got very itchy seeing her highly textured abstract works with marks and scratches, all inspired by nature.</div><br /><p><br /></p>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-2132488956991911442023-11-14T11:20:00.000-08:002023-11-14T11:20:54.521-08:00Art Quilt: Kelp Kelp Otter<p>With words, there are studies that show that w cn rd wrds vn f thr r n vwls (we can read words even if there are no vowels) or with a minimum of letters, or just the top half of the letters in a sentence. Is that Minimalism? Our brains can fill in certain things, make inferences in the gaps. </p><p>With this quilt, I arranged the letterpress green-printed wood type letters (letters chosen for their shapes rather than any deeper meaning) into strips to suggest seaweed or kelp growing up from the bottom of the ocean, and added in their protectors, four otters, made of rectangular hand-dyed brown cotton velvet. The velvet is nice to pet. Imagining the rectangles as otters admittedly made me laugh, but it avoided the cutesy factor overall if I had tried to create a realistic one otter or four. Mini-animal-ist, anyone?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Nc1ljF5kfJN58NgsQIu-4rvBodcW5yOiRAuBspUJXP2pYNvs9-AK3woYL_Ickx9s_Y1P8GpCpT5_dVDtWr14rnRmEz78LPfUhN85t9KPFmmUVVBU1tsTB-7SJ54_qPsBkmUIP9_zNrsq5EzpqPirByUgOf2Had-EkSGk8ckqBZxr1vDPHAEMKg2PRPU/s1617/kelp-kelp-otter-sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1617" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Nc1ljF5kfJN58NgsQIu-4rvBodcW5yOiRAuBspUJXP2pYNvs9-AK3woYL_Ickx9s_Y1P8GpCpT5_dVDtWr14rnRmEz78LPfUhN85t9KPFmmUVVBU1tsTB-7SJ54_qPsBkmUIP9_zNrsq5EzpqPirByUgOf2Had-EkSGk8ckqBZxr1vDPHAEMKg2PRPU/w474-h640/kelp-kelp-otter-sm.jpg" width="474" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Kelp Kelp Otter</b><br />33.5"w x 46.5"h (85 cm x 118 cm)<br />Hand-dyed velvet; letterpress printed cotton from wood type; Japanese yarn-dyed cotton; perle cotton thread; metallic thread; variegated cotton thread; machine pieced; hand quilted with sashiko-style wave pattern</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFgNPQ2vyjtEM_HXUJfg-uuQKGM_bycnOYBt-q6PtdhkHPWJAyfLg4o3ETnQ-059crj_4jyq0pw_WOtrN0kEfDayNKLSjBiaIUEMNWbPx3LjCBdHFie24ZhL8J7lWInFXBK5VIp8ejhIsPneDl2YMVN4HAUG-VjQW2aoG3shIn-e68bfsIfYWzb6VayU/s4032/IMG_6830-kelp%20kelp%20otter-detail.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFgNPQ2vyjtEM_HXUJfg-uuQKGM_bycnOYBt-q6PtdhkHPWJAyfLg4o3ETnQ-059crj_4jyq0pw_WOtrN0kEfDayNKLSjBiaIUEMNWbPx3LjCBdHFie24ZhL8J7lWInFXBK5VIp8ejhIsPneDl2YMVN4HAUG-VjQW2aoG3shIn-e68bfsIfYWzb6VayU/w480-h640/IMG_6830-kelp%20kelp%20otter-detail.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hand quilted the entire piece with a sashiko-style wave pattern, changing threads from a thin sewing thread to a thicker perle cotton to a silver metallic embroidery thread to variegated sashiko cotton thread.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">back:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNTPlf_DUind7WYl7I4Jmjrr-6y-GLaiGicVOZlCDRHBMepQbrlg3Iun_N-xAmuO0JVfIS3ob8ov70O-ZVfD5khdPGuy-WQokt88Yki-VPg2Ml_1qfD0m4tumEHn_TKyrEBCKXjErZjfTICsd1vZpE39fd0xF_8a1uYO6NetBDurOS4c843hqsfCFEnw/s4032/IMG_6832-kelp-kelp-otter-back.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNTPlf_DUind7WYl7I4Jmjrr-6y-GLaiGicVOZlCDRHBMepQbrlg3Iun_N-xAmuO0JVfIS3ob8ov70O-ZVfD5khdPGuy-WQokt88Yki-VPg2Ml_1qfD0m4tumEHn_TKyrEBCKXjErZjfTICsd1vZpE39fd0xF_8a1uYO6NetBDurOS4c843hqsfCFEnw/w480-h640/IMG_6832-kelp-kelp-otter-back.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a continued exploration into my interest in kelp and otters and the impact of the environment on them and them on the health of the environment.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-25336893025025491142023-11-01T07:30:00.002-07:002023-11-01T07:30:00.137-07:00Instructions: Patch Pumpkin from Scraps<p>While I was (and still am) quilting the next otter and kelp quilt, I made a gift from scrap fabrics I had previously dyed and pigmented: a patch pumpkin. This is a fairly labor-intensive project, so if you tackle it, allow several hours (approximately 5-8).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdjjb-31jA2ySdSEAkdSOaML91M_8bqN7vHbAyPOBH9CCFcmahL4UfgcHgqFR-lhBEfSl_SLxngHTSdfUZAkxDDmxWlQhOPKlWjYgCo4LTRPhylPpnc5dw-99SdmlE5vlZ7sQvUbIvckVBFh3kVbwEJDejvebXeWbILdd8t_EBc9Slezq0w0qqJKvQQI/s2695/IMG_6777.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2434" data-original-width="2695" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdjjb-31jA2ySdSEAkdSOaML91M_8bqN7vHbAyPOBH9CCFcmahL4UfgcHgqFR-lhBEfSl_SLxngHTSdfUZAkxDDmxWlQhOPKlWjYgCo4LTRPhylPpnc5dw-99SdmlE5vlZ7sQvUbIvckVBFh3kVbwEJDejvebXeWbILdd8t_EBc9Slezq0w0qqJKvQQI/w640-h578/IMG_6777.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Materials:</b> scrap of cotton batting (roughly a square a little larger than the sphere); scraps of fabrics; sewing thread; two or more colors of embroidery thread; metallic thread for embellishments; clean sand (I used horticultural sand, bought at a local nursery); floral wire (optional, bought at JoAnn's)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Tools:</b> Wooden form (in this case, a sphere); pins; scissors for trimming fabric; snips or sharp embroidery scissors for cutting threads; a sharp needle (or two); skewer or pencil and wire snips (if using floral wire) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. Arrange the batting around the wooden form, pleating as needed. Pin into place. Thread the needle with plain sewing thread and use a whip stitch to anchor all the pleats. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPEn9dYWdphyN-61Xv0R3bm2fQdn1mmusqeSC95rVl4HeqazsK45Ew8WjSLmYG3PFa3m8ygOJBFe0mTHKZFYx29mHsUh_zsmihUsRAKZm9GP2E-Ts2hn8y2AOrkDYXHHoRoGGPRr6lEuthz7mM9UgUaOIj7JUsRdkOCC4Tr-AzUA1LL17H5c8BroK1uU/s4032/IMG_6739.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPEn9dYWdphyN-61Xv0R3bm2fQdn1mmusqeSC95rVl4HeqazsK45Ew8WjSLmYG3PFa3m8ygOJBFe0mTHKZFYx29mHsUh_zsmihUsRAKZm9GP2E-Ts2hn8y2AOrkDYXHHoRoGGPRr6lEuthz7mM9UgUaOIj7JUsRdkOCC4Tr-AzUA1LL17H5c8BroK1uU/w640-h480/IMG_6739.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. Leave enough room at the top to remove the wooden form.