Intuition versus reality

I knew what I wanted to do.  I knew I wanted to rescue a design, rework it and make it become something else.    I began knowing that I would change the arms of the earlier design.  Sounds easy huh? Well, many hours, several designs, attaching and detaching as I went along and getting a huge case of the 'frustrations' and I was still working on arms.

Finally, in a fit of peak I decided to not use arms at all.  So there!  Take that you hard-to-deal with piece of cloth and stuffing!!  Of course she looked bare and barren.  It finally came to me -- since she is supposed to be a 'spirit' of sorts why not give her wings.

At this point I'm sure the poor thing was getting a bit worn.  I'm not sure she's learned to use her wings because there she sits.  Perhaps she's wondering how she can 'seek beauty' while sitting on the shelf of my studio.

"Cease trying to work everything out with your minds.  It will get you nowhere.  Live by intuition and inspiration and let your whole life be revelation." - Eileen Caddy

Hmmm - what do I want to do?

I'm playing around with a new art doll figure shape and type.  Somewhere on the edge of my mind I know what I want to do - but I can't quite bring it to the forefront.  A couple of pattern designs have been drawn.

I've changed the head from straight to tilted - I think I'll like that better. But I'm thinking about even more of a change.  I have some testing, trying to do and then..

This is the part of the creative process that can be frustrating or treated as an unfulfilled journey.  I'm tending toward the 'journey' but the frustration is starting to set in.

"You need chaos in your head to give birth to a dancing star." - Friedrich Nietzche

Threading the Needle

For those of you who don't use a punchneedle, let me introduce you to the 'dreaded' threader!  This contraption is used to thread the punchneedle.  First step is to insert the threader through the length of the punchneedle.  Next step is to put a length of thread through the end of the threader and pull it back through the punchneedle.  Once that is done the threader is used to thread the needle by pulling the thread through the eye of the needle.

The threader is made from incredibly thin wire - and therein lies the rub!  The wire tends to bend, to curve, to become totally useless after a certain amount of use.  I have discovered that using the thicker thread that I'm using for my current work makes a needle threader buckle under the pressure.

Anyone who 'punches' will agree that the most interruptive part of the job is threading the needle.  I purposely cut very long lengths of thread -- of course then I often have the problem of the thread tangling but nothing is perfect *smile*.

I have just received 12 threaders -- hopefully that will last me for awhile...

"Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion.  I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward." - Kurt Vonnegut