Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2009

[Harriet]

"What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit."
~John Updike

Thanks to everyone who made this thread so interesting in 2008. The December thread was full of creativity and every report appreciated. SuzLew and blessed posted right at the last day or two of the year - if you'd like to repost here please go ahead - this was a little late getting up for January.

Several of us have mentioned plans for year-long creativity in 2009 to replace a rush at year's end. That's great - please let us know how it's going!

If anyone had happy experiences giving handmade gifts to others, or compliments, please post about that, too.

Several started new crafts - how are those going?

What is your next project? What is the status of your UFOs? How are you changing your creative space?

[Cowinkie]

My interest in photography came late in life. I've been told I have a natural eye for viewing the world through a len. I don't consider myself artsy, but do enjoy seeing the unusual in everyday objects. My interest in photography began as a fluke. Years ago when DS was about 7, I took a group shot of him with his 2 other step cousins during Thanksgiving. It turned out so well and I was so poor at the time that I turned the picture into Xmas presents. It was an instant hit. So much so that for years to come it was the only "present" that my family requested of me...that and my NY Lindsey Cheesecake

Every year I came up with new ways to pose our kids. I always took two pictures....one serious and one goofy. This tradition continued for 10 years. When I moved to AZ, I became fascinated with the world around me...I've always been a beach girl and was stunned by the beauty of the desert. The scenery here is breathtaking. I fell in love with the way things looked; the architect of the cactus needles, the reflections of the Aspen trees in water, the majesty of "my mountain" hidden in clouds. I hunt for the unusual and try to capture it through my camera. Some times it works and sometimes it doesn't...and for me, that is the excitement of it all.

Shutterfly allows people like me to create a hard-bound book using my own pictures. I am putting one together for Sweetie's b'day. If it works out well, then I will do the same for DS, DM and my best friends. I don't do scrap books, don't knit or sew...however taking pictures is a way to let others view the world as I see it. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Cowinkie]

Creative writing is sort of like painting a picture with words

For years I like to write creative stories and poetry until I started having migraines. They caused me to have mini-strokes, which robbed me of my words. In reality, it was my graduate professor who's specialized in TBI (traumatic brain injuries) that discovered the problem. After my car accident, she observed a deterioration in my writing and suggested I tell my dr. about it. MRI's showed I had indeed suffered from strokes, which explain many of the problems I was having, but wasn't telling anyone about. I recognized the faces of people, but couldn't remember their names even though I had worked with them for years. (still happens today) I couldn't remember the paper order of my IEP's, and I couldn't find words in my head when I wanted to write...most of the time still can't. Same goes for my own spelling and punctuation, though I can edit other's work. Weird I know.

Anyway, with the advent of emails, I would write about events in my life to my friends...no fear when you write among friends, at least for me anyway...and it was my BF who dubbed my emails "Bedtime Stories" because I usually found myself up late at night writing them. And that's how they began.

Living away from my son challenges me to finds way to stay connected to him, and it was during this past summer that I decided to write short stories about objects or events that had shaped my life...short little funny or not so funny snip-its that he could have as a keep-sake. My friends have been encouraging me to do this for years, and I half suspect they'd like to see their names in "lights" so to speak. Anyway I began keeping a list of things to write about.

As I mentioned earlier, My Razor will be one of the first stories I write...for me, it is the first object that took me from a young girl to becoming a woman. Hilarious, I hope, as I had sneak to buy it...there were 2 pharmacies in my town and I bought my razor at the far end from my home. I was too afraid that the owners of the pharmacy we used, and who were good friend of my parents, might tell them of my purchase. For years I hid the fact I was shaving my legs from my mom...like she really didn't know...yeah right...and kept it covered up under a wash-cloth when she would come in to talk to me while I was in the tub.

The challenge will be to keep the stories short...no more than two pages with hopes that I don't get too exhausted scouring my brain for words. And for the first time, I have my own office where I can close the door to the outside world and escape into mine. We shall see what happens. To date, I already have 2 stories written..I'm off to a good start.

[Harriet]

Cowinkie, your own new room for creativity - enjoy! Photography must be a fun creative outlet - you can take it with you and there is so much serendipity to discover. My late dh enjoyed it and would often zero in on small things: a praying mantis, just one flower blossom, a turtle in a mud puddle, etc. I think it must be calming. As you may remember, I enjoyed creative writing for a few years but turned to newspaper writing to help make ends meet. 7 years covering sidewalks, political dust-ups and traffic/development anger sort of soured me on writing. You are quite correct that pressing yourself to edit back into a word length will be the best gift you can give your writing, and quite a mental challenge. I'm thinking both these outlets will be excellent for those healthy synapses!

