monkey hands

Hand Work for Mongolia

As the storm rages along the U.S. east coast, I am leaving for the airport to head to Ulaanbaatar. My thoughts are with my family, and yours, and everyone affected. I'm glad I have a serious distraction to keep me busy now, though of course my children and other family members will be in my constant thoughts.

After cutting boiled wool birds to take to Ulaanbaatar for the workshop this week, I noticed the scraps were fish-shaped.

and perfect for the over-the-ocean-back-to-China phase of the diary cloth I'm making as part of Jude Hill's Spirit Diary Cloth online course at Spirit Cloth. Jude's an inspiring teacher, and her classes and the communities that develop are nurturing as well as challenging. I'n not sure if big fish will make it onto the cloth--looks more like a whale to me, but maybe that's okay. Once I get stitching, the needle seems to take over and guide the way. The moon in the corner is a "Glennis moon," indigo dyed by the famous Shibori Girl herself. 

I've been adding some kantha style stitching to the cacti and wings--it was hard to leave family and that incredible sunny big Southwest sky.

Packing for Mongolia

click for larger image

     While Hurrican Sandy is pummeling the U.S. east coast, I am preparing to return to Ulaanbaator for another visit, this time to work on the website (published in process--Mongolian Quilts ), offer a bird-making workshop, and bring supplies.

     I have family members up and down the coastal area, including two children in NYC, one just a block from the evacuation border in Brooklyn, as well as my 90 year old mother-in-law. I also have a son in southern New Hampshire,  my husband and I both have brothers and their families in the affected areas (Wash. D.C., Virginia, North Carolina), so I will be watching from afar, and hoping for the best for everyone.

     Side note: The walking boot is "just in case," and the Japanese masks are the best I've found for filtering soot and heavy metal pollution.

Shibori Covered Buttons, Rainbow Quilt, Beijing Smog

made using small shibori scraps from another project

the coins are about the size of a U.S. dime and a penny

when I was in Tucson, my niece picked out fabric for a birthday quilt, which she designed

no comment needed

Plodding Toward China

I've slowly been making minor progress. Turtle now has claws to cling more firmly to the freshly seeded (stitched) ground, and also newly embellished wings for soaring.

my view from a Tucson coffee shop

Meanwhile, I've been working my way back to Beijing via some family time in Oakland, Ca, Tucson, and now San Francisco for a night before taking off for China tomorrow morning.

cacti in post office parking lot

Next steps may be a cactus behind Turtle, and an ocean in front...ongoing work as part of Jude Hill's inspiring Spirit Cloth Diaries class at Spirit Cloth.

 

Covered Buttons and Flying Turtles

My friend Terri Lipman gave me this great fabric she'd dyed. I was inspired to use it for a couple things (in process) and to cover these buttons:

And then, 

Just before my hand surgery, I pulled together some scraps from this big scrap box (origins, unknown/remembered) for possible stitching. 

Most the scraps were 1.5 inch to 2 inch strips, and I picked a few that felt turtle-ish to me.

My first post-surgery sewing, inspired by a class I'm taking online with Jude Hill at  Spirit Cloth.