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdMXtPH8Z1NqGYTnk22bu_m9OMbiP6u9-O-tEAYoqAknm50G5AoMD9WJ8EVkga2WEKZaZpdrWcCcLcGvBSLwtfLeavpeb1wcwW0ncDtM3BxZKVd8-uNfyBnb6zxwJO1YvK2T7kOwQ0pWkEkR17_HGX9qxCHemcsYbRosbuWBTFJTRB0blIyZ9lTWxSTc/s4032/IMG_6740.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdMXtPH8Z1NqGYTnk22bu_m9OMbiP6u9-O-tEAYoqAknm50G5AoMD9WJ8EVkga2WEKZaZpdrWcCcLcGvBSLwtfLeavpeb1wcwW0ncDtM3BxZKVd8-uNfyBnb6zxwJO1YvK2T7kOwQ0pWkEkR17_HGX9qxCHemcsYbRosbuWBTFJTRB0blIyZ9lTWxSTc/w640-h480/IMG_6740.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. Remove the form.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMiruDagmZTxVO3gXCTMiYraa0CaxMVtDGBCZITxhVk01IrVnx8QmycOMoEKAOIbwX3akx2cbyMYfzuHOJ31r5T8xGagmuv5dbWDPB-8glTwvovxXGNpDM3ps7pCb3XdMn31Jp4qBX6a5GW99_3vqjRdH1_kcBev_eLWTyNtRAbAJrKWhH7UKXDTw6ss/s4032/IMG_6741.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMiruDagmZTxVO3gXCTMiYraa0CaxMVtDGBCZITxhVk01IrVnx8QmycOMoEKAOIbwX3akx2cbyMYfzuHOJ31r5T8xGagmuv5dbWDPB-8glTwvovxXGNpDM3ps7pCb3XdMn31Jp4qBX6a5GW99_3vqjRdH1_kcBev_eLWTyNtRAbAJrKWhH7UKXDTw6ss/w640-h480/IMG_6741.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. Fill the bag comfortably with clean sand. The pumpkin will shrink and tighten as you sew, so don't overfill. As it turned out, I filled mine a little too much, but it still works.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftfNo3ual1xZVxF_kNG97l7T8IcKv_BRnKYFInKwSlBU66q8gNz9v7GSilq4MW8jXTDdwA_YJDSj9omy4ZPkGPPeMMF_S2VJXP3ePU-REKi9BlxNwzO9E9UNhnrIgGHk_Y6CItHAMe5JaxxV4An3HP76ueEAYnx-8IQ3vvC7SlU-hvgyjGIczoYHdKEw/s4032/IMG_6742.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftfNo3ual1xZVxF_kNG97l7T8IcKv_BRnKYFInKwSlBU66q8gNz9v7GSilq4MW8jXTDdwA_YJDSj9omy4ZPkGPPeMMF_S2VJXP3ePU-REKi9BlxNwzO9E9UNhnrIgGHk_Y6CItHAMe5JaxxV4An3HP76ueEAYnx-8IQ3vvC7SlU-hvgyjGIczoYHdKEw/w640-h480/IMG_6742.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. Twist or pinch the batting and sew the top stem together. Looks like a dumpling.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Suq3U5Pj8ze_ZEtE_nvlJAZ1LjXahhft2Gxhi948Ir6oOKBggzxBKDf1-CsxHPrO0efe31TjTSKJA3EqCu6iWk-ZS7i_sO_ySHQck-DyUeT8Kjkf_krBeeB3pgF7wx0DaOe87FMJCM6sU2fpztmXTnLZSKkfiINxKLspGHbBAB3X00hBNfxdVxvI0_o/s4032/IMG_6743.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Suq3U5Pj8ze_ZEtE_nvlJAZ1LjXahhft2Gxhi948Ir6oOKBggzxBKDf1-CsxHPrO0efe31TjTSKJA3EqCu6iWk-ZS7i_sO_ySHQck-DyUeT8Kjkf_krBeeB3pgF7wx0DaOe87FMJCM6sU2fpztmXTnLZSKkfiINxKLspGHbBAB3X00hBNfxdVxvI0_o/w640-h480/IMG_6743.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6. Begin basting the scraps with a simple running stitch. I started with an oval at the bottom and worked out from there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigFA6ZU-2vU5XcQODpiAV1cdJW0GX3_sJd1xT2eVY-g2DUJNX_uMwVLGVwXIm64NSiVtBC2abH2WvBtEwiLXOby10HMTmFMVjLF49YxX00c2yHY3bfzAISPm6ImkkjgOljZk8bwXOAFRbc4QlWFIuuBb2wXQoNZP3lDkCuuSnAs8hoHSk3XeytzNd57g/s4032/IMG_6744.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigFA6ZU-2vU5XcQODpiAV1cdJW0GX3_sJd1xT2eVY-g2DUJNX_uMwVLGVwXIm64NSiVtBC2abH2WvBtEwiLXOby10HMTmFMVjLF49YxX00c2yHY3bfzAISPm6ImkkjgOljZk8bwXOAFRbc4QlWFIuuBb2wXQoNZP3lDkCuuSnAs8hoHSk3XeytzNd57g/w640-h480/IMG_6744.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">7. Overlap each scrap if you can. It will begin to look like a crazy quilt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrqnGzS9cSEQaEuH1-1uDE5Zq4mDgtfB2-OwMjP_xvje_0-BBi13AaNJK810y-0sUKcTsgcUvnTQSRS6wj2ggogS_gCAj8pZrV68k-uqfPLSLybHi8-kJ-p5V-z72IjgPOUP4fEXgjX_R-fIE4ZAlaoj7A2H50M0P8nOc_Q7HfE09NIQ1a1XNIT4u04M/s4032/IMG_6745.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrqnGzS9cSEQaEuH1-1uDE5Zq4mDgtfB2-OwMjP_xvje_0-BBi13AaNJK810y-0sUKcTsgcUvnTQSRS6wj2ggogS_gCAj8pZrV68k-uqfPLSLybHi8-kJ-p5V-z72IjgPOUP4fEXgjX_R-fIE4ZAlaoj7A2H50M0P8nOc_Q7HfE09NIQ1a1XNIT4u04M/w640-h480/IMG_6745.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK5VCWcTPiwJjRcO_06itpFuE5s8qlz_y6YZYkSj8mNZZ73NI3YXI0bBPNzxmz4LSw1W2DYDYhS8L1Lmw7jKFFgJcrGV9ZdHNG_uzao6iHhNjCcziIqRh4PjQECjTJwlV5K5dRFqpMCbhi2xQgjTPCxk4mf90WuWz42iKHY5BGpdGkfzCrlVk-AGAmP_c/s4032/IMG_6746.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK5VCWcTPiwJjRcO_06itpFuE5s8qlz_y6YZYkSj8mNZZ73NI3YXI0bBPNzxmz4LSw1W2DYDYhS8L1Lmw7jKFFgJcrGV9ZdHNG_uzao6iHhNjCcziIqRh4PjQECjTJwlV5K5dRFqpMCbhi2xQgjTPCxk4mf90WuWz42iKHY5BGpdGkfzCrlVk-AGAmP_c/w640-h480/IMG_6746.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYagMVnPGOgcOtOOYmaSYDehEE9FWie2YUo_Z2XrA6CY51vPcG54G5PnybJgcN4pns2RCskGAHedJA6BaEDxpBiRcVMwu31jGSokSHdMbonUWcH7otAQGKExa0iQuyWaiqwKhpIvp2wrbGYoll0djjvsQBlZ24SsSrrOnQJArVdSPx44DQWTch25pmV4k/s4032/IMG_6747.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYagMVnPGOgcOtOOYmaSYDehEE9FWie2YUo_Z2XrA6CY51vPcG54G5PnybJgcN4pns2RCskGAHedJA6BaEDxpBiRcVMwu31jGSokSHdMbonUWcH7otAQGKExa0iQuyWaiqwKhpIvp2wrbGYoll0djjvsQBlZ24SsSrrOnQJArVdSPx44DQWTch25pmV4k/w640-h480/IMG_6747.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">A few of my basting knots are showing in this photo, but I will sew over them later.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhApOkGOn3_G6OoZFklUY0CgW-7ucQMsjQkBYGcRRBaJgQdO8oz9LgZgAYuD0oiiubrJJjIJag8dp4QdcuqHfhIIph79_1rft7g-zSkZtvyFGqJhRkgsQUuP-IBqjGH0WJ1QsbB1QaQZrQ14oJbNZerGIs2xW2-eI95V9BrH_RY2nv6OR9P5HwaFQANg/s4032/IMG_6748.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhApOkGOn3_G6OoZFklUY0CgW-7ucQMsjQkBYGcRRBaJgQdO8oz9LgZgAYuD0oiiubrJJjIJag8dp4QdcuqHfhIIph79_1rft7g-zSkZtvyFGqJhRkgsQUuP-IBqjGH0WJ1QsbB1QaQZrQ14oJbNZerGIs2xW2-eI95V9BrH_RY2nv6OR9P5HwaFQANg/w640-h480/IMG_6748.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>8. Once the batting is covered, including the stem, begin covering the raw edges by sewing satin stitches with the embroidery thread, doubled, changing colors periodically. This time, do not knot. Start by hiding the thread ends by sewing into the pumpkin from an inch or more away and pulling gently until you don't see the ends. End by taking the needle under a row of stitches or sewing back into the pumpkin a few inches. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4AHMs6rzNSFGhR26djvChHe4Py3-olzXfT-LboePJvK0YyLBoM-QgUWOvbFvIJHvm0t1rA8SeDU0ZxGphgENdMmuxv9iR46iOuKunn7pxSjjiC-5VkKvY8YZLbqo8og45zozVcNnVwYDXy1JKsbRx9kZsHY1EiX8g-Zc2u7w0zUDVIEJCDrkD1G38lA/s4032/IMG_6749.