It Started Like This

The moment I began to stitch down the built in flap on the newest comfort cloth, 

a phrase jumped into my head. 

"It started with a scar".

That is what came to mind, but then I considered that things cannot begin with a scar.

There must be a wound first, yes?

Because a scar is really a healing.

The scar

What is curious to me is that I began this part with the idea to hold that flap down, 

so it does not get in the way of whatever comes next.    A technical step?  Or control.

And I chose a color that is almost hidden, because one cannot always see the scar of another.  Or can we?

Then I thought maybe (green) stitches should come out between the stitches.  Because there is always room or opportunity for growth, right?!  

Then I piled a bunch of stitches on top of one another, because sometimes a scar is thick over a deep wound.

I've done maybe a quarter of the length on the scar and it has already become a metaphor for so much.  I love how cloth does that.

Dyed and Scarred

I also relaxed in the scar stitching, letting go of perfection for perfect little lines. 

I lumped stitches, making kind of long 'thread beads' (Jude style).  

And I did random, quick stitches...some longer than their neighbor.  

A sort of whip stitch as Cindy recently mentioned.

I began this cloth because I knew I needed to.

Because there were questions that may not have answers.

It has already been a comfort to work on, a comfort to hold.

*Note: I am fascinated that the white manufacturer's stitches have stayed very white through the dye process.  I wonder why?  I notice how they stand out in strong contrast to the cloth itself and to the first stitches of mine.

In other 'scar' news...

Our apricot tree, the one we adore...

the one with the best tasting apricots in the world...

Yes, that one.

It has scars of its own.  It has been roughly pruned by others and gardeners.  last year, you may remember that we did not get one edible apricot.

This year we know why.

The tree, in beautiful bloom is dying.

It is soft, hollow sounding.

But, it still is beautiful and filled with more and more blooms and buds each day.

We don't really think it can be saved.

He says we could push it right over with one hand.

We will have to do something about this.

It makes us so sad.

We have history together, this tree and us.

But, it has its own scars, that may not heal.

And it has had unwelcome visitors.

I don't think our rains this weekend will help.

(((sigh)))

Another part of life, I suppose.

I hope your week is filled with whip stitched living,

~Nancy

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2015

The Third Block

This is the third block.  The last one for this moment.  I may do more...or not.  I have no idea what I will do with them next, so I'm going to set them aside and work with other White etc.
If you have a suggestion, please share in the comments, as I love reading all of the creative ideas everyone has!

This one is called: What if the clouds were made of rainbow colors?

And here are all 3 together...

These What Ifs remind me of the great children's book If.
A game of the imagination.  A wondering game.

My kids and I used to creatively answer the questions from this book.  One of the questions was "If you came downstairs to find a unicorn in the kitchen one morning, what would you do?"  We pulled that question out of the jar so many times it became a running joke between the three of us!  These open-ended questions (which I had written on small slips of paper to be pulled for discussion during family dinner) are a wonderful way for children to learn to think creatively about problem solving, among other things.

In the end, isn't this a skill needed in today's world?

Don't we need to look at things in an open-ended manner to solve problems, issues, concerns we couldn't have dreamed up years ago?

This is the way teachers work with young children.

This is the way we work with our art/cloth/whatever.

This What Ifing we're doing with Jude seems to be more than just a way to work with cloth.  More than particular techniques and skill sets.

Instead, it is a way to look at life.

*Note: Check out some of the other titles suggested, linked on these pages.  These children's books can be an inspiration to our own creative outlets.

The Important Book has always been a favorite of mine.  And I noticed: Imagine a Night (Day, Place), which were not familiar to me.
Every time I go to Amazon, I get sucked in for a long time looking at all of the wonderful books out there!


I have the pedestal fabrics to consider and I found some plain white blocks from an old 'with children' quilt project.  There was also some that looked like it had been watercolored.

Mmmmm.....

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2013

Summertime

A scattering...a spattering...
things from here and there.
Summertime, sunshine
Delights everywhere...

Do you see the double curly-cue on the right side?

Do you see how the melon is divided into thirds?

There was a set of curly-cues in each divided third-line, coming from the middle.

Here...wait...I'll zoom in...

