Page for Francis - Book page Swap 2013

Francis' theme is Flowers and Gardens. Hope she likes the way I've interpreted her theme.

Book Page Swap 2013

There's a group of us on Stitchin Fingers who are doing a book page swap this year. Each of us has chosen a theme and every month each participant creates a page for another participant on their chosen theme. At the end of the swap each of us will get to compile the pages into a fiber book. My theme is Tea.     

This page is for Shelly whose theme is Vintage Bird.  

Detail of the page which is 8" x 8" and has a pocket on the reverse.

I must draw your attention to a collaborative art project being curated and exhibited by Danish artist Hanne Bang. The art project is called In a War Someone has to Die. Read more about it here or on facebook

I have to go buy a couple of handkerchiefs and get people to do some Malayalam and Tamil translation for me.

Won't you join in and embroider a handkerchief?

The Traveling pages for January

I can now show you the pages sent and recieved for the Story of the Traveling Pages.

The first leaf in my Book of Leaves has been created by Kath in Greece. Lots of texture and embroidery. Don't miss the couched treatment along the edge of the page.Juliette, I'm relieved to say has recieved the page I made for her.I was keeping my fingers crossed it wouldn't go astray. The theme was The Seashore and I decided to depict The Shore temple at Mamallapuram. Must say I've started using unconventional material and really enjoyed it. Its got me thinking out of the box and the results are encouraging - crushed brown paper for the rocks, the cardboard for the catamarans and oil pastels to add colour to sea and sky.

To get a better look at the details click on the images to get an enlarged view.
Made a pocket on the back of the page with the plastic coated foil the muesli comes in. I found an article in a back issue of Jetwings on the rock sculptures of Mamallapuram and put that into the pocket along with a little note for Juliette.

For February I'm working on a page for Carmen and the theme is Castles.

Visit The Story of the Traveling Pages to see more pages participants in this swap have created.

Take it Further Fiber Book

The Take it Further fiber book is finally complete. My first fiber book, I'm over the moon.
The cover is felt which I've embroidered and it opens to reveal the page above.
Flipping through the pages. One for each month.
That's the last page. The free form Cable chain stitch is an attempt to imitate the end papers in very old hard bound books which are marbled.
The edges of the pages have sugar beads at intervals. You can see I got carried away.
Click on the months to see each page of the book.

January,February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November.

On to making more fiber books. The Take a Stitch Tuesday samples will be made into a sampler book as well. I need to start assembling the pages but there will be no extra embellishments like sugar beads along the edges of pages (what got into me to do that I wonder!).

There's The Bead Journal Project for 2010 which I shall join. Last year I had already committed to Take a Stitch Tuesday on Stitchin fingers.

There's a discussion on at the Fiber book group at Stitchin Fingers about a fiber book page swap. That could be interesting. A book compiled on a particular theme, with pages contributed by different people in the group. I think I must participate.

So what do you think of my first ever fiber book? I hope all who visit have a great weekend.

On a separate note - I've become an affilate of Amazon and Flipkart. You will see the banners on the side bar. Should you wish to shop online I would appreciate it if you could click on the Amazon or Flipkart banners/buttons and make your purchases.Amazon and Flipkart will pay me a small percentage of the value of your transaction without increasing the cost for you by even a cent. Thank you and happy shopping.

TAST- Crested Chain

TAST - Scroll Stitch

TAST - Sheaf Stitch

My Sheaf Stitch sample. Elizabeth of Quieter Moments has created some amazing embroidery with the Sheaf stitch and has been an inspiration for my own sample.

Its the Labour Day weekend and hundreds of miles away from the United States here in India we're looking forward to four days by the sea. How bizarre, how bizarre but that's the way it is if you are part of the outsourcing industry. I'm not complaining. Anyways I hope your weekend is full of excitement, I'll see you mid week next week. Stay safe and Cheers!

TAST - Cast on Stitch

The Cast on Stitch was a new stitch for me. Its time consuming. With this stitch you need to remember less is more. Great stitch to add texture and dimension to ones work. Reminds me of a type of mushroom that grows on tree trunks.

I did a fair portion of this sample last night, while watching the stellar performance of Robert De Niro in What Just Happened.

TAST - Buttonhole Wheels

This stitch got the inspiration wheels turning. Thoroughly enjoyed making this sample.

