Day 16 of 30: I think the second half of this project is going to focus on texture. I’m trying my best to be zero waste when making my daily pieces, and what is piling up is a lot of tiny scraps. That means lots of piecing and lots of hand stitching. ➿ This is the point where my creative self really has to think outside of the box! Today’s scraps are bundle dyed weaving, muslin from the trash and leftover cotton/bamboo warp. . . . . . #30x30x30exhibition #vargallery #piecework #sustainableart #zerowaste #texture #bundledyeing #weaving #handwoven #artistmom #frenchknots #movement #fiberart #textileart
Day 15 of 30: 👏Half 👏 Way 👏 There! 👏 Decided to have some fun with this one to celebrate! 🎉 Today’s scraps are muslin from the trash and naturally dyed leftover cotton warp. . . . . . #30x30x30exhibition #vargallery #piecework #texture #artistmom #sustainableart #naturaldye #makearteveryday
Hi friends- wanted to let you know that there’s still sock knitting going on behind the scenes, as well as a lot of listening and real talk about diversity and inclusion within the fiber community. This shit is hard to talk about but is necessary, and there are many brave bipoc who have been doing the emotional work of speaking out and sharing their stories. To @su.krita @thecolormustard @astitchtowear @ocean_bythesea - thank you. I just bought them a coffee as a small token of of my thanks for all of the work they are doing- you should do the same. Check out their story highlights for even more messages and stories. It’s time to step up and do the work white folks. Support bipoc fiber folks, stand up for them when other people still don’t get it. And to the women who are policing another woman’s tone: stop. Please stop. All you’re doing is contributing to a misogynistic agenda that ends up hurting more women then it does help them. How often to you ever challenge a mans tone? Let the women speak and tell their stories with whichever emotion they choose. If anything, let’s yell with them.
Day 14 of 30: Woke up extra early to make some magic happen. ✨ Drew inspiration from a piece I made back in 2016. Titled ‘One eye sees, the other feels,” the hand stitched piece was inspired by a Paul Klee painting I saw at the Met. I’m such a sucker for the colorless and textured. Today’s scraps are muslin from the trash and leftover cotton warp. . . . . #30x30x30exhibition #vargallery #piecework #applique #handstitching #artistmom #fiberart #paulklee #sewing #muslin #sustainableart
Day 13 of 30: The week before I went back to work after having babe I was a mess. Whenever he would nap I would lay on the ground next to him and weep/nap with him. After I would put him to bed at night I would sit at the top of the stairs, which is outside his bedroom, and cry. I felt like the worst mom in the world having to go back to work. At the same time, I was getting tapped out being the primary caregiver. All the other moms I spoke with about my mental tug-of-war said the mom guilt never goes away. Being a SAHM is hard. Being a working mom is hard. You just keep trying your best. All that being said, I go back to work tomorrow. I’ve been making my 30x30x30 pieces during his naps, and I’m not sure how this is going to play out for the second half of the month. Looking forward to still creating but allowing myself space to be a day or two late in posting. Today’s scraps are muslin from the trash, naturally dyed cotton scraps, leftover cotton warp, and gifted leftover linen/cotton fabric. . . . . #30x30x30exhibition #vargallery #artistmom #workingmom #piecework #zerowaste #sustainableart #naturaldye #handstitching #momguilt #fiberart
Day 12 of 30: I came across some silk/linen scraps from some fabric I had purchased in Paris back in 2015 and decided to use them in today’s piece. When I bought this fabric my intention was to use it for my wedding dress. I was at this tiny fabric shop that summer and I remember it being so hot inside the building. There was leftover bolts of designer fabrics all over the place on two floors. The shop owner spoke little English and when I would ask “how much?” He would response with, “for you, 1 6,” and draw the numbers on the palm of his hand. I never used this or any of the fabric I bought in Paris for my wedding dress. Today’s scraps are silk/linen fabric from Paris, muslin from the trash, naturally dyed cotton from babe’s quilt, and naturally dyed weaving leftovers. . . . . #30x30x30exhibition #vargallery #piecework #naturaldye #embroidery #fiberart #fiberartist #artistmom #paris #milwaukeeartist