Is that better?  Maybe tilt your screen a bit :)

It sure is hard to photograph a shiny watermelon!

Responsibilities abound...

Grab a moment, noon or nightfall.

Enjoying little bits of summertime.

Now a short summer story...

MS. SUNFLOWER &
MS. MOON



Once upon a time there was a very tall sunflower-gal.  Everyday she stood basking in the summer sun.  She turned her face this way and that to let the sun warm her and the wind blow through her petals.

Sometimes her sister joined her. They stood together for hours chatting and sharing secrets the way sisters do.  Their leaves shook with laughter.

Some days she didn't feel quite so sunny and she'd hang her head, studying the earth
at her foot.  The breeze became strong winds, tangling her petals and causing them to fall limp.  "Bad hair day?" the other gals would joke.  Even their friendly humor couldn't always bring her sunshine attitude back.

On those days, she usually hung around waiting for Moon.

Ms. Moon always brought a sense of calm and contentment.  Moon showed her confidence and strength everyday, no matter how full she was, Moon continued to shine.

Ms. Sunflower took this lesson to heart. It seemed she stood a little taller and shone a little brighter!

~The End~

Mo and I discussed making mandalas on the solstice.  Well, better late than never!  Ha!

Here is my attempt at creating a mandala from the flowers in my yard.  Can you see the sunflower head in the middle?  I found it on the ground on my side of the fence.

Look at those shapes and colors!
Do you see the little poppies?  That is the state flower here.  They grow wild in my back yard :) 

Finally, the wind won and I took photos of it's work instead of beautiful mandala handiwork of mine!  Haha

I like how the photo on the left looks like it is either becoming or unbecoming a flower spiral!!!

Not done on the solstice...but fun just the same!

 I took an old round tablecloth, from one of those 3-legged accent tables, and placed it in the washtub for dying.  I used a rusted grid that I found on a walk years ago.  I added other rusted items, onion peels, a copper pipe etc.  I even threw some flowers in, but just for decoration!!!  Haha
A few days later...

 Mmmmm...
I think it needs  more!


Summertime has always meant these special treats to me...

the juicy goodness of watermelon...

the dusty, salty seeds...eaten one by one.
Creative experiences...

And memories of my youth when camp and song filled the days.

I shared this with Cindy and I thought to share it here with you all too, because summer is about singing too.  Well everyday is about singing!  But my memories of singing old folk songs at summer camp with my mom and sister is one of my best memories.   And sitting outside in the shade singing with babies, with children...well it doesn't get any better!  This is one of my favorite quotes, by one of my favorite children's recording artists & more.  Tom Hunter was a most amazing man.  I am proud to know his music and honored to have met him.  No more links today folks, investigate on your own.

Class dismissed.

 

We don’t sing as much as people used to. There’s a lot of music around, but we listen more. We’re increasingly interested in performance, less in participation, so kids in cars are more likely to have headphones on than to be singing together, all of which means we need reminders of the power of song — to connect us, to carry information and tradition, to help us mourn and celebrate, to give us courage and identity, to tickle and touch our hearts. Developing brains need songs. Research is clear on that. Songs awaken memories too. They’re the hooks to hang your memories on. They’re also very useful in engaging kids in learning, and in creating lively classrooms. Recordings are good, but our own voices are better. So I hope you’ll sing, even if you don’t feel you’re very good at it. Use recordings to learn a song, to appreciate how someone else does it, to sing along. Then sing yourself — in the car and at bedtime, on the playground and in the hall, anywhere, anytime. It’s one of the best, cheapest, and most fun things you can do! — Tom Hunter

Enjoy your summer everyone!

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2012

Out My Window & Updates

I look past the pipes & cinder block!

Looking out is sometimes looking in...

Cleaning out is sometimes looking in too. 

Choosing which magazines to purge.

There are many.

Deciding how to best choose fabrics to stay...or go.

There is a lot.

Enjoying the process.

Enjoying the view, both in & out.

Introducing...Goldie Girl!  You should see when the sunlight shines through her wings!  Look at her eye!

The moon, she has her face!  Two rocks at the bottom.

In case you missed it in the top photo, this is the Mama Rose...doing Great!!!

