The End is near...

 I  really do love a good ending and a brilliant new start. This year has been full of ups and downs. A few things I'd rather forget, but more wonderful things to remember!  I really don't want to make a list - the stack of journals for this year is enough for me to know that the year was extremely full. 

I'm looking forward to the coming year: full of travel plans, personal goals, and am feeling positive and full of God's grace. I am so blessed. 

So why the cabbage? It reminds me of family tradition. We eat cabbage with caraway seeds on New Year's Day. When I cut into this cabbage to have it chopped and ready for the first, the "tree" jumped out at me! Or does it look like a bug with legs ready to attach itself to it's next victim? 

December 26, 2023 / Full Moon

 I know it was there, but hiding behind a thick layer of cloud cover. Next full moon is January 25th. I enjoy full moon night, as the brightness lights up our yard and forest. 

The main reason I wanted last night's moon was to try out some photo tips I had come across for better full moon photography. 

Here is the full moon from November 2021, in a very dark Caribbean sky. For now, I'll wait.

Early Christmas to myself

 My charm order arrived yesterday! They will be part of a felting project in the idea/design stage. For now, I just like looking at them! 

Mushroom play

 I don't know what kind of fungus/mushroom this is. I even have a mushroom identifier app, but do not see it. I've always just called it a shelf mushroom. Anyway - the tree that this is attached to fell earlier this fall, leaving a lovely shelf to play with! I see a whole winter of little collections appearing. It's fun to play.  Is this my artist's playdate for the week?

My Tree

 I was concerned that this very well would be the last time I could take a picture of this tree. It is dead. But of more concern was the bulldozer at work in the field. I had this vision that the guy would go crazy and push my tree over. He didn't, but he sure removed much from the tree line. I'm not very happy about it all, but it isn't my field. He took out 3 rather large trees. I will plant 3 extra trees in our yard next year. Why don't people realize that trees are what could save our planet? 

Playing with my food

 As children, we got in trouble for playing with our food. Now, I can play and only get an eye roll from my husband. I think he's finally starting to understand the creative process. Either that, or he thinks me quite insane. Does it matter? 

As I was peeling my breakfast, the shapes intrigued me. Shall I use them for sun printing? Maybe spray dye or ink over them? For now, they will dry and fill a little bowl waiting for another day. They smell good and fit in well with the holiday season! 

Yoyo planning

 I think I am totally committed to this year long project - but first, a sample block. In my dreams, I thought that I could stitch a block in 15 minutes. Surprise! this block took 30 minutes. If all the blocks are this time consuming, at 30 minutes a day, I am looking at over 182 hours, and that is just to stitch. That doesn't include dyeing, designing, and finishing work. It took Michelangelo a little over 4 years to paint the Sistine Chapel. I think I can stitch for 182 hours. 

Planning for 2024

 Now is my planning time. My list includes a 365 daily stitching project. I have a "vision" of using dyed yoyo blocks from a coverlet my grandmother made back in the 70's. First step was to unsew the pieces and begin the dye process (my favorite part). Crazy... what am I doing!?!

Quilt finish

 Just can't get away from using little dresses!

Snagging an idea

 I was at an art center recently and noticed a very cool jacket hanging in the coat room. Yes, I will borrow the idea. The patterned fabric was on the inside with the "quilting" showing on the exterior.  Nice!

On a "Roll"

 I started a little stitch piece to use in my Peru travel book. Since it is a long and narrow piece that will eventually roll up on a stick, I am just calling it a "roll".  My random thoughts:

Found a way to start using the old fabric calendars that have been given to me:

Am I using enough pins? 🤔 

Rusted fabric is so difficult to stitch through 

Seed stitch reminds me of little ants

Trying to use my solar prints

Old quilts make a great base for my wild stitching. Recycle what you can!

For the love of old

 I'm not even sure where these pics were taken. Maybe Bishop Hill? Pretty good chance of that as it was the day after Thanksgiving.  Tradition to head there for some Swedish heritage each year.  Anyway - I'm on a mission to clean up my phone. So many pictures! With many travel plans for next year, it's time to clean up!

