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.