Boom, Redux!

Boom, Redux, 2013.

Ever the editor... I wasn't happy with the original Boom that I made for my squeeze for Xmas. It was the weakest piece in my series of stitched 45 inserts. So, badda boo, badda bing, I redesigned and stitched up a brand new one. 

Spider wheel stitch & other details.

The squeeze is a natural gentleman and was profoundly gracious; he said he liked the old one. But he respected my need to change it. I felt it was a fail. So... Boom, Redux is born.

Hum, Spin and Boom, Redux, united at chez Andy.

I'm much happier with the dense, lush back stitch fill that I so love.  And the deep blue floss. To me, when I saw them all together last night, it felt like it fits together better as a series.

Detail of the back stitch fill.

In other news... please take a look at my newly updated blog banner! My fabulous designer friend Monique replaced two images of needlefelted work (I haven't needlefelted in years) with more recent embroidery: Tiny Great Curve and Suga Belt. I feel like these more accurately capture my current artwork and aesthetic. Yes? No?

I'm in love with this graphic!

Finally, check out this rad collection of 45 inserts that the uber cool artist Marshall Thompson (a.k.a. Sailor Mouth) shared with me.

Shazam!! I love these so much! How wonderful to play with the imagery of these fantastic, outdated, Mid-20th Century objects?

__ . . .   __ __ __   __ __ __   __ __!

The Little Things are Huge

The little things make me hugely happy.

Little Ennui Girl, 2012.

Like sending beautiful, precious Little M a postcard of my Little Ennui Girl. And her KISSING the card.

I am MUCH MORE than a little lucky to have such wonderful people in my life.

And yes, I mean YOU, too.

NSFW Big Yes! 99 Doilies by Ellen Schinderman

LA-based artist Ellen Schinderman's latest series blows me away.

For the folks who have a snapshot of my blog on their blog roles.

She is creating a collection of 99 doilies with gorgeous, simple images of female nudes stitched upon them, sometimes with a single strand of red thread.

Marta by Ellen Schinderman.

Schinderman writes that what started out as a fun bit of stitching transformed into a study of the female form. From her project statement: “I’ve got 99 doilies, but a bitch ain’t one: A study of the female form, also, stop calling women bitches.”

Lois by Ellen Schinderman.

The Hive Gallery. Photo by Daisuke Okamoto.

Seven Big Yeses! about the Doilies

1. Schinderman has turned something traditionally associated with home, hearth and female domesticity -- vintage doilies -- on its head and made them erotic. Almost subversive.
2. As a woman artist she has reclaimed the female form, in all of its wonderful variety.
3. Each portrait is named. Although the images are headless, they represent, as art, individual women with names like Eleanor, Marta, Becky.
4. Taken together, the white, lace-trimmed textiles look like snowflakes streaked with red.
5. Anyone who knows me knows I adore series, repetition that breeds change, from one piece to the next.
6. This project's development, from a simple, playful beginning to a larger body of work, shows the creative process at work. An artist becomes inspired by the work itself. This is a powerful example of my own ideas about the creative process.
7. They are so delicate and freaking beautiful!

Eleanor by Ellen Schinderman.

Schinderman is an artist-in-residence at the Hive Gallery in LA. She has a website and blogs about her work. You can see more images of the project in her flickr gallery. And what's more, you can purchase these lovely doilies in her shop. 

She is currently curating a textile art exhibition called Stitch Fetish. Yeah. Think of the possibilities.

Big Yes! to Schinderman for creating textile art with such skill and passion. 


"Big Yes!" is a blog feature where I share, with the artist’s permission, a piece of textile art that has opened my eyes to the possibility of what we can create.  When faced with things that are truly beautiful or moving or that fill me with awe, I try to say yes. More than that, Big Yes.

Big Yes! Seahorse by Sister Twisty

I am the insanely happy recipient of an lovely little piece by Sister Twisty. Check it out!

Seahorse by Sister Twisty, 2012.

As the organizer of the Phat Quarter Tiny Things swap for Mr X Stitch, I received this beautiful seahorse from the U.K. One of the most amazing things about participating in swaps is that you get to see other artists stitching first hand. And Twisted Sister's is gorgeous. Profoundly skilled.

Holding my lovely new piece of art!