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4AHMs6rzNSFGhR26djvChHe4Py3-olzXfT-LboePJvK0YyLBoM-QgUWOvbFvIJHvm0t1rA8SeDU0ZxGphgENdMmuxv9iR46iOuKunn7pxSjjiC-5VkKvY8YZLbqo8og45zozVcNnVwYDXy1JKsbRx9kZsHY1EiX8g-Zc2u7w0zUDVIEJCDrkD1G38lA/w640-h480/IMG_6749.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">9. When all the raw edges are covered, add embellishments with metallic thread, hiding the ends and snipping them if they show.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHv_6g4A7joMxfO2ckP9cGKClGtAkJ8iFket1ZfSMUnaWPXMMQZfs_D97wY8veXTwyXHJEZxvygA3D2beS8pfDEwpYMmqHQq2gWJoz46g-zlsaZStCKnnRJrNJ0cKip959Bvc10_vhXZuczeV6W_FGaJyvnG42ld85KedrUteMwjoIL3gn723X6bvr9Y/s4032/IMG_6772.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHv_6g4A7joMxfO2ckP9cGKClGtAkJ8iFket1ZfSMUnaWPXMMQZfs_D97wY8veXTwyXHJEZxvygA3D2beS8pfDEwpYMmqHQq2gWJoz46g-zlsaZStCKnnRJrNJ0cKip959Bvc10_vhXZuczeV6W_FGaJyvnG42ld85KedrUteMwjoIL3gn723X6bvr9Y/w640-h480/IMG_6772.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">10. Add a curly vine, if desired, by wrapping floral wire around the stem, then curling the other end around a pencil or skewer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvM0dFuKeRbBLNnopzz6hHYmZehJMPFkKrhRJF6MF_xXzQUxImqKbfJ28RbuZ_JIvakzHe668qLoWg_Exek4Q-CgrjNQOvi0JRlTqqJ9vFEeVMsYHY1KvMZdTYuaRouy1cD4JQIaQJyZlrATTXo1MEM0D0WLxXJLg6th58uW1gBDj3OoczJSa1Eup3y1I/s4032/IMG_6773.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvM0dFuKeRbBLNnopzz6hHYmZehJMPFkKrhRJF6MF_xXzQUxImqKbfJ28RbuZ_JIvakzHe668qLoWg_Exek4Q-CgrjNQOvi0JRlTqqJ9vFEeVMsYHY1KvMZdTYuaRouy1cD4JQIaQJyZlrATTXo1MEM0D0WLxXJLg6th58uW1gBDj3OoczJSa1Eup3y1I/w640-h480/IMG_6773.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Done!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3aLLWdhQkNoheau3BluXoQnUpvq_PPkLVE_QEOOtqfnZGyOpgJmfPMgKRQfeoUBwH4gBxIrDVxlJEz0mQ59si5G_u4cjMXjlMla7oPM9MqZMs80XIv_y3M1RTIqPzgIMYDAVOwrbn1YMuoJ9d45-XGoM_wRs8ggW7g4pa3PlgcVFDiLuyoOl0UiS35I/s3438/IMG_6776.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3438" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3aLLWdhQkNoheau3BluXoQnUpvq_PPkLVE_QEOOtqfnZGyOpgJmfPMgKRQfeoUBwH4gBxIrDVxlJEz0mQ59si5G_u4cjMXjlMla7oPM9MqZMs80XIv_y3M1RTIqPzgIMYDAVOwrbn1YMuoJ9d45-XGoM_wRs8ggW7g4pa3PlgcVFDiLuyoOl0UiS35I/w640-h562/IMG_6776.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy Pumpkin-spiced Autumn!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-44596222726548885672023-10-22T07:30:00.001-07:002023-10-22T07:30:00.136-07:00Art Quilt: Kelp Kelp Garibaldi<p>I'm feeling marine green these days, still watching otters at the <a href="https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams/sea-otter-cam" target="_blank">Monterey Bay Aquarium otter camera </a>and thinking about the importance of kelp to our oceans and earth. Previous kelp-and-otter-related quilts are <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2023/10/art-quilt-hidden-otter.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2022/06/art-quilt-holdfast.html" target="_blank">here</a>. My challenge this time was to create an abstract kelp quilt that felt textural; whether that meant threads showing or raw edges or hand sewing, I wasn't sure when I started. Text and texture came together in strong verticals with tiny splashes of color to move the eye around.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CXo6ToJTIAI8BzoYzc8ayxyH6Xxgh42Jx6kfKOBWP9Yxhm3DXI56FTDKzbRinxbmiCdFg87VuEBZRdHGQ80Cf-x_orWGiUVozehsLqoXYi4G8SHoa8SBwsvIv6LsPXJIUh-yKElsnPn9x8GgXMM3UszUiz-dM-nC0VDhc9ClH4mR_zMOJm_9iOOKvCc/s2069/kelp-kelp-garibaldi-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2069" data-original-width="1400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CXo6ToJTIAI8BzoYzc8ayxyH6Xxgh42Jx6kfKOBWP9Yxhm3DXI56FTDKzbRinxbmiCdFg87VuEBZRdHGQ80Cf-x_orWGiUVozehsLqoXYi4G8SHoa8SBwsvIv6LsPXJIUh-yKElsnPn9x8GgXMM3UszUiz-dM-nC0VDhc9ClH4mR_zMOJm_9iOOKvCc/w434-h640/kelp-kelp-garibaldi-sm.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Kelp Kelp Garibaldi</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">29.5 x 45.5" (75 cm x 115.5 cm)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hand-dyed cotton, velvet, flannel; Japanese yarn-dyed cotton; letterpress printing from wood type on cotton; raw-edge piecing; sashiko-style quilting with "rising steam" and "fish scale" patterns; beads; cotton thread</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Continuing my creative exploration of kelp and otters, I chose some wood type letters that felt like the right shapes for kelp and letterpress printed and overprinted them onto cotton in light green, medium green, and dark green.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRfJUjQ7M6odwVvIhJMF7jm2Cmh7TxxjYvCdbS4dNk6DovMyZPy0QPbPmdFvVF0m6oG7NbwFYO1KQ7kJn2B89vi11p_xj22LBSRcEEn5odwyf9pctgaP5I7wOAGhR-p8NjLInJuTUzLQA5uVbkWs-CkYF_oopjs_I-sROBfIsCFy0exS-PZv0cS-Tz4k4/s4032/IMG_6718.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRfJUjQ7M6odwVvIhJMF7jm2Cmh7TxxjYvCdbS4dNk6DovMyZPy0QPbPmdFvVF0m6oG7NbwFYO1KQ7kJn2B89vi11p_xj22LBSRcEEn5odwyf9pctgaP5I7wOAGhR-p8NjLInJuTUzLQA5uVbkWs-CkYF_oopjs_I-sROBfIsCFy0exS-PZv0cS-Tz4k4/w480-h640/IMG_6718.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The texture was created by piecing the strips back to back and ironing the seams over one way or other. </span><span style="text-align: left;">Garibaldi is California's state marine fish; it is vibrant orange with a heart-shaped tail and lives among the kelp. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrtFiOUn5auNeYjVOJ43CMa-ZSpm35ClgcbEjxu6PfSWDGmlTaCuOsSEKxvo38V8j8vGuNqlnhG7mjEVnn2M92-YM4oVIQzWI25HEhtBs_AEaC_Nr4U-qoOqV6Pd0vBR5frhn5lgAJ_srsbkssclVMZdZvmXcLwe4aqXOreWVj_nzBAZcWHBk1n7azts/s4032/IMG_6720.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrtFiOUn5auNeYjVOJ43CMa-ZSpm35ClgcbEjxu6PfSWDGmlTaCuOsSEKxvo38V8j8vGuNqlnhG7mjEVnn2M92-YM4oVIQzWI25HEhtBs_AEaC_Nr4U-qoOqV6Pd0vBR5frhn5lgAJ_srsbkssclVMZdZvmXcLwe4aqXOreWVj_nzBAZcWHBk1n7azts/w480-h640/IMG_6720.