Winter sunshine on the trail, a little Gelli print

I could have gotten a little more sewing done today, but when the trail beckons and I think I can walk, I have to go. This morning, I sewed a few more blocks for the baby pinwheels and then I took a friend for lunch.
It was so nice out. As it's been a  while since we had a fresh snow, I knew that the trails would be packed down now I thought it was the perfect time to take the camera and walk in a few hundred meters. Just far enough to feed the chickadees and feel really in the country.

I'd like to sketch this sometime.

I've been dreaming of a time when I could get out again and this says I am here; I am alive!

I'm trying to follow my friend's advice and live for today, forget about what could be to come and what my limitations will be. Today, I walked into the woods and breathed wild air. I walked at turtle speed; perfect since i chose turtle as my totem for the year.

Dried seed heads are so pretty etched against the sparkly white snow.

Here are my favourite 'pom poms' against the winter greyed trees in the background.

In spring, I'm going to have to venture in and find out what this bush is called.

And later this afternoon for a little creative play, I experimented with a Gelli leaf print. I'm attempting to make the leaves look as if they're frozen into ice.

Sunny studio

I went to bed last night intending to get up and try to do my kitchen floor but after a painful night, I deciced I needed to go out and look for a new mattress. It's such an effort to go try them all out. At least I've narrowed it down to a couple.

It is such a beautiful sunny day today that my studio is a happy place, especially with my view through my window. Oh how I love looking at that line of bed linens!

I've just put been puttering a bit. I'm anxious to get to the quilting and embellishing part on my tree and I did get the third border on top and cut the bottom one. I'm going to sew in a bit of lace too.

I reluctantly put t aside and switched to the baby quilt because I just learned that I'll need another one, so I need to concentrate on some block sewing for a while.

I'm making some progress.

 

 

 

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Stormy day

The view in my studio is a little darker today with the blowing snow outside.

I was slow getting going this morning lolling about with tea and a crossword, but I've been making up got it since. I finished the last bit of vacuuming, put in a wash, and put chicken bones on to simmer. I'll make soup for tomorrow nights supper in case my husband is headed home.

Just before lunch, I put together a few more pieces for the baby quilt.

I put in a strip of grey with the black and white dandelions to see if it will work. I think so.

Since lunch, I've been working on the borders for the tree. The sides are on. I'm still thinking about the top and bottom. I have a few more things to add, like some thin shrubs at the forefront, maybe a bit of lace and some white sparkly thread for frosty highlights.

I also took a few minutes to try out some chalk paint on a kitchen chair. It really does apply beautifully and all you need to do for prep is clean. I think though, that I may go back to an off white. Not sure yet.

Well, I'm going now to make tea and take a break.

 

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Queen Anne's lace

I can't help it! I'm trying to work on one project- yes the tree from last post- when the Gelli printed Queen Anne's lace keeps popping into my head. I figure that I should take advantage of any and all creative inspiration and absorption right now, so I went for it while at the same time cutting and auditioning fabric borders for my tree.

The small section at the top with the strip of green silk is stitched together. I kind of wanted to try a raw edged method this time. I love the look but have always had a hard time to loosen up enough to do it.

The prints with the paint would not fray easily, however I wanted to add a silk strip and it really frays so I pieced it.

I'm still trying to figure out if I could do some raw edges on the piece. I think I'll take it to my quilting group tomorrow and see what they say, bearing in mind that they are mostly more traditional quilters. There's a bit of creativity lurking there though. Since I don't want to lug a machine, basically can't do it, I will bring some hand stitching and a bit of cutting for the baby quilt, also shown in the last post.

A friend stopped by today with some branches that she picked off the trail we would take while snow shoeing. I'm gradually getting over my envy over getting out there and looking forward to a time when I may be able to go for a short one.

In the meantime are these not beautiful? We tagged it the Pom Pom bush as that's how they look from a distance.

This is a little view of my studio while I'm putting together a piece. Just to show that I can get a bit messy.

Once the piece is together and ready for stitching and embellishing the fabric will be folded and stored away.

Then it'll be time for free motion stitching and maybe time to pull out the fiber collection for embellishing.

I'm appreciating that the January days are slowly lengthening. My string of deck lights which are set to cone on at dusk are lighting up a bit later each night.

Then it's time for a few interior candles. Sorry, the light is fading and it's a bit grainy,

I'm on my own this week, eating and cleaning when I feel like it. Walking into my sewing studio when the mood hits. There'll be some reading, some jigsaw piecing on the I Pad (I'm addicted!), and some knitting. No schedule and no cooking!

I'm slowly becoming more positive again, learning to rest when I need it. When I can stop fighting my current limitations and listen to my body, I'll have less pain at night and therefore a better sleep and a better attitude the next day. Well, that's the plan.

Happy Monday! I'm hoping you've done something nice for yourself today.

 

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Acceptance not so easy

It seems that the word that popped into my head on New Year's Day, acceptance, is going to be a challenge. As one blogger wrote to me said, who coincidentally chose the same word, that some say it is the way to inner happiness.

This week, at my follow up appointment for my knee surgery, I was told that my knee is worse than he thought by the pics. I may have two years before needing a replacement.

He also ordered a hip replacement . The waiting time is about 18 months.

I'm glad to be finally getting somewhere but at the same time it's a bit of bad news for me. He told me that snowshoeing would be out after a hip replacement. I've always been very outdoorsy, so it will certainly mean I won't be able to do some things.

