Mandala CCXVIII

(Above:  Mandala CCXVIII. Custom framed:  33 1/4" x 33 1/4".  Found objects hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt. Objects include: A metal clock face; black curtain hangers; a trivet; a biscuit cutter; red, plastic lids; buttons and beads; and all eighty-eight keys from my former piano in their correct order.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

On Christmas Day 2023, I dismantled the piano I grew up playing.  It had a broken sound board even before I moved it from my parents house back in 1991.  It moved from our first house in Columbia to Mouse House, our home/business ... where it sat in the dining room ... rarely ever played.  I meant to start playing again but it didn't happen.  I have no regrets about this.  After all, I was never a competent player.  I simply adored practicing and imagining the music sounding better than the incorrect notes I was forever hitting. 

(Above:  The eighty-eight keys ... whole ... lined up in order.)

There was no reason to move the piano to our new location in Cateechee. It only made sense to save parts for future artwork.  So ... reverently and with Christmas music in the background, I dismantled it.  I saved felt hammers, all the keys, and a couple other parts.  A friend and her son (who had the right wrench to loosed the strings) came and collected the strings for her artwork.  I knew I could use the keys for a Found Object Mandala.  After all, I was once commissioned to create a mandala for Carolina Steinway.  (CLICK HERE to access it.)  Yet, I really didn't want to make another one quite as large as that!  Piano keys are long!  A circle of them is therefore BIG!

 

(Above:  All eighty-eight keys ... after being cut ... still lined up in proper order.)

 

Perhaps the issue with the size of the keys prevented me from using them since moving.  Christmas was sneaking up on me again ... a full year after dismantling the piano.  So ... on Christmas Day 2024 ... I lined up the keys, looked at them, and decided to cut them near to the length one actually sees on a piano.

 

(Above:  The design laid out on the same work table.)

 

Soon enough, other found objects fell into place including the metal clock face that once hung in the sanctuary here in Cateechee.  The size was manageable and the design looked very promising!

 

(Above:  Stretcher bar on a vintage quilt.)

 

Ordinarily, I start with the substrata already selected but not this time!  I had to look in my stash to find something that would go well with the bold, high contrast design.  Lo and behold, I found this vintage quilt my my stash. (It looks perfectly good in the photo but trust me ... many of the pieces of fabric making up the hexagonal star shapes were in dreadful condition!)  I'd had this quilt for at least two years but never used it because it was just too bold, too high in contrast.  Bold with bold!  High contrast with high contrast!  Perfection!

 

(Above:  Stitching the curtain rings onto the clock face.)

One of the trickiest part in creating my mandalas is planning how to stitch it.  In order to attach the curtain hanging rings to the clock face, four holes per each ring were drilled.  Each of the red lid were also drilled ... and a hole in the clock face for them.  The trivet was to be held in place by the biscuit cutter which already had two holes large enough for two shank buttons.  All the was needed was two holes in the clock face to work with the holes in the biscuit cutter.  Then, there were the holes along the edge.  They were needed in order to stitch the altered clock face to the quilt.  In all, there were ninety-eight holes drilled through the clock face.  It is little wonder that I purchase 1/16" drill bits by the handful! LOL!

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCXVIII.)

In order to attach the keys, more holes were drilled.  Each key has two holes drilled through it.  When all these holes were drilled, it was almost time to stitch!  First, the section of the quilt was stapled to the stretcher bar.  Then, a layer of orange bridal tulle/netting went over this surface.  The tulle/netting protects the fragile pieces of fabric.  In this case, it also cut a little of the contrast on the quilt.  Finally, I started stitching ... but then ... we went to Pasadena for the Rose Parade on New Years Day.  

 

(Above:  Mandala CCXVIII as seen from an angle.)

