So, with the encouragement to work towards a spring art show/festival with a tent in mind... I've started a new series last week. The hitch is in the stitching. It is a lot of stitching. What I did not say is the stitching is on paper. I've been thread painting for about three to five hours a day. My hands and eyes can testify to that. I hit a wall on Sunday and I really haven't returned. Being the child of a perfectionist can lead to madness if you do not reign occasions in on a regular basis. Back to tension issues and neat stitching. I started to go a little intense till I calm and work with each passage as it developed across the paper. Changing dials, wheels and stitch length every few inches. I had no clue about the variances I was working till I started letting my fingers read the thickness of the paper. I trusted my instincts more by the second hour. Number three was finished . I looked on to four and the complications almost made me cry. I can't breeze through these! What the hell was I thinking. And that little voice from the way next door reminding me "No more simple", no more paint and peel, no more stitch easy simplicity works just as well as you. The combination of media I choose begin kicking my ass to the point I though I'd stop. I did not. I pushed on packing in the perfection issues and the rigidity in my fingertips. Luis pushed me on to finished and then I was ordered to put it away before I hurt myself. All I wondered was that I talked to myself far much too loud.
Honestly, he saved my mind and put me on another route. I packed up the series and I know I'll get back to it. When? Maybe next year. For now the call to fabric came back and I'm learning there are more people interested in my designs than I thought/knew. I had an agenda at the beginning of the year. A schedule it was, if you will, of everything I wanted to produce before the year end. It counted works on paper as well as sewn items. So, I'm got to get back to priorities that I have set and revisit the requests/challenges as well. Ornaments was one of the goals and from what friend says it was expected. A slight bit of sadness from what I understand. So, I'm back at it and have finished a design, measurements and templates for three. I started in today, mindful of request and my shoulder sit a little lighter, I'm not bent under weight and I'm finding joy in the problem solving.
As I was about to make December a break off from sewing, the urgency has grown and voiced its opinion for me to continue. My friend is good to me and keeps up with the website. His insights keep me hopeful and passionate for the the work I do. Thank you.
As ever, stay hungry and curious.