Mandala CCLXXXVI: A Special Commission

 

(Above:  Mandala CCLXXXVI: R. John Wright Doll Maker Memorabilia.  Custom framed:  30" x 30". Objects hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt. Objects include the client's R. John Wright Doll Maker's memorabilia with pink fabric yoyos, crocheted circles; metal drawer pull plates; heart-shaped pet rabies tags; yellow game chips; and assorted buttons and beads. Click on any image to enlarge.)

Seriously, I didn't think I could finish this commission before leaving for Burning Man.  I even told the client that I wouldn't start it until after I returned, but it was nicely laid out ... on my main studio table.  Basically, the design was fresh in my mind, and the things were in the way of other work.

So I stapled the section of the vintage quilt to a stretcher bar ...

... and I positioned all the client's memorabilia on top.  With the exception of the crocheted circles and the one metal drawer pull plate, everything in the above image was from the "general store" on R. John Wright's website.  Since 1976 John Wright and his wife Susan have been making award winning dolls in Vermont.  Unfortunately, he died last year.  Many of the things included with these realistic dolls are now available ... like the ruby red slippers that Wizard of Oz's Dorothy doll wears.  (That doll was released in an edition of 350 in 2011.  There are still a few left ... for $3,020.00! Believe me, these dolls are not for children.  They are undoubtedly collector's items!)  I didn't think I would actually have time to stitch all these things down but somehow I did!

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCLXXXVI.)

For the most part, everything inside the circle of collector pins is from the client (except the blue-and-purple ribbon on the straw hat.)  Before tackling the area outside the main circle, I stitched a button outline around the perimeter and added the crocheted circles and metal drawer pull plates.  Then, I stood back and looked at the work.

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCLXXXVI.)

 It didn't take me long to find the pink fabric yoyos to which I added the lavender shank buttons.  I enhanced the edge of the main circle with the yellow game chips and red buttons.  Finally, the heart-shaped pet rabies tags were added.  Then the piece was mounted, framed, and photographed.  The client was surprised when I sent her images.  She loves it!  It is already in a shipping container and on its way to its new home!

So ... one more piece was finished before I leave at dawn on Friday!  I thought the last blog post would be my last before this adventure.  I'm now sure this one will be!

Another, small, hand-stitched In Box Series piece

 

(Above:  In Box CDLXXXVI.  Framed:  19 1/4" x 17 1/4" and made from layers of fused polyester stretch velvet on recycled black synthetic felt with free-motion machine embroidery and melting techniques. $235 plus tax and shipping.) 

This is a busy week with all sorts of things on my "to do" list.  I'm trying hard to also wrap up a couple of art projects before Friday ... including the small, hand-stitched In Box piece pictured above.  So ... what happens on Friday?  Well ... I head to Springfield, Illinois to join a caravan headed to Burning Man 2026.  I was invited to join the Octopolis art installation crew.  My Lace Forest will be the "kelp" under a 20' tall octopus with 30' - 35' arms.  The metal armature was made in California and is currently on its way to the desert! (It will later be sunk off the Alabama coast for a coral reef restoration project!) The fabric "octopus skin" is still under construction in Illinois but will be finished by Friday.  By the 24th or 25th (depending on travel and check-in times), I'll be working with the "build" team to transform all the parts into one of the big art installations. I am quite excited about the event itself, a week of art, music, and survival on the playa!  I'll be staying for a day to a day-and-a half of "strike", the time when the landscape is returned to its uninhabited condition.  Since joining the crew (which numbers forty people!), I've been preparing!

I am now the proud owner of a solar powered generator, a beach cruiser bike decorated in painted polka dots, a giant tarp that will become my personal "shade structure", a hand-held A/C fan, proper goggles and dust masks, plenty of sunscreen and body lotion, and all sorts of other needed supplies.  The Lace Forest has already been tightly packed into six, 40-gallon tubs.  Steve and I plan on loading the van on Wednesday.  That will leave Thursday to hopefully "remember" whatever we've "forgotten"! LOL!

