Looking up

Lately have been looking up. At the moon, the clouds, the trees dancing. I noticed Opie looking up at
the returning birds and up the brick walls for lizards on the warmer days. These creatures got together
in my weekend sewing. They've been waiting for the right time to enter a bigger cloth.

Sewing lately

I've learned recently that undoing, cutting into, can be a part of making. This has been eye opening in my
process of working with cloth.

I must have something to sew on at night. Learned that little bits are the building blocks of larger bits. Again, Jude Hill has opened a path for me to follow and a new way to tell a story. So even if there isn't an idea I pick up a color or shape and sew into it to find the path and story.

Welcome to the world baby boy!

Thank you, sweet Mallory, for giving our family a new baby. After the past few years, loosing our sweet
old people, it's with big joy we welcome this new person.

8 lbs, so small and so precious. We're going to have a good time-promise!

Speaking of spring

Working on this for Jude Hill's class. We're joining together small cloths to make a larger one. I may make this into a quilt of four seasons since it's already 16 x 20. I love to sit and sew every evening, like a dog
loving to chew a bone, I guess. What is it about making those small stitches? It can be a form of meditation I believe. Just thinking about color and shape.

Getting ready to warp a loom. People around here may have to make their own dinners soon.

Dark and light

Where things meet there is a path and a story. The lightness now is moving over the dark-taking more space. Then, on March 13, we borrow a bigger slice of light. I found this older-almost transparent piece of linen and
basted it down onto a woven piece. It loves to show how long it's been useful. Beautiful even as it's falling apart, maybe especially beautiful because it was loved, especially because it's so old.

This cloth is teaching me a life lesson, I think, about  growing older. Still reaching out without so much fear.

Happy Valentine Day

I challenged my self to make something based on a heart. This is for all my friends. Some of you are far away and some close. All of you are important to me.

Romantic love is nice and we should all have a little in our lives. But give me a good friend and I'll put on
the coffee and bake something because I know when we talk we'll make new stories-possibilities together.

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." Anais Nin

I'm out of pins and happy

For the moment I'm ripping through lots of small woven cloths in this incredible class and the ideas are coming to me fast the way they do when I have time to make. Not wanting to stop weaving to baste down these cloths but must as I'm almost out of pins!

Noticing how colors I choose are connected to the  seasons. The blues and greens speak of our earth dressing up in her spring colors. I think of trellis holding vines and growing things.

And the heat which will soon be back as we spin closer to our sun.

Orchards of juicy, sweet  peaches. That incredible half bird has been nesting in my scrap basket for years and
I think she's found the perfect landing here.

My aching left shoulder is telling me to take my buddy on a long walk today. Balance...

Speaking of dreams...

I found this poem and it fits in with thoughts shared with a friend thousands of miles from here. We think
we're free in dreams but I think it's where we walk a road inside our heads. Is this road worn by our worries or do we fly? I recently made some decisions leaving me free to fly. Maybe eating beans but
flying. Is money what we measure our happiness by or making? When can we feel safe enough financially
to take a time not to consume, but to create? If not now, when?

Here is where I flew yesterday

And here

Story and road

These two themes are my watchwords for the year and boy am I finding them all over. Even a
possible job as story teller for children-fingers crossed. I wanted to share this wonderful combination
of both themes.

Contemporary Boro Weaving

I'm taking an online class with Jude Hill  using traditional Boro Cloth processes to make woven, hand sewn cloth. It's exciting to explore cloth making in her workshops and I recommend taking one. The other students
show their work and we learn from each other and the master, Jude. I've been collecting vintage Kimono fabric and finally began cutting into some of it to make this cloth. This winter has been a good time to be quiet and listen to colors, shapes and the cloth itself.

A change of direction

I deleted my old blog to change my focus. Also the photos were coming out crummy and most of
what I pay attention to is visual. So here I begin again, listening to what is beside me along this road.

We raise sheep who are pets, not meals. We planned for one lamb this spring.

 The header is of Graham, the gentleman ram, and Rita Jr. We lost two old lady ewes this winter.

Old age...both were 11. The new matron  is 12 year old, Miss Spot.. I have a hankering for a donkey.

Been following here http://www.apiferafarm.blogspot.com/

Her book is wonderful, by the way. The shepherd says no but I'm working on it and checking
out donkey rescue on the east coast. So that's whats happening right now. And hey, the photos
magically improved.