tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13660859473646397572024-03-14T22:48:30.713-07:00Stuff You Can't HaveArt, textiles, objects and oddities made by catherine mceverCatherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.comBlogger505125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-6011995674999922732024-03-13T15:00:00.000-07:002024-03-13T15:00:47.213-07:00Stitching Tea and Roots<p style="text-align: center;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3HMSYUkmyTCX4G-I_asNMBFRi-zqKAYzmOfJez-BG55EcZPEs-Ofh1jg4fYcjXZAOFQEgbsOR_O0bfmVeO3Yhmd8am5mOCMQzElgmaIcc_8QdLhIBTA_x2N4GSk1rUBqnYBZjSFuhVgapyhEfQSxb-GTZPKgvxlYgNMCxTjKH-L76m-pQidt8zNZeiR4/s768/P1detail3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3HMSYUkmyTCX4G-I_asNMBFRi-zqKAYzmOfJez-BG55EcZPEs-Ofh1jg4fYcjXZAOFQEgbsOR_O0bfmVeO3Yhmd8am5mOCMQzElgmaIcc_8QdLhIBTA_x2N4GSk1rUBqnYBZjSFuhVgapyhEfQSxb-GTZPKgvxlYgNMCxTjKH-L76m-pQidt8zNZeiR4/w300-h400/P1detail3.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stitched roots on tea-dyed paper</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>The title of these two pieces says it all: "The feeling I think you're supposed to get when drinking tea...but I don't." </p><p>For some reason, for decades people seem to assume that I love tea. As a result, whenever a gift-giving occasion comes along I usually end up with at least one gift pack of specialty teas and have even scored a teapot or two along the way. The tea always goes into a large brown shopping bag labeled "tea" that is stored in the dark recesses of my walk-in art closet. I have herbal teas, smoky English teas, gift packs of tea from Taiwan, and curative teas. In one of those 2 a.m. idle moments the thought occurred that it might be interesting to see if they could be used as dyes. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCalTXmhyphenhyphenW3nLKJ_LT86c5StJuMnvOfQ8mV7ameKfSHNJpfUeEtsWggBzat6GEzRCcE2Ox8ax0U94ZsL1z7ExmepJx2Lv7bzN6WALyrOn_IZS2tM3CwyocuupQGS_6tc9dRW24y6iKylbAyj2Wtv-6odjIyKNVe0r_2nSjgxXDqI5QmY1b2xNZVVIqWCvl/s768/teacups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCalTXmhyphenhyphenW3nLKJ_LT86c5StJuMnvOfQ8mV7ameKfSHNJpfUeEtsWggBzat6GEzRCcE2Ox8ax0U94ZsL1z7ExmepJx2Lv7bzN6WALyrOn_IZS2tM3CwyocuupQGS_6tc9dRW24y6iKylbAyj2Wtv-6odjIyKNVe0r_2nSjgxXDqI5QmY1b2xNZVVIqWCvl/w300-h400/teacups.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Experimenting with tea dyeing</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>After kicking off a round of experimental dyeing using strips of paper towels and an endless variety of teas, I turned to the other key ingredient in this project: bamboo and wild grass roots. (See <a href="https://stuffyoucanthave.blogspot.com/search?q=roots+project">Roots Project</a> for earlier experiments with roots.)</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TyLpS74bPG18w7UPW8n4re4H57odl4qe4aXCqu7q3ywJYakUjyUs6-fvyoQDwhnvZEyUxK5lw1SLJbpJ221IpqBvJ1bnd6GCGRnpDJtmTbYGapnctIaqUbWXW-9PREsvJBfOPjOLeDkYVj_ogzmku5Wvptcuzd_E-dKadAVAR6raLU0_ch234_PBL2l2/s768/rootbundle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TyLpS74bPG18w7UPW8n4re4H57odl4qe4aXCqu7q3ywJYakUjyUs6-fvyoQDwhnvZEyUxK5lw1SLJbpJ221IpqBvJ1bnd6GCGRnpDJtmTbYGapnctIaqUbWXW-9PREsvJBfOPjOLeDkYVj_ogzmku5Wvptcuzd_E-dKadAVAR6raLU0_ch234_PBL2l2/w300-h400/rootbundle.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bamboo and native grass roots</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>A first step was separating and organizing the roots in preparation for stitching.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDJuP16A9TBnpa5-f803oke1VdaCl7VppQngR08XN62ka2ikFYHuWLmHT4IuVTtH8AG47q3V7dJ7hxTXHKJYo14GNj_22PgRgLox-IRCacgLw5Ebb7Z27DkhYXy8fhQScgxkFuqCcg8A8aVir2s_F-T6fIGOm66qa0r6OWXD9JL67nGupw0psM0JQGPEG/s792/rootcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="792" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDJuP16A9TBnpa5-f803oke1VdaCl7VppQngR08XN62ka2ikFYHuWLmHT4IuVTtH8AG47q3V7dJ7hxTXHKJYo14GNj_22PgRgLox-IRCacgLw5Ebb7Z27DkhYXy8fhQScgxkFuqCcg8A8aVir2s_F-T6fIGOm66qa0r6OWXD9JL67nGupw0psM0JQGPEG/w400-h344/rootcard.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organized roots!<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ77IXnLd90b3KwHVZqNl22FOnHbGM4zhgH-hdlWum0-te1UUTmcRp5JcRec1Ph8CwljEQ22G0ks-RnUALX9tLDDcWxM_Wu5RdOXqDbvuuDlnt0T1sFWVU4qGKl1TtRidrKPoD_CaaRAQGQ7WgOcsxogEwdPZxAkfKSav5PCPzEx3P_ax6X3E9wxVmduzs/s768/rootcardcloseup2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ77IXnLd90b3KwHVZqNl22FOnHbGM4zhgH-hdlWum0-te1UUTmcRp5JcRec1Ph8CwljEQ22G0ks-RnUALX9tLDDcWxM_Wu5RdOXqDbvuuDlnt0T1sFWVU4qGKl1TtRidrKPoD_CaaRAQGQ7WgOcsxogEwdPZxAkfKSav5PCPzEx3P_ax6X3E9wxVmduzs/w300-h400/rootcardcloseup2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of roots</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Thence ensued a blissful interlude of stitching. The results are below and perfectly capture the original theme — that elusive, zen-like feeling I uneasily suspect you are supposed to experience while drinking tea.<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKK3pJp5pmbBmKvSMIEq24M_UaZZ34bziJlNY_jV1qqKYHd5oQJP3nPnTKoeKgE0BTykCn-n2xMQxHCXIfupRkajTZyQemNWaMsvzfTIwRi2BqhbSTliP9FEKWa4ybEmeFyYkmq4Myzf7o5ey6DLcBRN2YQPhtFNH6xtU4aFpHRkgth0Z6-Xu-T_DUgo0p/s734/panel1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKK3pJp5pmbBmKvSMIEq24M_UaZZ34bziJlNY_jV1qqKYHd5oQJP3nPnTKoeKgE0BTykCn-n2xMQxHCXIfupRkajTZyQemNWaMsvzfTIwRi2BqhbSTliP9FEKWa4ybEmeFyYkmq4Myzf7o5ey6DLcBRN2YQPhtFNH6xtU4aFpHRkgth0Z6-Xu-T_DUgo0p/w393-h400/panel1.jpg" width="393" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panel One (11" x 11")</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVy6zgqLwFfbC1okQdQsEWLNdxMJLhVHeMN-nnXuKYb2zMS4S6LJKv4nZttULSbBNV8Um7GXbivgtES_75uVKWVwu5ln7KMS2UkmuiVWT7a_T2sf4qOeabo0OE21x8iELnK9oubB37CCwxtXKwldVBJGxVWWN1VoO6X82ATf2H4k9d45go_gVs2cb2577/s768/panel1detail4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVy6zgqLwFfbC1okQdQsEWLNdxMJLhVHeMN-nnXuKYb2zMS4S6LJKv4nZttULSbBNV8Um7GXbivgtES_75uVKWVwu5ln7KMS2UkmuiVWT7a_T2sf4qOeabo0OE21x8iELnK9oubB37CCwxtXKwldVBJGxVWWN1VoO6X82ATf2H4k9d45go_gVs2cb2577/w300-h400/panel1detail4.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panel One detail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKaJ_qpSfnpDcrHESVp4ielNJ4iOxEtb0j1CyLrRDmAWCx7sD1opeSqBEYYKZEbOkXNUnvo3monp4-EpxODvLUd0-7XxObpKGMdBlouFvSj_AYQYvMTsQsxJN4kgA3hlglL0oYfxDQlI0BIszl2PqyFgFNIpBYsHNEuXiSW_Ji0DPa9zWq00x4a36ur4N/s768/panel1detail6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKaJ_qpSfnpDcrHESVp4ielNJ4iOxEtb0j1CyLrRDmAWCx7sD1opeSqBEYYKZEbOkXNUnvo3monp4-EpxODvLUd0-7XxObpKGMdBlouFvSj_AYQYvMTsQsxJN4kgA3hlglL0oYfxDQlI0BIszl2PqyFgFNIpBYsHNEuXiSW_Ji0DPa9zWq00x4a36ur4N/w300-h400/panel1detail6.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panel One detail</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYUplHq7YUr89Q0l_zlWjv96iKzCt5hj1_k2ljf5PruQnoDb2iRQunnCpNrqRcoVKmUbAm4eudSWMwaB_akd2mvoB9M32gTtfwJT9KdRBu3r-4qdKcVaq4LlNiCaV7yLPyu1lHdTrGslEH5z03oFzOeZlgTWJKoucTQoECJlgSnuo-vsc7Bh1dzzKJaVr/s720/panel2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="720" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYUplHq7YUr89Q0l_zlWjv96iKzCt5hj1_k2ljf5PruQnoDb2iRQunnCpNrqRcoVKmUbAm4eudSWMwaB_akd2mvoB9M32gTtfwJT9KdRBu3r-4qdKcVaq4LlNiCaV7yLPyu1lHdTrGslEH5z03oFzOeZlgTWJKoucTQoECJlgSnuo-vsc7Bh1dzzKJaVr/w400-h366/panel2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panel Two (11" x 11")</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnO6D9cWzVu4PksugvU-lbb7pRHjSAEGD4guinRXeA8wj6GwbrXBQPNo3bwVzpGSI06yivCKfVSD1SSSWuWhF-9mioLk3hqGSz_V7qcdMdAD97OaI0rPpfvyF3V-9hd3NElos29l2WEDKYFIHJR-1cQEBt_tU8yt7CETARSRZRQ0tIng2W8f7vR-H-88v/s768/panel2detail1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnO6D9cWzVu4PksugvU-lbb7pRHjSAEGD4guinRXeA8wj6GwbrXBQPNo3bwVzpGSI06yivCKfVSD1SSSWuWhF-9mioLk3hqGSz_V7qcdMdAD97OaI0rPpfvyF3V-9hd3NElos29l2WEDKYFIHJR-1cQEBt_tU8yt7CETARSRZRQ0tIng2W8f7vR-H-88v/w300-h400/panel2detail1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panel Two detail</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZ0JORIUBuI0a0VrqEYG9MimEUCEY51HJHao0nxQ3T2mBQXAzzWsosjgTf7B6_25MFxf6WWqcGuZZ_ZFsIvC0MO116QTAfh2d-GDBqLzfgQyOKo7JhfX6oRt10XlX6O0wBBAPsPCoimn3znKNo1gVeBJlzTUcw-Z1tDayvt4E89suMM2I9V0a82PwJAY5/s768/p2detail2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZ0JORIUBuI0a0VrqEYG9MimEUCEY51HJHao0nxQ3T2mBQXAzzWsosjgTf7B6_25MFxf6WWqcGuZZ_ZFsIvC0MO116QTAfh2d-GDBqLzfgQyOKo7JhfX6oRt10XlX6O0wBBAPsPCoimn3znKNo1gVeBJlzTUcw-Z1tDayvt4E89suMM2I9V0a82PwJAY5/w300-h400/p2detail2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panel Two detail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>As a beverage, the point of tea continues to elude me. As a dye, however, it holds enough possibilities that my battered old bag of teas will remain in the art closet. And in future, when gifted with yet another gift pack of teas, my enthusiasm may be marginally less false.