Wearable Art

This piece was made for the Bernina Fashion Show several years ago. It's made from absolutely to die for, custom dyed, sueded rayons by Cherrywood Fabrics.

It took hundreds of hours to make with a full double circle skirt with yards and yards of reverse appliqué, an easy technique, but there was just so MUCH of it to do in this garment! can I tell you how absolutely spectacular it was to see it swishing down the runway on a professional model with all the lights and music. I felt like a rock star even though it wasn't me up there. The dress traveled to a couple of other venues and didn't come back to me for almost two years later. It had aged out of most of the competitions by then so it did nothing but sit on my dress form for a very long time.

Last weekend a dear friend had a "formal dress" 50th birthday party. I haven't been to a "formal dress" anything since my senior prom in high school. Not even a company Christmas party. (Can you hear the "poor me" whine coming through here?) Quite the hardship for someone like me.

Hmmm. I was going to call my self a fashionista there, but I don't think that term fits. I adore clothes and wearable art but am not interested in fashion trends. I believe that most current trends are incredibly unflattering to the majority of women. And girls. I'd rather just wear what I like and what looks good on me. If you want to read more about my fashion philosophy, my favorite style book of all time is Simple Isn't Easy. It makes the case for finding a uniform that you look fantastic in, and sticking to it, no matter the current trends.


Back to the point. I got to wear my dress for the first time. And dance in it. My hubby and I know a little west coast swing and a little two step but mostly they played salsa and rock. I had fun anyway, since my lovely friend comes from a culture where all the families just get up and dance with each other without waiting for an invitation or partner. They just find joy in friendship and music and dance. I think I'm going to try to be more like that.

I wish every one of you a little time back in that little-girl-twirly-dress blissful place.

Doodling

Isn't this cool? Blogging on my laptop from a kid's sport event. I didn't know the center had a network I could hook up to. Really I should be cheering for my kid (I am mostly) or writing away but there are just too many distractions here. I'm finding I'm very distractible.

 

On The Road

Gotta love a laptop. It turns a seven hour road trip into productive work time. My parents are visiting and we decided to take the little ones and head up to see my brother and his new little one. The kidlets were great in the car. They watched a movie on my tiny little i-pod when they got fussy.

Here's a little detail from a pice that reminds me of travel... marks in a line. What do you get done on the road? I've gotten a lot of work done but not a whole lot of writing. A couple of new classes outlined and a bit of editing. I think I need to sit isolated and quiet for a bit of a chunk of time in order to write

A Quiet Sunday

Life is good. It's a bit cold and gray outside. Rain is good here where we are in one of the worst drought areas in the country. The kids and I are enjoying a Sunday afternoon listening to the last Harry Potter on audio book. Having a lovely time getting my new toy up and running.

The most beautifully cool laptop ever. It really does fit in an envelope.

Line Studies

Time for a couple small doodles this week. In between lots of writing and research and organizing and driving kids here and there and dealing with a screaming ornery three year old. I think the monster that has replaced my little one is not feeling well.

Both are 4" x 6" matted at 5" x 7"

$25.00 each

What A Week!

I can't believe everything that has happened this week. It's been absolutely insane. The regular old mom job has been pretty much normal, running here and there for this sport and that music lesson and the other playgroup. The weather turned warm enough that I (gasp) shaved my legs and wore capris. I've seen one daffodil blooming at the top of the hill and mine are beginning to wake up.

I did get a rejection letter from the Raleigh Fine Arts Society show. Not a big surprise. Didn't even blink an eye because I was too busy (take a huge breath here) writing for my second on-line course offering, finishing edits for my first, finalizing the contract for a book, and putting together a new class based on my current article for Quilting Arts Magazine because the director of education at the International Quilt Festival in Houston asked me to teach it there this fall.

Knees are knocking here. Oh my goodness. The windows of heaven are opened and the blessings are pouring out and I'm wondering if I'm about to drown.

Head down...

.... fingers flying on they keyboards. Working hard.


Doodling in tiny snatches of time.

4" x 6" matted at 5" x 7"

$25.00