Hearts For Charleston

My Hearts for Charleston quilt block has been sent and received!

I am incredibly happy to be able to say that.

For one reason, I ran pretty close to Dee's deadline, as my usual way.

 But, mostly because I am so immensely  honored  to be a part of this amazing group.

If you've been looking at Dee's Hearts for Charleston posts as I have been, I'm sure you'll agree that this is one group of talented ladies.

I'm practically surprised to be among them.

Beginning ripples

 After completing the weaving and tacking down lots with Jude's invisible baste, I added the heart.  The finger paint fabric, in red, was used to symbolize Cynthia's beautiful uniqueness...to represent her, as individual as her fingerprint.

 I wrapped her heart in a blanket stitch to symbolize the loving care she gave to all of the patrons of the library...

to symbolize the love she gave to her friends, family and church community...

to symbolize the love those who knew her gave back to her...

to symbolize the loving care we should all give to each other...to symbolize the loving care that, because of this tragedy, is being shared with Cynthia's family.

A good blanket stitch can say all of that. 

Finger paint - Finger print Heart

 I next began the ripples I had envisioned.  The ripples grew and grew and grew.

They began close to the heart in red to symbolize both the love 

Cynthia shared and the love sent back to her.

They began as a heart shape.

Hugging close in.

As they radiated outward/inward, the heart shape morphed into a lumpy circle.

Years from now, way out in the edges of the ripple...

may Cynthia be remembered well.

The stitches turned blue to represent the community.

The community who knew her.

The community who loved her.

The community who only got to know her because of her untimely passing.

The community surrounding her, holding her in light and strength.

There are a lot of stitches.

In honor of Cynthia Hurd

Ready to fly

 I love seeing that left-over collar piece in there.

It makes me feel so connected.

I still can't completely recall if the shirt was my mom's or my dad's.

If it was my mom's, it works for all of the reasons I mentioned in a previous post.

If it was my dad's, then it's just pretty darn funny because he rarely read more than select sections of the LA Times and had a fondness for mispronouncing the word "library".

So, that works too (in my opinion).

Light

My not so tight weaving made me think 

of this favorite quote by Leonard Cohen.

 "Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in."

My weaving is not perfect.

This life is not perfect.

This world is not perfect.

But, it is beautiful.

Really beautiful and strong enough.

Stitches & Braids

 The button that was easily seen in previous posts holds eight braids to symbolize the other 8 lives lived and taken that day.

I considered tacking them down in a variety of placements.  Instead I left them loose, able to fly...able to be handled (if possible).

As I braided the eight, I considered the Black Lives Matter movement and I hoped these could be used as a physical source for comfort for those remembering 

Cynthia and the others...

for those deeply troubled by the current state of affairs.

It is comforting to hold them.

Trimmed

 When I trimmed it up, it became a bit wonky with very uneven squares.

When Dee goes to add it to the others, some of the outer stitches may disappear.

I kind of like that though.

I like that the love will radiate out into an unlimited future.

It may seem to fade...or disappear.

But we know that it will still be there.

This time

This person

...will not be forgotten.

Glowing

 This cloth is thick in your hands.

It is sturdy.  Dependable.

I like that.  From what I read about Cynthia, it feels fitting.

The back

 I always love the back as much as the front.

No more needs to be said.

Look at those stitches...

you could get lost in them.

They hold you.

They send you.

They travel.

Looking over the landscape

 In considering how I would sign or label my block, 

I knew I'd include my usual signature.  This is the one used on over 100 Christmas stockings and all cloth work since the mid-1990's.  My initials and the year.  Simple.

A dear friend once told me, "I have an one of the first NAE's".

What a touching thing to hear.

I also knew there is no way I'd have time to make a beautiful label, 

even if I wanted to.

So, my label became another often used technique of mine...

just write right on it by golly!

I thought this felt fitting too, what with the whole previously mentioned 

'words' thing!  I liked writing my words on this words fabric.

My typical signature tucked into the heart, "NAE '15"

 My label reads: "Memory - Love radiates - Leaving ripples

Nancy A. Erisman August 2015"

It's simple and says it all, just like this block.

"In memory - Love radiates - Leaving ripples"

Love radiates.

Love ripples.

Love heals.

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2015

What About the Words?

This truly is SLOW going!  I woke up this morning and remembered the words.
How could I forget or not include the words fabric?
On Cynthia Hurd's end of this, she worked in a library...a place Filled with words and ideas!
On my end of things...I come from words.  My mama taught English, sold children's books, made up new song lyrics in many arenas...she read, she wrote lesson plans and generally embraced words her whole life.
I am cut from her cloth!  I have continued each of those traditions she began in my childhood. I read, write,make up new song lyrics with infants and young toddlers.  I even make up words now and then!