</div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-47439004291820517992024-02-28T10:36:00.000-08:002024-02-28T10:36:41.507-08:00Embroidering Blind Contour Drawings: The Sister Shirt<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwZoNkB-yMXUgqkCSJGaUKXrZXl1qAiEffYEqIRNNJ3a3EWT0ODX3ugtFD6Dy1yBLESlmubtexQ-MKhCubR4x9Y3v8TosETDcuajzIC1OIfwhFglueQCq9SIgjg_mCnfEMBs8VAYTZgVEfAXU6wX-VmcuSbXxaxhFLKZACST1rgM9GnkGVT094Qbn_tp2/s1224/blindcontourdrawings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1224" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwZoNkB-yMXUgqkCSJGaUKXrZXl1qAiEffYEqIRNNJ3a3EWT0ODX3ugtFD6Dy1yBLESlmubtexQ-MKhCubR4x9Y3v8TosETDcuajzIC1OIfwhFglueQCq9SIgjg_mCnfEMBs8VAYTZgVEfAXU6wX-VmcuSbXxaxhFLKZACST1rgM9GnkGVT094Qbn_tp2/w400-h348/blindcontourdrawings.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blind contour drawings</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Blind contour drawings are a fun, relaxing art exercise that supposedly improve your observation skills and hand-eye coordination. They can also make for some hilarious sessions with fellow artists. We've done several rounds of blind contour drawings on Zoom over the past few years since my sister and I formed a weekly maker group with her granddaughters during the pandemic. <div><br /></div><div>In our sessions, each of us chooses another person on the Zoom screen without telling anyone who we've chosen. We then start our drawing with the following rules: Don't lift your pen off the paper from start to finish; don't look down at what you are doing, just keep your eyes on the screen. After a set time period (about two minutes) we each show our drawings and the others guess the identity of the portrait subject.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYurNrK3y4LtJrVAfPNuFkdkEiEMf884Hg1lYQXFNj_VDEhBRQkH6ISeBwCAMjAdCKtHKixSt2OOvUID8bdS0QbDffCwmFRGVPZFaI6nQ5S3ewHEoayl5iAlnbSyizjZ44xVBvI7yfF5onfsa3rddFOZqVCnPRjfzyZKZnejqqP7GOqMfgq0yFZ8irnaK/s787/shirtfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="547" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYurNrK3y4LtJrVAfPNuFkdkEiEMf884Hg1lYQXFNj_VDEhBRQkH6ISeBwCAMjAdCKtHKixSt2OOvUID8bdS0QbDffCwmFRGVPZFaI6nQ5S3ewHEoayl5iAlnbSyizjZ44xVBvI7yfF5onfsa3rddFOZqVCnPRjfzyZKZnejqqP7GOqMfgq0yFZ8irnaK/w278-h400/shirtfront.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sister shirt (front)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>During a gloomy interlude this winter featuring dark skies, damp chill, and atmospheric rivers, I searched through my closet for likely upcycling candidates and found this bright green linen thrift store find. Originally a long and frankly blah tunic with no pockets, the shirt was first transformed by cutting off a sizable portion of the bottom and converting those scraps into generous pockets. Vintage buttons from my collection embellished the piece.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjVzL0lVHWVvEtEdiBJm8oJUucp7DmG_tcZikwocRbehyphenhyphenWUr6EaXqteEtGGN8Eo4B5-87J3zGVELDwJcWn1ZzFErWwHyBsabW9pb5jwqucEPWwFFbO0Lx-_R6Vi8kyyFaqcKH1hMX2y2OSTr8_X_gOoDclBN9uwgOYKoepXzPqF5AAF0N3_yUdYHms3Wu/s768/buttons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjVzL0lVHWVvEtEdiBJm8oJUucp7DmG_tcZikwocRbehyphenhyphenWUr6EaXqteEtGGN8Eo4B5-87J3zGVELDwJcWn1ZzFErWwHyBsabW9pb5jwqucEPWwFFbO0Lx-_R6Vi8kyyFaqcKH1hMX2y2OSTr8_X_gOoDclBN9uwgOYKoepXzPqF5AAF0N3_yUdYHms3Wu/w300-h400/buttons.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage buttons</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5t2jkkozKrFuJOCLbmxpVTFlSXKXxErxxr2s2lu3jq4pb6eZrJk1aDG3QoUJi-PHIjVWuQj8BETAGE-0Gow0HUr7XgWXfk8dyBOOHF_wMyzIQilKgG2MmOfP_RNsS_IS3koeCYAv8SeukPihh9lLbRDC0QtBYnk3JfVJrxXdCdl_VMRzZbKRs0YHqwQm/s788/shirtback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="554" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5t2jkkozKrFuJOCLbmxpVTFlSXKXxErxxr2s2lu3jq4pb6eZrJk1aDG3QoUJi-PHIjVWuQj8BETAGE-0Gow0HUr7XgWXfk8dyBOOHF_wMyzIQilKgG2MmOfP_RNsS_IS3koeCYAv8SeukPihh9lLbRDC0QtBYnk3JfVJrxXdCdl_VMRzZbKRs0YHqwQm/w281-h400/shirtback.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shirt back</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The next step was to get my sometimes-hopelessly-spaced-out grandnieces and sister to send me their blind contour drawings. Once in hand I sorted through, picked out four, and transferred the drawings onto the shirt using carbon paper. The final step was stitching over the transferred drawings, adding "tethers" that extend to the bottom of the shirt so the heads look life floating balloons.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxXdVX_SD6Z1ErLsDJ4GFFJNVIOALbb-4SBsKZ5b4C1FXSbxVxuFdHO__vBRetFF6hpA062u0CmD9gdaiD2LQv8eTWSqltUVZiwQOg8v1G1MktgwO7orpGHtmFR7M74aKVZymoePPT_nxGCNGpz4gBT0v4kWqAImKCUqWK3Qtqe34ZdzhVrDhbLq4dHkx/s869/graphic1aleida.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="869" data-original-width="547" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxXdVX_SD6Z1ErLsDJ4GFFJNVIOALbb-4SBsKZ5b4C1FXSbxVxuFdHO__vBRetFF6hpA062u0CmD9gdaiD2LQv8eTWSqltUVZiwQOg8v1G1MktgwO7orpGHtmFR7M74aKVZymoePPT_nxGCNGpz4gBT0v4kWqAImKCUqWK3Qtqe34ZdzhVrDhbLq4dHkx/w251-h400/graphic1aleida.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blind drawing of Aleida by Nana</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirN15EnHfrDQW1SaNifeoVP4Yd7bSRumxGdiz9ZfAudKckyfkTZgm917pyJ9P48fkHQZImdXvtNwDvOn1DeD55P4EWSjiks8ggghEFXzGwu_ZJCE55J4DE8Ieo2TKi0G2BZEnFjrNylXgmwwBLntpvZt9znGv9WrtyL3ib50ctZl_wSFph_pPHVPd6u7lo/s842/graphic2Cici.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="504" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirN15EnHfrDQW1SaNifeoVP4Yd7bSRumxGdiz9ZfAudKckyfkTZgm917pyJ9P48fkHQZImdXvtNwDvOn1DeD55P4EWSjiks8ggghEFXzGwu_ZJCE55J4DE8Ieo2TKi0G2BZEnFjrNylXgmwwBLntpvZt9znGv9WrtyL3ib50ctZl_wSFph_pPHVPd6u7lo/w240-h400/graphic2Cici.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blind drawing of Cici by Nana</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wBzmf4yiHmHIxLkaQAPBFedQbCC8Bs9VbTduGhuGY6Z76dDosUTzyYqWmfnDi8CydBB0D73VlGxsGAE34zqlmUU-Kn1GrRBtL74LZNh9r1j4MT5-YNRZ0-z4V79L4HIoc7cE1FVcBazC2pHbKCS2xaUqJ42PgJHGxb-qUt4pWYpPz50I1i3JfrivGHij/s816/graphic3Me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wBzmf4yiHmHIxLkaQAPBFedQbCC8Bs9VbTduGhuGY6Z76dDosUTzyYqWmfnDi8CydBB0D73VlGxsGAE34zqlmUU-Kn1GrRBtL74LZNh9r1j4MT5-YNRZ0-z4V79L4HIoc7cE1FVcBazC2pHbKCS2xaUqJ42PgJHGxb-qUt4pWYpPz50I1i3JfrivGHij/w261-h400/graphic3Me.jpg" width="261" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blind drawing of me by Nana</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GPgvaI2TCzfvLUKMYdz7nydm7ec9ClpKJIl42E4TQM4rvbw_4GeowZQhHEscaDfNiaRmU5M1iPtpaax2iyCzlVD37w2HaZp2sASZ7AL8LB9fCKxNoEZDd4fCS_sovy2wfgLDOKqnORGLgHnClu0SiR2wKaYfic9KiArEduY2lcYvoz4nPtCf_aXzpWr_/s811/graphic4Judy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="554" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GPgvaI2TCzfvLUKMYdz7nydm7ec9ClpKJIl42E4TQM4rvbw_4GeowZQhHEscaDfNiaRmU5M1iPtpaax2iyCzlVD37w2HaZp2sASZ7AL8LB9fCKxNoEZDd4fCS_sovy2wfgLDOKqnORGLgHnClu0SiR2wKaYfic9KiArEduY2lcYvoz4nPtCf_aXzpWr_/w274-h400/graphic4Judy.jpg" width="274" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blind drawing of Nana by Nana</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>You will note that all of the blind drawings used for the shirt were by the artist known as "Nana," my sister Judy, who has firmly and repeatedly identified herself as a non-artist. Blind contour drawing eliminates judgments and labels and allows everyone, no matter how they identify, to have big time fun. Nana's drawings were selected for this project because they simply suited the design best. The shirt is called the Sister Shirt because it depicts two sets of sisters, two generations apart.<div><br /></div><div>A fun project from beginning to end.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-11759409300762838672024-02-26T11:27:00.000-08:002024-02-26T11:27:43.296-08:00Eco-Dyeing: A Lake Merritt Quilt<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdYhu1dw6HBAkh6Bqzf79zilhZL3Sr44QOSqK0MNsQT-i6gqpBeWXFg_2lvFdNMEpHe14ZuLjoD9a9PwyQ4PGX1mKesXlV4M78_sVXLKW0_w6V1EtJzvKQmBe8dJ-7qtizx3L9HsbCXwtFtDIMDwAKevvgmxOp14ODXlXuQ9r7PaqMISVDo1w3jy-8xGi/s722/fullquilt1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdYhu1dw6HBAkh6Bqzf79zilhZL3Sr44QOSqK0MNsQT-i6gqpBeWXFg_2lvFdNMEpHe14ZuLjoD9a9PwyQ4PGX1mKesXlV4M78_sVXLKW0_w6V1EtJzvKQmBe8dJ-7qtizx3L9HsbCXwtFtDIMDwAKevvgmxOp14ODXlXuQ9r7PaqMISVDo1w3jy-8xGi/w359-h400/fullquilt1.jpg" width="359" /></a></div>Lake Merritt Eco-dyed Quilt<br /> <p></p><p style="text-align: left;">When in doubt or the the throws of depression: eco-dye! This project, a hand-stitched, eco-dyed quilt, involved days of foraging along the shores of Lake Merritt in Oakland, California. The fabric is flour-sack Lito linen towels that I order in bulk from Amazon for both the quality and affordability. The leaves include eucalyptus, Japanese Maple, and rose.