Spirit Cloth

Wednesday Mix

 

 

in case the player is not showing...

 

It's a bit grey and cool today, but there is the memory of a sunny warmer day...

I've added logwood, onion skins and madder to the mix. Using stuff up.  The edge of a green lamp is Mom's.

And these are a real pick me up.

Suddenly

I think it could be a series. Suddenly.

Because that is how it is going. How it might happen.

I try to focus. Then, suddenly, I wander off. 

Like the weather here in April. It became so warm, like summer, so quickly. Then just as quickly, suddenly, POOF!, it's a bit more like early spring again.

Bits of me seem to be scattered everywhere.

I stitched a few together without worrying about why. And this time just enough stitch to hold the thought together.

Suddenly a Butterfly

 

April will be like this. The weather. And Me. Too many little things suddenly need to be addressed. I'll try to make the best of it. Them.

Another wish formed. Fireside, even though there was no fire. I've been stitching on the squares I talked about here.

The little spaced out nine in the center is another little symbol that developed a while back. A sense of order. I think I might be able to radiate outward and still hold that sense.

Easy Going Color

Dyeing here is mostly small.

I mostly use what grows here. But yesterday there was fresh turmeric at the market. We consume a lot of turmeric. I used to grow it in pots. Haven't done that in a while, since the organic market open up nearby.

Just slow solar dyeing mostly this spring I think. With a bit of alum, which I almost never use, but there is some here to be used up. Boil water, add a bit of alum add plant stuff. Some scrap and thread. Leave it for a while.

I'm not much for yellow, especially bright yellow but yellow is a great base to dye over. And many plants yield yellow in one form or another.

Tumeric. Dandelion.

 

.........

 

How words Spring forth.

 

alternative link if you see no video player

 

A Wishing Star with a Path Through it.

 

 

alternative link if you see no player

 

 

Today's List

 

It's way warm,

warmer than yesterday.

The two rust spots on the cloth,

from where it was stapled

in a notebook.

1971.

 

Splitting hairs,

a single strand split back stitch

takes forever.

How many Forevers I've lived through.

Still, it seems

there might be more.

 

 

Wordless for the Weekend

Rocking in April

Fire. Evening. And morning.

The nights are cool, the days are warm. Just warm enough. Perfect. I feel grateful.

 

link if you see no player. just to feel it.

sharing the warmth

 

The Woven Wishing Star is on the studio floor. I made it a while back. Started it during my Contemporary Boro 1 Workshop aka 21st Century Rags) Back in 2011. Has it been that long? I find myself asking that question a lot lately. Anyway, I will be detailing the way I got this far soon.  But today, just there on the floor. The woven part is about 20" square-ish, give or take, and it has been anchored to a piece of thin cotton that measures about 30" square. Ish. My measuring is never that exact. That thin cloth was dyed in a natural indigo vat, a weak vat, and it has  nice light turquoise cast which happens sometimes. I placed the whole thing on a larger piece just to photo it for now.

There are 3 main techniques here, cloth weaving, fields of stitch and mosaic . I will review them soon. The star is not indigo, which probably I regret for this project (which I am now calling the Endless Wishing Cloth, conjured here) but with using what's on hand, first and foremost in my mind, that is the way it will go.

For all of you celebrating a holiday this weekend, this can be a little holiday cloth for now and I Wish you all the best with family and friends. .

I don't do Easter, or Passover. But I will celebrate cloth. And I'll be cooking up some new ideas...

 

Loving Another April

April is warm enough.

I love the back and forth of it. The first greens.

I'll clear away some of the leaves today. The ones that fell during winter. Some hang on a bit longer than expected. And fall with the early spring rains.  Just those close to the house will go. To discourage ticks too close for comfort. There is already a warning out here.

There is no need to plant to have a garden in this place we call home for now. Gathering dandelion greens for salad today. And some blooms for the Dyepo(e)t.

The studio needs one more day of straightening. I'll do that later when it gets cooler. Maybe burn some of the twigs from the clean up. Build one of the last fires of the season.

A few things added to the list for keeping with me, travelling companions...

 

Soul-o,

the dyepo(e)t,

a little dandelion cloth

and the memory of leaves that hang on a little longer than expected.

A list is like a poem sometimes. Might my list grow into one?

Big Smile

A Stray Moment of Joy.

In April.

The moon seemed to have a green tinge and kept me awake all night.

We decided to party. Celebrate the turning of season.

This morning I am clearing out the studio and readying for the Wishing Cloth project. Large cloth needs space.

April Moon

 

Just That.

And Soul-o

Becoming a star.

That's what came to mind.

None of the current stray cloths got done this month. But they will be happy to wander towards May. A long time ago I stopped stressing about turning the points on the ears. I just left them to how it might happen. And As it turns out, it's always better that way. To accept and learn to manage the fray.

The weather has turned magical , as it does, suddenly, seemingly over night.

I've got some wishing in my pocket and we are off to go walking.