How do I begin?

I think the process starts with my place on this island and in my personal relationships.

I think that those two things are the ground for every thing I make.

I respond to my yard and the trees and the water and the sky

and the drive home with the sun going pink 

and the quietness 

and the feelings of safety that Ned provides.

I also look at books.

I read the words.

I read every day and do so because of the lovely words, one after the other.

Evocative words, well placed, that connect to something wordless in me.

I can't really explain it, but they inspire me.

Sometimes I write them down but most of the time I just absorb them.  Other people's written words.

I look at art books.  

I have a big collection of books on art, quilts, world texitles.

I look at the pictures in these books.  I study one or two pictures a day.

Every day. They feed my creative brain so much.

So that's where I start. 

That's where the ideas glimmer.

When I feel any kind of spark, I make a quick note or a sketch in the journal I keep close. 

I don't really draw.

I don't need a drawing, or want one.  If I had a drawing of what the completed piece would look like, then I wouldn't be able to make it.

I think that a refined drawing would stifle me.    

I do make quick and rough sketches with a ball point pen.  

The photos that illustrate this post are of of some of the quilts I worked on in October. 

Gratefully.

a pilgrimage

pilgrimage:  noun

a journey made to some sacred place as an act of devotion

a visit made to a place that is considered special, where you go to show your respect

I visited the Royal Ontario Museum when I was in Toronto last month.  The main reason to visit was in order to see this quilt, then on display in the special exhibition of  Quilts: Made in Canada.  

I met my brother and Kirsten there.

Pieced Triangles Quilt 1880
  Maker no longer known. 
 Asphodel-Norwood Township, Ontario. 
 Roller-printed cotton, plain weave

Look closely at this quilt: it's made of over 8000 light and dark triangles, each less than 2 centimetres long and hand-stitched together to create an intricate pattern from the smallest scraps.

The patient maker who sewed it worked outwards from the centre, creating a series of rectangular frames that slowly increase to build a quilt.  (wall text)  

I look at the movement of the colours

I sense the amount of time that each triangle took to place.

I appreciate the passage of time that this quilt has remained even though the maker has passed on.

I marvel at the accuracy of the intricate handwork.

I understand this woman.  

My imagination is engaged.

My interior world is entered into.

Her repeated touching reaches me at an intimate, personal level.

The sense of touch is powerful. 

"The impact of art touches something buried deep in embodied memory.  It is a mystery."  

Juhani Pallasmaa 

lucky pillow and pinwheel quilt

 

I put one of my embroideries into a pillow and called it the Lucky Pillow because seven is a lucky number and my granddaughter turned 7 last week.  

I finished it on the drive to Toronto to visit the family.

The seven year old has a 3 year old little sister and they play together.  Here they are playing with the small quilt that I am making for little sister.

It's made from hand pieced pinwheels, one of my favourite ways to place half square triangles together.  To up the playful feeling of my hand dyes, I visited local quilt shops and purchased some new printed fabrics for this wee quilt intended for a new person.  (she's only the ripe old age of 3)   

Suvi's quilt is one of the hand work projects I took with me to Mexico.  I loved being able to put the pieces into a baggie and sew it on the plane using a thread cutter rather than scissors or take the baggie with me to the beach or pool.  In the above photo, I am putting a nine-patch of pinwheels together in the lobby of the resort during a period of waiting for one of our families to arrive.  

I prepared this project beforehand with rotary cut squares that were machine pieced together with a single diagonal line.  I cut off half of the tiny square and discarded that part, then pressed the squares open.

It is a very portable and cheerful project.

   

This baby quilt is one of two hand work projects I took to Mexico, the other one being the one patch quilt I wrote about last week.

I keep looking at it on the wall because I am cautious about using too much red fabric.  I want a light as air feeling that's interesting far away and close up.  

  

The lucky pillow as a hat for grandad.

the pinwheel quilt.  xo

amulets and recipes

Sarah's first amulet with red thread protection

An amulet is a device, the purpose of which is to protect by magical means.
Amulets in the form of triangles are ubiquitous.
Their power is boosted with the addition of coins or embroidered patterns.
Triangle amulets can hang from a belt or purse or be pinned to a blouse.
They can be carried in a pocket.

Sarah's amulet embroidered with the Ukranian symbol for stamina and health, the branch of a fir tree

Triangular amulets for protection of lone travelers are made from plain fabric, crudely stitched.  (Gold or silver triangular earrings are also amulets).

quilt back hand stitched by April

There are many aspects of textiles, not just pattern that are protective, such as thread itself.

stripes and diamonds by April

The following motifs are in themselves amulets.
Star, tree of life, cross, hand, labyrinth, eye, and magic square.

triangles and nine patches by zoe

Confusion is an effective weapon against whatever the demon is.
Pockets out of alignment or false, small irregular details, complicated dense patterning,
all these serve to perplex.

hand stitched crosses by Sarah

Embroidery on edgings or seams of garments,
embroidery around pockets and over breasts are all used
to prevent disease-carrying spirits from reaching the body.

chocoolate chip cookies by Emily

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cream until fluffy 1 cup butter, 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar
Add 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla and continue to beat until fluffy
Fold in  2 cup flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt
Fold in 1 or 2 cup chocolate chips
Drop on ungreased cooke sheet by teaspoon and bake 350 degree oven 12 minutes or so
Slightly under-bake - when removing from oven slam the cookie sheet on counter or stove top
Dough can be refrigerated.

yellow cake by moi

Scratch Yellow Cake
pre-heat oven to 375 degree and prepare cake pan (9"square) with butter and dust of flour
Sift 2 1/4 cup cake flour with 3 tsp baking powder into mixing bowl, add 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp salt
Cut 1/2 cup soft butter into the flour, then add 2/3 cup of milk and beat for 2 minutes with electric mixer.  Scrape bowl often with rubber spatula.
Add 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla and 1/3 cup more milk.  Beat 2 more minutes.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

star web by April

Solar motifs of circles and stars are powerful.

hand stitched amulets by sarah, stars and each stuffed with salt

Cut two triangle shapes from cloth you have on hand.
Sew the sides together but leave a small opening so that you can add garlic, salt or a written prayer.
However, the triangle by itself is powerful enough.  It has sharp points.

The text in this post is paraphrased from
Sheila Paine's book Amulets: Sacred Charms of Power and Protection

The images of sewing and cookies were sent to me by young women who are staying home this week.

Take care of yourselves dear ones.
(the recipe for chocolate icing is in the comments)

magic break

 we took off for 6 days into the colour

 stayed in hotels, had nice dinners

 listened to an audio book

 talked

 it was a break

 it felt like we were in our own time capsule

 just the two of us, specks in this awesome world

I stitched,
looked out the car window

This is your life, dear friends. 

Meet it with bravery and with great love. 

Lenore Tawney 1992

believing

 

 NOT that the art object is inherently significant

 

 meaningful or beautiful

 

 BUT THAT the value

 and meaning of art is actively constructed

 

 by the viewer.

 (Marcel Duchamp's belief)