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Quilting is by hand in the sashiko-style "rising steam" pattern and a little of the "fish scale" pattern for the garibaldi.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLAaMt6GJTM28qlSE-ekgByMUBkXECe1elWwtgvk40wYtLrn3DLHdqrL53_FO7haFP2BZv3qwSAMDWNqWIOBHKXiDSurAWbKSTyzrVNkAny3kNmqFRF-rKgVBxcnaRdCTK5MEcNoGTL_luZxl98yjVqApRYQpJq39sXPDkX_kSBJUFw_5uQ227sdRX1U/s4032/IMG_6722.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLAaMt6GJTM28qlSE-ekgByMUBkXECe1elWwtgvk40wYtLrn3DLHdqrL53_FO7haFP2BZv3qwSAMDWNqWIOBHKXiDSurAWbKSTyzrVNkAny3kNmqFRF-rKgVBxcnaRdCTK5MEcNoGTL_luZxl98yjVqApRYQpJq39sXPDkX_kSBJUFw_5uQ227sdRX1U/w640-h480/IMG_6722.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> I used some of my <a href="https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/everbird" target="_blank">Spoonflower Everbird shop</a> "otter dreams" designs, one I had had printed just black outlines on white cotton so I could overdye it. The other has a kelp green background. All of the colors otherwise are hand dyed cotton, velvet, and flannel.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67hEJxSfrPsGn9B2iub0S3FwFZRW1kNBfcP_PDi30AcfaHIFPQkYYnW5wozAweO_7zTwmdQQMxAyIc6eYVfwZuuYqIfaFpS8Ox0U30Qyv_7wlu6icfbSnnyfonPByUyfGkCt-1oTW6MUvzIR6j9KyFGWBXmArjmDIs_j8NkodsQi97DnezI_hPiGQ4v8/s4032/IMG_6724.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67hEJxSfrPsGn9B2iub0S3FwFZRW1kNBfcP_PDi30AcfaHIFPQkYYnW5wozAweO_7zTwmdQQMxAyIc6eYVfwZuuYqIfaFpS8Ox0U30Qyv_7wlu6icfbSnnyfonPByUyfGkCt-1oTW6MUvzIR6j9KyFGWBXmArjmDIs_j8NkodsQi97DnezI_hPiGQ4v8/w640-h480/IMG_6724.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another is in the works.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But I also decided to sign up for <a href="https://nanowrimo.org" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo</a> again this year, which means I will be writing 2-3 hours a day for the month of November.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I only participated once before, in 2019, and blogged about it in detail here, which turned out to refresh my memory on how to go about it again: <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2019/10/getting-ready-for-nanowrimo.html" target="_blank">Getting Ready for NaNoWriMo</a>, and <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2019/11/nanowrimo-writing-week-1.html" target="_blank">Week 1</a>, and <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2019/11/nanowrimo-writing-week-2.html" target="_blank">Week 2</a>, and <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2019/11/nanowrimo-writing-week-3.html" target="_blank">Week 3</a>, and <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2019/11/nanowrimo-writing-week-4.html" target="_blank">Week 4</a>, and <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2019/12/more-than-blank-page-learning-from.html" target="_blank">More Than a Blank Page: (Learning from NaNoWriMo</a>).</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-52926922117811440872023-10-10T13:51:00.004-07:002023-10-20T13:47:09.673-07:00Visiting the deYoung OPEN 2023<p>Early on a Wednesday morning, just after rush hour, we drove to San Francisco so we could take in the 883 local artworks presented through January 2024 at the deYoung Museum. The "new" building was controversial at the time it was built in 2005 (history of the museum and architecture is <a href="https://www.famsf.org/about/de-young-history-2" target="_blank">here</a>), and is sometimes referred to as the "Klingon warship" due to its shape and now patinated color.</p><p>Here is the entrance. I'm not sure you can see it in the photo (but you can see it in the link, below), but if you look at the walkway, it has a long crack running as a path through the stone, "Drawn Stone," a <a href="https://www.famsf.org/stories/andy-goldsworthy-s-drawn-stone" target="_blank">2005 creation by artist Andy Goldsworthy</a>, referencing San Francisco's faultlines, and perhaps predilection for earthquakes, although the stone itself was imported from England.</p><p>But here is the welcoming banner: <i>Your Artwork, Our Walls: The deYoung Open</i>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJGFRRTfxUt6YBblY2WMgvkBhodVIJWTp2C3hl8bQ853RDABscTIZmEliMuuXFae03qS6a4C1Tt6xsNdSyGqN_yifCftgTeaI8RKkqbKQPuG4gIeyJTBoxXw27uNjbo643MxSVf2tiUpZmIeGhpJLihsPNSd9zT8gEexla-sQ3A2NDpzVAbn-XEURJ8s/s4032/IMG_6495.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJGFRRTfxUt6YBblY2WMgvkBhodVIJWTp2C3hl8bQ853RDABscTIZmEliMuuXFae03qS6a4C1Tt6xsNdSyGqN_yifCftgTeaI8RKkqbKQPuG4gIeyJTBoxXw27uNjbo643MxSVf2tiUpZmIeGhpJLihsPNSd9zT8gEexla-sQ3A2NDpzVAbn-XEURJ8s/w640-h480/IMG_6495.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The exhibition is downstairs, in the large special exhibit galleries. This welcome is a sign in rainbow blocks that contain the artists's names in alphabetical order by first name and the number of the artwork. That number proved to be the location of the gallery as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(All the art is posted online at the deYoung Open Gallery <a href="https://deyoungopen2023.artcall.org/pages/web-gallery" target="_blank">here</a>.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcAewdj6B_s2QV5mRElHxM0o31fo9y2EDfpCYmQUhaQ-a6ZHQB4_c5nZc20elc9zIcBejH7NBJKCysCvyIMiq41hnYUPUXSyj3CUFpxdjB0wdOV4Hr3uNTZrS337hDol3lDc_gFa-qtDMvei4pzqNxGEYTLYg0VJtBoh8WVfdwHzma4zVR6XbS-U1kUQ/s4032/IMG_6496.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcAewdj6B_s2QV5mRElHxM0o31fo9y2EDfpCYmQUhaQ-a6ZHQB4_c5nZc20elc9zIcBejH7NBJKCysCvyIMiq41hnYUPUXSyj3CUFpxdjB0wdOV4Hr3uNTZrS337hDol3lDc_gFa-qtDMvei4pzqNxGEYTLYg0VJtBoh8WVfdwHzma4zVR6XbS-U1kUQ/w640-h480/IMG_6496.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is my name in white on pumpkin orange, number 826, which was the last room of the exhibit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpSJyrCdWmo-F0kJGiiFTOvh1L3Mz1aEFgyRVIF4SJ6GgSGCMkk3rM5oI-MCpx6WyyK8SEPzfsneW46h-b9IFSoiJ_EKVjVJhj6jNdzLHxk8GxDAZunfjtfOcKI-74rDR11465YcoKAYM3csf2IynU-brx652Iko36NMYOX1CWncHN00A9ujISvPES14/s3376/IMG_6497.