Art – sudukc's needleart & other musings

Mother’s day presents

Yesterday my Mother’s day Presents arrived, but it was late and so this morning with a cup of coffee I settled in to look at them

A new pair of tweezers, Pinkett Tweezer. I found out about them in a round about way; Toni Gerdes told another friend about them. And since I love needlework tools I ordered a pair too from A Stitching Shop (www.StitchingShop.com)…they had them in stock.

And since I was on their website I checked out the books too. Christine has the best variety of books I have seen. And of course I found a book I have been wanting to see.

This 200 page book is lovely; there are 12 projects to stitch complete with patterns and instruction. The first 81 pages are the history of Blackstone Creamery, where these projects were photographed. There are also descriptions and artist statements for each of the 12 projects.

The rest of the 200 pages are complete instructions for each of the 12 projects.

Each project starts with a picture, requirements and preparations for the prject

Then there are complete instructions for the project; including stitch diagrams, any aids to help in completing project, and finishing instructions.

And included on inside back cover is a pattern book.

I am over the moon about this book; it is a beautiful book! I wanted it because someday I am going to feel qualified to attempt Georgina Bellamy’s (thatembroiderygirl.com) Jewel of the Sea. I saw somewhere(hope I can find it again) where she made this as a needlecase. That would be perfect for me…since I love needlework tools.

But after looking at this book , there are several projects I would like to try…hope I live long enough. If you would like to see a glimpse of this book and the other two available go to Inspirations web site (Inspirationsstudios.com) and look at them. Then go ask A Stitching Shop (www.StitchingShop.com) if she has it…you’ll save postage from Australia.

I need to get back to my pumpkin. He’s coming along, I am half finished stitching and am really liking it. I will take time a blog about this soon.

I hope you find time to do whatever makes you happiest and creative. And I hope you have time to do it today and every day! ttfn…sue

Happy Birthday Friend and Thank you Friend

I can share this with you today; the gift has been delivered and you will see it was a surprise and well liked. I’m sure everyone has a friend that is difficult to find a gift to give them, but this is not only about my gift receiving friend but also about my new beading mentor and friend.

I have been very fortunate in my life to have met a handful (maybe a dozen) of people who I consider mentors or inspirations to me. To be a mentor or inspiration to me just means that I want to listen to them lecture, teach, or just watch them create…and I always hope some of their creativeness falls off onto me AND I always learn something from them and I treaure their friendships. This is true of every teacher and mentor I have met and interacted with…all except one.

Cath Thomas is a bead designer and she lives in Switzerland. We have never met in person, but I not only consider her a mentor but also a friend. Let me tell you how we met…

Back in March I happen to be online when Cath posted a picture of her Octavio.

Immediately my friend sent her a message: “Is there a pattern for the octopus? I would like the instructions.”

Cath: “No I’m sorry, very difficult and just haven’t had time to write them. There is an article on my blog, https://samohtac.blogspot.com/2018/05/meet-octavio-or-how-to-take-design.html”

My friend: “Can I purchase the octopus?”

Well I knew the answer to this and so I immediately sent a private message to Cath, explaining who I was and how I knew my friend and that I would love to tackle this project to give to her for her birthday. Cath responded and said to give her a couple days and she would send me some pictures and notes. She also suggested I purchase her design “Tulip Tassel” from her web shop https://caththomasdesigns.indiemade.com/.

Over to the web shop I went and immediately knew this was meant to be. I was working on a beaded rope that was just getting longer and longer with no intended use. But when I saw the tulip I knew that this was going to be my focal point for the rope. I immediately purchased “Tulip Tassel” downloaded and printed a copy.

I read the instructions and knew I had just crossed over from a novice beaded into deep water; I felt like the kid who barely knows how to swim and finds herself in deep water. I knew this was going to be my first really hard challenge, but I gathered up beads and tried making a tulip. Took it apart and started over again…several times. Finally, for some reason I tried using a dowel I had in my tool box and voila it worked. I made my first tulip. I knew I needed to make another and since things usually work best in threes, three tulips was my goal. Amazingly I had the three tulips completed and the necklace completed in time for Easter, April 21,2019.

In the meantime, Cath had sent me notes and pictures. I had compiled all in a file, printed them, read them AND knew I was in way over my head.

Yet, I persevered. I decide rather than order beads online, sight unseen I would buy locally. This would prove to be my first good choice…if I ran out of beads I could just pop over to the bead shop and resupply. Andrea, my bead shop owner (https://beadboutiquekc.com/) helped me pick out beads and I was on my way.

On my way is a relative term, since I had no idea what I was undertaking. I was lucky, my friend had no idea what I was up to and was living in Florida. I was bound and determined to try to make this for her and so…about Mother’s Day, May 12th I took the plunge. Working the tulips had been a big help but they were in different colors and easier to keep track of the correct order…all these beads were pink. After a couple false starts I finally got the hang of it and was comfortable stitching the head. I even got the eyes in the correct places and she didn’t look cross-eyed .

