Stitched Journal Project - December

The Stitched Journal Project is: Makers from around the world creating one "page" or piece of work per month and sharing. It is a project to get the ideas flowing, to process the days in a creative way, to try new techniques and to push past fears that keep us from making something.  It isn't about perfection, or getting it "just right," it is about process and perspective.

December - Mixed Media on hand dyed fabric

Wow! What a year. What an amazing journey The Stitched Journal Project has been! This is the last in a year long series of monthly pieces of work. I am so grateful that this project took flight and that so many wonderful makers have joined in and shared their work. 

Thank you all for participating in my small idea that grew into more than I could have imagined. Those of you who pushed yourselves, who were brave, who had fun, who shared so much of yourselves. I have learned so much from you! I have been greatly inspired. If you should choose to continue this project on your own, please be sure to let everyone know. You are fantastic artists all!

As for myself, I gleaned so much from this project; I was so often surprised by how my pieces came about and turned out. I can honestly say that I pushed myself and found a new way to express myself through stitching and mixed media.  This project became a really important part of my work and has changed my perspective without a doubt.

Thank you  too readers, for coming along on this journey with us.

Next month I'll share a gallery post of all of the 12 pieces as a body of work.

Below you will find links to the wonderful makers and their Stitched Journal Project pieces for December. Please keep your eyes on this spot in the next couple of days as more add their links. Be sure to visit them and leave comments!

This is the last of The Stitched Journal Projects that I will be hosting. 2014 was quite a year. I look forward to what 2015 will bring.

All of you wonderful Stitched Journal Project participants please link up below! Remember to add your photos to The Stitched Journal Flickr Group! and be sure to share with Facebook, Twitter, etc!

I'm just a soul who's intentions are good

I'm at least a day late and a few stitches short. Seems to be the story of me these days. I mean well, really I do, but something keeps interrupting my intention and taking my attention away from the work at hand.

I know I'm just a week away from the deadline for Pony Girl's costume, yikes! I'm close though, really close. I can do it. And no, it's not coming together as I envisioned, but that is ok. I got started on the wrong path, I know that now. Making mistakes shows that you're trying right? I always learn something valuable in these situations. The most important lesson I have learned in this is: I wont be making anything like this for at least another year! No, that can't be it. The most important lesson is that my girl is a little bit smitten with it so far, and that makes it a success. It's all about perspective. Yeah, that's it!

I had also intended to show you how I drafted a pattern to recreate this sweet vintage child's apron that a dear friend sent to me. I have drafted the pattern and cut out the fabric (I'm planning to make a reversible version), but no stitching has occurred. So yes, I'll have to update you on that another time.

So for now I am wishing you all a beautiful weekend!

Stitched Journal Project - September

The Stitched Journal Project is: Makers from around the world creating one "page" or piece of work per month and sharing. It is a project to get the ideas flowing, to process the days in a creative way, to try new techniques and to push past fears that keep us from making something.  It isn't about perfection, or getting it "just right," it is about process and perspective.

September

Fabric, Thread, Old Jeans, Cotton, Printing, Embroidery

I don't really know what to say about this piece. It's part practice, part evolution of process. Inspired by a recent dream of odd dolls, wanting to add a bit of dimension to a piece, and the real life feeling that I am always forgetting something. 

This was a first attempt, a little clumsy and a long winding road away from my original concept.  

Long time ago, I saw a film on Picasso. There was footage of him painting. I will never forget watching him paint in grainy black and white; just when I thought he had painted the best thing ever, he kept going. As he added brush strokes and swapped out eyeballs and noses, I remember clasping my hands in anxiety while sitting in my theater seat. I kept thinking in my head, almost begging him, "Ok, stop now, it's perfect, no stop now! It's still good! No! Stop please!" In the end the painting was a mess and he blanked it out in entirety with gesso - to begin all over again on another day. He said something to the effect of, "Sometimes, you need to let it go, to stop before you ruin it completely" Actually, I have no memory of the actual words he spoke, but that's the gist I took with me.  

If you over think it to death, you become your own worst enemy. So, when I was working on this, I thought of that Picasso scene. I kept trying to add too much, I kept trying to tell the story, I was trying to be understood. But then I remembered - leave it alone, keep it simple, stop going. The truth is, it doesn't matter if anyone gets it. It's an odd piece. It was a huge lesson for me in making. Sometimes you just have to stop and let it go.