UPDATE:

So, the invite it still extended.  If you'd like a little gift...

Ya know what they say, "One man's trash is another man's treasure!"

I'm afraid I need to keep it to US addresses only, as the shipping is so costly.

 Take care everyone and have a great weekend!

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2012

Continuing

Last year, and many others in the past...

I've made plans or resolutions.  I've heard others use the word intentions, which feels a bit more accurate for me.

Also, in the past, I've chosen specific words to focus on.

2011's word was create and while I did do a lot of 'creating'...two things are for sure, I wish I had done even more and I pretty much forgot about the whole thing by February!  I kept on creating though, past February and through the year because that's what I do.

Life isn't about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself.  -George Bernard Shaw

Maybe Life is about stumbling on to yourself!  That seems to be more my style.

Usually, I end up forgetting all about these things a few months, or a few weeks into the year.

This year I'm choosing to do none of that.  After all, it's another year, in a long string of years that has and will make up my life.  I will embrace my love of the New Year = fresh start feelings.  I will focus on those feelings for as long as I do, then I'll move on.

A young man I know and a friend of his have discovered the art of continuing.  And really it's very simple, just tape on another piece of 

paper and go on with your drawing.  I believe they call this practice "continuing art".

I love that these first graders have unknowingly come up with such meaningful metaphor for this time of year, for life in general.  Make some additions, some adjustments and carry on.

This is a very good thing to remember.

Frankly, I was delighted to witness some continuing art being made (if only for a moment) by this young man.  Several papers were taped together and he was busy adding more to his story.  I was told that his friend had continued his drawn story up his bedroom wall and on to the ceiling!  Later, I was sent the two photos above showing his continuing art posted near the ceiling of his own bedroom.

I look at these drawings and wonder what their stories are.  They hold the imaginative thoughts of a young boy.  They supply inspiration to those that see them.

  I think some stories don't have to have an end.  Some stories can continue on & on &on...

Here's wishing your story continues in 2012.
May you embrace many, many moments.

This Moment

This Moment

A neighborhood.

At dusk.

Things are getting ready

to happen

out of sight.

Stars and moths.

And rinds slanting around fruit.

But not yet.

One tree is black.

One window is yellow as butter.

A woman leans down to catch a child

who has run into her arms

this moment.

Stars rise.

Moths flutter.

Apples sweeten in the dark.

~Eavan Boland

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2011

10 Minute Drill #7

Fabric Out of the Dye Pots!

 I've taken all of the fabric out, washed it up...

Do you want to see?

With no formal record keeping, this is what I have learned:

1. The powdered rust in the rusty horse waterer, with rusty items thrown in works nicely.
2. The habotai silk takes color very well.
3. My oblong acorns from the front yard, do not give off much color.
4. The linen takes color well, but remains scratchy feeling, even when in the dye pot for a long time.  Pondering the texture of linen.
5. The silk velvet is my favorite in both richness of color and feel.
6. The round acorns dye much darker.

These are the fat round acorns found during a Sunday afternoon adventure apple picking.  I cooked them on the stove in the new little brass dye pot.

Day by day the walnut tree becomes more golden.

We've thrown some leaves in the walnut dye pot.

Today I learned how those leaves dye the front porch as well!!!

I've begun a weaving that will become a special envelope for a newly married couple.

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2011

Paula Scher: Great design is serious (not solemn)

These thought provoking books and videos...and websites keep coming my way!  I was at brain pickings...Mmmmm...don't know how I got there...
In checking out the lists etc. in the left sidebar I had to check out the book list on maps!!  That led to the interesting video above.  Of course I had to take a peek at this map influenced site.  That led to noticing the maps numbered 526, 531, and 534-538.  When I read the About Strange Maps... I wondered, "What is the Big Think?"...When I got tho their "Home" page, my eyes fell on Thinking Makes it So...and in the first paragraph, the link to "Monday's Article" (because I am interested in aging...

PHEW

I have only  skimmed most of this (And by placing it here, I can get back to it easily!  My memory helping technique!)

There are many other titles on the sidebar of Brain Pickings that caught my eye.  But that will have to be for another time, as my late in the day lunch break is over.  After a lot of skimming and some listening, I've no more time for all of this metacognition!  Gotta put my brain to use in a different way!!

