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.)

 

 

Mandala CCXV

(Above:  Mandala CCXV. 23 1/4" x 23 1/4".  Found objects hand-stitched to a section of an antique quilt. Objects include: A tintype in an embossed, gold foil spandrel stitched to half of an ambrotype case; a decorative porcelain plate; dominoes; silver paper binders; laminated, 1950s paper doll clothes; four "spinners"; vintage $25 farm store tokens; souvenir spoons; gold plastic thread spools on which anonymous photos were collaged; assorted beads and buttons. Click on any image to enlarge.)

Most of my Found Object Mandalas are created by assembling bits and pieces from random times and places.  Such was the centerpiece for this piece.  It started out with the tiny tintype of an anonymous little girl.  It was taped inside a small booklet sent to me from a friend.  Oddly enough, the tintype fit into the embossed gold foil spandrel I had in my stash.  Like the velvet lined case behind it, that spandrel predates the tintype by several decades ... but they looked so good together! So I poked holes in the foil and the case and stitched them together. 

 

(Above:  Backside of the porcelain plate.)

At the time, I wasn't sure this combination would work as the centerpiece for a mandala. Though I've used ambrotypes in the center of a few mandalas, I always put them on something round.  I wasn't sure I had anything that would work ... but then I noticed a porcelain plate I'd purchases at an antique mall.  I picked it up because it had a decorative border, one with holes!  But, I really didn't like the hand-painted fruit design ... so I hadn't used it.  Amazingly, the tinytype/ambrotype case assemblage aligned perfectly with the holes.  So I stitched it there!

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCXV.) 

Next, I needed a suitable background.  I rummaged through the box in which I store old quilts and pulled out one I'd never used.  Why?  Well ... it was really thin ... as in just a Southern summer quilt, the sort without batting.  It was well made but also damaged.  The red and white polka dot fabric used for the center of the medallions might not always have been "red and white". The "dot" had disintegrated years ago.  The "white" now seen is really the back of the quilt ... meaning ... just one layer of fabric.  There was another reason why I hadn't cut this quilt.  It was dated ... 1841 ... multiple times ... in sepia ink.  This was some sort of signature quilt.  The writing is difficult to read now, but many lines are Bible verses, names, and towns in upstate New York.  Like most of my quilts, I didn't pay more than twenty dollars for this one.  It seemed sad to cut something that old, but truthfully, it was the only real way to give parts of it "a second life".

 

(Above: Detail of Mandala CCXV.)

To solve the problems presented by this antique quilt, I simply stapled two layers of fabric behind the quilt.  (All my mandalas are stitched while stapled to a stretcher bar.)  What fabric did I use?  Of course it was repurposed!  I cut up an old damask tablecloth, one with stains from some holiday dinner.  This provided a more substantial base.  Like always, I pinned a layer of bridal tulle over the surface before stitching down any of my objects.  This nearly invisible layer protects the fragile, threadbare areas of the quilt.  

 

(Above:  Mandala CCXV, shown at an angle.)

Then, everything else simply fell into place.  I worked intuitively, picking up things that seemed to go with a "little girl" and the nostalgia of "long ago".  Most of the objects have been waiting in my stash.  I laminated the 1950s paper doll clothes more than a year ago.  I think the gold plastic spools have been waiting for even longer.  Of course, my stash has a big box of anonymous photos that were used on the tops of the spools.  The farm tokens were "newer to me"; I bought them last month at the Pickens County flea market ... which was also where I got the modern "spinner" toys for the corners. Best of all, I used colorful buttons.  I'm really pleased with how this Found Object Mandala turned out!

New Profile Picture

(Above:  My new social media profile picture.)

I would much rather be behind the camera than in front of it.  One of my eyes seems to squint if I attempt to smile much.  Often, I've got a stupid expression or accidentally move when taking a selfie.  Sometimes I get a finger in the way.  I must have clicked two or three dozen times before getting this result.  I don't really like it that much, but I was tired of trying to get something better ... something that shows me as I am but also my new, super cool eyeglasses.  I might try again ... sometime next week.  This will have to do for now.  At least it is current!  I subscribe to a few newsletters written by other art quilters and fiber artists who are still using the same image after more than a decade.  When I see their face on a Zoom meeting, I'm generally surprised.  They don't look like their picture any more.  I might not age gracefully but I'm not about to present myself with a picture from another era!
 

Mandala CCXIV

(Above:  Mandala CCXIV. Custom framed: 20" x 20". Found Objects hand-stitched to the backside of a vintage quilt.  Objects include: A tan, crochet-edged doily; a pair of old Wiss shears; two, gold metal pieces that might have come from a curtain stay with were fitted with antique button centers; an escutcheon; a piece of decorative metal; black toy car wheels; large, metal washers; natural wood toy car wheels; two, two-part buckles; assorted beads and buttons. Click on any image to enlarge.)

This particular mandala started as a way to use the pieces of a damaged frame.  One corner was badly chipped.  So, I started with the knowledge that the frame included black sides and a silver top.  The backside of an old quilt seemed perfect.  Then, I pulled out the old pair of Wiss shears that I recently found for a dollar at the Pickens County flea market.  The design flowed easily from there.  Everything seemed close at hand.  Most of the hand-stitching happened on Saturday while I watched one football conference championship game after another.  Later, however, I got curious about this brand name on the shears:  Wiss.

 

(Above:  Detail of Mandala CCXIV.)

A quick Google search was enlightening.  I'd heard of Fiskars and Gingher scissors.  They're sold at big box fabric stores.  I've seen Scotch and KitchenAid scissors at Target.  I knew that Singer made scissors too.  Personally, I own a pair of handmade scissors like those in this Made By British Hands video. (I love and protect them! LOL!)  Yet, I'd never heard of Wiss Shears and Scissors.  Why?  I have no idea.  

Founded in 1848 by Swiss immigrant Jacob Wiss, the company became the globe's largest producer by 1914 and later expanded to meet the growing needs of the medical and military industries.  From the start, Wiss replaced broken products regardless of the reason for the damage.  To this day, Wiss is the undisputed market leader of aviation snips. The brand is still being made and is part of Apex Tool Group.  On line, I found a PDF from the late 1950s showing all sorts of household items ... including tweezers, pruning clippers, cuticle snips, and fingernail files!  Who knew?!!!  There's a good chance I've seen and probably used a Wiss item but just didn't recognize it!