Climbing Back up on the Horse

It's mid-December. I finally got my sewing machine back at the beginning of October. Then a surprise early birth of my second grandchild, a daughter, in Israel on October 7th. I left for Israel October 8th and just returned the day before yesterday. Had a busy two months spending time with my loved ones. Now I'm back in an empty house and will venture into my sewing room today to console myself. Perhaps I will even be creative.

Off to be with My People

Sewing machine still in the shop and I won't know its fate until after I'm gone. In the meantime, I was reduced to using an old clunker to finish the baby blankets. I didn't finish them, though, because I just couldn't get used to using the old machine. I've put the binding on the front but will hand sew it to the back. Oy.
I am hoping that I will have access and time to write a bit while I'm gone.
Very excited right now.

Stitching along happily until

I was making great progress on my sewing but then my machine started smelling, like burned wires (or a motor). It is going back to the shop. If they already charged me for an overhaul, this shouldn't be happening so soon after. The Scream comes to mind...

Baby Blanket #1 completed

Except for burying a few threads. If I had had a full night's sleep last night, I could have perhaps started on another. Next is a blanket for a baby girl, due in August. And then another gender surprise, not sure when due -- I am hoping by the time I get started on it, I will know both answers. Hope to get both finished by next weekend.

Dyeing sort of

The countdown to my trip is on -- approximately two weeks. In preparation, I have been shopping for clothes. Yes, I know it's unusual given that I so dislike shopping, but I did need some things. I bought a pair of cotton pants (long) and several blouses. I noticed that one of my pairs of shorts (as in one of two...) has nail polish stains from my last visit to Israel when a lovely flamingo pink bottle fell and splattered. I guess I should get another pair or two. Black of course.
I had two white shirts, one cotton long-sleeved, and one linen short-sleeved, with wonderful folded texture, but alas, have yellowed or stained. I decided before they got relegated to the rag pile to attempt dyeing. Inspired by the flamingo pink nail polish, I purchased dye in that colour and am in the midst of dyeing. I did the linen one full strength (so far it looks lovely) and the cotton, slightly less strong. If they take the dye well and the stains are sufficiently hidden, I will have extended the shirts' useful life for a bit longer for less than $3 a pop. If not, I have wasted $5.91, 5 tablespoons of salt and 5 litres of water. I hope the dyeing takes because I so love the detailing on the shirts.
I have two more white shirts which are yellowing. I'm thinking maybe snow dyeing. I have to either get "snow" from the skating rink, or try crushed ice. Hmmm. Do I have time before I go?
My sewing machine started to hiccup about a week ago and Menachem took it into the shop for me. Although I try to clean the bobbin casing area religiously weekly, it turns out that lint was the problem. Not surprising because I have had the machine for close to four years and hadn't got around to servicing it. I will have to try to service it on a more regular basis.
In the absence of my machine, I got some beading done. A few months back, my F.A.T. challenge was "on your street". I used the sewer grate for my "inspiration" and made a piece using a background of bits and pieces of white fabrics (wedding gowns, lace, assorted "gifted" fabric samples). The grate itself is made from strips of snow-dyed fabrics in a grid pattern. I hand embroidered the vertical grid lines and then beaded them. I was going to put, either physically or shadow stitched, items which fall down sewer grates such as rings, keys, etc. but in the end, the white fabric just called to me "yellow snow"... so I put a few random yellow silk ribbon stitches and beaded in yellow. I think I'll call it "Meltdown", referring both to the snow-dyed fabric and the yellow snow. I pillow case finished it and now just have to do a little quilting to hold the layers together.
Then I have to seriously tackle the baby blankets!
I also bought some yarn in the dollar store for crocheted baby blankets.
I fear I will not finish the baby blankets in time for the blessed events. Oh well, better late than never.
I would post photos but I hear now that our camera is kaput. Oy.

