Lovely World

My Own ATCs

I recently wrote about the Artist Trading Card swap my kids participated in. I was so curious about this small-format art work (the largest of these drawings is 2.5x3.5 inches) that I have been spending a little time in the evening making drawings myself. The two birds above were made while watching Obama's speech to Congress Tuesday night.

I used my kids' Crayola-brand colored pencils for these drawings.  I must say that these pencils are not very good - they break easily and do not spread color smoothly. In many ways I am glad I tried these pencils. I now know that I will invest a little more in art supplies for the family. My mother gave me Caran d'Ache colored pencils when I was a teenager. Even then, I knew that they were an investment for our family budget, which was very tight at the time. But, I loved those pencils, and used them until they were little nubbins of color I was barely able to grasp between my fingers.

As you can see, I've made my new banner from one of the drawings. I am considering making an embroidered version of that little flower garden with the bumblebees. Finally, I realize that my obsession with birds is also evident in these drawings. What is it about birds that draws so many of us? Flight? Freedom? The miraculous emergence of the chick from the egg? Or maybe those gorgeous feathers so unlike anything human?

 

I'm Loving...

I discovered these musical sisters, Klara and Johanna Soderberg, a while back and am really loving them. They call themselves First Aid Kit, and they have come to the rescue of my winter doldrums. Just watch those sweet faces sing. Hope you enjoy them, too!

Self Portrait

I've been thinking a lot about self portraits. I've thought about the technical aspects - setting up the camera, the pose, the setting. And I've thought about what it means to be "seen" in a photo. I am 42 years old. I have begun to realize that the subtle (and not-so-subtle) changes that come with aging are part of who I am becoming with each passing year. When I look at a photo of myself I see the wrinkles around my eyes, the greying hair.

Ten years ago, when my father was dying from cancer, he told me that for his whole adult life he felt, in his mind, like he was about 25 years old. But, his body kept aging in spite of this. He told me that integrating those inevitable changes was challenging, but necessary. I think I now know what he was talking about.

I've seen quite a number of bloggers exploring self portraits. Erin over at Bluebirdbaby created a remarkable set of daily self portraits for a whole year. I am not that ambitious (or rather I'm too scared to take on such a task). But, I am committed to making a portrait once a week for a month. Stay tuned and let me know what you think.

Doll Quilt

I just finished this doll-sized quilt. It is machine pieced and quilted. Amazingly, I found the fabric a while back at Joann's, which to me is not known for the most interesting fabric. All of the patterns, save the bold blue and white stripes, are from the same bolt of fabric - printed in running 1/8ths. This is all very satisfying to me - as I use a lot of little scraps of fabric in my projects and don't always need yards of any one pattern.

I love mixing up the back of a quilt. Who says it has to be one color? Leaving behind a little strip or square of another fabric (or two!) personalizes the quilt and adds surprise.

Artist Trading Card Kid's Swap

My kids are participating in an Artist Trading Card swap organized by House on Hill Road and Wisecraft. Over 900 kids signed up for the swap. The kids have been placed into groups of six, so each will receive five cards when all is said and done. M. and A. have had so much fun planning and executing their cards. Each card is 2.5x3.5 inches. I cut ours from Strathmore watercolor paper. My kids have been collecting baseball trading cards for a few years now, so the idea of making their own cards was very appealing. And, the fact that they will receive mail from across the country, and internationally, has them watching the mailbox in anticipation.

These are A.'s cards. He calls them his Super Hero Series. They are titled Long Man, Lightning Man,  Tall Man, Boingy Man, and Noodle Bug. (Note the letters on their chests!)

M.'s cards are very neat and precise. She calls them her Flower Series.

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If you are interested in learning more about Artist Trading Cards, check out this group on Flickr, and this link detailing how to create, trade, and collect the cards. ATCs are quite seductive. I had cut extra cards, in case the kids made mistakes and wanted to start over. Well, they didn't need the extras, and I have found myself making tiny drawings each evening before bed. I'll share some in a future post!