Then came the legs. Cath had said each leg had taken her about 8 hours, that meant one or two days, maybe three for me. This also took several days because I can’t look at pictures correctly. The legs are 6 beads stitched in a Herringbone round for most of the leg; one end tapers off to a point and the other will be enlarged to connect to the head and beak. I didn’t see or read this so my first leg was too large, and never curled like it would when stitched correctly. My second leg was beaded incorrectly and as I was about to write Cath and tell her I gave up; a light went on. I was on my leg making journey. Each leg did take me several hours and I knew there would be more to come…I had decided not to add the suckers until after I had joined the legs to the body thinking I wouldn’t be catching the thread on them.

I had a deadline July 25th and so I stitched on. I would look at the head and had decided the legs would be joined in two groups of four. I decided I needed to stitch the beak in its ring so I could get a better visual in my mind of how the attachments would work. My beak is not the way it should have been beaded but it was beaded.

By July 4th I was beginning to feel the deadline fast approaching and I was nowhere near ready to assemble. I put everything else aside (housework included, but that was the easy part) and morning until night worked on the octopus. All this time I am sending updates and emails to Cath. Her patience is amazing and her advice invaluable!

As I was finishing the legs I was formulating a plan for assembly and I received an email from Cath saying the beak was not connected to the head. My first reaction was “WHAT!” Not connected, whoever heard of a mouth not connected to the head! After much though and looking at my parts I knew I had to make a decision. I decided I had in my mind seen the

beak connected to the head and the legs connected to both, so I went with it. I stitched the first leg on and it seemed to act okay (flow freely), so I continued. I did realize that not attaching the suckers before assembly was a mistake so I stopped attaching legs and attach suckers to with a 1/2 inch of the ends. I remembered reading in Cath’s notes that she attached more suckers after she assembled all the legs.

I finished my Octavio late July 23rd, two days before I was going to give her away to my friend. I bought a box, sent pictures to Cath and received the nicest complement ever. It brought tears to my eyes and still does!

Takes breath away! I swear, when I saw the first picture, I was moved and really sighed of happiness! You can be really very proud! It is just perfect!

I am very much looking forward to seeing your photos, and to learn what your friend thinks about it.

A huge bravo! I’m truly proud of you, of me, of us!

I will treasure my friendship that I have built with Cath through emails forever. Cath is a remarkable woman and bead artist. She designs constantly, shares her gifts with others and moderates three beading groups on Facebook:

Cellini Peyote Freaks (https://www.facebook.com/groups/2158100991128070/?ref=group_header)

From Petal to Pod: (https://www.facebook.com/groups/PetalToPod/?ref=group_header) International Bead Week https://www.facebook.com/groups/internationalbeadingweek/?ref=group_header

She has a blog (https://samohtac.blogspot.com/)

And a store (https://caththomasdesigns.indiemade.com/)

Thank you Cath; I forever in your debt.

Please keep Cath in your prayers, she is having some health issues and prayers are always helpful. Thank you!

And before anyone askes, I cannot share more than I have here about Octavio. She is not my design and without Cath’s permission I have shared all I can.

And my friend, well I think she was as surprised as I have ever seen her and I know Octavio will have a great new home. Happy Birthday,Nancy!

And that’s why we create. For the friendships we have, the friendships we make; so we can share our time, our talents and our gifts. Thank You for stopping by. I hope you have time to stitch today and every day.

ttfn…sue

Creative Dry Spells

I think I can safely say I have suffered from “Creative Dry Spells” in all forms of my artistic endeavors. It is like being in a depressed mood; you know it will pass but it does not make it any the less painful. They are not fun, nor can you talk yourself out of them; the best thing to do is ignore them for a day or two and then try to work thru them or just do something else like cleaning (ugh) or cooking. Cleaning should convince you to be creative real quick and cooking can be creative also yummy if you bake or make desserts.

I read somewhere (probably another blog but I forgot to write down whose blog) some ways to get the creative juices flowing again. I have adapted them to needleart thoughts:

Spend some time with your stash
Finish a UFO or several
Practice a stitch/technique you haven’t mastered or would like to learn
Look ahead to projects you must finish:

Designers/teachers have deadline
Finishing deadlines
Work under pressure

Just keep active.

Sometimes any of these are easier said than done depending on how “dry” you are feeling.

Sometimes spending some “me time” with a cuppa and your favorite needlework books and/or magazines can help. I love my books and looking through them may give you an idea of something to stitch, a technique to try or maybe you will just relax and look at the pictures.

Sometimes no matter what you do nothing speaks to you; then it may be time for some artistic needlework enhancement. In other words, a trip to your local needlework shopS (sometimes it takes more than one). Going to your favorite places is good for two reasons:

It may spark your creative juices with something as simple as a new thread for that project you saw in your stash. You may find a new canvas that speaks to you and if all else fails…
You are at least spending time with other creative people and this is good. They may remind you of a canvas you have at home that you were really dying to stitch just a few weeks ago. They may show you a new technique they are working on, a new stitch, a new thread, or maybe just give you a smile that will brighten your day.

And if you are lucky enough to have more than one shop in your area you have that many more chances to get those creative juices flowing…whatever it takes to spark those fingers. And if you are really lucky, maybe you can sit and visit with others. You don’t have to be stitching something, you can just visit. I visit a group(s) and not everyone is stitching needlepoint, some are knitting, some are stash enhancing, and others have just come by to visit.

