Pushing the Flu Away

The Flu attacked me last week and shut me down to doing nothing much.

I am trying to get my head back in good form. 

Knitting and drawing always does the trick.

This pattern called for Madelinetosh Merino Light, 

but I am using Malabrigo kettle dyed pure superwash merino wool because my favorite local yarn store has had a run of the Madelinetosh. River Colors owner, Erika guided me towards a lovely plum fingerling weight.

Some doodles...

It also helps to be listening to a good book when one is not feeling well. (or otherwise)

Right now I am listening to The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart

and 

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

The first one is to educate me, the 2nd is to get my mind set on Scotland...

Re Rag Rug

Via Re Rag Rug

The other day I received a delightful email from two women

 who live and work in Sweden both named Katarina.

They asked me to share their story here is part of their email to me.

Re Rag Rug is an experimental design and crafts project which started in August 2012 by designers Katarina Brieditis and Katarina Evans in Stockholm, Sweden. 

From Aug. 2012 to Aug 2013, they intend to develop one unique rag rug per month using different types of rags in combination with a variety of sewing, platting, crocheting, knitting, macramé, rolling, cutting, applique, embroidery, structure- and relief effects, three dimensionality, colour- and dye techniques but also experimenting with scales. 

They use discarded clothes from the Salvation Army's chain of second hand stores The material donated to is the waste that can not be sold or donated to charity i.e. the sweaters are already too worn, ripped or in the case of wool sweaters, already shrunk. (Clever)

T-shirts and sweaters are products that are mass produced for global consumption. All over the world we all buy them, use them and waste them. If we can find new ways of using and refining materials, this waste becomes a resource.

By working in a free and experimental manner the goal is to create rag rugs so innovative in design and technique, that the fact they are made out of re-cycled materials is a bonus. 

Shibori

Stitching the Shibori piece togethe

According to their website,  the goal of the Re Rag Rug project is to find interesting techniques suitable for unique hand made pieces as well as for sustainable industrial production.

Please take time to browse their website and find them on facebook.  

I am pleased that they reached across the pond and found me to share their story with YOU!

This project is supported by the Swedish Art Grants Commitee, Konstnärsnämnden

Where I Was

This is where I used to create my work. 

In my little dining room.

My friend and artist extraordinaire, Terry Jarrard Dimond wrote about me 

and where I create art on her blog here.

Look to the right side and see those bookshelves with the nice orange wall paint behind them. 

Well, it is really a space for a murphy bed.

And now that I have a new studio space 

in what was the room of Whoa, I have reclaimed the closet for storage.

My nephew will paint the doors tomorrow.

Have not really sorted through this space yet, but wanted to see how 

it would work.

Now...I can work on using this room for staging art and maybe eating dinner.

Studio Space Work Table Arrived Today

I like the versatility of this work table.

It can fold up and be stowed away next to my flat file.

When completely open, it measures 60 inches wide  x 40 inches deep x 31 inches high.

As with the Flat File cabinet, it needed to be completely assembled.

Process took about 2.5 hours.

BTW, the flat file required much longer, about 5 hours. 

Not counting unpacking the three- 70 to 140 lbs boxes it arrived in.

The Flat file is a 2 person job. 

Or one person, then calling someone it to help flip 

heavy pieces when needed. Same goes for the Collapsible Table.

Or it can have only one leaf extended.

It folds to 14 inches wide x 40 inches long x 31 inches high

There are 4 cubby-spaces that are 40 inches long

And there is a tape measure affixed to the sides of the table.

And nice heavy casters.

It weighs about 140 lbs.

I recommend purchasing these pieces as long as you are a bit of an engineer.

As with most good things, time is your friend.

...do wait for a sale. Sign up for email notifications.

The  Martha Stewart Collapsible Table retails for $499.00 plus shipping

I paid $340.00 and NO shipping.

The table arrived in 2 boxes weighing 70 lbs. each.

I received a similar sale for the Flat File (seen in 1st picture in this post)

P.S. Many thanks to the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture  and 

Cuyahoga County Arts & Culture for their support with my 

Creative Workforce Fellowship

which is how I am able to afford the luxury of my new studio space.

Most loved and Still in Use

Backside of utility quilt  from my husbands family farm.

The studio remodel project is almost complete and now it is time for cleaning and purging.

Some lovely old utility quilts have been rediscovered. 

Made by my husbands mom or grandmother in the 1950s or 60s?, 

I imagine that these were well loved and did their duty.

George uses these to protect his artwork when in transport.

We have several more.

I washed a few and thought that we should not use them.

But they do have a purpose and should be allowed to do their job.

Front

Back 

Childs Quilt from the family farm.
I might just have to use this little treasure to keep me warm.

Worn edge

Detail 

Detail

As an update to my previous post,  may I present a new addition to our fleet- 

Pewter Paradise

(Toyota Venza)

new friend

Goodbye old friend
I have owned this Saturn for 10 years.

New Toyota Venza will be my ride beginning Monday.

Just wish the dealership did not play games a.k.a. trying to get us to buy a higher=end car.. We got what we wanted and nothing more. 

Wish they did not waste our time.

I will drive a basic Venza with NO heated leather seats (although that would have been convenient). But I will have automatic doors, windows, and a space to haul art.

I am happy to say that we stuck to our request for a simple car.

Magic Carpet Arrived Today

Persian rug circa 1960-1970.
Wool with cotton warp

A few weeks ago, I found a magic carpet at an auction house in Cleveland.

Martha told me that I could find a lovely vintage rug here.

Smart woman that she is, I followed her instructions and I won the bid on this rug.

It arrived today after I had it cleaned and ordered a nice rug pad

to protect it from the wood floors. 

and now

it has a new home in my refreshed studio space

where my momma used to sleep.

I will stitch as I sit on this carpet 

and dream.

Thankful to my nephew Ken for his strong back
and for shaving the door down a bit to clear the rug.

I have decided to find myself a home in the mountains, 

somewhere high up where one learns to live peacefully in the cold and the silence. 

It's said that in such a place certain revelations may be discovered. 

That what the spirit reaches for may be eventually felt,

 if not exactly understood. 

Slowly, no doubt. I'm not talking about a vacation.  

Of course at the same time I mean to stay exactly where I am.  

Are you following me?

-Mary Oliver

Patch and Repair

As I stood in line at  Hardware Hell on the boulevard also known to me as the Boulevard of the Damned (another story)...
could not help but to notice this gents patch and repair.

Perhaps his wife lovingly found a similar polyester fabric to patch or to let them out a as his girth widened with age.

I took a snap with the hope no one would notice.

The hand-sewn repair was noticed when I downloaded the pic.

Nice.

Studio build out week 2

The work continues in my new room.  

My dear nephew Ken is happy to show off some of the semi-finished work.

Steve completed his portion of the job and Ken carried on with me.

My friend Martha and I drove to Ikea in Michigan where I purchased many cabinets

I assembled 12 cabinets in a staging area in my living room

We decided on a layout and added wood supports to the wall
Each cubby was attached to studs and is very secure.

I assembled the hardware to the doors

South view

West View
The cabinet doors presented a challenge. Not all of them hang straight, so I will have to bring in a professional to help me complete.

The unopened boxes contain this very heavy flat file. 

I shall attempt to assemble this beast later today.

Addendum to original post

My handy-husband was able to tweak the doors and made them hang jussssst right.

And I have started to unpack the Martha Stewart brand Flat file. 

I think there are 500 pieces. Yeah!