Making a grand entrance

I think a picture is better than a thousand words...Our new entrance.

The Process Pledge

Many  fiber art bloggers (and others artists I'm sure) have taken the Process Pledge. I have decided to take the pledge too. I am all about process and not product. I meticulously savor each step of the creative process in my art yet when I attempted to make a pair of slacks, a product, I started to zoom zoom the seams on my serger accidentally getting a flipped piece of fabric caught under the needles and blade and slicing a 5" gash when I was almost done. Slacks in trash can.

Now if I can translate my love of process to all my endeavors. So without further ado, the process pledge:

  I, Beth Berman, pledge to talk more about my processes, even when I can’t quite put them in the in words or be sure I’m being totally clear.   I’m going to put my thinking and my gut feelings out there.   

 Here are some talking points suggested by ROssie on her blog:

• Do you have any new sketches to show?
• Is this design inspired by a past quilt or someone else's quilt you saw (link, please)?
• Does the color palette come from somewhere specific?
• Are you trying to evoke a specific feeling?
• Is this quilt intended for a specific person?  How did that inform your choices?
• Are you following a pattern, emulating a block you saw somewhere, using a liberated process, or totally winging it?
• What are you hating about this quilt at this stage?  What do you love?
• Did you push yourself to try something new?

• In working on the quilt, are you getting ideas about what you might want to try next?  What?  Did you sketch it?

So in the future, be prepared to hear about my process a lot more.

dyeing from the heat

Is this HOT summer ever going to end? I moved to Maine 31 years ago to get away from the heat but this summer it seems to have found me. Well at least I can spend the time rinsing dyed fabric in cool water. Here is my last batch. The pictures look a bit weird and I am not loving the auto setting on my new camera. Must experiment!

The tray dyes are fabulous and I will do more of them after the SAQA event. I learned to dye embroidery thread with each color from Laura and Linda Kemshall and Design Matters TV

Deconstructed screenprinting and new quilt

Yesterday was a meeting of the creativity play group. The meeting was at my house in Searsport and Judith supplied the entertainment. She readied 2 screens, one really large one about 18x24 and a smaller 9x12ish one with dried thickened Procion dyes in chartreuse. She also made a huge roasting pans worth of gelatin so we could do some gelatin monoprinting. I know my attempts at monoprinting were pretty lame but Judith had some great ideas or at least sparked some creative ideas in me. She used organza (where was my thinking caps?) and some resists then after removing the resists printed the reverse of the print from the gelatin. At first I was not impressed with the technique but after watching Judith, I was off and running with ideas for next time. I would check Judith's blog for her prints. http://quiltordye.blogspot.com/
Next we did the deconstructed screen printing. OMG what a ball. I have found a new addiction. Sorry had to stop for a chocolate break! We started  with her chartreuse screens and as the dried dye was exhausting, we pulled a different color (blue) dye across the screens.
Here are the pieces I made through Judith's generosity!!

And here is the newest quilt I made called "Mishagoss" which is a Yiddish word for all mixed up and crazy.
I am not a traditional quilter but I just LOVE this little quilt made of 4" squares. Each block is free motion quilted in a matching color. LOTS of thread changes but it's the process and not the product (my new mantra). 40'x40"

Zac's naming ceremony

My son and daughter-in-law asked me to design a graphic for my new grandson, Zac's, baby naming ceremony in Malta. A few days after the invitation I awoke at 2:30am seeing the finished design. This is it:

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The black background is the color of creation. It also is a visual for infinity. The four directions are from the sacred hoop or medicine wheel. East is yellow the direction of birth, dawn, the direction of the infant. South is red the direction of adolescence, a time to grow away from parents and prepare to take adult roles. West is black the direction of the adult, the time of accumulating knowledge and learning to truly know yourself. North is white, the direction of the elder when knowledge is sifted into wisdom and enlightenment. A time to wear the white crown. The fifth direction is green, the earth below, our Mother who gives us life and support the life of our two legged, four legged, winged , swimming and green brothers and sisters. The sixth direction is blue for Father Sky above, the heavens that hold the stars. The seventh direction is gold, like the sunshine of the spirit, it is within our heart, the part of the hoop that intersects eternity. This is where the Creator lives, within our heart and where we are connected to all creation. The outer circle of dots represent Zac's ancestors and the inner circle are those on earth committed to caring for and guiding Zac while on earth.

I believe he has a special purpose on earth and he is very fortunate to have the parents he is entrusted with. I believe they are uniquely able to give him the guidance he needs.

shells along the beach

Remember the silk quilt I dyed in gradated blues with a sun and waves? Well, I was a bit disappointed with the outcome but decided to revisit that inspiration. I had painted with dye a piece of cotton when I did the silk  just because I had leftovers and I'm too thrifty to waste good thickened dye. I took the painted fabric, added a sun out of a beautiful orangy yellow and red parfait dyed piece surrounded that with chicken scratch in variegated yellow/orange. I had painted on fusible web and ironed 4 squares on the central section and stamped 2 hand carved stamps of a scallop and nautilus and silk screened two other nautilus motifs to the other squares. On the lower section I free motioned waves and on the lowest portion small rock shapes then attached medium dark blue tulle, stitched it into pockets and added rocks from my beach, stitched that shut and added shells, closed and added sea glass.

Outside (too bright but you can see the shells) and inside with a flash.

The sun and the nautilus

I like!

Hey Judith!

Here are some photos of our last play date. The first is one of Rosalita's neighbor. Friendly? I don't think so.

Here is the print of the hosta leaf filled in with more paint and embroidered with a frog.

Here we are playing with fabric paint. Do I detect Smooch??