a gift and life partners

March 6, 2009 at 12:39 am (creative souls, Dreams, embroidery, family, Folk Art, Friends, Gifts, gratitude, quilting)

couples-079

 

couples-074

I received my gift from Jude! I was so excited  to open the box.  I have admired Jude’s work for so long and wished often to see and touch it.  The piece is even more amazing in person. The embroidered chainstitch is the smallest I have ever seen,  just big enough to see with the naked eye. It is just so beautiful , the whole thing. When I found out I would be the lucky recipient , I wrote Jude and excitedly told her of my collecton of couples. With the exception of the painting of the couple on the beach, I collected them all before I’d met my husband. I had them all set up in my bedroom as a kind of magical attraction for what I wanted in my life, a mate…a friend, a partner.  It must have worked,  because now I have one,  and together we have a son and a family.  Jude’s quilt fits very well in this little collection, I am so happy to include it. I am hoping to have a framed wooden box made. My sister’s oldest son is a cabinet maker/wood craftsman. I am excited to see what he can make for this sweet piece of art and such a kind gift.

Included in this wonderful package was a bunch of wonderfully soft and colorful velvet, Jude generously sent them along to help my efforts in creative hat making.  They are really fun and quite the collection of velvet. I can’t wait to use them.

Thank you Jude, I love my gift.

 

couples-080couples-081couples-082couples-083couples-084couples-085couples-086couples-090

7 Comments

Youtube/Julia Nunes

April 3, 2008 at 11:32 pm (Artists, creative souls, Folk Art, youtube finds)

found this wonderful artist a few days ago. Hope you enjoy!

1 Comment

flores in progress

February 19, 2008 at 12:00 pm (Artists, cool sites, creative souls, Folk Art, quilting)

002.jpg

working on a flower to applique onto a piece of denim…a niece will be having her second baby girl anyday…..need to get busy…..

I was on line looking for 3 D quilting and found a new type of quilt, I had never seen before. The Pine Cone or Pine Burr quilt. It was a poular pattern with southern African Americans. I found a cool story here, of a man named Oscar Evans who made his quilt, while in his late  70’s.

Those quilts were my inspiration for this flower, I’d like to one day make a larger piece using this technique. The quilts are really stunning. The Pine Burr quilt happens to be Alabama’s state quilt. I didn’t know that states had quilts…learn something new every day!

I finally learned how to create a link…Yeah! Hope you like learning about Oscar Evans.

5 Comments

Mola love

January 24, 2008 at 8:25 am (Folk Art, quilting)

068.jpg

I think I would have liked to have been a cultural anthropologist……although I’d probably have an even bigger stash of fabrics and REALLY cool textiles. This is half of a mola….I used the other half as the central panel in a baby blanket. I think the piece as a whole may have been torn, so to save it I cut it in half. A thrift store find.

I have recently pulled it out, and decided that I’d like to learn how to make these. I was surprised to read last night in my research that the Kuna Indian may be descendents of Southeast Asia, as long as 6 thousand years ago. The textiles of  Hmong and Laos are thought to be very similar. I had thought the same thing before, they do look very similar. Has anyone tried to make these or tried reverse applique? It looks challenging, but so beautiful.

7 Comments

wonky wool

December 11, 2007 at 6:18 am (Folk Art, i make stuff, quilting)

0181.jpg

found a little side project to work on.  Don’t know what this will end up as…It was inpired by this-

020.jpg a wool utility quilt found in the book below. I checked this book out from the library so often and have late fees to prove it…just so that I could look at this quilt. I REALLY like it. I was reading another quilting blog that mentioned a tutorial on ibbybee’s quilt blog and realized I might be able to try my hand at this…I need more practice but it is a start…I don’t know if I have enough patience to make an entire quilt this way…but I REALLY like that one! I finally got the book used on Amazon for like $3.99 plus shipping….oy vey the late fees I have paid on this book…...

024.jpg

6 Comments

Alaskan art

November 13, 2007 at 2:06 am (Folk Art)

beartotem.jpg    
beartotem.jpg - Bear face on a totem pole
View full-size (Image shown at 500 x 666)
Image Dimensions: 1920 x 2560
Image Size: 1,665 k
Name: beartotem.jpg
Photographer: Kenneth G. Ransom
Caption: Bear face on a totem pole
Location: Saxman, Alaska
Date Taken: May 30, 2007
Bibliography: Ransom, Kenneth. beartotem.jpg. May 30, 2007. Pics4Learning. 12 Nov 2007<http://pics.tech4learning.com&gt;

I think I’d like to have some native

Alaskan art in the quilt……

what do you think?
 
 
 

6 Comments

Thighs of steel

August 29, 2007 at 8:00 am (Folk Art)

nutcracker.jpg

I want to make stuff all day long!

As Thomas the tank engine, I too, want to be a Useful engine. I know that what I do has value, and I am grateful for that.

I also know that I daydream regularly of making things all day, and being able to create in my own home studio.  Using my hands to create. Playing my own music and drawing, painting, beading, sewing all day long. The delimma is that I don’t know how to do that and make a living at it.

I photographed this nutcracker and as I was editing the image, I thought about what a peaceful look this woman has about her usefullness. She is at peace with her nutcrackerness. How have you learned to be at peace with what you do for a living? How have you made your dreams come true?

5 Comments

Old Man Quilt

April 22, 2007 at 10:12 pm (Artists, creative souls, Etsy!!, Folk Art, quilting)

wool-quilt-recycled.jpg Had to share this beautiful quilt with you. Made by Mesababes on Etsy. What a great way to recycle and it’s such a great work of art.

1 Comment