Today's Dye Crop

This one reminds me of a clock and the loud colours could be an alarm going off in the morning! I much prefer the softer shades of this, although it's not really to my colour taste, either:

And these were my wipe up cloths so no dye was wasted:

Mainly, I just wanted to try working in my old studio space which is now so much more spacious to move around in. I will need the extra room for the online Indigo Dyeing class I will be taking in a few weeks.

Hearts and Flowers

I like how there is such a value contrast within the folds of the hem of this faded table cloth material and I had been anticipating using some of it. Some areas have a softer fade. The heart is silk satin I dyed. Palace of the Soul is now covered with fabrics and three quarters basted together. I am eager to remove those last pins so that I can add detail.

I like the 3D fringe of this part and I may add other colours of frayed fabric to enhance that.

I have cleared my table and will focus next on completing organizing my old basement studio, which is going to be where I will do more dyeing experimentation.

Last week I had an opportunity to learn a new stitch - only I decided not to count and just to eyeball it and see what happened. Even though it's not a correct interlaced double herringbone, I enjoyed myself and like the results and can see how I could alter it in many possible ways.

And I received year three of my blog in book form in the mail - I like having a hard copy for quick reference and to remember where my muse has gone over the course of a year.

Extending Reach

Just a wave today from this hand I've added to the bottom of Palace of the Soul. There will be another one at the top of the cloth. I've woven largely lower contrast fabrics into the dark base because the reaching hand speaks to form rising out of formlessness, images out of the unconscious and the mystery of making. I have also added shelves to the new studio area - and moved more fabrics into it, as well as my threads - and the design walls are up and covered with flannel. I'm so pleased to have Palace of the Soul out on my big table to work on, now.

Reorientation

Snow changes the landscape, covering what's familiar and bringing potential navigation challenges. I have been puzzled over how difficult the studio move is proving to be. I had expected it to interrupt my work and to take awhile, but I had not expected to feel so lost. My old space in the basement, while tight, was densely packed and very organized - and - had developed over the course of a few years. I could find anything I thought of and not interrupt my creative flow for long. Now, between studios, I'm not sure where things are anymore, as it's too much to track and items aren't yet settled, and while I am content to allow how it will come together to unfold as I continue to work at it, I feel disoriented. And then I read a snippet of information that really hit home. In Canada's far north, where unbroken deep snow can make it nearly impossible to navigate - even with a map and GPS - the native people rely on internal mapping - a sense of the whole developed through their experience with the land, stories and descriptive landmarks passed along, and awareness of seasons and weather shifts. And - these cognitive maps are different for men and women. Men were the navigators across the land on the journey, but once complete, the women took over because they knew where to best place dwellings for safety and proximity to food sources. I realized that my internal map of the old studio has deep roads from frequent travel within and an accompanying comfortability with knowing the lay of its land. Somehow that mapping metaphor helped me understand and accept my lost feeling and also gave me renewed energy to create a new map. So with stacks of mess around all shouting to be put away and a tiny clear space on the cutting board, I rummaged up and down through my studios to find supplies and make more mess to do what I love. I used some of my dyed wet felted wool to stitch a book cover that I lined with a scrap of real suede and braided cords of hand dyed perle cotton to stitch pages into it.

It took me two days to figure out how to make it work, find the supplies and to complete.

I've learned along the way, having other ideas I might try next time and figuring out what not to repeat in future.

A small journal but a big step because I made a path in the open space of the map of my new studio.

One piece wrapped up, with lots more to come.

Highlights

I didn't like the orange red colour of this silk shirt of mine, so I decided to overdye it, and toss a few other scraps into the bath while I was at it. The flower worked out well until I washed it with the other dyed fabrics and it lost its highlights. And the shirt didn't absorb much of the darker colour and ended up a mottled orange red. Oops. But fabrics are settling onto shelves in the studio and the design walls are up and ready to be covered with felt.

Small Steps

It's a new year and I am back to taking steps forward with 'Palace of the Soul', as well as with the studio move, after reviewing last year and deciding what's important for me to focus on, now. These unicorn hooves are not uniform in shape and size and all that blue stitching along the sides of the legs was meant to better define but ends up looking messy, up close. And - I am leaving it like that, as this cloth is an expression of soul - which is not about uniformity, conformity or so-called perfection - it's a process of learning. The studio move is at that overwhelming stage, with half my supplies remaining downstairs but not much room left for them in the new studio until I organize further. I probably need to put in some shelving. New ventures can feel like stepping out without knowing where or whether there will be support to land on. I think what's important is to keep moving - to pay attention and do the work.

Slow Steps Forward

I continue to peck away at the studio move in between Christmas preparations, so right now it's slow going and no stitching is happening. Slow can be good, though, as ideas can take time to incubate - all part of the journey.

I know I'll eventually see the light.

I eagerly anticipate returning to work with colours and design. My creativity has been channelled into other areas for now - like menus and plans.

But I am keeping the star of my desire in sight.

Moving Towards Order

It was frosty and dark out when I went to Mt. Tolmie to see the moon eclipse, a few days ago. An eclipse is a good metaphor for the process I have been going through in creating new studio space - a descent into darkness before the turning point and return of the light - or in this case, some order.

I'm past the turning point, now, but felt in the dark about how to proceed at first, once the heavy 8 by 5 foot table had arrived and was awaiting set up. I spent a good part of a day developing more than ten possible plans on paper for how to arrange the furniture before moving anything. I have never done this before and what was interesting was how at first I thought there might be just a couple of ways, but as I persisted, more and more options became apparent. A good lesson for designing anything.

In the end, I still modified the plan I chose - ending up with kind of a 't' formed from my desk and sewing table and shifting the angle of that. Now comes alot of hauling up and down two flights of stairs and thinking about how best to organize my fabrics, books and supplies. Wherever I move something from, something else will have to be moved back, to replace it. The large table has a single flat storage shelf beneath it and I have some drawers that fit there, which is great.

Still a tall order ahead, but I'm motivated!

Macro and Micro Expansion

Yesterday I made huge progress reorganizing my studio - moving shelves, design wall and removing a fridge. With space at a premium in the basement and shared with others, moving anything means moving everything and that's pretty much what I did. I now have a place to sit when I ponder a design issue or just need to give my feet a break and guess what's inside the seat...

these fabrics and more! I thought Christmas had come early this year when a member of my art quilt group generously gave me heaps of luscious fabric samples to add to my stash. Unfolding and discovering each one was a delightful surprise and I was flooded with possibilities of how I might use them and which combinations I might put together. I have several groupings out getting to know each other, but I never quite know what the muse has in store for me next and it turns out to be:

a wool sweater I shrunk into felt that is in the process of becoming a bag. I've cut the sleeves and collar off, sewn the bottom closed and turned the bag so the row of buttons is on one side and is also sewn shut. I'm working on hemming the handles and top edge now. There are two outside pockets on either side of the bag, which will be handy, and I might put more inside. I'll post another photo when it's complete.

One other small experiment I did prior to my studio expansion was stitching small to large - see the pinkish stitches on the bottom right corner and how they enlarge as they move left. Every tiny step adds to my learning, and I think of the quote by Lao-tzu which I like: 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step'. What step will you take today?