"Flutterby"

This little figure - based on one of my favorite themes - butterflies - looks at me with a somewhat longing face.  Perhaps she wants to fly away?  Her name comes from the "Urban Dictionary" which tells this fun story:

"Flutterby was the original name of the butterfly until Mr. Jiminy down the road invented a machine in 1912 to fly.  When he named his machine the 'flutterby' anyone who used the name had to give him 2 pennys for copy write laws."

Lots of fun stitching on this dear little thing.  I shall try to keep her away from open windows so that she'll stay here for a little while.

"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued is always just beyond your grasp, but which if you sit down quietly, may alight upon you." - Nathaniel Hawthorne  

Of Needle and Thread

The other day I was asked 'what do you do' - in relationship to craft/art.  The description listing all of the needlework types I have been involved with over the years would take forever -- it's quite a long list.

My 'handwork' began with my husband's grandmother teaching me embroidery.  While I was pregnant she bought me little flannel gowns from Woolworth's and I embroidered their printed designs.  My next step into needlework came many years later when I worked in needlepoint.  Still I worked from a printed pattern.  From needlepoint I went on to counted cross-stitch. 

After cross-stitch I began making cloth dolls.  Finally I was making my own designs and patterns.  I soon became surrounded by dolls - paper, fabric, painted and stitched. 

One day I discovered "Somerset Studio" and then "Cloth Paper Scissors" and my stitching life took a tremendous turn.  No more carefully constructed patterns and lots of improvisation as I spent five years creating book art.  Mixed media became my mantra but still there was plenty of stitching both by hand and by machine.

From book art I moved on to beading.  I couldn't string jewelry I had to stitch it - and so beaded embroidery became my 'new best friend'.

These days I feel the tug toward using more fabric and embellishments, the need to put more of 'myself' into a piece rather than regulated loops.  We'll see where this journey goes -- but I know quite well that I will always be holding needle and thread in one form or another.

"A line will take us hours maybe; yet if it does not seem a moment's thought, our stitching and unstitching has been naught." - William Butler Yeats

Moving On

I had my next punchneedle piece all laid out -- the design was drawn, the threads were ready and I was ready  -- or was I?  I kept feeling this sense of resistance even while I prepared for beginning a new project.

The next morning I woke up and said 'I'm not going to do it' - my fingers are itching to pick up a regular needle and thread and make a stitchery.  My mind is filled with images of collaged fabric, embroidery stitches, making order out of chaos (but not too much order mind you).

And so I've begun a completely new piece of work -- hope you'll join me in this new adventure, I think its going to be great fun!

"Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit." - e. e. cummings

"Love Letters" - Heart

This latest heart was inspired by my earlier thoughts on hand written letters.  The colors seem to reflect the colors of summer - aqua blue and lavender all blended together. As I worked this piece I also thought about the contrast between using a punchneedle to create loop-pile embroidery and using my needle and thread to create traditional embroidery.  Punching in and out is 'physical' - not difficult, not intrusive but there is the in and out motion over and over again.  Once start embroidering the felt for the back of heart I begin a very quiet, almost still movement.  I like it because as the end of the project approaches, I'm working with silent, slow, movement across the cloth.  It seems a perfect way to end each piece.

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light..." - 

Elizabeth Barret Browning

"In The Garden"

Are you ready for spring?  I am!!!

Here's my latest doll, already working in her garden.  What will she see as the season comes on?

She'll start with seeds and find a few small stones as she turns the earth over.  She'll see a bright green stem reaching for the sun and later on tiny buds.  Finally, at her feet she'll see flowers. 

She'll literally be surrounded, front and back with all things growing.

"The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul". -- Alfred Austin

Road Trip

We're setting out on a small road trip - driving over to Charleston, SC.  We have been to Charleston once - in the summer - when it was so hot and humid as to be intolerable.  We vowed we would go back one day - when the temperature and humidity were more tolerable.  We tried one October only to have to cancel at the last minute because there was a hurricane off the coast and it was raining so hard that we would have been trapped inside a hotel room if we'd made the trip.

And so, hoping that the third time's the charm we head off down the highway to the ocean and the history of a very historical town.

For the first time I am going to be taking stitching with me -- in all my years of art/craft work I have never been able to take something with me.  Book art could not be done far away from glue and sewing machine and lots of supplies - beading could be transported but never seemed like something that could be easily done while sitting on the beach (just too many little tiny seed beads).  But NOW I have punchneedle and it is totally portable.  I have prepared a bird design and have already punched the center design - so that on our trip I will only be working on the background (which eliminates having to take 1,000 embroidery skeins with me). 

