Quince and Quire

Two Japanese quilt blocks

It was time for another color & pattern study in the form of a Japanese quilt block. This time I chose an indigo print and paired it with more of the Belgian grey linen. As you can see, the outer edges of the block are unfinished (because I am not yet sure what I will do with this block), and so the proportions don't look quite right. And, as you can see, some of the strips got wonky. That would be the linen, which is loosely woven and has a lot of movement, rebelling against being paired with the tightly-woven indigo cotton. Note to self: don't combine these two fabrics ever again. The finished block size is nine inches square.

Oh, but it's hard to resist linen, with its elegant presence and soft hand.

As part of my color & pattern study, I tried a similar block pieced from paper. I used scraps of fancy Roma and Moriki papers to make a six inch square block. I really like the blues and browns together.

My block pattern came from the Briscoe book, Japanese Quilt Blocks to Mix and Match. The pattern I made this time is called yosegi kawari nikuzushi, or simple pairs variation. If you'd like to see the first quilt block I made, go to this post.

Next week I'll have some fun paper experiments to share with you, some holiday craft ideas, and a book or two as well. I hope you have a great weekend!

Portraits, part two

Which photograph says it?

The curving path, resilient green, the child moving ahead?

The red rubies to eat or steep, on brittle branches, spiny sharp? 

The coil of metal, the cunning of gears, a thing made inanimate?

The stacks and stacks, like books: repetition, accretion, fuel for our fires?

The cupped husk, onion dome, its architecture of lace the harbor of fruit?

The sky above, scribbled with sticks, fiery leaves in blue air?

Which one says enough? Which one says you have everything you need. Which one says wait a minute. Don't move on. Or is it all of them together, pointing to a life made, a life observed, a shift of season that brings with it a gathering together, a turning inward?

I want to be still enough to see. And from that sight, to learn. And from that knowledge, to compose. 

To be composed: "busyness" has no grace. My making must have a purpose. Beauty, utility, a means of giving. I cannot make a thing just to say I made it. Because, of course, it has all been created. Before. And will be again. I want to create gratitude in my own heart. To say I have enough, and it is enough.

Portraits

Mixed media, collage and recent works on paper

I was organizing the latest stacks of art by my children yesterday and I found a few favorites to share. 

An octopus with felt bow.

Rather than finger painting, my daughter did a foot painting.

Butterfly with leafy wings and rhinestone stickers. The antennae are made from the leaf stems.

Painting on a piece of cardboard box. The "Z" was already printed on the cardboard.

From little brother, one of his more elaborate explorations of line.

And a collaboration between sister and brother. My son did the lines on paper, which my daughter cut up into a million bits to be used for something. "I have plans," she tells me. 

*

I am glad to know so many of you would like to explore poetry with me. I need a little time to get organized--I don't want to be all fussy about it, but I do want to do a good job. I also wonder about, you know, permissions and such, since I'll be reprinting someone else's writing. So stay tuned. 

Halloween

Costume changes, last-minute jack-o-lanterns, candy a-plenty, witches flying, all things glowing and spooky and bright. It was a busy weekend of Halloween festivities, capped off by a Sunday night feast of pumpkin soup, pumpkin risotto and pumpkin pie made from our own pumpkins!

Two bags for two seasons

The first bag is for autumn: I used scraps of fabric by Moda, Joelle Hoeverson, and others to make this tote. The point was to use what I had, so two sides were made with the patchwork scraps, and two sides were made from sturdy cotton canvas. I used felt on the bottom, and I made the entire thing without a pattern, as usual. When I will learn? It turned out fine, though.

I envisioned it holding apples or little pumpkins or things like that--a mini farmers' market tote. My daughter has now appropriated it for her Halloween festivities. 

The second bag is for spring, and was sent to Australia a few weeks ago. I envisioned this one holding long-stemmed fragrant flowers, or maybe a favorite book and a bar of good chocolate. I guess it's up to Mel  to decide--maybe Sienna will appropriate this one and the girls can have "matching" bags. I made this bag without a pattern as well, but like the autumn tote, it was so simple that no pattern was needed. I did line the inside with more of the darkest purple fabric. The handles are silk noil.