 

After returning from California, I returned to this piece.  Finally, it was mounted, framed, photographed, and got its signed label on the reverse side!  The mounting is very important and also time consuming.  The work is removed from the stretcher bar on which it is stapled for stitching.  It is then stapled to a smaller stretcher bar, one that matches the dimensions of the predetermined perimeter.  This smaller stretcher bar includes a piece of acid-free foam centered board glued over it.  Why two stretcher bars?  Well ... I can't stitch through the wooden stretcher bar.  So the first one has to be bigger than the final size of the piece!  Why the acid-free foam-centered board?  Well ... I stitch through it and the quilt so that no part of the quilt is supporting more than a few square inches of the front.  The holes along the edge of the clock face are double stitched ... one stitch to attach the clock face to the quilt and one stitch to attach the clock face and quilt to the underlying foam-centered board.  Each key is also double stitched.  There is no way that the weight of these keys is going to cause the quilt to sag or tear from the force of gravity!  I'm very pleased with this piece and especially how it has given my beloved piano a "second life".  I stitch much better than I ever played!

Mandala CCXVII

(Above:  Mandala CCXVII.  Custom framed:  20 1/4" x 20 1/4". Found objects hand-stitched to a section of vintage curtains layered on felt and linen.  Objects include: A star-shaped cookie cutter; lids from toddler food pouches; caps from small bottles of pinot grigio Barefoot wine; blue, daisy-shaped and red, heart-shaped, out-of-date rabies pet tags; pale orange Gatorade lids; round, unmarked vintage poker chips; black, plastic devices of unknown function; and assorted buttons and beads. $395 plus tax and shipping. Click on any image to enlarge.)  

A friend recently sent me the curtains that once hung in her grandmother's house.  They were old and dated but also sentimental and evocative of luxury and a certain sophistication that was once the staple of yesteryear's American dream. How could I not use them?  Yet, this posed a slight problem. I generally use quilts that need a "second life."  I need a certain thickness as a substrata.  Finally, it dawned on me that I have plenty of other vintage fabric that could be placed under the beautiful rose brocade curtain fabric.  I decided to try it and I'm glad I did!  It worked very well.

 

(Above:  Mandala CCXVII as seen at an angle.)

Soon enough, I found all sorts of objects that worked well with this background.  Some of these things were also recently donated to my stash!

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCXVII.)

The little pinot grigio Barefoot wine caps came from one nice person.  The expired rabies tags came from another nice person. I'm so lucky to have such wonderful and generous friends!  THANK YOU!  If anyone else wants to ship multiples of strange/interesting/unique things to me, my address is 320 North Church Street, Central, SC 29630.  

Getting work done!

(Above:  Stacks of artwork waiting for the upcoming Smithsonian Craft Show.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Even before Steve and I took off on a last minute, whirlwind trip to Pasadena for the Rose Parade, I was working on some of the pieces finally finished and put in this stack ... just waiting to go to the Smithsonian Craft Show this coming April.  I've also finished three Found Object Mandalas that will be blogged soon.  Meanwhile, we are praying (like most of America) for those people, businesses, schools, pets, and even wild animals who have been displaced by the wildfires that are still devastating the areas near where we were on New Years Day.  It's been surreal to know our time in Los Angeles was only a week before this crisis.

 

(Above:  In Box CDLXXIV.  Framed with anti-reflective/UV filtering museum glass:  26 1/2" x 22 1/2".  Layer of polyester stretch velvet fused on white felt.  Hand stitched and zapped with an industrial heat gun. $475.)

During the drive, I stitched on an experimental design for my In Box Series.  Instead of carefully placing squares and rectangles of polyester stretch velvet in ways that they intentionally don't line up, I positioned three, central pieces inside a large, empty rectangle surrounded by individual squares.  I'm really happy with the way it turned out despite the fact that the "empty" rectangle isn't really obvious.  (It's the solid yellow piece.  On top of it are lots of additional square shapes ... which blend with the individual squares on the outside.)

 

(Above: Detail of In Box CDLXXIV.)

 

The solid yellow piece is more noticeable in this detail image ... though I think the texture is the more amazing thing! LOL!  It is fun to stitch in the car while the landscape changes state by state.

 

(Above:  Large Lancet IX.  Framed:  20" x 50".  Layers of polyester stretch velvet fused to recycled black felt with self-guided/free-motion machine stitching and melting techniques.)