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmFiVnn9kLAQrWsNcAnYVXiIwqQtVyCeZxqxOZujdn1IJhv6Wavv9egqcbA1Fb0lDBwQdLOlqA6XKJs18t5soY-ww6GhAd3V7rk9rlGtINB9Ejvg9AB0vig93CX7ZnmI80kefNe-lruY7It9258KMonlK8Q0XkQ-GOoAnAJb6sYIkLpGIbTnh5ywD1pks/s799/bookfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmFiVnn9kLAQrWsNcAnYVXiIwqQtVyCeZxqxOZujdn1IJhv6Wavv9egqcbA1Fb0lDBwQdLOlqA6XKJs18t5soY-ww6GhAd3V7rk9rlGtINB9Ejvg9AB0vig93CX7ZnmI80kefNe-lruY7It9258KMonlK8Q0XkQ-GOoAnAJb6sYIkLpGIbTnh5ywD1pks/w289-h400/bookfront.jpg" width="289" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaf journal</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: left;">But first, a word about tools and techniques. I have been using a blank journal — one of many given to me over the years by people who felt the need to proffer a gift but had no idea what to give. I am sure that you, too, have one lying around the house unused. This one has the advantage of a strong elastic cord attached to the journal that keeps it firmly closed when not in use. As I was starting this project I noticed just how unlovely the commercially-designed cover of the journal was. I used Modgepodge, a brown paper bag, and gold paint to transform the unlovely object. It turns out that if you generously slather on the Modgepodge, you can decoupage a leaf collage onto the surface that will endure rough handling.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2M50_6UgC40ZrILl2wifcsbrMDsq0juSUdU3Qj3zH9JxWTa01sGskgvhqvkhzSn3gGh2X7ISMv-gZTRkgrUP9m3Y0iKLl6g4RsOjudpm8UzrOsXqfXuF_M2-29IjMkjriJLR6t6sT1IDjfJORV-K06-5UUYbeaDt5K9qvd3o_-e2X2rCqFFOyEzn1xX8/s792/bookinside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="792" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2M50_6UgC40ZrILl2wifcsbrMDsq0juSUdU3Qj3zH9JxWTa01sGskgvhqvkhzSn3gGh2X7ISMv-gZTRkgrUP9m3Y0iKLl6g4RsOjudpm8UzrOsXqfXuF_M2-29IjMkjriJLR6t6sT1IDjfJORV-K06-5UUYbeaDt5K9qvd3o_-e2X2rCqFFOyEzn1xX8/w400-h283/bookinside.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Journal innards</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>By keeping a leaf journal, you are able to forage at random all year long, press the leaves, and tap this rich resource whenever the mood for eco-dyeing strikes you.<div><br /></div><div>Now back to the quilt:</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJirjhEqoxNNhyJlFZgaPlHvvUKbzy6Rrjb3NHhfMUHfIFbTmf0QZINF6qGhH3k5a7k71Jgj-nt3WHhK-PjBKca-TiONcolC3aw4fL6Nm6-9DkUHh4SvOCiEj-EFGXNDw1oCPXqbi3Fo_XR2-87Jt7fDhbBCRV6TQUSaaUHfVlqdhN-Xyr3nm7k6iEOij/s677/quilt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="677" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJirjhEqoxNNhyJlFZgaPlHvvUKbzy6Rrjb3NHhfMUHfIFbTmf0QZINF6qGhH3k5a7k71Jgj-nt3WHhK-PjBKca-TiONcolC3aw4fL6Nm6-9DkUHh4SvOCiEj-EFGXNDw1oCPXqbi3Fo_XR2-87Jt7fDhbBCRV6TQUSaaUHfVlqdhN-Xyr3nm7k6iEOij/w400-h381/quilt2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsP6EMmiLEbhzvqFcBgS7PR07RU3oE7b0ePNa0i-nM9vbrqnwdi2gsb5eEPJGgoth7pWdtNcfPPMupbOFaCTsnQzsf8rY1qYh47eo_xHYzc5zWazqIuf-QWDfUGnjXgdfHbZhMec-n3kErYj1gFbljieuB8mBwH7wUmM2sSXZhHyTy5-P_0NRueUfyJR4I/s768/quilt3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsP6EMmiLEbhzvqFcBgS7PR07RU3oE7b0ePNa0i-nM9vbrqnwdi2gsb5eEPJGgoth7pWdtNcfPPMupbOFaCTsnQzsf8rY1qYh47eo_xHYzc5zWazqIuf-QWDfUGnjXgdfHbZhMec-n3kErYj1gFbljieuB8mBwH7wUmM2sSXZhHyTy5-P_0NRueUfyJR4I/w300-h400/quilt3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The quilt is comprised of two layers of linen. While the top layer features eco-dyed panels, the flip side employs a variety of patterns using bits of raw turmeric root tied or stitched into the cloth, boiled, and removed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSogq-dwYnSgiHlkLaC-kmKhWWEwN1PCSMeUq0OOm6PCFdLzYkbjat7hdMJFDLZ7ROfxgqcyDJc6IM9rogfaba6ezxxOyHc3oT7bDfUWecaxkB6KH9rVPty5H_Ex4vhzuExHVwQqBvfkEV6Kxw_Ln7-HtSgRS_9RnG2q6MlXdqFuYvGc4HIn9cgVnb08tf/s768/turmeric1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSogq-dwYnSgiHlkLaC-kmKhWWEwN1PCSMeUq0OOm6PCFdLzYkbjat7hdMJFDLZ7ROfxgqcyDJc6IM9rogfaba6ezxxOyHc3oT7bDfUWecaxkB6KH9rVPty5H_Ex4vhzuExHVwQqBvfkEV6Kxw_Ln7-HtSgRS_9RnG2q6MlXdqFuYvGc4HIn9cgVnb08tf/w300-h400/turmeric1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turmeric panels</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRAtljhk9v7q4C5PPwDKuiRruQ3wv28hkr7t7GMYV1oUT_ohbrc4z0L2_RmHtPtPr55ld9KEr2eLZ9jI-KzJB1nhOqLpXonMjJMhIT6kz1G_EkzL-7N0f4mEvLa7dPILiF0BJuJYy_YVPoXiqC3X7h32n8p7oyma5naKBcSrnYjCUzXqeZtkvs0hdZ6_s/s768/turmeric2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRAtljhk9v7q4C5PPwDKuiRruQ3wv28hkr7t7GMYV1oUT_ohbrc4z0L2_RmHtPtPr55ld9KEr2eLZ9jI-KzJB1nhOqLpXonMjJMhIT6kz1G_EkzL-7N0f4mEvLa7dPILiF0BJuJYy_YVPoXiqC3X7h32n8p7oyma5naKBcSrnYjCUzXqeZtkvs0hdZ6_s/w300-h400/turmeric2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div>In the past I have used long rows of vertical stitching to hold the two sides of a quilt like this together. This time I experimented with stitching around some of the eco-dyed leaves on the top side of the quilt, which produces stitched ghost outlines of leaves on the turmeric-dyed side.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVO7dsGoTlaCIdQSZ-nbZZ5qWtKITnMWe4lp_aqgrvVvTimg1vPOl_LjVXusalanrOTsmEeaDtXt4E10ykYuCo4tRERgRy8tRjWwSJakBxAJvvcsxLRDW5fn2mfBQGY6358efB0iCjeLp3ufVqg2DmxXMxUHQM791XdPYkoPmQEz-R2N4Q31iNMtsl6O6o/s768/turmericstitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVO7dsGoTlaCIdQSZ-nbZZ5qWtKITnMWe4lp_aqgrvVvTimg1vPOl_LjVXusalanrOTsmEeaDtXt4E10ykYuCo4tRERgRy8tRjWwSJakBxAJvvcsxLRDW5fn2mfBQGY6358efB0iCjeLp3ufVqg2DmxXMxUHQM791XdPYkoPmQEz-R2N4Q31iNMtsl6O6o/w300-h400/turmericstitch.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stitched leaf silhouette</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIK8wST3-4O3Zgwj9zZlkaiyvzKawmA6_Y0D7cHPaCdmB_cpYKStT_W06Wt33Sqp9AEVp42qANZbfxCkCDh27SazRFZ2908gyjYYKTAl3BXC03kMxzohBQmrrkihKxQQMNjlTcz5lDVV-jL2fWmdfSHXfdkXCIOax19lFjq1OSopFV4ryIBJmNCOmUe5Pa/s768/turmerictopstitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIK8wST3-4O3Zgwj9zZlkaiyvzKawmA6_Y0D7cHPaCdmB_cpYKStT_W06Wt33Sqp9AEVp42qANZbfxCkCDh27SazRFZ2908gyjYYKTAl3BXC03kMxzohBQmrrkihKxQQMNjlTcz5lDVV-jL2fWmdfSHXfdkXCIOax19lFjq1OSopFV4ryIBJmNCOmUe5Pa/w300-h400/turmerictopstitch.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look closely to see stitched border on leaves</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Making a quilt like this — from the ambling walks to forage for leaves to the slow, mesmerizing practice of hand-stitching — is one of the best ways I know to tune in to the universe and be here now.</div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-18276126246290326082023-11-25T10:56:00.000-08:002023-11-25T10:56:07.971-08:00Peace, Love and Understanding: Papier Mâché Beads <p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTCryNd0k0dM8WtAbZ30u-7AlEBs_hjs5uiP2-gxgIBEyNEmPm227wTtoudg7PDkc3uvYGR0-jFrj5-OPaMSecMRGrtRiqhgcw1ZduFONvg3t_HkUUBQsd3lymxC0p39wD3ioBJY_3p060EKKUiwsYQ47neauSyCY64efENcECqaC7pgUL49G6hrNtHBu/s872/Longcloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="547" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTCryNd0k0dM8WtAbZ30u-7AlEBs_hjs5uiP2-gxgIBEyNEmPm227wTtoudg7PDkc3uvYGR0-jFrj5-OPaMSecMRGrtRiqhgcw1ZduFONvg3t_HkUUBQsd3lymxC0p39wD3ioBJY_3p060EKKUiwsYQ47neauSyCY64efENcECqaC7pgUL49G6hrNtHBu/w251-h400/Longcloseup.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"> A week after the Hamas attack on Israel with tensions running high, global tension rising, and people finding even more reasons to fight the multi-front reality wars, I was in a Lyft car on my way to an 8-day Krishnamurti Retreat in Ojai. My Lyft driver, Abdulcadir, was friendly and curious and after questioning me about my destination and about Krishnamurti, he shared that he had his own daily spiritual practice. Every day he would write down a spiritual thought or principle, carry it with him, and periodically meditate on the principle throughout the day. We agreed that the basic ideas of kindness, gratitude and acceptance are common to all religions and spiritual belief systems, and were mutually baffled why the human species keeps turning on itself.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">He reached for an old envelope on the front passenger seat that he used to record spiritual principles for his daily practice and handed it back to me, I asked if I could photograph it and he happily agreed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQkroj-KpN741Ec1ijPYgbwA-mgxygsVDoYHKFMO6ntUOXe114pTM2HlXsjwWZFOhvgzF3uH9iz5Z6XB-G7DRQWL2EDieDHdDTKjL5YCPk3bs08IjKybfV7LF79pLPPGi60gzdCffTO-ctzxB7igVqsLR7KwK3NcywG5idDSmcz_SWULhIaZE1WL3L5GS/s813/Allahenvelope1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQkroj-KpN741Ec1ijPYgbwA-mgxygsVDoYHKFMO6ntUOXe114pTM2HlXsjwWZFOhvgzF3uH9iz5Z6XB-G7DRQWL2EDieDHdDTKjL5YCPk3bs08IjKybfV7LF79pLPPGi60gzdCffTO-ctzxB7igVqsLR7KwK3NcywG5idDSmcz_SWULhIaZE1WL3L5GS/w284-h400/Allahenvelope1.