happy returns

Three weeks seems like a short time. But much happened in this tiny time span. First off I had a birthday - a momentous and frightening one. Fifty years seems like a really long time. To relieve any possible angst, my mom and my sisters brought me to Kivik, a small Swedish coastal resort town offering sweeping ocean views, back massages, fresh berries, and the coolest weeping beech tree, ever. Thank you.

We dyed cloth with Swedish delights from my mom's garden - peach, maples, currant, walnut, among other things, with bright and beautiful results.

And then there was the three day trip with just my 15 year old son and I, filled to the brim with visits to military museums, history museums, art museums, and a few gourmet meals in between. So much fun!

Other small but equally wonderful things happened during these brief weeks. Morning runs along the water with my sister. Intense card playing with my nephew. Yarn shopping. Visit to my fathers grave with fresh flowers (top photo). Wine sipping and movie watching. Some more yarn shopping...

It is good to be back in my new homeland, to reunite with my lovely husband, house, dogs, garden, family, and the work I love. But it is always hard to leave the old homeland behind. Still one of the coolest places on earth in my estimation. Until next time...

the pinkyberries and company

Meet the pinkyberries, one of several delightful discoveries at Röhsska museet in Gothenburg, Sweden. A group of talented students from Högskolan för Design och Konsthantverk, are currently showing their final work at the renowned design and craft museum. I love to explore student exhibitions – the work is often fresh, unhibited, and pared down. Here are some glimpses of beautiful fiber related art from the show, which runs through September 4.

the pinkyberries by Pernilla Eskilsson

time will tell by Ellen Jacobsen Holvik

one thousand pieces by Jane Yang

patterns

One of my remedies for jet lag while traveling are long neighborhood walks. I often bring my camera along to caprture images, patterns, and textures, some of which make their way into my work. Here are samples from my first few days here in Malmö. We are having a great time with lots of relaxation, good food, and family love.

new home

Some things are just meant to be. For years I have admired the quiet, elegant, and delightful design style of Maria. She is an interior designer and purveyor with impeccable taste and the loveliest persona. She shares her work and beautiful home on her blog vintage simple. Maria recently bought my textile collage whisper, for her new home in Ashville, North Carolina. I am honored and thrilled and I can't imagine a better place for this piece. Thank you Maria for your trust and encouragement!

I am packing my bags again. This time I am heading home with my youngest son to visit family and friends in Sweden. It has been two years since last and I am looking forward to many things, including eating new potatoes and strawberries (they taste much better over there), sipping gin and tonics on my mom's patio, hugging my nephews, and meeting Roxy and Rufus, the new family pets... I will try to post during my trip so stay tuned.

all about color

Work samples by my wonderful classmates.

Colors are not always what we perceive them to be. A piece of dyed fabric can look pale and unassuming on its own, beige and boring. But accompanied by another pale shade of cloth, both pieces may come to life. Color is on my mind, after this past week's natural dye workshop with Rowland Ricketts at Shakerag. I had a wonderful time, catching up with old friends (you know who you are), meeting new ones, and getting to know Rowland who is an amazing artist – generous, knowledgable, and fun.

Something is brewing.

Black willow bark samples hung to dry.

Towering trees everywhere.

Rowland's beautiful silk yarns.

The lovely compost pile.

My first attempt at shibori.

The focus of the class was the natural local landscape, and the colors we can gain from it. We were encouraged to collect plants that were either plentyful or invasive, and then by using japanese inspired dyeing techniques and mordants we managed to produce a wonderful range of soft (and sometimes not so soft) shades of cloth, yarn, and threads. I am much inspired and ready to fully make these natural dyes my own.

Documenting and organizing.

My finished samples. I love the range and the hues.

beach, boys, and books

We are heading east for our annual family beach vacation next week. It will be extra special this year with everybody back home, happy and healthy (thank you for all your well wishes). Can't wait to join the boys in the surf, cook, chat, sip wine, and catch up on my reading. Then the fun continues as I return to Shakerag for a week of work and learning with dye master Rowland Ricketts. So it will be a bit quiet here for the next few weeks. Happy summer!

self image

This post is out of character. Most of you know me as a quiet, relatively shy person not eager to bang my chest or loudly brag about my work. So a post filled with images of myself may seem a bit odd.

Recently I have had a few requests for portraits and images of my work, which explains why I decided to have some professional photos taken of me, my studio, and most importantly my work process. Charlottesville photographer Sarah Cramer Shields was the perfect person for the job. Within minutes most of my self awareness and nervousness vanished and the session turned into fun chatting about life, work, dogs, and art. Sarah is a wonderful photographer, probably most known for her imaginative wedding shoots and portraits. Her documentary photo style makes all of her assignments shine. As evident here. Thank you Sarah!