Merry Christmas!!!

I hope, dear readers, that you have a very Merry Christmas,

surrounded with love and the joy of the season.

I hope that you have found found JOY, have been INSPIRED, and are surrounded by BEAUTY.

my favorite set at the Apex Nativity Celebration

I look forward to doing the same, all through next year.

Joy in Service: Day 23 simple gifts

I'd like to thank each of you from the bottom of my heart for joining with me in finding small ways to make the world a better place. My heart has been warmed as I read about the acts of service you've provided. I know there are many more random acts of kindness that you didn't tell me about. I appreciate your telling me what you've done and I've had a LOT of fun trying out a few of your ideas.

Two days ago I tried again to give a random stranger a flower (a small poinsettia instead of a big bouquet this time) in the grocery store parking lot. This time I said "you look like you need a smile - this is for you. Merry Christmas." She said, "you don't know how right you are" and she smiled!

I'm out and about with the family doing some amazing family fun things. That means that I'm going to wait until after the first of the year to contact more of you to send gifts. I'm loving getting at least one little corner  of the studio de-cluttered. Thank you for the opportunity to do so.

Work In Progress: rockstar boro

A few more stitches here and there.

Work in Progress: Rockstar Boro

Beautiful Boro and education at KimonoBoy.com

Japanese Boro is a form of patchwork repair, a method for using every scrap of precious cloth and keeping your clothing functional over many, many, years. It was a necessity - not an artistic choice.

I think my Boro project is much more in the spirit of Boro, rather than following the actual design esthetics. I think it's a beautiful idea. Even though I do my best not to subscribe to our culture's rampant consumerism, I find myself being wasteful more often than not. I'm seriously considering a clothing moratorium for an entire year. I certainly have more than enough clothes. I also have many, many projects I've wanted to make - and the fabric to make them.

So. I have quite a collection of old linens and lace scraps - other people's cast-offs. Some of them are exquisite hand made pieces that I can only imagine creating. 

Many of them are deteriorating, no longer useful in their original form. I've dyed them and now a few choice pieces will add color and shape to my wearable "canvas." 

It's no different than making a sketch or any other work of art. It's all about composition. I have to choose shapes and colors and think about placement.

If I use a contrasting color it might become a focal point. It's very important in wearable art to consider the placement of a focal point or any attention grabbing element. There are places you don't want people to stare when they are looking at your body right?

Boro beginnings by Lyric Kinard
And to reference Melanie Testa, the inspiration for this project, I've stitched a little bird inspired by some of her artwork. Literally - sketching with needle and thread.

Joy in Service: Day 16 The Gift of Forgiveness

artwork by Dalyn Montgomery

My brother is a very good man. And an artist. And a grad student at an Ivy League University - something all of us are very proud of. We all paid our own way through college and after a long time out in the work force he's found something he is very passionate about and is taking steps to make it happen. He also donates long hours of service year round to the people in his congregation. He really does make the world a better place.

His local newspaper wrote a short article about both his service and his artwork which is hanging at the University. It was really nice. It mentioned the mixed race of his congregation, and his marriage.

artwork by Dalyn Montgomery

In the comment section about the article, as seems to be the usual case in newspaper comment sections, several people got really nasty. It started with bashing Mormons - no worries. It's the one socially acceptable group to stereotype and have false ideas about. We're used to it. What got me were the ugly personal remarks about my brother and his wife. I should have left well enough alone but I jumped in and tried to correct the false comments about our religion and defend my wonderful sister-in-law. Things got worse. I stewed. I tried to just let it go. I couldn't even though I know full well that people believe what they choose to believe regardless of facts and there wasn't anything I could do about it.

artwork by Dalyn Montgomery

But after a full morning of stewing I realized there is something I can do. I can forgive. I got on-line, tried to lay out a couple more facts, then wished all the attackers peace and a Merry Christmas. No. I didn't magically feel better - I was still simmering. Sometimes it takes a little work to truly let something go. What helped was realizing that people who spend their time attacking strangers must have very sad lives (with a heart five times too small - we're reading the Grinch) and no peace. The other thing that helped was blasting Christmas music and singing right out loud. I love Christmas music. After that there was no more simmering.

This was just a little tiny thing. I'm lucky that I don't have any big things. There are things that are sooooo hard to let go. But truly, forgiveness is even more of a blessing to the one who has been hurt than the one who has done wrong.

Tell me what thing, big or small, you have done to make the world a better place!

Work in Progress: Rockstar Boro (how to sew a decorative hanging pocket)

Progress on the Boro

Inspired by Melanie Testa's Rockstar Boro project.

I got the zipper put in (the right way this time!), and the hem finished with a triple row of zig-zag to give it a little bit of a lettuce edge.

I put it on and decided the pocket that used to be a shirt pocket is too small to keep my phone from slipping out when I sit or walk. Time for a free hanging deep pocket. Decorative I think. Deep enough to hold my phone and keys. Free hanging so it won't make the rest of the skirt bulge or get in the way of the swing. I really love clothing to swing and move when I do.

I sewed a triangular patch where I want the opening to be - you'll see it in a minute. You can skip this step entirely if you want to make your own hanging pocket - or make a decorative patch in any shape your creative mind comes up with.

Next I placed the first pocket rectangle over it and sewed the opening shape. Again - this is a place to use your creativity. A rectangle is classic but how about a heart or an arrow? I made a smile.

Make sure to leave at least 1/2 inch of cloth (I didn't) on either side of the opening. Also make sure the opening is at least as wide as your hand.

Slit and cut the inside of your opening - carefully go all the way to the corners.

Clip the seam allowances.

Trim the seam allowances if the fabric is thick and then turn it inside out.

Iron it so that you see just a bit of the outside fabric when you are looking at it from the backside.

Top stitch the opening if you'd like. You could also do some fancy decorative stitching here.

Pin on your second pocket rectangle.

Carefully sew all the way around the edge of the pocket. I sew from the back side of the pocket, pulling the skirt out of the way to make sure I don't catch it. This is the tricky bit next to the opening that would have been easier if I had left more seam allowance.

(That's my edge stitching foot - I was too lazy to take it off for this step.)

I finished the pocket edges the lazy way, turned them over and zig-zagged them. 

There's the triangular patch on the front. I also sewed another line of stitching all the way across the top of that triangle, catching the top of the hanging pocket. That way and weight in the pocket will pull on the full skirt rather than just the pocket opening - which would make it sag out anyway.
More to come tomorrow.

Joy in Service: Day 13 (and a shop update)

So - I've been waiting to try out something that one of you do - buy flowers at the grocery store then give them to a random person on your way out. At the counter I looked around to see who else was in line, there were a couple of good candidates - an elderly woman caught my eye.

photo by on Matthew Kang  flickr

But by the time I was done they were gone and the parking lot was empty. My son and I stood there for a minute. Then a woman came out and headed to her car. She had a very hurried and stressed out look on her face so I sort of followed her, walked up and said, "these are for you, Merry Christmas." And I walked off. I think maybe I freaked her out. I had fun anyway.

Next time I think I need to say something else - like, "you look like you could use some cheering up." Even better, I should keep some cards that say something in the way of explanation.... and "pay it forward." Any ideas?

Holly Berries, 5"x7" by Lyric Kinard

And - after spending two straight days filling out stacks and stacks of paperwork for a proposal to teach in Houston next year at the International Quilt Festival. Stacks. And stacks..... I've taken a minute to add two new watercolors to my Etsy shop.

Glory of Trees, 5"x7" by Lyric Kinard