Long Time No Post

Wow. I've been delinquent in the past as far as posting goes but never this delinquent.
We had a busy and wonderful time while the kids were here, if you don't count my uncle's rapid decline healthwise. We decided to have the 90th birthday do for my mother regardless since Carmit and Rotem had come especially for it. So in the morning, we had a low-key birthday brunch and the same afternoon my beloved uncle died.
Funerals and shivas are a strange time -- you get to meet up with relatives who live far away and you haven't seen in a while, renew relationships and have a "good" time, under the circumstances. My uncle had a cheery disposition and a wicked sense of humour and the shiva reflected that. He will be and is sorely missed.
Then Inbal and Amit left and I went into a funk. Life is so empty without them. And even though we see each other on Skype, and Amit's eyes light up when he recognizes us and calls out our names, you just can't hug or play with Skype...
So I'm counting the days until August when I go to visit and babysit while the daycare is closed for its annual vacation.
Yesterday, there was a 50% off sale for the fabric store members. We went to stock up on pink fabrics (Amit is going to have a sister) and for baby quilt fabrics because we expect several babies in the extended family in the near future.
I have to wash the fabrics and then get busy. Maybe that will get me back to sewing and creativity. I hope so.

Non totally stitchless

A week has gone by without me even venturing into my studio. It's not that doing spring cleaning is putting a terrible dent in my time but I just haven't had the emotional energy.
Yesterday, I sewed the handles of my purse back on. Today, I lightened up my father's eyebrows on the fabric portrait. Now it's time for quilting it. I can see the imperfections and they bother me but I will complete it nonetheless. Maybe after the girls arrive. Right now, I'm trying to catch up on laundry and get two rooms which haven't been bedrooms for years into bedroomable condition. I'm almost there.

Confessional...

I feel like saying "forgive me Father for I have sinned. My last confession was a few weeks ago" but I'm Jewish so perhaps I shouldn't use that wording. No disrespect meant to anyone who is Catholic. And it just shows the influence of the movies and TV, if I know the wording.
Anyways, things have been real hectic at work and I've worked the last two weekends so I haven't gotten much stitching done. I finished, more or less, the threadpainting on the portrait but did the eyebrows in a way too dark grey. I am going to buy some lighter grey and try to tone them down. I think I have now done the portrait deal twice -- first and last time...
"On my street" turned out better than I thought. I am embroidering/beading on the snow-dyed strips and leaving the white empty, except for things which may fall down the grate -- a ring, a key, a leaf, any other suggestions?
It is now official that all of our kids and our grandchild will be home for Pesach (Passover). So we are now in spring cleaning, babyproofing mode. And it's all good!

Portrait, etc.

I finished the piecing, more or less. More because both people who have seen the portrait so far have recognized the subject matter. Less because I've done the head and neck and don't feel like doing the shoulders because I can't get the proportions right and don't think the fabrics I have will show shadows, creases, etc. I am taking it to my FAT group and see what they say. If they say it's good to go, I'll start threadpainting, of which I've done a little practice today.
I did get my bookmark made and hope to present it tomorrow.
I didn't get my FAT challenge started until this afternoon. My starting point was the sewer grate on my street. I used a background of random white pieces fused to batting, covered with tulle. I then made the "grate" from strips from my first snow-dyeing experiment and zigzagged them onto the background. I think I will now bead the piece. I haven't decided whether to bead on the strips or on the white. Probably on the white because the contrast will be greater.

Not Enamoured

of the results. Of course, I've only laid down the portrait pieces so far but the only thing remotely resembling my father (subject of the portrait) is the eyes. Maybe once I lay down the background do the rest, it will improve. So I've either had the portrait experience once (first time) or twice (first and last...)
I still want to do the FAT challenge and think I can get that done fairly quickly/easily.
And maybe a bookmark for someone having a birthday this week.

Procrastinating

Often when I'm about to start a new project, one I'm not particularly comfortable with, I stall. I'll reorganize my studio or worse still, do domestic chores...
I am about to start on my fabric portrait. One of my problems is that I hate reading instructions and often take a short cut with disastrous results.
Off to bite the bullet.

