NEXT STOP SAN FRANCISCO

I truly left my heart in San Francisco, where our family celebrated our grandson's first birthday.

 We visited the amazing Bay Kids Museum.....even the location of the parking lot in view of the famous Golden Gate Bridge was breathtaking. For blogger readers who have kids or grand kids.....do take a minute to look at their website....there are lots of ideas that can be translated into your own backyard or playroom.

Kids large and small loved this 'stream'....filled with plastic fish, frogs and other 'chewable' delights.

 Faux rocks that are soft and climbable were a favorite hangout for the little tots.  (As enjoyed by our DIL and 1 year old Raiden.)

 This is just one of dozens of creative play stations featuring bridges, underground crawling areas, and slides.  There was also a pond like section that had  water bed style areas where the kids could walk/jump from 'puddle' to 'puddle'.

 A storytelling area is another popular feature.

 Another building was reserved as an art/craft studio.  Each month a different artist is featured.  Roy Lichtenstein's pop art was their current inspiration. This work was actually created on canvas by children. 

 Some of the children were playing with this interesting product.  Bubber is from Sweden.....learn about this crazy modeling 'stuff' here.

 In a corner of one of the craft rooms I noticed this art on the wall......

...and was amazed to see it was inspired by Faith Ringgold.  

This post may bore some of you.....but indulge me....I had so much fun spending time with our little one as he explored this very special place.

BEAUTIFUL OREGON

How great to have family living in such beautiful parts of our country!  I just enjoyed a week on the West coast....my first stop being Eugene, OR. where the weather was superb.  Spring hasn't sprung here in the mountains of North Carolina, so sunny warm weather was very much appreciated.

 We visited Hendricks Park, Eugene's oldest city park.  Its 80 acres includes a world-renowned rhododendron garden and a native plant garden which was in full bloom.

 Stunning, no??

 One could leisurely stroll groomed paths or take a hardy hike.

 The fragrance in the air should be bottled!

Another activity one can enjoy in this area is to take a drive about 15 miles from Eugene where there are dozens of wineries.  With the vines just starting their growth, the fields reminded me of a patchwork quilt.

Alas, I have no sewing projects to share......bear with me for a few days as I share what one quilter did on her mini vacation.

GROWTH CHART

It seems impossible to think that our darling little grandson is turning ONE already!  What a thrill it's been for me to join our son and DIL, plus extended family in CA to celebrate this occasion.

Living such a distance from them requires extra thoughtfulness regarding gift ideas.  Do they have it?  Do they want it? .......you know what I mean.  

 After much pondering, I decided to make Raiden a growth chart.  (Or should I say...I made a growth chart for his parents?!?) grinning.... He's too young to care!

His bedroom theme is rocket ships, so my starting point was to draw one the length of a tape measure. 

 Then the design was recreated with fabric and arranged on a wholecloth background.

 Eventually I realized it wouldn't be necessary to make a wall hanging the length of the tape measure.   So instead, I cut it down and begin at the 2 foot measurement.  When hung, the 2' foot mark will be used as a guide to hang it from the floor.

I blogged about this nifty trick some time ago...without revealing what the project was.  Here's a reminder of the process.  The motifs were prepared with fusible web and arranged on the background which was pinned to my design wall.  Well....we all know how difficult it is to relocate our designs to a pressing surface without altering placement.  

So, I used a small iron 'the husband' had passed onto me....I'm not sure what he used it for but whatever it was, he didn't plan on doing it again so it's now in my studio.  Happy dance time.....it was the perfect tool to 'heat tack' each of the motifs in place before moving it to my ironing board to permanently secure them.

Raiden's Growth Chart  16.5" x 43" -  © 2013 Mary Stori

Here's the finished piece.  I allowed plenty of space to the left of the tape measure to document height & dates.  A permanent marker & hanging device was included with the chart.  

Raiden Hayashi Stori is a typical active 1 year old little boy...who decided he was going to start his birthday celebration early....as you can see in this action shot.  He got into the parent's liquor cabinet. Oh my, yet again another item that will require 'kid proofing'!!!  This photo was not staged....funny how we forget just how fast these little ones can be.

I like being a grandma!!!!!!!

LINES

This post is being written with a bit of apprehension because it's the very last piece from my stack of resist dyed felted wool.  Oh ya....I gotta make more....however this isn't a process that can be easily accomplished without a significant amount of equipment and supplies, which I don't personally own.  (But I plan to!)

It's been so comforting to know when I needed handwork....that within an hour of auditioning beads/threads I could have needle in hand! Naturally, that was only the beginning...a lot of thought and experimenting regarding the surface design was required.  Often that meant a lot starting - stopping - removing - and finally restarting.

Okay, okay.....so for awhile I'll be exploring other ideas, but I will come back to this exciting medium soon.

 Here's the piece before pressing/trimming the edges and stabilizing.

 Now with some embroidery.

 And a little more.....it may be difficult to see the black X's....so check out the detail below.

LINES  12" X 8" © 2013

Artist resist dyed felted wool, hand embroidered and bead embellished.

Ready to hang or frame.

AVAILABLE HERE

MOUNTAIN MUSIC

One of our favorite activities is attending live Bluegrass music events.  We've heard about the Thursday night 'jam' at Zuma's Coffee House in Marshall, NC for a long time.  As is usually the case, travel time in the mountains is twice or more longer than the actual distance would normally require since there are no direct routes.

However, we finally made the trek and had an enjoyable evening.