Day 11 of 30: playing with some reverse appliqué today. The babe fell asleep upstairs next to my studio space this morning, which led me to limited machine sewing and more hand work for today. I also realized yesterday that I needed some more blues and greens in the mix, so here we are. 💙💚 Today’s scraps are muslin from the trash, naturally dyed cotton scraps from babe’s quilt and leftover cotton warp. . . . . #30x30x30exhibition #vargallery #naturaldye #indigo #reverseapplique #handstitching #zerowaste #fiberart #milwaukeeartist #artistmom #motherartist
Day 10 of 30: I’m a pretty big fan of the Velvet Underground (anything by Lou Reed really). I can’t remember where I was or who I was with, but they put on “Loaded” for us to listen to. A couple songs in I asked if what we were listening to was a live version of the album or something, and the person said no. It was then I realized that the album I had downloaded into my iTunes years ago was some bogus burned cd that skipped in parts and was missing songs. I still listen to my bogus version on a regular basis. Today’s scraps are gifted leftover cotton/linen fabric, bundle dyed weaving and leftover cotton warp. Oh and HST today because FTW. . . . . . #30x30x30exhibition #vargallery #fiberart #hst #halfsquaretriangles #weaving #bundledye #marigolds #embroidery #sewing #texture #piecework #thevelvetunderground #naturaldye
Days 6-9 of 30 ✨ . . . . #30x30x30exhibition #vargallery #fiberart #textileart
Day 9 of 30: pausing to remember. ✨ Heading home today and it feels like I’m coming home with a completely different babe. My nine month babe loves buses, and on this trip he got to ride a bus for the first time. One of my favorite memories will be watching his excitement while on the bus. A kind bus driver gave him some bus trading cards and truly couldn’t believe how much he really loves buses. 😌 Today’s scraps are whatever was left that I brought with on the trip: cotton muslin from the trash and leftover naturally dyed and plain cotton warp. . . . . . #30x30x30exhibition #vargallery #piecework #makearteveryday #embroidery #handstitching #naturaldye #artistmom #motherartist #sewing #fiberart #embellishment #texture
Day 8 of 30: I’m not sure if I’m finished with this one. Will decided when I’m back home and can get it stretched around a frame. In the meantime I am loving how playful this one feels. 🤗 Today’s scraps are naturally dyed cotton, muslin from the trash and leftover cotton warp . . . . . #30x30x30exhibition #vargallery #piecework #applique #naturaldye #fiberart #artistmom #makearteveryday #sustainableart #zerowaste #wip #embroidery #handstitching
Day 7 of 30: I befriended many artists in Tallahassee during my time there. One close friend and artist is Mark Messersmith, and he had an exhibit opening in Jacksonville Beach my last spring in the state. I drove out to the opening with a friend, got super dressed up and had the best time. After the opening I went out by myself and went dancing. I met a group of guys who, in retrospect, could have been considered a threat, but were actually very nice and looked out for me. We danced and chatted, ending the night on the beach looking out at the ocean. They walked me back to my hotel and that was it. I can still smell the ocean and feel the warm air from that night. Today’s scraps are cotton muslin from the trash and bamboo/cotton bundle dyed yarn. (Swipe to see the little hint of calendula yellow on the yarns 😌). . . . . . . #vargallery #30x30x30exhibition #piecework #artistmom #makearteveryday #sustainableart #embroidery #bundledye #milwaukeeartist #fiberart #textileart
Day 6 of 30: channeling the Florida sunshine for this piece. ☀️ I lived in Florida for three years, and whenever I come back so do many memories. One thing I’m grateful for when living here is how often I took advantage of being outside and in nature. There was a big tree that was near campus in Tallahassee that I would often retreat to with Karma to clear my head. It was an old tree, don’t know the kind, but in a secluded area that was quiet and peaceful. I let Karma run around off leash there, and I think that’s where she got fleas. If you didn’t know, killing fleas from Florida requires prescription medication. Today’s scraps are cotton muslin from the trash and naturally dyed scrap cotton warp. . . . . #vargallery #30x30x30exhibition #makearteveryday #motherartist #piecework #artistmom #sustainableart #naturaldye #florida #embroidery