So, a few cuts and slips later...there are words.  There is also more light and I like that.

I need to finalize my decisions here so I can pin and stitch before the work week begins.
My current consideration is the balance of books to words (there are more words right now) and the random placement (which I pretty much like as is).

I should add that what is seen in the top photo is the all of it and it is bigger than Dee requested, to leave extra room for error!  Dee, you can cut off what you don't need and adjust as needed.  I've tried to keep the placement of the books/words/denim cloths with-in the 10 inch square.

Just goin,
Nancy

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2015

Moving Forward

...I was going to do a full post, with lots of photos.  But, not tonight.
I will tell you that yesterday, we had another small fire close by and two large fires not close.
But...TODAY IT RAINED...A LOT!!!!

OK, so just this for now.  The cloth is woven and ready for the next step, invisible baste.  I wanted to have that done tonight, but I needed to look at it a bit more before locking into this lay out.

Excuse the poor lighting in this photo...I was in a hurry!  You can click on it to enlarge.

I pretty much like it as is.  I'll finish 'looking' tomorrow.
Goodnight, Nancy

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2015

Ready, Set, Post

OK, so I sense all my posts will be slap-dash.  Quickies, if you will.

I'm having a slow start, which is typical for me.  I always seem to start feeling like I have No Ideas.  Then I get going.

Last night I worked the late shift (tonight too). so I didn't get home til 8PM.

But, I accomplished some things:  I found my pins, which I'd been looking for for two days!  I also cut some strips (after finding my rotary cutter) and played with layout.

After Dee's comment about the finger paint fabric, I remembered I had it in red too.  I thought that may make a good heart.  I considered heart fabrics.

I auditioned backing fabrics.

I cut the bottom off the denim shirt.

I remembered I had burlap and considered that.

Backing?

The cloth at the top is a dyed flat-fold cloth diaper.  Mmmm...
I like the words one a lot too.  Mmmm...

Hearts?

Playing

Dee's comment on the finger paint fabric got me to thinking about fingerprints, so unique...the who-nees of us.
I don't think I'll use all of the choices I've pulled out.  I didn't realize I had so many blues!!
I don't want it to get too busy.

Pins

I have had this one box of pins since 1981 when I began sewing again, or for reals.  Bought 'em in Gardnerville, NV when I made a little patchwork quilt for a friends new baby.
I love the fact that this one box has served me so well, for so long.  It's all I need.


That's it for this morning.  Off to work...
Have a good day all.
Nancy

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2015

A Start with the Blues

Just starting.

A slow start, but ideas are coming.

This is a very quick post before work, so no links and please forgive any errors and such.

Colors are not true here. 

I'll come back and edit tonight.

Blues, books and words

First grabs at cloth.  The sewn blue piece at the top is 

the middle of the collar used on Els' gift.

I chose my 'books' fabric as my square will be for Cynthia Hurd, who was a librarian.

The blue grid was a gift from Peggy.

Shirt, minus the collar

I've been planning to change the hemline and this gives me a great reason to do so. 

It gives me more blues.

I really don't have much indigo around here...or much of any indigo!

Cloth from Deb

 Not real sure about these blues, but I was pulling out all of my choices to consider.

More

I remembered the 'finger paint' blue on the right in my shower last night.

I like that it has fingerprints embedded in it.

That's it for this morning.
I'll alter the post or post anew tonight.
Until then, you can head over to Dee's blog for more.

Have a good Monday, Nancy

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2015

Finally

Well this little gift is finally on it's way to Els.

She was the winner of my blog give-away in May of 2014.

*As usual ~ click on photos for a closer view!*

The nice thing about taking so long on a cloth, on a gift, is that one gets lots of time to

meditate on that person, keep up with their life happenings and generally consider and ponder for quite some time.

I made the little bag first.  Those seem to come to me so much quicker.

I liked these colors for her as her own work is so filled with beautiful color.

The sky blue and deep purple especially reminds one of her wool and garden.

One side, with rock.

Here it rests on my rosemary bush, gathering a scent of it's own here in 

Sunny California.

The other side, with a bit of magic thread.

 I like the way some of the threads become fuzzy and poke out, 

like tendrils from the Spring Earth.

The 'front'

This is the cloth I introduced earlier.
I added on a bit of blue at the top and bottom.