See you in a few days.

"Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living". - Miriam Beard

"Taking Flight"

Here I am, taking flight!!!  It seems that this year is turning into 'the year of flight' for me!  First my punchneedle bird series (still ongoing) and now an art doll with wings.  I love the idea that I can 'fly' anytime I want to - I just have to grab my needle and thread and take off.  I love the ideas that keep flitting into (and out of) my brain.  What if I do this or what if I do that?

To get technical, "Taking Flight" has a fabric base which I overstitched.  She is covered in a variety of embroidery stitches.  I hemmed and hawed over what I would do with her wings when I realized that the feather stitch would be oh so apropos!  However they seemed to be grounding me because it took so very long to stitch and overstitch all of these feather stitches.  And no, I didn't count them *smile*.

I'm excited about the possibilities for more 'abstract' body patterns and I'm sure you'll see more of them flying out of my studio as the months pass by - although not all of them will have wings.

"Flying dreams mean that you're doing the right thing with your life". - Doug Coupland

"The Bell Ringer"

I'm welcoming the new year with art doll "The Bell Ringer".  To paraphrase an old rhyme 'with bells on her fingers and bells on her toes - she shall have music wherever she goes'.  These warm colors boosted my spirit during the snowy, grey/white January that we've been having.  It was almost like a warm sunset sitting on my work table as I stitched away on her.

She ended up with 229 French Knots -- no, I wasn't counting as I went, nor was I trying to beat a record.  It just dawned on me as I finished the last one - 'wonder how many French knots I've done'.  So of course I had to count them.

Working on art dolls requires constant movement going from one type of stitch to another and I like the energy it involves.  Not much quiet meditation when working on such a small item - because you no sooner get involved in one stitch when that area is finished and its time to move onto the next.  I love trying out various stitches and looking for fibers to add to the surface.

"Ring the bells that still can ring.

Forget your perfect offering.

There is a crack in everything.
That's how the light gets in". -
Leonard Cohen

Pondering Fabric

Having said that I was going to focus on bright colors in a recent post -- I found myself pulling out this stack of colorful fat quarters.  There are oranges and greens and pinks and turquoise and the designs on the fabrics are modern and sleek and... Well, you get the picture.

It was time to start preparing a couple of new art dolls and I had all these marvelous designs and colors laid out in front of me.  Scissors ready I snipped away, I soon had a couple of bodies cut and fused and ready for embellishing and stitching.  It was at that point that I realized they weren't going to work for my particular style . 

For people who don't work in fabric art there might be a misunderstanding that you just cut it out, stitch it up and its done.  For me, working with fabric in a representatational way, each stitch is put onto the fabric with a lot of thought.  If the background fabric has a distinct pattern design of its own and says 'don't cover me up' -- its hard for me to find the spirit of the cloth. Don't get me wrong, I love the bold fabric designs and the colors, but for the work that I do I find that I need subdued fabric - something that will be a background for my stitchery.

And so I spent a morning pulling muted fabrics from my stash, laying pieces all over the table and looking at them.  An integral part of my work is the use of embroidery stitches to bring the background fabric to life. The stitch 'becomes' the fabric design.  Its very hard to explain but I guess I don't just want to make an art doll I want to imbue my very own consciousness into it.  I want to use my stitching and embellishment to create a theme that means something to me personally and that I hope will mean something to someone else somewhere along the way.

I love the work of others where the fabric is the key -- and I do so admire their skill at combining and displaying these beautiful, bright, modern designs.  Once again however, I've learned something about myself (do we ever stop learning?) and it relates to what is important to me in my work.  Because embroidery stitchery is important to me when creating art dolls I shall have to put aside bold patterns and go back, once again, to the subdued patterns and shades.

Now that I've figured out all of this about myself its back to the needle and thread.  Isn't the creative process wonderful?

"Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside awakes". - Carl Jung

With Needle and Thread

Here I am, with needle and thread taking small stitches on the body of an art doll.  This fabric just called out to be embellished with various stitches. 

Lots of running stitches (of course) some French knots, a feather stitch or two and a variation on the star filling stitch.  I'm using the book "Elegant Stitches" to guide me.  Loving a challenge as I do -- I'm thinking that each upcoming piece shall contain at least one new-to-me embroidery stitch.  Now that should make life interesting.

