CONSIDER SEEDS

"Underneath the drfits, seeds are waiting. Their courage is incomparable, their patience unequaled. Hunkered down and hopeful, they sit out the frozen tundra, knowing and trusting that spring eventually will arrive. If ever you feel unsteady in the face of life's winters, CONSIDER SEEDS AND THEIR FAITH."--Tovah Martin Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Victoria magazine

...STANDING STILL AND LEARNING TO BE ASTONISHED

 Created with eco-printed and dyed fabrics and one commercial fabric because it went so well with the leaf prints

Ecoprinting has taught me to  be much more observant of the world around me. Enjoy this Mary Oliver poem:

Messenger

My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird--
  equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my  boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me
  keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be
  astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
  to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
  that we live forever.

Still Stitching

I'll be stitching on this till January 6, Epiphany, the official end to the Christmas Season. Maybe I'll have it finished by then.

SEASONAL STITCHING

Started this last Christmas. Just basted all the pieces down and then put it aside. Last night I stitched the trees down and finished the little deer. Now to start all the little details I want to add. Fun stitching on icy cold days like today.

ALL THE LEAVES ARE GONE...

 All the leaves are gone and I miss them so. But the good news is I have lots of beautiful, one of a kind fabrics to stitch with this winter. Took three of my little sample eco-prints and put them together with other eco-dyed fabrics. Have just started stitching and am looking forward to lots more.

The Red Aspen

Colorado is known for its beautiful golden aspen trees that color the mountainsides each Fall. If you are lucky enough to see an aspen turning red, you'll think you won the lottery. Red aspens are rare, very rare. My husband and I hit the jackpot when we made our annual trip to close up our mountain cabin and saw several of these radiant red trees. This little story cloth (a la Jude Hill style http://spiritcloth.typepad.com/) is a tribute to these beautiful leaves.

HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION

Last Thursday I gave a presentation to my local fiber art group entitled "HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION". It was an overview of everything I learned over the summer about eco-printing and dyeing. It was great fun telling the story of how I became interested in this process and showing  the fruits of my labor. It was a summer full of adventure and experimentation that resulted in a pile of beautiful fabrics that I hope to have fun using this Winter. Below are my eco-prints using crabapple, rose, aspen, cottonwood, eucalyptus and maple leaves.

 Here are my dyed fabrics. I used turmeric, aspen leaves, cottonwood leaves, blueberries, red cabbage, onion skins, pomegranates and beets.

This is my favorite piece--raw silk with rusted wire, seeded eucalyptus and spiral eucalyptus. Looking forward to lots of sewing this Winter and also more printing and dyeing next Spring. Many thanks to India Flint, Jenny Dean and Sasha Duerr for all their expertise.