After Four Years of Exile...

We have finally moved to a place that has room for all my fabric and Fergus (plus at least 20 other cats for Fergus to get beat down by, including a random grey kitten that ran into our apartment today). It also doesn't have the stupidest tenancy agreement of all time, so even though I'm paying more, it's probably all worth it. 

Since I can put shelves on anything that doesn't move and we're paying more for rent, we are getting rid of the storage locker. We have enough room that we don't need it, and while I packed it like tetris before the move, we finally got down to the original layer and brought it all home today. This was virtually all my stuff, including my quilt hoop, the parts of the industrial sewing machine (now in the basement), the homemade drumcarder and fibre, the tubs of dyestuff and pots for dyeing, and the two jumbo tubs of FABRIC.

Ooh tub of TREASURE. SO EXCITING. Those are the poly brocades I hoarded on top. I started pulling everything out of them as soon as possible and depositing it into multiple piles around the living/dining area.

Fabric piles everywhere! And patterns. And test designs. And things I sort of made. And interfacings/fusible web/buckram/timtex. And other wonderful things.

It turned out I had lots of white fabric (mostly silk) for dyeing. Some cotton, linen, organza and also some kind of stiff silk I have no idea what I'm going to do with. It's almost like paper. Definitely silk though, which is my favorite fibre ever:

Especially duppioni, apparently. I love the versatility of silk and the way it dyes. It's the perfect fibre and if silk worms weren't so disgusting and nasty, I would totally raise them to reap the benefits of their hard work and sad little lives. Yay! But they ARE nasty so someone else has to do it for me. I also had some silk hankies (these are pulled out cocoons) in there, which I used in felting projects mostly.

 I took most of the quilting cotton in the form of fat quarters with me and they sat on the shelf of my room, but a few of the larger cuts I put into storage. I found some nice plain blacks and whites, both of which I've bought more of since. Plus some cotton, wool and silk/wool batting. Unfortunately I can't decide which is the wool and which is the silk/wool. Love wool batting though.

 

Various apparel fabrics plus the sari I bought all cheap. I also had a couple of patterns. I keep trying to do clothing sewing, but I'm just not that good at it. Mainly because I want to be able to sew like Alexander McQueen already and am always sadly disappointed that God didn't just make that happen like when the lame walk and the blind see.  IT'S JUST AS VITAL. Like who wants to make t shirts? I want to make COOL STUFF.

I totally did buy that Japanese Vionnet book in anticipation of him changing his mind on that this time though!!

These are muslins, test blocks and half finished projects. Never have known exactly what to do with some of these. I also have the ties and bits for the crazy quilt I have always been planning. One of these days I'll start it!

 I even found actually finished projects as well (yeah I do have a few of those). This was my big bagua batik. The tiger was probably my favorite, and I dyed the colours with procion mx and sodium alginate. I remember the black being really problematic and it ended up fading quite a bit after I put it in a window, though it was meant to fade out on the edges. Mama was like "let's put it on the table for decoration" haha.

  I also found the logwood dyed things had shifted quite a lot into brown from purple. Gotta watch those browns. And logwood of course. The dye woods are in their own tub, though I suspect I'll have to replace all the noxious chemicals I'm still not supposed to have.


Also,  FYEAH DRAGON











I did not find the three missing quilts. I think they are gone. Mama keeps saying "I didn't take them, just the other ones you found under my bed!!" Sigh.  It's possible they got moved, but they are not in any of the places my other things are. RIP quilts, where ever you are:

:(

Who Needs a Man as Long as There are Art Supplies

 My uncle's immortal words live on.

 As you all may recall, I like Janomes. One of the things I have never liked about them is that they have a pretty small throat space (which, if blogger weren't mysteriously blocking random photos, you would see from the earlier post).

So about three years ago, Janome released the horizon 7700, which featured a colossal 11 inch throat space. It was also red and featured a wiener dog in its ads (which I'm pretty sure were made especially with me in mind cause I was like OMG it's stretched out JUST LIKE A WIENER DOG. Yeah. Janome's ad team FTW there).

