the. best. time.

fabric (new and from my stash) to be made into Natasha (reversible) aprons and other things, 22 october 07

I had the best time at artfiberfest. The. best. time.

I want to tell you about the incredible people (old friends and new) I bonded with. I want to tell you about all my classes. I want to tell you about the feeling of having someone really get my prayer flags and the moment when a person looks across the little table holding creations I made by hand and says, "This is meant to be mine." I want to tell you about my epiphanies and ideas and a very special moment I had all alone in my room at the B&B. I want to tell you about all the joy and truth that has been setting up camp in my head and heart.

And, I will. I really will.

However, I have spent the day catching up on work, mailing out a swap package, talking on the phone with a couple of friends, and trying to keep these feelings present while in the back of my mind so that I do not just get swept back into being the person who forgets what she knows to be true. And, I am a bit sleepy. But I knew, after Kelly's (insistent) gentle proddings, that I must check in here a bit.

And, the truth is that I also, of course, spent a bit of the day at a fabric store before picking up Miss Millie from doggie camp. You see, my aprons, the six aprons that I brought with me for vendor night…well, they sold. Fast. I didn't even take any pictures of them. And, lots of people asked me about them. So, I plan to make a few more to put in my shop. Which, of course, means that I had to get some fabric to supplement what I have.

And, I don't think a person can ever have enough gigantic rick rack, so I had to get a bit of that too.

mountain views and stories

mt. rainier, 10.13.2007

yesterday, jon and i went walking along ruston way. a much-needed break from creating, sewing, cutting, brainstorming, freaking out, smiling, squinting, and all the other good stuff that comes with getting your "stuff" ready for a vendor night.

and, when we headed up the sidewalk, i paused to look at the scene in the photo above and thought to myself, "i can't believe i live here." i love the pacific northwest.

in the weeks after artfest 2006, when the friendship between kelly and me was growing via email and phone conversations and meeting up in portland, we both began to notice how we were pulled toward artwork with words and stories, and that when we were creating ourselves, we were drawn to using words.

before artfest that year, i had started writing short little bits of stories, usually beginning with "she..." i felt close to the idea of giving voice to the pushes and pulls and joys and sorrows within a moment in time in a woman's life. it was then that i started carrying a notebook around with me full time. at some point last year, i started carrying the paper covered moleskine journals.

these journals are my idea journals. it is within them that i write and sketch and plan and hope and dream and list and live within serendipity. it is within these journals that i write my little stories when they come to me.

yesterday, (after a quick "does this sound crazy conversation with kelly) i decided to create a few smaller flag sets and wanted to create them around a few of these stories. but my older "notes from the little room" moleskine was nowhere to be found (i had moved on to another one in the last few weeks). so, i tucked myself into bed and called on the spirits of all that is creative and wrote about being courageous, remembering your wings, and sitting in the quiet before drifting off to sleep.

this morning, as i got the flag sets together and ready for embellishing, i turned to a spiral notebook i use for scratch paper and found a few pages that included some notes that would usually appear in my idea journals. there were notes for a couple of custom flag sets, early sketches of the anya tote, and two pages of little stories that must have demanded to be written that day. it is so interesting to peek into my own mind at times as i was able to do when i stumbled across these notes today.

this was the one that made me grin, as i want to live inside that last line every now and then:

she dried her tears,
slipped on her dancing shoes,
and twirled until
she spun her world anew.

*******

i am so enjoying your responses here and on your blogs to "five really good things." if you haven't already shared yours, please do. reading them has made my heart smile. (thank you)

a little post about an apron

There is something delightful about custom-making a creation just for yourself. You see the piece in your mind and imagine the little touches you want it to have and picture where you will wear it or put it in your home. With each stitch, you know you are making a gift for yourself. You can sigh with less frustration when you have to undo mistakes you might make along the way. You can smile with that "oh it is perfect" smile when you put it on or place it where it belongs.

Last month, I created an apron just for me...

I wanted a skirt look, so I made it large enough to meet at my waist in the back. The front pocket closes with Velcro, so that it can hold my wallet or needlecase and seam ripper or change when it becomes my cashbox of sorts when I sell my creations at shows. I added the side pocket at just the right length to rest my hand inside it and to have access to whatever I might need.

I have found it to be the perfect accessory when I run errands, especially when my hands are full. Like today when I needed to mail nine packages and fill out five custom forms and other things at the post office.

