HAND STITCHING??? Moi???

HAND STITCHING??? Moi???, originally uploaded by jckirner.

Unbelievable!! Didn't think there was hand stitching in me any more. And I thought I'd relegate my fiber stash to machine couched fare or cording. Turns out chunky stitching is quite enjoyable - and doable in front of the "tube" in low light.

What will I get up to next???

Casual insert

Casual insert, originally uploaded by jckirner.

Tucked in a wool felt faced opening in a denim discard. Lumpy bumpy machine stitching in this quickly assembled segment.

Then a gathering of like colored items - composition play.

Lovely old pegs

Booty from the summer garage sale at the fairgrounds yesterday! These old pegs have lovely patina.
Other thrifty finds include a bag of mother-of-pearl buttons,

2 wooden textile printing blocks, several cigar boxes of letterpress type, and a handmade book with interesting paper.

Treasure hunting with friends and a chatty lunch out is some of the best of times!!

Creative play with the blueprint on fabric squares continued this week. The overexposed, too dark squares exposed with a grid pattern were first lightened with a quick dollop of a bleach wash. The red one was then painted with Jacquared dyenaflow red paint, allowed to dry, then stamped with a batik block dipped in bleach.

Belinda brought over her pasta machine and we played with polymer - pendants shown above from our efforts - saved before the colors turned too muddy!

Polymer Play

Polymer Play, originally uploaded by jckirner.

I haven't taken the chance to play with polymer clay before. Seemed like a good thing for the kids to play with too. Whipup.net had featured a tutorial on making polymer clay buttons, that was my starting point.

In my sleep deprived creative fog yesterday morning I set about getting a feel for the clay. I fell right in to my comfort zone of spirals and gradations! I like how the centers of these blue spirals gently glow in contrast to the darker outer rings.

The kids? They made lots of snakes, snakes rolled in glitter, and ducklings. (no photos of theirs yet, I must first get the artists permission to post them!!)

Then a little composition play with the blueprint on fabric results. Looking for interesting sights in the ATC size. And finishing up one graphic ATC. (Those ric rac shadows remind me of the sidewalk on Copacabana beach in Rio!!)

Play date - artist style

Drying time, originally uploaded by jckirner.

I have tired feet. Belinda was here today and we tackled the aging blueprint on fabric squares that remained from last summer. Lots of standing happened while composing our pieces, exposing them in the sun, then washing them out and hanging to dry.

I was quite surprised the fabric was still "good" since the accompanying directions indicated they should be used within 6 months and the bag had been open for over a year.

We had planned on doing some sunprinting too - that'll be next weeks' effort!

Cuff cuff

Cuff cuff, originally uploaded by jckirner.

I'm sorting through half a closet full of stitching supplies, kits, projects and organizers. Allowing myself to reminisce and let go of a horde of wishful thinking!

Enticed by a knitting pattern on knitty.com for a pair of ankle socks in Koigu wool, I now have a scruffy wrist cuff culled from the cuff of that learning effort. Let's see - I live in the tropics, I don't wear socks - what was I thinking? (I do love the colors in the wool!)

Belonging to and being active in my local Embroiderer's Guild for several years I was exposed to many hand stitch techniques, and STASH!! Accumulation happened. Fibers and fabrics I fell in love with and fondled while slowly stitching away.

But you see, hand stitching is so slow, and when following a packaged kit or predrawn pattern I knew what the end result would be, and meanwhile I got drawn to other things so work was put aside and others started. Techniques were learned although tastes changed/evolved as I was exposed to more.

I'm staring across the room at a mountain of evenweave, aida, and linen fabrics, and a pile of fibers. The fibers I'll save, but that mountain of counted thread fabrics? Perhaps I'll destash them on eBay!!

Morikami walk

Morikami walk, originally uploaded by jckirner.

Morikami Japanese Gardens have a summer pass this year. It's a favorite place for my daughter and me. Our traditional saunter around the lake - stopping at every water fountain - feeding the koi and turtles - spotting iguanas and the occasional gator - viewing the ever changing blooms. Ending (or sometimes starting!) with lunch at the Cornell Cafe and a pop into the gift shop for some Japanese candy. When I'm lucky, I get more than 5 minutes to browse the exhibits, my daughter and her friends are in the giggly stage and are a bit too distracting for a proper gander around the museum.

Still, it's getting very summery here with humidity kicking in full force. Our walks around the lake are becoming survival staggers!


On the home front our loopy dog Lily has darted at the passing ducks one time to0 many and pushed her way through the screened porch. Dewey the cat instantly leaped at the opportunity and escaped outside to meet his "other side of the screen" neighbor buddy!

Technology glitch

ATC's, originally uploaded by jckirner.

I'll be new picture free for a bit. My camera and computer are in a snit and refuse to talk to each other.

Their standoffishness (yes, that's a word - I promise ;) curiously occurred after upgrading some virus software. An hour of online help and their problem remains.


Still, I have this cheery pin to enjoy when I'm not fretting over technology glitches. It's Jackie Cardy's work - http://www.dogdaisychains.blogspot.com/. And goes perfectly with my summer bag! Thanks Jackie!!

Oh, and the ATC's at the top? Created from leftovers from other projects. I've clipped them to my magazine organizers as decoration.

And then I framed it...

And then I framed it..., originally uploaded by jckirner.

The exposed batting was appealing. Yet I was feeling this internal tug to bind it all in - the traditional quilt look. (Must...not...comply...struggle...)

The chair image is from photos taken on Jacksonville Beach. I loosely painted the life guard chair on a background of sunprinted muslin.
I layered the muslin and left the raw edges to blend in as I played with the machine stitching.
It has that ragged, sun-beaten, wind-worn feel of fabric exposed extensively outside.

To stop obsessing about what next - I stitched it into an IKEA box frame.

Liking the feeling of closure to finishing off that piece I started on binding the little quilt from my Mother's Day efforts.

It transitioned, of course, while stitching down the scant binding on the sides. I like the weight of the wider bands on top and bottom. ( And love how I was able to maintain the curved edge of the sides)
So - partial closure on this piece - but a vision of what it could be.

practice

practice, originally uploaded by jckirner.

It's easier on paper. I've been stitching on tracing paper lately and it comes easier to me than free-motion stitching on fabric.

I was getting very tense over this little piece. Trying desperately to follow the red lines of the painted lifeguard chair and fretting over hiding loose ends and generally NOT ENJOYING the process.

So I took out my frustration in the froth surrounding the chair. Much better. Pure bliss in the process. And the fabric bunching up nicely.
Not sure what I think about the vastly varying stitch lengths. That's what practice is all about!!

Now STOP ME if I start attaching the debris I picked up from the beach yesterday!!

School's out - Thank Goodness!!

School's out - Thank Goodness!!, originally uploaded by jckirner.

Need I say more! Glad this school year is over....

Now what did the Mom's do for their last morning alone?



Went to the beach...!