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original envelope front</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxk_PNRTwkQVvnII9XB5UllbUJceSRYDlQSoYGj-F6O8ZUBkM2_46Qo0edxnjoztoOPrDFsF3zxojDPFR2shXhYbgbsyIrjjIxb3z3gDmMBIPQJ7qoHnDE-Zn7lQoYa3GgDDzc2Oxxejh1C3kq-_WkBxXHT2EQobIwTtF_p6yh9YNOhWx4Ud4VE5N0oqi/s849/Allahenvelope2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="849" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxk_PNRTwkQVvnII9XB5UllbUJceSRYDlQSoYGj-F6O8ZUBkM2_46Qo0edxnjoztoOPrDFsF3zxojDPFR2shXhYbgbsyIrjjIxb3z3gDmMBIPQJ7qoHnDE-Zn7lQoYa3GgDDzc2Oxxejh1C3kq-_WkBxXHT2EQobIwTtF_p6yh9YNOhWx4Ud4VE5N0oqi/w271-h400/Allahenvelope2.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Envelope back</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>I have worked with paper mâché beads in the past to process life events, and have found it to be a deeply satisfying, slow meditative process over a period of days or weeks. The process of making these beads is outlined in an earlier post, <b><a href="https://stuffyoucanthave.blogspot.com/2021/03/funerary-art-souvenirs-from-bardo.html">Funerary Art: Souvenirs from the Bardo</a></b>. When I returned home after the retreat, I reproduced scaled printouts of Abducadir's envelope to produce this beaded strand while the conflict in Gaza escalated.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5a6H0wjuDpmVM1pgVTiaiCu3ocjcTaXgkJZtVv2I7eQf4pmxy41Fhz0feR293hyphenhyphenhDbiFYxWcq8VdHmCQpTzBX6jmeNtRt0hIoEc1F3R1p65skuZRKgT8YY4j_Yz4uGkZHGy6uEdMF9tZPi-FnVivBT1Ra6eDnPmRZ3DFDeEgXKryG_Zc-K0CASVJy2cwd/s768/Bundle2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5a6H0wjuDpmVM1pgVTiaiCu3ocjcTaXgkJZtVv2I7eQf4pmxy41Fhz0feR293hyphenhyphenhDbiFYxWcq8VdHmCQpTzBX6jmeNtRt0hIoEc1F3R1p65skuZRKgT8YY4j_Yz4uGkZHGy6uEdMF9tZPi-FnVivBT1Ra6eDnPmRZ3DFDeEgXKryG_Zc-K0CASVJy2cwd/w300-h400/Bundle2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXah5HI-kJlxf7o9r-hhCmK4AlPuvSdohrRn5O29yiJMKHMoTERstR9_Vq3sgPSZTstEJiTG3VLV8HH9NtUOj5NZ_2DwzhcKSI8jexUF39pC7o4wkZ6yqAG0Mlj2jNDLM4P1RlQY6hJpqEk6BREABrK__d5oKRZOUt7kt1e0gcB1YC4w1GK_1XLx5WC0d2/s844/fullstrand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXah5HI-kJlxf7o9r-hhCmK4AlPuvSdohrRn5O29yiJMKHMoTERstR9_Vq3sgPSZTstEJiTG3VLV8HH9NtUOj5NZ_2DwzhcKSI8jexUF39pC7o4wkZ6yqAG0Mlj2jNDLM4P1RlQY6hJpqEk6BREABrK__d5oKRZOUt7kt1e0gcB1YC4w1GK_1XLx5WC0d2/w273-h400/fullstrand.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCw2xZJwkEsbXGWcwcn6EwNcQ4lAFhLDFutN0ODtZ8XtU9XAydeCwjQhfukDXP0h1V9rmK1-WkJzI5YnG5KXPWyFGTkx_E5R1JuHJA-6oA5FgW7sNXQ8P9AhJyWhw05ZxEOkpYr5xn3FZgXYwsiAHUlPXPy9_I0O8hZpqwML4dFxuhRLHPrqtja1jh_mH/s792/Bundle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="792" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCw2xZJwkEsbXGWcwcn6EwNcQ4lAFhLDFutN0ODtZ8XtU9XAydeCwjQhfukDXP0h1V9rmK1-WkJzI5YnG5KXPWyFGTkx_E5R1JuHJA-6oA5FgW7sNXQ8P9AhJyWhw05ZxEOkpYr5xn3FZgXYwsiAHUlPXPy9_I0O8hZpqwML4dFxuhRLHPrqtja1jh_mH/w400-h300/Bundle1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It is hard to make sense of the world and of humanity itself in these troubled times. I do it with my hands. It helps. Talk to strangers. Be kind. Make stuff. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-37431555422553348672023-11-15T11:43:00.000-08:002023-11-15T11:43:37.075-08:00Advent 2023: Let There be Magic<p style="text-align: center;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxFZVgxFOCEnMvIFxnM6XY5RKOZEH_1OPdgg4K4XJgYBP-VgBolG2DPAuGnpSpCIVcJR38mDynYdIUPhtRbDKPO4Wt3KZbLCxxfEtG7InkqrUo3MIWm6MavlDV2cw7PnUc971ncjYP9mDj6n5I6q0BkK645IdE_71LMScpI4_A4w2WysirqasS8kM5_eTD/s767/opencoat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="612" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxFZVgxFOCEnMvIFxnM6XY5RKOZEH_1OPdgg4K4XJgYBP-VgBolG2DPAuGnpSpCIVcJR38mDynYdIUPhtRbDKPO4Wt3KZbLCxxfEtG7InkqrUo3MIWm6MavlDV2cw7PnUc971ncjYP9mDj6n5I6q0BkK645IdE_71LMScpI4_A4w2WysirqasS8kM5_eTD/w319-h400/opencoat.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very Wiccan holiday</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Coming up with a spectacular advent calendar every year is challenging, but when your recipients enter their teens the challenge becomes formidable. This year's version of the advent calendar features Wicca, and reflects an abiding fondness for all things magic, pagan, and nature-based. The perfect antidote to the doomsday mood that is daily becoming more prevalent on the planet and having a palpable affect on teenage angst.</p><p>The fun starts with a forest-green hoodie that lends a kind of - "Pssst...hey lady, want to see some magic?" - air to the proceedings. Upon arrival the hoodie is mysteriously closed, building anticipation towards the grand opening on December 1.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpLBMhS12VEnQyP7M5lHpD-HlY-JdkOMvxTkh5ZwHFZ-_drXSNQY6PK1ZBpYK0rOMwHuWd1b6-sHFtRbYd2vJfVX0eKv7R6LNQ65SYNFoVacW9jwp7uJz9OPO9eVrsVkF4Rrlkrr34oIqw0HI9UUa_mIJG4tnX5eb6BIhslP0Umwi_LStd5xFvlccVRf_/s756/closedcoat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="612" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpLBMhS12VEnQyP7M5lHpD-HlY-JdkOMvxTkh5ZwHFZ-_drXSNQY6PK1ZBpYK0rOMwHuWd1b6-sHFtRbYd2vJfVX0eKv7R6LNQ65SYNFoVacW9jwp7uJz9OPO9eVrsVkF4Rrlkrr34oIqw0HI9UUa_mIJG4tnX5eb6BIhslP0Umwi_LStd5xFvlccVRf_/w324-h400/closedcoat.jpg" width="324" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Psssst...hey lady</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkCWFPn8yrgTgTDWopoK6zCNQwUiPJDWU822OnEcU951lU7VZmDjVxwY-cRVFjU4sQRgkCYJChVzSXGnaD7f7gou6L_0hyxbkHEwaORYfCJpGevlCnfoc11cZkfhn2v6pQJNalVu92SUJcUBA3TalXfaulYz2zXFUdoUk48L560iR_9_xiKaqtfBnRpzl/s768/label.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZkCWFPn8yrgTgTDWopoK6zCNQwUiPJDWU822OnEcU951lU7VZmDjVxwY-cRVFjU4sQRgkCYJChVzSXGnaD7f7gou6L_0hyxbkHEwaORYfCJpGevlCnfoc11cZkfhn2v6pQJNalVu92SUJcUBA3TalXfaulYz2zXFUdoUk48L560iR_9_xiKaqtfBnRpzl/w300-h400/label.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of outer label</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">When opened, the hoodie reveals a wealth of spell-casting supplies.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMi9VyIVSCo2uUuI27rDpL9nja4V0JqtL1io0GSEWoXQ7_0a9aWvLfs9TZycU3AsGW4LcffWypuLSID5qx_RvO1zJIzk5stp-0jic1CDWrlJEM_dUa2tKZFHWeal6xAqPyYguMJIR9ApQivmmeUb2Y9cIxiO9BK4YrirvQlmNHrI09fzNK8cBTt9oxjlv/s744/opencoat2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMi9VyIVSCo2uUuI27rDpL9nja4V0JqtL1io0GSEWoXQ7_0a9aWvLfs9TZycU3AsGW4LcffWypuLSID5qx_RvO1zJIzk5stp-0jic1CDWrlJEM_dUa2tKZFHWeal6xAqPyYguMJIR9ApQivmmeUb2Y9cIxiO9BK4YrirvQlmNHrI09fzNK8cBTt9oxjlv/w310-h400/opencoat2.jpg" width="310" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magic!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Those supplies include: 14 different herbs, 14 different crystals, 12 different colored candles, and a custom-made "Welcome to Wicca" booklet. And of course, a chocolate every day.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Jx8h_hz52oaSy0BlqntH6ROtbJI3Os0wHMBkOGdAnbCq4nz8I5PZHS7xe-ARmhlNjsBWJwBliOdzHEUg-G3QJ69K6fpx66rBpmCWcj9XPqNSPawQbh5reqxCiUgCL6Z1NaMNpA7q7FX0Ao23bYHSpmFqT49xN2SzJo4CNTx69s0lNQT7H3s6AHPmOxIP/s768/innards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Jx8h_hz52oaSy0BlqntH6ROtbJI3Os0wHMBkOGdAnbCq4nz8I5PZHS7xe-ARmhlNjsBWJwBliOdzHEUg-G3QJ69K6fpx66rBpmCWcj9XPqNSPawQbh5reqxCiUgCL6Z1NaMNpA7q7FX0Ao23bYHSpmFqT49xN2SzJo4CNTx69s0lNQT7H3s6AHPmOxIP/w300-h400/innards.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spell-casting supplies<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFLf8ThmY-pOvRn9vn0lhn0im_4Vb7XC_V-xCZ0LPaXyHOss834PF_YKeHiXYFTyhZ5wukjlMrVrbNQXltGF32728xdst6cKu1iYjS-IjPCsXqtkwNgHnKBD_R9Lt0aIKnA847hUTbB0pBf7ZYbyJQ4dR8FSWjI7Hc3g0davEYQb7NRBMtf8WQIu6xZf5/s677/hangingbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="619" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFLf8ThmY-pOvRn9vn0lhn0im_4Vb7XC_V-xCZ0LPaXyHOss834PF_YKeHiXYFTyhZ5wukjlMrVrbNQXltGF32728xdst6cKu1iYjS-IjPCsXqtkwNgHnKBD_R9Lt0aIKnA847hUTbB0pBf7ZYbyJQ4dR8FSWjI7Hc3g0davEYQb7NRBMtf8WQIu6xZf5/w366-h400/hangingbook.jpg" width="366" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The magic book</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6k6qDPCZ259bYkENgH7KyVBya5w2Zn8CZHu4mZlFOixCaMvhxZ09wYyEj2MiA2mI240CCkiCDOO-Hj1eOuIkVeASk0PNaNk8gUKlfw1O30-qXA7XCpK7tyKQg-RAorI_pBa6Dq9s9fiQOtiuV5O7bII73ahIKHONykIxilCtofVqLAPX86bgo0Iws59Fv/s772/frontcoverbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6k6qDPCZ259bYkENgH7KyVBya5w2Zn8CZHu4mZlFOixCaMvhxZ09wYyEj2MiA2mI240CCkiCDOO-Hj1eOuIkVeASk0PNaNk8gUKlfw1O30-qXA7XCpK7tyKQg-RAorI_pBa6Dq9s9fiQOtiuV5O7bII73ahIKHONykIxilCtofVqLAPX86bgo0Iws59Fv/w299-h400/frontcoverbook.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Book front</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQB69KYeqYLsLpTf2rSX6UglETPRqaYBJBr-U98_Fio6NZe72rkr2UDhh24fKnPq8JkDcGUc9ET9_c2OvDjGaDLEsy83qNxWcSW4KDwoRNPfOgzgS-dp3LflZAydjZXF7hyphenhyphenXHfe12JheBd7qE5vugRcYxN27Gz0Myq7tbOJjSxVFu8tnOB0mFwv5Pm9x0q/s769/backofbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="605" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQB69KYeqYLsLpTf2rSX6UglETPRqaYBJBr-U98_Fio6NZe72rkr2UDhh24fKnPq8JkDcGUc9ET9_c2OvDjGaDLEsy83qNxWcSW4KDwoRNPfOgzgS-dp3LflZAydjZXF7hyphenhyphenXHfe12JheBd7qE5vugRcYxN27Gz0Myq7tbOJjSxVFu8tnOB0mFwv5Pm9x0q/w315-h400/backofbook.