Another Late Night

Midnight finds me doing math homework with my eldest granddaughter (she gets out of school in the States when I'm ready to go to bed in Tunisia) on Skype (the miracles of technology). So I stitch most of the evening while waiting to do math.

I picked up "He went to work every day...then he retired" as I missed it after having worked on it during Mr. M's hospital stay in April and May. Just inching along...

Some thoughts about a "math at midnight" piece are swirling around in my sleep-deprived mind. Hmmmm...I have no idea what form that would take.

Winging It

My evenings are l-o-n-g (mostly sunset to midnight) so I can stitch to my heart's content.











This slow technique fits well with my series exploring the passage of time, the slow changes.

Climbing Mt. Everest, 1

After finishing my vest with a spot, which was fast and easy, I felt acute desire for a challenge. I was aching to climb Mt. Everest, the Mt. Everest of my stitching world. Yeah, yeah, I know...I'm supposed to be finishing the Pomegranate Tree quilt, but the work is just that: finishing work. I needed high adventure!
        And then I knew I would be sitting in a hospital waiting room yesterday morning for a long stretch of time...nothing serious, just a necessary procedure for a family member. I took along my sketching kit, my stitching kit, and "He Went to Work Everyday, Then He Retired." 

This is Mt. Everest for me because there are so many challenges, like the collars, cuffs, and front buttons, not to mention the layers of fabric that will become entangled and the large size. Here I've only attached two of the five shirts. I just sew a small part at any one time, whatever seems do-able. I managed to finish a couple strands yesterday.

My techniques are honed and I feel physically fit (from working in my orchards).
 I have been training to climb my stitching Mt. Everest for a long time. 

Time's Face

Another watch face drawn at dinner. An interesting old watch--from the sixties, I suppose.

As this is small (2 1/2" tall) I just hold the fabric down with my left hand while drawing. I'm using Copic multiliners on a tightly woven, smooth cotton and it helps to use a larger tip so it doesn't catch on the threads. I especially liked using a 0.7.

Cross-overs

I seem to have developed a habit of sketching during dinner (easier than stitching at the dinner table!) since it's just the ol' man and me. This does not impinge on interpersonal communication since I can talk at the same time. 

Last night I decided to draw on a scrap of fabric with a permanent pen (Copic Multiliner 0.5). I've been thinking about inserting watch & clock faces into at least one of my pieces about ageing. That idea would require more than one or two faces, maybe a bunch. That's a pleasant thought. Without hands...maybe the hands should be floating on the outside of the face...haven't decided. 

And then, to stitch or not to stitch...still ruminating.

Enjoying Shapes

Being sort of between projects or rather steps of projects, I picked up the Retirement Quilt and stitched on a strand last night. 






And then I cut and safety pinned the other side as well this morning. It's measuring nearly five feet wide and is already rather heavy. 

What a mess! Nothing like a challenge. The trick is to work just one small piece at a time. Each strand engages me when I try out different ways of cutting and stitching.The forms and shapes mesmerize me. Peace. This piece/peace will be with me for awhile.  

What a Mess!

Having finished the wing appliqué, I took a pause and started cutting into the retirement piece (long name: "He Went to Work Every Day, and Then He Retired") just for fun.

But what a mess! If you should wonder about my technique, none exists. Strictly figure-it-out-as-I-go. When faced with such tangles, I try not to panic and just start in a do-able corner, picking some part that looks easy. I decided to pin down the strips with safety pins temporarily so I'm not working with a porcupine. 

To complicate things, I'm trying to keep recognizable elements like collars, cuffs, seams, buttons, and pockets. This piece will be the BIG challenge for 2014. Nice way to start the year, all the same...

I Really Like...

Just to record a thought in passing. 
While falling asleep with needle in hand last night, it came to me (in a sort of dreamy state) that I really liked appliquéing over the hand-stitched X's of the border of the Wing Cloth. I liked the feel of it. 

