For as difficult as 2020 has been, I have much to be thankful for and will strive to be mindful of that in the challenging days ahead. We had a whole week of sunny, warm weather, and I was able to put the gardens to bed for the winter, plant a few bulbs and enjoy hikes in some of the lovely natural places we have nearby. Dramatically rising COVID numbers are limiting holiday plans, but my teaching year has ended on a successful note and I look forward to lots of time in the studio. When I say “studio” I really mean my 7 x 10’ mini-bedroom, outfitted with a dresser filled with sewing supplies and a repurposed wood dining table. This room has four full-size windows with a southeast exposure and provides beautiful natural light, which I prefer any day. There is also a closet that stores part of my collection of fabrics and domestic textiles on inset shelves (overstuffed at the moment.) My laptop plays my latest audiobook, and the cats enjoy sleeping on the single bed (also a staging area for the palette of fabrics I am using). I have baskets of yarn and thread on the floor, and a very cool Romanian sewing box for more thread. I have a display wall and ironing board set up in an adjoining room, where I can pin up the piece I am working on and take a good long look. This will be my domain for the winter months, and I am so thankful for this place.
Wisdom Cloak: The Sibyl (For Rachel Carson) was made specifically for entry in SAQA Global Traveling Exhibit Primal Forces: Earth. This exhibit will be premiering at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah KY, and I am so pleased to have The Sibyl selected. Details to come.
Here is what I have been reading:
The Pull of the Stars, by Emma Donoghue—this book is set during a three day period in a Dublin hospital during the 1918 flu epidemic. Timely and very moving. The Red Lotus, by Chris Bohjalian; The Devil and the Dark Water, by Stuart Turton; and Magic Lessons, by Alice Hoffman.
Thankful thoughts from me.
Faux ancient needles, made from epoxy clay then glazed with oil paint. These appear in the Wisdom Cloaks series. I made a fresh batch this week with more cloaks in my future work plans.
Find the needle in this detail from Wisdom Cloak: The Sibyl (For Rachel Carson).