For weeks, the top half of this little piece has been pinned to the design board. I eyed it now and then. Was it done? If not, do I have more fabric in that spooky palette? Yesterday, while listening to Weasel Sessions, I started attaching the lower section.
Two challenges arose: 1) that goddamned silk on the lower right. It will not behave! The buckling, sliding resistance to my organizing stitch may be more than I can stand this week. Then, 2) there’s that disruptive brown strip in the mid-section. It’s so distracting, it cannot stand — so integrate or undo?
Sometimes these challenges ask to be met. And maybe I did myself and the little quilt a disservice working on it with the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on. That’s its own kind of problem.
But really, I think the spooky, little horizontal beginning might be trying to tell me something, like ‘leave me alone’. Maybe it is already a piece unto itself?
Back to the board for consideration! As Jude recently said, “cloth needs to rest, too”. Actually, maybe this isn’t the cloth resting so much as the design-process resting.
In the meantime, behold my first spoonflower experiments.
When ordering both swaths, I significantly tweaked the repeat into a smaller scale, but that somehow didn’t get transmitted. So disappointing, but definitely worth another go.
The heat has broken. Windows are flung open and the fan whirs fresh air into the house. Thank god!
My sister is doing much, much better but her heart is beating too fast. I just talked to her and she reported pain from last night. The 15 people rushing in. All the machines she’s plugged into. They may do an ablation today. Must google and pray.
Dee – Wow, the Spoonflower thing is really intriguing.
Seems like something you might get into… a friend of mine up in Maine (bowtie.com) uses it to make map fabric, which she then uses to make custom bow ties. They’re incredible.
I think that the disruptive brown stripe running across the middle is saved by the fact that it runs on up the left side. The two lower right pieces need some pondering. They almost look like “I give up, I just want to finish this row!” but I’m sure you’ll find something amazing to fix any disturbed parts of the piece. Or leave them as a reminder of how a senate hearing can totally kill creativity after a few hours of listening. I love it and I love the piece shown on the chair. Inspiring as always.
your comment made me look at the brown stripe differently… and you are absolutely spot on about the two lower right pieces. I can’t believe my attitude revealed itself! Off they come.
I’m not supposed to be Anonymous. Above comment from Jen
love the piping on the edge of the cloud
the edging is on the original antique linen table-topper
i tried spoonflower but i didn’t like the nature of the cloth that was offered much. and i opted for just drawing directly on the cloth. But then again I always go for small bits.
I am excited to keep availing myself of their offerings — mostly to try to get photo-collages onto cloth — but I agree the thickness of the cotton is kind of gross and I don’t want the lighter silk offerings (which cost a king’s ransom in any case).
I like this piece Dee. It has a different look/feel than some of your other work. The brown piece, perhaps alter/tone it down with stitch as Jude has shown? Love, love, love the hands photo! I’ve such a thing for hands that have lived ~ so much wisdom there. So glad to hear your sister is doing better. I will be thinking of her as I move through my day. xo
it might be the palette more than anything that signals a departure — I don’t usually work with such a delicate palette.
Ablation? Are they going to kill your sister’s thyroid gland?
The organ that is in distress is her heart and ablation is a moderately invasive procedure using either electric shock or something else to get a fibrillating heart back in rhythm. They decided not to do it til later because of the risk, though.
Oh. I had never heard the term in any other context but the thyroid. My prayers and best wishes to your sister…and to you.
Thanks, Dana. Her health has improved this week and a half pretty dramatically.