Flash of light! This could be interesting in the Retirement Quilt. I could randomly stitch those cool X's into the background before I get into the extreme needle-turn appliqué. However, being of a practical nature (well, sometimes), I don't like to do hand stitching unless it's visible. Why take all that time if you can't see it? But I really did like the feel of stitching on X's. I'll have to make sure I do it in a more visible spot or swirl the appliqué around it and not entirely over it.

And then I drifted back to sleep....

Shredding a Shirt, 3

The second shirt is now attached around the collar and the shoulder line. Looking at this photo, it just occurred to me that I should pick out a few choice words from my label collection and stitch them around the necklines...I'll have to see what I've got.

Now that I've gotten this piece started and have resolved some of the technical issues, I'll put it aside for awhile and turn to more pressing work/play.

Shredding a Shirt, 2

The weather has been mostly beautiful, which means that I spend the day preparing house and garden for winter--a lot of repairing, painting, trimming, and weeding. This also means that I fall asleep with needle in hand when I finally get to sit down...not getting much done, inching along.










To solve some of the size issues, I rolled up the lower edge and held it in place with safety pins. Seems to help.

   It grows all the same.

Shredding a Shirt, 1

"Shredding" was Jude Hill's word for this technique. "The shredding of a dream" I think she said. The size of this piece makes it difficult to stitch and control the buckling. I'm thinking I may have to find my quilting hoop, if only I could remember where I stored it...Never thought I'd see the day where I said that.

I attached the neck of the second shirt. Then I realized I should begin cutting in behind the green shirt so I pinned it to one side. The collars (so stiff--why do men wear them?) throw a monkey wrench into the works. Yet, I'm rather surprised the way the design is developing. This is the type of thing you can only find out as you do it. The dark brown is pleasing to work on because of its graphic qualities.

Getting Started

Just a pause before I get back to stitching the Wing Cloth. I felt like at least getting a start on "He Went to Work Everyday...Then He Retired", otherwise known as "The Retirement Quilt," or maybe "Flying Away" although I swore up and down I wouldn't do anymore wings. Looks like I was fooling myself. The original layout has five men's shirts to represent the work days.










I pinned the first shirt to the background. Then I cut away some fabric from the back.  I'll keep that piece in case I need more of that color. I also cut away the back of the collar, which was quite stiff.



I stitched down the top of the collar and shoulders. Small problem: the shirt fabric is beautiful, but a tight weave making it slower to stitch. Beyond that, this piece is at least four feet across and just as long. "What have I gotten myself into?" she wailed....

Prediction: this is going to be a BEAR to work on. I have no idea how to proceed. Lucky my vision for this piece overrides all thoughts of future exasperation...and I do like the colors.

Background for He Went to Work

This background came to life with the addition of strips of appliqué fabric from other projects.

As can be seen, it developed a serious curve. It's been awhile since I strip pieced and I went all in one direction instead of going in the opposite direction every other time. I should have known better.












On the other hand, I like my mistakes, usually, and the distortion from needle turning the shirts will make the curve a moot point...although I did stabilize the background by basting it to harem cloth. Lots of possibilities. 

I had been complaining to myself that I really had no major (meaning large) project going with needle turn appliqué. 
So that takes care of that.

Laying Out Strips

Laying out strips for a background.

Then testing out the foreground.

Looks a little blaaaaaaaaaaaah to me.

I Exploded

For a number of weeks I have only managed to stitch after dinner. I focused on the tasks at hand; I restrained myself, constrained myself, contained myself.

Then today, BOOM! I exploded. I felt I deserved a present for my 2nd blog anniversary over at MulticoloredPieces. And what did I really want most? To start a new piece because I've had an idea simmering for awhile, and then things seemed to just come together (or get out of hand)....I pulled out a bunch of fabrics from my stacks for the background.

However these were dictated by the foreground. Five men's shirts: a dark brown, a dusty green, a grayed purple, a white for sparkle, and a striped purple.

OK, OK! I know my To-Do-List is over 20. Do you know where this is going?