At the moment, I'm in the middle of a grieving process, at the same time trying to function with increasing pain.

I will need to work on the acceptance part and hopefully, I'll eventually find my way to some inner peace. I know this probably sounds very whiny to some. There after all many worse things and I must always keep that in mind.

Good news though. I will see the back surgeon in two weeks and the pain clinic at the same time. I am lucky to have gotten in. It can often be years.

So, enough of that. I really needed some studio time today. I gave myself two hours, making sure I alternated between standing, sewing and cutting.

I've added a few more branches, a narrow border and I'm auditioning a final border.

Taking a photo helps to see what I need to do. These are possible fabrics, but I'm not sure of the arrangement yet. There is a bit more stitching left to do on the tree before I add the borders and get to the quilting.

Then I switched to putting together a few blocks of a baby quilt I'm starting.

I'm using low volume prints plus various turquoise fabrics and following a pattern from a Fons and Porter magazine.

The quilt is actually larger; I thought it would make a sweet baby quilt.

This is how I will be dividing my time in the next month. The baby blocks will be perfect for sewing days or for when I have a few minutes to sew.

 

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Thinking of new projects, or finishing old ones

It is that time of year, isn't it, when we've packed away the Christmas things, we've cleaned a bit maybe sorted some things for the second hand store, and we turn to finishing some projects that have been languishing for a while.

This one I started about a year ago one day when I just wanted to play, cutting strips and sewing them on, not even using fusible. The background is one of my Shibori prints , measuring about 9 1/2 by 14". It's been stuck on my design wall ever since. And I've been stuck as to how to proceed.

I have a general idea of the mood. My inspiration came from a particular part of the trail later in the day when the moon is in the sky and the low sun is casting beautiful soft colours across the sky.

I just haven't been sure how to proceed. Now, I have a few ideas. One thing I'm going to do is trace it or print out a few black and white copies and play with some ideas on paper.

Maybe a moon-- low or high in the sky--was thinking of an owl, but maybe not, some foreground brush, some pretty snowflakes....

I ponder these things on such a day as this when I've gotten out on the trail and I need to stretch out with heat and ice. Like the turtle I will get to it eventually. Like I said in my last post, 'acceptance'.

 

 

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A SAQA juried show, My New Year's word - 'acceptance", my animal - turtle.

We've had a fairly quiet week; my son fiance and dogs visited for Christmas and left a day early due to an impending storm. I was not at my best having had the arthroscopic knee surgery the week before and still struggling with disc pain but I managed to enjoy the visit. I roasted a small turkey on Christmas
Eve for the first time in several years and I really enjoyed all the leftovers and especially making soup from the bones..

Yesterday, I woke up to an exciting email informing me that my latest piece, Into the Heart of Birches, has been juried into the SAQA Canadian show My Corner of the World which is opening in Stratford, Ontario, in May.

With the new year starting, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the direction I want to take with my art. I came to the conclusion that I will continue on my path, photographing and expressing my love for the natural world using fiber and paint because it continues to be what I need to do even though I'm working at a slower pace while dealing with health issues. It is me and it is what has kept me sane over the past number of years since leaving work. It reminds me of the fable about the tortoise and the hare. I think I'm the turtle this year. I'm slow, but persistent and there are rewards along the way and in the end.

 It isn't the just excitement of being selected for a show that encourages me onward, although it is a really lovely affirmation, but it is my way of expressing myself and  connecting to others that keeps me going. I simply cannot help noticing all the wonderful things in my world. The more I photograph, sketch, paint and stitch, the more I notice the little details and the beautiful world around me.

The process acts as a wonderful and sometimes healing distraction for me when I'm in pain. I could hardly move my legs this morning and after putting away the tree ornaments, and watching some of the Rose Bowl, all I felt like doing  was curling up with my current book, The Goldfinch which I highly recommend. The sun was shining and the temperature was right and so I pushed myself to dress and head out to the trail because I knew that I would regret it if I didn't.

I parked right beside the trail and only needed to walk a few hundred meters to feel the suns rays, to breathe the fresh air and to start relaxing. Oh the things to see! This is where I stopped and turned around.

 The way back.

I stopped and fed the very eager chickadees along the way.

I can hardly snow shoe a few feet without my eye being caught by one of  a myriad of little patterns against the snow and background greys formed by the dried up flowers and seed heads of wildflowers and bushes. Though our winter colors are nothing like the fresh brights of spring and summer, they are no less stunning with the bright bits etched against the soft backgrounds of greys and beiges and snow whites topped by the blue sky with wisps of clouds and the early afternoon pastels coloring the horizon.

These will act as references and inspiration for future work. There is so much to see, my mind is filled with colors and patterns and there is never enough time to express them all  in my artwork.

I've been thinking about a word for the year too and all week I've drawn a blank. Upon awakening and thinking while I drank my tea in bed this morning, the word 'acceptance' came to me. I don't mean acceptance in the sense of being resigned. I mean  that I must try not to fight so hard against what I cannot do. I must do what I can.  When I do that, even though it does take some resolve to move my body, once out, I am always awed by the beauty in my small corner of the world.

I may walk this route a hundred times, camera in hand; there will always be something new that attracts my eye. I love the soft curve of these dried wilrflowers and the shadows they cast on the snow.

And then I also checked on the little nest that I saw a few weeks ago before the snow when I was out gathering branches.

Closed for winter.


Happy New Year to all! I';d love to hear some of your 'survivor' stories.