wednesdayworkwithwords

Probably better get one more in for April since April is almost going by:

Since my first  April cloth was gifted to my friend Keith for his birthday, April cloth 2 had to be born.  The cloth isn't really as wobbly as it looks in the picture, it just photographed crooked! Following are details of the piece so that you can see some of the stitches.  I left the needle in, by the way, since I'm not quite sure if it is done. I'm leaving a few open, unstitched, spots because I'm trying out some new thoughts.  One of the comments from last time noted that a little mystery was allowed for the viewer to fill in their own story if the piece isn't completed stitched out.  I like that and took note.

The oak leaf is here, in the middle.  the cloth is representing transition...as Winter transcends into Spring. The left side is the colder/wintry side. Curling and swirling, whirling winds come with the change.  A little more spare  in the amount of stitches show a little of the barren feel that the end of Winter might have.  Spring is on the right. Especially with the warmer Spring then usual, the flowers, trees and  fauna have been appearing sooner and quicker.  So the richer palette and abundance of stitching are to show the awaken of the growing season.

The leaf itself is divided into the two aspects.  The slight touch of green and woven stitch are the young growth.  The outline of the blackened lines are the cracks that have started to form on the old leaf of last summer.

 As April draws to a close, have May to look forward to.  More work needed in the garden - seedlings need transplanting and my indigo is sprouting.  Really need to hustle on that - it got colder and winder after the days of 80s which interrupted the garden schedule.  May cloth will be started, work on the fascicle project continuing, Magic  Diaries II is still in full swing and Contemporary Boro II about to commence.  The last two references are to  Jude's projects.

So, until my threads bring me back for another post...happy stitching and creating to all.

arriving with march

Emily Dickinson said, Dear March - Come In
So I invite you as well.  I've been gone a bit, I know.  But, I've been stitching away. I have finished fascicles 4 and 5. Only thirty-five more to go!  I will compose a separate blog for that but today I'm welcoming March. 

March cloth

Dear March - Come in - 

How glad I am -
I hoped for you before -
Put down your Hat - 
You must have walked -
How out of Breath you are - 
Dear March, how are you, and the Rest -
Did you leave Nature well - 
Oh March, Come right upstairs with me -
I have so much to tell -

and telling in the details:

detail

The cloth was first woven, ala cloth to cloth, and then stitched. The words on the cloth are there for me.  They are: 8th full moon, 3/14 pi day, 15th Ides, 2012, daffodils, after the Greek god of war, 31 days, Marze, Lentmont, 21 Spring and Ostara. Ostara is a Saxon/Germanic/pagan goddess that brings Spring. The swirls on the cloth are those March winds that have been blowing around. 

Ostara (1884) by Johannes Gehrts. The goddess flies through the heavens surrounded by Roman-inspired putti, beams of light, and animals. Germanic people look up at the goddess from the realm below.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostara

 
Another day remembered on the cloth is 11:00 am, March 11, 2008.  That is for my dad.  
I got your Letter, and the Birds - 
The Maples never knew that you were coming -
I declare - how Red their Faces grew -         
But March, forgive me - 
And all those Hills you left for me to Hue - 
There was no Purple suitable - 
You took it all with you - 

I also am going to do a Ides of March cloth - seems to me each month has an Ides but we only remember March's... Still a WIP but even so:

The cloth is dyed with the indigo carmine and acorn.  It was folded during the dye process hence the lines.   

Who knocks? That April -
Lock the Door -
I will not be pursued -
He stayed away a Year to call 
When I am occupied -         
But trifles look so trivial 
As soon as you have come

That blame is just as dear as Praise 
And Praise as mere as Blame -

I also played around a little with weaving.  Jude has been talking about it over at Spirit Cloth here and here.  This brought back memories of when I use to rent a loom...about 35+ years ago when I first moved out on my own.   I would spend my evenings at a place called The Weaving Workshop weaving away.  It gave me great fun to tell people where I worked that I was going out to warp!  Anyway this is what I did.  It's about 3x5 inches. The brown thread is my walnut dyed thread.  The blue is purchased cotton.  

weave experiment

My father made the little "lap loom" if I can call it that, many a many years ago :

dad's touch

I found this a while ago, going through a draw in one of my old room's at my mom's.  It brought back more memories. 

The poems is Emily Dickinson's "Dear March - Come In"

I should be back by week's end with fascicles 4 and 5.  Thank you for welcoming March in with me.  Spring can not be too far away.  Cheers