Sky and Water?  Perhaps.

I leave that up to the viewer and Els of course!

The blue lightweight denim began as collar on a shirt

once belonging to my mom or dad.  I no longer remember which one.
One day at work, when it was particularly bothering me, I cut it off!!

 It is a bit hard to tell from my photos, but I cut out the center (which I used part of on the bottom) and sewed the two pointed ends together for the top section.
I threw a little blanket stitch around the edges, just because.

I added a crocheted piece from button hole to button hole, as a hanger or...?

The backside trail

 I used the buttons to attach the blue denim, but I think I will add a 

few more stitches for more strength, as it hangs a

little wonky!

The combination of cloths has nothing like the lightness or drape that Jude or Saskia often consider in their cloth-making.

The thickness appeals to me this time around.

Something sturdy to hold in one's hands.

Sometimes we need that.

Els, I hope you enjoy this as well.

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2015

9-Patch and The Comfort Cloth

Today I start with this.  It's the back of the book I read on my lunch break today.

I thought the 9-patch on the right was timely and I considered that by adding a triangle

to the center ...you could have a triangle/diamond 9-patch there too!

This is the front of the book, which I got at last year's pow wow.

 

It has many beautiful colorful and pencil drawn illustrations.

I just started looking through it, so I haven't discovered much else yet.

 

So, I've been working on the cloth, "Comfort". 

It's pretty slow going right now.  I keep placing things there and 

then not feeling sure about them, so I wait.

I slid the two green pieces on the right under the velvet first.

Then I added the tan and last, the two green on the left.

But, it didn't sit right with me.  It looked so...so, stripey.

Mmmm...

Some days later, I moved them around, gathering the greens together 

and resting the tans to the edges.

I like this much better, but still I am looking a bit longer before stitching.

Then after listening to Jude's words about 9-patch, 

in particular the 'disappearing 9-patch'...

I thought to add this little bitty 9-patch.

I had thought of having the cloth itself be one of the patches, 

but then I tried having the tiny weave stand in for a patch.

This is not stitched either, I'm still looking.

I am enjoying this cloth.
I am enjoying the stitching and the looking.

Thanks for looking with me.

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2014

Michelle's Gift

You may remember from this post

for my one year celebration here at pomegranate trail

that Michelle

was the winner of my give-away!

A tease of a photo, announcing the give-away!

Now that she has received her gift in the mail, I can share a bit of it here.

It began with a little box I found, altered and filled with fabric.

Altered box!

It grew to include a weaving I did especially for whoever would be the winner.

The weaving part is complete, it will be a medicine bag.  I love making these and this one ends up being the straightest one I've ever made!  How exciting!  

If you like, you can read more about how I make these woven bags here.

A beautiful AND straight weaving!

Then, I started a little cloth in the week surrounding my give-away announcement.

Remember when you were in school...grade school, and the teacher would present a "story starter"?  There would be a prompt, a beginning...to get you going.  Then you would carry on, in your own way.  Everyone would end up with a different story.  Their own story.

Well, that's the idea I had in my head for this little cloth.  

Just a little something to get one going. 

So, I began the cloth.

I've seen many crafters, artists who do give-aways, giving away something they have made.  While I love that, for me it felt presumptuous of me to assume that what I enjoy making, is something people would want to win.  Does that make sense?  I don't usually sell my work (yet!) and so I don't know if anyone wants it!!!  Haha

My solution was to gift someone with something made, some raw materials and something they could either leave as is or add to it in their own way.  A 'story starter'.  

But, being the thinker that I am...I also felt it may be rude to assume someone would want to collaborate with me on a stitching project.  Forced collaboration, not so good.

So, I carefully stitched in a way that it could be left as is or added to.

I left loose fabrics and empty spaces.

I left room for additional stitches and mosaic weavings.

I left room for the story to continue!

All of these gifts could be kept or passed along in one way or another.

Gifts & Milo

In the photo above of the cloth with Milo, I thought the cloth was 'done' 

and ready to be sent along to Michelle. 

I took it on a little photo shoot in the back yard.  It was a very willing participant posing on the fence, the rosemary & lavender bushes, the apricot tree and my Mama Rose bush.  We had a grand time together :)

Gifts & the solar eclipse

However, as you can see in the photo above...the cloth wanted more!

These two gifts went on a few journeys with me, 

absorbing energy and experiences that would become a part of the 'gift'.

The moon (hiding behind the medicine bag here) was added during the super moon, we traveled to the Museum of Tolerance, the beach, the Skirball and the drum circle.

