Textile Art & Fine Craft
Custom work filled many summer days at the studio this year. Completed projects are now delivered. Before I completely shift into next season's work, my hands and mind are revisiting techniques and tools: a bit like a family reunion. Grandma Alice showed me how to tie quilts when I was a teenager. My fingers readily … Continue reading Joy of Making: Knots
On the nights we eat spaghetti in front of the television, we carry out artisan crafted Waterford tables made by our friend Ron Light. In our home these are artifacts, as is the antique table crafted by my husband's father when he was in high school. We use these items in our daily lives. We … Continue reading Traveling In Spirals: Defining Artifact
In mid-September I posted about my studio challenge to design one of a kind artistic stoles at a more modest price point than my current work. The solution must maintain the standards of construction that I use for the rest of my work. After I selected fabric from my inventory, I prepared each selection to be … Continue reading Update: Clerical Stoles for Smaller Budgets
The Terpening siblings met face to face in this month; we usually meet monthly via video calls. We talked about work environments. We visited in Paul's workshop. We discussed Beth's stand up desk. We are confident that for all of our days we will share creative chat, that we will listen to each others' creative journey. … Continue reading Listening Together
Pleasure arrived this week in the form of using what I know. I anticipate hitting the finish line on several projects soon. I have cut with these scissors for over 4 decades. I trust my capabilities when I use them. I began my library of figures nearly 2 decades ago and have added four new figures … Continue reading Using the Inventory of Ideas
I listen and observe when artisans speak about the tools in their hands. Passion infects the speech. The tool is clearly an extension of the hand. The hair stylist demonstrated scissors that rotate with her hand, reducing the chances of injury. The gardener quickly cut tree branches with a lopper that has gears, not a … Continue reading Good Tools
Fibergig, our Etsy shop, invites conversation about our products. This week Sarah admired a linen pillow, but it didn't match her needs. "I want it to be easy to wash and larger, perhaps a square." I agreed to play within those parameters and present several possibilities. The original pillow is in the lower right of … Continue reading Bunny business
Big drama wears me out. Big bites overwhelm me. I often choose a "little bit," a phrase my father often used and now so does my son. Both Studio Three 17 and its division fibergig experienced significant growth spurts in 2013. We grew, we learned, and now we are intentionally building on those experiences. This … Continue reading Evolve in the Land of Little Bits
I entered the aisle for fabric paints and saw a puzzled woman with silk shoes in her hand. I turned to the next aisle, paused, and came back to the woman. "What are you thinking about? You obviously are searching for a solution." Her face questioned me. I piped up, "I am a textile artist. … Continue reading Assisting Cinderella
Today my hands rinse strawberries in a bowl with holes. I know the farmer who raised the berries. I know the potter who fashioned the berry bowl. This is the community I have been seeking. I pop a berry in my mouth. I recall William Morris's Strawberry Thief. I value the decorative arts, creative expressions … Continue reading June Morning