Her work with the fill stitch and French knots on the seahorse's scales takes my breath away. It makes me realize how much I still have to work to improve my stitching skills to come anywhere close to the level of work she has shown me. Big Yes to Twisty Sister!

Twisted Sister is working on beautiful red stole for a clergy person. I can only imagine what that piece must look like in person.

I am humbled by her skills and moved to challenge myself to improve. Lots of work ahead for me!


"Big Yes!" is a blog feature where I share, with the artist’s permission, a piece of textile art that has opened my eyes to the possibility of what we can create.  When faced with things that are truly beautiful or moving or that fill me with awe, I try to say yes. More than that, Big Yes.

Particle in my hoop and spiro tops

Current version of Higgs Boson Particle. Adding more gray rays.

Making slow progress on my Higgs Boson Particle. Of course, I keep editing and changing it as I go, adding more elements and pulling out stitches, so it is taking me a while. It is going to be hard to part with, because it makes me oddly happy.

Can't stop pulling out stitches.

And here are some spirograph knit tops that I made for some of the awesome women in my life: Erin, Alex and Charisse.

Tank tops for Alex and Erin.

Top for my generous and loving sister-in-law Charisse.

I'm redoing the stitched 45 Boom spindle piece for my squeeze. I was particularly honored by the comments left on a Flickr photo of my 3 pieces by an artist I very much admire, Mark Bieraguel.

"Such a strange little piece of ephemera, those inserts for 45s to convert them for long playing spindles. You've abstracted them them out, taken them out of context and made them something new, interesting, and striking. ~MB"

Redoing Boom, bottom right.

Next, I'm thinking of attempting some mixed media stuff... stitching on paper. I've been inspired by the work of fellow stitch artists Jessica and Mark Bieraugel.

Jessica often uses pages from vintage math books and creates wonderful, geometric patterns which she stitches with precision directly into the antique pages. I'm proud to own one of her pieces and I gave my friend Juline a lovely hexagon piece that I purchased from Jessica.

I imagine stitching into these wonderful NC arts & crafts cards  I received for Xmas, for example. Or comics!

Mark has done amazing work with stitching vintage patterns into microfiche, which I've written about for Mr X Stitch. He is starting on a new series, stitching and reinterpreting an old art book. I love the way he is exploring and redefining the work of artists from Robert Mapplethorpe to Ed Ruscha.

I'm very excited about this possible new direction my own work and I'm grateful to connect with so many fantastic artists online!

Editing and process

First stitches & supplies, Higgs Boson Particle

Q: When do I finish editing a piece?
A: Never. Not even after it is framed and I've given it away.

Q: Why do I get so excited translating an image or idea into stitch and textile?
A: I love thinking in texture and color. What else lets me do this?

I see lots of layers in the piece. First layer, here.

Two pieces in the hoops right now: a Higgs Boson particle and Boom, Redux.

Transferring my design with a Sharpie on Sulky Solvy.

The precision of all of the graphic representations I found of a Higgs Boson particle has been a challenge in designing this piece. How do I bring that precision to fabric and thread? Those hard edges?

Initial attempts at designing. Too complicated at first.

But part of what I enjoy about textiles is, for me, the wonkiness of the stitch. Especially when I'm trying to translate hard-edged imagery to fabric. I realize that there are more precise stitchers out there and I that I keep improving the more I stitch, but I enjoy the contrast.

We'll see if the simplified particle design works in the finished piece.

Boom, Redux. Thick, back stick in a brick-style fill.

And when it comes to editing, I'm never quite done. I wasn't happy with the way Boom turned out when I gave it as a holiday gift to my squeeze. He says he likes it, but I don't. So I've redesigned it and I'm restitching it. Rewriting the whole piece. Changing the stitches I'm using. Creating that thick, lush fill stitch I adore.

The original Boom was weak to me.

Trying to remake it to be worthy of the set, the recipient and my own vision.

It feels good to be true to your vision. Go!

Spindle in every color of the crayola, baby

45 Insert 1, Spin, 2012

I love 45 record inserts.

WIP: 45 Insert 2, Hum.

My favorite pendant is a 45 record insert in sterling silver. I wear it constantly. The design is so clean, simple, dated. People constantly comment on it, excitedly telling me that they know what it is, that they are old enough to remember using an insert to play a 45 on their turntable.

