truly spacious

2012 Taurean Time

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Taurus 2012 time, and things are being made overhere.

Made, bought, dreamed, considered, sorted and played with.

I've played a new blog into pixels too: FifTea Party.

Gettin ready for my approaching decade shift.

xxx

stitchpics catchups

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So now ... on this gloriously delicious warm and Sunny last day of September 2011...

I get around to posting pics of stitchedness which happened somewhere back there. Current TimeWarpSpeed has it all blurring into 'somewhere back' there, if it isn't happening now....

So, in the blur of previous-to-today, I made a feather for jude's Magic Feather project, and I made a blessingstitch for my newest friend, Genevieve, who is my dear friend Zoe's first baby. I met G thru Z's belly, for a delightful hour, a few weeks before she was done cooking. We had a deeply pleasant thru-belly exchange. Zoe was my assistant a decade ago. It's so very Lovely that she is blossoming on into Mothering, now. After all kinds of wondrous adventures inbetweentimes.

~ ~ ~

The Feather, and some pics from my first visit to Beauty-Full Cromer, which just want to sit on the screen next to the stitchedfeatherpics:

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jude's pic of my feather, + the note I sent with it, is here.  Along with a growing flock of other fine featherpics.

~ ~ ~

And the Blessingstitch for Genevieve:

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While I was making it, everything was pink. Everything.

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xxx

3.9.2011

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...After many fast-shifting stormy skies, bringing unusually early August Autumnal shadings and tumblings: today...

... A fine Sunny September evening, and some stitching under my Beauty-Full new garden brolly.

... Good to stitch again. It's bin a while...

xxx

Sun-day-ness

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Stitching on a Sunny Sunday. All-round pleasant. These pics click much larger.

And prints taken from wet-painted doiley. Experimental-like.

And some new Pinterest pins, on a new board ~ I just like it 3:

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I enjoy the visible echoes between all these.

More pics now in 2011 stitchpics, and over at ragster espial.

xxx

clear echoes

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Funny how things go along, eh.

I was preparing to post this, a pic of my current explorings within the 21st Century Rags course;

went to make tea, and on my screensaving slideshow on my return was this pic, a drawing from 2007.

 

Clear Echoes!

I've put some more detail pics, of this and other recent stitchings, into the 2011 stitchpics gallery, too.

xxx

NC ~ CN, Carrying oN

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Natural Centre / Central Nature cloths are carrying on.

I yabber more about this over at ragster espial.

xxx

Miss B's Gifty

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A Birthday Gifty.

xxx

'ragster espial' invite

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I've created a new password-protected blog, ragster espial, to go along with my participation in the Magic Diaries project.

It's not a top-secret place, only a slightly more secluded spot than here, in which I may yabber and muse, at length and in detail, about what's what on the stitching+cloth front.

With my Natural Centre / Central Nature Carry oN Cloths, as this one announced they'd like to be known, today... Whatcanyedo?

If you'd like to read along, please leave a comment here, or email me ~ do include your name (!), your blog address if you have one, or say a few words about your interest ~ and I'll send you the password.

I'm going to keep this announcement post at the top of the page for a while.

Fresh posts will continue to be added, as and when, below, in the general truly spacious manner.

xxx

Lavender, pins + 'ragster espial'

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Mmmmmmm i wish you could smell these.... picked today, my first Lavender harvest, and now bunches are hanging and beginning to dry, perfuming my home. It's truly Lovely.

Yesterday I pinned a lot...

and

and

another one which I can't show here just now because it's going to be a birthday gift next week.

And...

I can show it over on my new password-protected blog: ragster espial...

Wherein I intend to yabber a bit more about my stitchings, cloth-learnings, and wonderings, to go along with my Magic Diaries participation.

If you would like to access ragster espial, please email me - address is on righthandbar overhere, and then I can give you the password. (***Edit to add ~ as Jeannie figured ~ you can also leave a comment here, with your email address invisible to others.***) 

It's not going to be a top-secret space, but a rather more secluded zone, wherein I feel more comfortable to have a wander with my wonderings as I go along, finding my way with it all.

If we haven't e-met yet - maybe you're participating in Magic Diaries, or any of jude's courses ~ you're welcome too - just let me know, and please include your own blog address in your mail, so I can e-visit you too.

And here - have another cyber~sniff of Beauty:

Mmmmmmmm

xxx

July espial

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I just learned a new word. "Espial". Eessagoodone.