 

I also finished Large Lancet IX.  I am planning to make more of these and others from the Fiber Stained Glass Series. It's hard to know just what people will like best in my booth.  I guess I just have to make lots of work and then decide what gets to go to Washington, DC!

 

Whirlwind trip to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl Parade

 

(Above:  Steve and me in front of one of the giant signs outside the Rose Bowl on January 1st.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

On the day after Christmas, Steve and I decided to drive to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl parade.  The next day, we packed. We also booked three things: 1) bleacher seats for the parade, 2) a hotel outside Pasadena for New Year's eve night, and 3) reservations on December 31st at the Getty Museum.  On Saturday, we were on the road heading west before dawn!  Doing crazy things like this was one of the reasons we retired!  We knew we were in for an adventure!

On the way, we stopped at Cadillac Ranch on the west side of Amadillo, Texas.  We've stopped there before but this time, we were handed an extra can of spray paint and wrote "Go Bucks" on one of the vehicles.  We are sure that this message didn't last even a half hour.  The weather was gorgeous and dozens of people were visiting!

 

We made a quick visit to this Rock Shop in Holbrook, Arizona ... very near Petrified Forest National Park.  The last time we were there, it was for sale.  We joked about buying it because we hadn't found a retirement house yet.  Well ... its' still for sale.  Thankfully, we found our church before seriously considering this unique location ... though I would have like to purchase a small dinosaur to take with us. 

 

It took three days to get to California and to Amboy Crater.  The first time we saw this dormant volcano cinder cone was forty years ago ... when Steve was still in grad school. Like this trip, we were driving to Pasadena to cheer for our Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl.  We didn't have time to hike up to the rim then.  We didn't have time during our last visit either, but this time we made it.  According to my AllTrail app, the hike was 3.4 miles.  Because we arrived rather late in the afternoon, we had to really hurry the pace.  Yet, we got a great sunset from the center of the crater and managed to return to our car even though it was dark by the time we got there!

 On New Year's Eve we went to the Getty Museum.  I'd been there once before ... 2001.  Steve had never been to this fantastic museum complex. We hoped to view VanGogh's Irises but they were moved from their usual location to a smaller room that included unique ultra-violent lighting that exposed some of the brushstrokes that are used to analyze the work and aid in conservation matters.  Due to the small size of the room, a limited number of visitors were allowed inside at a time. The line for this special exhibit was LONG.  We decided to skip it and we are glad we did!  There is no way to see everything else!  The place is incredible and FREE.  On-line reservations are all one needs!

The medieval section was obviously my favorite.  I snapped dozens and dozens of photos ...

... capturing things that jumped out at me ... like this Adoration of the Magi with its rich, red background ...

... and this gorgeous painting by Jan Brueghel the Elder called The Entry of the Animals into Noah's Ark.  

I'd never seen or studied this painting but got totally caught up in the details like ...

 ... the pair of porcupine right in the front and ...

... and these playful but rather aggressive leopards that sort of reminded me of my cats, Ernie and Minnie.

The illuminated manuscripts on display accompanied a special exhibit on medieval science and astrology.

The showcases of early glass included this totally unique vessel.

I was transfixed with this sculpture.  The different materials were exquisite, especially the way the bronze part of the garment blended seamlessly into the marble.

The period rooms were one after another more gorgeous than the last ... and I have no earthly idea how that clock was mounted on the mirror!

The view to Los Angeles with the cactus garden in the foreground was also just beautiful.  On New Year's Eve, the Getty closed a bit early:  4:00 PM.  Because one accesses the complex via a tram from the parking facility, we knew to leave before the mad rush.  Yet, there was already a long line waiting for the tram.  A guard told us that we could walk down to save time.  That walk was also great ... and totally downhill.  Soon, we were in downtown LA meeting our friends!