Boom. Self portrait with pendant.

I admire the insert as a 20th Century object, a echo of the golden age of vinyl. As a reminder of my own childhood, spinning records on my record player. Of the time before my experience of music was so computerized.

Vinyl in the world.

But I also love the design of it. And I love the different styles of inserts.

All three pieces.

Very late one night I was buying wine at the grocery store and this older, cool cat next to me started laughing in this chuckle that somehow sounded like free form jazz.

45 Insert 2, Hum, 2012.

"I love your spindle, baby," he said, and we struck up a conversation. He told me he was a DJ in the 1970s and still owned over 10,000 vinyl records. "Every kinda groove, baby. I ain't prejudiced. But mostly funk, blues and you know, soul music." His sister's kids were always trying to break into his stash, he said. But he wasn't going to let the fools mess up his collection.

45 Insert 3, Boom, 2012.

"I collect 45 spindles. I have hundreds, baby, in every color of the crayola. I'll show them to you someday, baby." And this point, he lost his balance and gripped onto the shelf to steady himself. I blame the wine, baby.

Vintage spindle on my lap.

Damn, I would love to see his collection. The colors, the designs of the inserts.

WIP: 45 Insert 1, Spin.

The idea of the cool cat's collection inspired these 5"x5" stitched pieces, made for my squeeze, who is a music master and collector of tunes himself. And the same vintage as me, so to speak. Who appreciates the 45 insert as an object from our collective past, as an example of fabulous design and as a something to play with.

45 Insert 1, Spin, 2012

Each piece has a word in morse code stitched into it. I love morse code... another visitor from the past.

They say: Spin. Hum. Boom.

I was framed in 2012!

Well, two of my stitched self-portraits were framed, that is.

Suga Belt, 2012, framed!

I decided to end 2012 right by treating myself and my artwork to some nice custom framing. Money is tight, but I'm so glad that I did.

Tiny Great Curve, 2012, close up.

I had a sleek frame made for Suga Belt and a 11x14" matt cut for Tiny Great Curve.  Now I'm looking for new places to hang them in my tiny apartment. 

Suga Belt, 2102, detail.

Tiny Great Curve is really tiny. In an 11x14" frame.

Yah!

Still working on top secret gifts, stitching until my fingers are bloody and raw. OK, so perhaps I exaggerate. But I am a busy little elf. All of my stitched gifts seem to have a retro feel to them. That's all that I'm going to say.

The evil slave master Santa is demanding I get back to it, so later, mofo! (Yes, elves swear.)

String Thing Ornament Swap Roundup

Here is a round-up of the lovely ornaments created by the talented members of my fiber arts group, String Thing. Once again, I'm blown away by not only the quality of the works, but the variety of media used. Everything from embroidery, paper crafts, knitting, art shrink wrap, felt plush, wooden houses, quilting and even a touch of glittered fruit!

By me.

Juline and Kate made gorgeous quilted ornaments.

By Juline.

By Kate.

Katherine created these whimsical little bird houses.

By Katherine.

I embroidered tiny word find puzzles reading "Durham String Thing."

By me.

Sarah designed these slick artist shrink wrap disks with the Durham String Thing logo on them.

By Sarah.

Monique made these wonderful paper orbs that look like magical strings suspended in air.

By Monique.

Mel knit up these snug little sweater balls.

By Mel.

And our every sparkly leader Rebecca graced us with her fairy dust for these magical Christmas glitter pears!

By Rebecca.

Sadly, not all of the photos turned out, so several are not included here. Not shown are colorful magazine paper butterflies by Katie, large-eyed felt owls by Lesley, a quilted garland by Co, two versions of little knitting bags by Joan and Jane, and lace covered, knit glass balls by Sandy. Sorry, swappers! Epic camera failure on my part.

Love seeing my peeps' creativity in action like this. Great job!

Free Pattern! And, the holidays... Shh...

I'm fortunate enough that the people that I really love read my blog and care about my art. I recognize how lucky I am in that respect. The only down side (and it is a tiny one) is that I can't post what I'm making now because it is all holiday gifts for my peeps.

My very girlie wreath.

Instead, here is my most popular project/free pattern (knitting) on ravely. And some photos of my insanely girlie (I've now realized) Christmas decorations in my tiny apartment in Durham.