Last Thursday, Steve and I headed to the sale at Foust Textiles in North Carolina.  This wholesale company sells only to "the trade" ... meaning organizations, businesses, and properly licensed artist/stitchers/etc.  We bought all sorts of things, from chenille needles to Wonder Under (a heat activated adhesive) to tulle/netting. While other shoppers grabbed giant bundles of batting and bolts of quilting fabric, we browsed through the selection of remnants.  I found a shiny piece of shocking lime fabric featuring leaf-like embellishments and a neon yellow stretchy knit.  At home, I made this silly cape for my Burning Man costume.  I wasn't going to bring anything special to wear (and I am not stupid enough for "clothing optional" when the sun is so brutal!) but at $3.00 per pound, this cape had to be made!  I'm sure to blend in to all the other fanciful garments!

Only days before going to Foust Textiles, Steve and I traveled to Wildflowers Too Art Gallery on the New Jersey shore.  We delivered all my Found Object Tidal Waves for a solo show there.  I got this picture of part of the display.

 

(Above:  Tidal Wave XX. Found objects hand-stitched to a section of an antique crazy quilt.  Framed:  17 1/4" x 21 1/4".)

Just because most of my Tidal Waves are in New Jersey doesn't mean I'm finished with this series!  It might never end!  The world is simply full of trinkets and plastics that make interesting compositions.  The ocean is simply too full of plastics to mean I won't want to bring attention to this type of pollution.  Thus, I'll likely be stitching Tidal Waves for the rest of my life.  Plus ... I adore them!

 

(Above: Detail of Tidal Wave XX.)

The antique crazy quilt used as a substrata was also a signature quilt.  Some of the names were stitched in now fraying silk.  Bits and pieces of others can still be seen.  Unlike most crazy quilts, this one didn't have much embroidery.  No worries!  I added plenty of decorative stitching!

With any luck, I'll also be finishing up a commissioned mandala before leaving for Burning Man.  I might even get it mounted and framed but I'm confident that I will not have time to blog about it.  Why?  Well Steve has several things on his "to do" list ... which for some reason means I need to be involved! LOL!

 Yesterday he had me repairing torn insulation in the crawl space! Who knows what else will require my attention before Friday!  Odds are, this is the last blog post until after I return!

Two, small "In Box Series" pieces and one hand-stitched one!

(Above:  In Box CDLXXXIV and CDLXXXVI.  Each one is custom framed with outer dimensions:  19 1/4" x 17 1/4" and made from layers of fused polyester stretch velvet on recycled black synthetic felt with free-motion machine embroidery and melting techniques. $235 plus tax and shipping each. Click on any image to enlarge.) 

I'm gearing up for October's Craft Show of the Southern Highlands.  It will take place at the Harrad's Cherokee Convention Center in downtown Asheville from Thursday, October 15 through Sunday, October  18th.  Each day, hours are 10 AM to 5 PM.  Yesterday I finished mounting the two pieces above and also the one below.

 

(Above:  In Box CDLXXXVI.  Custom framed:  19 1/4" x 17 1/4". layers of fused polyester stretch velvet on recycled black synthetic felt with hand-stitched embroidery and melting technique.  $375 plus tax and shipping.)

 

On first glance, all three might look very, very similar but the last one was entirely stitched by hand.  It takes quite a bit longer to create!  I really enjoy both approaches and I have another one to hand-stitch in the coming days while riding in the van to deliver artwork for a solo show in New Jersey!

 

In Box CDLXXXIII

 

(Above:  In Box CDLXXXIII. Custom framed:  34" x 22".  Layers of fused polyester stretch velvet on recycled, black synthetic industrial felt with free-motion machine embroidery and melting techniques.  Click on either image to enlarge.)

I've been accepted into the Southern Highland Guild's October craft show at the Harrad's Cherokee Convention Center in Asheville.  I'm excited but I also have a unique problem!  There recent July show was quite a success.  I'm very, very low on my In Box and Stained Glass fiber art series.  My attention is now to make more artwork!  This is the first new piece headed to the show!