Main Entry:    espial
Part of Speech:    noun
Definition:    observation
Synonyms:     attention, beholding, cognizance, detection, discovery, eyeing, finding, note, notice, observance, spotting

I'm learning lots with this new woven~stitching, not least by using colours and prints which I am not quite in Love with. Experimenting with stitching into pattern, and with the quiltystitching which I haven't gone for much previously, but which begins to appeal more, now... Feeling like a nervy beginner again, in moments. That's a triumph of sorts in itself, really ~ to keep it fresh, within a long-time familiar-ish form. Newness, emerging. Noticings. Espials galore.

This one isn't a finished Thing. I'm carrying on... And jude's Magic Diaries is just beginning, too. (If you're dropping over from there ~ Hi!)

xxx

26.6.2011

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Sudden return of hot bright Sunshine...

Sunday pics...posting while Beyonce does her fab big loud sassy thang at Glastonbury.

(CeeLo was my other televisual treat from there this weekend. I do love CeeLo and his artistry. xxx)

 

A flower who somehow survived That Winter, sitting it out in her underground bulb, to come again, today... (And you see that delicate thread? I wonder where, and how, Spiders live in the sub-zero times.) 

I have moments on hot Summer days when I recall trying to imagine this kind of warmth amidst the intolerable beyond-cold months. "These are the days I dreamed about" I think.

And I drink in the heat, and the blooms, deeply, to help me dream well when those shivering times will come again.

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I thought it'd be good

to make a version of this weave

which I got to

from the Quilt Weaving Tool

which jude generously made available

in the 21st Century Rags workshop.

I'm gonna do more translations. I really like this pattern. Butterfly~ness, Seven~ness, Nice~ness.

This one is for now.

 

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Recently replanted basket is flourishing, and do you remember this not so long ago?

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The Sweet Chestnut is making sweet things, and dropping them again, to paint the pavement...

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My gun isn't a Real gun. It's a cap gun. It's for scaring the greedy bully Woodpigeons away, so my other little feathered pals may eat again. And it does feel very good to fire.

It's okay. My heart is still in the right place. And emanating bright beams.

xxx

24.6.2011

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This one, I'm really in Love with. Enjoying the stitch~meltings, enjoying exploring embroidery again, enjoying these colours together, so much.

About to begin enjoying jude's Magic Diaries, too.

I got to realising a good name for my first round/season - t'will be my 'carrying~on diaries'. For now.

 

There has been some fine gathering recently over at my ijustlikeit2 board, too:

 

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I am seeing all manner of echoes there, getting all kinds of hints as to Things to Be Explored Further.

I love when that happens.

O! How come I never heard of Kolam artistry before?

Well, I've heard of it now.

 

(the blossom came to me already-stitched on the silk.)

 

Welcome, Cancerian time, 2011. Gemini ~ gone ~ zoom.

Carrying on, in fine style.

xxx

re-views

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I took this pic on the evening of my recent Birthday, in my Garden.

The candles were sending out beams to all the kind folk who'd sent all manner of hopes and happy wishes my way that day. 

I simply needed a pic just now to post, to go with the 'sparchive' links which I want to post - galleries of older work.

For ease and Saturday restfulness right now - I'll post the link to the 'jaihn online' sparchive post which has all three gallery links in it. Just sose ykno. 

Thank you!

xxx

now + then

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Plenty stitching going on overhere. More pics, of these and other cloth~Things, in my new 2011 stitchpics gallery.

Some of the fabrics in the first pic here came thru my letterbox this morning. Sometimes it's Love and work at first sight. Sometimes it takes a while. The latter pic is a very old snippet revisited and worked along. The metal is a dug-up-from-the-Earth Thing. I like the mystery of metals who have clearly had previous lives. Enjoying making stitches in ways that would not have occurred to me to do, when I first put those cloths together, years since. Post-brew-fruits.

jude's 21st Century Rags Whispering Workshop has just started. Likely to be a deal more stitching and sperimenting to come...

And plenty going on in my delight-full garden:

 

xxx

newnews

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Some fine new pins over at I just like it 2:

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and another kind of pinned-ness over at my newest gallery; 2011 stitchpics;

With thanks to Jenni-Lynn for her catalytic enthusiasm!

xxx

Stitchstitchstich

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Glimpses of some of the creativities happening overhere.

