Time for reflecting

Yes, I have plenty of time to think about all kinds of things, but foremost in my thoughts are a couple of questions to myself:

"Where do you want to go from here?"
I know that I am working up to making more flowers and things like that, but smaller right now.I don't think that I will have a lot of time to make any large pieces, but as usual, I will see where my muse takes me.
I plan on following my sense of what I think is art and try to not be influenced by those  closest to me. That was one of my jury problems..........following someone else's idea of what looks good, not MY idea. Being true to yourself is not easy when you are an artist. There are so many opinions flying around and trying to be the one in the forefront.

"Do I want to be famous and make lots of money?"
No, not really. I just want to make pieces that speak to people - I know they speak to me.

Enough philosophy...................I just want to use my hand again!
No photos yet - I can't hold my camera! ................   Oh, yea, this was ELECTIVE surgery, remember Carol? (that last sentance was my inner nagging voice speaking)

New outlook :)

So, I'm just back from the dr and got my stitches out. I am in an wrist brace with a rigid thumb for 5  more weeks. BUT, the hand feels pretty good and seems to want to work just like before without the excruciating pain. This is good and I am pleased with the whole thing.
Of course, it is sore and still swollen, but an improvement (also I got to wash it.....YES!)

Doing everything possible! The BIG WHINE!

I'm doing everything possible a one handed person could do, but my "art" keeps calling me. I have all my 7 small canvasses done. I'm thinking about trying to actually dye a silk vessel. That's probably crazy, but when it comes down to a perfectly neat desk and studio area, all bills paid, checkbook balanced, odious healthcare account pay back submitted.................

Gardening? I have one hand, and it just is too awkward. Can't drive yet either. All I get for mail are advertisements............look friends, I'm recovering from hand, not brain surgery! It's ok to write :0)

That's probably all most people can take..............sorry for the rant.

Design Wall?

Everything is on my bench waiting to come to life. Now I have two botanicals and am thinking about some food..............could that be because I can't cut and chop? I think I will try my small Quisinart and see if I can make anything, probably soup.
I just need someone to peel potatoes :)  Let's see, college grad......I think he could help, eh? If nothing else, between his two parents and all we are requiring of him, he will probably run to get a job! LOL!
No, we really need the help right now, so in between job hunting.............he can peel potatoes and set signs on the trail.
 The daughter ..... we will use for important things, like food choices at the supermarket ................maybe some cooking, but she gets out at 6 and I like to eat then, not really any later.

Thinking about what's next

I know I will probably do some small pieces to start with. I already have a Marsh Marigold drawn out and then maybe some more botanicals from the old book I have. I would take a picture, but can't hold the camera yet.

Yesterday was the big day for us and our son - it was good weather and we got really good seats in the shade. We went out for sushi to celebrate and then gave Mike a gift. Now we'll see what comes up next  :)

The aftermath....ouch!

Well I survived the surgery. My fingers look like sausages and I'm typing with one hand. I have a icepack or two on and am waiting for the swelling to go down...........looks and feels like it will take weeks.

 I just keep remembering the Foster's beer commercial .... the guy gets a rock dropped on him and he says "ouch".............they say "crybaby." Always cracked me up!

Off to sit and ice my hand/wrist which i cannot see because of the bandages.  :)

Wasting time :)

Just hanging around waiting to go to surgery. It's 6:36 and I will be leaving soon. (I hope the pants in the dryer are done by then)

I pulled out a few canvasses (sp?)  to do the painting of the raw wood. My right hand can still paint, but probably won't get to that for a few days. Easier to pull them now, rather than with one hand. The boxes are stacked and pretty heavy.

I changed some colors on the blog and used one of my parfait fabrics for the background. I don't know about you, but I get bored looking at he same thing/color all the time.

Am I done yet? Is this over yet? - me, nervous? .........sort of.
I'll check in soon.

Scarf page is up and running!

