more of that green

February 3, 2012

feb 3

Using (pink) craft felt (the basic, cheap, polyester, nasty kind) as a base is more stable than I remembered. The felt supports some silk thread scraps, silk fabric, and some raw felting wool, all needled together. I pressed the final fabric pretty aggressively. Then I located the most interesting part and cut it out, stabilized it with iron on mid-weight interfacing, and stitched it using the sewing machine. 

I used two strands of thread this time, both the same acid yellow-green as yesterday. They show up better, but I'm having tension issues now. I should fix those by the end of the month! Practice, you know. 

I also, finally, changed out the felting head on the felting machine. One needle broke, out of five, and from straight aggravation I'd been using it as it was. It took an enourmous scrimmage, including six trips up and down the stairs to fetch various very large and very small tools from the toolbox. However, nice sharp needles affect the texture of the fabric, in a good way, so I'm glad I did it, and faintly embarassed that it took so long to get to it. 

Brigid’s day poetry

February 2, 2012

I think I remember a tradition of poetry on February 2. Happy Groundhog Day, Happy Imbolc, Happy Brigid's Day and Candlemas…. have a poem:


Some would distinguish nothing here but oaks,
Proud heads conversant with power and glory
Of heaven's rays or heaven's thunderstrokes,
and adumbrators to the understory,
Where in shade, small trees of modest leanings
Contend for light and are content with gleanings.
And yet here's dogwood: overshadowed, small,
But not inclined to droop and count its losses,
It cranes its way to sunlight after all,
And paints the air of May with Maltese crosses.
And here's witch hazel, that from underneath
great vacant boughs will bloom in winter's teeth.
Given a source of light so far away
That nothing, short of tall, comes very near it,
Would it not take a proper fool to say
That any tree has not the proper spirit?
Air, water, earth and fire are to be blended,
but no one style, I think, is recommended.
Richard Wilbur
A Wood

 

Feb 2 and a hideous green

February 2, 2012

feb 2

It looks much more yellow here than in the box! The thread I used (Sulky rayon machine embroidery) is that awful bronzey yellowy green that shows up before spring really gets started. It does not show up so well in the deeper texture of the machine needle felted fabric. I'll try using some heavier thread on the next one. I do have a layer of iron-on stabilizer on the back because without it the stitches go right through the felt. 

I wonder, too, what I really need for a base layer. I was told to use basic craft felt for most work. I don't like the looks of that, and I can make huge amounts of topography in it by overworking particular areas. I have some wool jersey that I felted (on purpose!) that is a little heavier. I could try not using anything, and letting the wool felt to itself. Wet felting relies on the wool felting to itself, and containing any non-felting inclusions. I don't know if dry felting does that. 

So, I have some experiments to try. 

I will leave you with a picture from Family Circus: 

Family circus pyramid

I like Alice just hanging out on my back, holding Aerin's foot. 

 

February begins

February 1, 2012

feb 1 2012

February is Pink!

February is also making more use of the embellisher machine, also called a needle felting machine. A set of felting needles is powered by a (small cheap plastic) sewing machine with the bobbin case removed. The resulting fabric has a distinct texture and character. There are some people who can make lovely art with them, using wool roving and other fibers for color and texture. Several Flickr groups exist, including Made with the Embellisher Machine  - that gives you a feel for the kind of whispy, dreamy things you can do. 

Timna pointed out that while she uses a lot of pink, her quilts don't tend to read as PINK!!! because she combines it with other colors. In fact, this one of hers is a study of Pink&___ (fill in the blank). 

In other news, the drawing class is mixed. The teacher knows whereof he speaks, but he tells long stories with no discernable moral. The teaching is what I'm there for. I'll show some drawings at some point. 

Thirty one, and the end of January

January 31, 2012

thirty one has pages

I was worried about putting enough stars on one circle, so I made a little book full of stars, and stitched it to this last circle. I am pleased with myself for getting every single day of January. 

February looks like it will be pink, and I am going to use the felting/embellishing machine and see what I can do with it. The circles will still be the same size. 

If you like pink, talk to me about what you like about it – I am having trouble thinking about it. 

twenty nine and thirty

January 30, 2012

twenty nine

Mum – you were right. Twenty nine stars go around (and around) a circle or two. Which is a good thing to do with a prime number. I spent so much time and effort putting the finishing touches on my Sketchbook Project book last night I couldn't scrounge up enough energy to post this one.

I did mail the sketchbook this morning, and just after I dropped it into the post box I realized I hadn't finished photographing it. So I have no further images for you. I am only mildly distressed because I will go visit it when it comes to Lynn, or maybe Portland this summer. 

And today's circle: 

thirty

Thirty is five sixes, or six fives, depending on the way you hold it. 

Some knitting is calling me. 

seven fours are twenty-eight

January 28, 2012

twenty eight

I don't know what it is about multiplication? It might be that Aerin's Young Man is getting math tutoring at our house on Saturday afternoons, and is brushing up his times tables, because Al is very keen on them being very nearly subconcious. The sevens were giving him fits, so I heard a lot of them.

It could be that I just play with arrangements of numbers in my head (I like arrays of things).

It could be that, in a valiant effort to subvert the dominant number paradigm, I strive to find interesting things about numbers that do not end in zero, because I like celebrating odd birthdays. One of my best birthdays ever was when I turned 49, which is a square. Someone thought of having seven seven year olds serenade me (but didn't), and every one brought square food, including Cindy (who still doesn't have a blog!) who made me a square pi(e). It was a much better birthday than fifty, which I basically ignored. 

three nines are twenty-seven

January 27, 2012

twenty seven

I rode two horses this morning. The weather made me grateful to have access to an indoor arena, because the rain was pelting down. It got noisy. Kaboose and I had a peaceful hour all to ourselves in the area, working on trotting and cantering steadily and without flinging her head in the air or curling up like a snail. We did well. I rode Nuada only long enough to get him going evenly both ways; he is a stiff old man and weather like this is hard on his joints.

And then I ran 64 errands and picked up two sets of kids from three different families at two different schools and delivered them home and made supper and finished a circle, and now I intend to sit still and knit. And be warm. For 40F it felt incredibly cold! 

Els – you asked what I was going to do with these. The local arts group is having a local exhibit of things people did every day in January. I thought I'd stitch these circles to a long red ribbon and bring them along to drape or hang or something. For subsequent months I am not at all sure what will do with them. If you want one in particular, email me and we'll talk. 

stars in/of stars

January 26, 2012

twenty six

Once I could draw a five pointed star, in roughly 3rd grade, I remember putting them everywhere. (I was a child of deep enthusiasms.) This star was a thing I figured out one day much later – each line of the star could be extended beyond a single star and into a series. There is something pleasingly self-referential about a star made up of stars. 

In other news, Family Circus restarted tonight. Henry is teaching us, which is a pleasure. I think Al likes not being outnumbered by females sometimes. Henry is astonishing, and funny, and pushes us all which means we'll do new things this session. There will be pictures!

twenty five

January 25, 2012

twenty five

I like square numbers. Nine was nice, sixteen was lovely, and now twenty five. 

I signed up for a drawing class. The first one was today. It was slow, and the teacher is opinionated. I am not sure about some of his opinions, but he can certainly draw, and he can probably help me draw better. The best thing he said was that he was tempted to bring a laminating machine to class so that he could issue Artistic Licenses to all his students. Our interpretation is what makes it art.