In February, I decided to try a week's worth of doodling a single sheet of marker paper. That lasted a few weeks and yielded some new motifs for my fabric designs. Now, after finding an old 3x5-ish moleskine notebook, I decided to take another stab at one or more doodles a day. Dilemma: Use doodling… Continue reading Doodling my way to…
Found this old photo of myself -- a toddler with a Buddha smile. Could she be having a sweet vision of wine on a lakeshore, in the distant future? Technical: composite photo; 2019 selfie (camera on tripod, remote shutter); 1949 layer colorized.
[Cont'd from here] How did I wind up here, drawing "paper dolls" to add my fabric designs to? Maybe in old age I'm simply circling back to one of my first loves -- 1950s paper dolls. Rita Hayworth. The Maguire Sisters. I could lose myself for hours dressing them and having them act out their… Continue reading “Gotta Go,” cont’d.
"Visible mending" has been a thing now for a few years. I enjoy it. It's great for long evenings in front of the TV. Or when an audio book is too good to stop listening. Last week I patched the sleeve in one of Jim's favorite old shirts (above). Another shirt (below) had a forearm… Continue reading Shirt sleeve mending
I've been laboring away in a course called "The Sellable Sketch." I reached the point where I picked out (1) a style I aspired to ("flowing"), (2) a current trend in fashion ("natural textures"), and (3) an end-user (long-story-short "cosmopolitan"). The challenge now: design a fabric collection -- three or more designs that "go together."… Continue reading “Gotta Go” fabric design
Remember, before Christmas we made a textile run at the local antique shop. Among our booty was a Pendleton "100% virgin wool" throw. This large blankie had a couple of small stains and a tiny hole or two. I figured I could toss it in one of my (hypothetical) dye vats and refresh it with… Continue reading Wool: knit to felt
Dyeing fabric with plant stuff is a big production and I always wind up cursing at the results. But then I always wind up circling back, It's an exercise in seeing the Other as it is, not as you wanted it to be. I did not study organic chemistry. The chaos is on my side… Continue reading Earth cloth: St. John’s Wort
I love working with natural-fiber textiles because they are always game for transformation. They can be colored, patched, turned into quilts, bleached out, overdyed, painted, and relayered into precious new cloth. And, unlike so much art, textiles have purpose. They go to work keeping us warm and turning our abodes into comfortable and pleasing homes.… Continue reading Pillowcase revival
Ambition. Improve my drawing. Not to be realistic, but to be expressive, with fluid and confident lines. Method. Be disciplined about a sketch-a-day challenge? I keep trying , but I quickly descend into silliness and give up. And I've always been too intimidated by the prospect of an "art" journal. by J-M Basquiat Rumination. I… Continue reading Sketchbooks, art journals
After delving into the stories of my ancestor-women, I saw that these stout-hearted, independent souls had given me the gift of their practical wisdom. I think of it as "moxie." Use your head.Lean into the longing.Never be a martyr to a mortifying situation.Throw your arms around uncertainty.Don't listen to fools.Trust your noble heart.Move your feet… Continue reading Wisdom from my foremothers
