Something finished.

This one took a long time.

It started with some fabrics in lovely fall colors that I stacked and whacked and stitched back together. I particularly like the gray shirting piece and the rough off-white hand-spun looking pieces with the commercially printed pieces.

about 35 inches square

Next was the insertion of a black and white piece. Just a touch of black and white to ground it. And all the pieces were sewn together.

Finally I started quilting: layered with soft cotton flannel batting and a tone on tone rich brown for the back. The machine stitching is done in parallel lines at different angles. This left good-sized swaths for hand-quilting.

Lots of hand-quilting. Because I wondered how it would be to hand-quilt with just the seed stitch.

It's cold here now as in most of the US. Unseasonably cold. The colors of fall are disappearing and the brown branches of winter are taking over. Brown is my favorite color today.

Looking inward and outward

Now is one of those times when I long for some time to sew and meditate. Time to be with just my thoughts and my thread.

Business - or busyness - either way, it corrupts me, encroaches on my thoughts, and erodes any creativity that may be available to me.

wandering and lost

Maybe I just need to step back and breathe. 

the blues

Maybe I need to get outside of myself.

world blues, going outside myself

Looking inward, looking outward. I always come back to myself. And I always return to stitch: needle, thread, cloth. Right now I long to stitch. Soon I will return to deliberate garment projects or other planned projects. But for now, I simply need stitch. Stitch with no real purpose.

So what is the Around-the-World Blog Hop, if not a chance to get outside of myself?

The Around-the-world Blog Hop is a way to link bloggers who are makers, wherever they may be. But only those who want to be linked. Here are two:

Let's start with Judy of Judy-in-the-Dyes blog. I met Judy at a workshop led by Cas Holmes. And I began to follow her blog right away. It's cheerful, colorful, and generous. 

Judy's work is meditative, I think. Or at least, that is how I receive her posts. Her work seems to spring from her heart. Her sense of color always raises my spirits. Hey, it just happened again, as I read her post from last week - the one where she links to my blog.

And now let me introduce you to Dixie of With Needle and Brush. Like me, Dixie is passionate about clothing art. We like many of the same pattern designers. But she is legions ahead of me in the area of artful touches, especially those involving paint. 

Dixie's work informs my own garment sewing. I see her creations and read the story behind the make and I think, I want to try that too. 

And Dixie works at one of my all-time favorite fabric stores - Sawyer Brook. So when I travel to the New England states, I try to see her when I visit Sawyer Brook.

As part of the Blog Hop, there are 4 questions each blogger is asked consider:

1. What am I working on? Just stitch.

2. How does my work differ from others in my genre? In order to answer that question, I would have to identify my genre. Garment construction, quilts, fiber art, and so on. My work is mostly an answer to an inward question. Sometimes, like now, I don't even know the question.

3. Why do I write? make? Writing helps me make. And making helps me write. And both help me remember today. 

4. How does my writing/making process work? Both are almost spontaneous. I occasionally sew with a purpose. I occasionally write with a purpose. I write just for me at times, just for specific others at times, and for publication at times. Years ago, as an academic, I discovered the joy of writing. I've known the joy of sewing for half a century or more. Each is a kind of making.

So that's me. On Monday November 17, I hope you'll have time to move back through the Blog Hop by following Judy and forward through the Blog Hop by following Dixie. Both inspire me.

2014 Fiber Art Sale and Auction - ready, set, go!

Friend Ginny and I are co-chairing this annual event for 2014. With a lot of help from many artists, and even husbands, we are ready to go. And such a banquet of fiber art, I have never seen before.

In case you happen to be in the Atlanta area, here are the details:
Saturday, Nov 8, 11-5
Sunday, Nov 9, 12-4
The SEFAA (Southeast Fiber Arts Alliance) Center
1705 Commerce Dr NW
Atlanta GA 30318

Here is a list of the artists who are participating in the sale or the auction or both. Most are local to the Atlanta area:

Margaret Agner Marlene Caracalas Leslie Deveaux-ChristianWieda Duncan Molly ElkindLinda Fetter Margaret Gerson Suzi Gough Ginny Harris Judith Krone Karen Weavers Workshop

Inna Marttinen Connie L. Melton Deborah Miller Sally Mitchell Tonia Mitchell Martha Myers Kristen Nicholas Lynn PollardMary Rayre:loom

Laurel Rudolph Rene ShoemakerMarybeth TawfikSandy TeepenLeona Thompson Nancy ThompsonKaren TunnellHellenne VermillionAnne VincentChristina Weeks

And here are some more pictures:

Ann Williamson Workshop

This past weekend I was thrilled to attend a workshop taught by Ann Williamson and hosted by Louise Cutting. A double-header. I'm still on inspiration overload.

See Ann's logo in the upper right hand corner of this pieced scarf. All fabric is vintage kimono silk. Yum.

Ann Williamson makes stunning, one-of-a-kind garments, primarily fitted jackets. Her preferred fabric is vintage kimono silk. You may have seen her work at the Smithsonian Craft Shows or at the San Francisco or Baltimore ACC shows. I have been a big fan of hers for several years now, ever since sewing friend Ginny tipped me off!

Here Ann is wearing a coco-style jacket & pants, both of vintage kimono silk. She is also wearing one of her scarves.

The workshop started with a jaw-dropping trunk show with lots of great stories. Then we spent two full days learning and practicing her techniques in piecing and beading.

As I poured my kit beads onto the black velveteen, I saw a pattern I'd love to try to duplicate.

Each evening we went to Louise's house to shop, shop, shop. Louise of course had lots of great fabrics and buttons available, as well as her signature patterns. Sandy and Rosemary were on hand to help coordinate fabrics and patterns.

Ann allowed us to buy vintage kimono silk by the yard, as well as her kits.

Between the two of these artists extraordinaire, my head nearly exploded.

Louise is wearing a vest that will be part of a future pattern, along with pants that *may* become a pattern. Such fun!

The above sample is a gorgeous example of Ann's detailed, artful work. She is an expert in clothing construction, as well as an inspired, accomplished fiber artist.

This is a dramatic example of one of her slightly fitted coco-style jackets, constructed with vintage silk using her unique piecing techniques.

And the back is gorgeous too.

Now I am dying to find the time to work on these techniques and incorporate them into the sewing techniques I already enjoy. I think her beading approach will fit nicely with my love of sashiko. We each received a kit of silks for a scarf. I'm thinking mine may be incorporated into an Ann-inspired jacket.

Now I recommend you go directly to Ann's website and see her garments. She also has a delicious blog. Some of the best eye candy for textilians. 

Oh, my, so much inspiration; so little time!