Winter 2011

Hello and Happy New Year! I have not posted lately as the holidays have been really busy for us. The last of our house guests left yesterday and now I am scrambling to get back on track for the New Year. I have been busy in the studio even with all the holiday events. The Ivory Gift Shop, inside the Elephant Butte Inn, sold scarves for me this year. It is such a lovely shop and terrific people to work with !! How fortunate I am ! :)...but it did keep me busy creating new silk scarves :)
Pictured above is a guest book I created for the Sierra County Centennial Celebrations...It was a challenge to create something that would travel well (it will be at every centennial event in Sierra County). I started with very elaborate ideas and then scaled them back to this very simple format. The images are on silk ...no surprise there...and the inside pages are archival. I hope it last for 100 years :)
I am also doing more custom work. Such fun to work with clients to create something specific. I guess I have slipped..kicking and screaming into the world of couture...I only say this as the work is specific to the client to their measurements and most of the sewing done by hand. I actually like the idea of the garments being hand made...and I am finally getting the quality I wanted!! Opens a new world to fabric choices and designs...even if it is extremely time consuming.
As some of you may already know, I take care of my elderly mother (95 years young) in the evenings, staying with her at night and then returning to my home, hubby, puppies and studio in the mid-morning. I now how several hours a day to explore hand sewing, knitting, card making etc. This quiet time spent with mom in the evenings and early mornings have proved perfect for experimenting/practicing with different techniques. Mom loves to see what I am creating and I gain new 'expertise'. Such a lovely time for us...
My good friend Linda Sharpling show me that creating hand rolled edges on garments is not really hard just very time consuming and delicate work. It helps teach one the art of Zen...one stitch at a time "LOL" when I am creating the hand rolled edges that is my mantra.....One Stitch At A Time.......this is not production work!! I find the results to be so worth the time and effort. Plus you have a certain 'feeling' when you wear the garment...a feeling of Lightness and Zen....I like it! Sooooo...... for now this is how I have evolved as an artist. Thanks to good friends who take the time to show us the way....
Now off the to studio..Jessica's robe will be cut out and the hand rolled hems started tonight.....such a delightful way to start the new year... Thanks Linda and Tina Sharpling for assisting in the design process and yes, you too L. Caperton LOL girlfriends
love and light surround you..blessings be