Below you will find links to the wonderful makers and their Stitched Journal Project pieces for August. Please keep your eyes on this spot in the next couple of days as more add their links. Be sure to visit them and leave comments!

If you think you would like to join in as well, it's not too late!  We will be sharing our pieces the last Friday of every month at least until the end of the year. We'd love to have you.

All of you wonderful Stitched Journal Project participants please link up below! Remember to add your photos to The Stitched Journal Flickr Group! and be sure to share with Facebook, Twitter, etc!

Stitched Journal Project - August

The Stitched Journal Project is: Makers from around the world creating one "page" or piece of work per month and sharing. It is a project to get the ideas flowing, to process the days in a creative way, to try new techniques and to push past fears that keep us from making something.  It isn't about perfection, or getting it "just right," it is about process and perspective.

July

Mixed Media

It all started with an antique Czech belt buckle made of wood that my mother sent me over a year ago. The short version of the long story is that I got an idea, and then another one. Which led me to dig out some wooden game pieces I picked up at my local thrift about 100 years ago. 

I drilled some holes -  using the Engineer's tools while he was out. I stained them and waxed them. Then I tried to teach myself... with only my mind's eye to guide me... how to weave directly onto a very small wooden button using waxed embroidery thread.

Clearly, I need a little practice. I did however, learn lots of things NOT to do. Even it's roughest form, I'm liking where this is going, and I have some grand crafty plans indeed.

The background is an amazing antique linen, as in - at least 100 years old! Each piece was aged in an infusion of various teas. As luck would have it, my good mate, occasional glamorous assistant, and all around crafty inspiration, Jane from Flaming Nora; has just done a lovely tutorial   on aging fabric with tea! 

So, I've tried all sorts of new techniques with this piece and feel a bit of inspiration. Plus it has lovely muted colors just in time for back to school.

Below you will find links to the wonderful makers and their Stitched Journal Project pieces for August. Please keep your eyes on this spot in the next couple of days as more add their links. Be sure to visit them and leave comments!

If you think you would like to join in as well, it's not too late!  We will be sharing our pieces the last Friday of every month at least until the end of the year. We'd love to have you.

All of you wonderful Stitched Journal Project participants please link up below! Remember to add your photos to The Stitched Journal Flickr Group! and be sure to share with Facebook, Twitter, etc!

Stitched Journal Project - May

The Stitched Journal Project is: Makers from around the world creating one "page" or piece of work per month and sharing. It is a project to get the ideas flowing, to process the days in a creative way, to try new techniques and to push past fears that keep us from making something.  It isn't about perfection, or getting it "just right," it is about process and perspective.

May 2014 - Cotton, fabric paint, cotton batting

The word of the month seems to have been "Home." We've been working on our home (Thank you for all of the lovely comments you left on my last post. I was blown away by all of your positive remarks!), I have been taking a lot of photographs of my home, I've talked about it in interviews, I've recently been asked by a couple of old friends how I feel about where I live, and I've had some great conversations with folks I know lately about what "Home" means to them.

I consider myself truly lucky to love where I live, to live with those I love, and to really have a place in this world that I know as "Home." It isn't all about the geography - though it sure is a pretty place that I live in. It isn't about the house that I live in - though I am so amazed that this is my beautiful house. No. It has much more to do with the people, the friends and the family; the deep sigh of "coming home" to a safe place, a joyful refuge, a remarkable life. 

When life gets hard, gets nasty (and sometimes it gets really nasty), shatters your heart, falls apart - again, when the hurt and mess of it all starts to break you down... there's just no place like home.

For this piece I finally got around to trying my hand at image transfer to fabric! I found an image of a vintage Oregon map and used my computer to print the image onto white cotton. I then dyed the fabric in a strong black tea infusion. I used fabric paint and rubber stamps to print on the map. I then used cotton batting and a muslin backing fabric and machine quilted the county lines.  This was a great introduction to the process and I thoroughly enjoyed playing with the medium. Plus it seems that my duty as a crafty Oregonian, is to emblazon at least one of my works with the nondescript outline of my home state. 

