July 28, 2010 by mendofleur
Waiting for a baby to arrive can be a unique time. I have been in Southern California for a week now with my youngest daughter waiting for the birth of her first baby. She continues to work at home and will periodically go into the office as well. We have had a special time going for long walks, talking about myriad subjects, working on a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle, watching Gone With the Wind, sharing meals, and feeling all the various movements of her baby boy from the heartbeat to the hiccups.
At one point, she even designed a baby quilt on her computer that I will work on when I return home.
These are the curtains I made for the baby’s room before I arrived.
I also had finished the crib skirt and brought it with me, and since I have been here, I have worked to finish the crib bumper pads.
On Saturday, Jeanette and I went to the Long Beach International Quilt Festival to see Glennis’ booth of Shibori Girl. Her set-up was beautiful. She had wonderful gems for sale and had a special treat that I was especially eager to see. She had displayed a quilt by Jude of Spiritcloth. I was so excited to see this, as I had never seen anything in person by Jude, and it was everything I expected and more! I could have stood there forever looking at the stitches and the indigo colors and the various textures and beauty. Glennis also had a smaller square piece made by Jude with soft pastels and overlaid with gauze silks. It was worth the time to travel to meet Glennis and see her wonderful offerings and, in a way, “meet” Jude.
At the show there was a display of antique quilts, my first love always. This was an all-silk log cabin variation, and it was such a beautiful piece, the colors still vivid and true and the work and detail of it so accomplished and exacting.
This was called a “Flower Garden Star”, dated 1900, but with fabrics dating from 1830-1880, size 80″ x 94 1/4″. I am certain it was all paper-pieced because of the intricacy of the hexagon pieces. Amazing!
A quilt like this always needs a closer look. The work and hours it took to create this masterpiece always inspires and impresses me.
I have not been on my computer much the last week. It has been a little hard for me to focus, so please forgive my lack of visits to other blogs and comments. I am guessing when I get home, I will be back on track and more present here as well as active on other wonderful blogs that I follow.
Posted in Antique/Vintage Textiles, Art, Fabric, Family, Memories, Places, Quilts, Seasons | 10 Comments »
July 19, 2010 by mendofleur
The grandkids left early this morning. We made some wild and crazy cupcakes before they departed.
And had a campfire and supper on the beach on a chilly and foggy evening.
We reminisced about the time and the days that we had spent together.
And then decided that it truly is the little things in our lives that make all the difference, especially when we are together sharing and hugging and being there for one another.
Posted in Memories, Nature, Places, Seasons, Slow Living | 12 Comments »
July 16, 2010 by mendofleur
We have had our grandchildren visiting us since the fourth of July. We spent a week in Portland and nearly sweltered in the heat and the mosquito infestation, but before we headed to Mendocino we picked raspberries on Sauvie Island on one of the hottest days of their visit.
As we were shopping for cold drinks and popsicles before heading home, we discovered this little dog that accompanies one of the workers to his job each day. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to photograph this cutie.
Several nights ago we decided to do our homemade pizzas, something that is becoming our tradition with the kids each time they visit.
This morning we started painting the rocking chair for their new baby cousin, due within the next two and a half weeks.
I am sorting through fabrics getting ready for some fun exploration for Jude of Spiritcloth’s class, “The Beasts”. In the interim, after the grandkids leave on Sunday, I will continue my sewing for the new grandson. Lots of things going on this summer, all fun and full of anticipation. My absence here is due to family and much in the way of sewing projects. I hope to be posting more for the class, and hopefully, some fun beasts!
Posted in Memories, Nature, Places, Seasons | 6 Comments »
June 24, 2010 by mendofleur
“When my hands were little, and my mother was teaching me to sew, she placed her hands over mine. She put her middle finger, encased in a pitted silver thimble, at the end of the needle and pushed for me. This finger, with the thimble, is a little engine, she said. It makes the needle go.”
Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund, Page 70
“I thought of the miles and miles of thread that her thimble had pulled through the cloth. What song had the needle sung to the fibers of the fabric? When she quilted, the needle passed through three layers: the pieced top, the inner batting, and the sturdy muslin underlayer. If all the thread from all her quilts were measured, would it stretch a thousand miles? Had her needle trudged, as a man’s foot might trudge, over a journey of a thousand miles?”
Ahab’s Wife
“She sat still, I thought, and yet she traveled. And when one stitches, the mind travels, not the way men do, with ax and oxen through the wilderness, but surely our traveling counted too, as motion. And I thought of the patience of the stitches. Writing a book, I thought, which men often do, but women only rarely, has the posture of sewing. One hand leads, and the other hand helps. And books, like quilts, are made one word at a time, one stitch at a time.”
Ahab’s Wife
Posted in Antique/Vintage Textiles, Art, Decorative, Fabric, Indomitable Women, Inspiration, Literature, Memories, Places, Quilts, Seasons, Slow Living | 35 Comments »
June 21, 2010 by mendofleur
I always think of my mother on this day for the last three years. She passed away here in our home on this very day, the day with the most light, the longest day of the year. It was almost as if she had ordained it because she loved sunshine and long days dreading the darkness ever since she was a very small child. She passed away just before noon on a day that was sunny and warm.
So this bouquet of lisianthus is in remembrance of her and her love of flowers and gentle things.
However, on the eve of summer solstice, Father’s Day, my husband and I decided that even though the weather should be getting warmer and sunnier, and it was still rainy and cold, we would have a fire in the fireplace. We ate our dinner gazing at the fire and then we read our books. I started a new one yesterday…..
This is one I have had on my ongoing stack for some time now. When I was with my daughters last weekend, both great and voracious readers, my oldest was astonished to find that I had not yet gotten to this book. So even though I am currently reading an autobiography by one of the Bloomsbury women, Frances Partridge, I decided to start this one too. I am already caught up in the story and the beautiful way it is written. I am always drawn to books about strong women, this definitely being one of those.
I made this skirt when I was in Mendocino out of a vintage linen curtain panel. I have had it hanging in my studio trying to figure out a way to make it more appealing. I love the fabric and color but something is missing. I think I am going to shorten it a bit and add some old crochet trim to the flounce. I want to wear it for summer……soon.
Posted in Antique/Vintage Textiles, Clothing, Fabric, Indomitable Women, Inspiration, Memories, Places, Seasons, Slow Living | 10 Comments »
June 17, 2010 by mendofleur
I returned from Southern California to Portland at midnight Sunday. It is still raining here, but this morning on my walk I found a door that hit me with a jolt of color, so I went back to take a photo so I could share the joy of it. Now that I am home, I am thinking about all kinds of sewing I want to do for my newest grandson.
I have had these curtains cut out for several weeks now and yesterday I finally resolved the design dilemma of how I was going to hang them. I am going to make loops with buttons. Seems like a young and more modern look as my daughter, Jeanette, loves contemporary design.
I also found this book on making stuffed animals. It is great because it advocates using recycled materials. The designs are so much fun and unique, full of personality.
I think the long legs and arms make them so quirky and different.
I know Jeanette will like this soft ring toy because she found one in a book and commented on it. I asked her not to look at my blog until after the baby was born so I would have a chance to share some things here and still allow it to be a surprise. I also am going to make her a quilt with the weaving technique I learned in Jude’s class, “Cloth to Cloth”.
We three girls stayed in a hotel together Saturday night so we could have time together alone. It was so much fun. We talked and talked and talked. We all decided that we should have a girl’s night away from husbands and children every so often so we can enjoy each other without the usual interruptions.
Posted in Decorative, Fabric, Interior Design, Memories, Places, Quilts, Slow Living, fabric/collage/applique | 5 Comments »
June 8, 2010 by mendofleur
Joy is best and most often found in simple and familial things…….
a new grandchild on the way,
a beautiful rose in the garden,
a collection of fabrics waiting to become,
a much-loved cat,
a view of nature and finding solace there.
I really welcome comments if you have the time and inclination, but I probably will not be able to respond to each one of you at this particular time. I simply wanted to share some thoughts and let you know I am still present in this space.