And we learn from each other and the more diverse and wide our circle of creative friends is the more we learn…there are no limits to creative thoughts. Attending guild meetings, having stitch-ins, maybe just going for a cuppa and stitching there. Just think for a minute about threading a needle; you know people who:

Thread a needle with the end going immediately through the eye of the needle
Bend the thread over the needle and then thread that bend through the eye of the needle.
Pinch the thread tightly between their thumb and index finger and saw the eye of the needle onto the thread
Wet the end of the thread and place thread through eye of needle … or
Use a needle threader.

None of these are wrong, None is better than another…it is what works for you. But if some needle artist is having trouble threading a needle just being around other needle artists may give her the idea she needs to thread her needle. I know that is pretty simplistic but you get the idea.

If you don’t want to tempt you credit card, watch a love flick, visit an art gallery, visit a park, just take a walk. Anything will do to keep you from sitting and brooding about the “dry spell”.

I have two artist friends that seem to ward off dry spells by drawing every day; they have notebooks of their works. I am not that disciplined and that’s probably why they make a living at their art and my art just keeps my sanity.

One of my friends tries to go out and about every day to see inspiration. He will draw and paint in his notebook people and places around him. Recently at an art fair, I ask him if I could see his journal and he shared it with me. He was in a mall at an art fair, yet found the time to capture the other artists around him. Each entry has the day and date of the week (he told me it was like his day planner). Not only was there an image of his fellow artists but a small drawing of the type of art they were showing. WOW! I spent several minutes looking through his diary and it was such a privilege; I felt like he not only trusted me very much. He had let me see into his soul; it really was a special moment. I did not read his thoughts but just looking at the pictures he had drawn. I left his booth maybe not inspired but feeling sooooo uplifted.

My other artist friend is a former art professor and he lives close to his former university. You can visit him anytime he is in town and he will listen to you and then in his own magical way give you some thoughts to ponder. He never gives you “his answer” because then you would not be working through your problem. Once a week, when he is in town, he holds “tea time”; an open date to just visit with others of like mind, have tea and discuss whatever comes up, such an enlightening way to give so much insight into so many things. It is no wonder all he asks is for you to RSVP your attendance; these events are attended by friends, former students and students who have heard about him through their professors. And even though it may be a crowded place on occasion, you always come away feeling inspired and more than that hopeful, optimistic.

So, I think I will be off to look at my stash and maybe it will trigger something. I hope you are not having a creative dry spell but if you are, join me by going through your stash and let’s see what happens. I really hope you can just go stitch and have fun.

Thank you for stopping by, I hope you have time to stitch today.

ttfn…sue

Melissa Shirley Wicked: Embellishing

Over the week-end went to a bead show, bought some beads for projects (like I need more projects), but like I say want has nothing to do with need., so I indulged myself. Funny thing is when I got home I remembered I had purchased a bead project last year. But do you think I have found where I put that project? A blog all of its own! I’ve looked a few places but still haven’t found it, but it will turn up…maybe much later. Anyway had a good time at the Bead-Blast.; look forward to next year.

Also went to out 1st art fair of the year. Brookside annual art Fair was this week-end (http://www.brooksidekc.org/art-annual) 32 years and I bet I have been to most. It is just a fun way to spend the afternoon or evening. There is always something to see and I usually come home with something too. This year I did not get anything but the art was very inspiring and my two favorites were Gwen Bennett’s Feather Art (http://gwenfeathers.com/)…these were beautiful. And after I got home and read about her art was even more impressed. And my other favorite was Julie Powell Beading (https://www.juliepowelldesigns.com/)…I will never be this good. Two reasons: My first love is needlepoint and I just don’t have the time or patience.

But it was a beutiful week-end (no rain) and we had fun.

I left most of the attachments, bullion knots and all the beading to the very end, I didn’t want to take the chance I would catch other threads on them and either snag the thread or worse still pull the embellishment or bead out of whack.

I have several Bullion knot needles I got from needlework shop. Colonial Needle distributes them and I blogged about them a couple times (https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2015/02/08/hari-kuyo-broken-needle-celebration/ ) or (https://sudukc.wordpress.com/category/needlework-tools/needles-needlework-tools/bullion-needle/). These needles are a size 20 and so they make a pretty good sized Bullion Knot.

I started with the Letter “K”. I decided the Bullion Needles were too large for the curly-q on top of the pumpkin and the bird’s feet, I used a #24 Tapestry needle. I stitched the curly-q before I stitched the birds feet; it is a very long bullion and I gave it a twist or loop. After curly-q I added the bird’s feet, more Bullion Knots that I stitched over and around the green curly-q, still using the #24 needle. I left the curly-q above the bird’s wing and the wing to apply later.

I stitched the red veins for the eyeball in Bullion knots using the long Bullion needles I stitched these into a center whole that I had enlarged with and awl (or larger Tapestry needle) to accommodate the eyeball I would attach later. Notice these veins go over the outline of the letter

Next Letter “C” and the legs of the spider. I used a #24 needle here too as I wanted the legs to be small.