Mark was part of our Block O gang back in the early 1980s.  Block O is the student card-flashing and cheering section for The Ohio State Buckeyes football season.  Kate is from outside NYC.  They got married in 1986.  Steve was the "best man".  Well ... they came out to Pasadena too!  They actually flew from a Christmas in Ireland with one of their kids' family back to Chicago ... and three hours later ... on to LA.  They were tired but happy.  We had a great time at dinner and then met one another the next morning on Colorado Boulevard before the Rose Bowl Parade.  Time with them was one of the best highlights of this trip ... one we didn't even know could happen until we were driving west (and while Mark and Kate were flying west!) Gotta love social media for putting us together!

Our seats for the parade were incredible.  We were up in the bleachers but directly behind one of the ABC camera crews filming the event.  The weather couldn't have been better. 

A stealth bomber sailed above the length of Colorado Boulevard announcing the start of the parade.  Everyone was awed. 

 Airplanes flew overhead spelling "Happy New Year" in vapors from their exhaust ... sort of like the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz movie!  Amazingly, that witch made an appearance on this Wicked themed float!

There was no way to select a favorite float!  But if push came to shove, both Steve and I really liked this bowling themed one!  It reminded us of the years back in Columbus when Steve was a competitive bowler ... plus, the pins rotated!

Of course the little float for The Ohio State Buckeye cheerleaders got a great response from the crowd.  There were plenty of Oregon Ducks around but I really think more scarlet and gray fans were in attendance.

The Ohio State Marching Band (known as "The Best Damn Band in the Land" ... and rightfully so!) played Beautiful Ohio when passing our bleachers.

 Two of the floats had erupting volcanoes!  After climbing Amboy Crater, I really liked them!

This Cal Poly University, dinosaur themed float was wonderful.  It became quite obvious that the shorter set of bleachers directly across the street from us was filled with Cal Poly students.  They went totally nuts.  It was fun to watch!

With more than forty floats, decorated vehicles carrying celebrities (like Grand Marshall Billie Jean King), various horse clubs, marching bands, the parade's royal court, and other features, the two hours just flew by!  I cannot imagine the complex nature of pulling this parade off!  Apparently, the last float ... pictured above ... wasn't shown on television!  It was followed by a giant-sized tow truck with the company name "The End of the Line" and a squad of police cars.

The distance from our location on Colorado Boulevard to outside the Rose Bowl stadium is 1.9 miles.  The walk is mostly downhill.  We were in high spirits getting there and had a wonderful time walking through aisles of tailgating parties.  We assumed that a few scalpers would be hawking game tickets but they were still BUYING.  Presumably, selling would start closer to kickoff.  Steve and I decided not even to attempt getting into the game.  We made the right decision despite the Buckeye victory!  After all, we stayed outside Pasadena and took the 6:30 AM metro to the parade. If we got into the game, it would be dark by the end ... and we'd have a 1.9 mile uphill walk back to the metro station.  So, we left for a sports bar with thirteen giant screens broadcasting the teams until the end:  OSU 41. Oregon 21.  This decision allowed us to stay north of Los Angeles and to go the next day ... 

... to visit my cousin Monika and her husband Karl at their place at Lake Isabella!  We could have stayed much, much longer.  Conversations were easy and quick paced but our luck with good weather was about to run out.  We had to leave in order to beat days of rain on our drive back.

Even so, we did make two stops!  We hiked at Walnut Canyon National Monument around Puebloan cave dwellings and ...

... visited Elvis Presley's birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi.  (This wasn't my idea!  I was, however, surprised at how very nice it was!  Not even tacky! LOL)

Mandala CCXVI

(Above:  Mandala CCXVI. Custom framed: 32" x 32".  Found objects hand-stitching to a section of an antique quilt. Objects include: An antique photo on a round metal base mounted on a wooden plate under which are nine, white, wooden checkers; clear plastic candle holders; beer caps; large metal washers; brass military uniform eagles; ViewMaster reels; laminated Hav-a-Tampa cigar labels; Mardi Gras doubloons; green, vintage cocktail forks; toy airplanes; green Monopoly hotels; vintage chiffon yoyos; assorted beads and buttons. Click on any image to enlarge.)

