Back from Spring Break and it was indeed restorative. I took the first few days to do work in the building uninterrupted and completed almost two of the six library art panels that are due at the beginning of April. Being 1/6th done does help me not to feel so panicked about it. The idea for me was to use the concept of fractals, of repeating patterns in nature, and to show how they are echoed in things like veins, city layouts, tributaries, branches, and even galaxies. So panel six is a galaxy with branching lights which I made through sponge painting a mottled fabric and then bleach painting the lines and stars. I added a quilted butterfly with fabric-paint veins that stands up off its background for a subtle finale. I'm pretty pleased with the result, but I keep going back and tweaking it so it probably won't actually be done until it's hung. The next panel is all about water and leaves, so lots of green and blues, with some purple that helps it to flow (punny) into the last panel. I'll update with that one when it's complete, but right now I'm still in the process of shaping fabric into creases and crevices with Stiffen Quik and then I need to do more painting and stitch parts on, and the stack and slash wavelets could use more work...so maybe next week.
I also slammed together two other projects over the break; one a gift and one more utilitarian. I worked pretty diligently on the path to the greenhouse, which as of yesterday is almost complete now. As I was digging out the 2" or so of soil and sod I thought I would benefit in my future gardening from having a kneeler pad. Something to kneel on while I weed or dig small holes for planting, but which needed to be non-porous so that the dampness of the earth didn't soak through my clothes. To this end I collected a purple quilted material from the scrap fabric and a denim-looking tablecloth fabric with a very dense, plastic consistency. I alternated layers of each with the blue on the bottom and the purple as the last layer so I can kneel on the soft part and have the hopefully waterproof one on the ground. Whip-stitched around the edges it is functional, but as yet untested. TBD probably this weekend when I intended to mulch the beds.
The last project was a birthday present for my Mom of a Celtic Ruana shawl made in a super soft plaid wool in orange and blue. She looks great in autumnal colors and also tends to wear a lot of blues, plus since she lives in southern North Carolina the weather isn't often cold enough for a coat, but a wrap of some kind is both comfortable and stylish. She said that she'd feel wrapped in my love every time she wore it. She also gave me my Baby Book to take home and I spent time while visiting my parents over the break just reading through it. Talk about feeling wrapped in the warmth of someone's love! I was clearly very loved and valued from the second I arrived in the world. I wish everyone had that.
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