And finally the Letter “I”, this had almost the whole top half of the letter unstitched. Using a Bullion needle I made a short Bullion for the top of the pumpkin at the bottom of the “I”. Then I made Bullions using the Bullion needles and made them looser than normal so they looked like curls. I made some at the top of her head too and these I made tighter so the brim of the hat could lay over them.

Then it came time to tackle the hat and flower on the Letter “I”. The hat was a padded ultra-suede applique with beading. I decided to applique the hat and only to tack the brim at the left side outside the letter and the right side on the tip also. The right side is also held in place by the flower. Next I did the ruched petals of the flowers using a flat braid thread and pulling one of the plies. I left the hat beading and center of flower until I was finished with all the letters.

Two of the areas had a memory wire thread applied to the canvas; the pumpkin in the “W” and above the bird in the “K”. Memory wire thread is a thread with a fine wire hidden within it; some wires the wire is like one of the plies and other wire threads are wrapped wire with thread. I don’t know that one is any better than another, this was the first time I had used them. My only experience with wire before had been to use in finishing to make an ornament bend, so it looked like ribbon candy. First I cut two 3-4″ pieces of the memory wire, then I wrapped them tightly around a small knitting needle. I could have used the Bullion needle, a #18 or 20 Tapestry needle, or even the end of a laying tool; just anything that would coil the wire. On one end, I pulled enough back out straight to tie an Overhand Knot close to the coiled thread at one end; I also placed a small drop of Fray Check on the end to keep it from coming loose. I threaded a #26 needle with 1 ply of matching floss (you could use matching sewing thread) to secure the wire in place on the front of the canvas as well as to secure the tail to the back of the canvas.

To place the wire on the pumpkin on the “W” and above the bird on the “K” I used an #18-20 needle or laying tool. I opened a space in the canvas to plunge the open end of one of the wired threads to the back of the canvas. I pulled the wire to the desired length and secured with at least one couching stitch on the front; then I turned the canvas over, left about an inch and half, cut excess and tacked the remainder securely to back of canvas.

Beading: There were two types of beads on this canvas; regular size 11 or 15 seed beads and then glass eyes on long pins. Go to Etsy and search for glass eye beads on a long pin, they come in all sizes and colors. Here’s one place: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheWoolenWagon?ref=l2-shopheader-name. I’m sure you could find even the one used for the eyeball in letter “K”; I had smaller green one for the cat’s eye in letter “W”, larger green pair for the witch in letter “I” and amber ones for a bat in letter “D” and a solid black one for the bird in letter “K”. These all came in the thread kit, so I don’t know the sizes. You were to place these in the proper place through the front of the canvas, with needle nose pliers bend the wire down into place and the secure with thread on the back. Since I had never done this before I was a bit apprehensive…I didn’t want to get into the wrong place on the front, break a pin bending it on the back, or after I secured to back finding the bead looked wrongly placed on the canvas. You guessed it, I left these until I could do nothing else.

I first did all the stars on the letters, then the bat eyes on letter “D”, and the skull on the witch’s dress on letter “I”. For the stars, bat eyes and skull I used the double thread, lasso method. I referred to the unstitched pictures of the canvas for placement of the stars; I did move a star to the nearest over one stitch of the Nobuko so I did not disturb the over 3 stitches. The other beading was on the letter “I” were the center of the flower, and it was just piling beads up to make a center. Then there were the beads on the hat, they were supposed to be Peyote stitched but at that time I did not know how to Peyote stitch (I just learned last week); so I just strung five beads by row and stitched them on the hat.

And then I attached the wing of the bird. I attached it at the top, poked the wires through the canvas , bent the wired down and secure with thread to stitching on the back. Then on the front I bent just a bit to give the curve of the wing.

When there was nothing left but the glass eye beads I tackled them I started with the cat in letter “W” because I figured if I broke this bead I could use a metallic braid and make a French knot. Then I did the bat in letter “D” and the black eye in the bird of letter “K”, same thinking here. By know I was pretty sure I could do this and so I did the witch’s eyes letter I and then the big eyeball in letter “K”. They all turned out well, the big eyeball has a tendency to flop but I’m the only one it seems to bother.

And “Wicked” was stitched!

Thank you for stopping by, I hope you have time to stitch today.

ttfn…sue

Temari and Hamilton, Mo

While I was not blogging and trying to get my stitch mojo back I made a couple Temari Balls.

The first one is a pattern I love to make, it is very simple and the beauty comes from the negative space that is created by using one thread the same color as the base of the ball to stitch the design. This one was stitched for my knee surgeon; he graduated from KU so it is the KU ball. And since I am partial to blue the ball is predominately blue. He loved the ball and I love him (he did a great job on my knee), so we are both happy.
The other Temari ball is an original. I have a new Great Grand-daughter (I am a two time great, so far…boy and girl) and her middle name is Rose. Rose was my mother’s middle name (we called her Whammer…for grandma, but that’s another story.) It was also my favorite Great Aunt’s name and I think it is a name from Catherine’s family also.) So I decided to make Rose’s mother a basket of roses. First I stitched the top rose and then the partial side roses. Then I started on the basket. First I wove the basket from the SP to the Equator in a ribbed spider web stitch. Then around the top edge I made a detached buttonhole border for the lip of the basket. Turned out cute.

