I made my first potholder some time last year. I has a pocket of a home made house dress from the 1970′s on it.

Today I made a potholder of my first potholder:

And thanks for all the good wishes on my decision to quilt my part time job. I was already beginning to doubt myself, such encouragement has lifted my spirits on this gloomy November night.

Where I work

I came home from my part time job this morning and opened up the Wendell Berry book that was on the table next to my chair to the poem “Independence Day”. I admit I’ll have to read the poem again, the only part that resonated was the title. I quit my job today, so maybe I was looking for some reassurance in the poem that wasn’t there, or maybe I’ll get it tomorrow, or next week, or next year.

I’m both nervous and excited about leaving this job. It was a sense of security for me. A dependable paycheck and benefits. The job marks a period in my life. I got it when I was at my lowest, at a point in my life when I didn’t even know I could get an apartment or a job or take care of myself. Today I told the people I work with it was time for me to move on. I felt bad leaving, but everyone seemed to instinctively understand.

I plan on working on my art full time, starting the Pig barn Gallery and working with some friends at a Gallery in Glens Falls. I’ve never dedicated myself so fully to my work. Even when I was in school, I was working a couple of jobs and could never figure out how to incorporate my work with my life.

Being in a creative and encouraging relationship definitely helps and may be essential. Actually, I seem to be surrounded by people who understand, maybe better than I do, that this is the right move for me. They are all but saying “What took you so long.”

Of course, ultimately, it’s me who has to make the decision and take responsibility for it. Right now, I feel like a snowball rolling downhill. The more I do, the more I’ll do. The more energy I put into it, the more momentum I’ll build. I think I came to the point where the part time job became a place to hide. You can’t fail if you don’t try. But I don’t believe failure ever comes from creativity, it just leads to the next thing.

More scenes from the studio. These are already sold. I started using the backs of patterned fabics as a ground for the drawings. It adds another dimension.

The possibilities seems endless, I move a piece of furniture and have a new drawing.

I really love the lines that come from loose threads and yarn and electrical cords….

“brother”, my sewing machine, is available. It’s $20 including shipping.

I got a new invisible pen which is easier to draw with and a new chair with an adjustable seat and wheels. (Great for the back, but I fell on the floor when I went to sit down yesterday, I’m not used to my chair not being where I left it when I last got up)

Next week, with new pen and chair, I’ll be working on my 1st Rita Quilt and more Scenes from the studio.

I finally got Rita’s eyes right today. I just have to have a fresh look tomorrow at Rita tossing her apron, and I think they are all done. Next I can begin designing them into the quilt. I’ve been doing so much stitching, it will be fun to get back to color and texture.

Last Step: Done!

I guess I missed a few steps inbetween. There’s cutting the insulated backing then the backing. Sewing them all together, turning it inside out, hand stitching the opening,then finally, quilting over a few lines.

(It looks to me like the lamp and iron are interacting, a little bit of push and pull.)

Step one: Finding something to draw.

Step 2: Sketching it.

Step 3: Transferring sketch onto fabric using my “mark-be-gone” pen. I haven’t used my light box (window) to transfer these sketches. The original sketches are often larger then potholder size. They change from first sketch to finished piece.

Step 4: Stitching.

Step 5: Come back tomorrow.

All my Scene’s from the Studio potholders are sold out. But I’m looking forward to getting back into the studio tomorrow and making more.

I had lunch in Albany today with my friend Bobbi from art school. We went through the MFA sculpture program together. After we left school, she taught me to weave. Now Bobbi is felting scarves and selling them in a Gallery in Stamford NY. I took a felting class with her once. It’s very time consuming with lots of repetitive kneading. Close to printmaking, something I’ve never quite understood. Everything is backwards. But Bobbi still uses a dark room too, another process I struggled with. When I make a mark, I like to be able to see it right away, right side up and not hours later. Sometimes I think I’m just not patient enough.

This is the first sketch I did from the truck. It was last year at the Washington County Fair. I was waiting for Jon who was dropping off some pictures for the Photo Contest.

All the Cat Potholders left from the Creative Union show are sold. I have a few of the one of a kind sketch potholders left. They are $20 including shipping. They are all scenes from inside my studio. If your interested in any, email me at maria@fullmoonfiberart.com or go to my Contact Me page.

“Broom and Dustpan”

“Outlet”

“Computer”

“Switch”

There’s something about room 12 at the Grafton Inn. Jon and I have stayed in a few different rooms, but the first time we stayed in room 12 I could feel the difference as we read in the sitting room.  It felt full, as if the space was alive.  It had presence.

Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Kipling and lots of other writers have stayed at the Inn, so I would guess that it has always attracted creative people. We were told by the Inn keeper that room 12 was Paul Newman’s favorite.  I guess I’ll never  know what went on in room 12, but what ever it was, it still feels good.

“Bathroom with giant tub”