Mrs. Claus' Date Night Handbag. Free pattern below.

Hope you are all having a wonderful December! Send me some sugar...


************************************************************

Free pattern:

Mrs. Claus’ Date Night Handbag

By Olisa Corcoran (cocoaeyes)

Pattern for Mrs. Claus' Date Night Handbag (adapted from my Ornamental Joy - Tiny Handbags pattern that was published in the String Thing Theory pattern book back in 2009.)

This is what she carries on a hot date!

Materials: 
Approximately 30 to 40 yards of any type of feltable yarn. In order to felt, your yarn must be animal fiber: cottons and acrylics will not felt. 
Set of 5 dpns in the appropriate size for your yarn.

Gauge is irrelevant!

Directions: 
Body of bag: 
Cast on 11 stitches 
Knit garter stitch for 6-7 rows to form a little rectangle. This will become the base/bottom of the bag. At this point you’ll switch to knitting in the round.

Pick up and knit 3 stitches along the first short side of the rectangle base. 
Pick up and knit 11 stitches along the other long side of the rectangle base. 
Pick up and knit the remaining 3 stitches on the second short side of the rectangle base.

Place marker to indicate beginning of round.

At this point you’ll knit in the round (in a rectangle shape) by knitting all rolls until the bag is about 3 inches, or as tall as you want it to be before felting, ending on a short side of the rectangle. You’ll now do one decrease row.

Long Side one, K2tog, K until the last 2 stitches from the end of that side, K2tog. 9 stitches remaining.

Short Side one, K2tog, K. 2 stitches remaining on that side.

Long Side two, K2tog, K until the last 2 stitches from the end of that side, K2tog. 9 stitches remaining.

Short Side two, K2tog, K. 2 stitches remaining on that side.

Knit one more round.

Bind off all stitches. 
Weave in ends.

Felt the bag: 
To felt, place the bag in a lingerie pouch and run through the washing machine cycle on the highest heat and agitation available for your machine. Include a towel or pair of jeans with the wash so that the bag is agitated as much as possible. 

Decorating your bag: 
Use any fluffy white novelty yarn as the faux fur; simply sew around the top of the felted bag. I make my bag handles out of pearl beads strung on florist wire. Simple string beads onto 3 or 4 inches of florist wire, twist of the ends, and using a clear thread, sew into the inside of your bag. 

Just play!

Sugar, Codes, Place, Hips & Stitching

My Suga Belt is finally done.

Suga Belt, 2012

I admit that it is a crazy mixture of self portraiture, morse code, maps, chemical formulas, kanji and flawed, exuberant stitching.

Detail of glucose molecule with latitude & longitude.

There is a woman named Suga and she runs a shop on the town square of the dramatically-named Carthage, a small, North Carolina town that has seen better days. The shop sells "urban wear." I bought a bright orange, faux leather belt from her for $5.

Carthage town square.

For some inexplicable reason, this brief encounter with the tough, transplanted New Yorker captured my imagination. I felt like I had to break through a hard shell of distrust in order to have a conversation with her; in the end, she warmed up to me, pressing her card into my hand as I left her store.  I sketched and stitched up this piece over several months.

I find chemical formulas strangely beautiful. Worthy of elegant, long-armed feather stitch.

I used a limited color palette, but many different stitches, including French knots, long-armed feather stitch, woven spider wheel stitch, statin stitch and lots of chains.

I finally feel comfortable making French knots.

And while I was making it, I let my mind wander with the idea of sugar, place, maps and codes. This is an example of what I'd call "large and messy" living and creativity in my life. I gathered and layered as images came to me. No restraints.

It felt like textured, visual poetry. Place names, lines and dashes, compass directions...

Obsession with layers.

Today, my very patient mother helped me mount it (strangely challenging) and now the Suga Belt is in the frame shop. And now I'm switching into high gear and working on gifts for my peeps!

Morse code is like visual poetry. Carthage, Carthage, Carthage. Find me.

And this makes me happy.

Mother Bears

Now for something very different....

Me and I bear. First thing I've knitted in years!

For more than five years I've been part of a very special fiber arts group called String Thing. We have spinners, knitwear designers, hobbyist knitters and crocheters, tatters, lace-makers, weavers and all other kind of fiber and textile enthusiasts imaginable. We've participated in the Makers Faire twice and have even published a book of patterns.