And Continuing on the Same Theme

I was not accepted into the other juried exhibit for which I applied. I'll admit to being a little disappointed but strangely, not overly. I'm happy with where I am in my artistic pursuits and am ready to go forward in them. This was my entry

Ha Ha The Joke's On Me

The exhibit in which I entered "Libi Bamizrach" has been cancelled. It may be resurrected at a later date. I have decided not to wait. So now I can show it (and hopefully sell it).

The inspiration for the piece is a poem of the medieval Jewish poet, Yehuda Halevy "My heart is in the East but I am in the uttermost West". The text in Hebrew is on the wavy lines in the central panel. The embroidered and beaded waves represent the sea which separates East and West. The English text is on the borders which are snow-dyed in shades of blue (-- what better expression of the uttermost West than snow?) The piece is 22 inches square (57 cm.)

I am waiting to hear about the other exhibit. It won't be cancelled but whether I'll be juried in remains to be seen.

I am now trying to get my act together to do my fabric portrait. I am making progress -- I've chosen the picture and posterized it. I'm two lessons behind but not worried, yet.

Libi Bamizrach Finished

I finished my second entry for a juried show. It is based on the medieval Hebrew poem "my heart is in the East and I am in the uttermost West". I am not overly happy with the quilting - it always manages to squish at certain points, but it is done. I spent some time doing the dreaded artist's statement. Well actually an artist bio and an artistic statement about the piece. Tomorrow, I will finish filling out the entry form, write up the cheques, photograph the piece and email said photo, deliver the cheques and form to Shaked. Today we went to a quilt store to buy some fabric for the fabric portrait course I am taking. I don't think I bought enough fabric, not in yardage but in colour choices so I may have to return to look for more. Menachem did the technical part of scanning the photos and posterizing them. I now actually have to read the instructions and figure out the rest...

Home Stretch

I am into the home stretch (where does that expression come from?) on Libi Bamizrach. Earlier this week, I almost abandonned the effort due to a slight stitching error which I hope I have remedied. After adding the snow dyed borders, the piece takes on a totally different look. I now have to fuse the English letters, once I buy more fusible because I'm clean out of it. Then back, quilt, bind, sleeve et voila. Then I believe I will give show entries a rest and concentrate on my fabric portraits course, my next FAT challenge and life.

Note to Self

Only stitch when fully awake. I won't say any more about it.

I sent in my entry to S.A.T. First entry ever to a juried exhibit. I am pleased I got my act together and excited to see how I do. I will not be overly disappointed if my piece is not accepted because I realize how subjective the jurying process can be. I am quite pleased with the piece. We'll see in due course if anyone else is.

Back to stitching.

Next Project

My next project is a wallhanging for another juried exhibit, due by February 28th so not leaving myself a lot of time. The theme is "But my roots are on both sides of the sea", a nod to Israelis/Jews living in the diaspora. My inspiration in the opening line of R. Yehuda Halevy's poem "My heart is in the east but I am in the uttermost west. I appear to be working in a series because this one is also embellished waves of blue on a white background with the Hebrew fused on the waves. And what could represent "the uttermost west" more than snow so I have snow-dyed white cotton in shades of blue and will use that for a border, perhaps fusing the English on it. Again, the clock is ticking, so instead of writing, I will stitch.

Bein Aliyot Finished and Presented

Please ignore the bits and pieces on my design wall.





I did two of the waves using silk ribbon in the bobbin. For some reason, each wave ended up with a different stitch, a surprisingly pleasant result. As far as I know, the only variables were speed of stitching or tension that the ribbon was wound on the bobbin. I have tried recreating the conditions but without luck. I am totally unable to duplicate or predict how the ribbon will appear. I think it may have been divine intervention...

Anyways, on to my next project.

