Author: NLS
Bitterest Tears Work in Progress
Decided to change the orientation of the blocks from horizontal to vertical.
Moved the brown border with the code (Loss and Regret) to the left side and the 2 columns of star stitched brown blocks to the right side.
In the process of stitching 3 columns together to make a strip, which will result in 7 strips. When the task is completed, I will stitch the 7 strips together. Four strips done, 3 to complete.
Working with batches of 3 is easier and more manageable than stitching the entire piece together 1 column to the next.
It took approximately 18″ of beige yarn to stitch the blocks together. Or roughly 1″ of yarn for each square of each block.
Should be able to start stitching the strips together later this week.
Need to decide how best to attach tree wrap to back of the piece. Leaning toward using a tie technique similar to the one my grandmother used when she made quilts.
The piece will have three layers of material: the stitched roofing felt, hardware cloth, and tree wrap, so reference to quilting.
October 17 Progress
Completed stitching together 7 strips of 3 columns.
October 23 Progress
Piece completely stitched together and wrapped the edge with tan yarn.
October 24 Progress, the Border
Originally thought I would loom knit an i-cord for the border, but after several attempts I didn’t like the results. The two that follow are the best of the rejected results.
Cream Border
R1 KKP, R2 KPP, R3 KKP, R4 K
Tan Border
R1 E Wrap Knit, R2 Flat Knit
The loom knitted borders are too bulky and fussy. I suspect the solution will be to use a strand of wire and wrap it with tan yarn.
While I am thinking about the border, thought I would attempt using a sewing machine to stitch together strips of tree wrap. The tree wrap will be tied to the back of the piece, similar to how quilt layers are tied together. Rather than having the knot on the front of the piece, the knots will be on back, the tree wrap side. The result should be a simple and clean cross stitch at each block connection.
Wait, what did I just write? A knot at each block connection. How many knots will I tie? There will be 15 for each column, 20 for each row, or 300 for the body of the piece. There will also be 17 for each side and 20 for top, 20 for the bottom, or 74 to tie the border.
That is all before I get to the really fun part of apply a salt solution with the hope of adding crystals to the pieces.
Spider Mites on a Potted Brugmansia
And I have no idea who this is–
After the last flowers bloom, I plan to remove all of the leaves and then treat the Brug with systemic.
Anni Albers on Weaving Text
I was looking for the text, Anni Albers on Weaving at Archive.org, but it wasn’t available on that site.
I googled the title and followed a link to Monoskop. Information from their About page, “Monoskop is a wiki for collaborative studies of the arts, media and humanities.”
I found loads of interesting information and a pdf of Anni Albers on Weaving text. It is not the expanded edition that is currently available for purchase online.
I searched for Anni Albers on the Monoskop site and found a link to a 1968 oral history interview. Followed the link to Smithsonian Archives of American Art.
Image of the text from the The Josef & Anni Albers Foundation site.
Added the Anni Albers on Weaving Expanded Edition to my Amazon wishlist.
Bitterest Tears Project in Progress
Sunday I spent the bulk of the day in the studio working on the Bitterest Tears piece. Saturday decided to add a border to the piece, notion of how blankets have a binding at top.
Didn’t visually feel right, so I opted for 2 rows at the top and 3 on bottom.
Bitterest Tears Final Layout
The 2nd brown row at top has the word, loss in code.
The bottom 2nd and 3rd rows have the code for the words, and regret.
Row 1 Stitch for Dots, Row 2 and 3 Dash and Spacer, Row 4 Decorative Row
Used the same dot, dash, spacer stitches for the code for entire piece. There is an addition of a row of a decorative star stitch that frames the body in cream.
Odd that I am on the flip side of regret after doing so many pieces in the past with no regret and forgive yourself in code.
No Regrets code is wrapped around the circle.
Forgive Yourself code is knotted for use as prayer beads.
Regret and Grief
I suspect it has a bit to do with the loss of my sister and mother this year. Even when you intellectually know death will soon end a life, it is still a shock to the system. It changes everything. Every day I wish I could have had more time with the two most important women in my life. Grief is my constant companion. Perhaps I should give it a name.
My hope is that when I complete the penny memorial for my mother and the Bitterest Tears piece I will have worked through some of my grief.