Anyway since that time, I have repeatedly broken the 10th commandment over it and rued the day I decided to go to school instead of buying sewing machines.

So now that I am done wretched school, I can buy things that aren't tuition, textbooks or food. Just happened to decide to covet it again online a week ago and discovered that Northgate Sewing has it on HUGE discount and were also throwing in its special table. I think the model is probably being retired to make way for the 8900.

Anyway, I went down there on Monday morning (yes even though I worked that night) just to SEE IT. They originally had three machines and a display model. Of them, the display model alone remained. I bought it anyway. The sales rep was like oh you're interested in trying the machine? And I was like no I just want to buy it. Prolly the quickest sale they ever made. Because the table was already assembled the sales rep said he would deliver it for me that afternoon. Then I went home and tried to sleep but mostly laid in my bed squealing with delight.

Isn't it perty?? When he delivered it, the sales rep insisted on setting it up in the table. So while I was working, it basically occupied a third of the centre of the living room.  I had planned on putting the table in storage so that I could set it in the store room where it could sit forlornly with the other machines, but since he set it in the table mama decided to put it back against the wall, which I guess is its new home.

Yay its spot. Yeah it's basically sandwiched in there. What can I say, it's the crapartment. Space is at a premium. Between it and Gigantor, there is a lot of competition for attention.

The thing that the throat space facilitates is of course free motion quilting. So the first thing I tried today was a sampler of sorts. I definitely have to get a tension that works for me (it's on auto right now) but it worked okay. One thing I like is that the machine OPENS (the old Janome didn't). 

I already know that I don't like how squat it is; the working space is really short. I think that's a minor annoyance, but I used to quilt with my head on the machine occasionally (yeah, ergonomics pheh). You can see the shortness here. I have to have the presser foot down to change the foot because there are bars in the way otherwise; it's that short.  It'll take some getting used to; it feels like the machine is in the way of the visible space a little. I think it might also be the height of the table. I can open the machine and eliminate some of that, but no putting my head on the machine anymore.

Anyway fun times playing (less fun having the money come out of my account, but hey it's less than some other things...). And it's the same colour as my new phone. :) Holly suggested names and I am leaning towards Shemar. :P

Treasures old and new

Haha! I got books! New books from Stan and old books from Mem. All potential treasures. Admire the beauties-this makes me happy and I am thankful to know people who are willing to mail me happiness in codex form. The downside (if there is one) is that now I have to read this colossal stack (including all the ones I already had in the queue) before I can buy moar. That's okay, it's cold and ugly out and I am back on nights-all conducive to some good reading.

Oh and I also get to add them to my librarything. *cackling with glee*

In Christ...

A Christian is an impregnable person. He is a person that never can be conquered. Emmanuel became man to make the church and every Christian to be one with him. Christ's nature is out of danger of all that is hurtful. The sun shall not shine, the wind shall not blow, to the church's hurt. For the church's Head ruleth over all things and hath all things in subjection. Therefore let all the enemies consult together, this king and that power, there is a counsel in heaven which will disturb and dash all their counsels. Emmanuel in heaven laugheth them to scorn.

Richard Sibbes

As I'm sure you all know I love Richard Sibbes (have you read the Bruised Reed yet?). I was reminded of this quote once again by the struggles of an acquaintance.It's one of my faves.

Sibbes here reminds me a little of Torah and Numbers in particular. Nothing could prevent God from delivering his people, not the many enemies without nor the people delivered. Just so, nothing can prevent Christ from fully redeeming his church. He has already done it in fact and if we are in Christ, we have nothing to fear from what may be done to us or even from ourselves and our own weaknesses. Even the enemy of self is under his subjugation. For those of us bleeding out from self-inflicted wounds it is powerful to remember that he controls all things and works them together for the good of his people. Of course this turns our normal perception on it's head for it means that when evil comes there is ultimately goodness hidden in the evil which we receive by Christ. All our sufferings are good, even those self-inflicted ones. Evil then is turned in on itself by the power of the crucified and risen Christ.

