Spirit Cloth

investigating style

...i needed to take a break from the blue. and from magic. and from just about everything else i have been doing lately.  somehow i got a bit twisted up by some internal pressure.  i walked around in circles today. you know. i wasn't going anywhere. so i just went back through my work a bit. still focused on weaving but backtracking to an old question.  wanting to continue a thought about crossover between textile techniques and style.  how one defines the other and why.

...and then to take it a step further i have entertained combining different traditional textile styles in one piece. to see how they might touch . to create a new style. i have simple started by adding some ikat to this piece. this will be a larger long cloth for it may span centuries. . 

i need to make a few changes to my format.  a new blogging style to accommodate more video and the activation of my "notes to self".  all quite confusing at the moment but i look forward to the shape it might take.

in the spirit of considering

a small story of time. the time it takes for just about anything. a reminder.

a few details on saturday

...it was a very quiet sunrise. i think the birds have slept in. i know i would if i were one.

...i am finishing up a couple of old trees. the base is a nice cotton silk ikat fragment with the fringe intact for the bottom of the piece. it was chosen because of the oldness of the technique.  the piece now measures 22" and i think it is long enough.  i experimented with the foundation block idea by combining ragged edge applique and that stitched patchwork idea. i like how they look combined. old fabrics and a new idea. patchwork redefined once again.

...two stars were added to line up with the shibori moon. i enjoy when things align. but you probably know that.

...and let me just say how much i am enjoying quilting the moon patch. the indigo thread works wonderfully as always. but now i am noticing the amazing dimension this shibori technique has. i left the moon itself unstitched... to make it pop up a bit.  the linen add such history to the indigo dyeing, even though this moon is a contemporary piece, it seems, yes it seems it is a million years old.  i hate to pressure poor glennis and i know these take time to dye,  but i hope she has more in her shop real soon. 

i have removed the link to the magic slide show on flickr.  i have replaced this documentary with a video series, which will resume shortly.  i need to redesign this page a bit  before i add a video link to make the series easier to follow. thanks again to everyone for the encouragement. 

it stopped snowing.

(posts related to two old trees in case you are new here. 1, 2, 3.)

white magic

...5 AM...

...8 AM...

...3:30 PM...

...it's still snowing...

a wishy washy day

i never realized how thin feathers are.

i wish i could float like a feather.
i wish i could fly like a bird.
i wish i could stitch you a message,
to make sure my voice would be heard.

the slow crawl to spring

this kind of day. after raining all night the snow has melted seemingly into the air. soup or something like that. but with the faint odor of cat pee here and there. in a flash it is going to all freeze up to solid ice and then snow for 3 days.  so i said to myself, quick, grab that camera before you lose it.

some creative screen repair from last summer has reminded me that you can make the best of anything. 

i have chosen  some quieter stitching for today.  thinking about squares as frames. but just not that obvious.  and corners but just not so stark.  just softer edges.  well worn boundaries.  ones you might pass through without noticing.

falling backwards

...a new detail for longing.

the magic cloth day 40

I am at a point where the story part of the Magic Cloth has begun to develop.  and as you will see, I am also at a point where i need to patch my jeans.  That's the way things usually happens. Back and forth.  I am only talking about magic today.

alternative video link

My  sewing time is being dedicated to patching. and soon  i will be wearing moons on my knees. carrying moons around with me has become an ageing ceremony. i hope to carry as many as possible.

 

(please note: the indigo shibori moons were dyed by shibori artist Glennis Dolce).

stitch and sniff

...it is that in between time and the rains have descended. the snow is melting a bit but it is cold and wet and sloppy. it's the kind of day when you step into the snow and there is water underneath. and your feet get cold really fast. ...i tried going outside to catch some signs of spring, but there didn't seem to be any. still i could smell the soil for a change and i did catch a bit of green on some old rotted decking.

longing is 3 squares long and backed with another 3 squares. while i was lining it i noticed the pocket formed behind the heart and in the spirit of impatience,  i sprinkled a bit of dried home grown lavender (from mom) in there... now it will smell like a warm day in the garden with every additional stitch.  

i really like this...