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back of book</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPkDwjkeVkhE85dD8Z4topSf4yCUlHzANKdlpBnz_hat5W-Gq_9qdbEp189u00izw9ilt79wD-8eudpXeCAjy-RPnl9PjCuLIEczVO4PbYBx0T_PUtZ_pSLPQeOBHWk4g-0_zPH-Yf9eGgXbMxBgJtdXrvvGMwjjCnqKP5aDD4aYjlTVaBQx1pHnSSDiP/s792/openbook1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="792" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPkDwjkeVkhE85dD8Z4topSf4yCUlHzANKdlpBnz_hat5W-Gq_9qdbEp189u00izw9ilt79wD-8eudpXeCAjy-RPnl9PjCuLIEczVO4PbYBx0T_PUtZ_pSLPQeOBHWk4g-0_zPH-Yf9eGgXbMxBgJtdXrvvGMwjjCnqKP5aDD4aYjlTVaBQx1pHnSSDiP/w400-h308/openbook1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8SBJ_g9XSxMJsCuQlOoPjwwxW27FgGEVOFESEIIa6xlIPxWtSFEXffyBmy3VVal-CEeM5UvUL7Pi-J9LeLaTJmf9brIwJ6iGxq1KWSQp9ZmHPdonGJlpOBbg_Rm2rRXGNLUDFrp11hFW2-xtLMN9bMxFUXhAaEE8EhoEImdY1ap90qIrPATb1UEyWNE-/s720/openbook2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="720" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8SBJ_g9XSxMJsCuQlOoPjwwxW27FgGEVOFESEIIa6xlIPxWtSFEXffyBmy3VVal-CEeM5UvUL7Pi-J9LeLaTJmf9brIwJ6iGxq1KWSQp9ZmHPdonGJlpOBbg_Rm2rRXGNLUDFrp11hFW2-xtLMN9bMxFUXhAaEE8EhoEImdY1ap90qIrPATb1UEyWNE-/w400-h353/openbook2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMr1VL5hB_A_oiXqZ5soadtKzuEYSY9ynoxJSxTBlT2T6u9hZEnabfw7cUCKRlYcZ1HAZuoNMWMCwnpZibguWTn4UXc5szoBDc5fTNRwL-xt2qeF-nXxC_EFS-m_R6ZeFym3rabQaTuTTFrTKyjTh4CtvRmPD-CCsjfBiDT5ZcBVLlzyzjkQ6t6GYCKRJf/s720/openbook3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="720" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMr1VL5hB_A_oiXqZ5soadtKzuEYSY9ynoxJSxTBlT2T6u9hZEnabfw7cUCKRlYcZ1HAZuoNMWMCwnpZibguWTn4UXc5szoBDc5fTNRwL-xt2qeF-nXxC_EFS-m_R6ZeFym3rabQaTuTTFrTKyjTh4CtvRmPD-CCsjfBiDT5ZcBVLlzyzjkQ6t6GYCKRJf/w400-h349/openbook3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Additional supplies were tucked in to help make the spell bottles and spell sachets.<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FScFIAT8PCJrBC42FIHqFoe59OrIncfWwbRd1uGrrj0W0mtpIN3qgEDGU2_zHWlpFfAdkbZYeXPYrsxPUUgMNIG6nxAEttGqHGTOUPMK9CzVImBtiIOMeE-vfQ_7UokKtVLOwFNT70Wmwn5ujVVn-mX5fgx9bj99EAqW7oPAbZQg8N-LG2SLPNSYOn6d/s792/bottlesachets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="792" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FScFIAT8PCJrBC42FIHqFoe59OrIncfWwbRd1uGrrj0W0mtpIN3qgEDGU2_zHWlpFfAdkbZYeXPYrsxPUUgMNIG6nxAEttGqHGTOUPMK9CzVImBtiIOMeE-vfQ_7UokKtVLOwFNT70Wmwn5ujVVn-mX5fgx9bj99EAqW7oPAbZQg8N-LG2SLPNSYOn6d/w400-h268/bottlesachets.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spell casting containers: bottles and sachets</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Hopefully this healthy dose of magic will help the young recipients combat the stress, doom and gloom of modern times and reintroduce a little hope and wonder in their worlds. </div><div><br /></div><div>* I don't usually mention any commercial products of any sort, but should you choose to make your own version of a Wiccan advent calendar, this witchcraft supply kit from Amazon priced at under $25 sure made the whole project a lot easier to pull off. Just strip away all packaging (saving lists of contents and their magic properties for your magic book) and use the individual components in your calendar. A blank book is included in the supplies. I pasted on a new cover and converted it into a spell cookbook, offering information about the magic properties of all supplies in the front, some minimal advice and instructions, and leaving the remainder blank for the recording of spell recipes they come up with.</div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09G74PT1J?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details">Witchcraft Supply Kit</a></div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-56162537609849752262023-10-25T11:34:00.000-07:002023-10-25T11:34:05.223-07:00Skipping through a Mind Yomp: Graphic Thinking<p> This is part two of an ongoing series of attempts to explore what happens to the mind when you explore unfiltered graphic representation of abstract thoughts. This round was conducted at an 8-day retreat of intense dialogue at the Krishnamurti Foundation in Ojai, California. Serendipitously, I was housed in the Annie Besant room. Besant was one of the founders of the Theosophical Society and a pioneer in the whimsical world of <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/16269/pg16269-images.html">thought forms</a>, and this virtual proximity with Besant across time seemed too ripe with possibilities to pass up.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Conversation with the Self</h4><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMReSAvVMiuduoPHLArk2O0dQCbRK7rZZ8WQ1PTBk28b9Lyv9mituZqf8n9BZOyuHOSM-JP5aiumZWU1E9lQGV5gpwPrSIUQAZELuTN1G02ze3Pka_nq2QSwjfUprRRDyV2kNkfW_uGOucORQ3A9wHk1WbKPmI9yA42a1ciKqhN99x-H-dwao4ECfYoS0r/s834/Self.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="619" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMReSAvVMiuduoPHLArk2O0dQCbRK7rZZ8WQ1PTBk28b9Lyv9mituZqf8n9BZOyuHOSM-JP5aiumZWU1E9lQGV5gpwPrSIUQAZELuTN1G02ze3Pka_nq2QSwjfUprRRDyV2kNkfW_uGOucORQ3A9wHk1WbKPmI9yA42a1ciKqhN99x-H-dwao4ECfYoS0r/w298-h400/Self.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Internal dialogue</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Conversation with Another</h4><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Xf4zxPC4Jlm8i-PAf72OmoJ_skE9PeIk8qBZicmSJac25puS-pW1SB3CCYWCT3NDgIhdZhUNojg9wJ-hiy0e2bggbSCmBmU6zN3PtlhLVMSmuUQRdzkS_FIkTen1QNXUKRSu2clkPjeC-XxUCV2mgYHEpAGf7IKudDhWPLsTGXbh-YvzF059QErlzXaQ/s792/Conversation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="792" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Xf4zxPC4Jlm8i-PAf72OmoJ_skE9PeIk8qBZicmSJac25puS-pW1SB3CCYWCT3NDgIhdZhUNojg9wJ-hiy0e2bggbSCmBmU6zN3PtlhLVMSmuUQRdzkS_FIkTen1QNXUKRSu2clkPjeC-XxUCV2mgYHEpAGf7IKudDhWPLsTGXbh-YvzF059QErlzXaQ/w400-h295/Conversation.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">An underlying issue with both of the above attempts is that they were, in themselves, a conscious projection of the conscious, linear mind. I hit the jackpot on day 7 when, after switching out the toilet paper roll in the bathroom, I glanced at the now-empty cardboard roll, jumped up, went to the desk, and produced the object below. An initial urge to enclose a scrap of paper stating an "answer" or "conclusion" was mighty strong until I realized the box itself posed a perfect spiritual riddle on its own.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">How to Get Out of the Box</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOl1AKc5RNgTdxWxyzXoraX1XwYKQRXM6W2TXMUmm0MD0vG1CGujXgTlL6l8xabc2zWOkPATAErgElF7dz8XsKfLaw3SO0jrMfpUZRSh478udJ4feCBhy0PUKNfkToImOkeelLbxOl8Vp0h9ZdBI40cj3rabc-joClTVWr-w0wyDvwFAY4o3ndUcrdvtSu/s846/Box1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOl1AKc5RNgTdxWxyzXoraX1XwYKQRXM6W2TXMUmm0MD0vG1CGujXgTlL6l8xabc2zWOkPATAErgElF7dz8XsKfLaw3SO0jrMfpUZRSh478udJ4feCBhy0PUKNfkToImOkeelLbxOl8Vp0h9ZdBI40cj3rabc-joClTVWr-w0wyDvwFAY4o3ndUcrdvtSu/w273-h400/Box1.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toilet paper tube as spiritual artifact</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWHBd866UmKKvctCqHMvIpX7y5DsNmj2EnDFMHIdpClMqqy4N1yd_iFRZFeOlVAt8ojY3xRULWaX_CcIKitz7fQQhE8TsWBxv0bXy3ioRyH1FXUJo09q0_3VsO5Asl-oeozcBwG7QfOpCgwGXIUjFCEonhtYB5oRv83REj7s3656DKQ7EUQfW8umq0WaM/s720/Box2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="720" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWHBd866UmKKvctCqHMvIpX7y5DsNmj2EnDFMHIdpClMqqy4N1yd_iFRZFeOlVAt8ojY3xRULWaX_CcIKitz7fQQhE8TsWBxv0bXy3ioRyH1FXUJo09q0_3VsO5Asl-oeozcBwG7QfOpCgwGXIUjFCEonhtYB5oRv83REj7s3656DKQ7EUQfW8umq0WaM/w400-h389/Box2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The riddle solved</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>And now I turn back to more practical matters like eco dyeing and stitching, though come to think of it they too produce mindless moments of wonder. And as always, you are encouraged to experiment with nonverbal expression of the mind at work on your own. Peruse <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/16269/pg16269-images.html">Annie Besant's "Thought Forms"</a> to give yourself a nudge.</div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-70551028839073372382023-10-07T13:48:00.001-07:002023-10-25T11:31:21.861-07:00Reality Weaving: Graphic Translation of a Conversation<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYES5_C_f83xBNm9lis8YEcYA4i7Pyf_LhXxyk5wNig3FoIPj0qQtF_MPCqkGC55MeD73i0aduycEyDzi1uuzjo79BDzowLD56HmynvfaRi2qGAKebfjci4LAOqpGrEhGMndSuvvsaJSBuX7OsnT2oUbeZqeDFRYERhQamkj5BDHdIPKXYBHt7ER8DQadR/s2302/IMG_6830.