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3376" data-original-width="2886" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpSJyrCdWmo-F0kJGiiFTOvh1L3Mz1aEFgyRVIF4SJ6GgSGCMkk3rM5oI-MCpx6WyyK8SEPzfsneW46h-b9IFSoiJ_EKVjVJhj6jNdzLHxk8GxDAZunfjtfOcKI-74rDR11465YcoKAYM3csf2IynU-brx652Iko36NMYOX1CWncHN00A9ujISvPES14/w548-h640/IMG_6497.jpeg" width="548" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">First room, walking in. On the width of the walls are the names and numbers of the artists in that area.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtuKW0s0mgh4L0W2amDwZnvnoN75k_PIJpR-CSZ0bFIlgaEja8T8OWz3_GoWCoU7mky4e4T9Xvh24FHvhjA8F8Zit8GvnOTL6TwTXGnVEHiRY5wPtzKLKhyphenhyphenP3_sIs0VWqeIE0dWz4kGG0ds5nzcs1-AXKD7_md8qdhi3hyphenhyphenR9LAVO4Te2GTchvCTk8OvE/s4032/IMG_6498.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtuKW0s0mgh4L0W2amDwZnvnoN75k_PIJpR-CSZ0bFIlgaEja8T8OWz3_GoWCoU7mky4e4T9Xvh24FHvhjA8F8Zit8GvnOTL6TwTXGnVEHiRY5wPtzKLKhyphenhyphenP3_sIs0VWqeIE0dWz4kGG0ds5nzcs1-AXKD7_md8qdhi3hyphenhyphenR9LAVO4Te2GTchvCTk8OvE/w640-h480/IMG_6498.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One soon realizes that the works are grouped loosely by theme: urban decay, architecture, portraits, nature, textile-related, abstract, surreal, and so forth.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here is the back wall of the first gallery, heading into the next section. These were all mostly portraits.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgxjLJNocXj0IEjnZh0RK_U4RinBlbiEaWBP6CzH6oMynR0b_WVVaN8Zw4gQr89vEReS7RDkEZZnJ0gpdbcKtNl42CC6SSTbl56PNzj-CBdFFqDvyrHxmgfhbggjWPdiW30pO8o7VP5846J4XLJfYx7c1gRj-dT6d1NcQwgAw2dy22Yjvd0Ua9bzG9pY/s4032/IMG_6505.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgxjLJNocXj0IEjnZh0RK_U4RinBlbiEaWBP6CzH6oMynR0b_WVVaN8Zw4gQr89vEReS7RDkEZZnJ0gpdbcKtNl42CC6SSTbl56PNzj-CBdFFqDvyrHxmgfhbggjWPdiW30pO8o7VP5846J4XLJfYx7c1gRj-dT6d1NcQwgAw2dy22Yjvd0Ua9bzG9pY/w640-h480/IMG_6505.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The next gallery had nature-related art, it seems.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB50_NTMHVD3VP7QAnIo3rLGJgi5AmkBfae2zCEsWi-FetN_xbNhVb4I84YX6gaZDo-M62qAj2TDUcH4FLp9w65dUg7TCGBUEFL-y-rcnOviuSiO491GQokkbDx21mIhT4_QILBYI_2keMF3zjkLz9CXhQxsU8cvsdqyNP-h9o8g9-eTxH-TtU82vGPQY/s4032/IMG_6507.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB50_NTMHVD3VP7QAnIo3rLGJgi5AmkBfae2zCEsWi-FetN_xbNhVb4I84YX6gaZDo-M62qAj2TDUcH4FLp9w65dUg7TCGBUEFL-y-rcnOviuSiO491GQokkbDx21mIhT4_QILBYI_2keMF3zjkLz9CXhQxsU8cvsdqyNP-h9o8g9-eTxH-TtU82vGPQY/w640-h480/IMG_6507.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the nature section, a few of interest.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(I don't have the names and titles of these at the moment.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2a5-gw3mCtqaJ0zXmpw38cI9rRWZ3BRrsh7AXRPDcNoCWpxGAfEOemRWtoF8LTHTs_q7YOg4f5KNdgW9Wu6z7ztIZgcvqFPuqpoiw5dkV98OblhGUovMFk16B-wCe3vCjLX_h1JKN3CcM_1_D0sFHASM3g6ADmvDIaa1rP_Y_5CBCTB020_hD29vlP0/s4032/IMG_6510.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2a5-gw3mCtqaJ0zXmpw38cI9rRWZ3BRrsh7AXRPDcNoCWpxGAfEOemRWtoF8LTHTs_q7YOg4f5KNdgW9Wu6z7ztIZgcvqFPuqpoiw5dkV98OblhGUovMFk16B-wCe3vCjLX_h1JKN3CcM_1_D0sFHASM3g6ADmvDIaa1rP_Y_5CBCTB020_hD29vlP0/w480-h640/IMG_6510.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the textile-adjacent section, #649: "Drawing for Anna Albers" by Gloria Matuszewski.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRSPGeIJY2UdBEdeB4VhbppVSIUZ2F0zlPvwouzeXiQe_y0yYffT684IS3MbgusufZ2luJsOaIfWlFwnrwBF44ayMygUgcefuhV2ug_3SAlwx1Oz7Zu6pEZM7j0QcQcQwqT-1SPtKAyfl4TBQhw_yRwlTuc9tHGfplRN6SKbKZYEYcdph0pAlYjDlryE/s4032/IMG_6511.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRSPGeIJY2UdBEdeB4VhbppVSIUZ2F0zlPvwouzeXiQe_y0yYffT684IS3MbgusufZ2luJsOaIfWlFwnrwBF44ayMygUgcefuhV2ug_3SAlwx1Oz7Zu6pEZM7j0QcQcQwqT-1SPtKAyfl4TBQhw_yRwlTuc9tHGfplRN6SKbKZYEYcdph0pAlYjDlryE/w480-h640/IMG_6511.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">686: "Oval Medium #5 Jug, Hand & Foot" by Kim Smith</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86vDZYtj3B_0xJRs_dX4WOuKY6qyM1z0DiOuuWhLVMgAyJX-k1NlAizXcjUI585XlW2YUjPG3ihIRHO7mbeB4gNgDIcvxjtUZY-NH22scaEjEOxxNVxAsXq3lOFKfZUtMLxRH_7VmgFilGmXd7MRhB3NVKhCl377yj57G3DKo58Nti7AFy2n-4o-PC4I/s4032/IMG_6514.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86vDZYtj3B_0xJRs_dX4WOuKY6qyM1z0DiOuuWhLVMgAyJX-k1NlAizXcjUI585XlW2YUjPG3ihIRHO7mbeB4gNgDIcvxjtUZY-NH22scaEjEOxxNVxAsXq3lOFKfZUtMLxRH_7VmgFilGmXd7MRhB3NVKhCl377yj57G3DKo58Nti7AFy2n-4o-PC4I/w480-h640/IMG_6514.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some surrealist works in the next gallery.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl85MvKGPzKrOExfD820ZHLFMkidY3envRzNXDm8DmyEnmY7aRPRHnL6JCtpVK3nrOXjLujgKbPC0uQWljXJJvlZjUeTcnzWBgmy7c-nS1-IyZtuC1lVmXY6T6mzfVcRCiPFV24OVw7Yp3g22XQkp1nqMl0XnlNNVsHAQfzsBReyvh9EeyemEwc-Wee6M/s4032/IMG_6513.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl85MvKGPzKrOExfD820ZHLFMkidY3envRzNXDm8DmyEnmY7aRPRHnL6JCtpVK3nrOXjLujgKbPC0uQWljXJJvlZjUeTcnzWBgmy7c-nS1-IyZtuC1lVmXY6T6mzfVcRCiPFV24OVw7Yp3g22XQkp1nqMl0XnlNNVsHAQfzsBReyvh9EeyemEwc-Wee6M/w640-h480/IMG_6513.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The last room of the exhibit. If I were to guess, I would say it was based around the theme of "culture." But it was not clear to me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrQVcgWjbTVHpxSwOXxeTjDDnHOdtDKE7xW2V6TuuTCDrqfdwwt4z-i2N-uxyLhQDAQZtHXdOZ-6qMc3XBsspVUu4Aw0er1bf2yfe8AXkoSuxCkH8lROvs94eilcft1VQ4hWZ7gB9c5_EuOKisuQg8X-CpeRserSBXqth8meTXXBY8pjADzL1YTkp66o/s3842/IMG_6541%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3842" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrQVcgWjbTVHpxSwOXxeTjDDnHOdtDKE7xW2V6TuuTCDrqfdwwt4z-i2N-uxyLhQDAQZtHXdOZ-6qMc3XBsspVUu4Aw0er1bf2yfe8AXkoSuxCkH8lROvs94eilcft1VQ4hWZ7gB9c5_EuOKisuQg8X-CpeRserSBXqth8meTXXBY8pjADzL1YTkp66o/w640-h504/IMG_6541%202.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A fun piece by David Fullarton, who often exhibits at the Compound Gallery and graciously allowed me to print some works in <i>Star 82 Review, </i><a href="https://www.star82review.com/2.3/contents.html" target="_blank">issue 2.3.