So long, Frank McCourt

I know there are millions of people who love this guy, so this little post doesn't say anything new or profound. Just that I like this writer because his beautiful book Angela's Ashes put him in the spotlight at age 66, after he retired, and then we got to discover his other gift of teaching, and his humor, and his gentle nature, and the edgy side of a man who bloomed late in life.

Good literature validates the smallest corner of the reader's soul, and McCourt's writing found many of those corners and hung a little lamp there. He seemed brave and kind, and somehow comforting like a stormy summer afternoon. His writing on poverty/alcoholism when he was a child felt like a big quilt being pulled over the terrible resilience, fierceness, and open-ness of childhood. Readers felt safe in his hands, even when he was describing horrible things. At least that's the way I see it.

I have a book in which I write out in longhand favorite passages from books I read. I assure you there are several passages of Frank McCourt's.


I'm going back and re-reading some of his work today, I think. Rest his soul.

Family Trip to Nebraska (Please indulge me.)

The corn was 10 feet tall, due to record rainfall this summer. I've never seen anything like it.

NE by car. I have a thing about taking pictures from car windows. It's even easier to do this when I'm not driving, which means I usually only get to do it on family vacations.

Me and brother Rob had lunch in Lincoln. I love my sibs. (Ryan wasn't in NE at the time.)

The kids and me, a rare photo of my usual gang.

Sister Liz, Mom Ginger, and moi.

Jo Lynne and Dad

My family...Katie, Me, Willie, Henry, Bill.

A departure from the art; I just have to introduce my family now and then.

As much as I use my camera, I don't get family photos very often (too bad). So this summer I made a point of it. So happy to share...

A New Fabric Store!

Oh, happy day! My life changed today; FINALLY!... a place to pick up a spool of Mettler thread without driving 25 miles into Austin!

Boy, have we needed (well, okay, I needed) a fabric store out here in west Austin area... and now it's here -- The Cotton Cupboard just opened in Lakeway right near my gym. I'm delighted with the place already! Gorgeous fabrics (that you can't get at Joannes and Hancock), lots of natural light, and a huge work/classroom in the back.

I checked their website and they will be selling long arm machines and holding quilt classes for kids and adults. The owner Jessica gave me two free fat quarters with the purchase of seven today. I don't know if that's the regular deal or just a grand opening sale, but if you're anywhere nearby -- and passionate about yummy fabrics -- you gotta stop.

The pics don't do my new little stack of fat quarters justice, but Flickr toys helped me create my picture quilt. I'm going to make a new doll. Maybe I'll make one for the owner of my new favorite shop...just to show my gratitude! And I know I'm not the only one!

Woof.

Red Rover in my weedy garden

The first day of Art Fiber Fest I taught some other artists how to make a quilted creature. Everyone brought in a picture of their favorite animal and I showed them how to soft sculpt muslin and poly-fil with string into a form. Then the long task of quilting began.

Four of the six women finished the patchwork (after hours), but they all seemed to have fun. In any case, their animals were amazing and like nothing I expected!

I made "Red Rover" with the intention of a German Shepherd. But instead it looks like a mutt of some sort. He's a good dog.

The topsy turvy doll is all mine.

Katie's making her own doll!

My doll.

Sorry Katie, I know you wanted this one. But "Little Wink/OMG" ended up belonging only to me.

Daughter Katie was miffed when I told her she couldn't have this doll, which I love. So she made her own! I need to emial Roxanne Padgett the pictures of Katie making one of her own topsy turvy dolls from the instructor packet Roxanne gave us. Katie had fun making hers too (top pic.)

See, the old adage is true: "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime."

Same with topsy turvy dolls.

My own enchanted cottage...

Pained dolls at Gallery 9...Not thrilled with these...I've moved on.

Mom and cool Corgi dog at Gallery 9, Lincoln, NE

(a painting I covet in the background.)

Ceramic dolls at Gallery 9. These rock. She also made a Leda and the Swan, which my Aunt Sharon and I both liked a lot. Think I'll make a Leda doll someday.


This is where I'd live if I felt pretty all the time:

my own enchanted cottage.

I made this cottage at Art Fiber Fest. The next few posts are going to be about my trip to Portland, and what I made there. Also about our family vacation to NE last week.

Here's a story about "art camp." I met a wonderful girl at ArtFiberFest, Leslie, whom I really enjoyed. I related to her immediately because she said two things that often occur to me when I'm making art:

The first was something about the act of creating being a God-given act, as in "the creator creates...et voila! so do we!"

I used to feel humbled when I made something because I thought making (can I even claim it?) "art" was just an over-the-top, too-big-for-my-britches kind of pasttime. At the end of the day, I possessed a fully satisfied, but humbled disposition, as well as a small nagging voice in my head saying, "Who do you think you are, making that thing?" (Probably a common sentiment among young mothers who have plenty of other chores they could be doing.) And oddly, in spite of everything, I truly wasn't sure who I was. Call it hormones.