Each project gave me the chance to experiment with color, and I think that working with tints and shades of the same hue is a good way to find a happy medium for my color dilemma. I like the way orange and purple look together, too, as in these bean bags that I made a few weeks ago.

For those of you who would like to make bags, here are two nice books to consider:

Sew What! Bags, by Lexi Barnes

Carry me, by Yuka Koshizen

The fall issue of Stitch has many cute bags too! I need to make at least one. 

*Don't forget that today is that last day to enter my giveaway at the Artful Parent!*

Light-filled leaves!

You aren't tired of autumnal leaf art, are you? Can you manage one more post?

The polka dot leaves at 5 orange potatoes got me thinking about circles on leaves. I pulled out my Japanese push drill and its set of removable tips and got to work on more of our pressed leaves. (See the official portrait of my push drill--as well as some awls and bone folders--here). 

I gently pressed the punch into the leaf to make these tiny holes. I didn't plan any of the patterns; they emerged as I worked. The size graduation was one of my favorite aspects of the designs. 

This is another super easy activity that you could try with your kids. You don't have to buy the fancy tool--try using regular hole punches in a few different sizes.

I may have to add one of these leaves to the giveaway. I am so pleased with how they turned out.

Okay, enough leaves! I've got some sewing coming up in the next post . . . 

Books and leaves

It has been wonderful to read all the nice comments that you all have left here and at the Artful Parent. I now have so many new blogs to visit: yours! It will take some time, but I'll get there. Thank you for your enthusiasm about what I wrote, and about what I am trying to do in my home life and art life.

As I was waiting for a family of 12 wild turkeys to cross the road yesterday (country living at its best!) I realized I had a few more thoughts on artful books to share with you. (You can see in the photo above that we take books with us everywhere!)

In one of the comments that she left on this blog, Grace mentioned wanting to introduce her child to the work of William Blake. Blake was, of course, an 18th century English poet, printer and painter, unyielding in his curiosity and astonishing in his energy. His art is compelling both for its originality and mastery of form. And while his poetry can be challenging and mystifying, with its array of angels, prophets and pronouncements, it is well worth the time. I would suggest starting with some of the poems from Songs of Innocence and of Experience, and choosing those that you respond to and that seem age-appropriate for your child. Focus on Blake's wonderful sense of rhythm, rhyme and meter. And most of all, try to choose a volume that contains Blake's original art. He didn't consider the poems and art as separate entities; indeed, he invented an entirely new way of "painting" on a copper plate so that he could have the two forms united. Once printed, the art was then hand-colored by Blake (and often with help from his wife Catherine).  

William Blake's illuminated books are available in facsimile in a variety of editions. I have the complete illuminated books, published by Princeton University Press. Here is a link to volume 2, Songs of Innocence and of Experience, to get you started.

I wonder if any of you are interested in poetry? I am thinking about doing a "poetry 101" sort of thing here from time to time, looking at verse for young people and adults, written by a variety of authors. In the meantime, I'd love to hear about your favorite books--either those that have particularly beautiful art, or poetry, or both.

Interview and Giveaway!

I had the great pleasure of being interviewed today by Jean at The Artful Parent. Be sure to stop by her site and enter the giveaway. I made an autumnal crown from pure wool felt for your favorite small person, and three embellished leaves for you!

Artful books for children (and adults!)

In anticipation of an artful surprise tomorrow, tonight I am posting a few of my favorite "artful" books for children. That term comes from Jean of The Artful Parent, of course, and it is she who asked me to share these titles with you. Most of these books are not new; indeed, many are classics--but I hope you will find something that is new to you, something that will spur a trip to the library. 

Some of the most-used "how to" art books in our family include Earthways: Simple Environmental Activities for Children, by Carol Petrash; More Mudpies, by Nancy Blakey; the Kids Craft series from STC, which includes weaving, crochet, knitting and embroidery; Montessori Play and Learn, by Lesley Britton; and The Creative Family, by Amanda Blake Soule. We also use garden design books as inspiration, both as a way to consider form, texture and repetition, and as a way to think about environmental art.  