TAST-Bullion Stitch

Looks like I'm already sliding just when I caught up with TAST.
It feels like my whole life has turned into a whirlwind.
The good news is that R & I made it to the list of twelve shortlisted couples on The Great Driving Challenge.(Drum roll please) We are thrilled to bits.
The next round of the competition is going to be held in Mumbai, which is where we are headed at the end of the week. We have our own blog which we'd like you to bookmark and visit.
Our blog on The Great Driving Challenge site is going to be updated more frequently than this blog for the next week and a half.
Leave us a comment, tip on making home videos, must have list of things for a roadtrip or what you'd like to see on that blog as far as preparations for a roadtrip and mobile blogging go.

Journeys

3,000 km road trip
Getting up early gives me time to sip a hot cup of chai and indulge in some reflection.I've had a couple of such mornings this week and its all no doubt been prompted by The Great Driving Challenge.(TGDC)

The 3000 km road trip of a lifetime in quest of biryani got me thinking about all the other little journeys I'm making at this point.

Let's start with the Great Driving Challenge itself. Its interesting to see that the learning and experience gained from blogging over a year and a half is now connecting in a very significant manner with TGDC. Its also got me signed onto Facebook and Twitter. That's two different journeys there of reconnecting with people and discovering the journeys their lives are on.

Stitch Journeys
There are a couple of stitch journeys too.
Take a Stitch Tuesday on Stitchinfingers is starting up again after a couple of months of R&R which was also meant to be a time for tardy ones like me to catch-up and I'm happy to report I have. So TAST is a journey of creative exploration of embroidery stitches that's starting up again where it left off.If you are interested in joining in, read more about it here.

I have to complete the page for December for The Take It Further Challenge fibre book. Must complete that journey in the next two weeks.

Literary journey
I've been on a "high fibre" literary journey ever since R got back from the States with a little stack of books I had requested him to buy.I've read Knit Lit(too) and have begun on Knit Lit the Third.
My literary journey is taking a new turn with a book club that I'm trying to kick start with Priya's help.For women who are comfortable in their skin,aren't obsessive about counting calories and love the journey a good book provides. We're starting with Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert. Have you taken the Eat, Pray, Love trip? Would love to know what you have to say about it.

MiSh maSh

My journey with collages and cellphone images has been a sort of on and off thing but I've given them a more formal platform by creating Mish maSh and taking one of Shelley Klammer's online workshop's on Deepening Creativity. Thank-you Robyn.

The interlacements of the stitch journeys with blogging or Mish mash with The Great Driving Challenge or the interactions with friends and followers on Flickr, Twitter and Facebook are creating an interesting fabric of experiences and I'm loving every moment of it.You can follow me on Twitter, check it on my sidebar.
If you've read thus far you'll know that armchair travel is something I do plenty of but I am going to be taking a little trip to be with family. I'm not certain how much blogging I'll do but I'll be back in about two weeks with plenty to show and tell. Stay safe and happy journeys to you.

Take a little journey of three clicks of the mouse and vote for us on The Great Driving Challenge.Appreciate it, thanks.

ATC swap on Stitchinfingers

Gina set up another swap for the Textile Artists Trading Group on Stitchinfingers .The first in 2009. Let me show you what I've recieved in the mail the past week.Such a pleasant experience because the mail these days usually contains only bills and junk mail.

This ATC made by Susan Monk in the UK has been made with a paper napkin , isn't that amazing. Susan sent a length of bias tape with hearts on it - how did Susan know I'm currently obsessed with hearts?

This one is from Mary Lou in Ontario, Canada. The tiny discs and wheels you see are watch parts.My first swap with someone in Canada.

This is the third ATC from Gina in my modest collection of ATC's.

TAST - Basque Stitch

One more stitch done, got about six more to complete before I catch up. I'll be doing just that in the next ten days when I go visit with family and catch up with more than just TAST.
I'll be checking in and viewing all the buzz in blogland, just won't be posting until the middle of March.
The heart sampler is coming together beautifully, will have pics of it when I'm back and there are pages of the Red Book which must be revealed so do drop by in about ten days when I shall be back and promise to post more frequently.

I must thank the twenty five followers of my blog - I'm truly amazed, and for all of you who take the time to visit from all corners of the world , I do appreciate it.