Already some are changed since taking these pics, this afternoon. Sitting stitching in the last of the evening sunbeams, while enjoying a visit from a neighbour; what a fine joy.

There are many fine joys around here these days...

When living in central London, I used to Dream deeply about having a view from the window above my kitchen sink, as Beauty-full as this.

And now I live here. And this was my view today. And the weather is fine. Sigh.

I have a million more lovely pics which I'd like to share. I'll aim to magic at least some of them into general visibility before long...

xxx

stitching again

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I found jude hill's SunMoonStars course a couple of days before it was to start. I was in like Flynn.

And then I signed into her cloth2cloth course too.

And then things got busy overhere, and paints and brushes and yarns have had to be cleared for the moment, to make way for the eruptions of the stitching stash.

I had forgotten just how deeply fond I am of stitching. I am remembering. Uhhuhhh.

I've made/am making a new Pinterest SunMoonStars board, too. Here's a glimpse:

Such a lot of loveliness.

 

And OOh LOOk! ~ here comes GeminiTime.

I wonder what a GeminiRabbit will feel like... 

Thanks to Taurustimes 2011 too, tho, eh. For all you brought, and indeed may still bring, for one more day. 

This day will never come again.

xxx

18 fresh ones

I just made my first flickr gallery! I suspect it could be the first of many.

This one is called a gathering of quilts, 1.  Can you guess what's in it??

18 fine pics of other-folks' lovely makings.

I don't like to show any pics here, since they are not my work, so please do zip on thru and enjoy a browse.  

xxx

Shadowblessed + Gateway quiltlets

I juss loved this moment - when I photographed my latest quiltlet,

the Sun came through strong enough to make a leafy shadowy blessing. For the first time in a lonnnnnnng time.

This is my third quiltlet, for Project Linus UK, and the first one using black, and exploring a little more complex design. Still simple. I like 'em like that.

See previous post for lots of design inspirations links.

I was thinking edgier-style quiltlet comforter than the previous two, for the teenage kids who go to the Women's Refuge where I am aiming to send these. The amidst-trauma kids who may be in the "I don't want a silly comfort blanket" zone. I am thinking Secret-Squirrel tactics, and making the kind of cool~edge that they might go for. Anyways, that was my initial impulse, but this one turned out rather more Japanese Garden-esque inclined. I'll aim to rough it up a little more in my next one...

 

 

 

 

My 20 year-old assistant Bruce looked at the quiltlet I made prior to this one and said; "It's like a gateway to inner Peace. Anyone would feel better looking at that."  Isn't that just Lovely??

See if you agree:

 

 

all pics click clearer and deeper xxx

newquilt + goodlink roundup

A little documentation is in order... Pics of my first quiltlet for Project Linus UK.

I'm onto making my second one now, tho a little undertheweatherness has delayed progress there. 

This little sweety was easier to create than I thought it might be, with help from some great online tutorials and inspiratrices. 

Here are links to some of the great quilticians I found in my recent sleuthings:

"i have to say" had/has a great series of how-to's: her "On the Road to Spring quilt-a-long"

I didn't join in directly, but enjoyed the weekly progression, which came at the right moments.

A simple and oso helpful pictorial tutorial; make a baby quilt - from my happy little life.

Stripes baby quilt instructions from a quilt is nice. So much treasure in those archives!

The simplicity of Soule Mama's lovely quilt encouraged me to go with my bigsquare inclinations.

And I found general gorgeousness galore at Oh, Fransson!,

and Handmade by Alissa (whose sparks baby quilt is in my future weaving-it-all-in sights.)

and Valori Wells (whose free Urban quilt patterns are also in those sights)

and at the empty bobbin.

and and and.... my myriad emerging questions were answered at:

*Red Pepper Quilts - RPQ101 - Patchwork Piecing

*How to use fleece as a quilt backing

*Backing Considerations

*Ask Penny Halgren

*Why You Should Press Your Quilt Seams Open

*Proper Seam Pressing In Quilts

I think my initial impulse for this quilt-to-give came via reading Pink Chalk Studio.

It seems a long time ago already. Trails of connection, of creativity, of cyber-community, eh.

I've put all these links together here now, so that other wondering-quilters may find this treasure easily, too. 

With my big hearty thanks to all those whose lovely work is behind the links.

 
xxx

Februaryness

A pic of a detail on a page I made before this long long long Winter season.