</a> On the left, a list of cheese names. On the right it says, "A gallery full of nothing but cheese; that's my idea of art."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45smwJ4DlXoQBysFPz9xpQ9F3wmMbw-JgzfSSIj9T7n7vnRlwwLa9mdx7kTdnNVzW5PbGs8E1jkaNkTPuaP9uOpT6hiKQMqr9o2bFw34IsXdw8MYVyvAjEbq_XSE943IiLEXeIePYMG48MWEkIiyqy0jpHcahi4ppWdOtyHS5fzXd_gnf85_AryyQKyc/s4032/IMG_6545.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45smwJ4DlXoQBysFPz9xpQ9F3wmMbw-JgzfSSIj9T7n7vnRlwwLa9mdx7kTdnNVzW5PbGs8E1jkaNkTPuaP9uOpT6hiKQMqr9o2bFw34IsXdw8MYVyvAjEbq_XSE943IiLEXeIePYMG48MWEkIiyqy0jpHcahi4ppWdOtyHS5fzXd_gnf85_AryyQKyc/w640-h480/IMG_6545.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My quilt is way up there, #826, as advertised.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UfgATTCmbPVzWHtugA0g6yxUo5dYzxAZ3p9Ri3FIG4TSCWxZu_LHwAxewqmvNVWbKuXQndDsk8eAh0hkvM-jhZ8NM9TiiPjbmRWUsg_Tr8pv8pn6iB-pbjIhfMaSJ3qvRM4jFtRjI1-T1nwYqmguvo5Ty6ghNPNAtxvpAaiGBPaqr6WzN4TxghHUM7c/s4032/IMG_6518.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UfgATTCmbPVzWHtugA0g6yxUo5dYzxAZ3p9Ri3FIG4TSCWxZu_LHwAxewqmvNVWbKuXQndDsk8eAh0hkvM-jhZ8NM9TiiPjbmRWUsg_Tr8pv8pn6iB-pbjIhfMaSJ3qvRM4jFtRjI1-T1nwYqmguvo5Ty6ghNPNAtxvpAaiGBPaqr6WzN4TxghHUM7c/w480-h640/IMG_6518.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQNVGCCSHE3VpmGzJjkXdMlG97yS37mCC3Hn2KydVlEbkqUptEkzPGtCBkba0oiE8eqf2GjUib099o67UFwNiW6evDunyjP-ZEgMZMbxsq6j6mf4KIxSQk6Nx2C1pYUmcNUDR0BzRmvfnXAa6wa2q4bM1CJzfYUiAkU5urUWd0b1m7p_yHb7_DwWZRX0/s3088/IMG_6539.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQNVGCCSHE3VpmGzJjkXdMlG97yS37mCC3Hn2KydVlEbkqUptEkzPGtCBkba0oiE8eqf2GjUib099o67UFwNiW6evDunyjP-ZEgMZMbxsq6j6mf4KIxSQk6Nx2C1pYUmcNUDR0BzRmvfnXAa6wa2q4bM1CJzfYUiAkU5urUWd0b1m7p_yHb7_DwWZRX0/w480-h640/IMG_6539.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Exquisite work. Really nice show, excellent curation. Some of the pieces next to one another really seemed related. I'm sure I missed something. I will have to go back to take it all in again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Other installation shots on the <a href="https://www.famsf.org/exhibitions/de-young-open-2023" target="_blank">deYoung website</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">deYoung OPEN 2023</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Golden Gate Park</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">San Francisco, CA 94118</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hours: T-Su, 9:30am - 5:15pm</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimB7ExiJhLNMpQMSdotCzIpq4PUGCFzP6WD6B97sziq0_TRXe3NN6oLGgvEcLrmEm6Zn6yEn0cjuaBGyBWvoJ0EAVZvht1hf0nlVcXHr0PiXupIv4ri6YNZqj87Otd4twg3jakYb4h7nUfmZh5Cxmf4Eu11vYGtlROL37ehDtA6Ji4prjSN5CoayFCC0/s4032/IMG_6543%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimB7ExiJhLNMpQMSdotCzIpq4PUGCFzP6WD6B97sziq0_TRXe3NN6oLGgvEcLrmEm6Zn6yEn0cjuaBGyBWvoJ0EAVZvht1hf0nlVcXHr0PiXupIv4ri6YNZqj87Otd4twg3jakYb4h7nUfmZh5Cxmf4Eu11vYGtlROL37ehDtA6Ji4prjSN5CoayFCC0/w480-h640/IMG_6543%202.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>Can't get there? All the art is posted<a href="https://deyoungopen2023.artcall.org/pages/web-gallery" target="_blank"> here</a>.</div>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-29728340811669895692023-10-06T14:36:00.000-07:002023-10-06T14:36:25.399-07:00Art Quilt: The Hidden Otter<p>As I've written before in <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2023/08/art-quilt-hidden-robin.html">this post</a>, I became interested in the idea of 36 righteous people living in the world that must stay hidden; we are to conduct ourselves as if they or we might be one. My mind led to the idea of 36 hidden animals in the world that we are to care for, but we do not know which ones they are, so we must be stewards of them all. </p><p>In my continuing series of hidden animal quilts, I present the latest, number eight, <i>The Hidden Otter</i>. She is based on a photograph I took of Rosa, the oldest known otter, who resides at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. You can also catch a glimpse of her periodically on the <a href="https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams/sea-otter-cam">sea otter camera</a> (narrated feedings are 10:30, 1:30, and 3:30 daily). She is part of a one-of-a-kind surrogate mom program at the aquarium, retired now after raising 15 pups that were then able to be released into the wild. The five otters there were deemed non releasable by the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/species/southern-sea-otter-enhydra-lutris-nereis" target="_blank">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a> for behavioral or medical reasons. (See the USFWS link for more info about the southern sea otter.)</p><p>In 2023, you might have heard about Otter 841 who kept climbing onto surfboards off the California coast as well as biting people. She would likely now be a non-releasable otter, if they ever catch her! Apparently, her mother was also too acclimated to humans and although 841 was raised in captivity (hence the number), she was eventually released into the wild with the hope she could maintain a normal otter life. Yes, they are cute, but if you encounter one, give her space!</p><p>The southern sea otter, also known as the California sea otter, is what is referred to as a "keystone species." It eats the purple sea urchins that eat the kelp ("clear cutters of the sea"), which is home to many other species of fish and invertebrates. The kelp also functions as the ocean's rain forest, cleaning the air of CO2, just as large forests do on land. We need it. My first quilt with kelp content was <i>Holdfast</i>, which I wrote about <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2022/06/art-quilt-holdfast.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>I have more ideas for kelp and otter quilts. Stay tuned. And take care of one another.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgF1si108k-U6EslWG7XDbUS6Eapryuo0h-BYopJ1t967zcQFYec6PoBZ3qCArFoAUalyA_Gfz65MUEeLNlLJ4VgL0dTXWxvRBFttB1nMj0HcKqn7o-8IKn3ANRDiUPAJxsuq_m8jgQR2gmR5ib4bc7GGPN81-GY1SStAtM2j8b2DboilOeVQwqZTXwQ0/s3384/IMG_6564-otterquilt.