Certain authors and illustrators are favorites in our house and influence our approach to art. We love the work of Alice and Martin Provensen, particularly the Maple Hill Farm series and A Visit to William Blake's Inn, which was written by the poet Nancy Willard. Gerda Muller offers detailed seasonal illustrations and a concern for the environment in Around the Oak and The Garden in the City. Lois Ehlert has a wonderful book about growing up in an artistic family, called Hands. Japanese illustrator Iwamura Kazuo created a beautiful series of books, The Family of Fourteen, which recounts the adventures of a mouse family living in the forest. We also love the art in books by Elsa Beskow, Marie-Louise Gay, and Barbara McClintock.

African authors and illustrators are important in our house as well. The bold paintings of Baba Wague Diakite enliven his versions of folk tales such as The Hatseller and the Monkeys. Julia Cairn's paintings pair beautifully with poems by Uzo Unobagha in Off to the Sweet Shores of Africa. Ifeoma Onyefulu has colorful photographs that teach about Nigerian culture--and about composing an image--in her book Chidi Only Likes Blue.

And one final mention: Robert McCloskey, who was of course a pioneer of the modern illustrated book, achieved brilliant harmony between text and image with a nostalgic narrative and vibrant paintings in Time of Wonder. Who else would end a book with the query, "Where do hummingbirds go in a hurricane?" Books--and art--should leave us with interesting questions. 

These are just a few of the many, many books we love.

For suggestions on artful books for adults, consult this post, and also consult my sidebar, which I update every few weeks. 

Warmth for my children

My daughter wanted a plain hat, with a wool felt flower. Blue hat and red flower, I was told. This was a nice project for a week of slow thinking and reflective mood. The yarn is O-wool Balance, a soft blend of cotton and wool that comes in lovely saturated colors.

And for my son, slippers from Satch and Sol. Our local children's clothing consignment store carries these handmade, fair trade felt wonders, so I was able to get them with our store credit. 

I wonder if any of you are making felt slippers for your child? I am thinking that maybe I should try a pair.

Beautiful things: October

Thank you all for the kind thoughts you sent yesterday, either in the comments section or through email. I am grateful you took the time to write, and to consider what I was trying to do with that single letter, burnished in walnut and gold.

The title of today's post may seem odd, given the sadness of what I presented yesterday, but I think it speaks to what we all do: continue each day. And so today I have photos of the simple things that I turn to for comfort and beauty in this month of fugitive color and light. 

Cheese from France; local heirloom apples.

Acorn whistles, for the children, from a friend.

Our own sugar pumpkin, with curious visitor.

A view toward our road, past the wood shop.

The October page from the wonderful letterpress calendar by ilee papergoods.  

H

We lost a friend last week, unexpectedly. 

I have no words at the moment to mark her time on this earth, except to say she was gracious and strong and lovely and smart and sensitive.  

These photos: her initial, in my own walnut ink and gold gouache, with a goose quill and Brause 66EF nib, on paper, quickly, sometimes heavily, with what little grace I could muster. Each letter is about one half of an inch tall. 

Frost harvest

We had our first hard frost this week. I went out in the gardens to find pumpkins not quite ripe on vines turned limp and pale. Hydrangea petals like bits of old wallpaper. The last poppy: still brilliant, head bowed. The stone rabbits unperturbed. A world of sodden stems, tattered ribbons, flattened globes. Peach, buff, brown, orange, pink: the last blush of cheeks, before the world goes cold.

Meditation on color

  

I'm trying to understand my schizophrenic design life. 

On the one hand, there is my obsession with earthen hues, crumbling homes, ochre ground, and fading light. Hence, homemade walnut ink and wreaths made with wilted flowers. You'll see more of that side of my aesthetic in posts later this week. 

On the other hand, there is my rainbow obsession, as with the bean bags pictured above. I really think it is becoming a problem: any project for a child (or a school, which is where these bean bags are headed) seems to end up as a rainbow. 

I guess this aesthetic dichotomy not such a bad thing, just a bit odd. Maybe I can find a middle ground between the two. But what would it look like? 

In the meantime, here are some nice variations on bean bags, which is what this post is also about! 

• Scrap buster bean bags at Sew Mama Sew.
• Fun felt cut-out bean bags at Whimsy Love.
• Bean bags with plastic pellets so they can go in the wash, at Karlee Fuchs.