I got that done in between cooking yesterday. Any suggestions on how to take better photos of scarves? They are so long!

I got a Call for Artists yesterday for the League Exhibit which will be in the new building. Photos for the post card are due June 24th. I may take some today. This would be for my jewelry, not the fabric work. Now what to submit.....not sure, I need ot look around and see what I have for sale.

I think I have a buyer for the machine. Should be picked up today and if so, well..........that's done!

This just occurred to me............I wonder if one could use a salad spinner for small dyed pieces to wring out the water while rinsing. Maybe not enough velocity? Just looking for another hand :) I looked up that spinner on Dharma and it is mainly for wringing water out of already washed fabrics. I guess the salad spinner should be used for .............salad!

Enough said.

Adding words to my stories

Don't know why some things occur to me later rather than sooner, but I added stories to my pages of stitched stories and silk vessels. Later today? I will try to add my scarf page. (Finished it a few minutes ago - check it out!)


Cleaned and posted the 930 for sale - check! DH's birthday today, make apple pie - check! (pie is one of the things I really hate doing, by the way.) Been cooking all day..........lunch, then making turkey soup and picked a chicken for pot pie. Getting ready for surgery on Wednesday.......I need to eat and no one really likes to cook here. One of my sons lives in CA and he is an awesome cook, but can't eat long distance like that :)

Nothing much - just an update

Last week it was jury and then I bought a new machine. Now this week I am cleaning and putting away most of my work for preparation for an interval of not sewing because of hand surgery. I also spent some time making covers for my new machine and my serger. I always hated that plastic cover that came with it, so figured I'd make on for the serger while I was at it. Now they will be warm and cozy while they hang around.

So, one of the things on my list is to take photos of my Bernina 930 to put it up for sale. This machine has everything and served me well. I am not sure if I should post it on the Sew it's For Sale, or the Bernina Somethings or E-Bay, or maybe even Craig's List. Here's the link to Craig's List  http://nh.craigslist.org/art/2382318651.html
 Any suggestions? Maybe all of them? That could get confusing.

I was also thinking of doing a few pieces (yes I did say I was putting them away) and keeping them for when I can hand sew. The designing and cutting out is part of the process and I can do that now, then stack them for when I can get back to it. Thanks............I talked me into it! LOL!

I never did get to play with the blog look as Blogger goofed up the past few days and wasn't available.

Working on blog layout today.........

Sorry about any strange things happening :)

Yesterday I brought my new machine back (it had a cracked hande) and got a new one. The new one is now sitting in place of the old one in the sewing table my Father-in-law made just for me 20+ years ago. Norm only had to shave off a little on the wood free arm insert thing and make the hole bigger for hte electrical cord.
So, once in place, I sat down and tried it out................nice! It is not complicated (I like that in a machine - it doesn't talk back.)  Nice even stitching and I am just plain happy with it.
I started realy cleaning up the old one, mainly the accessories case, and foor pedal, things like that. Maybe tomorrow I will post it on Sew It's For Sale Yahoo group. I'll try there first, rather than E-Bay.

I really would like to make something...........a new handbag? Maybe a top? How about a machine cover - the one that comes with it has NO personality - I like that, a machine cover it is :)

What did I do yesterday?

After the jury thing and thinking about it a bit, I decided to go get another bobbin case.
I bought a new machine instead.  Bernina 1008 - nothing fancy, but very much like the old machine, except better.
I figured if the bobbin case didn't do it, then I was back where I began. I had been looking for another machine for about a year and never really getting brave enough to buy one. I also had just reminded a friend that if she didn't get her new car, then it would be on her gravestone.............she wanted one, but never got it.....or something like that, you get my drift?
So, I listened to myself and bought a new machine! TA! DA!
Now I need an embroidery foot as this one doesn't come with one, but that's fine too. Later I will go get one..............and the story continues :)

The day after my fabric/stitchery jury... and NEW work

So, went to my jury - they took a long time looking and talking about my work. I have been deferred until next jury in order to produce more work with a few improvements, mainly sewing tension and presentation of work. They really thought the frames overpowered the work.
Ok, so now I pick up my ego, dust it off and move onto more work before surgery next week.

