Drawing and Weaving...

Foxglove with stones

Old Letterpress

I'm an avid reader of the wonderful blog, Spiritcloth by Jude Hill. She's so innovative and creative in her approach to fabrics, quilts and often includes water elements her work as

she lives close to the beach on Long Island Sound. Also she embroiders little lions and beasts on the quilts - they have a charm all their own. Anyway, I just had to try one of her methods... cloth weaving (which equals a perfect checkerboard). Not sure where this is going but it will tell me over time.

Here are two more unfinished ink drawings with gouache. I love to draw old machines of any kind. The dark iron, wheels, and 'innards' are a never ending fascination of mine. We're off to rake leaves in the sunshine... have a great weekend!

Rocky Beach

Here's how the penny rug/free form landscape turned out. It was hard to know when to stop... I wanted to add beading but resisted because I wanted it to remain simple and not too 'precious' looking. (but I do love beading!). This one has kelp attached to the rocks, sea jellies and a few starfish - plus a few fish hidden in the water.

I printed my woodblock ('pebbles') on a crinoline type of fabric which is sort of like a scrim. I built a little hanging twig 'system' with some extra twigs attached in order for the piece to hang with some space between the wall... this was there is a bit of movement and a cast shadow (my fave part). I'm excited to do some more of these pieces.

Thanks to my mom for helping me engineer a method of affixing thread to twig and fiber in a strong, permanent way!

Penny Portrait

Penny Portrait, originally uploaded by Tea and Ink.

This was a little experiment in the 'wool laboratory' . Will try to do another version today a little less 'sewn together' at the face. (less a la Frankenstein, I should say!) Would like to do a whole series of portraits framed in pennies... wishing my upcoming show was in June and not May. Happy Tuesday, all.

New Penny and the Happy Clogs

Restless Sea... in progress. (wool felt and thread)I've started some new fiber art... the idea came as I was tread milling and watching a PBS production of American Masters - Andy Warhol. (one of my FAVE artists... love his use of repetition, his love of faces - Andy was attracted to 'beauties and talkers' - and most of all...his work ethic).

What does Andy Warhol have to do with penny rugs and fiber art? Nothing. But, for me, inspiration happens when reading or watching someone else's creative process. I thought of doing something like a penny rug that you can see 'holes' through but was more of a composition/wall hanging/piece of art. I'd like to hang it so it slightly sticks out from the wall... so the viewer can see a cast shadow of the piece on the wall. Although the idea is still in the nebulous stages, thought I'd share the very beginning. Hope I can pull it off.

Check out my 'Happy Clogs', they are the perfect thing for this time of year... springy and flowers. What could be better? (You don't know this, but I'm a major clog freak - have many pairs and love them all equally :) Happy hump day.

Trees in a Chair Forest

Trees in a Chair Forest, originally uploaded by Tea and Ink.

I made this on my beloved Pfaff felting machine a few years ago. It turned out to be a purse flap for a wool purse (which I now can not find and have never used :( I'm sure it's in a fabric stash somewhere). I should make some new felt stuff... it's been a long time.
Happy Friday!
(Sorry for the slight blur)

Mittens Mittens Mittens

More mittens for the whole family. It's so much fun to be making useful things for little hands. Knitting is such a winter pleasure... I love to sit by the fire and knit or sit by the warm heater, knit and watch a great movie (A Room with a View sounds good about now! But, not possible... for now it's Word World, Sesame Street or playing Chutes and Ladders. That's OK, I'll take it :)

Happy Friday everyone!

More Owls and Winter Birds

I received a call from the gallery that all the ornaments had sold but one and could they have some more? Some More? I love getting calls like that! So, work, felt, sew, pin... they flew to the gallery yesterday and are perched in the windows.

Now, on to the fun of Christmas... planning the Christmas cookies and doing the cards (one of my favorite tasks of the season!) What are you making for Christmas this year?

Winter Owls

Here are just a few of the owls and birds I've been sewing for the local artist's Christmas ornament show. (at Tinman Artworks) It was so much fun getting these fowl together... mostly for the embellishments! (getting out the felting machine is always big fun too.) If there are any left... I'll put 'em in the etsy shop in time for Christmas shipping.

Birds and Babies

Brothers :)

Our new baby!

It's getting to be Christmas making season already and this morning I finally got started! There's a nice show which happens every year after Thanksgiving at a local gallery. Many local artists make one of a kind ornaments for the shop and there's a big party to go along with it. Usually, I make felted wool ornaments and this year is no exception. So, here are my unfinished owls - just a start to many in the flock. More little birds in the works too.

Some big news to share: Our Mr. Darcy (Welsh Corgi) now has a little brother to pal around with! Mr. Knightly came to us yesterday. We called the # from the ad and upon arrival, realized this was the same lady who had our Mr. Darcy! (she had moved, so we had no idea it it could be the same person) His name comes from the Jane Austen novel, Emma. The friend, neighbor and confidant of Emma... with whom she eventually falls in love. We like to just call him 'Knightly' as Mrs. Elton does in the book.

A Touch of Orange

On my birthday, my mom took us for lunch (daughter & moi). After, it was off to a very cute and well-stocked quilt shop. We were just going to 'check out what's new' but the fat quarters beckoned! Here's a little collection I couldn't live without, the orange really appealed to me... plans for a throw are in the works. Happy Friday y'all.

The Next Quilt...