I haven't forgotten that I still owe you April. I started April, I did. However, the piece is calling to become a larger work. So, April this is what I have for you...

Below you will find links to the wonderful makers and their Stitched Journal Project pieces for May. Please keep your eyes on this spot in the next couple of days as more add their links. Be sure to visit them and leave comments!

If you think you would like to join in as well, it's not too late!  We will be sharing our pieces the last Friday of every month at least until the end of the year. We'd love to have you.

All of you wonderful Stitched Journal Project participants please link up below! Remember to add your photos to The Stitched Journal Flickr Group! and be sure to share with Facebook, Twitter, etc!

Stitched Journal Project - Invitation

Last week I shared my Stitched Journal Project and asked if anyone felt like joining me in my year-long adventure. I was so excited to hear that some of you were indeed interested in joining! So, I thought that I would send out a proper invitation with a few simple guidelines to explain the project in more detail. If you missed the initial post you can read it HERE.

It is a project to get the ideas flowing, to process the days in a creative way, to try new techniques and to push past fears that keep us from making something.  It isn't about perfection, or getting it "just right," it is about process and perspective.

The Basics:

Sticking with the journal theme, the objective is to create one "page" or piece of work per month. I'm calling it the Stitched Journal Project, but by no means does that require "traditional" stitching methods only. I am also suggesting that you keep the pieces on the small side for simplicity sake and that you keep each piece similar in size to create a cohesive body of work at the end.

Edited to add: When I say small, it is simply a suggestion, I'm talking 12" x 12" as a rough guide. My first piece is 8" x 13" which was not planned, it sort of just worked out that way. You are welcome to go bigger or smaller depending on your preference.

At the end of each month, let's say the last Friday of every month, we will post our pieces and blog about them. If you are keen on participating, I would be happy to send out email reminders close to the time. I will link to your posts from my blog and would hope that you would link to others on your posts. If we get enough folks to play along, I will set up a Link system here.

I hear you asking, "but Lola, just what on earth are we supposed to make for goodness sake?"

That my friends, is entirely up to you! Still, I'll throw out a couple of ideas to get the old gears turning.

What to Make:

Perhaps you have been wanting to learn how to stitch patchwork, try a new quilt block a month if you like, maybe try your hand at designing your own quilt blocks. Make a sampler page of embroidery stitches, crochet swatches, or knitted squares. Play with color, create fairy tale scenes, try your hand at free motion machine embroidery, or go abstract. Re-create your favorite paintings in fabric and stitches. Stitch to your favorite music, what emotions, feelings and colors does it bring to mind? Use bits of old clothing and trims to tell the story of your life. Work in mixed-media, it doesn't have to be all thread and fabric; use photographs, scraps of letters and drawings...it is limitless you see!

Next week I'll post some links to tutorials and some inspiration as well. 

If you would like to join in and want to receive email reminders, please let me know and include a way for me to get in touch. Leave a comment on this post or email me at lolanovainfo@gmail.com. If you know someone who you think would be interested, please share!

I can't wait to see what we come up with!

The Wolf

Monday's sun did not linger. Today is a chilly mix of snow and rain. Such a day calls for something warm and savory cooked all day in the slow cooker. That was the first order of business this morning, the chopping, mixing, seasoning, and then put the lid on to let the magic happen. I ask you to imagine how amazingly delicious the little green cottage smells right now. Later, the music man (whom I haven't seen in far too long) will come over to dinner with our family, we will share freshly baked crusty bread, heavenly roast and a nice bottle of wine. The simple slow things in life, how nice!

The next order of business for the day has been at the back of my mind for the last little while. Lurking there, waiting in stealth and I was a bit uneasy...

I wasn't quite sure how to proceed with my fairy tale. Still, The Wolf was waiting.

Part of my uncertainty has to do with a question I have, Where am I going with this business? Will these be part of a framed series? Should they be cushion covers? Are these little scenes even finished? Just what is it I'm making? I still don't know.

Right, that was more than one question. No matter. I'm just going to have to be patient and discover the answers as i go.

And one more question; just what goodies does Little Red have in her basket? Ooh, it must be lunch time!

Happy Leap Day everyone!



PS. a nice little write up on the music man here (for full disclosure - yup, he's family)