"Such a small thing -- embroidery -- but what a lesson it has to teach!" - Judith Baker Montano

I've Been Playing

I've been playing, as you can see.  Playing with mixing fabric on a base to create a foundation for this art doll. 

Playing with stitches - this one and that one - running stitch, French knots, seed stitch, buttonhole stitch. 

I have been threading my needle with all manner of threads - wool, silk, cotton - taking the time to savor each and every one of them.

"Remember, this layer of fabrics is only the first layer of color. Various needlework techniques will be laid over the layers to create visual interest". - Judith Baker Montano

On a Roll!

After much trying, pushing, frustration, challenge -- I'm finally 'on a roll'.  I've been going through a lot of frustration as I wanted to create art dolls in a new-to-me fashion.  I had several ideas for faces, but most of them didn't work out (after much expenditure of energy and patience - well maybe not that much patience)!

But I finally settled on a face of my own design using the reverse side of punchneedle.  It took a lot of trial and error (error being the key word here)  but I came out of it full of excitement and anticipation.

I've now created five new art doll patterns - designed them and made my templates and I'm ready to go.  The only problem I'll have now - is deciding which one I want to try first - oh and of course what fabric and what embellishments and how I'll put it all together and...  You get the picture -- because I know that each of you often goes through the same thing.  Sometimes the excitement of trying something new pales when you get right down to the long hours of work its going to take to bring it to life.  But in the end, its worth it.

"By perseverance the snail reached the ark". - Charles Spurgeon

September BJP - "Betwixt"

The word that appeared for my September BJP is 'betwixt'.  The definition (which in my dictionary is aligned with 'betwixt and between') is: Betwixt -neither one nor the other in a middle position.  Balanced - centered.

I'm not so sure about how balanced and centered I am (although I do try) - but I find myself in the middle position these days.  I teeter back and forth between encrusted beading and regular embroidery.  And so, this month's bookmark has a little of each form.  I used one of my favorite encrusted beaded embroidery stitches - half-pekinese to block off sections of embroidered French knots.  I used satin stitches top and bottom and interspersed them with tiny squares of delicas. 

When I saw this background fabric I fell in love with it - and here it is ushering us into Autumn with its glorious warm colors.

This month's bookmark seemed to go together effortlessly which made it a pleasure to create.

"Learning never exhausts the mind". - Leonardo da Vinci

"Elegant Stitches"

Perhaps you've seen this book, perhaps you are lucky enough to own a copy but if not, I just have to tell you about it.  "Elegant Stitches" is an 'illustrated stitch guide and source book of inspiration'.  The inspiration portion of that sentence is an understatement.  I was fortunate enough to find this book at a recent 'fiber swap meet'.  I immediately fell in love with it.

The book has a copyright of 1995 - so I know its been around quite awhile - but to me it is one of those timeless books -- the one that will stay near my worktable so that I can easily pull it out at a moment's notice.  The stitch illustrations are very clear and its smaller size and spiral binding make it so very easy to use.

 There is an 'extra bonus' for me because the author has a section entitled "Stitches for Left-Handers" - wow, do you know how rare that is?  Being a lefty, this section alone was exciting.

The last portion of the book is on free-form stitchery and the author Judith Baker Montano, shows illustrations which she drew in her journal and then translated into lovely forms of embroidery.  This is a curl up in a chair and read cover-to-cover book - knowing that if you do any embroidery at all you'll want to have it close at hand.

"Little moments can have a feeling and a texture that is very real". - Ralph Fiennes

"Send in the Clowns"

For some reason I always have ‘trouble’ at the end of a project. I’m not sure what happens to me – but all the doubts (is it good enough – will it work – should have’s and could have’s) come barreling at me. I’m sure some of it relates to the fact that so often I’m doing something I’ve never done before so I’m not even sure if it will work when I start out. Another possibility is that, after spending so many hours working on a piece I begin to wonder if what I’m doing will actually become what I had imagined it to be way back when I started.

My current art doll, “Send in the Clowns” is no different – as I got closer and closer to the finish line several barriers cropped up. Having a mind-picture and creating a new-to-me design can sometimes become a challenge. Creating a hat was one of the last things to do – which I had thought I could do all by hand, as I had done with the rest of the doll. That didn’t work at all – and my sewing machine was dusted off and put to work (albeit short work since this hat is really small). And the first one I made was too big – now big is probably not the correct word to use as we’re talking fraction, smidgen, trifle – but it did mean that it was back to the drawing board and another hat was made.

