It was inspired by spending time under the catalpa tree this summer, dyeing cloth blue, and seeing rabbits feeding both here and in the neighbors’ backyards. Oh, and the blue moon that occurred on August 31, 2012.
As I have mentioned elsewhere, I think the paper doll quality of the tiny garments on the clothes lines gave me a kind of innocent pleasure. Perhaps I should make some paper dolls?!
I continued my experimentation with layering sheers, removing color with bleach, and using the ‘wrong’ sides of fabrics to achieve a more subtle palette.
The hand stitching is pretty dense and although I wished I had not used any ‘regular’ sewing cotton thread (even a single strand of cotton embroidery floss tugs better), I mostly like it.
The light is definitely changing in these parts.
And I guess since the equinox is not until this weekend, the cold I’ve contracted is officially a summer one. Off to a hot bath!!
It has some specificity – THIS August there will in fact, be a blue moon. This summer, cloth has hung on a string strung out back, not tree to post or house to post, but deck to mini-ramp. Still…
The rabbit in the quilt really does visit our yard, even when eight of us are having BBQ and salad at the table under one of the catalpa trees.
And the results of my indigo ventures are evident – nearly all of the blue fabric in this piece were dipped in the five gallon bucket out back. Some were bleached as well. I have fallen in love with the color of indigo, and more surprisingly, with the metallic smell it imparts to cloth.
I have been stitching to a boxed DVD set from library called, “Why Quilts Matter” (more on that another time) and in the evenings to Showtime’s series: The Tudors. Both K & I loved Hilary Mantel’s ‘Wolf Hollow’ and are psyched that its sequel now resides on our kindles… I’ll probably save that read for winter (and it may consume most of the winter!). ‘The Art of Fielding’ is a perfect tale for the end of summer, and some compensation for not sleeping until 2:30.
This week I watched ‘In the Electric Mist‘ twice. It is a post-Katrina murder thriller set in Louisiana. It stars Tommy Lee Jones and is based on a book by James Lee Burke. My sister turned me on to James Lee Burke. They are good reads all on their own, but are particularly interesting to me because I am currently obsessed with southern landscapes. I especially wanted to see one of his books on film to confirm what I found disappointing in the wonderful new movie, ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ – and that is, that ITS landscapes were repetitive and washed out instead of marvelously tangled and varied and intensely blue and green. (The relationships and characters of the ‘Beasts’ film more than made up for my disappointment about the scenery).
Today I include my viewing notes because it has struck me recently that perhaps I stitch in order to sit and watch one narrative after another on the screen, and not the other way around! Has anyone else ever had this slightly disturbing epiphany?
I woke to the sound of rain, plop-plip-plopping down. It made me happy. It cooled the air significantly and refreshed all the plants. I sat and read the opening to “The Art of Fielding”, which I will read after I finish the second Hunger Games book.
A busy day, with a visit to my sister, laundry, and the gathering of winter garb for Montreal-bound C., but wanted to share a quick picture.
I can’t wait to show you how this is coming along. The little teeny garments are stitched down and there is now a clothes line, and pegs! The tree trunk received a covering of brown-ochre cotton and there is another clothes line on the other side of the house.
Is this so much fun because it is akin to playing with paper dolls, I wonder?!
I finished this quilt this weekend.
It was inspired by spending time under the catalpa tree this summer, dyeing cloth blue, and seeing rabbits feeding both here and in the neighbors’ backyards. Oh, and the blue moon that occurred on August 31, 2012.
As I have mentioned elsewhere, I think the paper doll quality of the tiny garments on the clothes lines gave me a kind of innocent pleasure. Perhaps I should make some paper dolls?!
And I guess since the equinox is not until this weekend, the cold I’ve contracted is officially a summer one. Off to a hot bath!!