 Zuma's is a small place....so get there early if you plan to come.  Everyone appeared to know each other but were very welcoming of newcomers.  The musicians played up front by the windows....and in the tiny space between where the tables began....energetic folks tapped their heels and swung their arms as they danced with great big smiles on their faces.  So fun to watch...

Besides every kind of coffee/tea drink you can think of....their sandwiches are modestly priced and quite good.

  Bobby Hicks is the headliner on these Thursday events.   An iconic Bluegrass fiddler who still can play with the best of them.

Another charming part of these types of casual events is seeing the next generation get an opportunity to play before a live crowd.

So, if you are ever in Marshall, NC, stop in and enjoy Zuma's.

REACHING HIGH

REACHING HIGH 5.5" x 6.5"  © 2013

Artist resist dyed felted wool, hand embroidered & bead embellished.

AVAILABLE HERE

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been playing around with beading techniques that provide interesting dimension in my work.  This little dome does just that....it adds visual height but doesn't overpower.  I'm looking forward to sharing them in a new workshop I'm developing.

3-D BEADWORK

Despite an over-committed schedule which should settle down shortly, I have managed to squeeze out some stitching time.  I've been wanting to incorporate into my work, some of the 3-D beading techniques that I've been experimenting with.

 This small, about 7" square, resist dyed felted wool piece seemed like a good starting place!

 Out came the beads and other supplies....

 And the beading began....

....so far...this is what I have.  The circular sections of ruffles will be one of the new techniques I'm featuring in my new 3-D beading workshop.

Stay tuned....I'm hoping I can complete this piece in the next few days....

PINE NEEDLE BASKETS

Well......once again, I'm indebted to another talented friend who gave up an entire day to teach me how to make a pine needle basket.  I gotta admit, my hands are a tad achy tonight....a surprise since I'm accustomed to long hours working with my hands!

 Here's one of Lynn's fabulous baskets....  YUP.....if you have a sharp eye you have already noticed the beautiful blue agate slice in the base.  Does it get any better than this??

 This basket was a feast for the eye featuring black walnut slices embedded into the open woven work design.

Look at the perfection of the stitching....oh my......

Lynn provided excellent and patient guidance but being modest, she gives credit to her first instructor, Judy Mofield Mallow.  This book is very inspiring and instructive.  It's available here, along with all the supplies one needs to create their own masterpiece.  Be sure to visit the gallery to truly get inspired!

Here's a short summary of the process.  First, I was able to select one of the many prepared 'centers' from Lynn's inventory.  If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I'm crazy about using agate slices in my work....so I was in heaven!

Another possibility to incorporate was a black walnut slice.

 .......or the Betel nut slice which was sandwiched between resin. Twine or other stitching material is threaded through the holes as the pine needles and nut become one. 

The Southern Pine needles were soaked in hot water (to kill any bugs) and to make them more pliable.  Next, the thick ends needed to be stripped from the pine needles.  This little wooden gadget made the job easier....but it was still somewhat time consuming.

 Once the needles were prepared, they were rolled in a towel to keep them moist and straight.

 Now, the fun begins.....   We started with 3 'strands' of pine needle units...often containing 3 individual 'needles'.  Artificial sinew is used to wrap the needles into a coil as it travels through the holes of the resin covered agate slice.  Additional pine needles are slid into the coil after every 2 wraps of the sinew.

 Round and round it goes.....keeping the tension tight is important as is keeping the wrapping stitches uniform around the pine needle coil....all in all it took about 2 1/2 hrs. to get to this point.  But....who's in a hurry?  Well, I like immediate gratification but you can't rush it, especially during the learning process.

Soon I was ready to manipulate the coil vertically and it began to look like a basket!

......Ta Da.....here's my very own Southern Pine Needle Basket which measures a mere 4.5" x 3".  I love it.....        Thank you Lynn for your generosity!

FELTED ACORNS

I'll agree with you.....this is a measly amount to post about....but, like I mentioned yesterday, my over scheduled day-to-day life is encroaching upon my studio world.

But, even 30 minutes here and there feeds the creative spirit!  I was in need of a small hostess gift for someone who would appreciate a hand made item, so I dug out the small felted balls I made recently.  They were paired with acorn caps, fitted with thin loops of thread to allow them to hang if desired.  Cute, yes???

ISLAND GET AWAY

I've been on the road teaching......believe me...not all gigs are equal!  I'd teach until my teeth started falling out from old age if I could have this experience on every job!

The trip began with a lecture and workshop for the Island Quilters, on John's Island, SC.....just outside of Charleston.  This group was every bit as friendly and hospitable as their reputation....and wonderful cooks too!

I was so busy, unfortunately I don't have a single photo to share with you....my bad as I saw beautiful examples of their work!

 My hostess was a friend which made the trip doubly wonderful.  Views like this off her pier are only in my dreams.....

 The beach is a walkable distance, it was difficult not to turn pea green with envy.

 Kate's daughter will be married at their home in a few weeks so we spent a fun day organizing the many (many, many many) details that are involved in hosting a wedding.  Of course we 'thought' we could get about 10 times more accomplished than we did...though we didn't slack off at all.  

This bundle of tissue paper.......

 .....turns into this charming pom pom after separating the layers....another task that wasn't nearly as quick as we expected.

 Some were strung on a ribbon garland.....

 .....and frankly, a lot more fussy to fluff out than the larger ones....

 However, certainly worth the effort.

Don't ya just love them??

My spring schedule continues to be hectic for another couple of weeks.....preventing me from spending a lot of time working on new projects.  But, I'm trying to use every spare minute and will share soon.

Hang in here with me......