I Just Wanna Stitch! 2

Progress is slow, but steady, on my worn bed quilt.

Another hole required attention, the beginning of another set of wings.

Yeah, I know, another big project. 

Stitching into the wee hours of the night...

My friend's antique quilt, made by her grandmother and great-grandmother in Pennsylvania, gave me a diversion this summer. 


There was a rather large hole in the middle (mice, maybe?) that just begged for repair. 


Having mostly fabric from used clothing in my stash, it was easy to find similar fabrics and colors.
The repair job is almost invisible.




While I stitched and admired the work on this quilt, I could hear the makers whispering to me across the generations. I recorded the quilt's history on a tag stitched to the back. 

Of course, this made me remember that my grandmother's quilts await me for repairs. I would like to talk to her for awhile...

I Just Wanna Stitch!

The weather is lovely and warm, not too hot--Autumn in Tunisia is so pleasant, my favorite season along with Spring.

Autumn means that it's time to get ready for winter, and the house needs winter-proofing. Shutters, doors, and wrought iron work all need coats of paint...lots to do outside.

However, as soon as the sun goes down, you will find me in Grandma's rocking chair, stitching until the wee hours on my aging bed/utility quilt. This quilt talks to me so much that I drape it over the rocking chair in the morning and, while I exercise and listen to the news, I enjoy the progress I made the night before. 

Yes, it sings to me--

I just wanna stitch!

  

Jeans Mama, 2

The hole in Mr. M's old jeans got stitched down and the white threads were couched.





It was quite a tangle for awhile





Then, the repair just kept growing up.
<--







              
                     




    








                  And down.-->

Until it was finished.

I asked Mr. M if he would like to model his jeans for the photo shoot. He scoffed. Fine with me. I had no intention of letting him wear them anyway.





















So I got out my long denim coat from Istanbul and "posed" in the garden.

The jasmine is going crazy.



The pomegranate trees are turning a bright yellow.

And a final closeup.

I had a good time on this adventure. 

I was dazzled.

Ah, yes, there is much to be thankful for. 

Jeans Mama

Until I went to college I suffered from the rule that only boys could wear jeans to school. How fair was that? Why did boys get all the good stuff--like taking shop rather than home ec? (Well, if you understand basic feminist ideas, you can answer that question yourself.)

The inevitable happened: the day I went to college I donned the uniform of the 1970s--jeans. In addition, working with fabric has given me a deep respect for denim, especially old denim. None of those new-fangled stretchy jeans for me.

Consequently, I can't bear to toss out old jeans. I have a nice collection on my studio shelves, besides stacks of jeans that are still wearable in the closets. 









I've used up a little bit of my collection in purses. 














The last few days have been errand days...groceries, waiting rooms, eating out and socializing. 






Yesterday, I felt kind of uninspired to create (a rare occurrence) and empty... couldn't even pick up a needle. 


The Pomegranate Tree wasn't speaking to me, even though I have been working diligently around the edges. 

This morning I ran across a pair of Mr. M's old jeans that needed a repair. I tried them on...they were oh, so soft. They spoke to me. 

Then I remembered a young woman I had seen a couple days ago in a restaurant. Very stylish, wearing jeans that were thoroughly ripped on the front and only held together by the back! Hmmf--scandal! Think of all the possible, beautiful repairs one could do...

Which brings me back to Mr. M's jeans. I asked him if he wanted them repaired in the standard, discreet way. He said I could have them...ahhhh, the possibilities. I went digging in my fabrics.

Here's what's sitting on my sewing machine table right this minute...and I feel so energized! 

I'll be able to get back to the Pomegranate Tree tonight with a light heart and hand...once I get started mending that hole!

Linked to Nina Marie's "Off the Wall Friday."

Boxes

Although art has had a place in my life since I was a kid, possibly, just possibly, it became serious with boxes. I managed to find a few brief moments to paint legos when I had little people hanging around. The year was 1988.

Caught up in pattern and color, and well before I ever heard of zentangles, I decorated a number of small boxes to display in my home. Soap boxes or boxes containing medicine or toothpaste tubes, small boxes. I pulled them apart to lie flat, covered them in Canson paper and painted them with watercolors and a Rotring pen. Then I glued them back together.

