Is not the one pictured below.  *s*

I am continuing work on "A Sparrow in the Rain".  I had hoped it would be ready for a reveal today, but I had to spend hours yesterday unpicking a portion that I had quilted.  It was beautiful quilting (even if I do say so myself !) - along the lines of my previous "magnum opus" (pictured here)


but it just didn't suit this quilt.  While unpicking it however, I came up with the perfect quilting pattern for another quilt top I've had made for a few months.  I just couldn't figure out how to quilt it.  Now I know.  (Sometimes mistakes are good.)

I also spent some time making the whole darn family pajamas on Saturday.  BSP requested a pair, and then I made myself a pair  (the top is too big, but I'm hoping it will shirnk down ).  When I modelled it for BSP I also wore my "domestic goddess" rubber gloves [complete with "diamond" accents], announcing upon my arrival in our bedroom that I was in my "evening wear". *hee*

Mimesis



1. TheTerrace_TheMET (27), 2. TheValleyoftheNervia_TheMET(1), 3. The Forest at Pontaubert, 1881, 4. Dover Fantasy3

Back in my undergrad days, in my first year classical English lit class we studied Keat's Ode on a Grecian Urn.  The discussion about the poem was wide ranging, but strangely, a couple of throw away comments the Professor made - in total - four or five sentences, are the things I remember most clearly  - the way he looked framed against the pale winter light, the clothes he wore, even the sweater another student he was engaged with was wearing.

He said something like "The poem is an example of 'mimesis'* and is also ut pictura poesis  - poetry inspired by art." 

From there, the conversation was wide ranging as we discussed themes, but over the years, I have spent a great deal of time thinking about mimesis (the imitative representation of nature or human behaviour) - in fact I couldn't begin to tell you how often I have turned these two concepts over and over  - in circumstances where one might expect it (visting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for example); or in more prosaic circumstances - staring out the window of the streetcar as I go to work.

The idea that ALL art is a representation of nature or human behaviour is arguable of course (but it is one I agree with); but what fascinates me constantly is how many different kinds of ways we find to make those represenations.

And I often think that quilts - not only "art" quilts, but even the humble Sunbonnet Sues or the sunflower quilt that someone tried to commission from me recently - are yet another form of mimesis.

There's no question that the quilt I'm working on now is the most direct translation of mimesis in quilts that I have yet to make (more on that when I make the reveal.)

But what I have spent a suprisingly vast amount of time thinking about in those intervening years is whether ut pictura poesis might not be broadened to include any art form, inspired by another art form. Because when I look at these paintings: all I can think of is how I would interpret them in quilt form As an imitation of an imitation, it's a poor form of mimesis; but it may very well be ut pictura poesis.

If you would indulge me in the pleasant fiction that a "poem" can also be  - a quilt.

Today when I came home from work, I collected the mail, and amongst the usual bills and importunate letters seeking my time, vote and/or charitable donation(s), there was a squishy package.

Now, ordinarily, squishy packages are a cause of much joy in our house, but I wasn't expecting anything, so glancing quickly at it, I saw that it was addressed to me and said "important documents enclosed".



I didn't think anything of it and brought it into the house with the rest, putting the mail in its accustomed place, (a large, flat, ceramic bowl on the kitchen table).  While I was taking off my outerwear, BSP sorted through it and inquired "Oh, did you get a present?" 

"No." said I.  "I don't know what that is." 
"It's a present" replied BSP.
"Really??!!??" I asked excitedly.
I gladly grabbed it and sure enough, it was indeed a present, from Elaine of Ultra Violet Yarns at La Belle Helen.



Inside I found the cutest little hat!  (Which I am modelling above.)


After trying it on several ways I've decided to wear it with the ruching on left side of my head above my ear.  That's probably exactly the wrong way to wear it, but I think it looks quite saucy.  *s*

BSP prounounced it "Very french."  It's chic and adorable at the same time.   

Thank you so much Elaine!  I have two coats and a jacket that this petite chapeau will provide a lovely contrast to.

I love it! 

Lovely readers, please take some time to visit Elaine's shop and her blog.  You won't be sorry you did!

For today's Friday Flickr Faves, I thought I would post some of my favourite detail shots of quilting.


1. Just Leaf It, 2. xylemdtl1, 3. convergence quilt 007, 4. Quilt Whisperer 101

From the beginning, as much I love colour and landscape in quilt tops, for me, the real beauty in a quilt is the  quilting . I have often spoken on this blog about "making the quilts of my dreams".  That phrase has always referred to learning enough to be able to quilt the patterns I see in my head.  I'm not there yet (yet!); but I'm getting there. 

The kind of quilting in these pictures inspires me.

I'm still working on my "long quilts" (as in, "Wow - these are crazy labour intensive") quilts, so in order to have something new to post today, tonight I whipped up a couple of small projects. 

One of which was this gym bag!



 Because I joined a gym in my neighbourhood today!  :)  I'm going to get fit - but first, I'm going to get really cute accessories!




(With cute pockets inside them!)

And I'm also going to make a little drawstring bag for my flat iron, combs/brushes and a little matching make up case, but this is all I have for now.

It was really fun making this bag (about 20 inches long by 10 inches tall) but I think my next prototype gym bag will be a rectangular one with removable inserts for stuff. 

And this is a not very good picture of the bag (I have the handles stretched so they look wonky but they're really not) because I wanted to show


part of my thread collection.

I've been collecting old spice racks at thrift stores and garage sales and re-purposing them into thead racks.   It seems like the more of these shelves I get, the more thread I accumulate, but I off-set the consumerism with eco-friendly storage.  :)

Hopefully, next Monday I'll produce something finished.  Or who knows - maybe this Wednesday!

Happy Monday everyone!

1. Block 23 detail A, 2. Nevena Uzurov - Water crown, 3. Under water world, 4. Astrattamente colorata

On last week's Friday Flickr Faves post, one of the commenters said something like "I'm curious to see what quilts you might make based on these photos".   So this week, I thought I'd show you how something like that might happen.

None of these photos are related, nor are any of them taken by the same photographer, but you can see in the quilt photos how someone might have been inspired by the water photos.

The photos I choose for Friday Flickr Faves are chosen for many different reasons.  Sometimes I choose them because I want to make direct interpretations:  the green fog with the tree in the foreground from last week, for instance I want to interpret quite literally and have asked the photographer's permission to do so.
But others may just be a "feeling" they inspire, whether it's an emotional feeling (hope/drama/intensity/etc.), physical feeling (movement/texture/shocked into stillness) or sensory feeling (lush/rich/voluptuous), or some combination of any of those. 

But sometimes it's as simple as the fact that I'm taken with the order in which the colours are falling in the original compostion as in the water photo on the right.  Blues into greens into golds into teals into loden into brown into blue into gold  - punctuated with intense dark red and feathered with icy blue-white highlights - I love the way it all draws your eye into the edge of...?  Whatever's next.

Also relating to last week's post - someone else asked how I make these mosaics.  I would have been happy to answer them directly, but their profile was set up as "no reply".  So, Michelle, if you're around, I make these and other Flickr toys through  Big Huge Labs.   There's a lot of fun stuff to tinker with there!

Have a great weekend.  See you Monday!