Now, thankfully, I'm beginning to know who is this person making (sure, say it!) art, and also -- this is big -- I know God approves, or at least I don't seem to need His/Her approval...for in making art/music/dance/whatever, we honor the Creator. BIG TIME. At least I think so. Making stuff is NO collossal waste of time!

The second thing Leslie said was something along these lines: "Whenever I try to make something "pretty" it just never turns out pretty. I'm not there yet."

Oy, do I know that; I know I do not have a pretty girl inside me! I went to Gallery9 in Lincoln, NE last week with my mom and my Aunt who invited me. I got to see a couple of dolls I sent as a guest exhibitor, as well as some really wonderful art like the ceramic dolls above. (And darn it; I didn't write down the artist's name!) I really did cringe a little bit, because having just returned from art camp in Portland, those dolls I made last year (to my eyes) seemed so pained and contrived. Ironically, just days before, I had felt so free. What I saw in those dolls I sent: Pretty -- with cramps. Ok, so what do I expect with a doll that has torn out her heart and extends it in front of her? And another dressed in a super-hero costume? I do realize there is something a little tart in all that. But still, I did try for "pretty" in a way...and failed.

But the cottage; ah, now there's something pretty! And yet, the broken woman's torso is stitched on as a chimney...after all, every woman has to let off a little steam now and then!

Getting ready

The top picture is Willie and his/our neighbor friend. (Her dad was sitting right next to me on the porch as I took this picture.) Willie and she have been good friends forever. Tonight they aregued about who "dumped" who (isn't that ridiculous?), then tried shooting an aluminum can with the slingshot. (We all tried and missed.) Then we had popsicles.

Meanwhile Katie was in my studio looking for cool stuff for me to pack to ArtFiberFest. There's a ton of great junk in here. When Katie is bored she explores my studio; tonight she had a purpose for looking, so I think she had even more fun.

I'm feeling a strong push/pull in energy these days. I think for my house project I am going to make a house in shadow and the other half in light. For the topsy turvy doll I am going to make a red hot devil and a pretty-in-pink angel. That should do it.

If you believe in the power of prayer, I know a family who needs yours tonight. I put forth a special intention -- and thanks!

Invisible Cities

This book by Italian writer Italo Calvino is always fun to open and read at any page, which I did last night while sitting on the front porch at dusk. Willie was riding his scooter, and the birds were darting around just like in Esmerelda, one of the cities (all named after women) that Calvino describes. Each of Calvino's cities is --I stopped writing for over a minute here becuase there's not one adjective that comes to mind...So you'll just have to read it yourself.

Above is an illustration by Mikhail Veisel of Esmerelda and one by "Rod" from his Rodcorp blog of Ersilia...just some interesting things I found related to this book. It's a rich source of inspiration for artists because of the poetic descriptions of each city. I think there may be a quilt or two in there.

It came!

The cover and binding -- blue velvet and buttons.

Barbie shoes and Dancing feet
The flapper flaps open to reveal Laurie's bare feet, stitched -- toes and all, actual size.

New Shoes -- women and little girls both love them!
The flaps on the left page have little shoe surprises behind them.
The picture on the right is great because there is a doll next to that cute bobbed-head baby, and the shadow of the photographer's head on the steps in front of her...sweet.

My babies' bronzed shoes on the left and a Donald Pliner (I think) beauty on the right...and a little man rowing it across a glacial lake...Dream Big, whatever it means to you!

The masquerading ladies on the left below which is a pocket with a vintage shoe horn and carded shoe button from a well-known-at-one-time socialite. Laurie bought it from a guy who collected shoe memorabilia and documented it all, then sold the collection on ebay. (You think I have a fetish?)

The right page is a delish juxtoposition of county/disco -- and a sparkly vintage silver button.

Home and Away, both pages with hand drawn bird buttons.

The left page is a copy of an actual photo I took in the garage one spring. A silly bird built her nest in my work boot. The left is a picture taken in a Nazi concentration camp -- a pile of shoes.

Quote beneath says "Of all the shoes that you have at home, which pair would you choose to wear if given only a few minutes to gather all of your possessions?"

Six of one; Half dozen of the other.

Edwardian lovelies, embroidery, vintage lace and glass buttons - and ceramic bobby soxers!

The back cover, and a collection of fabric swatches and ephemera Laurie collected for me.

I've actually hugged my new book a couple of times today, I love it so. Laurie read my mind today, I guess, becuase my walk to the mailbox was rewarded with the usual bills and pitches...then, lo...Treasure. Laurie bound it perfectly and included a few extra special things for me to stitch on if I want to. What a satisfying end to our collaboration!

I hope I meet some willing person next week in Portland who'd like to start another book with me, or maybe some other project. This sure was fun.

The excitement of getting away to play for a few days next week is finally beginning to build! I've kept it out of my mind becuase I've been so busy with other things, but this shoe book really delighted me today. UPS shipped all my stuff out yesterday, so all I have to do is pack my stash for my workshops and I'm there! Can't wait to be with my fiber family.

In the midst of this, there is the tax assessor's informal hearing tomorrow, which I am NOT looking forward to. Oh well, to everything there is a season.