 

(Above:  Detail of In Box CDLXXXIII.)

Of course I didn't actually "sell out" but the artwork that didn't find a permanent home went to the Grovewood Gallery.  In fact, one of the large pieces that went to the gallery has already sold.  There's no way that I'd remove my work from the gallery walls just to fill a craft show booth!  Not when I can concentrate and make more!  Not when I am still very much in love with my process and materials!  Now ... to turn my attention to additional pieces!

In Box CDLXXXII, a commission

 

(Above:  Me with In Box CDLXXXII, a hand-stitched commission. Framed:  30" x 48".  Artwork's dimensions: 22" x 40". Click on any image to enlarge.)

Recently I was honored with a commission for a hand-stitched In Box series piece. It is undoubtedly the largest hand-stitched piece I've ever made.  I decided to track the number of minutes/hours spent stitching.  Amazingly, it took 2929 minutes!  That's forty-eight hours and forty-nine minutes ... which means I average 3.3 minutes per square inch!  Of course, I don't actually stitch inch-by-inch.  I intentionally spread threads over large sections of the surface until almost every area is rather full.  Only then do I turn my attention to the individual squares and rectangles.  Below is some of the other documentation that I created to give to my client so that she would know the material and processes that went into her artwork.  I am so very happy that this piece has a permanent home!

 

(Above:  My palette of polyester stretch velvet.  A heat-activated adhesive (Wonder Under/Pellon 805) was ironed to the reverse side of each piece.)

 

 

(Above:  Squares and rectangles of polyester stretch velvet were cut and fused to a large piece of black, recycled, synthetic packaging felt.)

 

 

(Above:  Additional squares and rectangles of polyester stretch velvet were fused in layers on top of the foundation layer.  Strips of tulle/netting were fused over the top.)

 

 

(Above:  The work was stapled to a large stretcher bar and taken to the living room where I stitched for a total of 48 hours and 49 minutes using 100% cotton embroidery floss.)

 

 

(Above:  This is a detail shot of the artwork before any stitching was done.)

 

 

(Above:  This is a detail shot of the artwork after stitching was completed.

 

(Above:  Melting the space between the polyester stretch velvet shapes ... the space between the shapes that is only as thick as the black packaging felt.)

 

 

(Above:  Stitching the piece of acid-free foamcore covered with off-white fabric.) 

(Above:  The finished commission!)

Mandala CCLXXXV: PEZ and Dominoes

 

(Above:  Mandala CCLXXXV: PEZ and Dominoes.  Custom framed: 27" x 27".  Found objects hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt. Objects include:  A yellow child's 45 record with a glass floral frog and a large pink button; PEZ dispensers; assorted bottle caps; dominoes; toddler snack lids; golf tees; antique poker chips; coasters from a craft brewery on Hilton Head Island; red and green plastic lids; assorted beads and buttons.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Like Mandala CCLXXXIV: Boy Scouts, this Found Object Mandala was stitched before the Southern Highland Guild's Craft show but never mounted, framed, photographed, and blogged.  I had just too much to do in order to prepare for the show!  Finally, I finished this very colorful piece!

The PEZ dispensers were found at the Pickens County flea market. Steve and I go almost every Wednesday.  Sometimes, we find nothing at all. Sometimes, we find something special that sparks an idea for a new mandala ... like these PEZ dispensers did!  This piece came together very quickly despite the length of time it took to finally finish!

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCLXXXV: PEZ and Dominoes.)

I only had a bit of trouble with the Nemo fish dispenser.  Its tail made the backside "un-flat".  I had to put two buttons under one side in order to get the fish staring straight forward!  Thankfully, it looks good now!

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCLXXXV: PEZ and Dominoes.)

Ordinarily, I haven't swiped coasters from the craft breweries we've visited but the place in Hilton Head said I could take four.  I knew these colorful coasters would come in handy one day!  Perhaps I'll ask in the next brewery!