Shehekianu: To Be In The Moment

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu, Melech ha Olam, shehekianu, v’kiamanu, v’higianu l’zman hazeh.

Blessed be our Sovereign of time and space, Who has sustained us, protected us and brought us safely to this moment.

Breath in. Breath out. See the mind. Quiet the mind. See the body. Feel the body. Create the work. Create the play. Share. Love. Rejoice. Enjoy. Repeat.

Autobiography of a Quilt #8 – The Last Entry

My stepdaughter, Dana, lives in Braddock, part of a collective called Transformazium. She is involved in many projects but the one that has caught my heart is General Sisters. I included one of their prints on my quilt.

One of Dana’s favorite places to shop is The National Council of Women’s Thriftique. On one of her excursions, her friend pulled out a silk “throw” in a bin because she thought I might like it. It turned out to be mine: The Sadye and Howie Quilt I had made for my memory quilt exhibit about my parents.

It is sad and difficult for me to tell you that I had donated it for display in a prominent Jewish agency and had seen it hanging there many times. Suddenly, unbeknownst to me, it was removed and given to the resale shop! You could say I was fortunate. It did not go in the garbage and it found its way to its true home in my quilt.

Autobiography of a Quilt #7- The Other Quilts

In the case of most quilts, there is way more fabric available than can be included. It takes tough love to eliminate favored materials that don’t quite complement the mix.

In this case, I eliminated a whole class of materials- all of my t-shirts and workout clothes- rugged basic knits that I wear most days. As my fabric collecting abilities would have it, I had enough of those materials to make the back and front of two quits: One is king size machine pieced and hand quilted by the Amish for my bed and the other a machine pieced and quilted throw.

The Artist’s Way

Once upon a time there was a woman who tried her best to be good and to make everyone around her feel happy. But as life occurs on life’s terms, events happened that were beyond her, making her feel lost, out of control, and not at all happy.

At her lowest point, desperate for anything that would alter her dejection, she found a new way of approaching her world called The Artist’s Way. Along with Beth, Cathy, Janet, Sheri, Sue, Susan, Terri and Zara, she made the commitment to write regularly in her Artist’s Pages, go out by herself to explore the universe, and work to expose the unique creativity hidden deep within her.

From that time forth, she grew in leaps and bounds. With the structure and support of her Artist’s Way group, she began to venture into unknown territories. She made new friends. She began to create innovative art that could support her financially. She forged a new path of writing as a creative outlet. She taped into the scale of emotions to blend with her one tone of happiness. She laughed and cried; danced and sang; listened and shared; sewed and wrote.

When the initial twelve weeks ended, the group made a commitment to stay in touch and so they have over fifteen years of ups and downs, ins and outs, around and through committed to all that a creative life offers and so much more.

Autobiography of a Quilt #6- Collaboration=Fabric

Leslie Golomb and I have been collaborating since 1993. For each project, we agree on the concept, Leslie prints fabric and I do the construction.

We did among others, a series on Biblical Women, two pieces that were part of Quilt National, two Judaic pieces that were part of competitions at the Spertus Museum in Chicago, and our most successful exhibition: deez nites be all the same to me.

A couple of the choice remnants made it into this quilt.

Autobiography of a Quilt #5- Ukrainian Ann

Allow me to introduce you to Ann G. She lived all of her adult life in a house in Greenfield, married to George raising one son, Alex.

First Quilt- for her adult son’s birthday made of all of his Boy Scout uniforms including the scarves and the patches

Second commission- bed quilt of her wedding dress and table linens with a hint of her favorite plant in the form of a purchased green ivy printed fabric

Third commission- double size memorial quilt of all of George’s clothing

Fourth commission- table cover/ throw of Ann’s collection of hand embroidered traditional Ukrainian hand-embroidered decorative towels called Rushnyks

Last year she moved to West Virginia to be near her son. I was unable to discard the very few remnants of her hand stitched Rushnyks and used the remaining bits in my quilt (you can see one piece on the lower left corner of my quilt). Be well, Ann!

UnMaking A Quilt

Having the Tibetan Monks in Pittsburgh this week, reminds me of my personal mandala of impermanence.

When I had a memory quilt exhibit of all of my parents clothing and textiles, I asked Kyoki from the Zen Center of Pittsburgh to help me create a ritual of loss. She suggested I unmake a quilt in the same spirit as the Monks.

I called it my Wise Woman Ritual using the symbol of a peacock, the symbol of integrity and the beauty proudly displaying its glorious colors. 43 women gave me their materials of memory. I made each into an individual feather-shaped quilt and attached them to a coat composed of the women’s signatures on pieces of my mother’s table linens.

The women came to the exhibit and each removed her feather to unmake the quilt.

I know how the monks feel after the sand has swept away- unencumbered and satisfied with a job well done.

A Day In The Life of an Artist

Friday, May 18, 2012

6:27 radio alarm rings (love to stay in bed as long as I can) stay until I hear the weather
shower (hot, hot, hot, with my favorite Thymes Eucalyptus Body Wash)
dilemma on something special to wear for a talk (settle on Ikat top from Panache and knit black jeans)

6:45 half glass of grapefruit juice (with vitamin, calcium, flaxseed oil, cranberry extract, pravastatin)
bowl of Trader Joe’s shredded wheat with raisins and coffee

7:15 answer emails- finish up bubbe blog (started yesterday so I could easily finish in the morning) and post

9:00 pack up samples (On The Edge– a Quilt National reject and Bubbe and Zadie-easily carried French Knot piece) and computer (I use a MacBook Air) for talk

9:15 hand appliqué on piece for Leslie and Michele (my mercenary work)

10:15 drive to Swissvale

11:00 PowerPoint presentation (Quilts With Meaning and Memory) for Angel’s Place staff in service

12:15 drive to People’s to meet Steve for Indian buffet lunch (Yummy, lots of food. When we eat here we skip dinner!)

1:30 drive home-change clothes (basic yoga pants and t-shirt) and walk to American Eagle Outfitters

2:15 install one quilt as part of AAP show- Mango smoothie complements of Cory

4:00 walk back to loft- stop at GoodWill (looking for a container for my personal stash of schmattas) and leave without a purchase

4:45 watch IronLady on-demand with Steve over popcorn and grapefruit slices

7:00 drive to Izzy’s for on-line shopping while Steve services her porch planters

9:00 home-disappointed with special on PBS (I was planning to see another of the series Crafts in America) and instead pinterest on the computer

10:15 bedtime