Next problem to encounter – I had designed this doll with her head cocked to the side – it seemed to fit her mood. So of course the hat was cocked to the side too. My whole plan as a setting for the doll was to hang her inside an open box - but with a cocked head, if I strung the hanging loop from the top of the hat she would be hanging cockeyed. If I strung the loop so that she hung straight – the loop would be out of the side of the hat. Oh my, what to do?

That question still isn’t quite solved – but here she is – all put together but still waiting for a display. From now on, when I have a design problem – or those last minute jitters I’ll just say “Send in the Clowns”.

“Isn’t it rich

Are we a pair?

Me here at last on the ground.

You in mid-air.

Send in the clowns.

Isn’t it bliss

Don’t you approve?

One who keeps tearing around,

One who can’t move.

Where are the clowns?

Send in the clowns.

Just when I’d stopped opening doors,

Finally knowing the one that I wanted was yours,

Making my entrance again with my usual flair

Sure of my lines,

No one is there.

Don’t you love farce

My fault I fear.

I thought that you’d want what I want.

Sorry, my dear.

But where are the clowns?

Quick send in the clowns.

Don’t bother they’re here.

Isn’t it rich?

Isn’t it queer?

Losing my timing this late

In my career?

And where are the clowns?

There ought to be clowns.

Well, maybe next year."

Steven Sondheim

Clowning Around

Here are some pictures of a 'work in progress' during these long, hot summer afternoons.  This figure - with its temporary, maybe permanent name "Send in the Clowns" has been worked on, set aside, worked on, then set aside.  I've been in the middle of a piece that I can't reveal until mid-September -- but this art doll keeps drawing my attention back to her and so I've temporarily put aside the 'deadline' piece and have picked her up to have fun playing with the theme, the fabric, the beads and the stitching.

She began as a piece of fabric that I just loved.  Not a color that I would usually use - sort of a rose red - with multicolored dots spaced and black lines squiggled here and there.  To that I added bunches of over-stitching lines in curves and swirls.

Once that was done (for a front and back piece) I carefully hemmed all the edges.  Then came the layout -- that part where, if I can, I layout the bits and pieces that will fill the fabric spaces of each doll.  I have to allow for the embroidery stitches that I want to put here, there and everywhere on the fabric. 

One of my favorite songs, of all time is "Send in the Clowns" -- the music is lovely and the words are so poignant.  They tell the story that each of us has had at one time or another in our lives when we were ready for something but things (life) didn't work out. 

Do you ever have a project that you just want to finish so much -- not to have it done by any means but to enjoy it as being finished?  This piece is that to me -- she speaks to me in ways that I can't exactly express.  Hopefully her message will be clear once she is completed.

Isn't it bliss?

Don't you approve?

One who keeps tearing around,

One who can't move.

Where are the clowns?
- Stephen Sondheim

Face Forward

For the past few days I've been playing with faces.  So far, with all of my figure work I have used purchased faces - or cabochons - or buttons.  I thought it might be fun to try to work up some faces from scratch, using my own fingers and imagination to create the personality that a face can give.  My thought was to try several different types of face techniques, not trying to make the 'perfect' one the first time around, but to experiment with as many techniques as I could come up with.

How about a beaded face?  Having gotten the pattern and directions from Anne Hesse I decided to dive right in.  The figures I create are much smaller than her patterns so I've had to improvise - but then that's what its all about isn't it?  When I try something new I first concentrate on the skills.  It can take quite awhile or a short time, depending on what I'm doing, but once I've mastered (to my satisfaction) the 'how to do it' I can then let my spirit and imagination loose.  That's when the real fun begins. 

Another thought was to 'sculpt' the face. Once again I was challenged by the size of my figures -- whereas most 'patterns' are for faces at least 2-1/2" in diameter I have to downsize directions for sizes around 1-1/4".  Quite a difference in what a person can do in the smaller sizes.  My first 'tests' had only sculpted noses - and then I got the idea of painting the fabric.   Perhaps I could paint the fabric, then antique it or 'crackle' it and finally finish it off with a wax finish? 

Or how about an embroidered face.  How much embroidery detail can I put in these small spaces?  How can I create a face using the tiniest of stitches?  These are all questions that I ask myself as I stick needle into fabric.

What fun to have the time and inclination to try all of these new-to-me techniques and to not know where it will end up.  But if I'm successful with any of them I'm sure you'll eventually see one or two here...

"In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either". - Jiddu Krishnamurti