“More about Hamilton too…I hear it is a quilter’s mecca.” This is what I said last week about Missouri Star Quilt Co in Hamilton, Mo. Well, after being there, there is no way to really describe it to anyone; it is an experience that will be different to everyone who visits. Words like eye-candy, beautiful, overwhelming come to mind; but it was so much more too that I will have to re-visit several times before I feel like I have an understanding of everything this quilter’s/ fabric mecca has to offer.

It is the town! You have to go read the history of Missouri Star Quilt Co and Hamilton, Mo: https://www.missouriquiltco.com/. And if you are anywhere near Kansas City, Mo (and I mean even if you have to travel 2-3 hours out of your way and it is one of the only things you do in Kansas City) add a day to your trip for a stop here. Even if you are not a quilter (and I am not) it is something any creative person should see. If you own a textile shop, you need to just study their presentations and marketing…excellent! Oh my gosh, I would still be standing in the first shop taking it all in , if my friends had not kept me moving and by the end of the day I was in the Man Cave waiting for them. My mind was in overload, my visual senses had shut down and I am still recovering from a wonderful day in Hamilton, Mo.

Here’s a brief tour…

Hamilton’s Main Street is two blocks long and there are 14, yes 13 shops all related to quilting and 1 shop for husbands to rest ( I spent time here too.) Here’s the map they give you and it is best to start at #1 the Main shop. Here you register and they give you a card with your name and a bar code on it. Every time you buy something it shows up on your account and you also receive incentives to shop. This is soooo helpful if you are buying fabrics to co-ordinate or if you get home and need more of fabric “xyz” to
complete your project; it’s all there on your account. Every store can scan your card and bring up your purchases and see the fabrics, trims and patterns you have purchased. Here’s a picture of my account. This is so cool and so helpful.

We strolled down the street to the reproduction fabrics and then the floral shop ( a garden of fabrics and no weeds). Notice the lights look like flowers and the front of the store window gave you a clue to what was inside.

Three shops and we had to stop for refreshments and nourishment…it is exhausting shopping! After a brief refueling we were off again…

We went into Primitives and Wool, wool fabrics and yarns and Primitive fabrics…not up my alley but impressive from a marketing point of view. Next was the Batik Boutique and here I lost all sense of reality, found three of the five fabrics I was looking for here…Oh my, what a colorful place!

Next we headed upstairs for four more shops…Seasonal Shop, every occasion you would like to celebrate in one room; Modern fabrics had newest fabrics and designer fabrics; Backings & trims was a room of finishing fabrics (extra wide) for backing your quilt and all the trims you could want; and finally kids and baby area with all the fabrics any mother and grandmother could want to furnish a nursery.

I was in fabric overload now and headed down to the “Machine Shed” for all the gadgets you can imagine and isn’t their window too cute…and right next to the Machine Shed was the Man’s Land. A room to relax, designed to keep the husbands happy but I checked out the leather chairs and they were comfy.

I missed the girls, they came down another way and so I had to visit the last shop on my own. JC Penny quilt shop is the colorful solid store. If you can’t find a solid color here it is not made.

Four hours later, we had briefly touched the surface of Hamilton, Missouri and the Missouri Star Quilt Company. It was absolutely mind boggling; the fabrics, the colors and all the quilts hanging in every store, not to mention the projects stitched with the fabrics. At times I felt like a kid in a toy store..I want, I want, I want.

And I did buy a few things…material for finishing 3 pieces of needlepoint…sending to the finisher. I purchased two patterns; one to use for a stitching idea and the other a finishing idea. And I bought a 1/2 yard of material for several other stitching ideas.

Will, I go back, in a heartbeat! Just let me know when you are in town and I’ll drive you up there. I can take my needlepoint…the ones that still need finishing and a project I am working on. I promise not to hurry you; I can always go to the man cave and stitch while you soak up all the creativity this place offers.

In fact you better plan on spending a couple of creative days maybe more here in KC , might even want to try our bar-be-que, take in a baseball or football game (depends on when you are here. We have another shop in Weston, Mo that is also creative eye candy for anyone creative or who wants to be creative…more about that later. And don’t ask me to pick one, because if I were younger I would be moving north to be closer to these places…I’m about 1 1/2 hours from either but it is worth the drive.

Thank you for stopping by, I hope you have time to stitch today!

ttfn…sue

Today’s Road Trip: The Quilt Show

Today I went to the 1st Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival (http://kcrqf.com/)and about walked myself to death (next time I am buying a week-end pass and doing the expo in stages). I love quilts and have a great appreciation for the work that goes into these works of art.

I have made a quilt or two in my younger life but none as lovely as the ones I say today. I made each of my sons a simple nine patch. The material for these patches were old shirt samples my mother had saved from her days working in a retail men’s store; each sample was about 4inches by 5 inches so I just used them as they were to make the blocks. I used a flat twin sheet to join them together into a quilt top and then I backed with another twin sheet. I hand quilted one and after infecting a finger had the other two machine quilted. Later I tried my hand at a quilt as you go log cabin pattern using the denim from my sons’ jeans. This was a better effort even if it took me forever to complete them; and not to mention that each quilt weighed a hefty amount. I had a console sewing machine at the time and would have one of the boys sit under my machine and hold the table part up so the machine would not tip over while I was sewing the strips together. I think parts of these six quilts live still today…the shirt quilts surprise me but the jeans quilts were like iron.

