Mouse Factory Designs

Finished

2006-12-15T18:43:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I finished a project I have actually been working on for several years. It didn't work out the way I planned and isn't the work of art I thought it might be. That's okay. What I'm finding though, is that there is a tremendous emotional "let down" with having finished something I was that invested in. I have spent the day just puttering around and not really accomplishing anything. I don't seem to know what to do with myself. I wonder if others feel the same way.

Happy Day!

2006-12-10T12:35:00.000-06:00

I finished the Golden Labyrinth and took it off the frame. Disaster! When the fabric relaxed, the couched gold distorted! I had no idea how to fix this. I took it to the framer, who had it finished and back to me within 4 days and it's perfect! Isn't it great when you have a framer who's a genius?

I've also been trying to figure out how to use some silk paper I made last summer. I made a journal quilt that seemed to work and then discovered that I didn't have enough of the very beautiful and totally "right" background fabric to make anything bigger. So I picked another fabric that works but isn't my first choice. A friend has been struggling with how to crate wind in her work. I wanted to try, and ended up doing it in FMQ. Not too bad, but I did learn that my FMQ would really benefit from a stitch regulator! Now to try something else. Not sure what.

Been missing

2006-12-02T20:37:00.000-06:00

It has been awhile since I published anything. I have been very, very busy working on my golden labyrinth piece. I have finally finished the goldwork and now just have the rose quartz chip beads that surrond it to do. I had hoped to get it to the framer on Monday but I took some time off this afternoon to take a book binding course! What a delight! It was a very simple sewn book, but it's finished with a pretty blue cover and some beads sewn onto the closure. I even had enough supplies left to make a matching book mark! But, the stress on my wrists was enough to make any fancy stitching impossible tonight. I'll have to sleep in my wrist braces tonight,and hope that I can get some stitching done tomorrow. I know that people are finding labyrinths a source of peace, and I'm finding the same peace working the very repetitive couching, so much so that I want to try a similar piece with a slightly different concept. I have been reading about the turf labyrinths made, mainly in Britain but actually, all over the world. They have been around for hundreds of years but are now finding a revival. People are finding peace by walking the cirles carved into the very earth itself. What if I tried to represent this type of labyrinth in a quilted hanging? I think I'm having an "aha" moment. This may well be my next project.

Saturday Evening

2006-11-26T10:19:00.000-06:00

I spent last evening with friends. It was a get together organized by the local embroidery store. We all pitched in, and then a huge supper was provided, some games, and gossip, and shopping. It's nice to touch base with friends this way, and it's a relaxing way to spend the evening. I guess this is the time of year when we examine relationships, being thankful for those we value and finding out who values us.

Today's the day

2006-11-25T08:08:00.000-06:00

Just the lull before the storm. This will probably be one of my busiest days of the year. Two sales today, the only two all year long. One is at the Craft Museum where I have five (count'em) ornaments on consignment. Shoppers there usually go for cheaper stuff, so I'm not optimistic, but I still volunteered to be there for the morning. Then this afternoon a sale at Dalnavert Museum. I have a little more stuff there--some of my boxes, but they still tend to be a litle pricey for Winnnipeg. I'll be there for the afternoon. Then rush home and off to a social gahering at the local needlework store. At least there I'll get supper. I had to scramble to get some take-along work for that as most of the stuff I'm doing now either isn't portable, or requires too much concentration to work on in a crowd.

Over the next week I'll be very busy getting teaching samples ready to present at a meeting December 3rd. I have to do a presentation to the Embroiderers' guild on Post Cards on December 1st ( Have to remember that it's a Pot Luck, and find food somewhere) Then every spare minute will be spent working on my labyrinth, as they want it finished for January 1st. Sorry, it's for publication and I can't post any pictures.

Emotions

2006-11-23T21:36:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to make some sample journal quilts depicting emotion. This is very, very difficult. I wonder if you can ever create something showing emotion, if you are not actually experiencing that emotion at the time. I wanted to depict "joy" and tried to make fireworks. They came out fairly well, but not nearly as bright or as cheerful as I had wanted. Then I tried for anger. I painted the fabric with blacks and greys, thinking of adding slashes of red. I tried to make the grey as a background of a maelstrom, by swirling the colours, and then using large drops of water to create voids. I wanted a central focus as I know I'am much more comfortable with asymetry. The painted fabric was wonderful! But I just couldn't force myself to add the red. It needed nothing. I FMQ'd the swirls and added a few crystal beads and now have a wonderful little journal quilt, but it has nothing to do with anger. There has been a thread on one of my internet groups on showing emotion with quilts. They are talking about how hard it is and now I believe.

I need the journal quilts as I've been asked to teach a course on journal quilting. Now how do you do that, when journal quilts are so very personal and very much one-of-a-kind?

I have applied for two shows this fall, and now know that I will be involved in both of them in some way. I was stunned when I heard. I never expected that sort of acceptance so early in this journey. But both pieces were metal thread, hand embroidered. I guess people like the shiney stuff. At the same time I'm starting on the intermediate metal thread correspondence course. Bit of a giggle, there.

Update

2006-11-19T23:38:00.000-06:00

Well I did make money at the sale. Not a lot, but enough to encourage me to try again. Now I've managed to get in to the studio and clean up a bit. I actually found some threads I had put aside for the flame piece I mentioned awhile back. I had forgotten I even had them. When I pulled them out and tried them against the fabric I dyed, they went together perfectly! If only I could find the time to actually do it. I now have two classes to prepare for. One on the trapped flower technique I mentioned back a bit, and the other on journal quilting. I've also promised to make a presentation on fabric post cards to the Ebroiderers' Guild on Dec 1st. Maybe I should start working on that. It is just so great to look at my calendar and realize that next week I have no meetings etc and can spend all day in the studio if I choose to. The next big sale is the 25th but I've decided not to kill myself trying to make a whole bunch of stuff that won't sell. I have greeting cards, postcards, purses and funky bags. That will just have to be enough. Also, it would probably be an idea to at least think about doing some housework! It would be neat to get a few more pictures on this blog too.

