extraordinary embroidery!

grams_embroidery Originally uploaded by dressform.

my grandmother has been working on this table cloth for us for awhile now... i was lucky enough to see it in progress, but look at it all finished! it's so lovely to behold!! (and if you had all doubted where the embroidery gene/bug came from.... doubt no longer!)the napkins are just beautiful too - i'm almost too scared to use them, but i know she wants it to be used and loved and so it shall be.... who am i going to invite to the first dinner party???

before i forget - one of the BEST parts of my trip to NM was going to the Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe. they have the most amazing collection of everything you can possibly imagine from every country you could possibly list. i swear. i could have spent 2 days in there just looking and looking - dolls from china, japan, mexico, all kinds of embroidery and these really amazing cut paper doiley like things, santos, african barbershop signs (something i've always loved!, etc. etc. - the website doesn't really do the place justice (and neither did the books of their collection in the bookstore) but if you ever go to santa fe it is a MUST stop!!

getting back on the horse in the studio is not so easy.... the whole day on Wed. i just felt this sense of unease. i think part of it was that having 2 crits 2 nights in a row in 2 classes (2 the magic number today) made me a bit weary and so i was having trouble focusing - but also i think it was just absence. absence made my heart grow fonder but it made my hand and head go a bit fumbly. luckily i had some "tasks" i really wanted to accomplish and so i got down to those.... i started working on the lovely scraps.... a few robots and a rocket and something inspired completely by the paper itself... and i finished the first installment of the penniless patron - the moon! (at least i think it's finished - i need to take one more good hard look at it). quite exciting. i want to pick up momentum again, though.... more targets to work on - 3 different kinds! yippee!!

i will post pics of the lovely scraps and stuff soon... promise - i just want to do another series... and pics of stuff n' things and an updated portfolio are on the way at the website i swear! i just have to get through some grading first! (can i just say that grading things on a computer screen is entirely different than on paper? it's such a new experience for me!)