SuzLew, that new rotary cutter sounds ideal.

Have fun with the project, blessed!

Dd's potholders were a hit. Her big sister especially ooohed and ahhed, which was so good for her. She did use the binding method I figured out last month, and it worked fine on the thick project, too. I wish I'd taken pictures, but anyway, they were just 6-inch nine-patch blocks in bright colors with an even brighter backing fabric pulled around as a binding/border.

I'm spending time organizing in the Quiltmaking Studio. Projects tend to scatter all about, and this is a good clean-slate time to get back to plenty of clear working space. I'll try to prioritize my UFOs next. At one time I posted here that I had 17 and the concept was to get busy and whittle that number. I imagine if I counted now, even though I've made progress, there would actually be more because of new ideas, some collected blocks.

Thoughts about next-ups: dstepgd has a birthday in March, ds23 wants to marry in June, I have a nearly-finished wall-hanging, littleone's baby quilt has transformed into a toddler quilt but still needs to become his soon.

[Lisa B.]

Hello Ladies,

Thought I would update you on my projects that I want to do.

In Dec, I went and purchased some brown denim for 2 skirts. Some more snow linen and lining for 2 blouses. Also, still pinning my DD11's and mine apron's in a lavender snow linen. There is still the pinning and cutting out of the top (the one with the princess seams) and the 3rd skirt as well.

I have cut out one of the blouses and lining and stitched the darts so far. Will carry on with these sewing projects as time goes on.

Also got a few more fat quarters so I can make some blocks up. These various blocks I want to make will go into the quilt for my bed (my largest project that I am going to work on this year as my bed is a queen size).

Got to get going with my cross stitch as well and I also want to complete the scrap-book that I began when I went to scrap-pink in Nov last year.

Whew, what a task I've set myself for this year. This is on top of getting the house organized and clean.

[Harriet]

LisaB, I'm impressed with your garment making. Since I, also, like to work in blocks for quilts, I always think of quilt piecing as so manageable, but garment making as quite a project. I know by the time you finish it can be opposite!

Compliment alert!
I felt I had to come in and tell you all what happened to dd this first morning back at school. They have their regular room teacher but also a portion of each day are taught by the math teacher. So she had made the math teacher a potholder as well, leaving it in her mailbox before break. This morning, the math teacher happened to be the one to open my car door (it must be opened by a staff member) to let her out. While hugging dd she said (and I will quote best I can), "Guess what I used to pull my Christmas ham out of my oven? My new potholder! It means so much to me!" And then, to both of us, she said, "These are the treasures of life." Dd was shyly looking down with a smile, but glowing.

[Sunny]

Harriet, what a nice compliment for your dd. That's a great confidence builder for her!

Lisa, those sound like wonderful projects for you. I haven't sewed anything in a long time, but when I read of someone's projects I wish I had more time to spend doing those kinds of things.

[SuzLew]

I am back from our week in the RV. Had a wonderful birthday and crocheted 2 dishclothes with cotton yarn. Also started xstitching "2009" ornaments! Still need to work on 2 dolls for DD/36 and DD30 for Christmas. Need done for their birthday month which for Dd/36 is Feb. but will give as Christmas present!

[SuzLew]

While away camping I frequent a wonderful quilt shop. This time I bought batting for a quilt and started the block of the month that you do yourself at home. Asked dh if he would like to try it and he said yes! He has always wanted to quilt and in younger days was interested in being a tailor but never pursued. will be fun doing this together! We are doing Seminole piecing. Dh is doing black and whites and I am doing "frosty" blues, etc!

[Harriet]

I think it is wonderful he'll have the fun of it, SuzLew. Dh here has mentioned several times the geometry of patchwork is really interesting to him, and ds23 is a big help to me with working out which block should go where, etc. Sounds like you enjoyed working on crochet during vacation time.

2 UFOs next on deck:

I've chosen dstepgd's "I Spy" quilt top as the next UFO to finish. (this UFO had grown out of child's charm squares bought as a pack - very simple 9-patch quilt) I only need to add borders, which I chose the other day, contract to have it quilted, and then when it returns I'll attach the binding. Should be plenty of time to meet an early March birthday. She can keep it in her room at dstepson31's house or her mother's - whatever she'd like.

With ds23 considering a June wedding now, I'd better get a move on with his potential quilt. I don't know when someone might schedule a shower for ddinlove or even if I would like to have a quilt gift displayed at a shower - that might be inappropriate since it would be no little thing like a baby quilt but maybe double bed size. Have to think. Anyway, I do have the bulk of the blocks and half of the center design complete on a UFO I've always known was for ds : woods/forest themed in blue and green.