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3384" data-original-width="2992" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgF1si108k-U6EslWG7XDbUS6Eapryuo0h-BYopJ1t967zcQFYec6PoBZ3qCArFoAUalyA_Gfz65MUEeLNlLJ4VgL0dTXWxvRBFttB1nMj0HcKqn7o-8IKn3ANRDiUPAJxsuq_m8jgQR2gmR5ib4bc7GGPN81-GY1SStAtM2j8b2DboilOeVQwqZTXwQ0/w566-h640/IMG_6564-otterquilt.jpeg" width="566" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>The Hidden Otter</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">34.25"h x 29.5"w (87 cm x 75 cm)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hand-dyed cotton and velvet; Japanese yarn-dyed cotton; hand quilting; sashiko-style quilting with "rising steam" pattern; embroidery</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Detail of the otter's head:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Rpbz2YaeFM2xnw3RdGGf1xyu8dWZkv-T_3HYsys9jwBvmh5rV5UAilRUWx41w4wrJIKuoiOnmqnVf9LGBik1hU4Zo-oWFPWxoOkVUuknzYQhZImq8c5dUJUMx6y-cy6wGyGWnTolUb4IitVVlTc5h8EqNImjL7jEZFh5juNWL15p864ukyKA7wQAdMU/s1200/IMG_6570-detail-otter.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1200" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Rpbz2YaeFM2xnw3RdGGf1xyu8dWZkv-T_3HYsys9jwBvmh5rV5UAilRUWx41w4wrJIKuoiOnmqnVf9LGBik1hU4Zo-oWFPWxoOkVUuknzYQhZImq8c5dUJUMx6y-cy6wGyGWnTolUb4IitVVlTc5h8EqNImjL7jEZFh5juNWL15p864ukyKA7wQAdMU/w640-h488/IMG_6570-detail-otter.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">smaller, so maybe you can see her better:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Rpbz2YaeFM2xnw3RdGGf1xyu8dWZkv-T_3HYsys9jwBvmh5rV5UAilRUWx41w4wrJIKuoiOnmqnVf9LGBik1hU4Zo-oWFPWxoOkVUuknzYQhZImq8c5dUJUMx6y-cy6wGyGWnTolUb4IitVVlTc5h8EqNImjL7jEZFh5juNWL15p864ukyKA7wQAdMU/s1200/IMG_6570-detail-otter.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="pixelated otter head from art quilt" border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1200" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Rpbz2YaeFM2xnw3RdGGf1xyu8dWZkv-T_3HYsys9jwBvmh5rV5UAilRUWx41w4wrJIKuoiOnmqnVf9LGBik1hU4Zo-oWFPWxoOkVUuknzYQhZImq8c5dUJUMx6y-cy6wGyGWnTolUb4IitVVlTc5h8EqNImjL7jEZFh5juNWL15p864ukyKA7wQAdMU/w200-h153/IMG_6570-detail-otter.png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">detail of kelp embroidery:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOQtWbfFyZ8vKLhZUliXUr4lHGDqtlEfsgukUtSFC7h9mYFjuse4HQ4Q5g6Vhz0pGC6DvU8t-IvKzhqw1yV4EoGI6Z81hX3iTHB71KNxVJghysgYuY3Q8L8GTfZntbwXXufd3FH5ip7wLC46z1zre8OxfB61lalrIpjCnGLGjZ4h0UxRP4nj5HaeZxzs/s1200/IMG_6572-detail-kelp.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="1200" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOQtWbfFyZ8vKLhZUliXUr4lHGDqtlEfsgukUtSFC7h9mYFjuse4HQ4Q5g6Vhz0pGC6DvU8t-IvKzhqw1yV4EoGI6Z81hX3iTHB71KNxVJghysgYuY3Q8L8GTfZntbwXXufd3FH5ip7wLC46z1zre8OxfB61lalrIpjCnGLGjZ4h0UxRP4nj5HaeZxzs/w640-h462/IMG_6572-detail-kelp.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-31014845654989765892023-09-21T12:30:00.001-07:002023-09-21T12:30:26.266-07:00Art Quilt in de Young Open 2023 & Publication News<p>In 2020, the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park opened a call to artists living in the San Francisco Bay Area to submit two works for possible inclusion in a gigantic exhibit, hung floor to ceiling, called the "de Young Open." My work was not accepted, but some friends had theirs shown.</p><p>The museum decided to continue this premise every third year, which brings us to the de Young Open 2023, now. Out of 7,700 entries (and only one artwork this time), the curators chose 880. I nearly didn't enter, but my art quilt, "<a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2021/11/art-quilt-would-he-hide-me.html" target="_blank">Would He Hide Me</a>" was, to my surprise, accepted. At some point, the exhibit will go online. But for now, it opens to the public for a free Saturday (tickets still required) this Saturday, September 23, and a member's preview on Thursday, September 28, opening all the way on September 30 through January 2024. Info is posted at their website <a href="https://www.famsf.org/exhibitions/de-young-open-2023" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33fXa3cgt-593H9ooWpBIJEpEc_jNBe7cmkxKYoHtCF3edlSQ2-bxkI1q3niJAjgfm4gECfe_bd6vTFCPt_Ooijck8tlDKjNLour4seG8yxFM9doEAaTy581XomcGCroVo0uEBXS4Xn6KVp0enyCgc4SuZ4votUPrMek5IQWvque5LV85EM18PIE3_fs/s2000/IMG_0438-would-he-hide-me.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33fXa3cgt-593H9ooWpBIJEpEc_jNBe7cmkxKYoHtCF3edlSQ2-bxkI1q3niJAjgfm4gECfe_bd6vTFCPt_Ooijck8tlDKjNLour4seG8yxFM9doEAaTy581XomcGCroVo0uEBXS4Xn6KVp0enyCgc4SuZ4votUPrMek5IQWvque5LV85EM18PIE3_fs/w448-h640/IMG_0438-would-he-hide-me.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps coincidentally, an article appeared in the <i>New York Times </i>recently, "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/11/t-magazine/fiber-art-textiles.html" target="_blank">Fiber Art Is Finally Being Taken Seriously</a>," by Julia Halperin. When I shifted from book art to art quilts I was a little dubious about how my work would be received, but this was the way my art was going. I had no choice. I hope that the insulting connotations of quilts and other fiber arts do indeed fall away and that this is not another fad. Paintings on paper or canvas (tell me these are not fibers) are common, but no one blinks. Judging by popular magazines, sales, and organizations, the general public seems to love textiles; I hope the critics' perceptions are coming into alignment with the public perception.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have another quilt traveling with a show of work by members of California Society of Printmakers and Studio Art Quilt Associates, "<a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2022/09/art-quilt-redacted.html" target="_blank">Redacted</a>." A small but complete catalogue of this beautiful show is now available from CSP/SAQA at <a href="https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/2591167" target="_blank">MagCloud here</a>. My post about the show at Art Ark in San Jose is <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2023/05/printed-stitched-art-ark-gallery-photos.html" target="_blank">here</a>. The show is traveling and will be at the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles sometime after spring 2024.