Wednesday, July 04, 2007

So Why Haven't I Been Blogging?

Well, I must say I haven't been blogging because I really didn't want to admit that I have been procrastinating a lot. I had my commission piece to finish and I managed to drag it out forever. Took days to finish stitching the facing, several days to get the sleeves sewn on, and then more days before I took it back to my studio to do the final foiling.

So, in between all of this, I dyed fabric for four days, spent time ironing it (after I got the commission off) and, as you saw before, cut stamps and printed things. Oh year, I have been scanning ephemera and old photos that I got at an estate sale next door...to add to my big collection of paper stuff. I have plans for collaging the stuff but don't want to use the originals so have been scanning it. I got a big bunch of letters in German sent from Germany in the 20's which have official stamps on them with a Nazi insignia on them...I have to check with my son-in-laws aunt to find out more about what these say. I also have envelopes that were sent from occupied Norway with stamps with Nazi insignia. An interesting bit of history.

So, why all the procrastination? It took me a while to figure it out but I was not sure I was ready to send this big quilt off to Arizona. I could have had it finished and shipped two weeks ago but I kept putting it off. Part of it was because I have worked longer on this than most other pieces so I have really lived with it. It has been up on the studio wall in various forms for two months. I have been carting it home and back to the studio for the past two weeks. So, it has a special place in my heart and I wasn't quite ready to give it up.

Now, this is very different for me since I willingly sell more work as soon as it is done. But this one didn't want to leave.

On Monday I got the foiling finished, packaged it and shipped it off to Arizona. It will arrive at the gallery on Friday, due to the holiday. Now I am getting anxious about the buyers being happy with it. I think they will be but I would sure like to know for sure! Shirley from the gallery is going to go up to the new house when it is installed and will get it photographed for me. I tried to hang it on my wall at the studio and I had nothing to hang it with and I could not pin it to the wall as it was way too heavy and large to handle. I tried!

so, no finished pictures of the piece right now.


But, here is a big pile of fabric that I have dyed and ironed. I have been listening to books of tape courtesy of Donna Fenstermaker, my studio landlady. It really makes ironing fabric pleasurable.



This is a pile of dyed cheesecloth that I have ironed.

A smaller pile of dyed cotton that is ironed.

And the pile still waiting to be ironed...I think there must be about 50 yards in this pile. I dyed about 140 yards of fabric and you know what? You don't see much orange in this batch!

I am ready to work in greens and blues and reds and have been thinking about doing more discharging circles. I am not finished with that, yet.

Also, I have been really busy getting all the last pieces of stuff done for an article in a magazine which will come out in the fall. Can't tell you which or when just yet. Had to get all the permission forms out, images on CD's, statements, etc. Now all I need is to get a picture of myself to go with it all.

I also have several commitments for various pieces of work for about 5 shows that I am committed to and I really should be entering a few shows. I did get my entries off for World of Beauty, so like everyone else I am waiting to hear.

So what is keeping me from getting those show proposals done and shipped off to various galleries and museums?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't wait to see the commission hanging in it's new home. I had the same feeling about the large commission I did not wanting to let go and worried about the reaction!

I am coveting all that dyed fabric.

artmixter said...

What are you afraid of? When I get into a place like that, with admin work queued up to do, it just seems too difficult, so I go do something else (and it's not usually constructive...). When I force myself to start the admin mountain, it suddenly flows, and I feel a lot better, and feel silly for not doing it sooner. Don't think, just do, seems to be the general idea. FWIW.

Unknown said...

If you love ironing so much - I have a pile!! The colours are just stunning, makes me want to get dyeing again.