Like Mandala CCXV, this piece uses another section of the 1841 signature quilt. I started the design before laying out the earlier piece but wasn't quite sure about it.  I'm grateful that I have enough space here in my sanctuary-sized fiber arts studio to just let a design sit out in the open where I can look at it and contemplate the potential arrangement.  

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCXVI.)

I moved the chiffon yoyos around for a few days.  Finally, I knew what was wrong!  I knew that I needed the two rings to be slightly different.  Out came the large, metal washers! 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCXVI.)

Next came the challenge of attaching the round metal photo on the wooden plate ... and figuring out how to get the white checkers under the rim but still stitched in place.  That took some time but not as much as the rabbit hole I went down trying to determine the age of the metal photo.  I never did figure it out. I did, however, learn that photos were produced on metal back in the mid-19th century but it is unlikely that this one is that old.  Why?  Well, I browsed through plenty of over, similar photos on eBay and Etsy that certainly weren't from the 19th century.  Odds are that there was a time in the mid-20th century where this was a popular way to display photos of ancestors.  Still ... it is a nice picture with a great sense of nostalgia.  Soon, I had the center of this piece entirely stitched.  Again, I put it to the side and just looked at it.  Something was missing!

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCXVI.)

The corners needed "something".  This is how I often work.  I design part of a piece, look at the results, and then determine how to finish it.  The corner areas were done after a couple days of just looking and playing with other objects.  I'm very pleased with the outcome.  I'm also happy to show the picture above.  This picture shows some of the handwriting on the quilt but it also shows the layer of tan bridal tulle/netting that went over the quilt before any of the objects were stitched in place.  The tulle/netting protects the fragile, threadbare material.
 

Four new Small In Boxes

(Above:  Four, new Small In Box pieces ... leaning up against my sewing table.  Image taken using a flash.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Today the entire sky is gray.  It is wet outside and more rain is expected.  All is wonderfully quiet.  This is exactly the sort of day I dreamed about before retiring.  It is a day without interruptions, without the stress of holiday custom picture framing, without the sounds that seem to broadcast the rush-rush-rush of city dwelling.  This is a day when I can move from one stitching project to the next, leisurely.  It is also the sort of day that productivity runs high.  As a result, these four, Small In Boxes got put into their frames before I remembered to snap photos of them.

(Above:  The same photo as above but taken without a flash.)

Ordinarily, I don't need individual pictures of these pieces.  These are artworks that are often headed to the Grovewood Gallery in Asheville.  Yet with my acceptance into this coming spring's Smithsonian Craft Show, they might end up there.  I really love making them and often create more than one at a time simply because more than one will fit on my sewing table.  It is fun to cut up all the colorful bits of polyester stretch velvet, fuse it all onto the synthetic felt, and free-motion stitch it.  The other day, I posted a "story" on Instagram.  (I'm trying to learn more about all these social media platforms, including "stories" that disappear in a day but seem to drive traffic to my page.)

 

(Above:  The photo that Steve took of me melting one of the Small In Box pieces that became a "story" on Instagram)

The picture was taken on a much nicer but chilly day.  I was using my soldering iron to melt holes through the synthetic layers.  Wouldn't you know it!  This image prompted more than one person to inquire about the price of the finished works.  I promised to take pictures once they were finished ... but then ... I forgot to take them before they ended up in their frames.  So ... I lined them up ... leaning against my sewing table ... and took the pictures above.  One with flash; one without flash.

(Above:  In Box CDLXVII.  Framed:  19 1/4" x 15 1/4".  $235 plus the pesky South Carolina sales tax which is required even on out-of-state transactions and shipping. This is the same information for the three pieces below.)

Next, I hung each piece on one of the front doors and attempted to take individual photos.  Of course, I got a bit of reflection from the houses across the street.  Still ... its better than nothing!  Below are the other three.

(Above:  In Box CDLXVIII.)

 

(Above:  In Box CDLXIX.)

 

(Above:  In Box CDLXX.)