What's on my table now

Oy. I am up to my ears in chiffon and promises. My dear friend is celebrating her 50th in 2 weeks. She admired a new design of mine and so... here I go again... making something for someone that I pray they will like. Then, my dear sister-in-law saw the design and made her request... Then, there is another special someone that is going to get a surprise... You know the punch line. None of us are the same size. Agh. I drafted my pattern for my shape. Adjustments are a bit of a shot in the dark.

Shall we make it a little more difficult? The jacket demands a smooth front top underneath, and my prototype top was made from charmeuse. Yes, you are getting the picture now, I also have to make more slippery charmeuse tops for my gal pals - AND- modify my pattern for their various shapes. That might be a simple feat for some sewers... but I am not great at adjusting for all these middle aged bust lines and back sizes. Ever notice the presence of the dreaded "back fat" that we seem to accumulate in later years? How about those gaping arm holes in sleeveless tops? When I finish this round of projects I SWEAR I will never attempt this again.

This time last year I was working on a series of stoles for the wedding party of a friend's daughter. They were hand painted, and fairly identical. No stencils or screens used, just a complex drawing and a ton of gutta. I thought that was the most difficult thing that I would ever do. NOT.

Right now I am letting some discharge printing set up on one of the jackets. Pray for me :-) Pics will be posted later....

Serendipity and the Steamer

I am so happy today. I have searched in vain for a used jacquard upright steamer for over a year. Yesterday I received an email from Surfacing ( a Yahoo group for surface design) that someone needed to part with her steamer. We connected, and as the Universe would have it, we made the deal. She is happy; I am happy. I saved some money; she is getting some money to use for her current needs. Ain't life great!

Color and geography

My DH and I travel frequently. One of the things that I enjoy most about our travels is looking at the colors in other parts of the country. We live in the subtropics - sunsets are mango, watermelon, and sky blue. Everything is a rich pure green except for the palm trunks which are light grey and brown. Flowers range from rich oranges to brilliant pinks and magentas; the ocean is aqua. With all of this beauty I still relish the colors of other parts of the country. The palate expands with neutrals so warm and rich, and skies of more dilute blues and greys...

This weekend we are off to Apalachicola, Florida for a visit with my favorite uncle. I look forward to the pines and darker rivers of north Florida. Moss and sage greens rule the landscape, and texture is everywhere! I will be collecting some things this weekend to bring back for texture in my deconstructed printing. Hopefully I can snag a big piece of Spanish Moss.

It will also be wonderful to be in cooler weather for a change. We just got out of the 90's this week. It is in the 50's at night where we are going. Yippee!

Color, temperature, and geography are such powerful artistic influences. Are you taking advantage of everything around you?