Mandala CXLII

(Above:  Mandala CXLII. Custom framed: 37 1/4" x 37 1/4" when hung as a square and 53" x 53" when hung as a diamond.  Found Objects hand stitched to a section of a vintage quilt.  Found objects include:  A clock spring; wedding cake leaf decorations; PEZ dispensers; coffee K-pods; gold salad forks; assorted hair curlers; doll hands; copper colored can tabs; vintage coffee klatch coasters; heart shaped buttons; red, plastic peanut butter lids with orange plastic circles cut from a six-pack beer yoke and Snapple beverage lids; buttons and beads. Click on any image to enlarge.)

This Found Object Mandala was so much fun to create!  It also reminds me of a special day during my recent art residency at Catoctin Mountain National Park in Maryland.  While there, I gave a presentation to the Stitch in Peace quilt guild in Fairfield, PA.  I talked about my passion for giving second life to old things among other things.  Afterwards, two sisters approached me.  They wanted to give me an old family quilt.  They explained that it was not in great condition and neither of them knew which of their grandmothers had actually stitched it.  So, I returned later in the week.  Fairfield was having an apple festival.  The quilt guild was mounting a small show.  The sisters presented me with a green-and-peach basket pattern quilt.

 

(Above:  The donated green-and-peach basket pattern quilt.)

 

Compared to the Bear Paws quilt I cut up last weekend, this quilt was in excellent shape!  Yet, it really was beyond good use as a bed covering. Seams were fragile. Edges were fraying. It showed plenty of love over many years. It was truly an honor to transform it into ART!  (More pieces in this series will be stitched on the rest of this pretty quilt!) 

(Above:  Mandala CXLII on pointe. 53" x 53".)

On my drive back from Fairfield, PA, I stopped at the Emmitsburg Antique Mall.  WOW!  What a place! I know antique malls.  Once upon a time, I was an anchor dealer in an antique mall outside Charleston, SC ... something I did as a dealer in framed, antiquarian prints ... for thirty years! So, I've visited dozens and dozens of antique malls over the last three decades.  This place was amazing.  With 34,000 square feet, I expected dim lighting and too much summer heat (which would mean freezing temperatures in the winter.)  I was wrong!  It was well lit, temperature controlled, and had plenty of parking too!  There were over 120 booths and none of them looked neglected.  The staff was nice.  Best of all, I found several things for my series ... among them ... affordable PEZ dispensers!

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CXLII.)

At my local auction house, I've attempted to bid on table lots with PEZ dispensers.  They've always gone too high.  So I was thrilled to purchase these.  I also got the perfect, green coffee klatch set of coasters.  My haul included plenty of other interesting things ... which ... like normal ... have been mixed into my stash.  Soon, I'll forget where I got some of the items purchased that day ... like I've forgotten who donated the pretty copper can tabs.  Please know, if you donated to my stash ... THANK YOU!

 

(Above: Detail of Mandala CXLII.)

Some people have asked if I glue my object in place.  I don't ... expect when I do!  LOL!  In order to keep these PEZ dispensers arranged the way I wanted them, I used a dab of glue behind each "head" ... and then stitched them in place.  Otherwise, everything is stitched down.  Even the coffee klatch coasters were pre-drilled in order to stitch them to the quilt.