Leafy Bits

 The quilt I'm currently working on (#earthfragments), seems a bit boring to me. The idea of adding another layer of contrasting work seems like a good direction to run. I have until January to get this piece completed (show deadline). I'm sure I can fit in stitching some abstract leaves between now and then!

Dyeing with acorns

 A few weeks ago, a friend gave me 4 buckets of acorns. Most of them will be treats for the squirrels this winter. I was more interested in making dye! I needed some brown tones for a needle felting project I am developing for a class I'll teach later in the spring. The acorns did not disappoint!

I soaked the acorns overnight and then simmered for an hour, leaving them to cool overnight. After removing the acorns from the liquid, I added wool and slowly heated to just below a simmer. It took color, but I wanted a wee bit darker.

 After adding 2 iron pill tabs to the pot, the wool turned much darker. The picture doesn't do it justice.

My finished felting project:

The center is the acorn + iron dye. Very VanGogh, don't you think?

Travel

 No doubt, travel is on my list of favorite things. While looking for photos to use in an upcoming library art program,  I came across this delightful image. The woman in the middle is my grandmother Helen. She and her two friends attended high school down in the cities, living there during the weekend and traveled home on the weekends. 

 

She loved her hats! And that bag! I want one like that! 

Smorgasbord

 A while back I saw a fun idea for creating a bird smorgasbord. It is now an addition to my bird feeding center. My husband spends hours watching the birds from out dining room window and I'm determined to make our bird feeding areas as arty as possible! I wonder if the birds will like it?

House? Tree?

 Maybe I just call it a "treehouse"!  

Since my body and brain don't understand setting the clock back, I had an extra hour of stitching this morning before the sun came up. I didn't have a project set aside for this morning, so I opted to pull a few scraps and challenged myself to use them.

Fun way to jumpstart a project!

Vegan: a health choice

 Today is World Vegan Day, a lifestyle choice I embraced 6 years ago after medical issues demanded a change. Vegan isn't always salads,  but look at this! I already have 4 servings of fruits/vegetables in before 9 am!

New is good?

 I had a thought that my blog needed a face lift. I like grey, but is this too dark? It can always be changed again...

While I'm at it, I think I'll rearrange my art studio! Husband suggested recently that I should move my computer downstairs. I'm not sold on this, but it would give me another table to work at in the studio. No - I rather like escaping upstairs. 

I did move most of my indoor plants that crave a warm and sunny location for the winter upstairs. Little changes. Can't rush into to much at a time...

Addressing the Earth

 The proof copy was in Saturday's mail! Dee and I met yesterday afternoon and covered the book page by page making notes for changes to be made. Not many, but seeing it in print is much different from looking at a computer screen. 

The exhibit of the 12 dresses goes up tomorrow at the Quad Cities International Airport! It feels so good to be wrapping up both of my year long projects.  I'm sure my family and friends are tired of hearing about "my dress project"!  Thank goodness they are patient and supportive of me.

Don't like it? Dye it!

While doing some cleaning, I came across a quilt top (unfinished, of course), stashed away in my art studio closet. I put it in the trash pile, then pulled it out. I had held on to it for decades, but never had the desire to finish. The colors were so dated. Totally, not who I am now. I really hated to just pitch it. 

I always tell people in my dye workshops that it is perfectly ok to over dye ugly fabric. Why not over dye the quilt top!?!

This is not rinsed yet. We are to have rain today and I decided to let nature rinse it. The colors will lighten up, but I'm already very excited about how it looks! 

Fragments

 A little bit of stitching each morning adds up to a project in a few months! Included in this block is a piece of handwoven fabric from college days, and old recycled dishtowel and a sun print. 

Dyeing my own threads is so satisfying!

The sun print took on new life when I highlighted the negative space:

I used thickened dyes to create a pattern on this old dish towel:

Fragments

 Am I really beginning a new dress piece? Yes - I can't stop. With a collection of gifted dresses, a head full of ideas, and early morning stitching time (I woke at 1:30 this morning), the project will continue.