And that was back in 1990 and 1991. Recently, I ran across them sitting forgotten in the bottom of a drawer, turning yellowish and looking worn.

I remembered the hours of work they required and the pleasure they gave me. I decided to recycle them into my sketchbooks and give them a second life. 

So I took them apart and glued them into my sketchbook.

And then I added some. Freedom within structure.

The wild, organic lines have been with me for a l-o-n-g time.

It's in the Bag

Spring vacation has been productive. I finally finished my Jeans Bag, which has been under the needle for nearly a year. The main materials came from the rather tall stack of old jeans sitting on a shelf in my workroom.

 I sketched the pocket into my daily journal.

I love the soft blues and whites. The plaid fabric creates the illusion of colors fading in and out.

It slowly progressed down 



and around. 

I love all the pockets--four on the outside (plus the mini-pocket) and four back pockets sewn to the lining, which is a flea market fabric. 

Except for two brass rings and a zipper, the bag is entirely made of recycled materials.

The strap is long enough to go over the chest. I took a black nylon strap recycled from another worn bag and covered it in denim.

Hand stitching on denim may seem daunting, however, I sewed from the top and only caught top threads, so it was not any more difficult than working on other fabrics.

A few recycled beads and buttons attached to the zipper pull make it easier for me to find the zipper quickly. 

And most important of all, it holds everything. 

I will no longer envy other people's jeans bags.

 Linked to Nina Marie's "Off the Wall Friday."

Blue & Green

The teaching job cuts seriously into my artistic time. On this 7 1/2" tall standing calendar (from a bank), I planned to create a fabric collage about once a month, however, it's been a year since I created the first page. 
 

Several colors do not occur often in my work and one of them is that wild yellow-green color that appears almost fluorescent. I don't know if styles have changed, however, I have seen a lot of it in recent years and have always thought "too wild." Then I looked at some surviving childhood artwork (in pastels) and realised that at one time it was one of my favorites. Revelation. When did I lose that affinity? When did I become so rigid?


Last Saturday, I decided to change the calendar, so I cut and glued fabric onto the next page. Rule of thumb: it had to be fast with no stitching.

Maybe this small calendar project will have a blue and green theme, which goes well with the hanging on the wall. On the other hand those childhood colors look tempting--those plums, purples, reds, oranges.....

"I Need a Flower!"

She did it again. Like last summer, my daughter required repairs on a summer top, this time in linen. [See here for last summer's flea market marvel.]







Instead of a hole, there was a spot. 

"Ma," she wailed, "I need a flower. P-l-e-a-s-e." Ok, ok. But, I don't do flowers! This was a speed job because of the narrow time frame. I managed to sit down and stitch yesterday. She leaves for a professional conference in Venice (Italy, not Florida) today--lucky lady.


Unfortunately, the design had to be in beige, however, in the end I rather liked beige and white together. This turned out quite subtle. Surprising for me...















And I want to see lots of pictures of that top in Venice!

Spring Garden 2014, 2

Summer is close so I better finish up my spring posts. Here's a general view of my East patio. The exterior wall (to keep dogs out) features planters.

Everything seems to be blooming









I placed some plants in the bird cage that sits on a Roman rock.

The Roman Rock plant table is looking a bit like a jungle as well.

I did have some fun one day by making another low plant table. The recipe: two cement-filled cinder blocks and one piece of broken wrought iron fence...

Then add a broken Roman Rock (notice that nice right angle and smooth top). Plus a wall tile to place on top of the fence.

Such a beauty holding up my pots and plants. I just love those roman rocks!









The general view of my new plant arrangement right under my bedroom window.

Sometimes, no, often, things happen serendipitously. A cement tube was installed around a water faucet to protect it some 30 years ago. I planted it with a small succulent that now gives quite a show in the spring, like a royal cape.

My spring time gate viewed from the kitchen door has been subject for sketching recently, just because it's right there.

Classes are over, the spring has been pleasant, the citrus trees are flowering, the bees are making honey, and the birds have been chirping and singing enthusiastically...and I'm back to working on the Pomegranate Tree Quilt...the blessings are many.