Bein Aliyot

My aunt and uncle are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. In honour of the occasion, their children commissioned a Sefer Torah (Torah Scroll) and we are invited to a party/ceremony marking the occasion. I wanted to make something meaningful for them and so decided to make a "Bein Aliyot". Those people receiving the honour of reading from the Torah get an "aliya" (a calling up). In the Ashkenazi tradition, the Torah scroll lies flat on a table and the scroll is covered beween aliyot (pl. of aliya). "Bein Aliyot" means between callings up. Long story short, I have been working feverishly to complete it and am almost there. My most recent addition to the embellishments (other than embroidery and beading) was silk ribbon machine bobbin work. I sewed two wavy lines using the same silk ribbon, different colours, but surprisingly, the effect is totally different. I'm not sure why they're different but at this point I'm just excited that another textural element has been added. I love good surprises. I have to be finished by tomorrow afternoon -- I don't want to work on it on Shabbat -- or continue after sunset Saturday so it will be ready early Sunday morning. A photo will most definitely be posted.

In other news, at the POM meeting last night I showed the beginning of my coffee table book and my snow dyeing. Both were met with enthusiasm.

I should be getting my password for the online fabric portraits course which starts Friday. Looking forward to that.

Off to the salt mines.

Attempt #II Scrapped

I kind of liked the background and cut up pieces but not enough to continue...
I am about to go for Attempt #3. Let's hope that "third time's the charm".
Shaked was here on Thursday to pick up the wooden frames Menachem made for her. She saw my completed entry piece and suggested that I do the next one (attempt #3) bigger to maximum allowed width (70 cm) and longer (no limitation on length). So I am going to go wider and longer, using blue waves and a quotation from a Yehuda Halevy poem -- no danger of copyright infringements, I hope.
I also have made headway on my POM piece. I should have the cover substantially completed by the next meeting and a sketch/drafts for the inside pages.
Short break and then back to the salt mines.

Making Up for Lost Time

I have discovered a new game on my computer which I know is a total waste of time but still I am drawn to it. That said, I am having a productive day today. I am well on my way with the second juried show entry. I mercilessly cut up the previous attempt and used pieces of it in the new one. The former was a blue background which read dark. The new one is a mosaic of whites in various textures with blue elements on it. I like how it looks and hope it will all come together.

Hanging Sleeve and Done

I have been quiet lately probably because I haven't done all that much stitching.
Lots of projects but my get up and go has apparently gotten up and gone.
I finally finished the blue piece I intend to enter into a juried show. I just have to do the hanging sleeve and I'm done. No pics because I'm not sure I'm supposed to show it before jurying.
My next project is the POM challenge. I was initially not enamoured with the challenge -- something for the table related to family history. But then I started thinking -- they didn't say which table so I've decided to make a coffee table book. My first attempt at the book cover was not satisfactory. I'll give it another go, perhaps in different fabrics and colours. If I can get the cover done, then I'll be able to add pages when I have time so it may just turn into an ongoing project. I did want to do a family tree in fabric so I may incorporate that in it to, a fold-out book. Hmmm... That's due mid-February so I'm alternating work with another call for entry project due the end of February, also started but not happy with the result so far. I think I will scrap it and start over because I don't want to invest time in trying to "fix" something which I doubt can be fixed.
In other news, I have signed up for an online fabric portrait course through Quilt University. All I'm going to say is Mozart meets Abe...

What's Wrong with this Picture?

Other than the photos are in the wrong order...
I started with the six strips in different colours and textures. I didn't realize that there wouldn't be enough contrast with the embellishing/wording. I made several failed attempts to rectify the situation and finally decided yesterday that the only solution would be to replace the light strips with darker ones. So after removing the embroidery stitches and beading, I also removed the strips which were fused. So much for a) my fusing skills and/or b) faulty fusible and/or c) improper storage of fusible.
This morning, I redid two strips in darker hues and fused on the organza letters. The letters still seem a bit pale but since the idea is that beauty fades, I'm going to call it a desing element.

New Year

Still trying to get used to the new computer. Keep inadvertently pressing the shift lock or otherwise hitting wrong keys. Annoying to say the least.