Harriet Beecher Stowe Quote Used
The Harriet Beecher Stowe quote used for the body of the piece–the bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.
The quote is from Little Foxes: Or, the Insignificant Little Habits Which Mar Domestic Happiness. Been carrying the quote around for quite some time, so decided I should read the book.
Found the book as a free read on archive.org.
Perhaps the first pages explains the title–
…the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
… those unsuspected, unwatched, insignificant little causes, that nibble away domestic happiness, and make home less than so noble an institution should be.
Project Description
There are 16 blocks horizontally and 21 blocks vertically. Each block is a 9×5 (2.25” x 1.25”) piece of ¼” hardware cloth. The piece of brown material stitched onto each block is roofing felt. I love roofing felt–its color, texture, and fragrance.
I used a rust promoter solution on the hardware cloth that may have weakened the metal. Some of the blocks became crazy red. Decided not to use those in this piece because I wanted to limit the palette to brown, cream, and grey.
Planning to stitch the blocks together with the brown wool yarn used for the top and bottom borders. Then apply a salt solution to the entire piece. It should integrate, age, and perhaps even visually bring to mind the salt of tears.
Pretty sure the piece will need a frame/box. Not sure if the frame/box will be part of the piece or act as a frame for an artifact.
Anzen is part of my Tools for Rent Series.
When I cast the bronze daggers I debated how best to display them. Some of my thoughts–weapons are often beautiful, weapons are designed to cause damage, the use of a weapon is violent. But if the daggers are bound into the interior of the box, potential violence could be controlled. I decided to bind each dagger into their own box.
The boxes were constructed of raw cedar fence. Cedar has a lovely fragrance. It also brings to mind the numerous times I opened my mother’s cedar-lined hope chest. I chose cedar because of the arbitrary value placed on a woman based on the contents of a wedding chest. Not unlike the arbitrary value placed on works of art.
Brugmansia and Datura
Variegated Brugmansia and a Datura
The Datura flowers open upward.
They both have a delicious fragrance.
Work in Progress–Mom Penny Memorial
The memorial piece will have a penny dated for each year of my mother’s life.
I have a stash of pennies, but did not have one for each year from 1930 to 2018. Found a coin shop in town that had reasonably priced pennies to complete the piece.
Interesting that 1943 is a steel penny.
Loom Knitting Pleated Pattern with Undyed Wool
Today will have completed 35 rows of 89 rows for the pennies. Will need to knit a bit more for overlap.
When the loom knitting is done, the pennies attached, and important years indicated, a box will be made of cedar as a home for the memorial piece.
Normally I would work all day to complete a project. But I have to limit my (repetitive) working time to five rows per day. I had surgery on my hand in June, with some working too much too soon complications. Developed scar tissue with extreme sensitivity. Still working to gain back finger strength and manual dexterity.
Dash enjoyed helping with my favorite desensitizing therapy.
What I Found While Watering My Gardens
A wee lizard was trapped in a five gallon pot of sunflowers. Its feet were slipping and sliding on the plastic surface preventing him from escaping the pot.
I placed a wood shim near the lizard. The texture of the wood helped it climb out of the pot. The shim is 1.75″ wide.
Concerned that the lizard might need some water, I placed a rock in an applesauce cup with a little water.
After I get past…it is not a snake, I welcome lizards to live in my gardens.
Bob, Nest, 3 Eggs, 4!
Bob is so light weight she can sit on the edge of a soon to be destructed Lipton Green Tea Box. She is so busy, quick, and aggressive, it is difficult to get a photo of her while at work.
This is the largest nest she has ever made! She was using junk mail, but now she prefers food boxes.
Bob lays an egg every couple of days. According to her schedule, she will probably lay another egg today.
She is such a cheerful little one.
Update 2018 08 30
As of Last Night, Now There Are 4!
Quick Look Bob Sitting in Nest, Didn’t Want to Disturb Her
The Bird Sitting on My Knee and Singing While I Was Updating Post
Bob and Nest, Elliot and Burrow in Progress
Bob, Nest and Eggs
August 1, 2018
Bob Building Nest After Egg Removal
August 19, 2018
One of Elliot’s Holes in Hill Garden
Elliot and Dash. Elliot is the small black bunny. She was rescued running around the neighborhood. Dash is the large ginger bunny. He was a shelter bunny.