What if I mapped my evening Internet travels?  What would that look like?  What if it was a bar graph by frequency or subject or???

I'll leave you to think on your own,

Nancy

UPDATE:
Here is the link in case you can't see the video above:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atn22-bmTPU&feature=relmfu

Let me know if this does not work for you either  :)

Something to Think About

        

UPDATE:

Noticed at Brene's blog this morning I was interested in this whole field of graphic facilitation.  I had no idea this even existed as a field of work with related fears and conferences and websites and on and on!  Go ahead...Google it, I bet you'll be fascinated!

10 Minute Drill #6

Art Bear at the mall

Acorns in the front yard.  Notice the oval shaped spiky leaves?

Walnut tree leaves changing, decorating the driveway!

New little brass dye pot! 

The dye pots:

top left: rust, in a rusty old "horse waterer"

top right: walnuts in great-aunts old pot...my first dye pot!   

(you should see me picking up the scraps the squirrels leave & tossing them in!)

bottom left: purple onion (it was fairly spoiled, so I just tossed it in a pot!) in a not supposed to be a dye pot-pot!

bottom right: acorns in the found one-handled pot

Out of the dye pot

 The blue fabric on the right is blueberries...frozen - warmed, then lots of extra juice in the dish...throw in fabric (take out & eat berries first!!)...let sit for days!

The 'lace' was created by my Daddy's grandmother.

Some cotton on the left - walnut dyed

The rest a gift from Deanna!  

Thank you Deanna!

So fun to experiment with new materials!  What a treat!

Gotta Run...have a great night!

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2011

Two New Feathers

Peace, Love, Music & Feathers

Two more feathers for The Magic Feather Project that  

Jude Hill has been creating and organizing.   Everyone is invited to join in!  She has posted all of the information along with tutorials.  

Give it a try...invite a friend!

These two feathers are to honor the importance of music in our lives...and ideas of peaceful coexistence...and all of the good feelings we get from these things.

Oh, and to honor my guy too!

The white backing fabric is from a project that did not work out 

for a group of children I used to work with.

I am happy to be able to use it here.

The tie-dye fabric is a heavy cotton and once belonged to my guy in the form of a pair of pants.  He liked to wear these when recording music in his home studio.  

That was until I took the pants over about 11 years ago!  

I wore them until there was almost nothing left!

On the back you can see the spiral which I added due to the lumps that arose within the peace sign.  I think because I seem to stitch so tightly and still use knots (I can't help myself!) - the surface got very pulled in and bumpy.

But then I had these thoughts:

1. It is really OK.  Perfection is not the best way.
2. It is still pretty and stitched with loving thoughts.  This is where the importance stands!
3. It is not done as it will be added to others in Jude's cloth (If it works for her project).
4. Jude will be adding stitches and she is a Magician!!!  She can make it work!
5. Children won't mind, they may even like these bumps.
6. It really is OK just the way it is! 

Then I tried looking at it through a child's eyes and feeling it with their small hands.  I imagined a worried child pressing his or her fingers into the fabric...pushing down on a bump only to have it pop up somewhere else...doing this again and again.  Maybe lost in thought or maybe having feelings pop up as well.  Small fingers tracing the magic thread peace sign...knowing what that symbol means (it's such a universal symbol)...maybe inviting conversation or reflection or both.

The combination of brighter colors and subdued colors a celebration of the bold and less secure in all of us.  

The textures and symbols inviting us to touch it and think our thoughts.

In the end, I am really glad this feather block holds 

the imperfections it does.

 I've yet to learn how to do Jude's style of fringe, so I added my own style of braids and knots.  I have used this technique on projects in the past, mostly the 'power sticks' I have made for friends and family.  I stitched down the ends to help it remain child friendly for a long time.  I had thought of adding music notes on the right side, under the fringe, but decided to leave it more open for Jude to decide how it will best be used.
Additionally, this one ended up a bit bigger, so I do hope it works out for Jude's needs.

The last step is to let it wait for mailing out in the studio, where there are good vibes and almost always incense burning!

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2011