tiny toes.

I began this quilt a few weeks ago, when there was a few feet of snow on the ground, and have had to put it down for a little while to work on some other things. I was never one to make utilitarian objects, I used to focus all of my time on making sculpture/conceptual based work. While I still find that to be the most gratifying when it comes to making, sometimes it feels great to make something special like this little quilt. A few months ago one of my best friends announced she was expecting. This threw me off, seeing as how she has never shown interest in having a child. It took me a while to get used to the idea of her with a baby, but I know she will be amazing at it. A few months later, we found out our other best friend is also expecting. So here I am in the middle with my two best friends ready to have babies. What does this mean for me.... well I see lots of sewing in my future, along with a shower or two... oh and I might actually have to learn how to change a diaper!
As strange as it is to see them both pregnant, I must admit that while making this little blanket for baby number 1, I started to get excited to meet this little human, and be a part of her life.
One of the reasons that I decided making some utilitarian objects is important, is because those are the things that we remember when we grow, and that we take with us. I remember a few things from my childhood that I loved most were made by the hand of my mother, or my aunts. To this day I have a pair of mittens my mom made when I was just a few days old, that are always around. So with the baby quilts, I will include my love for these new lives, and hopefully one day they will look at them and think of their "auntie Ana"... Wow, did I just say that???? This baby thing must be rubbing off on me too.

masquerades

stitch by stitch...

thread by thread....

I finally finished this little embroidery. This little piece began as an experiment in transferring the image, as a permanent line. It was a way for me to teach myself a skill, and then apply it to another work. Somewhere alone the way I fell in love with the imagery and the idea of concealing and revealing, with masks. There are parts of us that we show to the world, and others that we hide behind masks, and only very few people are let into. I am happy with the final outcome, and can now tear off all the tracing paper with the final image down on the fabric. Usually I go back over the "sketch" with more stitches or take them out, I really enjoy the "sketchy" look of the line in this though.

I have begun teaching a class at the visual arts center, traditional weaving techniques with un-conventional materials. This has forced me to look into some of the things I used to make and how they were made. This is great, in fact it has the wheels in my brain going again... Who knows maybe I will even pick up a loom again. And instead of making pieces about falling apart, they will be about keeping it together and safe.

when the white stuff falls.

When this happens outside... I do this... (see below.)








For the second time this winter season it has snowed here in Richmond, Virginia. This is an unusual occurrence, considering that in the nine years I have lived here this has happened twice before. I do not particularly like snow, I can live with it, but most of the time find that it gets in my way and makes me feel claustrophobic. While it may be pretty... I do not like being trapped. So when it began coming down the other day I started to think about what project I would work on to keep busy and keep my mind off the snow. I wanted a project that would show me progress quickly, as opposed to the ones I usually encounter that take months and endless hours to finish. So I began making a baby quilt for one of my best friends that is due to have a baby in a few months. I loved working with the size of a baby quilt, so manageable and quick to make, especially when you use a basic pattern. I used a bundle of 2 1/2 inch, 1930's flour sack reproduction strips, and began sewing the strips then cutting then making squares. I got the whole top finished in a day. I must admit that as much as I love working on projects that are very "process oriented" sometimes it feels really great to pop something out quickly, that requires little thought. Just being able to make and keep going without considering why or how... To make something utilitarian can be relaxing at times. I am sure though that this quick, utilitarian project will be followed by a time consuming, mind boggling, embroidery... Because it is already in the works of course.

away and back

Happy New Year to all! I know we are now 11 days into this year, and I have done a horrible job of keeping up with my posts... However its a new, clean slate and I have plans to make, post, and write more on here again. I took a trip to my home country of Portugal for the holidays. It was interesting being in there over the holidays, normally when I visit it is warm and sunny... Not this time, it was grey, foggy, rainy, and cold for 10 days. However, all of the fields, mountains and plants were really green from the wet climate. It was gorgeous to see the oranges and lemons on trees and persimmons and olives too.
I am from a town close to the city of Castelo Branco, which has its own embroidery techniques and patterns. I visited one of the local shops while i was there that sells thread, fabric, yarn and anything inbtween that has to do with textiles, and went crazy for all the different threads and colors. I am drawing out some new pieces I want to make that incorporate the traditional embroidery patterns and some of my own ideas... girls and guns and such. A play on traditional women's work that is in my culture and modern ideals. Hope everyone is having a good start to the year.

horizons.

There are two things that are inevitable in life. The first is change. The second time. My obsession with time, and the passing of it, has been apparent for the past couple of years. However for the first time in a long time, I feel as though I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I celebrated 26 a couple of weeks ago, and looking around the table at dinner, I saw that I am surrounded by amazing people that inspire and encourage me on a daily basis. While time doesn't stop, sometimes there are moments that are so precious that we continue to feel them years after they happen. Those are the moments that motivate me when it comes to making.





Sometimes projects don't go the way that we want them to. I have been working on another embroidery for a while, but got very frustrated with it last week. (Note to self... embroidering thread to look like skin=headace). Anyhow, I decided to pull out these masks again. I am working on finishing them for a holiday gift to a close friend. This started out as an outline that I was going to fill in. However I have decided to leave the outline as part of the finished piece and work on the masks and other details to fill in. I am also limiting my pallete with this piece, to emphasize the shapes and mystery of the masks. I am hoping to be done with this one by the end of the week.

changes

The leaves are turning every shade of red, orange, yellow, and anything in between, and for the first time in years I do not miss school. Usually this time of year gives me a longing to be back in college making all the time. While I miss the making part of it all, I do not want to be back in school this time around. Instead I feel as though I am exactly where I am supposed to be for the first time in a long time.
The image above is a quilt that I began, it is made out of remnants that I have saved from other projects for the past few years. Originally I had no use for this quilt it was just a "crazy" quilt that I was playing with to keep my hands occupied. However with the news of a new baby on the way, a best-friend, NOT my own! I think it might have a life in a new nursury. I have self nominated myself to help decorate the room, which I can't stop being excited over. There will be a dash of vintage charm and more books than the baby will know what to do with for a couple of years.
Between all the changes that have taken place in my life in the past few weeks, the change of the leaves and another year marker approaching, it feels great to be exactly where I am supposed to be. Surrounded by great people, new ideas, and intersting times. With all of this I am going to jump back on the blog wagon, and keep up with this better. I had to work some things out in my brain without making it public. However the time has come to get back to making, posting and life.

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.”-Albert Einstein

The summer has come and gone, and I have been dormant on this blog. However my studio has been alive. I have been working on a new quilt, that is made from fragments I have collected for about 5 years. I have also been embroidering a very detailed small piece that goes with a series I began years ago. I promise to post some photos soon. Life seems to be busy and getting busier. However moments shared with good company will always help feed the soul of an artist.