Thread Control

Some folk might recall my studio clean-up earlier this year.

One of the things I really enjoyed was bringing my messy drawers of threads

under control.

Thanks to a friend who keeps everything I had a bag of cardboard tubes

from various paper products.

I think he thought I was a bit strange wanting to take them off his hands.

As you can see they are keeping my pearl cottons well under control.

My flosses have been an unruly, knotted mess for years

but now most of them are neatly wrapped

around old cereal box cardboard.

A piece of art in itself!

Have to admit I still have some baskets of knotty messes

and I am slowly working my way through them.

But I do enjoy looking at these little dots of colour

as they sit in my drawers.

Another drawer is full of balls and cones of neutrals.

I have a lot of them.

And now after my trip to Halifax, I have more to put in that drawer.

White On Trees

Last night's snow really clung to everything.

Can you still tell a stream should run through those alders?

Whiteness clinging to every tiny twig.

Tall and elegant Spruce.

Branching Elm.

Got to love those trees.

They are offering protecting to many a critter

but this harsh, snowy winter is very hard on 

all the inhabitants of these woods

and the mountain beyond.

Scratching Or Perhaps Digging Our Way Deeper Into Winter Even Though Spring Is Here

For a couple of months now

I have been searching high and low for a lost book.

Going through boxes I found bits and pieces of old works.

So why not incorporate some knitting into the scratchings.

Half the fun is just plonking foreign objects into place

and working at making it 'belong'.  

In this case surrounding

it with stitches.

An old grey border rejected a few years ago

is now a fence with

wonderful spirals perched atop.

Have to make room for birthday celebrations.

This blue stretchy velvet appeared in many pieces

years and years ago.

If I like a fabric I use it over and over.

Just like nowadays I use the same stitches

over and over.

Repetition

Memory

Meditation

Playtime With Diane

Last week I did take some time away from stitching 

to play with my friend Diane.

We cut up one of her old blankets..

....and died soft mottled greys....

....and browns.

Lovely little pieces just calling out for some stitching.

When Deadlines Are Upon Us

Some of you might recall

A couple of pieces giving me carpel tunnel.

It is oh, so tough stitching through the tight weave

of my dyed Egyptian cotton.

Every time I do it

I tell myself "this is the last time".

So instead of stitching I procrastinate....

....and now of course a deadline is here.

So this last week

with pliers in hand

I stitched and stitched and stitched.

Tried to keep the stitching minimal

but simply had to add little dots of additional colour.

Those dots took me three days.

If a piece speaks to you, you just have to listen

even if your fingers are numbed from grabbing the needle

and your wrist aches from tugging needle and thread with pliers.

To me the dots really make this piece.

Love them must do that again through gentle pliable cloth.

And of course couldn't just do one piece.

No dots here but circles instead.

Now I have to christen them

and write some wise words about them and my process!

So you won't see my scratchings today

I have to play catchup with them.

Time Unfolding

Scratched time unfolding

The sun appeared for the first time in ages.

A pale winter sun

Not even strong enough to warm us up

Nor strong enough to start a spring melt.

It's rays were just strong enough to create thick layers of wicked ice.

Slippery ice.

Be careful out there.

Moving The Artist's Way Show

On Saturday we drove to Yarmouth and took down our show.

Then we drove to University Ste Anne at Church Point

and put up our show.

Taking down a show takes oh, about thirty minutes.

Hanging a show takes hours

even with the help of husbands!

Sherry's and Giselle's work.

Nadine's and Sherry's work.

Grace's work.

Mine

and of course the Daily Scratchings.

Scratched Running Stitch

Textures from Running Stitch

Way back I used to give a workshop

called T is for Texture

Gathering cloth with running stitch

can be tight

or loosey goosey.

Frayed edges of perhaps nerves. 

I have used this printed cotton for years and years....

....still one of my favourites.