Of course we are not safe from evil because we are special, get things right, or feel the right way, but because we are in Christ. We are weak and we fail and pain comes, but Christ has succeeded even when we feel like utter failures. Christ is victorious even when we feel like we have been completely conquered by others' cruelty or our weaknesses. No suffering harms us in Christ. In Christ. No two sweeter words may comfort us in trial. All the promises of God find their yes in Christ. That is why it is through him we utter our amen to God-for his glory.

Ultimately it is all about him and his glory, glory revealed in suffering, Christ's and ours. This is why God upholds us-for Christ's sake and for the glory of his Name. Not because one day we would "pay him back" and be a good return investment. No from beginning to end, salvation is of God and he alone. That is why we may rest so securely in it, That is why we can laugh with God to the scorn of his enemies (and our old man is certainly one of them) and not fear what they may or may not do. He will do what he has set out to accomplish, and he has set out to make us his own sons, at one with him. These sufferings are his way of making it happen.

And finally when we are revealed as the sons of God and with Christ in his glory we will see just how powerful our God is. On that day I'm sure we'll laugh at how foolish we were to cower fearfully in the impenetrable fortress that is Christ-which even now we reside in.


Anyway that is where my mind has been wandering lately.

I Has Noo Toi!

Now I don't really need a new sewing machine but I am a brand loyal sort of person so every time I go to the quilt store I always look at Janomes (and as a brand-loyal person, I have always wondered if the e is silent or not. I usually say it, but the lady at the store did not and that just opens that right up again). Anyway the mechanical version of the QC is on promotion in all Janome dealerships, which makes me wonder if they are phasing it out-I am wary of computerized models in a completely luddite sort of way, and the thought made me kind of want to buy one while they are still around.
So they were basically throwing in the table for the price of the machine (the tables are usually extra and they make you pay lots of money. Everyone is taking lessons from Apple on How to Charge Extra for Everything and Still Have Idiots Buy Your Stuff these days)...Mama made me buy it. No really I was buying other stuff and she said "oh and she'll take the machine too". Mama likes making executive decisions like that. Then she said later "I guess I could have bought it for you for your birthday or at least gone halfs." Yeah that probably would have been nice.
Oh well. I got a table-and quickly disabused mama of the idea that I was getting rid of the old machine. HA!

Now I just have two of them.

Mine!

In his lecture on the background of the British drawing collection owned by the National Gallery, the curator who originally put this exhibit together reminded the audience that all of the drawings belonged to the people of Canada. So I already own a CRM-I just have to share it with 30 million other people. I don't know why they wouldn't let me get my time's worth out of it at by keeping it at my house for awhile.

Okay I didn't steal it, but I did buy the retrospective book that went with the exhibit, and by posting this picture from that am likely violating copyright so I'm still breakin the laaaawww.

At the time this was painted, the Mackintoshes careers were in the tank. While architectural and other design were abandoned, Charles focused on serene landscapes and continued doing his beautiful, painstakingly detailed flower paintings. I was reminded of the famous quote from a lecture he gave:

Art is the Flower...Life is the Green Leaf.
Let every artist strive to make his flower a beautiful living thing, something that will convince the world that there may be, there are, things more precious, more beautiful-more lasting than life itself.

I was so drawn to the cartouche, which he inscribed with his own and Margaret's initials in pencil.

The Salon itself was interesting. They had organized lectures, a piano performance (Mama and I only recognizing the most common of the four pieces he did-Clair de Lune-since we are part of the unwashed masses), a rather amusing tableau in which the performers re-created one of the paintings, and a poetry reading. All of these were interspersed with periods for conversational circles relating to various subjects. The major complaint I had was that the conversational circles were almost impossible to join in because we couldn't hear a thing. I tried very hard to hear the fellow who was involved in the work with the synchrotron, but to no avail.

At least we got booze and food-totally the redeeming part for mama. :-P She said it was just like all the functions she used to go to with dad; she had no idea what the hell they were on about half the time.