The top pocket held my wallet, Starbucks card (because morning PO runs means stopping at the drive-thru Starbucks, and today, I had the chance to drink up my first pumpkin spice latte of the season), and other items needed for the packages. The side pocket held my cell phone and keys. I felt like quite the apronista. I am also going to wear it when I go antiquing and thrifting. The pockets will easily hold my measuring tape, notepad, pencil, and other necessities, so that I don't need to find a place to put my purse when I need to measure something or open linens to check for stains or gasp with delight when I need to pick up the perfectly pleated vintage apron, like this one. (I had to get it. I just had to. Those pleats remind me of the kilts I wore for four years of boarding school back in Indiana. Love. Those. Pleats.)

Aprons as fashion indeed.

Today, I find myself needing an afternoon break from a bit of work stress. And, lucky me, because I work from home, I can give myself this needed break. I think I am going to spend time in the little room creating a few more of these aprons to sell at ArtFiberFest (and speaking of AFF, when I went to Teesha's site to grab that link, I saw that a few spots are left. You, yes you, should take a break from all that has been crazy in your life and head to this neck of the woods to spend time with some of the most fantastic people you have ever met in one of the most beautiful spots in the world...and get to learn while making a few things too). I think I'll tweak the pockets a bit to add some spots for tools the crafty+artsy person needs when creating. And, I am going to make these aprons in various sizes too because I do love that skirt look.

Oh and my apron is reversible. I will let Betty model the reverse side. (Though this apron is beyond too big for Miss Betty—a gal who has never seen a carrot stick she didn't like. The perfect pleated apron is more her size.)

And one more thing: Thank you so much for your kind comments on my Wednesday post. Thank you for reading my story, for understanding, and for filling me up with your words. Thank you.

(I am so blessed.)

some real-life excitement

Blue skies smiling at me
Nothin' but blue skies do I see.
—Irving Berlin, "Blue Skies"

This song has been going through my head for the last few days. I went to theatre camp for two summers when I younger. One summer, the camp put on a tribute to Irving Berlin, and this was one of my favorite songs to sing when I was in the chorus. My age group did several songs from Annie Get Your Gun. (Oh the lyrics from that one! My favorite is "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better.") When you weren't on stage, you were singing from the back of the audience in the chorus, so we had to learn everything. I am so glad though as many of these songs became some of my all-time favorites. At the end of that summer, at the age of 12, I even tackled a huge biography of Berlin I was so enamored by him.

I have to admit though, I haven't been singing "Blue Skies" because we had any around here. Nope, we have been having some fall weather with a dash of humidity lately. Gray skies, a bit of rain, then some downpours, but with all this humidity to remind us that it is really summer.

No, no blue skies outside. But, this seems to be the song I turn to, without even noticing, when the skies are turning blue a bit more inward. I have been singing this song because I am super excited about three things.

The first:

I received my copy of Portals (Heather's zine is full of so much color and inspiration) and got to see my article, poem, and artwork in print.

Oh it just filled me up to see it. (Insert big smile of joy.) Thank you Heather for including me!

The second:
I received word from the ladies of Portland's (wicked cool) Crafty Wonderland that I have been selected to participate in the next Crafty Wonderland on August 12. (Insert little dance with lots of twirling while smiling here.)

The third:
I received word from Teesha Moore that I have been selected to participate in Vendor Night at ArtFiberFest in October. (Insert jumping up and down while smiling and twirling here.)

So in between reading the book this weekend, Jon and I also celebrated these things. He got me a congratulations card and everything.

It is as though I hear the whispers once again…you are on your path.

And in between the whispers there are a few whoops and hollers that seem to confirm it. Sing with me now…

Blue skies, smiling at me. Nothin' but blue skies, do I see. Bluebirds singin' a song. Nothin' but bluebirds, all day long.

the maude bag

This year, I have discovered the joys of going to thrift stores, antique stores, and an occasional booth at the Fremont Market to look through the linens and fabrics. My trips have tended to be full of florals: from the groovy to bountiful bouquets. Finding this orange print (that appeared to have once been curtains) inspired me to think about who might have purchased and used these fabrics years ago. There is something really wonderful about having a fabric with a little history.

These musings prompted me to write a fictional story about my grandmother and her best friend from high school, Maude. That story inspired this bag design.

As I chose the fabric for the Maude bags from my ever-growing vintage/thrifted stash, I wanted to evoke the feeling of finding your grandmother’s secret collection of vintage fabric, and the moment when you see the perfect print standing out among all the others.

The Maude bags pictured here (and a couple others) are now available in The Little Room.