Posted in Cats, Fabric, Memories, Nature, Places, Quilts, Ruminating, Seasons, Slow Living | 8 Comments »
May 26, 2010 by mendofleur
This is the next piece I have done for Jude’s class, “Cloth to Cloth”. I have been trying to post my work here, so if anyone in the class would like to get a closer look they can do so. This whole process is addictive. I have more ideas in my head than I will ever possibly use. Such a nice predicament. Now I need to break away from this more linear format and see if I can do something with curves.
This photo shows another piece of fabric for the woven circle. It is a fake ikat. I hate to admit that, given the fact that I am a textile effete at times. I am no snob, so I think this just might be a good choice. The red circle is actually a linsey-woolsey from the 1850′s, a little snooty you might say, but it does make a nice story.
My husband and I are going on a two-night trip, and my deadline before leaving was to finish four lampshades. I am most pleased with this one. It is reaching, finally, a mark of good craft, good enough to market. Plus, I absolutely love the fabric and the design. I bought it many years ago on a trip to Italy and found it in a small shop in Florence. Sometimes a fabric does not lend itself to a shade in terms of light. This one seems to glow. It adds a certain ambiance to a room when the light is turned on.
This is what it would look like in the daylight.
A closer examination with more intense shading brings out the beauty of the design. I am very happy with this shade. It will give me a chance to be confident, something I find elusive sometimes.
Posted in Antique/Vintage Textiles, Decorative, Fabric, Interior Design | 20 Comments »
May 22, 2010 by mendofleur
Yesterday before lunch I saw that the sun was shining (briefly is the key), and decided to go cut some of my roses. The wind, rain, and hail have really been whipping them around just as they were all starting to blossom. I had to save a few and bring them inside. In this bouquet there are probably five different roses even though they all look the same. If textiles are a passion, roses come up as a second or a winning tie. I seem to never get enough of them when they are in bloom.
I have been reading, again, the British author, Beverley Nichols. I love his books. I always laugh out loud when I am reading them, the only books that seem to generate a sort of spontaneous giggle. So as B. Nichols would say, I rescued the languishing pink ladies from their drunken despair and brought them in to dry out. Of course Nichols would have elaborated with more flourish and irreverence, but I think he would have maybe giggled a little at my effort to embellish.
I think I might be beginning to blossom a little too. This package arrived in the mail yesterday. I am still engulfed with the meaning, the effort, and the beauty.
Posted in Inspiration, Memories, Nature, Places, Ruminating, Seasons, Slow Living | 13 Comments »
May 20, 2010 by mendofleur
After my absence, I am feeling as if I am restoring some energy finally. Jude is really inspiring me with her ideas and teaching with the “Cloth to Cloth” workshop. Today I tried to do one of her techniques called “anchored weaving.” I started with a solid piece of fabric, in this case a printed silk basted at the top on to a cotton backing.
The instruction was to cut up to about a half inch from the top in varying strips. I love that Jude does this free-form, so I did too.
(Please excuse this photo). The next step was the actual weaving process. I wove in one silk strip and then placed a ruler to guide me for the next strip. I tore the strips this time instead of cut them, and I love the way they fringe and add more texture to the weaving.
This is the finished piece. I cut the edges to even them out and then pinned them. I need to baste them as well.
This is a closer view. I used a variety of silks including two velvets and another that I printed about ten years ago. I was thinking a great deal about this technique and how much I love it. I feel as if I have broken free of so many rules. I am guessing this method will be my favorite going forward with any kind of quilt making or creating of fabric pieces for other projects. I feel like a rebellious teenager who is refusing to accept the old worn out standards of doing things. It feels so good to be a little brash and carefree.
Almost three lampshades done and five more to go before I am ready to go market them. I consider this my job now. If I did not set my mind to this, I would never get anywhere with them.
The third one is on my work table waiting to be finished….tomorrow. Until then I will be weaving in my head!
Posted in Antique/Vintage Textiles, Decorative, Fabric, Inspiration, Interior Design, Quilts, Ruminating, Slow Living | 18 Comments »
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