monkey hands

New Sashiko

 

 

~ simple stuff ~

indigo pin cushion, bluebird, unbleached muslin napkins

Sky Inspired

Ritan Park, Beijing, on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I escaped to the park  for a couple hours, via crutches and taxi. It's only three blocks from the apartment--a wonderful spot on a rare clear-air day.  What joy--the warmth of the sun, the feel of the wind, and the sounds of birds!

Taken while sitting on a bench, peering up through the tress.

Ritan Park, West Gate

Ritan Park, Sidewalk Sweeper

I stitched this little nine patch for my magic diary cloth today, inspired by the many colors of the sky in the park yesterday.

Blackbird

A new spring bird.

Moon Flight and Gratitude

Hospital stitching (under the influence...) on magic diary cloth. The eye became a fish and then turned into this rocket--whoa--how did that happen?

I stitched the moon (or chaotic brain) to a light weight unbleached muslin background--rows and rows of relaxing boro-style sashiko stitches.

I'm not sure about this direction, taken, as it was, in an altered state.  I may remove the rocket eye and use the moon brain in a different way--I have some ideas, but no plans just yet.

Foot update: Many, many thanks for all your kind comments, sweet emails, prayers, and healing thoughts. I deeply appreciate our supportive online community.                                          

Five days in hospital: bone graft, titamium plate/screws, strong meds and okay food. Pretty good food, actually.

No walking for three months; let the healing begin.

 

Meanwhile, in addition to some stitching, I'm finding other ways to amuse myself. Behold, Mango Pit Boat:              

Sashiko Patchwork

Vintage Japanese fabric (1960s-70s) and sashiko on indigo. 19" square, lined in navy cotton. 

Some of you may recall the sashiko squares used in this little nine-patch wrapping cloth (which could also be used as a table topper or wall-hanging) from this post ( nearly a year ago to the day). 

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After sashiko-style quilting several blocks, I'm retiring this project for a while. It's just too heavy and warm to work with now. It will be a cozy comforter while I finish the quilting next winter.

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Personal Note: I'm heading to the hospital tomorrow for sugery--bone graft and plate/screws--to repair my broken foot, so I probably won't be sewing much or posting for a few days. I'll be back at it soon, and I'm taking my Magic Diary Cloth along for the ride in case I feel like stitching!

 

Sashiko and Magic Diary Cloth

White sashiko on dark indigo cotton.

I've started a new sashiko sampler; the final size of this panel will be about 16" square.  I plan to make it into a bag, a pillow, or maybe a cloth for a table.

detail

This kind of stitching is quite relaxing, almost meditative. 

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Today I shall start stitching it all together ~ may the magic diary cloth appear!

Roots, Spiders, "Mistakes" and Creativity

freshly dug ginseng root on a bed of moss

A very sweet man gave me this box of freshly dug ginseng root a couple days ago to help aid healing (the broken foot repeat). What a good friend! I'll slice it into hot water for tea.

I've long had a fascination with roots of all types--edible and nonedible. I like their twisty, thick-then-thin shapes, and I like the idea of roots, of taking root, of being rooted. I'm awed by the beauty of these particular roots -- like lace, reaching deep and wide for nurishment while creating strong suport, an anchor.  

I'd been thinking of adding roots to the "magic diary" cloth I'm making as part of a wonderful online course I'm taking with Jude Hill of Sprit Cloth, and seeing these roots confirmed that direction. In a connected vein, here's where spiders and mistakes come in:

On impulse (with thanks to Deanna of Eclectic-Meanderings), I started a second online course this week with Karen Ruane, and it's a wonderful contrast with, and compliment to, Jude's course. This week the lesson includes reviewing and/or learning different stitches, some of which I've started practicing: 

The big-ish blue "spider" was wonky, with some legs flushed out and others skinny, long, and sorrowful (I'm just learing this stitch, please be kind). In the context of my growing idea about adding roots to my magic diary cloth (Jude's class), seeing and touching fresh ginseng roots in their bed of moss, and learning new stitches (Karen's class), out of an ungainly spider I created an...um...even wierder spider? Or the beginnings of roots, perhaps? As seen from the top looking down? It seems root-like to me. 

I'm not yet sure where this is going--that's what I like about process and experimentation.

Bird Scraps

While collecting scraps from my recent birding, this bird and butterfly appeared from the pile--random shapes cut from (I think) the curve of a pair of wings and the place where the beak met the tail.