Bear friends, including "Smurf Bear" by Kate.

Several members of the group decided to participate in the Mother Bear Project, knitting bears for children with HIV/AIDS. This is our second go-around.

For more information about how to participate, see the Mother Bear website. It features great photos of the kids receiving bears from around the world. It will make you smile.

Our pile o'bears ready to be shipped.

...Bears!

Large and messy

Manos, first sketches from my notebooks.

Making art isn't all fun. It can be tedious, heartbreaking, fraught with failure. But, I mostly have fun. Or try to. And I mostly succeed. For me, there is no money involved. No pressure to please anyone but myself and my friends. 

Color Wheel of Lies words.

And I love having big, ongoing projects going with huge themes. Like "stitched words" and "colors." It's hard to describe how exciting it is to have a large, messy, growing art project inside of me. 

Gorging on color, but not sugar.

How good it feels to be open to experiences of color, for example, in whatever situation I find myself.  I stumble across a drawing Newton made of a color wheel and it thrills me. That it is in his handwriting and that he has spelled blue as bleu... this makes it even more delicious. And it will be stitched into my Color Wheel of Lies project.

Color Wheel, Newton.

Or I'm at the SAFF fiber festival with friends last month in Asheville and I see this beautiful yarn called "Nightfall." It starts out in an inky black and drains into wild, beautiful cherry. And I think, look at how beautifully wool absorbs dye. And I marvel at the marbling and variegation of a single skein.

Richly dyed yarn at SAFF.

So now, something new. Hands have captured my imagination. And blackwork embroidery. And suddenly I see hands everywhere. They are elegant parts of the human body. And I start collecting the hands of the people in my life in a big, black sketchbook.

Elegant hand.

And I'm inspired and moved about the wonderful variety of fingers and thumbs and palms. They are breathtaking.

My hand. I imagine the doodles in blackwork embroidery.

And for no good reason, here is this other wonderful, messy project inside of me. And I find inspiration for my Manos everywhere. And again, it makes my life feel full, fun and magical.

What else? Luchadora masks are rocking my world! Me pretending to be a Luchadora.

WIPs: More maps, hips and colors

I know, I know. I'm stitching crazy slow these days.

Map of Carthage, NC, town square. Satin, chain, long & short, wrapped back and regular back stitch.

My main two projects are the Suga Belt and the Color Wheel of Lies. And I'm gleefully stitching away at both.

Suga Belt is getting crazier and crazier!

I was distracted by a week of knitting. I'll admit it! But I'm back to stitching on these. And, damn, if I don't have 10,000 other art pieces brewing inside me, just begging to get out.

Latest words.

I'm happy with it all. Even if I finish only a few pieces a year. When I see the quantity of work other  people produce, I'm sometimes overwhelmed and a bit chafened by their amazing production. And here I am, stitching away, getting distracted by sketching and dreaming.

These are yummy to me.

Oh well.

New projects: Manos. And something involving vinyl and a drill. And lots of holiday gifts.

Sitting in bed, stitching. Happy.

I want to go to the corporate salt mines today like I want to turn my my new drill to my temple. But alas... It's not so bad.

Vote, dawgs!

This election season...

...get out there and vote!

It's hot!

More Sugar and a Map (to Find Me)

I love layers.

Woven spider wheel hydrogen, carbon & oxygen. Glucose.

In life and in making art, it's all about adding layers and peeling them away.

Whipped back stitch. Sucrose.

My Suga Belt keeps asking for more layers... chemicals and molecules and maps.  Ideas for new layers, like membranes or tiers, keep coming to me.

Adding a map of a town square to Suga Belt.

Now a map.

Whipped back stitch. Fructose.

Next a key?

Glucose from above.

I think. I can't see too far ahead of me in my life or in my art. But that's an exciting place to be.

International Art Project Born from a News Report

I've written about my sources of inspiration for art projects for other blogs and publications. On my own blog, I call these sources "Stitchsperation."

Hanne Bang's studio. Photo by Bang.

Here is a wonderful example of a perhaps insufficiently recognized well of inspiration: the news media.

Recently, I participated in an art project that rose from a news story, all of the players half a world away from me and from each other.

