Stitching and Theo

it looks like a ball of fur there in the corner but instead it is Theo taking a nap. You can't tell that it a dog and it is wild and crazy and wants to bite you and chew on your fingers and the couch and the loom and the cloth and, well, you get it.

So this was a quiet moment of sleep that allowed me to finish the last cloth that I did.

It is the Howling at the Moon cloth I did in the cloth to cloth workshop.

I am pleased with the piece. I think each one I do gets better and better. I learn so much stitching the fabric. I never know when to stop... it could be thick as a brick when I finish. I love it.. I do find it difficult to start. I made some new bases and then I stop because I don't know what to do next. It eventually comes but my confidence flags a bit during that time.

It is a quiet day here with rain and gray skies. It makes me happy to be here alone (with Theo and Sadie) to stitch and read and take time to be slow. I love being with a partner, but alone time is still special. I feel like my mind doesn't have to think, just be.

Vancouver class

I spent four days in Vancouver taking a class on weaving from Jane Stafford. It was so wonderful to be around weavers that think about cloth like I do. On the first day I was in Maiwa (the store that sponsored the class) with another student. I was looking at this scarf with her and I turned to her and just hugged her. I thanked her for being there.. It is so nice to share this part of yourself with people that look at weaving like it is an art form instead of just pieces of cloth.

I also had four days in a B & B being totally relaxed. No laundry, dishes, babies, dogs or jobs to do.

It was a wonderful vacation. I fully intended to come home every evening and work on spirit cloth, instead I was wiped out. I slept 10 hours one night. It was so consuming to be weaving and thinking of weaving every day. I did start a new base and today I will make some progress. I just got my first package from Glennis and I am thrilled. What a beautiful package of cloth, all blue and white. I love blue.

Now it is hard to not just go in there and cut off my warp and start over. I think the first thing to do is to order some color cards for bamboo and figure out what is next. I can weave and stitch in the mean time.

So I made new friends and have new skills and ideas. Wonderful time. Now if Theo will just learn to be good while I weave and stitch, life could be even better.

Still working

I have been working on this piece for the cloth to cloth workshop. Instead of trying new techniques, I have been stitching. I do find it relaxing and satisfying to just sit and stitch with a nice small cloth in my lap. I can do it for hours and did last night.

I like how the wolf is coming out of the mist and the little bits of green weaving. I have been stitching the weaving part with lots of stitches. Makes it look so textured and thick. I like that.

Today I am going to put this aside and try to weave on the loom. I am so inspired to weave but not what I am weaving at the moment. I am weaving place mats. It is a first for these. Not usually something I do, but I needed them and I wanted to try out some different techniques. I hope to make a rug and wanted to test the ideas on on a smaller project. Now I just want to weave something wool. Think it is time I got the smaller loom going. I do have some nice alpaca on it for a scarf. Weaving is weaving... just do it.

Howling at the Moon

This is the cloth I'm making for the workshop. I used Susan's special dyed fabrics that are the same shades of color but different textures. I wove in some trees and a wolf. I am wondering if I should do more green. It is the first time that I feel like the story is coming from the cloth.

Italy

I just came back from my vacation in Italy. I wish I were Italian.

I loved this place and dream of going again. I have a hard time imagining that people lived in the same city for centuries.. I went to a church that had been there in some form from the 8th century.. always makes me think that maybe I was there in a past life and just returning. Got us talking and thinking about time travel. I have always wanted to go back and see places in the past... China and Japan before their culture was changed by invasion of other people.

The American Indian before the white man came, France or Italy when the walled cities were where people lived. Someone said that be sure and not go during the plague. Good idea.

Good to be home and live in the moment.. sunshine on my face right now and good things all around.. Ripe tomatoes finally.

Birds of a Feather

I took this picture at the cabin. I really liked seeing all the purple starfish together. I wondered if the pink one felt left out and ugly. It wasn't up next to them.. just looking from afar. I love the tide flats. I could stay out for hours and often do. It is amazing for this Illinois girl to see the ocean.

I finished this piece of spirit cloth. I basted it to a checked cloth and hung it in my weaving room. I like looking at it. Two people have said they don't like the words on the cloth. I do like that part and I like stitching them. Will just do what I want and how it feels.

Will try to work tomorrow on more stitching and some weaving. Can't wait to show pictures here of how the placemats are progressing.

Summer

Summer has finally hit the PNW. It is sunny and warm and finally going to hit 90 by the weekend. I know the east coast is frying but we are drowning. So summer is the best time here and I am working on a piece I call summer.

I have woven the "ground" with silk and am stitching more on it daily. I love the look of the orange flowers and the sun. Will continue to make progress.