</div><div><br /></div><div>Four other quilts are still out touring as well: <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2020/12/new-art-quilt-hidden-owl.html" target="_blank">The Hidden Owl</a> | <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2021/10/art-quilt-hidden-coot.html" target="_blank">The Hidden Coot</a> | <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2022/03/art-quilt-midnight-zephyr-small-craft.html" target="_blank">Midnight Zephyr: Small Craft Advisory</a> | and <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2022/12/art-poetry-quilt-magma-undercurrents.html" target="_blank">Magma: Undercurrents</a>. Touring venues and dates are generally listed on the main <a href="https://neverbook.com/artquilts.html" target="_blank">art quilt page of my website here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>*</div><div><br /></div>On the writing front, seven of my short fictions are contained in a recent publication from Ravenna Press in their "triples" series. Three writers were chosen to be featured in one small book together. Added bonus is the Paul Klee painting on the cover of the June <a href="https://ravennapress.com/books/series/triple-series/" target="_blank">Triple #22</a>. A print copy only, it is available from Ravenna Press for 12.95 at the Triple link. Six out of the seven have been previously published in other magazines, and if you like you can read some of them and other stories and poems at my website <a href="https://www.neverbook.com/stories-poems.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6m9XzrsV5Xpk3DkrRjf6rJu8CMdJ-4Doe-KmIGz7vUm3qSnOXCewwt88IMPCm0BXCLi-FGwmrzEMRn0voFRL4xFPDoDBoQHNMnTNpTnt3As-y-Zb_wk63uUYRFKEnV8OmRo88MKyDwdPyWXrAoJQDdiHuB_vm2F1r5tb8-evClUKHhoIyw6Pmjiv4n4/s1092/Ravenna%2022%20triple%20cover.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="698" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6m9XzrsV5Xpk3DkrRjf6rJu8CMdJ-4Doe-KmIGz7vUm3qSnOXCewwt88IMPCm0BXCLi-FGwmrzEMRn0voFRL4xFPDoDBoQHNMnTNpTnt3As-y-Zb_wk63uUYRFKEnV8OmRo88MKyDwdPyWXrAoJQDdiHuB_vm2F1r5tb8-evClUKHhoIyw6Pmjiv4n4/w256-h400/Ravenna%2022%20triple%20cover.png" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div>And that's what's going on.<br /><p><br /></p></div>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-53152942950046018452023-09-17T09:07:00.001-07:002023-09-17T09:07:04.972-07:00Book Art Video: The Binding<p>Many stories in the Jewish Bible perplex me. The one that probably got to me first was in Genesis, the story of the binding of Isaac, also known as the Akedah (ah-kay-DAH). Abraham is told to take his son to the mountain and sacrifice him there. (In Islam, the son is Ishmael, but either way it is disturbing.) Every year the story is read on Rosh Hashanah, so I heard it over and over growing up. </p><p>In 1986, I wrote an interpretation of it, a retelling from the point of view of Abraham and Sarah's servant, and hand set the metal type and carved multiple linoleum blocks to letterpress print in color. The binding of <i>The Binding</i> is a single ribbon that winds around the book and tucks in, much as one secures a Japanese scroll. I printed the book in a limited edition of 48 copies. </p><p>As a way to preserve it, I made a video to coincide with the High Holy Days, which occur beginning the first of the lunar month of Tishrei, usually around September (this year beginning sundown September 15; Yom Kippur sundown on September 24) , sometimes October. Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" (<i>rosh</i>=head, <i>shanna</i>=year, <i>ha</i>=the); the first day of the seventh month, the Jewish new year. It is a day of joy, but not like the secular new year. You can read more about it <a href="https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/rosh-hashanah-101/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><b>The Binding</b></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LiTY5_p2H2A?si=Yqkfon8S2R-sPzFK" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380631593644516380.post-17036112831549148362023-09-10T14:41:00.003-07:002023-09-10T14:41:47.615-07:00Book Art Video: Letters of Transit: Bird Passports<p>In 2019, <a href="https://textilestudio.com" target="_blank">Dianne Ayres</a> and I collaborated on an artwork, <a href="https://makinghandmadebooks.blogspot.com/2019/04/new-collaboration-letters-of-transit.html" target="_blank">Letters of Transit: Bird Passports</a>. We made a limited edition of ten copies (one may still be available), but recently also made a "guide" which is a kind of facsimile of the pages of text with photos of the project: <a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/dianne-ayres-and-alisa-golden/letters-of-transit-a-guide/paperback/product-qrngz6.html?q=letters+of+transit&page=1&pageSize=4" target="_blank">Letters of Transit: A Reader's Guide</a>, that you can get for $20 on Lulu.com. (The title is a wink, of course, to the film <i>Casablanca</i>.)</p><p>During the Arts & Crafts era, embroiderers made bags for myriad items; the bags brought attention and beauty to everyday items. Our bag, which opens into a nest, binds together letterpress printed passports and handprinted wooden eggs, a reminder that each bird is an individual being with its own life path, and a symbol of our responsibility to the environment and to creatures other than ourselves.</p><p>And now, the video! Both of us read from the project, and I've added birdsongs as well. Gather up your breadcrumbs and a sip of water (or cup of tea) and settle in: it's a nearly ten-minute long exploration and features seven birds: Osprey, Mallard, Green Heron, Black Oystercatcher, American Coot, White-tailed Kite, and Anna's Hummingbird.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Letters of Transit: Bird Passports</b></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/plQnxy-JHsU?si=JAX2k3yZxJbfzrvr" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649805582936306865noreply@blogger.com0