Danish artist Hanne Bang's amazing In A War, Someone Has To Die installation art piece was inspired by a television interview she heard of an out-of-work, professional African soldier, who uttered the line, "in a war, someone has to die."

(Read more about the evolution of the project here.)

Contributions by Katherine and me.

The exhibition opened last night in Copenhagen at Den Frie at KE12 Autumn Art. (Hang says, "KE12 is one of the most important juried exhibitions for contemporary art in Denmark.") It included my work and that of my friend Katherine, among 240-plus other contributors from around the world.  

So hear is my recommendation: Sit down with your local newspaper and sketchbook and play. There are layers and layers of ideas and stories and images to be found in the ink, on the gray paper.

Go.

Little Ennui People for the Phat Quarter Toys Swap

My brother Joe and I played with Fisher Price Little People far beyond the recommended age. We did so sneakily. And they weren't our Little People. They belonged to the bratty little daughter of our babysitter.

Little Ennui Girl.

As we played, we forgot for a little while how much we hated going to this babysitter's house, on a dirt road, far from home, far from our parents. The kids on that dirt road did not like us and we didn't understand why.

The whole, happy family.

Joe and I were passionate, intense kids. We suffered from ennui before we knew what that meant. And we were nerdy smart, so we knew that word at a young age.

Mid-stitch, happiness and ennui.

Picture two dark-haired, strangely pale kids with giant brown saucers for eyes, bent over these simple, brightly-colored, wooden peg people, plotting our escape to the circus, the amusement park, home... that was Joe and me.

Little People of our vintage.

So of course, I couldn't make accurate, smiling, dopey Mid-Century Little People for the Mr X Stitch Phat Quarter toys-themed swap. I made them look like Joe and me.

Little Ennui Cowboy.

And then, because I am on a Kanji kick, I included some Japanese characters for Little People, happiness, joy and laughter. Because that is what childhood is supposed to be about and that's what toys are intended to inspire, right?

She looks particularly tortured to me!

I'm happy that these little freaks now live with Leslie, a.k.a. lockedinthepark, in New York. (Check out Leslie's blog, crafts, feminism and more.) I feel she can appreciate their ennui.

Sparkle, sparkle.

My brother and I are now passionate, intense adults. I wish we could see each other more. It's not too late, Joe. We can still escape if you're up for it. Let's fill our pockets with an army of Little People and run away... are you in?

Big Yes! Clowns by Sailor Mouth

After being playfully chastised by Mr X Stitch for never having actually tried cross stitch (despite writing for his blog), I've been casting about for ideas for my first attempt into this new stitch territory.

Clowns by Sailor Mouth

And then I found the wild work of artist Sailor Mouth (a.k.a. Marshall Thompson). Sham-wow! His work is cool, creepy and wonderful. 

These clowns are freaky. If there is anyone who doesn't already find clowns scary, after seeing these insane images, they will learn clown-related fear!

Detail of a Clown, by Sailor Mouth.

I appreciate the menace he brought into the simple designs. And his use of primary colors. And the the way the red-striped, diamond-shaped frames play off the mad circus motif. 

Love this wild frame.

Check out more of Sailor Mouth's stitching and other artwork in his flickr stream. At times, the almost cartoon-like images strike me as the sleekest sticker art captured in stitch. Big yes, Sailor Mouth.

Now, time for me to try to cross stitch business!

"Big Yes!" is a blog feature where I share, with the artist’s permission, a piece of textile art that has opened my eyes to the possibility of what we can create.  When faced with things that are truly beautiful or moving or that fill me with awe, I try to say yes. More than that, Big Yes.

Layering on the sugar, taking my sweet time

Rushing to finish my Phat Quarter TOYS Swap, but I'm taking a little break this Friday afternoon to work on my Suga Belt.

Circles of glucose on the thigh. I'm thinking of woven spider wheel stitch for those.

Layering on different things. Right now it's sugar molecules (sucrose, glucose and fructose) but I also want to stitch some compass points and map grids.

Sucrose on Sulky Solvy, stitching in back stitch.

Maybe I'm too much of a process artist. I love taking my time making. In no rush to finish. Just keep layering, creating and adding. That makes me happy.

Layering different molecules, planning.

Palimpsest. I like that word.

Before I cut up the piece from the main cloth and layered it onto the black fabric.

Must stitch it.