Here is what 100 of my dollars looks like. Why do art books always have to be so expensive? I think someone is trying to keep them from we unwashed masses or some such thing. Okay and they have lots of pictures-and colour ones at that.
I had to go back the next day and buy the book as the gift shop was closed during the Salon, then went back a third time and bought the Lanigan collection book. Since admission is by donation, I visited my favorite pictures-and especially the CRM-every time. :)
I didn't buy them at once was because I didn't think I could really afford both until mama the buying enabler got involved and told me to go back for the one on the left. Though both exhibits were beautiful, some of my favorites were from the Lanigan collection (he is reported to own the most impressive personal collection of PRB and related works in the country).


This one does however partially belong to me:

This is a detail of a large and meticulous pen sketch by David Wilkie chronicling a visit to Scotland of George IV. I just love this guy, he's all "who gives a rip about that fatarsed German king? Don't these people know if it's not Scottish it's crrap?!"

AaaaAAaart

While at work the other day, I was looking at a Saskatoon tourism booklet that had come with the paper. They had a listing of the current exhibitions at the Mendel Art Gallery. As the Mendel is just across the kinsmen park from what is still my grandma's apartment for the next month or so, I have spent many a good time hanging out there, looking at conceptual art involving cut up bodies and whatnot, and wondering who eats the bananas from the conservatory banana tree. It's always good to take some time to go there when we are in the city.

Anyway the Mendel is currently showing an exhibit of British Drawings from The National Gallery. The listing is graced by a nice Rossetti drawring, and the idea of resurrecting a drawing salon sounded kind of interesting so I figured I'd probably make a stop there when we go up in July. So I went to the website (I didn't even know the Mendel had a website) and saw that it's focused on Pre-Raphaelite work, which would be nice to see...then I saw those three special words.

You know the ones that cause heart fluttering and excessive swooning. That's right!

Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

AAAAAAAaaaaAAAaaaHHHHhhhhHHHH!!!!!

There's a drawing by CRM in Saskatchewan!! Now knowing me, you would be aware that I would be willing to travel there to see a piece of TP that was once stuck to the shoe of one of the Four. So you know I AM SO GOING to that now.

I am betting it's one of his smaller watercolours or flower paintings, nothing spectacular, as I think the Hunterian Gallery houses all the superextracool works of the Mackintoshes. Still wouldn't it just be awesome if it was that one...which name I don't know-but it's like my FAVORITE one, and it's all green and purple and crazy detailed and it has like shieldy-things, and I have it as my desktop background, and I close everything just to look at it sometimes, yeah that one-wouldn't it be awesome if it was that one?? I feel that either that or a textile design would be most worthy of the jail time I'd get for stealing it.


Mama will not agree to be my distractor however. I don't know what her problem is. I'm sure it will just be a little drawring and if I wear a big coat to hide it in no one will notice, even though it will be July when we go, because I'm skinny to start with.

And I'll delete this entry if successful of course.



Look I found my fave piece, isn't this...uh, superwickedawesome? I've only seen it in one book (from which I scanned it so the page break is visible in the centre) and don't know the title. It is so thick with detail-I do wish I knew what the heck was going on.

LOOKIT

BLUUUUE SHOOOOES of DOOOOOM!

And indeed, with 4-and-a-half inch heels they may just be heralds of doom. At least people will notice my shoes if they cause me to go arse over teakettle.

After so many long sad days of searching and being met with nothing but a slough of crocspond, or being thwarted by the sartorial deities (er, patron saints I mean, patron saints.) in any attempt at procuring my much-needed blue shoes, lo I finally have them in my hot little hands-eh feet. Well you know. This totally makes up for the recent prickishness of certain family members (also the photos are at my house where they will remain, suckas!).

Never thought I'd own a pair of "designer shoes" as even I won't justify such outrageous prices for a couple of pieces fabric, leather and foam- but such was the depth of my need of the blue shoes-and it didn't hurt that they were actually fairly cheap as they are at end of-the-line sale.