I must have known some encouragement would be required in February. 

I am tired of feeling cold, seeing damp greys, and I would like to be open to some Bright Spring Warmth Very Soon Please...

Still, I will try and take my own advice...

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

Documentation inclination is somewhat rare overhere just now.

Things go on, but they don't always reach truly spacious. The moment passes. Further offscreen things go on. And so on and so forth.  Pics pile up in iphoto. Good links galore gather cyberdust in my lists. I'd share them all gladly if you were here, really I would...

I've been vaguely brewing a post of pointers around my most recent trails. Since I wouldn't manage more than a vague version of the vague brew just now, I am going to let it be ok to just put the Main Thing, and then fill in more specifics as and when...

So, the Main Thing, just now, is that having done what I needed to do around my Remains of the Day project, for now, (yes, I will show more pics!); then my attention wandered on, and I followed, and sleuthed a lot, and finally landed at the wonderful ***Project Linus UK.*** (For U.S. people: here's the U.S. version: Project Linus.)

And so I find my way towards creating quilts. With help from a bunch of good online tutorials - (see above for undocumentation explanation). And with help from Olive, my other splendid assistant, in the sorting-out-the-fabric-stash department. Good to have found the right place to put some of those fabrics I bought way back, which were never Quite Right for other work, but which together will be Grand for this work. YumYum! Creativity with a depth of healing focus. Just my cup of Tea right now. 

Speaking with the Norwich contact for the project, I got quite excited about the prospect of making quilts specifically for the Women's Refuge. I really love that I can put some tangible healing encouragement into a place where courage is key.

Ok. That's the bare bones for now. I'd like to show more, and I will, in time.  Promise.

Also, since my Gemininity is always happiest when there is an also: clothes for little folk. Thass all I am sayin, till I say more.     xxx

Wild Card Renaissance

 

Seven glimpses of what has become, and is becoming, "The Wild Card Renaissance" book. 

My 'Remains Of The Day' course carryings on. It's been grand to immerse in pleasurable voluntary activities, with all kinds of Things, finally coming to rest, synthesized onto pages of delights.

Some of the Things have been in my Life for years, held precious but not given a Proper Home; or held too tightly in-stash, awaiting looser times. The looser times are here. As is a Proper Home for all manner of pleasurable snippets. Including some stamps, as in postage stamps, for which my Love has been rekindled by this project. Such delight-full little things, some of them.

More pics, and little stories, of this work-in-progress are visible over at my flickr set. 

And there will be more. More of this project, more of the others that are already badgering me from the wings, so to speak. There are a lot more stamps and Things in need of synthesizing.

And continuing with prayers going out to all people in need of Proper Houses, Comfort, Renaissance, and Re-Creation.

We don't forget you.

xxx

Winter Charms

Wishing you Peace, Comfort and Warmth this Winter!

And pointing out (as if we hadn't noticed the trickster's shadow already) that Mercury goes retro on 26th.

You can check out the dates thru here. And the 2010 continuations here.

Whoooooooooop says the retro~born Tigress.  My kinda Winter charm. 

Happy Restorative snuggling, pottering, diddling and gently carrying on wishes to yoooooooooo.

Here's a fine vid for you to dance yourself warm with.

And my favourite For Now radio station - Christmas Remixed - by the wonderfully named yelo_snoman.

And my third wise gift to you and your ears is this, my favourite delicious chilled version of Carol of The Bells.

And thassaboutitfornow. More seasonality posts as and when.

As and when the impulse comes upon me, that is.

Meanwhile; Thank You to everyone who visits, comments, google-hoovers, or lurks sweetly silent overhere.

Peace Be With You!

xxx

Like Stars

It seems the Summer Break is upon me, in terms of not posting much overhere....

So for now, here are details from a card which I made for a Star-like friend recently, 

and a stitching, finished in new-departure style onto canvas, for a recently-met Stellar pal.  

Who was kind enough to fall in Love at first sight (of said stitching) and ask to purchase it. 

Flattered and delighted, I rustled up a way of making it hangable for her, 

which may prove to be a fine way to finish some of the stockpile of stitchings-in-waiting....

Some stitching-and-stencilling speriments will be happening soon - with some happy encouragement from The Divine Miss Moss.  

Hallo to my new playclassmates peeping on thru from there!

I'll be twinkling around not very far away, and will shine on through here again, 

flapping stencilry and allwhatnot around, some clear night afore very long....

