Spirit Cloth

freedom of stitch

....for the longest time i was wrapped up in perfecting techniques. and although perfection is a sign of skill, like any rule it is a limitation. it encourages you to do things over and over. it can harbor fear and anguish and above all, pride.

.....a while back, victoria sent me a scrap of indian cloth, once a pillow cover.. and well i love things that are worn so i loved it a lot. i have recently used some of this treasure for the fever quilt (later) and i stopped long enough to notice the amazing amount of construction techniques involved in one piece. i have always admired the patchwork, applique and embroidery that comes from india. the amazing color and texture and design. but never did i notice before the freedom with which it is executed. there is a generous thrift , common sense and creativity involved in making something from what is on hand. inventing in the moment, riches from rags. something all your own.
with this little journey, i have been inspired to free up my approach, to move forward more freely and see where it leads. using methods as they occur to me and combining them where it makes sense to do so.

perhaps we should be working on perfecting acceptance of who we are rather than demanding perfection of a dream of who we are not. being there ...that is the issue. like a child. learning. inventing. what better place could there be?

the thread bearer

the small journey also requires luggage.  

wordless day #2

a small journey

....it seems i have wandered away to a place without words.

patchwork rainbow

sometimes the stylization of an image totally has to do with the medium in which you work.

there is an interesting post over at ragged cloth cafe....

personally i think the things that comfort you are learned. taught or experienced. and ultimately  remembered and therefore familiar. and why you choose certain forms of visual representation, well it has a lot with what you are comfortable with but it has a lot to do with the limitations of your technique.

some things seem universally beautiful or pleasing. it could be because there are certain things that are common to our experience. this is a comforting thought.

quilting smaller

......so. still in the spirit of getting back.....i have acted on a previous doodle wednesday...the lion block series. and i recycled an indigo ikat gift from acey.

with these blocks i will break my own record for teensy piecing. i don't think i can get any smaller.  these  tiny pieces are the keepers of my  life's purpose and the lions have become my personal symbol for  the journey.

quilting renewal on doodle wednesday

.......in the spirit of getting to things, i have picked up that easter project meant for mom  and i have recycled it with the intention of using it for a mother's day gift as well as my april tif, renewing my contract with that  exercise on a more personal level.
the sleeping baby carrots are almost done and it seemed to me that they were dreaming there among the green. resting yes, but dreaming. keepers of the awareness of their own potential perhaps. i thought about change. change is really a matter of perception. it is somehow always wrapped up in a renewal process though, which is growth in a bigger picture.

making things, is about potential, like having children, it is a renewal process. you can initiate and nurture it. and at the same time it grows on its own. and things change.

so this piece has been renamed renewal. it has changed but it is still for mom. she and i are still growing and i am happy about it.

and so as a change of pace, doodles on paper have changed to doodles on fabric. i am happy about that too!

quilting more or less

.....i am amazed at how many pieces i produced last year, some still in process, others stacked in the studio. and how amazing the accumulation of journals, i now have a stash of just ideas. like piles of too much fabric, this is just ridiculous. it is spring and cleaning is on my mind and my mind is the first stop. one by one i will go back and recycle my thoughts. no more piles. and i will concentrate on giving away more and once again accumulating less. why do i have to keep reminding myself? why? who is the squirrel now? oh not even a squirrel, at least they remember where they put the acorns.

stitching in a grey area

.......it is grey and damp and i am in a fog. my friend "li'l buddah" , who has returned minus a few pieces of ear...was waiting at the back door this morning reminding me to get my act together and pass out the peanuts. and then clean my windows. cloudy day, cloudy mind, cloudy stitching. nebulous plans.

composite applique

.....i find it easier to work complicated applique as a separate layer/unit. you get your hands around the section, stitch more freely...and it is portable. this is a bit of a self portrait. as it turns out it is easier to see you own face if you take it off to get a better look.