I placed a few special items in the medicine bag.

I added more stitches and some words on the back.

Words on the back

At last, I felt like I was done with my part.  I gathered all of the elements included in the total give-away 'gift' and some special fabrics I had put aside during my fabric/magazine clean-out!

Ready to go!

I have always known that I find the most joy in creating things for others.  That is why I am left with very little of my own work.  I love the making part and the giving part!

I am so happy, grateful really, to have had the chance to make the gifts you've seen here.

This was both a fun and meaningful expression of who I am.

I hope you enjoy them as well Michelle!

In friendship, Nancy

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2012

10 Minute Drill # 18 - Did It!

Really quick...

I did it!!  

"What?" you ask.

I set a goal for March to 'remove' at least one thing from the house every day.  It could be thrown away, recycled, passed along to someone else, or dropped off to Good Will.

And so it has been done.  Yippee!

Some days I cleaned out whole drawers or cupboard shelves and 'removed' way more than one thing.

A few days, I forgot and had to jump out of bed to take care of it!

Yet, I met this goal.

My house looks exactly the same!

So, I'm trying to decide what the goal should be for April.

Mmmmm...

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2012

 

I even clean out some fabric scraps and passed them on to a great group of preschool teachers.  However, I kept this little selection!  They spoke to me :)

Have you done any Spring Cleaning?

Mistakes in Weaving

 AKA: Disclaimer - I Am Not a Weaver!  I Merely Dabble and Weave with Children!

Sometimes mistakes are just in invitation to problem-solve...to ponder...to discover...to think "What If..."

Starting off, again, with high hopes!

Working on my old, well-loved little 'paper-back loom'.  

Anticipating a beautiful, variegated weaving.

I have not woven on it in over a year or more!  And before that...who knows!

Even though I usually don't, I began by warping each notch you see there.

Well...that didn't work!  Too close a warp for too thick a yarn.

Mmmmm...

Take that one off - set aside...re-warp the loom with a Nice Big Space between each warp thread!  See photo above.

*Note: The 'warp' refers to the threads fixed on the loom in a longitudinal direction.  The 'weft' refers to the threads that you weave in & out of the warp, crossing side-to-side and filling the loom as you go.  Hope that makes sense! 

All trimmed up

Oh no, I wove another hourglass!

This has been my challenge with this little loom.  No matter how loose I try to leave the ends, I end up with a beautiful hourglass!  This weaving was to be a gift, possibly used as a coaster-type-thing.  Nope, I wasn't looking for an hourglass right now!  But hey, kinda reminds me of the funky timer in my Winds of Time post!  Ha!

Remembering a creative way my friend used one of her weavings, I framed it  with fabric, thus eliminating that curvy center.  I used that dyed snake-skin fabric because it was handy.  It worked well with the weaving.  Framed it, invisible stitched it in and thought...

I won't have time to complete this...Ahhh, now what?

Thinking of a solution to the infamous hourglass

And I kind of like this weaving cloth.  I think I want to hang on to it for now.  It feels like a friend to the little hearts sampler.  Mmmm...

Re-warp the loom...AGAIN!!!  Laugh to self!

Begin again...more slowly...more carefully!  As I weave I am thinking I should look at this as 'Slow Weaving'...kind of like slow cloth (at least in the pace of things!)

I weave the whole thing with just a tiny hourglass!  "Good enough" I think.

But, as I hurry (I am on a deadline after all) to finish the last weft threads, I miss some warp threads.  This is, of course, only realized once it is removed from the loom.  Before that...while I am working on it, I see the 'back' side of the weaving.  I hold the little piece in my hands.  It is soft and flexible and has several mistakes.  Wouldn't it be nice to be seen this way ourselves?  To be accepted this way ourselves?  I think of different cultures' viewpoints on leaving a mistake in our creative work.  But aesthetically, these missed threads POP out at me and I don't care for the way they look.  I tie on some fringe pieces.  I like this a bit better, but decide to leave some of the mistakes clearly visible.  

This feels right.  This weaving feels complete.

The little light stitches in the middle are the 'mistakes'

The recipient of this weaving hears the end story of the mistakes and how they can remind us that we are not perfect and that is OK.  We can learn from our mistakes...or not...and we are still OK, for within each of us is much beauty, uniqueness and strength.

Ah, beautiful imperfection!
I look at it and think, "How symbolic that the 'mistakes' let in some light to the center, to the core of this weaving."  And I like it.  The 'product'.  I am satisfied.

Photos by NAE @pomegranatetrail ©2011