queen anne's lace

The fields and road sides around town are dotted with this delightful weed, also called wild carrot. The sturdy stalks are proudly reaching for the sky and the delicate white flowers sway in the wind.

Queen Anne's lace is an excellent printing plant, occasionally a bit unpredictable, but most of the time its intricate impressions are amazingly clear and precise. The flowers and the seed heads need to be pressed for  about 24 hours before being used. Once two-dimensional it is easy to coat one side with paint and press onto fabric.

I love to include Queen Anne's lace in my work. The samples above are pieces in progress, but there are a couple of wall hangings available in the shop. Spotted, is a framed and glassed textile collage, and weedy delight is a small art quilt, both are putting this lacy plant center stage.

pippi the puppy

Let me introduce our new family member, Pippi. We found her at our local SPCA, or she found us... Pippi is sweet, curious, and cuddly - a dog with a good disposition. Being only 8 weeks old she is leaving a constant trail of pee puddles, and she is driving our older dog mad with her energetic affection. Her breath still smells like milk and the streak of white on her nose is adorable. She is named after the heroine Pippi Longstocking, from the Swedish Children's books, because she is brave and has white socks on each of her paws. Puppy love is a simple pleasure in the midst of a complicated world.

barbara wisnoski

white rag quilt

photos courtesy of Barbara Wisnoski. all rights reserved.

 A small single piece of fabric, slightly worn, ends up next to a similar yet different piece of fabric. Some are tarnished, some torn. All with a history to tell. By the hands of Canadian textile artist Barbara Wisnoski, they become part of a much larger picture. With frayed edges and lose threads proudly exposed, she pieces together amazing wall quilts that beckons to be examined and admired. Barbara calls her art 2.5 D textile installations, made from recycled fabric and clothing. The exposed seams, and layered patches gives the quilts a wonderful depth and weight. From afar the wall pieces have clean simple motifs like lines in a landscape, shapes of rectangles, and the contour of a roof, but when viewed up close the true magic of her composition is revealed.

2d-3d house

photos courtesy of Barbara Wisnoski. all rights reserved.

I love everything about Barbara's work, from the innovative reuse of materials, to the subtle flow of color, and the simplicity and texture of the large finished pieces. If you are interested in seeing her quilts in person, two of them are currently on display at Fiberart International 2010, at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Pittsburgh, PA. The show will subsequently travel to Rochester, NY, and San Francisco, CA. Thank you Barbara for letting me share your beautiful art!

grey rain sea

photos courtesy of Barbara Wisnoski. all rights reserved.

platonic target

photo courtesy of Barbara Wisnoski. all rights reserved.

field

photo courtesy of Barbara Wisnoski. all rights reserved.

endearing collaboration

My successful endeavor with textiles and fiber art came to be thanks to my mother. When I was young she taught my how to sew doll clothes, how to knit, and make my own clothes. Much later she was the co-conspirator in the creation of inleaf. She knew I wanted my life to take a more artistic path, and during one of her visits we explored leaf printing for the first time. She has ben my most loyal supporter ever since, always encouraging, inspiring, and pushing me along.

She is still an amazing fiber artist in her own right, and when she was here earlier this summer she suggested a mother-daughter collaboration. She brought a bag filled with my fabric scraps back to Sweden, with the idea of using them for a traditional quilt pattern. Here is the initial result. I love her color selections and how she mixed pieces from my collection with ones from her own stacks. One of the hexagons even feature a paw print from my late cat, who accidentally walked across my printing table at the time...

We don't know what final shape this project will take. It will evolve over time, and we will work on it together when we next meet up. Thank you mamma, for the wisdom and creative inspiration you continue to provide.

learning

Seventeen women, six days, one bucolic setting, plentitude of laughter, a bit of poetry, several botanical excursions, and lots of simmering dye pots. That pretty much sums up my week at Shakerag. Add scrumptious meals, heartfelt conversations, book making, evening swims, contemplation, yards of plant colored fabric, some more stomach cramping laughter, and the experience becomes almost life altering.