And, Yes. That is indeed a Broomstick. And a Drumstick. Andandand.

Click pic to see clearer.

XXX

visible echoes

 

First I made a stitching for my friend Jane's birthday. She's a Dragon, she likes a bit of sparkle....
And then I made some collage.

And only when I posted pics of them together, did I see the echoes.

Click pics to see clearer echoes.

xxx

bundle love

 

(All pics click larger + clearer.)

Yesterday, on my cybertrails, I spotted a lovely project. I saw that things were being bundled into the elements in Beauty-full ways, by Be...Dream...Play Elizabeth, x2,  and by RedVelvet Judy, and by many others, following the inspiration of The Altered Page Seth and his 'disintegration' project.

Today I woke up thinking about it, and so this afternoon I gathered the Things which were calling me, and put them all together. O how good to get to putting things together willynilly and yet precisionengineer artfully. Knowing they were all to be soaked and transformed in breezes and freezes, beams and drops, between today and the first of May. Knowing some of the carefully-quick chosen texts might vanish inbetweentimes.

Such a joy just to wrap and stitch, easy and fast. To bundle. The original recipe was for paper only, but I reeeeally wanted to include a little stitched Thing, and some too-shiny-for-my-taste things, just to see...

And then, I hung it outside, not very far from my kitchen door, in the last of the evening light.

 

A rare forray out into the coldness, where I found another weather-beaten form: my lovely stone, cracked in the frosts. It must have survived several million Winters till this one, but today it is a changed form again. This too shall pass.

Thankyou Seth for setting this sweet elemental project into motion. Good to be fired up on a chilly Winter's day in Norwich, UK, February 2009.

While we live and breathe, eh? xxx

visible

A pic!
I posted a pic!
A little thing I made Quite A While ago.
Image found in my email clearouts just now.
Still hoping to recover some other images.... and there are new ones awaiting in the digiwings.
For now, just this.
And Happy Weekend wishes.
Sun is forecast, I have a Garden to be in, inbetween sortings and doings, now; Bliss, overhere.
xxx

stitches + nests

A little medley of stitching. Week 4 of the TAST project was a week to catch up or review. So: some chain stitches, some blanket stitches, and some 'just stitches' went in the mix, along with a little vintage lace, and fine fabrics.
Click pic to see a little more clearly. I scanned, to circumnavigate some of the process doings that come with pic-taking.

Am in the getting-ready-to-go-away mode again, so there are already plenty of doings going on, or asking to go on, overhere.

I will be away for about a week, from Tuesday. On what may or may not be my last recce. Time will tell. And then I will tell.
Such alertness that comes with the possibilities of endings and new beginnings, eh.
Such presence.

And there is a blackbird sitting on a nest a few feet from where I write. (There are lovely pics of her, nesting in my camera, but I really don't want to do the mediating bit right now) It has been blissful to share some moments with her, and such a gift to witness this beautiful process so intimately. And in central London, too.  If the beakyboys don't show before Tues, I may miss the fruits of this still labour. Previous beakyboy arrivals have been astonishingly fast to fly away after showing up. Amazing. Simply Amazing.

Good week wishes to us all.

xxx

detached daisy

My wee stitching for week 3 at the stitchin fingers TAST project.
'Detached chain stitch', sometimes aka 'daisy stitch'.

And, a delicious medley from my flickrfaves.
Thank you to all the generous artists and photographers there.

1. Untitled, 2. Sand Dunes in Brooklyn, 3. Chain, 4. Chain, 5. fire-and-water, 6. DSC01115, 7. DSC01312, 8. Moon pendant, 9. Church door, Osmaston, Derbyshire

Splendid Solstice Blessings to us all. I'm savouring these last hours of geminity, 2008 style.
It's been quite a month.

Happy weekend wishes, too. xxx

retrofresh

Tuesday is here again, and so my wacom tablet and pen are deployed, as I listen to Caroline Myss for an hour.
It's a weekly Thing. (Pic clicks bigger and juicier.)

Fast fast times overhere.  Mercurial retro time is zooming on through, nearly over already. Whatcanyedo.

I'm aiming to get more of the recent trip photos visible in the next few days. There, I said it out loud.

Earlier today, I took and posted pics of the buttonhole stitching which I made this week, for my stitchin fingers project.

Creativities galore, and always some fresh ones, sprouting on up.

xxx