Crewel Stitches

Crewel is a form of embroidery in which you use two-ply worsted wool thread on linen fabric. The textures and color shading allowed by these materials are amazing. I am in love with Katherine Shaughnessy's book "The New Crewel." In fact, I was so inspired by it that I had to make something the very day I received the book. Unfortunately, I did not have wool thread OR linen fabric in the house. Therefore, I used cotton thread on felt. This produced a more shiny, slick result. Even so, I found myself attracted to the painterly possibilities of the medium. There is definitely some wool thread in my future. It is interesting to note that the 231-foot-long "Bayeux Tapestry," which depicts the Norman Conquest of 1066, is one of the most famous pieces of crewelwork.

Valentine's Book Exchange

I recently participated in a Valentine's book exchange organized by Carmen at About a Girl. It was a fun way to brighten up these February days, watching the mailbox for my gift book to arrive. I also enjoyed preparing the package for the woman I was matched with. I sent her Judith O'Reilly's "Wife in the North." This very funny memoir details Judith's move, with her husband and small children, from London to the rural north of England. She is a popular blogger in England and wrote about her experiences on her blog, and this became the basis for the book. I made a fabric heart to decorate the package and add extra cheer.

My gift book came to me from Canada. I loved seeing the foreign stamps and postmark on the simple brown paper wrapping. I received Wally Lamb's "She's Come Undone." This is a book that I read back in 1998 while rafting, hiking, and mountain biking through the wilds of Utah. I gave the book away to a fellow traveler at the time. I am actually happy to have the opportunity to read it again, as I remember it was a page turner with interesting characters. And check out that cover!

 

XXOOXXOO

Simple paper Valentines, parties at school, and chocolate-covered strawberries to melt in your mouth. As a bonus, the sun is shining, there's a fresh white covering of snow on the ground, and we get the true Valentine's Day tomorrow!

I love how M. chose to stitch a border around her card stock Valentine hearts with the sewing machine. Just choosing from the dozens of stitch patterns the Bernina sewing machine can perform was heaven to her!

A Midwife

This Spring will mark ten years since I received my master's degree in Midwifery from Yale University and became a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM). It is difficult to believe so much time has gone by. I fondly think of all the women, babies, and families I have cared for. Pregnancy and childbirth are such profound life events. I feel so honored to have been able to share this intimate, happy time with so many families. I have also been struck by the strength and perseverance I have witnessed during times of loss, disappointment, and the unexpected.

I have currently made the decision to stop my work as a midwife and be home with my family. Like so many other women, I have struggled with balancing mothering and professional life. It is difficult to do it all. Midwifery is very demanding work. It is lovely and satisfying and all of that. But it is also tiring and demands a high level of intellectual and emotional attention. Because my husband has a very demanding and time-consuming career, I found that I had no built-in backup and support at home.

I look at my books. They represent so much of what I have learned and what excites me about midwifery. I know I will find a way to enter back into this work. But right now, I am engaged in the work of mothering. This is a job more demanding and tiring than midwifery ever was. Yet, the tender love I have for my children is a reward like no other. I am here to honor the choices mothers make and the struggles they may encounter on their journey. There is no road map. And unfortunately, for many of us, our culture does not provide clear guidance. My deepest wish is that we open our hearts and hands to each other and make the journey as joyous and satisfying as possible.

Mid-Winter Color

Anyone who compulsively collects fabric, yarn, and the like knows that storage is an issue. A big issue. Especially when you want to be able to see what you actually have on hand to work with. I have been spending some time getting better organized. I guess you could call it an early Spring cleaning effort.

D. recently gave this cupboard (originally bought for A.'s room when he was a baby, but which he doesn't need now that he has his nifty new closet with built-in shelves) a fresh coat of white paint. I had been storing my fabric in big plastic tubs. This cupboard is so much better because I can open the doors and, voila, there is my fabric sorted by color (I'll have to wait and see how long THAT lasts). The doors are key - the fabric won't fade in the sunlight.

I also recently transferred all of my embroidery thread onto little cards that fit nicely into this little plastic box that I can tote along with me. It was a laborious job. M. helped a bit, winding the colors that she liked. I think I watched several Masterpiece Theater episodes in the process. My next work room update is to find a large work table. These are not easy to come by. If anyone has a suggestion, let me know. I'm especially hoping to find a table that is counter height, for working at while standing up.