But the quilts I saw today were magnificent, works of art. You really wanted to have an artist statement with all of them. You know each of those quilts has a story to tell. All the quilts in the expo were either entered in the judging or were quilt guild displaying their members work. Then on the first floor of the expo were the challenge pieces, the theme was the Beatles. These were small wall hanging quilts. And then the Texas quilters sent some of their quilts for a special exhibit…the face was really an eye catcher.

I wanted to see Janet Stones new alphabet quilts, both won a first prize ribbons. I wrote about Janet a few years ago when I went to another quilt show (https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/the-art-of-machine-quilted-quilts/). Her first quilt A Letter Bit of Baaltimore, yes with two “a”s… a tribute to her love of sheep. I had no trouble finding the first sheep but the second one took me a minute. Truthfully I was not looking for the obvious and first checked the letters S and B (also took a picture of the D, well sd are my initials) thinking she hid the sheep here. I was so convinced Janet had hidden the second sheep I didn’t even think to look for the obvious…but obvious he was. This quilt also won a NQA Award of Merit ribbon ( I think it is the same as an ANG Judge’s Choice ribbon)

Her second quilt is No L and this one I got right away. I liked the traditional blocks combined with the modern border…Janet’s quilts are stunning and all have the alphabet.

It is very tempting to get caught up in the moment and think about taking on a new endeavor…especially when you hear one lady telling another “Oh, I just decided to try something new last year…I made this quilt in a couple weeks.” But I restrained myself, I remembered my crochet fiasco from a few posts back (https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2015/05/22/no-vacation-only-pitfalls/). So no I did not succumb to the temptation to buy patterns, books and other quilting supplies…. I did take the two needlepoint pieces I am stitching to see if I could find material or embellishments I might want to use, but did by the time I got to the shopping part of the expo I was getting tired and so not a lot appealed to me. BUT, not to leave empty handed, I did find these needles from Japen. They are called Hiroshima needles and are made in Hiroshima Japan by Tulip. More about these later after I have time to read about them and try them out.

Here are more quilts…I took over 100 pictures but these are some of my favorites.

I am so tired I am going to my stitching nest and I hope that I get some stitching accomplished but if not the nap I take will be well deserved.

Thank you for stopping by… I hope you find time to stitch today!

ttfn…sue

Notebooks

I have had notebooks on my mind these past few months.

It all started with the Jason Pollen exhibit and lecture last fall. In the second part of his exhibit he displayed some of his notebooks and in his lecture he said he draws two hours every day in these sketchbooks. I would love to spend a pot of tea going through these note/sketchbooks; it would be like climbing into the mind of the artist. Oh heck, I’d just like to sit in his studio as he worked and have him think out loud…I think you would learn so much.

And then last week on KCPT, Bob Holloway, another of my favorite artists was profiled and he said he has kept a journal/sketchbook for the past 40 years. He has 40 of these journals…incredible! Ditto on the sit in his studio.

Well if I didn’t feel inadequate before I did after watching this show; I want to journal and sketch too. I want to put my thoughts down on paper so I don’t lose them. I was feeling pretty uncreative and I started straightening up the office, stitch space and library. And what to my surprise, I had an epiphany: I do journals, notebooks and sketchbooks and have for years. I have 2 Master Teacher Notebooks, I have a value and color notebook, I have a notebook of another favorite artist, Fritzi Brod and I have a notebook of finished stitched projects I have completed to mention a few.

And then I found these blue notebooks I made and carried. I drew stitches in them whether it was a new stitch I saw on another canvas, in a book or magazine or whether it was just something that popped into my head, I drew it in these notebooks. I also kept noted on the canvas I was stitching and when I made the page for my finished stitch project notebook I would turn the pages up of or remove them. These notebooks are dated so I have an idea when I did them.

I don’t know why I stopped using this method but I have a feeling that this is what has been missing in my life. I think I thought that the larger graph paper in a larger notebook was the answer for me but now I am not so sure. I don’t carry this notecase everywhere and therefore have fallen out of the habit of keeping good records/notes for myself. And I seem to have acquired a large amount of pieces of graph paper that are not contained anywhere. I think maybe I thought I needed a larger area for diagrams but maybe I just need to have that at hand in case and carry my little notebook everywhere.

I also have two other note/sketchbooks that I keep. One is ideas that I see or think of that I want to remember for that “ah-ha moment” of inspiration. This notebook contains drawings and pictures of other art works, just stuff. Every other page is numbered and I put a month and year date on the page too. When an idea is forming I will look through these books (there are only three so far) for ideas that relate or that I might want to incorporate. This has happened and I go back and find the reference and it usually sparks more creative thoughts. The flower in upper left of the picture became a Sunflower Temari ball with French Knot center.