I am introducing my Silk Vessels today! These are fun to make and has all the best involved: dyeing, sewing, shaping. Once shaped, I use a fabric stiffener/hardener and then - Voila!
You can see them on my Silk Vessel page. I have also changed the name of my Gallery page to Stitched Stories.........which each piece really is :)

Jury Day!

All is in readiness. I just finished photographing the finished pieces and posting them on my gallery page.I have a few more photos to put up of something else, but that will be tomorrow morning.

I have one scarf that just won't cooperate and I have overdyed it twice and it just won't! (scratches head has puzzled look on face.) I may never figure it out, but I am planning on just stamping and printing on it now, not really what I intended, but I'm sure it will be fine :)

Nervous? Not yet.

Just dying today!

I have some scarves that need color. These are the last things I need to do for my jury on Monday.
I will post some results later today or tomorrow, but I am looking forward to playing around........hoping they come out like I want :)

This one is ready to fly!

Blue Bird, process shot

So, after a bit of procrastination and a small argument with my sewing machine, I finally finished the Blue Bird. He still has his basting, but I usually put the piece on the wall and take a photo so that I can see on the computer what the camera sees. It's pretty amazing how differently we vs. the camera sees things.
I came to the conclusion that this one is done.
Now I start framing/hanging the pieces in readiness to show Monday afternoon. They actually don't hang, just have to be ready to hang = finished work.

To those of you that don't know how an art jury works, I will run you through the process...............
(This pertains to my upcoming jury.)
First off, you have to apply to the organization for whatever you want to jury. This application is like any other application, ie: requires statements from you, photos of your work, things like that.
Then you are contacted by the Chairman of Jury. A date and time is set for you to come into the headquarters.
Once you arrive, you tell the receptionist that you are here. All this is easy, right? So while you wait, you get to admire the latest exhibit.
The Jury Chairman comes to get you and escorts you to the jury room. You are introduced to your jurors and present you work. You discuss your work with the jurors. Then the hard part..........you are asked to leave while your work is discussed and decided upon.
You are then asked to return to the jury room. Your work is then discussed with you and the decision is presented to you. (conditionally accepted, deferred, or rejected) All work is subjected to a set of standards for that particular medium. These standards are a guideline for the jurors and for you to go by.
Some work is more emotional than other work. By that I mean, I have more of "me" in my fabric work than I do in my other work. I express myself openly and freely with fabric and really enjoy it.
So, now you see where the scarry part comes in........opening oneself to criticism and judgement.
I have a lot of confidence in my work, but that fails me when I am up against a situation like this.
I will take heart though..........one of my pieces sold as soon as it was seen by another artist I know and respect.........so it must be pretty good :)

Feeling the pressure!

One week from today I have my fabric jury. I am pretty much finished (only one piece to quilt) and then some assembly of hanging arrangements. BUT I am at the "am I good enough stage." I really hate that stage..............I seriously doubt my abilities and do realize that every artist goes through this at some point. Sometimes more than once.
So I will fall back on reading exerpts from "The Artist's Way Every Day: A Year of Creative Living."

>February 14th
As artists we often speak of our creations as our "brainchildren," but we forget that our ideas and dreams impregnate us. We are inhabited by a larger life than we know. As we doubt our own identity, that identity is still guiding us still nudging us to our rightful path. We may doubt our creative viability but, like children who will be born, our dreams and desires nudge us forward. Something larger and finer than we know calls us to be larger and finer than we dare. So we act on faith, descend into doubt, and watch in amazement as our dreams carry us forward with a knowing of their own. Sometimes our dreams feel born despite us.<

Even though this is helpful, it still does not banish those  nasty thoughts of self doubt.
Enough said for today...........I really should do some work :)