Sacred Secrets/Fiberactions Reveal Day

Today is Fiberactions REVEAL DAY for the current challenge:  Neutrals.  Check them out!

Sacred Secrets

Continuing my secrets series, I am using the same format as the last two reveals, seen below.  This time the challenge issued required the use of black, brown, gray and white.  

Using vintage zippers as a metaphor for concealed secrets, my interest here is in the use of secrets in religions.  For example, in some traditional indigenous religions, information is held closely, revealed only to the initiated.  Well, on second thought...it's certainly not exclusive to traditional or to indigenous.  Because of my interest in Aboriginal Art and my supply of fabric designed by Aboriginal artists, it was a natural to explore this branch of religious secrets.

Sacred Secrets detail

 Sacred Secrets, as the previous two, combines machine and hand stitching, zippers (of course) and rick rack (there are those friends of mine who would also say "of course").

Let the Sun Shine In

Pesky Little Secrets

Fiberactions "Texture" revealed

I participate in the online group Fiberactions. Every other month a member proposes a word to inspire the group. This month the word was "texture".

Pictured here is Electorate in Tatters, another of my cathartic creations...or rants, depending on how cynical one is. Using the challenge word "texture" as a vehicle rather than a subject, I put together this piece describing my concerns for our country.

These 13 traditional log cabin blocks represent the 13 original colonies of the US and their roughly 33% of the electoral votes (158) and, coincidently, roughly the percentage of the population eligible to vote in our great nation, that actually opts to exercise that right in national elections.

The 37 stars represent the roughly 67% of the population, undoubtedly self-described patriots eligible to vote, that opt not to exercise their right in national elections.

In this detail it's easier to see the multi-colored “logs”, created from a “haystack” of sliced fabrics. The white is wool batt.Both light and dark are dense and highly textured.

The process might be working...I'm less agitated...but I have also been limiting my exposure to "news".

Fiberactions/Transformation

This month Fiberactions challenge word was transformation. I wasn't inspired until one of the group's members completed hers a full month ahead of the deadline. Doesn't seem fair that there are those overachievers.

That was the push I needed to start playing in my fabric with transformation in mind. I discovered 8-9 paper-pieced Lone Star Block parts, leftovers from a long-ago completed fundraiser. Fodder for transforming I thought.

The Lone Star just naturally lead to my thinking about my life in Texas.... and other locales... I remembered the effect/affect those locales had on our family. I thought about all those people I knew who had adapted to their new surrounds and cultures.....and those who had gone a step farther and adopted these new identities. Really transforming their lives.

Case in point: I have two brothers, a sister adopted from Japan and several friends who also not from Texas. In fact, they may have spent decades in various other places. But that doesn't diminish the degree to which they would identify themselves as Texans. Maybe it's a "cowboy" thing.

I do know that place and culture can have truly transforming effects.

Not exactly lemonade

but better.

On September 15 I revealed my contribution to Fiberaction's challenge inspired by the word stretch. I never was happy with the result...I stretched, yes, but was unsatisfied.

I probably should have filed "Time to Go?" away but it gnawed at me. Today I framed it with rick-rack (which always makes me smile) and mounted it on foam-core.

It might still be filed away...but I like it incrementally better and I'm smiling.

And that brings me to this current Fiberaction challenge, due on November 15. I finished it yesterday. And it makes me smile too.

Fiberactions: September 15

Fiberactions time again! On the 15th of very other month, each member posts the results of her challenge to create a 16" x 20" piece inspired by a particular word. This month the word was 'stretch'.

Pictured here is a detail of "Time to Go?" my offering. I chose to stretch myself by creating limitations and, in so doing, challenge myself to stretch my imagination.

The limitations were: one piece of fabric, one color of paint, one embellishment and thread.

I cut a freezer paper stencil, painted with charcoal grey, painted the distant birds from an antique Japanese stencil with greatly darkened grey, machine stitched and embellished with antique, silk covered buttons.

"Spunk" and Foam Core

This past January Fibercations, an online group that I belong to, posted its word challenge "initiative". I chose to interpret one of the word's literal definitions (dynamism, energy, originality, vigor, spunk, longing, love, passion, action.).

Now, months later, as I prepare for Open Studios I am mounting many of my smaller-to-mid sized pieces on archival foam core. In August I was asked by the Massachusetts SAQA group to give a mini-demo....which got me to thinking (oh, no! not thinking again!)

So far I think each of the pieces I've mounted has been elevated a little in its visual punch.

First Fiberactions Challenge: Initiative

The Challenge is based on a member's suggestions of a word. A piece 16" x 20" is to be created within two months. After posting on the group's blog and individual's blogs the challenge begins again with anothew member offering another word challenge. Our first challenge was "Initiative".

My work, "Spunk" is based on a free-association of synonyms for Initiative: dynamism, energy, originality, vigor, spunk, longing, love, passion, action.

The working title for this piece was "Primordial" going for the origin in "originality"...the first assertive foot forward in taking the initiative.

The idea germinated from several leftover parts of a long completed New York Beauty. Rearranged they reminded me of preying plants from the Jurassic Age. They were each completed as small quilt-lets, hand stitched, beaded

and bound with rick rack. The background is heavily machine and hand quilted, stitched with seed stitches. The piece is bordered on three sides and bound on the fourth. Several larger beads were added last.