Back in the swing of things

2006-11-16T22:47:00.000-06:00

We've been away since last sunday but are back now. Did a lot of running around today. The gallery show I was in is now down and my "babies" are home. Took my journal quilts to a shop for an Open House display. Saw my more traditional support group this evening. It was a gentle friendly evening, just what I needed to relax after travelling and the busy day. When we came out, there was sleet on the ground and slippery roads. A little nerve racking driving home. Now I have to face the mess that my studio has become. I have a small sale tomorrow evening, at which I don't expect to make many sales, and a more serious sale next Saturday, where I hope to make a lot of sales. (Maybe I'm dreaming) Tomorrow I hope to get back into a productive routine. For now I think I'll pour a glass of brandy and read a bit. I'm really too tired to sew.

Busy weekend

2006-11-09T09:26:00.000-06:00

Deadlines Loom! A busy weekend. We're setting up a gallery show this evening, and then I get to man the gallery all day tomorrow. Saturday is a special "all day, all girl, get together and raid each other's stash day". I have packed two cardboard totes with the supplies for about six projects that I hope to finish in 8-10 hours. Am I living in a fool's paradise? Then Sunday we take off for three days in the States to try to get some Christmas shopping done. I sure hope I get some rest while we're away as it's right back on the treadmill when we get back. It must be the time of year. I'm preparing a program for the Winnipeg Embroiderers' Guild on fibre art post cards, and I've realized that the ones I have are all machine done. Not a hand done among them. Well, I can't fix that in the next two weeks! Got to get to work!

2006-11-07T16:59:00.000-06:00

This picture is one my friend Linda took of a piece I made using a technique I read about in Cloth, Paper Scissors magazine. It involves trapping silk flowers between a layer of cotton and a layer of chiffon, and then FMQ the layers together. I love the technique and am inthe process of putting together a class on it.

Finding inner piece

2006-11-07T16:38:00.000-06:00

I painted some fabric today in reds and yellow with the idea of creating something with flames. We'll have to see how intense the colour is after it dries, before I'll know if it's going to work. The actual size of background I've prepared is quite small, so I'll be using little pieces. Originally it was going to be hand stitched, but we know that won't happen. So onward with fabric. I also did a little bit of white and grey, thinking of ice and snow. Then I flicked a bit of gold on it. Bad idea! Now I have snow the dog peed on.
I have spent a fair bit if time trying to decide if I am trying too hard to be an artist. I think this comes partially from external pressure, because in the past I've been happy doing whatever strikes my mood, rather than thinking that I must create great art every time I make something. I am loving my internet groups, but there seems to be some pressure there. I think I will go back to pleasing myself.

2006-11-06T09:06:00.000-06:00

Not a good weekend! For many years I have made and sold wallets and bags to subsidize my needlework. I pride myself on producing a well made product and my trade mark is hand finishing. I have a sale coming up and started a new set of wallets. When it came to finishing, I discovered that my hands just won't do it anymore. Not only is it very painful, the coordination is gone and the result is just not good enough. I have been slowly loosing my hand function over time, but this really brought it home to me. I am very sad and discouraged. I've spent the last 24 hours thinking about future direction of my art, and trying to figure out how to get my focus back. I have also ben reading the QuiltArt list. There has been a lot lately about the need for fibreart to pay attention to basic design principles in order to be accepted. I have to agree that there are a lot of very poorly designed pieces out there! Maybe it would be to my benefit to study a bit of design. Or maybe I accept that I will never be a great fibre artist and just relax and enjoy making the things I can.

2006-11-04T18:33:00.000-06:00

This small wall quilt is embellished with
hand-made beads, which are further embellished
with gold leaf and specialty threads.
While the background is one piece, it, too,
is embellished with oriental characters, stamped with gold paint.

2006-11-04T17:33:00.000-06:00

This was done for the Fast Friday group challenge. A challenge is posted on the last Friday of the month and group members have a week to post a picture of the finished piece. This is a TumTum tree made in response to the challenge of producing something based on the poem "Jabberwocky", and using texture to evoke emotion. It is 23" by 29". The Jabberwock was intended to be an ambiguous shape , defined by eyes, teeth and claws. His face, fingers and tail are made from heat-modified cellophane which has been painted green and then dry-brushed with bronze paint. The graphic section includes the two stanzas from the poem that refer to the Jabberwock and the TumTum tree.

2006-11-04T17:02:00.001-06:00

This is the piece I did for the internet challenge "Tiny textiles". This is my impression of a trans-section of the pile of compressed snow that is left --usually across my driveway-- by a plow. It is 12" x 12". I started with white cotton and then used my own, custom-made, rubber stamps to add both acrylic paint and Seta-color fabric paint. The result was cut apart and re-sewn to represent the fracture lines I saw in the photo I was working from. I then added free motion quilting and glue on crystals. I was very please with the result.

New blog! First post!

2006-11-04T17:02:00.000-06:00

Welcome! My name is Pat Findlay. I am very into fabric and fibres and modifying those both by whatever means I can. I like to share the results with my friends and hope to use this blog to do that. Take a good look and tell me what you like or let me know how I can do a better job.