Here's the next quilt I want to make... it has some great fabrics with interesting textures. Rarely do I use a *pattern (like to listen to my own 'drummer') but this one drew me in with the folk art style and colors. I have copied all the patterns out of the book but won't be starting 'til the other (pink and brown) is finished. Quilting is so fun and no stress... there's a decadent quality to it because it's not for anyone but me and my family to enjoy. Have a great Monday!

*Pattern by Folk Heart Threads from Need'l Love. Visit their web site here.

New Quilting Directions and Thread Painting Dabble

Thread painting

I dug out a quilt that had been started... ? about a year ago and thought I'd try using 'Wonder Under' to speed things along. (applique could take me a lifetime to complete at this point in my life!) I actually used my sewing machine for this. (I normally only sew by hand when making quilts -just an 'unplugged' kind of girl)

My mom talked me through how to go about thread painting on the phone and boom, I was off. (she really is a Svengali when it comes to sewing!) Next time I'll do it on ivory fabric... so hard to see on that grey cotton. I tried it on a few quilt blocks after a little practice. It's like driving without any brakes.... but I've learned you have to embrace that out of control feeling.

Tag, I'm It

Here's a needle felted purse I'll be adding to my etsy shop soon. I added a few new things over there today... including 2 ink drawings on paper with gouache. They're kind of my 'babies...' but we'll see if they sell!

OK... I've been tagged by the talented Katherine at http://www.katherineq.blogspot.com/!

Rules of tag...

1. Link to person who tagged you.

2. Mention the rules

3. Tell 6 quirky but boring, unspectacular details about yourself

4. Tag 6 other bloggers by linking to them

5. Go to each person's blog and leave a comment that lets them know they've been tagged

Here goes...

1. I love the smell of the post office... and gasoline!

2. I have dyslexia and also have a terrible sense of direction.

3. I have very long fingers.

4. I'm a Francophile and obsess (quite often) about what it would be like to live in the south of France.

5. My idea of a great afternoon is quietly cruising the poetry section of a book shop.

6. I hate macaroni and cheese and unloading the dishwasher.

And now... TAG! You're it!!

http://www.pajarritolindo.blogspot.com/

http://www.reverieart.blogspot.com/

www.jeane-artit.blogspot.com

www.verylittlebird.blogspot.com

http://www.elizabethfloydstudio.blogspot.com/

http://www.marthamillerart.blogspot.com/

More Circus Ornaments

The Big Top... looks more like Red Square! Will be doing more.

Here are some wool felt ornaments in various stages. I don't think any of them are officially done. Some still need stuffing, embellishments and ribbon for hanging. It's hard for me to stop adding stuff, so I'm trying really hard to 'hold back' a bit. Some will not make the final cut! Next, the tiger... he's going to be a challenge. Stay tuned!

Noro Socks

I couldn't pass up this yarn... it's Noro brand - a Japanese yarn- they have the most beautiful color combinations. I was hoping to start a 2nd pair for a birthday coming up but, I'm not sure I can get them done in time. If not... Santa's coming soon after the birthday!

PS there's my new palm plant, I'm kind of new with house plants. I think it's cute but have no idea how big it may get - should plant it in a proper pot. Thanks for all your comments yesterday, I do appreciate them! I did some drawings this morning for more ornaments but did not get a chance to make any. Maybe Saturday... tomorrow's going to be crazy with a party at school and trick or treating ~ Happy Halloween!

BIG FIBER ART SALE GOING ON IN MY ETSY SHOP... CHECK IT OUT!

New Ornaments

Last night I went to work on making Xmas ornaments for an upcoming gallery event. I started with the idea of doing faces in felt and they evolved into a group of circus performers. Picasso's circus performer painting (I think it's called 'Saltimbanque' - prob wrong spelling). Tonight I hope to make some female looking faces and maybe a few animals, stars and who knows what else! Then comes the best part... embellishments!

A Taste of the Quilt Show

wool applique

We had so much fun at the quilt show... there was a lot of creative energy flowing through that place! I took some photos and here are just a few. I'm so excited - I bought a rug hooking kit! I've never done it before, but have always wanted to. It's a small project of a sunflower so we'll see how it goes. I plan on sitting in front of a roaring fire and working on it in the evenings while my kids play quietly. ( sounds more like a fantasy, I suppose) :)

Bed in Winter

I finally committed to it and made this felted 'collage' into a pillow. (I was undecided for quite a while what it would 'be') She will be in an upcoming show at the end of October. I've never shown pillows at a gallery before so this will be different for me. But, I do consider myself part 'fiber artist' so it's not that big of a leap! I have some new purses for the show too that I'm pretty excited to show... stay tuned for those. I may have to keep them secret 'til after the opening. On that note - to all a good night!

Second Sock

These warm, woolly socks are for my mom's birthday... I have a way to go before mid-November. I better speed it up! This is that fabulous variegated yarn that ends up looking 'faire isle', I love it! Hoping to get back to painting tonight, wish me luck. Happy weekend!

ps - Free shipping in my Etsy shop starting tonight, check it out!

Alchemy Scarf

Finally I've finished my fall scarf! It's made of the luxurious 'Alchemy silk yarn'... can't wait to wear it. It is so very soft and the colors are variegated olive green and a light chocolate brown. These photos don't really do it justice... plus you have to feel it for the 'full effect'! It's still too warm to wear it , but what a cozy feeling to be knitting in the cool, breezy evening, sitting on the floor with family. After I weave the 'tails' in I'll be focusing on finishing a pair of socks for my mom's birthday in November.