Stitches in circles

My friend Anne Marie did this stitch in one of her stitch meditations.   I loved it so much I wanted to copy it.  Now, mind you, these are not really copies.   Her stitching is neat and precise..... while mine are looser and less technical.   I love them either way.   

Stitch meditation w circles

Ive been spending so much time painting lately, stitch meditations have been neglected.     I did this one celebrating circles and the new thread I bought at local quilt shop.    I went in to buy needles with larger eyes so I can thread them more easily, but the ones with larger eyes are not very sharp.  I dont like having to force a needle through the fabric.   The owner showed me a lighter weight thread, a number 5.    Perfect.   And its variagated.   Very nice to work with.   And very expensive.    I like it so well I will probably pick up another color next time I am there.

Here it is.  Scrap from my sister in laws scrap basket plus some of my stash.

Three new stitch meditations.

I can hardly believe I have now done 80 of these little pieces.   I think I will continue to 100, then start experimenting with more emphasis on the stitching -- and dyeing my own background fabrics.   By then I will have used bits and pieces of my favorite fabric scraps and will be ready to step up to a new level. 

 Mixing Asian inspired with vintage bits.   They are so beautiful.

Lined up

St

Collection growing

Two new pieces.

1. Fourth of July.  

2. Cruciform.

Series of stitch meditations

Occasionally I will find myself working in a series.   This one relates back to my childhood in a little mining town in Nevadas high desert.    Just a stones throw from Virginia City, my home town of Silver City was a fun place to be a child. We could walk to school. No traffic. No stop signs, just cross the street and climb the hill by friends house, turn left and continue to walk uphill to crest where the two room schoolhouse stood.     In winter we could ride our sleds down the snow covered streets.    The town is still there. Some of our friends and their descendants still live there. Its this place that taught us the beauty of simple things, and vintage things. Reliance on family. Right and wrong.  The love of open spaces, long vistas and the fragrence of wild sage brush.  The love of rocks and clouds and joys of friendships.   The wild horses are still there.   This is what inspired these pieces.   Fa

Politics suck

After the ongoing furor over the children of immigrants being separated from their families and detained in goverment facilities ...I need to do an art piece that says.   I CARE.  DON`T YOU?  This in response to our first ladies' poor judgement (or her staff's.) by selecting her jacket to wear to visit these children.     I hope to share this here soon.     

Cottons and batiks.

I thought these colors and prints would make an interesting composition.      I needed to add the turquoise stitching to pull it together.    Thinking of this as a quick collage and not a well defined projectif very freeing.   Makes me happy.   In these trying times we really dont need to stress over our art. 

Vintage stitch meditation

This piece has vintage chenille, hankie, ball fringe, silk ribbons and a scanned image printed on scrap of old pillow case.  Its very soft and touchable.   In honor of my dear friend Pat who has been very ill and is now recuperating and hopefully on the road to recovery.   

Two new stitched pieces

 Different days, different colors.
The first one was done with scraps from a friend with my own little cordouroy bits added.

 The lower image is one built of small strips of various green prints criss crossed with blue batik strips and a piece of green yarn.  And one of my signature dots of color.     I hope you like them.

Blue and green

These colors are so soothing.  Posted today in honor of my mothers birthday.   She loved to sew.  Sewed mostly useful things like clothing.  She had been a home economics teacher for many years, later went back to college in her mid life to get California teaching credentials, and took job teaching kindergarten.   That became her passion.   

As I entered junior high and took my first home ec class, she taught me to sew.  Shortcuts and tricks.    Soon I was making my own dresses and once in high school  I made a matching outfit for my steady beau.   A mod black and white pattern, geometric.  His was a shirt, mine a skirt.    That paid him back for dropping off a gunny sack full of grunion after a trip to the beach.   My mom had a fit.    We buried them instead of cooking them.   Lol.   Anyway he was game enough to wear his shirt to Sadie Hawkins day dance. 

I miss my mom, but know she is still with me in many ways. 

Stitch meditations today.

 This top one was done a few weeks ago. The bottom two are from yesterday and today.    Im cutting back on producing then sice i have passed the 50 SM goal.    But its fun and relaxing and something I may choose to continue.

Weekend stitch meditations

 The dragonfly is a leftover scrap from an altered book I made a long time ago. 

The giraffes are from an old camp shirt I cut up rather than donate to thrift store.   There are other animals that I will use when Im in a jungle frame of mind.   I am watching "Naked and Afraid"  tv show, so animals are on my radar.   So glad to be here warm and comfortable with refrigerator full of tasty edibles, rather than digging for grubs and trying to make a fire to dry off and keep warm.   I am counting my blessings.   And stitching. 

Stitch meditations this week.

I am continuing to do one a day.  Usually I will sort through fabric pieces and scraps in the evening and pick out what I will work on in the morning.  Three mornings a week I go to art groups at local senior centers. I do my stitching there.    Most people are painting or drawing, but presently this is my activity of choice.   Its so easy to carry a stitch bag with minimal supplies.   Not like hauling wet canvases and paints.    Here are some recent stitched pieces.

Friends who share

My friend Sally sent a package of fabric pieces and variegated embroidrry floss.   This is a stitch meditation with one of her scraps and some of her thread.    Thanks Sally. 

Three more.

46 Stitch Meditations

I have created 46 of these small stitch meditations.  I wont be posting all of them.... but here are s few more.

Recent stitch meditations

Here are some other recent stitch meditations.

Thursday stitch meditation

Two stitch meditations. Both using a batik with grid pattern.  The top one has a frayed silk scrap.   The lower one is all cottons.