New toy!

 A friend suggested a photo box to take better pics of artwork.  YES!  This is a game changer indeed!  I have much experimenting to do, but for now it is set up and ready to go.

First stitches

 I've been in search of fragments to include in the book I'm working on.  How excited I was to discover my first stitches in my baby book. Lucky for me to be the first child with a mom who actually followed thru with my book!  My son isn't so lucky. His ends at about 11 months when I was going thru a divorce and just didn't feel up to writing and recording.  

Way to go mom! You even put the date on it!  I love the messy uneven stitches and wish I could duplicate that now.

It looks like I got bored with the strawberries and didn't finish.  I still have tons of projects that are left unfinished!  I guess this started at a young age.

And here I am at about the time I stitched my first pieces.  I was told that this dress was red. Nice detail trim on the collar and sleeves - back in the day that a homemade dress was a place to show sewing skills.  

Sun print enhanced (a second time)

 I'm digging into the box of previously stitched pieces, enhancing and reworking.  After letting them rest a year or two, new ideas spring forth!

This piece began as a sun print a year or two ago, with a little stitch to start defining the flowers. 

Now for a frame and some beads:

It needs more stitch and beads and a less shaky photographer! Good for now...  It's nice to get a piece to the point that it is easy to take on a trip and stitch - no thinking - just fill in!

 

Frayed edges

 I'm working (rather slowly) on pages for a book.  It's taking time for me to think things thru and get my ideas to come together.  I do know that I want a chapter on "frayed edges", or the things that are darker in my life.  Topics will include: grief, sadness, loneliness, etc.  Today I am working on a title page:

Flowering crabs

 I've enjoyed our flowering crab for years. It's a wonderful place for the cardinals to congregate in the winter, before they hit the bird feeder.  This spring we decided to add 2 new trees to the gardens across from the kitchen and dining room windows.  I was pleasantly surprised when both new trees bloomed this week!

This tree is probably 10 years old:

Red work...

While trying to increase my stitching time and productivity these past few weeks, I realized that I needed a "gimmick" to keep me going.  This week I decided to work on projects using RED threads and fabric. I see that my pieces will need further work, but for now I am happy with starting a project that can take it's time to speak to me later.

Questions I ask myself:

Do they work side by side? 

What text shall I add, if any?

Is this a good spread to add my religious trinkets?

Is the black on the left too harsh a background?

For now, on to something else.  Revisit later...

Figge - fill the creative well

 I enjoyed a wonderful morning at the Figge art museum in Davenport this week. The museum has an excellent collection of Haitian art, and currently has pieces on display that I hadn't seen before. The voodoo flags with a bajillion sequins really wowed me. I need to up my beading!