I had a fantastic time and learned many things, way beyond the mysteries that occurred in the bundles and in the dye pots. India Flint was a great teacher; soft spoken, funny, beautiful, and incredibly generous with her knowledge and talent. I feel privileged to have been there, and am inspired to adapt my new wisdoms to work and life.

A special thanks to India, Kelly, Michelle, Marianne, Christi, and Janet, who warmed my heart so much, and to Celeste, Judy, Judilee, Vicky, Sharon, Patricia, Andrea, Ilsa, Catherine, and Anna who's spirit, kindness, experience, and sense of humor made this week so special. New friendships were forged and I know we will meet again.

joyful times

Sorry for being so scarce here. Many good things have happened, and there is more to come. Here are a few reminders of things done and of what's in store. I will return in late June, with many tales to tell. Happy summer!

Happy cleaning, cooking, and washing. All in preparation for...

... my oldest son's high school graduation and its accompanying festivities.

Lots of hand stitching, my new true passion. This piece looks promising.

Admiring my youngest son tending the goal at the soccer tournament in Virginia Beach, and...

... sharing many moments of companionship, discussions, and laughter with my mom and sister.

Next week I will be here. I can barely contain my excitement.

And then I will meet up with my family at Sandbridge for a week of sun, sand, seafood, and surf.

swedish treats

These goodies arrived yesterday. Zoega is my favorite coffee brand and the marabou chocolate is to die for. The flaggpunsch is delicious as a sweet after dinner drink, served really cold in shot glasses. The people who brought us the Swedish treats are special too. My mom and sister are here for a two week plus stay. I am delighted to see them again and look forward to long scrumptious meals, garden excursions, stitching sessions, dog walks, and happy companionship.

blurring the lines

My dubious- stenciling-turned-into-art-project is finished. It is messy, cluttered, random, un-colorful, and without focus. All things an art quilt should not be. But I love it. I love the way it hangs, the paint splattered binding, the layered shapes. And I truly loved all the hand stitching involved. I am still insecure about my "art", unsure of my voice. This piece is most likely not representative of where I am heading, but it made me appreciate the possibilities within imperfection and encouraged me to try something new. I am not sure where it will end up. Blurring the lines may stay here with me in a happy spot in our house, since its error-filled origins may not be as endearing to the uninitiated eye. To me it is a reminder of awakening.

gift of gardening

I am spending this mother's day weekend in the garden. It is a gift of sorts from my family, who has promised to take care of more trivial things while I putz around in the dirt. The garden is the main inspiration for my work and life. Things seems so simple when studying earthworms or sniffing peonies. If you like, visit my garden blog for more musings. Happy mother's day to all wonderful creative and caring mothers, sisters, aunts, daughters, grandmothers, and mothers-to-be!

full circle

I admit that the college search/application/decision process has been most stressful. My child is eagerly flapping his wings, ready to take flight, although it seems like just yesterday when we read Swedish children's books on the couch or took woodland walks looking at ant trails and dragonflies. Come this fall I will not see his sleepy face in the morning, nor will I have to argue about his dirty socks on the floor.

For about a year now our lives have been consumed by college visits, essay writing, AP tests, SAT scores, interviews, financial aid applications, and more college visits. He worked hard, on all his applications, sifting through questions about life altering experiences, volunteer positions, and favorite words...

And here we are, final decision in hand. He will attend University of Virginia in the fall. We will help pack his things, fill up the car, and drive a mile and a half down the road. For a kid with big dreams and many options this may seem a bit anticlimactic. He will go to school where his dad works, and walk on the lawn where he has played since childhood. But the truth is that we have a fantastic university in our own backyard. The adventure still awaits, new friendships will be made, and lots of new things will be learned.

As for me, I am relieved that the search is over and the decision is made. I am trying hard to hide how happy I am, knowing that he will still be nearby.