Embroidery Baldness

Well I have been Super MIA this week. It's been a combination of things--- all put together, Shaken and Stirred. And it all resulted in me not writing. On the Life-Affirming end of things, My sewing machine is fixed and I started to finish projects that have been Frozen in Time.Nothing more depressing then walking into your studio and seeing projects flopping around on the Floor Like Half Dead Fish gasping for air. So the most Fantastic thing I finished was this:

My Fall Bag!!!! I am so thrilled.

Lemme tell you---it's not exactly the most amazing example of Stitchery ever. But I found this old blue leather coat for $8 and I cut it all up and Voila!!! I have a Fall bag. Very satisfying.

And I am working away on the Anne Boelyn neckwarmer. I am very frustrated about how long it's taking. This is the thing with Embroidery and me. I say "I will make this one simple" and so I start to and then I look at it and it looks like it's Balding. And Embroidery Baldness is not a Pretty thing. So then the French Knots start up and suddenly I'm in it for weeks. And I pick a teeny tiny strand of thread!!!

But I do like the texture of teeny tiny french knots. It's very like pointilism from a Colorists perspective. I wonder if I could do work like Chuck Close but in french knots....

And Finally.....

My friend Patrick walked into a woods a few weeks ago, a beautiful magical woods, and he did not come out. I wish I could do him justice here, and say all that he was. But I cannot. By the age of 23 he had started a circus in the detroit area that is still running today. He made the best coffee in the world and never gave away the recipe. He believed in magical things. He really liked fire. He dressed up in kevlar suits and had people shoot fireworks at him. He had a cat named Herman that travelled everywhere with him in a beat up old van covered in Advice. He made glass frogs with different hair-do's in wire. His favorite medium was polished cement. He taught me to weld---the first thing I made was that question mark up above. And now when I look at it, I think, well, that really says it all.

I heard from him on September 2nd. I had told him I had a dream about him. His P.S. to me was "I hope in your dream -- I was seen as a strong and joyful being." And so, dear Patrick, that's the way I am going to remember you.

Your mission today, Lest you not hear it in the words above-go call your friends, the people who are dear to you. Let them know. Send care packages. Knit scarves. Just let them know!

XO

Perpetua