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2302" data-original-width="1607" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYES5_C_f83xBNm9lis8YEcYA4i7Pyf_LhXxyk5wNig3FoIPj0qQtF_MPCqkGC55MeD73i0aduycEyDzi1uuzjo79BDzowLD56HmynvfaRi2qGAKebfjci4LAOqpGrEhGMndSuvvsaJSBuX7OsnT2oUbeZqeDFRYERhQamkj5BDHdIPKXYBHt7ER8DQadR/w279-h400/IMG_6830.jpeg" width="279" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>This is a new foray into untangling thought, words and communication, and proved to be such a fascinating experience I thought it worth sharing in the event others would like to experiment. The point here is not artistic merit - materials used were paper bags (scrubbed to soften and alter the texture), printer paper watercolored in different shades and then cut up, and lettering from an old vintage stamp set.<div><br /></div><div>The challenge was to capture an absorbing, dense conversation with my sister at Saratoga Hot Springs in Wyoming.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzwylB2BJa77_dvQQjRa3JjWY7mto_-vV023zwjXglp8w3pwU4uKu4lLMxR4PkzbXArio_1MkS42finrd3ftmVhUiicm0tdYLqUN9yFxYwUGtCk6dunbREmy9KWIGidtnsd9DBSY7xluPXR_Zs9DDmEY8Wut5uBlVY9anLRlyPkdMJMtNEeY8dyt6Z496/s2786/IMG_6832.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2013" data-original-width="2786" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzwylB2BJa77_dvQQjRa3JjWY7mto_-vV023zwjXglp8w3pwU4uKu4lLMxR4PkzbXArio_1MkS42finrd3ftmVhUiicm0tdYLqUN9yFxYwUGtCk6dunbREmy9KWIGidtnsd9DBSY7xluPXR_Zs9DDmEY8Wut5uBlVY9anLRlyPkdMJMtNEeY8dyt6Z496/w400-h289/IMG_6832.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pages 2&3 (click to enlarge)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzVUULu-tv5ZMjwwW7MmFIUPMUXGMxUcpMp6bsXZQyif2ArDmiL2-gaF1A3qXEdC1TWwN1TJMgayN9gju_iNcS-zR4LLWqJyjUHfpA369TcC8TU6GT9TLE_WpPK7YLPuXrw_FJmYnmmfCTGxGP40UzO-Gi9SbRoCIIpBhtiIjhLWMAn-5tcI-P-kQGa7_/s2900/IMG_6834.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2232" data-original-width="2900" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzVUULu-tv5ZMjwwW7MmFIUPMUXGMxUcpMp6bsXZQyif2ArDmiL2-gaF1A3qXEdC1TWwN1TJMgayN9gju_iNcS-zR4LLWqJyjUHfpA369TcC8TU6GT9TLE_WpPK7YLPuXrw_FJmYnmmfCTGxGP40UzO-Gi9SbRoCIIpBhtiIjhLWMAn-5tcI-P-kQGa7_/w400-h308/IMG_6834.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pages 3&4</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOo0EFF3pU6lp_k73abaMnCPbkp8zBYrWMPEdWp9gAeRQaZP3vCaAEBYdDvjNNnPqF-Ky8iIZq1HKq-C28-8Tx85u0x84b1eXGcera_lH4l3JNE-zzDQ3-rjFs-yU3kleTPRMpIoRSEmi3qBOlJxlAF6mds-R1U48EKT3iZDXnuUCpfzKdzTarLmlYV2dV/s2928/IMG_6837.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2266" data-original-width="2928" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOo0EFF3pU6lp_k73abaMnCPbkp8zBYrWMPEdWp9gAeRQaZP3vCaAEBYdDvjNNnPqF-Ky8iIZq1HKq-C28-8Tx85u0x84b1eXGcera_lH4l3JNE-zzDQ3-rjFs-yU3kleTPRMpIoRSEmi3qBOlJxlAF6mds-R1U48EKT3iZDXnuUCpfzKdzTarLmlYV2dV/w400-h310/IMG_6837.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pages 5&6</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqIlbraReqz1QYNfR2MmbZ_Wyd5knsYDMEdR47kQ1TVeomvPG6Yl74ggD3J17OxUSULFJZuUA3IgA0vGO-gY7oG2WAZENw2m3HWakJM4q2PH0aJu5-tN_1-H_qpoMwJq7uTZnZhBivNfnJqVcpQuXEenNzBkcCiig_ZXu8CuPfY_XX8Cl3_hR-Z4zB00w/s2952/IMG_6838.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2277" data-original-width="2952" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqIlbraReqz1QYNfR2MmbZ_Wyd5knsYDMEdR47kQ1TVeomvPG6Yl74ggD3J17OxUSULFJZuUA3IgA0vGO-gY7oG2WAZENw2m3HWakJM4q2PH0aJu5-tN_1-H_qpoMwJq7uTZnZhBivNfnJqVcpQuXEenNzBkcCiig_ZXu8CuPfY_XX8Cl3_hR-Z4zB00w/w400-h309/IMG_6838.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pages 7&8</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjHWqllhtEGPD9jq6Pj5GCzPXJJBTzJAQjT5ILBNWP0sWbX61JYFKorf7tP9M2ecIpvgBzNf1BhUic9yeYbMo4R0FN03YSUoZJ8cAPF5q6PI5juKM9Bbfaf6ImsAhUr-vtXyNnnTn72HQxe_9kdw94NcyDMz3VL6f-qpa_FfLliTfoFxCgN-hRGcwPcGm/s3017/IMG_6840.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2318" data-original-width="3017" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjHWqllhtEGPD9jq6Pj5GCzPXJJBTzJAQjT5ILBNWP0sWbX61JYFKorf7tP9M2ecIpvgBzNf1BhUic9yeYbMo4R0FN03YSUoZJ8cAPF5q6PI5juKM9Bbfaf6ImsAhUr-vtXyNnnTn72HQxe_9kdw94NcyDMz3VL6f-qpa_FfLliTfoFxCgN-hRGcwPcGm/w400-h308/IMG_6840.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pages 9&10</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CwNkg8wrC2ffH5kHsewWxZrTjrHk6KVh-iNkMZuLfq11MokRK8FKlvp5RLDShgiZWAuBDDZb2bR2Jb_NoQJzGPt0ZE4BdnxYmhGmzmKwkBBy1UvTtSmxyYLSCMv2Vpfxd8Yn5cSBqD1iFHtIZRiQO6PQ-wF99LLNM-W6nW4biEpZ_Tj8YwTspISS1yho/s2393/IMG_6842.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2393" data-original-width="1710" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CwNkg8wrC2ffH5kHsewWxZrTjrHk6KVh-iNkMZuLfq11MokRK8FKlvp5RLDShgiZWAuBDDZb2bR2Jb_NoQJzGPt0ZE4BdnxYmhGmzmKwkBBy1UvTtSmxyYLSCMv2Vpfxd8Yn5cSBqD1iFHtIZRiQO6PQ-wF99LLNM-W6nW4biEpZ_Tj8YwTspISS1yho/w286-h400/IMG_6842.jpeg" width="286" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back cover</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>I plan to continue experimenting with the graphic translation of thoughts, conversations, and encounters as an exploratory practice that is somehow outside of either art or language.<div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Bonus Fodder for the Mill</h3><div><br /></div><div>Shortly after completing the little booklet above and sending it off to my sister, I stumbled across the fact that a book by Annie Bessant, called "Thought Forms," is now out of copyright and available free on Guttenberg. <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/16269/pg16269-images.html">Click here for Thought Forms.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>This little booklet by one of the founders of the Theosophical Society absolutely fascinated me as a 19-year-old student in India back in 1968, and it fascinates me even more today. I find her ideas delightfully absurd and a wackadoodle, but have to admire her determined attempt to translate thoughts into images. A few of those images are offered below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1d10fpQTUB6wtSPmLWzmA5_MxlNW_eCONTr3mGoldRFgrSFw__c-SNiAKBH4sV_3ettcOtUI6VKcWbVpamOlP2qeq1hd3wZkEc1sykuhZyORoHl_x-FzrENLSuurw8iA21JhQO9RSe-it6lp54oVP3H7wmH9dsCp4PoY4Ex1JfCI7nLehp1dTay90SUu/s636/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-07%20at%201.35.12%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="504" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1d10fpQTUB6wtSPmLWzmA5_MxlNW_eCONTr3mGoldRFgrSFw__c-SNiAKBH4sV_3ettcOtUI6VKcWbVpamOlP2qeq1hd3wZkEc1sykuhZyORoHl_x-FzrENLSuurw8iA21JhQO9RSe-it6lp54oVP3H7wmH9dsCp4PoY4Ex1JfCI7nLehp1dTay90SUu/w318-h400/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-07%20at%201.35.12%20PM.png" width="318" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurWKNvSRPDhA_0v2j9U-Ktn_RdYuO3M_p8gsobRxKyXcL4DvPNEHZZGVeBtObop5ru7x2_bL10kq1mXzxlEIC88wY-R83LbO38bI028BCA_rDv7TwmfkFqCfML049JXj-g-L1z4IKnKZ545jausYmc0eXmHu4I_tOSC3jGFcarRoeU5092eBQC8yiUjFt/s657/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-07%20at%201.35.32%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="657" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurWKNvSRPDhA_0v2j9U-Ktn_RdYuO3M_p8gsobRxKyXcL4DvPNEHZZGVeBtObop5ru7x2_bL10kq1mXzxlEIC88wY-R83LbO38bI028BCA_rDv7TwmfkFqCfML049JXj-g-L1z4IKnKZ545jausYmc0eXmHu4I_tOSC3jGFcarRoeU5092eBQC8yiUjFt/w400-h309/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-07%20at%201.35.32%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9a_pt59IOIYq3GBGKYLXYlfd_skfWx_loLp8ifFxm9WpMFDpkkBsXNq5xsDkTi3j1P0jvwOLnJu1dfQCCR5Kxjh77facTxK92ipaYGtvT1FZgim8HOS11RSTN6CzQhiAbWWaBn_oTRKRhHbyq50j9UpM6hUNaIpYSroODMsSVmClSPExWHw9KkA6hhm_5/s680/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-07%20at%201.36.17%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="443" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9a_pt59IOIYq3GBGKYLXYlfd_skfWx_loLp8ifFxm9WpMFDpkkBsXNq5xsDkTi3j1P0jvwOLnJu1dfQCCR5Kxjh77facTxK92ipaYGtvT1FZgim8HOS11RSTN6CzQhiAbWWaBn_oTRKRhHbyq50j9UpM6hUNaIpYSroODMsSVmClSPExWHw9KkA6hhm_5/w260-h400/Screen%20Shot%202023-10-07%20at%201.36.17%20PM.png" width="260" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Let the experimentation continue! One small effort to rage against the apocalyptic night.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-61409626475092972702023-08-29T11:06:00.002-07:002023-08-29T11:06:29.944-07:00Summer of Invention #3: Toe Bugs<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJmgGDwaWdO3RNEx0GebGOMperraQ8wNs_bUrPZ2yKCt8nHIW4MAFOBcNZMIlCuK_Tc61eYAR7niQmUC9snX4bKZmyCelDkqIzR03baXXceU45V6LdVk9c_SkjPC6_xAlsikxtUrofr7iW5fsm8UDpl_Rfww8SMseOVFUjLdqo0P2Q6dHv_mc59mg7tq5/s705/starttoe.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="619" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJmgGDwaWdO3RNEx0GebGOMperraQ8wNs_bUrPZ2yKCt8nHIW4MAFOBcNZMIlCuK_Tc61eYAR7niQmUC9snX4bKZmyCelDkqIzR03baXXceU45V6LdVk9c_SkjPC6_xAlsikxtUrofr7iW5fsm8UDpl_Rfww8SMseOVFUjLdqo0P2Q6dHv_mc59mg7tq5/w351-h400/starttoe.jpg" width="351" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Problem</h4><p style="text-align: left;">First let me say this isn't about the cost of a sock. This is about fighting back against the throw-away, out-of-control consumerism that has brought us to the brink of the apocalypse. It is also about combatting the emotional embarrassment of finding yourself at someone's house or, worse yet, a spiritual retreat in Ojai, where it becomes clear that the exception is that everyone is expected to remove their shoes. And it is about cute little bugs. It is a win-win scenario. Part of the Summer of Invention has been about tuning in to quotidian, annoying little problems that generally go unnoticed and figuring out how to fix them. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dCJv_VC1xwY3VVm5oxn8REcF4GOhBhloAmIHqXuxW3tjbmYpVFMXxfONBEEe0WJ63DhL9-J1Q3Zx1cs4PpcVtDHzIc9hM3TiDzliDzDz4hg27ONR7jY5g8pWDGpgruOmPdRWWdey-SJMvLV9F4Z5hwALigFD-jJyQmsn3rcLoCCB1S3G1jJQS5wMWmiw/s720/problemA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="720" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dCJv_VC1xwY3VVm5oxn8REcF4GOhBhloAmIHqXuxW3tjbmYpVFMXxfONBEEe0WJ63DhL9-J1Q3Zx1cs4PpcVtDHzIc9hM3TiDzliDzDz4hg27ONR7jY5g8pWDGpgruOmPdRWWdey-SJMvLV9F4Z5hwALigFD-jJyQmsn3rcLoCCB1S3G1jJQS5wMWmiw/w400-h304/problemA.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A graphic take on problem identification: sock toe holes</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Solution</h4><div><br /></div><div>I have always wanted a darning egg for purely aesthetic fondling possibilities. I have never known how they are actually used. I ordered a cheap one online that came with darning needles and a set of embroidery thread. It arrived within 24 hours. The kit cost less than a good pair of socks.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc0ks2XuOfYDNhR0f1X8Atf4DNJYshwAUKpUhFDyMO7XWphJe5y_aWiEC1kwE7H2b3qnK7VN8ppTZ2KVS4b7qIUHoU6DO37VDBOMcsB7-DDZ67kZ3KlB_TO2ikg4H31EB_iK7xZLVq9XQUTccfaeTgzR7nQfyYW6CSMEUKohzOoxfjT0mTr0Bhb1wc8a8W/s720/ProblemB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="720" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc0ks2XuOfYDNhR0f1X8Atf4DNJYshwAUKpUhFDyMO7XWphJe5y_aWiEC1kwE7H2b3qnK7VN8ppTZ2KVS4b7qIUHoU6DO37VDBOMcsB7-DDZ67kZ3KlB_TO2ikg4H31EB_iK7xZLVq9XQUTccfaeTgzR7nQfyYW6CSMEUKohzOoxfjT0mTr0Bhb1wc8a8W/w400-h318/ProblemB.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The solution: a darning egg kit</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>I then spent about twenty minutes watching online how-to videos regarding darning and felt I had grasped the general idea.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Toe Bugs</h4><div><br /></div><div>As a rank beginner when it comes to darning eggs, I found my first toe patch looked scraggly and had a couple of random bits sticking out. It looked sort of like a bug. This was the "aha" moment; I rethreaded the needle, went back in, and added a couple of legs and antenna. </div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtgVO2434zjQE85fwNuUUaiDiAhkPW7lItUtP1Y2bFYDeMHBdPu50ojUX5E-BKAUjdLbftDSS8y7-R3ufdt5IxTNaHpTydv3J7bptGC7-fhW14xObZTY9b5P7XsKEWzs3s8L2rtvGcMXN41ocRAd3tRt14-tRi4mLyIlXl_uDszcaD65Q_GQ7v4uqLmLK/s670/toe1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="626" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtgVO2434zjQE85fwNuUUaiDiAhkPW7lItUtP1Y2bFYDeMHBdPu50ojUX5E-BKAUjdLbftDSS8y7-R3ufdt5IxTNaHpTydv3J7bptGC7-fhW14xObZTY9b5P7XsKEWzs3s8L2rtvGcMXN41ocRAd3tRt14-tRi4mLyIlXl_uDszcaD65Q_GQ7v4uqLmLK/w374-h400/toe1.jpg" width="374" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first wonky toe bug</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rYN5M5P0t3wmUrhgqr40E847WlcX611Z_ELuksTFHtBqIyw2jMsmOhK3ehmX-pjAWu02GrcAWyxbFx7qxvVSmXYdLgzDB04OZ5NCbRs0JwpjB6aJcvIMUq11qb3uzyx_w6H6dB2ZMEFn7VEwTD2v2-fPrmMg1_oTE8BOzNDg7uSJExR2YuFprifM15SO/s648/Toe2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="626" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rYN5M5P0t3wmUrhgqr40E847WlcX611Z_ELuksTFHtBqIyw2jMsmOhK3ehmX-pjAWu02GrcAWyxbFx7qxvVSmXYdLgzDB04OZ5NCbRs0JwpjB6aJcvIMUq11qb3uzyx_w6H6dB2ZMEFn7VEwTD2v2-fPrmMg1_oTE8BOzNDg7uSJExR2YuFprifM15SO/w386-h400/Toe2.jpg" width="386" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colors that pop make for happy toe bugs</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3C1zc3bqNdApSn_lOuy21fn2mVinsLvuLniBtOFB23n-XIGJluCZmcWa1RgHQYHLELBEcoBg3JsRPvjS_caIu3S18jD2VlZKapjlYtnLmFfhCcuuuH1GBU6mlKPmKPYkUj5jDgDQHYr2ZjZCejrLrEj3ZnXgYuJk1KGTN7e0lOGLFC973s5sMnUj9ITm/s648/Toe3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="648" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3C1zc3bqNdApSn_lOuy21fn2mVinsLvuLniBtOFB23n-XIGJluCZmcWa1RgHQYHLELBEcoBg3JsRPvjS_caIu3S18jD2VlZKapjlYtnLmFfhCcuuuH1GBU6mlKPmKPYkUj5jDgDQHYr2ZjZCejrLrEj3ZnXgYuJk1KGTN7e0lOGLFC973s5sMnUj9ITm/w400-h379/Toe3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivA1UV2pvUKTmtNHSwRpPJIt2XkzqoRjWBzaPiuA3v65MohVYujOOFiMY2uzYGmrUVFXPdCw3NWU-69e6MKKJP5Ny1_FB4aZlVMSAtpWJrM7wxY3DcWKgD41MimS8bgXkCCktb6Z7z1zAmwfFVhuqMBagqPA4jzVrggFRAdCfX7m8DrdMhPypvSU-GjuPW/s792/Toe4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="792" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivA1UV2pvUKTmtNHSwRpPJIt2XkzqoRjWBzaPiuA3v65MohVYujOOFiMY2uzYGmrUVFXPdCw3NWU-69e6MKKJP5Ny1_FB4aZlVMSAtpWJrM7wxY3DcWKgD41MimS8bgXkCCktb6Z7z1zAmwfFVhuqMBagqPA4jzVrggFRAdCfX7m8DrdMhPypvSU-GjuPW/w400-h300/Toe4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>This is admittedly an invention far behind the times, a recycled invention from yesteryear. Which may be a lesson about thinking twice before you dispose of anything, including ideas.</div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-15000877504741284162023-08-09T11:35:00.000-07:002023-08-09T11:35:44.041-07:00Summer of Invention #2: Hot Water Bottle Babies<p style="text-align: center;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoB8pCzV6hzyTTItk8BqnoTXGilu_BjI_zSKJ8fP9FbaLf5fSe2I8dDcKM7D-KKR4qsRBfPtVNixwkxeT1MJkrOynb3eCjQjkMmXFiOpA7yDLK6-HUuFDFJ4txRGRw004NuMi6GK1TSvld3uwfpiJBKIU4kvYbR0Sw5n2gmHUnSxBzP1o6wmwdNyAazH1/s792/bottlebabies1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="792" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoB8pCzV6hzyTTItk8BqnoTXGilu_BjI_zSKJ8fP9FbaLf5fSe2I8dDcKM7D-KKR4qsRBfPtVNixwkxeT1MJkrOynb3eCjQjkMmXFiOpA7yDLK6-HUuFDFJ4txRGRw004NuMi6GK1TSvld3uwfpiJBKIU4kvYbR0Sw5n2gmHUnSxBzP1o6wmwdNyAazH1/w400-h304/bottlebabies1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bottle babies</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">I have felt an affinity for the late Queen Elizabeth ever since I read years ago that she would wander the cold and drafty hallways of Balmoral Castle clutching a hot water bottle to her tummy. Even though I live in Oakland, California, which has what Rand McNally has declared the best climate in the world, the foggy, rainy winters can chill you to the bone if you live in a 1920s apartment building with one iffy radiator. I have been cuddling hot water bottles during the winter months for years, but they weren't doing much for my sense of aesthetics, leaving me feeling like a frumpy old queen.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The bottles need a cover to be both safe (protecting you from a scalding hot bottle), removable, and washable. The covers they arrived in from Amazon do the job, but they are neutrally ho-hum at best, and quickly become tired and worn looking after multiple washings.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiO3ilX1kwEH178mLL0lcukynxDZzR371V4pa7h7xzDYXtc2nJnqgKkYo-FGEdozXWLQYrFhyw6tfOh-FCjY88dMeXImQie7lgJW08GJbVbk7pjBVQkb7IrWg5fLkV-UKVA-N7VwxDuCVDT0KvpLLKtAGndH_zLHJ17IJkagU3SED4jVP-nifGM28vFzH/s648/bottlebabies2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="648" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoiO3ilX1kwEH178mLL0lcukynxDZzR371V4pa7h7xzDYXtc2nJnqgKkYo-FGEdozXWLQYrFhyw6tfOh-FCjY88dMeXImQie7lgJW08GJbVbk7pjBVQkb7IrWg5fLkV-UKVA-N7VwxDuCVDT0KvpLLKtAGndH_zLHJ17IJkagU3SED4jVP-nifGM28vFzH/w400-h373/bottlebabies2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bottles</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJg1F8o9ZDI1Ebctdwz1g9-1SjyXi6rB1OSUee_SMMHrHFHZOybpbEIE6CA8RTojJY2TmUAu9MNb3z7tQMCmiIdzwu4kHGg3SraqMRNfYltwWud-iQbf7sMWwLf0b4ESHKumKl4ZLz6E3JyaWmSH-iQboUrUwYHUCPjf2uis5bYl8QkNTYyrMYlokqlBQ/s720/bottlebabies3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="720" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJg1F8o9ZDI1Ebctdwz1g9-1SjyXi6rB1OSUee_SMMHrHFHZOybpbEIE6CA8RTojJY2TmUAu9MNb3z7tQMCmiIdzwu4kHGg3SraqMRNfYltwWud-iQbf7sMWwLf0b4ESHKumKl4ZLz6E3JyaWmSH-iQboUrUwYHUCPjf2uis5bYl8QkNTYyrMYlokqlBQ/w400-h349/bottlebabies3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original covers</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>The solution? Upcycled thrift store infant onesies, scored for $1 each and adapted for use.