Day 5 of 30: finished this one early in the morning. 🌅 Today’s scraps are: naturally dyed cotton, leftover cotton warp, muslin from the trash and cotton/linen scraps given from a friend. . . . . . #vargallery #makearteveryday #sustainableart #piecework #applique #artistmom #30x30x30exhibition #zerowaste
Day 4 of 30: remembering all of the things I still need to do and pack before we go on vacation tomorrow! ☀️🌴 Today’s scraps are cotton muslin from the trash and leftover warp. . . . . #30x30x30exhibition #fiberart #textileart #embroidery #vargallery #motherartist #artistmom #zerowaste #sustainableart #makearteveryday #piecework
Day 3 of 30: I’ve been reading a lot of narratives about postpartum anxiety and my mind wandered back to this past summer with the babe. There were so many moments where all I wanted to do was scream into a pillow and cry. PPA is just as bad as PPD, and I didn’t know what the fuck was going on in my head. Thankfully I immediately got back into therapy and started working on how to manage it. Those outburst moments still come back to haunt me- I remember them so clearly and the mom guilt is real. But I’m getting better at not being so hard on myself about them. Be sure to call your mom today and tell her you love her. ❤️ Today’s scraps are cotton muslin from the trash, indigo dyed cotton from babe’s quilt, and leftover cotton warp. . . . . . #30x30x30exhibition #sewing #embroidery #textileart #fiberart #indigo #ppa #newmom #artistmom #vargallery #piecework
Day 2 of 30: remembering when I had more time than unpredictable lengths of naps to be creative. 🌼 Scraps used are cotton muslin saved from the trash, naturally dyed cotton scraps from babe’s quilt, and a bundle dyed weaving I was never truly satisfied with. . . . . #30x30x30exhibition #vargallery #fiberart #textileart #motherartist #ecoprinting #bundledye #dyegarden #naturaldye #zerowaste #sustainableart #milwaukeeartist
I’ve been thinking a lot about remembering lately. Specifically remembering things that don’t require a photograph to trigger a memory. Those moments that can’t be captured in a photo. Or trying to not take a photo of a moment and instead working on being fully present, only to remember it in your body later on. It’s hard. Harder than I thought it would be. Part of my prompts when creating for the #30x30x30exhibition is going to be remembering. Remembering both past and present- whichever comes first. For whatever reason today, while working on my first piece, I was thinking a lot about Chicago. Specifically going to concerts. For those of you who don’t know this about me: I’m a huge music person. All kinds of music but usually the louder and faster the better. While sewing and creating with the music this morning I let my mind wander back to those concerts in Chicago. I biked to so many tiny shows, street shows, outdoor shows in that city. This one time at the Empty Bottle, while waiting for a Sonny and the Sunsets show, a huge thunderstorm swept through and flooded the streets. My girlfriend had her roommate come pick us up in her Hummer, and when I ran outside to unlock my bike and put it in the car (truck??) it was gone. My bike wasn’t there. It was stolen. That moment- the music, the beer, the people, the rain and the feelings- still weigh heavy on me. Day 1 of 30 now complete. @vargallery #fiberart #textileart #naturaldye #sustainableart #zerowaste #vargallery #milwaukeeartist #artistmom #sewing #embroidery #embroideryart
To new creative beginnings ✨ Starting tomorrow I will be participating in this year’s #30x30x30exhibition hosted by the @vargallery. I’m excited, humbled, anxious and curious to see where creating everyday for an entire month will lead me. This pile of muslin fabric scraps I pulled from the trash at work is my main medium. I’ll be sewing scraps of fabric together to create 6x6” memories. ➰➰ I’ve set some intentions for this project and the new year, and am excited to share more about them in the next 30 days. Stay tuned, and cheers to a new year! 🥂
2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣8️⃣ - what a year. Glad my Printemps sock pattern, babe’s The Dude sweater and multiple bump pictures made the best nine! Cheers for limitless creativity, actualizing your dreams and surrounding yourself with those that love and support you in the new year. 🎊🥂#bestnine2018