Like Odysseus and his Ithaca, determination has brought me and the shoes together at last. Yeay!

I actually made a "Dr Tongue's 3D House of Blue Shoes" video of the shoes. I am such a freakin nerd.

Because I am a useless sack of...of...of the opposite of willpower when it comes to shoes I still ended up getting the Carlos, just in red as that was all there was on ebay.
Now I suppose I should probably give lots of money to charity to make up for my excessive nature. That's not exactly like an indulgence is it? No it's that I have more shoes to love, and my heart is so full of joy. I want to share the blue shoe joy.

Maybe I need to join a liturgical church....

While searching for non-cheesy lace beading I found the coolest site-vestment fabrics!!! How drool worthy are they? I could stare at this fabric until I went blind, however this one I could actually afford.

Back to the dubs

I returned from my trip yesterday. Thanks gwensmom and Mem for proving me right about my widespread readership, hee!

The lodge called me to work today, but I need some time to rest from my vacation first! I was told that if you return from a vacation more tired than when you left, it was a good one. Mine must have been great.

Seriously, I enjoyed myself to the tune of about 300 bucks over budget (I've always been a sucker for supporting my fellow artists and craftspeople). I did get some really unusual items, including some hand maiden yarn, which I was hoping to get my hands on.

Oh and some PEI dirt. Fortunately that was free, as I scrounged it up from the back alley in Charlottetown, heh. I mailed it home to myself. I can't wait to do some textile treatment with it.

I will post pics of all of that stuff when I get the mail-we mailed the majority of it home, so we wouldn't have to haul it around. The postal clerks told us one day an entire bag was full of parcels for the two of us alone.


When I got home and read my emails, I discovered that the QuiltingArts quilts were not being sent home at the end of the month as planned, but are going to be shown one last time in...

wait for it....


*suspence*



HOUSTON.

Those of you who are not part of the quiltiverse are probably thinking yeah so? But if you are part of it I know you get it. :) the international quilt festival in Houston is one of the most prestigious shows in the world, and now I'll be able to brag that I showed at Houston-Ooooo. Nevermind that it's as part of a company display, it's still Houston. I think they were at Chicago too, now that I think about it. Well I feel special anyway. Maybe that will get me off of my rear and make me work at new things.

Mohair, Mothere

Upon arising this afternoon (hey I'm up all night when do you think I sleep?) I found a bag of mohair in my house. Just sitting there, waiting for me to see it.

It didn't just magically appear from the fibre fairies-and I find it is good to have alternative connections, as the fairies have proven themselves to be quite unreliable-apparently it does come from a real live local goat. Some people my mom knows were shearing their older angora goat; it's hair is too old to be used for garments, so they have given some of it to me (via mama). I have been given much odder presents than this in the past (i.e. porcupine) so I appreciate it very much.


I've never worked with mohair of any type before, so I have been doing a little internet research. I found that mohair takes dyes quite beautifully which is exciting, especially since it is about time to haul out the dye stuff.
I'm not entirely sure how I will use it, though I do know it needs to be combed or carded to get the plant materials out-it has been scoured apparently. Maybe I will felt it or spin it for non-garment use. It is rather itchy, but the inner crow notices it is also rather shiny and wants to touch it anyway-it has more sheen than I expected at least.


I was looking at pictures of the goats while I was searching and now I want one, they are adorable. I've also heard they can be aggressive; they might keep annoying people out of our yard, including the hellions.

Oh and the shoes I've been waiting for finally came, that is them in the corner of the first pic. Shoes + fibre=happiness.

I'm Famous!

Well okay, no I'm not. But I feel as if I am!

I just received an email from my favorite magazine, Quilting Arts. They are retaining my self portrait quilt to tour with them to shows along with 75 others throughout the coming year! This is the best news I've gotten in awhile.
From the wording of the email I got, my quilt wasn't one of the 50 chosen for publication, but that doesn't really bother me-I didn't expect anything but a quick return and a form letter!