My other notebook is the frustrated artist in me. I want to be able to draw like Jason Pollack, Bob Holloway, Fritzi Brod, Mary Englebreit, Joan Walsh Anglund to name a few. I want it to seem as effortless as they seem to make it seem. But I struggle with this artist within me; I read books, take classes and still do not feel I am neither a sketcher nor an artist. My drawings in these notebooks are all dated and vary from geometrics (which I love) to just a sketch of my coffee cup or dot pictures. I can create a geometric needlepoint, I can pick stitches for a painted canvas (and yet I struggle with these sometimes too) but I don’t think I will ever be an art show artist, nor is anyone going to ask me to have a showing of my artwork. But some of these drawings will hopefully become needlework too. I just saw a geometric in drawing #1 and the pumpkins in drawing #2 are drawn from a picture my daughter in law sent me of two pumpkins she made last year for a contest at work. I want to stitch needlepoint canvases, finish them as stand up baskets and have the hair and flowers planted in them…I see Sundance Sparkles for the hair. (see I am incubating a new ideas as I write this)

And last week after cleaning, I went to the opening of a new show at the Nelson-Aitkens Art Gallery for a special exhibit: Ferran Adria Notes on Creativity. They are the drawings of this chef and his staff on food, history and creativity. While I creatively understood these drawings & notebooks, I wasn’t sure I understood his method (but I am not a chef either). My favorite was this graphic: I saw it from across the room and was sure I knew what it meant…I was wrong, it represented seed but to me it was and is “no peas.” There were parts I liked and other parts I am not sure I understood, but that’s okay because at the bottom of one page that had been blown up was the explanation of it all…

“Result(in box): everybody has his,her own creativity process.

The “ah-ha” moment of the week for me. The artist understood these notebooks and sketches and each meant something to him and he became more creative because of them and helped his students to be more creative also. I did another tour of the exhibit with a new and greater understanding of the beauty he had created and given us a brief glimpse. I’m sure to the major chefs that see this exhibit it has my more meaning to them than it will to me, but we both have come away with our own moment of creativity.

It was ah-ha moment for me and I realized that my notebooks do not have to appeal to anyone but me. Notebooks are a glimpse of the artist who creates them and do not have to make sense to anyone but that artist. (I still would like to spend an afternoon with the artist I admire and their notebooks. Just to listen to them and see how their creative process works I think would be inspiring.

So I have decided to go back to my little notebook for stitches; I made myself a new little notebook about 50 pages and will keep it with my stitching. I will still keep my ideas notebook , I will sketch (but maybe never 2 hours every day) and I have also decided to start another long overdue type of journal…I am going to start keeping a stitch doodle canvas. It will have no rhyme nor reason to it, it is just going to be stitches. I plan to keep a log of which stitch is used, the thread and I might even add where I used it if I do use it. Stay tuned as I finish a canvas (the first page) I will share it with you.

Thank you for stopping by to visit, I hope you find time to stitch today or do whatever helps you be creative!

ttfn…sue

Almost Valentine’s Day

It’s almost Valentine’s Day (and it is Friday the 13th) or as my sons used to call it, National Suck-up Day (This was before they were all married and have wives; now they celebrate with candy, flowers, etc; typical husband duties.)

Years ago I told my DH I didn’t care to have flowers, I didn’t need candy and I sure didn’t want to go out to dinner BUT I did expect a card. So off he went to work and at the office shop he purchased a card and that night he came home and presented me with a card. Cute card had a couple on the front standing in front of a red heart; it said, “To my wife”…you opened it up and it said, “Couldn’t be without you. Happy Anniversary.” DH had crossed out Anniversary and written Valentine’s Day. After I stopped laughing, he said Hallmark should not be allowed to put out cards with hearts if they were not Valentines, especially at Valentine’s season. I told him he should learn to read and not just look at the pictures. Anyway to really appreciate his thoughtfulness, you had to wait eight months for out anniversary. On our anniversary, he brought me a card with roses, lace, ribbons the whole Victorian looking type; “to my wife….sentimental dripping sweet verse…and Happy Valentine’s Day.” He crossed out Valentine’s Day and wrote Anniversary and below that, ” You may not get the right card for the right occasion, but you get the right number of cards per year.” I still have both!

And over the years we have stopped giving each other gifts. We’re big kids, we know what we want and usually we’re together, well except at the needlepoint store but then he never says anything either. And I have a few canvases on my want list…like I need another canvas…but then need was never an issue with needlepoint.

This year I decided to do something different (usually buy needlepoint). I had my mother’s charm bracelet gathering dust in a drawer. My grandfather had it made for her when she got engaged to my dad, all the charms have a meaning. I’m not a bracelet person, so I found a chain similar to the bracelet, had the jeweler make me a necklace, put them together and I wear it as a charm necklace. Fun!

I also had all my charms and an charm bracelet with about 20 charms (gift from my family before kids) gathering dust in a drawer. Never realized how many charms I had collected over the years and not all were silver, but had meaning to me. So I had them put on a necklace too; 60 charms later I love it. It is a real conversation piece.

I wear both (not together) all the time. I just love them. So this year for Valentine’s Day I got jewelry.

Today I’m off to have lunch with the girls…and then home to stitch and my outing this week is a yearly art show. I love this art show, it is small and all local artists. And when this art show arrives I know spring can’t be far behind…I’m ready.

