Spirit Cloth

early morning insanity

BEFORE the commute, a little electric jude and a tiny stand of teeny trees.

quilting without end

because this new mending project has such a long thread to my past, i have named it "Without End". i like naming things and even more so when the name identifies clearly the spirit of the thing that moves me.
day one included 'a holding ceremony'  and  'remembering'  and finally quilting the border (during my commute) to give it some body. the stitching definitely brought it back to life. and the conversation has begun. the cotton has discolored, and reminds me of perfectly toasted marshmallows. i noticed the contrasted textures of the fabrics. and as i held my hand beneath the linen i found bare spots and some additional small tears and i could see where the stress has been and i am preparing a mending plan. slowly.
the pattern in the border is only a slice of the original block design. it was actually my little floating squares pattern that i have used many times. ......in the baby quilt (i found the picture) and also in this series. its a great pattern and the size of the corners can be adjusted according to the size of your scraps. it came from the tile pattern in a school bathroom.

continued from here.

carrying fantasy

doodling some useful items with weaving and wool on my mind.i like them all except number 9. it is so easy when things are numbered.
portable spirit cloth. yup.

a month for mending

...december is the month when i go through all my accumulated fabric and projects and junk i have hanging around, looking for stuff to give away or finish or just throw out. instead of focusing on finishing up projects i am think about giving a new life to those in distress. filling in the holes. mending. mending is like healing and healing is a very nice way to spend time.  at least i find that to be true.
this is a short kimono i made years (30?) ago. the linen was already vintage, from an old thrifted table cloth. the silk knotted tassels came from a silk kimono my grandmother gave me. some robe she used while she lived in the phillipines. and the cotton patchwork border is one of the first i made, left over from the baby quilt i made for my son. i am still looking for pictures of that one. silk, linen and cotton. what a combo.
the side was repaired once before, and i have noticed some staining and another hole. it calls to me again and i have a thought to line it this time to increase the strength of the aging linen.
maybe i can line it with something else that needs repair and together they can strengthen each other. share a story perhaps....

continued

quilting for truth

....i woke up under this quilt this morning. still unfinished and already needs mending in spots.

this time of year always brings re-examination. i feel quiet and reflective, yet confused.... there is some sort of heaviness that slows me down. the feeling that the year is ending and what have i accomplished. the stress of getting things done. the anxiety of what the new year will bring and what will i do with it.

i am sitting here now and thinking. ok... that's enough. none of this matters.

just like a lot of things we are taught that are simply not true.

like "neatness counts". for what?

...and don't start one thing before you finish another...!... like how is that possible? really.

my mother taught nursery school for years. she told me a story. one little boy stood on a chair to turn on the light. another teacher came running over and yelled..." get down, we NEVER stand on chairs!"  and my mother was upset because that is simply not true. this story was a gift for me.

the truth is what you are and what you do. everyone has their own. let it be.

this block of truth is 9" wide and 3" high. english paper piecing, vintage fabric. some of the reds bled so i over tinted the whole quilt in the washer with tan dye. in use and in process for the last 7 years. for my son.

quilting a morning after

...it was a good thanksgiving. (thank you to all for the well wishes, they worked!) i did not overeat or drink. a cold wind blew in last night and the leaves were crispy and the moon was shining. and there are leftovers!
....i rose early to stitch the back of magic pink. (continued from) i happened (?) upon an old bee print in my scrap box, perfect with its  honeycomb design. and pink bees. i am dreaming of pink honey.

it is quite chilly this morning and the leaves are still crispy. and i am going to the post office.

quilting on thanksgiving

there are still a lot of leaves on the trees for november but at least we have some color. it is so warm. all my cooking is done and i will pack up some food and spend the day in the nursing home with the folks. not the best thanksgiving but family all the same.

i am bringing a few small projects to work on. just to keep my balance. finishing some detailing on magic pink, an owl that goes with O on the alphabet quilt, and some seasonal trees....
happy thanksgiving to all.

doodle wednesday- flashback

self portrait 1972

quilting a mess

....so i have been asked if i like the sewing machine. i have mixed emotions. (like when is that not true?) i certainly feel drugged by the speed (that is the good kind of drugged) but i am overwhelmed with the mess it creates. there are scraps and threads everywhere! i do feel out of touch a bit with my train (not the commuter one) of thought and i just made a comment to someone last night that i don't like sewing with the machine as much as hand sewing. 
i am rethinking though (let us not judge so quickly) and realizing that we all like better what we are used to. trying new things takes time. it takes time to be able to have a conversation (a personal one) with your tools. your tools are so integrated into the style of the work you produce and what you expect. the tools around you may very well create your ideas..and so for me, machine sewn work always looked alike. i rejected it on that premise. i am rambling here i suppose but i am enjoying the new experience ( thanks to the generous teaching of Tonya), i am enjoying learning how it works and what can be done. and i am curious how to speak with it.
....so Jan asked what was next and i guess it is M and i guess it will be for Mess... and Mushroom.

inspired by this sweet gift from Kristin who has so patiently waited for me to mail her the fabrics i have promised.

i am such a snail.

speaking of mushrooms, check this out.

quilting an alphabet quickly

....i got home from work...and suddenly all those letters and blocks, they went flying about and quickly became like this... just like that. i suspect it was the sewing machine. amazing. i am dizzy.
whew.