TAST - Running Stitch

Starting where I left off with the Take a Stitch on Tuesday at the end of last year , I give you Running Stitch. Five stitches to complete and catch up.

Another post about ATC's

I began this blog last year around this time.Its been an eventful year full of learning thanks tothe various interactions blogging affords you .
One such was the world of ATC's and the first opportunity to participate was Cyber Fyber .
Susan Lenz is a fiber artist and the brain behind the Cyber Fyber exhibition - an intenational event which focuses on the influence of internet access for fiber artists today.
I exchanged a postcard and an ATC with Susan. See them here. Susan has videos of the ATC's and postcards she has recieved if you'd like to see how varied they can be.
On Stitchin Fingers I joined the Fiber ATC group and did a couple of swaps, adding to my modest but growing collection of fiber ATC's.
Here's one I swapped with Anna. in the UK. I call this one "My Hippy Heart".

This one which I call "Heart of Gold" I sent to Gina in Australia who organised the first swap on Stitchin Fingers.Apologies for the blurry pic. I've joined the ATC trading group on Yahoo which has trades of cards in all sorts of media but I'm lurking for the moment because those trades are pretty elaborate ones but I'm learning new things there too - Steampunk for one.I wasn't aware of it as a genre until a couple of months back!

Now if you'd like to get started and trade ATC's there's The International Random ATC Swap which is a part of the Cyber Fyber event. Read about it here.

ATC's and an Award.

I've been doing quite a bit the past few weeks but I just haven't got down to updating all of you on the happenings. Let's hope that's going to be remedied starting this week.

I've recieved some ATC's in the post. So let me show you.
This one is from Anna who makes amazing corsets and is equally adept at creating unconventional fabrics.My ATC to you will be in the mail this week,finally got a few done - that's one of the things I've been doing the past few weeks.

This one's from Gina in Australia who organised the first ATC swap on Stitchin Fingers. Gina I finally have an ATC to swap with you, on that one on one swap we've been mailing each other about.About time ! I imagine you must be saying.
Thank-you Anna and Gina for taking my ATC collection to 3.

I've also been given an award by T&S a couple of weeks back.Thank-you for the Premio Dardos award.

The norms of the Premio Dardos award is to pick 15 blogs who deserve this award for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing.

Hmm... 15 is a bit much and lately a number of people have blogged about the absurdity of awards and made their blogs "tag free zones" so I'm just going to list blogs I personally find culturally enriching,are creative and original.

Greetings from the Shady Grove

On being Tamizh and a Penn

The Beauty of Life

The Brat, the Bean and Bedlam

Art Propelled

ArtnLight

Masala Chai

At Home with the Farmer's Wife

Glass,Petal,Smoke

I'm not going to notify the authors of these blogs so there's no pressure and compulsion to comply with the rules and pass the award on to 15 people!!!

If you are reading this and have a culturally enriching blog , then please consider yourself a recipient of the Premio Dardos award.

Stitchin Fingers

Stitchin Fingers is a community in cyberspace of people working with various textile media and its free to join. Started by Sharon B in early May, this group is now at 699 members and it seems to be growing by the minute.

There are a number of groups individual members have created to explore specific aspects of the textile practise - cloth dolls, japanese embroidery,feltmaking etc etc. I've joined the Take a Stitch on Tuesday and the Fiber Book groups as well as the Hand Embroidery group. Its tempting to join a number of other groups but that would be a case of biting off more than I can chew.

In an attempt to do justice to the groups I've joined I'm creating a fiber book of the stitches I'm creating for the Take a Stitch on Tuesday. Killing two birds with one stone is the only way I'll keep up. The stitch to explore for week 1 was Herringbone Stitch.

Week 2 the stitch to explore was Buttonhole Stitch.
Here are the first two pages. Its going to be a while beforeI start putting the Fiber book together. The Stich for week 3 is Detached Chain. Must get started on that. I'm so glad week 4 each month will be for catching up because I'm certainly going to need it.
Working on the pages for Herringbone Stich and Buttonhole Stitch I decided to explore the creation of flowers with each stitch and I'm pleased with the results. Every stitch may not lend itself to create a floral motif but that will be my personal challenge so lets see what I can come up with each week.