Maybe I’ll buy myself some chocolate too (dark of course.)

Thank you for stopping by to visit, I hope you find time to stitch today or do whatever helps you be creative!

ttfn…sue

Sh-h-h-h Part II

Oh I forgot to mention that a visit to the main library is an experience in itself. Even the parking garage is a work of art. The front looks like books, even the steps are books and on the side is a huge mural by local artist Bob Holloway of the Nelson Art Gallery and local historic figures. I had never noticed before that this picture is a combination of two areas at the gallery: the main hall (large columns and the balconies are Rozzelle Court.)

The library is the old First National Bank Building. Just the front doors are impressive, but all the architecture is just beautiful and the antiques are great too. I remind myself that these antiques are like Christmas trees; on the lot that beautiful tree looks wonderful, when you get it home you have to cut 6 inches off the bottom just to get it to stand up in the room. These antiques look great in the library but I don’t own a home big enough to house them.

Every floor of the library has an antique clock, my favorites are the one in the main lobby and then there is a Arts and Craft clock in a meeting room (the room was locked and dark…no picture)

I just love old buildings; someday I am going to just drive around town and take pictures of the architecture in Kansas City. There is so much Art Deco and Arts and Craftsmen style. Notice some of the buildings of downtown…I thought of the song from Oklahoma when looking at them…”They went and built a skyscraper seven stories high“….and then looks like they add floors to some of these.

I’ve noticed that since I have been on this quest to be more inspired I have begun to see more. I am grateful my DH likes to go with me and drive. I think my head is on a swivel (and I would be a hazard on the road if I were driving) and I can’t see everything as we drive by and DH is so patient he will even go around the block so I can see again.

Thank you for stopping by to visit, I hope you find time to stitch today or do whatever helps you be creative! ttfn…sue

P.S. My creative block seems to have subsided for now…next week I’ll have a little stitching to share.

Sh-h-h-h Part 1

I’m actually going to try and post several times this week; otherwise this post will be too long. I have been inspiring myself weekly and I will share with you to catch you up. Some (today’s post is no longer available to see but of the others are still open and what’s best is they are free)

Have you ever noticed how quiet an art gallery or library is? And it is a different quiet than when you are home alone without the distraction of TV or computers. It’s like the quiet of a mountain retreat or a quiet day sitting at the lake, a special quiet that is so peaceful and relaxing even when looking at art that does not appeal to you or reading a thrilling book can disturb.

My visits to the art gallery and libraries started last fall when a friend told me about an art show at the Kansas City Public Library Main Branch. (see https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2014/10/24/creative-week-but-no-photos/) The Jason Pollen exhibit, Unfurled was a two part show and lecture. Unfurled, Part 1, spoke to me and I became an instant fan (I knew at this first show I needed to know more about this artist.) I made my husband miss the start of the first game of the World Series (Royals vs Giants) so I could attend Jason Pollen talk at the library and it was worth every minute. I could hardly wait for Unfurled Part 2 to begin and when it did I went the second week (would have gone to the opening but was feeling like I was one sneeze away from the flu and did not want to expose people to my germs.) Jason Pollen also had an art show in his home/gallery and I did not miss this either. In fact I am the proud owner of a Jason Pollen flag ( I call it “Peace” ). It hangs in my stitching nest with my Fritzi Brod (https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2014/09/12/fritzi-brod-my-favorite-artist/) and I look at them every day.

I realized, given a the chance I could be a Jason Pollen groupie. I would love to take a class from him and regret that I did not when he was teaching at The Kansas City Art Institute; I think he would have been a very nurturing and inspiring teacher. I liked many of the works, but I really loved the pieces he created using silk with fussed fabrics (Tierra Luminosa, Tierra Verde and Shift {pictured}). The reflective aspect that he created by fussing fabrics together and hanging so the light played off of the art work and created an ever changing piece were spectacular. I could see myself sitting in front of one of these and being completely relaxed and inspired. I like his mobiles too (Flicker and Flicker II); they were free moving, ever changing and fun! (I found myself wondered how I could adapt this idea to needlepoint.) In Unfurled Part 2 he displayed his sketch books; I think these would be very interesting to look through… I think you would be inspired beyond belief. Another piece that spoke to me was Thirty Days. Jason Pollen “hit an artistic wall, unable to identify what to create next or even how to create it.” He made himself come to the art, studying line, color tint and shade by making a linear foot a day for 30 days. It reminded me of the doodle cloths we so often speak about making in the needlepoint world but seldom start let alone complete.

In fact the Jason Pollen Exhibits is what made me realize that I had probably been missing a world of wonder that was mine just for the looking. So one of my goals is to keep my eyes and ears open to the exhibits that are going on around me. I listen to the morning news and read the paper and local magazines for exhibits at the art galleries and libraries I have overlooked in past years few years. I try to do something every week and then I also get a lunch in the bargain.

More later this week, I have some interesting things I’ve seen.

And I do find time to stitch just nothing very interesting right now. I think I’m in a dry spell and have had a couple inspirational failures…it happens to all of us.

Thank you for stopping by, I hope you find time to stitch today! ttfn…sue