EeeEEeeE*grinning like an idiot*eeEEEEeeeE!

PeTrA!!

Heh I've had this as a draft forEVER...
I have returned in one piece from seeing PeTrA! It was of course, a fabulous show. I managed to navigate around Winnipeg by way of my relatives, Got there in lots of time, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. As always, I squealed all the way through, especially when they dusted off some classic gems.
I took a few pictures (would've taken more, but I was too busy rocking out):



This was right at the beginning, John singing "It's All About Who You Know"



Bob doing a solo!



This one is unfortunately a little blurry...



Bob again because he's the MAN.

I loved the show. Thanks PeTrA for all the years of music-and doctrine, heh.
Oh and I waited a good two hours to get an addy from Bob-so I can send him CIP as MAIL ART!!! How cool is that?

(the answer is super extra cool, btw)

EEeeeEE!

Petra might be coming to Winnipeg on the farewell tour! A week after my birthday! If this goes through, nothing will keep me away!
I'm so psyched up about this-I thought I'd be broke and of course unable to go a really long distance to a show, and therefore never see them again-but it looks like I will be gainfully employed and...Winnipeg! It's like right there! And I have relatives who live there!
Ah man, the last time I was this foolishly giddy was when I was 15-and found out about the last Petra concert I went to. I'm such a nerd.

heheh this is changing from an arty blog to an 'I reallyreally love PeTrA' blog.

Bead Buy!!!

A few people on N'ness got together and bought a whole whack of beads from Fire Mountain Gems. My share arrived in the mail today. All I can say is I'm in bead heaven! I am enjoying myself just looking at these babies. Am I the only one gets art-supply induced euphoria?
Sometimes just admiring and handleing my fabrics, yarns, ribbons, fibers and beads is enough. I therefore also love to shop for supplies, even when I'm too broke to buy anything.

With this buy, I finally got to get my hands on those eye beads that I have been coveting for Spirits of the Living Creatures. They are quite small and irregular, not as turquoise as they appeared in the pictures (or in the one below as a matter of fact) , but absolutely perfect for that piece. Now I guess I'll have to actually make it. ahem.
I really need to buy a large piece of dyeing fabric. I only have 5 or 6 pieces that depend on it. This is the problem when you have too many good ideas, you get about as much done as when you don't have any. Well and self induced poverty due to overspending on beads doesn't help either.


Here are the beads!


Eye beads-beaauuttifuull.

I am prioritizing in artistic endevours, believe it or not-I'm concentrating on getting the materials together for the Haus Eines Kunstfreundes quilt. Though this of course is strictly craft and the term 'art' would be an insult to it. I am supposed to be finished it in two months...good thing it's small. Eeeps!

The things that make me happy...

Ooo I got my little dooder in the mail today! I lurve him! I bought a silver mask pin from viking trader for entirely too much money-especially since I am most likely soon to be unemployed (though in my defence I ordered it when I still had two jobs). Having a good look at him, he seems handmade-not just cast-in which case I would say he was probably worth what I paid just in the time it would have taken to make him-a few hours anyway-and I do believe in paying for well made craft products (that would be the artisan within speaking).
Well time involved notwithstanding, the brooch was worth the money simply because it was little dooder! Btw, 'little dooder' is a Norse mask painting better known to the rest of the world as the mask of århus. Some have likened it to the mask of Odin. I saw him somewhere while looking for Norse art and ornament and just glommed on to him. I cut the design into a stamp and put it on everything I could think of, ultimately making him into my signature piece.
The term 'hey dooders'-is a Mooreism. I decided that since this was my siggy piece, he would be my little dooder. Of course when I saw someone had taken the time to make a little dooder (silver too! My favorite metal), I figured 'hey destiny' and whatnot, and I had to have it.
(The true reason I bought it was simply that when I saw him I knew I would just covet him if I didn't buy him. I am keeping myself from sinning, that's my excuse.)
I showed it to my mom and she just said 'oh that ugly thing.' I would've been surprised if she hadn't. :c)



The original little dooder-the mask of århus.