Category Archives: Hearts

Blue Valentine

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first iteration

first iteration

As promised, here is the visual record of ‘Blue Valentine’. I’m still calling it a valentine even though over the course of its making it became a family portrait — including a memorializing (of a sort) of Jack’s passing. First post was here.

Morning light

Morning light reveals quilting

I brought the small quilt on our recent camping trip, and when I wasn’t reading, “Freedom” by Jonathan Franzen, I was stitching in and around hearts. Recall, the guys were gone for two days on a hiking adventure up Mt. Washington.

Amonoosuc Trail Head

Ammonoosuc Trail Head

reading companion

reading companion and the best book I’ve read yet this year (and I have read some really good books!!)

building-background

made heart blue; added red threads; birds did not make it; used one of the many woven strip rectangles I have lying around; appliqued pieced scraps or just scraps

further-back

added lots of quilting; once windows extended to the right, I saw a roof in the red; dog stitched/ripped out; couched baker’s twine around big heart; covered red ‘extension’ threads; where some fabric intersections were unruly, let myself apply whip stitch heavily

other half of roof, windows gaining definition

added blue X’s (kisses) on disintegrating dog shape; filled out roof and filled in windows

cloth-dog

gave dog form again — for a while

added window to heart

added window to heart

'matching' roof on left, giving heart 'wings', MORE windows

created ‘matching’ roof on left (which gave large heart appearance of having wings); added MORE windows; red ‘base’ to structure is distorted blanket stitch atop chain stitch

more windows

added more windows; scraped away some of the ecru silk to reveal red ribbing — getting to idea of revealing scars or wounds, or merely showing underlying structure

changed from Valentine to Family Portrait

added two more small hearts so that there is one for each of us (including Jack) — changing piece from Valentine to Family Portrait. I like the downward dip of the lower edge. Bamboo skewer is a temporary hanger

This Morning Glory showed up the day Jack declined and has been blooming every morning since he died. It’s one of those reseeds that come and surprise and re-instill a sense of the glory and power of nature.  Because of the timing, I can’t help but consider it a tribute to our Jack.

beauty in the 'burbs

beauty in the ‘burbs – five-pronged star is sacred to the Goddess, by the way

away

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high tide

high tide

A friend has graciously lent us her beach house, even knowing that Jack is ill. It turns out that there is a linoleum-floored room that he can sleep in, and it is right next to the guest room. It should not go without saying that my friend is supremely generous, and flexible, to a fault.

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evening fog rolling in

There are glorious views of the marsh out of the western windows of the house. Glorious. I can see why some artists spend a lifetime painting scenes such as this one. A pattering rain falls, now, just as we were planning to grab the paddles and canoe out to the end of the spit — with Jack.  We are doing everything with Jack.

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in the weeds

Oh well.  As is often the case while at the shore, the excuse to stay inside and read is welcome.

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indigo heart lands on patchwork

resting comfortably

resting comfortably

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happy traveler

happy traveler

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weaving lets me expose a little of the underlying fabrics

It is hard to fully relax knowing what is going on for Jack. On a positive note, though, he continues to have a hearty appetite and to rest easily, with less panting than before we got here. With the boys on the West Coast and the mess of my own home elsewhere, it has been seamless to make Jack our Number One concern…  he and I are sitting together pretty much constantly.

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and this is where I am, right now – you can’t see Jack at my feet

And this is where I add that our house sitter has two German shepherds, each of which ON THEIR OWN, significantly outweighs me.  I hope they are not digging up the astilbes like last time.

heart exclaiming

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Three days ago, the ‘exclaiming’ heart (below, right) seemed to me a little bit cartoonish, funny, just this side of ironic. . . reminding me of Lynda Barry‘s work somehow (if even a little).

heart-exclaiming

heart exclaiming

Today, it looks stunned. Vulnerable. And we are, with news that Jack has lymphoma. Either Stage III or IV. There is so much to say about it, and him, but I am at the tail end of a day that featured one thing after another, just about every hour and a half (most of it good) and the pull toward either my book (DeLillo’s “Libra”) or ‘the crap out zone’ (TV and a snack) is too strong.

I’ll leave you with two images — the first of one of the amazing catalpa trees towering in our yard. This time of year, the orchid-like blossoms tumble down the roof of our garage and litter the walk and plants below. Until they turn start to stink in rotting piles of brown, I feel like royalty… walking the petal-strewn path!

Catalpa blooming

Catalpa blooming

And, one of the places I like to sit and read.

one place I like to read

perfect height off the floor!

shadows below and on top

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Make quilt. Take picture of quilt.  Print, then stitch picture of quilt to folded pages of a book.*   Make a color xerox.  Tape color xerox to window on top of Nat’l Geographic photo of a robed figure.  Take another picture.  Voila.

Next, use color xerox cut outs of a previously constructed quilt (hearts) and stitch them onto paper with a magazine waterfall, using a color xerox of handmade paper for the bottom edge.

Photo with ‘neutral light’ (above) and then let shadows play into design, creating two variations.

(This is a test regarding crisp posted images).

I love the shadows and the watery realm in the background.  I also am enamored with photographed stitching bumping along with actual stitching.  And although the THOUGHT of a heart casting a shadow somewhat troubles me, the image does not.

Do any other fiber artists out there like to play with paper reproductions of their fiber work?

*(“The Crystal Cave” by Mary Stewart).

Off to make a smoothie for D’s first day of school… LATE START is a great idea for teenagers!