Getting Framed

Since Ladybug Lake is moving along so well, I have begun thinking about how to frame not only it, but future projects. The pieces I am thinking about for the near future I believe would look best matted, and it seems to me that having them done in a simple mat with a black frame will suit not only this one but also Ladybug Leaves when that gets underway. For a different one I started a while ago but put on the back burner, probably a more traditional frame would fill the bill.

There is a local frame shop that I'm interested in contacting about doing the work, since I pass it by frequently and it has been in our town for a while now. However, I know from experience that it is hard to find a good needlework framer. I think I have "framing anxiety" from a piece I made for my daughter and wanted framed. A friend of mine suggested this place that actually was a photography studio but she told me also framed needlework. Trusting her that they were good, I gave them my piece. Now custom framing is not cheap for needlework, and this probably holds true for any framing job, but I figure it is worth it to have it look professional. After paying for the job and then getting to see it afterwards, I was shocked how poorly it was done. Even worse, when I pointed it out, I was met with this incredulous look, like I had just told them an alien landed in their parking lot. Fortunately they were agreeable to try to improve their work, and the second attempt looked better but was not what I was looking for.

I could take my work to my closest needlework shop, but they are quite a distance drive from me, always charge more than regular storefront framers, and take forever, and this is all contingent on if they have someone they can farm it out to. The stars all have to perfectly align which seldom happens for me. So at this point I will talk to my local frame shop and see if they even do needlework framing, and if not, I'll probably have to slog out to the needlework shop and hope the stars are in my favor.

Inspiration Happens!

So what is my inspiration? Is it a flash out of the blue? An object? A certain media? A picture? A glimpse of nature? Actually all of it applies. For Ladybug Lake it was actually some glass ladybug beads that I had in my stash. I made some stick pins with some of the beads and was struck with an idea for a design. It was slow going with a rough sketch, then graphing it a couple of times to get the final design. Then it was time to get the colors and then materials selected. The actual story behind this is a motorcycle trip my husband and I made with some friends to the top of a mountain one spring. It overlooks this beautiful big lake and the day was gorgeous with the sunshine dancing across its surface and making it look like it was dotted with diamonds. We were so fortunate to have been there the day when thousands of ladybugs happened to be there too on the scrubby vegetation scattered about the landscape. We stumbled across a slice of heaven that day making it one that I will never forget. When I started the design I knew that water would be an integral part of the design and wanted to give the same impression of the light dancing across it by adding blue and silver blending filaments. Even though it meant a lot more work, I knew it had to be added.

In this case the beads sparked the inspiration, but it was a grouping of that along with the experience and the fibers that made the design happen. In another design I am working on it is the beads AND the fibers that inspired the design. On another I am working on, it is a piece of vintage jewelry that drove the idea. In another I have in mind, it is what I saw of nature on a university campus. So my inspiration comes from everything and anything and I love that unpredictability for my art. I love doing the work and seeing it all come together fills my heart with pride and the joy it brings to myself and others is the icing on the cake!

The Return of Ladybug Lake

So I started up again on Ladybug Lake over the weekend and have made decent progress. This is a larger piece to work on and will take more stitching and time. I am working on the blue background and in addition to stitching it with silk, I decided to also stitch it with two colors of blending filament to give it a sparkle like the sun hitting the water makes it glint. I am quite happy with the effect even though it means more work. Still working on the studio clean-up....that, like the Ladybug Lake, is a work in progress!

When Did a Tornado Go Through My Studio?

I know here in Oklahoma we are known for our dramatic weather, especially tornadoes, but I never suspected one could just roar through my studio without me knowing it! LOL! It looks like an F5 barreled through, and I'm the one that unleashed it. UGH! I hope this isn't going to take more than a week but from the looks of it, it might. I get the magazine, "Cloth, Paper, Scissors" and almost always I read that uncluttering the studio is wonderful for the creative spirit. I believe that is true, but when I am in a creative frenzy so to speak, it seems I have to pull everything out to get the little that I need.

One thing that I am quite anxious to try are my Shiva Paint Sticks and foils. I have some Egyptian beads that I am just dying to work with and I think the foil and sticks will add a wonderful dimension to the stitching. I also have some Faber Castell Gelatos that I would love to try out too, not to mention my Jacquard Fabric Paints. I think adding paint with stitching is such a great way to create and adds so much to the craft of surface design and mixed media. OMGosh I am already wanting to pull out more stuff from my cabinets instead of putting things away.....the creative curse strikes again, and again, and again, ad infinitum...LOL!

Here is a sampler of my gelatos I can use for reference as well as my Jacquard and Stewart Gill fabric paints.

Faber Castell Gelatos Sampler

Jacquard fabric paints.

More Jacquard fabric paints.

Stewart Gill fabric paints.

More Stewart Gill fabric paints.

I would much rather paint on my fabrics than dye them because I like to have more of a hand in the design of it rather than a random occurrence. I really enjoy that part of the process and prefer not leave it to chance. That is not to say that I don't think overdyed fabrics aren't pretty and have a place for stitchers, because they certainly do, I just prefer to play with paints and designs of my own, and there are so many they truly are a blast to experiment with. Did I mention fabric markers too? Oh no, I better stop while I'm ahead and get to work on the studio! LOL!

The Agony and the Ecstacy

I have finally finished the Pear Blossom Design for my studio door and have ordered the fabric to make it into a hanging. It is such a relief to get this one under my belt and move on to finishing the Ladybug Lake design. However, all my work on this design has shown itself physically in my hands from holding the Q-Snap and the needle, so I am going to take a week off from stitching and work on reorganizing my studio and the new Ladybug Leaf design.

Here are photos of the finished Pear Blossom Design:

Finally finished! Floss, glass beads, and blending

filament did the job!

I love the way the beads in the center add such

great dimension!

I will post a picture when I get it done up as a placard for the door of my studio. Very excited about this finish and looking forward to the many projects I have in the queue.

The Matter of the Mighty Minoans

I recently became interested in the Minoan civilization. They were so far advanced from any other culture at the time and it took a while for others to catch up to it. It was a matriarchal society, priestesses were in charge, and women held equal rank. It also was a very artistic society with beautiful mural paintings on the walls of their homes and their woven textiles were popular trade items. What is not to like about these people? I mean, they were prosperous, successful merchants and tradespeople that encouraged the pursuit of artistic endeavors. That's what I call advanced! Unfortunately they were destroyed by the eruption of a volcano, and it is amazing to think if not for that how else their development would have progressed and changed future civilizations.

While doing my research I found that the academic world is paying more and more attention to textiles used in ancient civilizations as they connect to all the other aspects of their way of life. They have come to realize that textiles are very relevant to scholarly study and comprise an important component to their cultural overview.

Textile and fiber art is so important for us to take seriously as indicators of materials preferred and purposed during our time. Even though we do not normally use embroidery and beading to adorn our clothes now, they are still very important ways of artistic expression today to adorn our walls, soft furnishings, and three dimensional sculptures. The variety of materials we have available make this time in history one of great innovation in textile design and execution. It is exciting to think about the evidence we will leave for future archeologists and anthropologists to discern what we loved to work with and why.