<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJQ_nesQPRVSh1k_A9nu8CuKp5X0xArHoqtp5euCGN6XC5JxBUff4LoYPacqwH53Oew1miq41LDyM7Dfxc5DLwW3kN_Y5GW-E9A7KjpUu31l2hE4LytSlxcsmTQU4gEXMVWLfbElzjW-3R3mdVjxCeku_Aw1UgejKn5sxVixGIghTW_hnWBY37bGvMY7-/s792/bottlebabies1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="792" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJQ_nesQPRVSh1k_A9nu8CuKp5X0xArHoqtp5euCGN6XC5JxBUff4LoYPacqwH53Oew1miq41LDyM7Dfxc5DLwW3kN_Y5GW-E9A7KjpUu31l2hE4LytSlxcsmTQU4gEXMVWLfbElzjW-3R3mdVjxCeku_Aw1UgejKn5sxVixGIghTW_hnWBY37bGvMY7-/w400-h304/bottlebabies1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The end result</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>The hot water in the torso and fiber-filled arms and legs make the bottle extraordinarily comfortable, and the onesies can be easily removed using the front fasteners and tossed in the wash.</div><div><br /></div><div>The how-to:</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Z6lK9efPFan31Qmb6V2jlOJk5ggF8ghFK8bm_Mdi3YBMCH47cFMng2KxpjZaMWxf-_Jbzv5OaC1ut4wVDK3MvW_-0FLTC0y5nT5nZTVjk_8cXyutFDJLIZXS60XgIfXF-zw5WjvzGOD4_HNu2Qi7DeISWQ_33nHckbkGL5TpL-GrRA2ZEa7srHLW8iCX/s730/bottlehowto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Z6lK9efPFan31Qmb6V2jlOJk5ggF8ghFK8bm_Mdi3YBMCH47cFMng2KxpjZaMWxf-_Jbzv5OaC1ut4wVDK3MvW_-0FLTC0y5nT5nZTVjk_8cXyutFDJLIZXS60XgIfXF-zw5WjvzGOD4_HNu2Qi7DeISWQ_33nHckbkGL5TpL-GrRA2ZEa7srHLW8iCX/w355-h400/bottlehowto.jpg" width="355" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>And there you have it, a pleasing and practical solution to a problem of royal proportions.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNL6sKyomitHBHzh3nPyLGNNpICjQh6rvHbKkGvfzMhoV55EmFdVfrOjYY0VTKoIgJRPKghn8BiyhWv5cCH1a150MzcOnu5fiWDuqJ1EIqNGi_D0cbYAzmFT4VViydIGZgs6RN09GshFG9wMzExVkx_oBMAYjDaKMoTS4M8sYmwhTuZNOR-NwOsST5jFG/s791/bottleportrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNL6sKyomitHBHzh3nPyLGNNpICjQh6rvHbKkGvfzMhoV55EmFdVfrOjYY0VTKoIgJRPKghn8BiyhWv5cCH1a150MzcOnu5fiWDuqJ1EIqNGi_D0cbYAzmFT4VViydIGZgs6RN09GshFG9wMzExVkx_oBMAYjDaKMoTS4M8sYmwhTuZNOR-NwOsST5jFG/w270-h400/bottleportrait.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Official royal portrait</td></tr></tbody></table><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6VeoAiSpr_Bz4ZBHYu5d8G3K0VfVHB5O2GHpMtB6BcUJkBt3TVyfQCjC3jJH0ANmju9wGGxtRxU34mYaJD90_aXsRjJ25RJUf1zgRgdbyj6f872M4rST-XRor_AQM9xj663ConOKI96OBw5ZCKKEh2rVl6QWLShRwakctG758lI0W48EXevP0m8ucNCG/s725/bottleportraitcloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6VeoAiSpr_Bz4ZBHYu5d8G3K0VfVHB5O2GHpMtB6BcUJkBt3TVyfQCjC3jJH0ANmju9wGGxtRxU34mYaJD90_aXsRjJ25RJUf1zgRgdbyj6f872M4rST-XRor_AQM9xj663ConOKI96OBw5ZCKKEh2rVl6QWLShRwakctG758lI0W48EXevP0m8ucNCG/w318-h400/bottleportraitcloseup.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-16523536672847031972023-07-17T11:23:00.000-07:002023-07-17T11:23:02.113-07:00Summer of Invention #1: Dead Dog Calcium Pill Reminder<p> Welcome to the Summer of Invention, a creative interlude I have peremptorily declared, which kicked off about two weeks ago and is proceeding apace. The rules are simple: 1) Identify a problem, 2) invent a creative solution—the wackier the better. </p><p>Below we have a prime example, focusing on the problem of remembering to take daily calcium pills. Every strategy I have tried in the past, including placing the pill bottle front and center on the table where I always sit, has utterly failed. I also have a deep aversion to tainting my aesthetic landscape with ugly plastic commercial products and labeling. The solution? Using inspiration drawn from the Days of the Dead celebrations which incorporate a playful use of bones, I came up with two strategies. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9H_lbMILyysMTJaq5srULTo92ANCKuhqixyuhp_Q-wJH1UG5PuVhKyYFdRmNFhDEiBLLcvt1_QQ5Ovap5d6ZRQZCuWi7U5XrAdKGGXuTG4fCjvblmHy2nczb0-h8cDss0cGKRH9uo07PdlHcZwZooMmFyWzrY1yQx3Ln0PnY3-MY2HkrHWM_-jN4OEzJ/s675/afirstshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9H_lbMILyysMTJaq5srULTo92ANCKuhqixyuhp_Q-wJH1UG5PuVhKyYFdRmNFhDEiBLLcvt1_QQ5Ovap5d6ZRQZCuWi7U5XrAdKGGXuTG4fCjvblmHy2nczb0-h8cDss0cGKRH9uo07PdlHcZwZooMmFyWzrY1yQx3Ln0PnY3-MY2HkrHWM_-jN4OEzJ/w384-h400/afirstshot.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Solution One</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first is a Days-of-the-Dead-style <span style="font-family: inherit;">p<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; white-space: nowrap;">apier-mâché</span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: nowrap;"> </span>dog, which seems like the perfect reminder to take care of my bones while adding rather than detracting from my environment. We begin with a plastic bottle, destined to meet a fate far more exciting than the recycling bin.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaIeBlKsInH-Fi1BCl7JP75vcVYSZT-1swC7CtRD8MvM9Ef_JUhGIvRqifYTpEWhRH5Glr9cv81B2U2sVvzNzpJh3Vn6-PqRV21GLArfoNfj9GWj2VfyAszKDXH5WPes_z-nWbSIuLB_xOR44CrLMs2_jv2kocBYAf9MYpJt_0yz-tAW__xvrgyoG5-6W/s870/dogprocess1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="504" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaIeBlKsInH-Fi1BCl7JP75vcVYSZT-1swC7CtRD8MvM9Ef_JUhGIvRqifYTpEWhRH5Glr9cv81B2U2sVvzNzpJh3Vn6-PqRV21GLArfoNfj9GWj2VfyAszKDXH5WPes_z-nWbSIuLB_xOR44CrLMs2_jv2kocBYAf9MYpJt_0yz-tAW__xvrgyoG5-6W/w231-h400/dogprocess1.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step 1: Pick a plastic bottle</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtLiqxHced2Lh2qD_38mFvvuLwO27qRUyXPuIFsRhTWKAxJGAi5H_1nkyDSW4CeelfGBOaP9tWesAiZwW7FIIPgVAbyGFYLl-pzpOJ8kl3v-FKpXGh0HXHlXgf-8FM_hpECUci3Jx_PUP3kWAaOXQq4chkFyS4Ay8Lsj-QtWoa_kWyt8qBuLwAtl4GkuY/s648/Dogprocess2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="648" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtLiqxHced2Lh2qD_38mFvvuLwO27qRUyXPuIFsRhTWKAxJGAi5H_1nkyDSW4CeelfGBOaP9tWesAiZwW7FIIPgVAbyGFYLl-pzpOJ8kl3v-FKpXGh0HXHlXgf-8FM_hpECUci3Jx_PUP3kWAaOXQq4chkFyS4Ay8Lsj-QtWoa_kWyt8qBuLwAtl4GkuY/w400-h389/Dogprocess2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step 2: Rough shape the dog using paper towels and tape</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5eqJJy4GlFasckT5My53W3XmyMjcQ_YVDt3qtwaqVcUKcX8wlID40yOq31g2sgnKuLFnJCHt54iBxx2v5yHTQLv98YlQfbPb5dPQ0LrmuMci6r699Dx-FnWz_HgodcC6HsW8xWccqdC1L1FCyq48yuoQYaJZqbY1nnGLzJEwVUDS4OUsn3rmTPKBe5jbw/s824/dogprocess3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="504" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5eqJJy4GlFasckT5My53W3XmyMjcQ_YVDt3qtwaqVcUKcX8wlID40yOq31g2sgnKuLFnJCHt54iBxx2v5yHTQLv98YlQfbPb5dPQ0LrmuMci6r699Dx-FnWz_HgodcC6HsW8xWccqdC1L1FCyq48yuoQYaJZqbY1nnGLzJEwVUDS4OUsn3rmTPKBe5jbw/w245-h400/dogprocess3.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step 3: Start building layers of <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: left;">p</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;">apier-mâché</span></span> </td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhniNgkQpx7eKZBLOkekdpZGnpYgvjJu8geOyH-3Nes7RphO7CgvFy8sOw9NIhHi6-os8eryhQD0jRoVHjAxjnSPXehBGJh8UQsfqjmakvp1GibfMloSjbVBeYCBkY-RVBArj7dnnjSQLJngqXsVrdF2Fpq789Wi65xmiTRaOCog5Agkv66c2h3ovJZuX/s708/dog4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhniNgkQpx7eKZBLOkekdpZGnpYgvjJu8geOyH-3Nes7RphO7CgvFy8sOw9NIhHi6-os8eryhQD0jRoVHjAxjnSPXehBGJh8UQsfqjmakvp1GibfMloSjbVBeYCBkY-RVBArj7dnnjSQLJngqXsVrdF2Fpq789Wi65xmiTRaOCog5Agkv66c2h3ovJZuX/w325-h400/dog4.jpg" width="325" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voila! A pill bottle.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIgPIb_uYkRwu6D8W9o5bl8B9dakYm34JtEsAxn6R7Pto69gumAr-GbMHnEYA5PY25e_RytPm67HAaB2gmJU1LgQUYHHBXreWQi_YRnRJmWDPE_RjoGJhNJTK0qrTUj2S_swyNuXFQm4_eZ_VaVJfVLbSqxYDgR24fUOsrWqFFfcD8TZ7vTXsBG4ATKWm/s648/dog1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="648" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKIgPIb_uYkRwu6D8W9o5bl8B9dakYm34JtEsAxn6R7Pto69gumAr-GbMHnEYA5PY25e_RytPm67HAaB2gmJU1LgQUYHHBXreWQi_YRnRJmWDPE_RjoGJhNJTK0qrTUj2S_swyNuXFQm4_eZ_VaVJfVLbSqxYDgR24fUOsrWqFFfcD8TZ7vTXsBG4ATKWm/w400-h398/dog1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the bottle-cap butt feature</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Solution Two</h3><div>The second invention, far simpler to pull off, occurred to me while up to my elbows in flour paste working on solution one. This approach simply required recycling an old, smaller pill bottle. After measuring the bottle to figure out an accurate label size, I harvested a couple of images from the internet, resized them on my computer, printed them out, and glued them on. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgE9MtkGoUDxCY3Bx-BSPK9WdQu45UZQvzBi48y-Rsty8oMOkBTlCPRB6yxnb9QrgsY4MCKUOGBNaXphMQp9dn4abBGd_AR_NWotCwRYS7ZlLHD_l7UzWHkoRNv3DVGezG6CThJfLq7RgY4C6E85h0-n7ntuUrTOYDPZXUSGgW096fwK7241wuYRzJiAj/s755/bottle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgE9MtkGoUDxCY3Bx-BSPK9WdQu45UZQvzBi48y-Rsty8oMOkBTlCPRB6yxnb9QrgsY4MCKUOGBNaXphMQp9dn4abBGd_AR_NWotCwRYS7ZlLHD_l7UzWHkoRNv3DVGezG6CThJfLq7RgY4C6E85h0-n7ntuUrTOYDPZXUSGgW096fwK7241wuYRzJiAj/w305-h400/bottle1.jpg" width="305" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original, ugly, bargain-size bottle</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1R1S_RyR55yAC7dGodA7ILH_5FeMHQCqrxv8XToHzi9Ye4aiXy3b8IHlbZai4K8kAC2-5tr1ju-MkYOanRU4levkqVwEl-ZxIt_nCtUOYKaPaPu2L7qQfP3wQ_dAH_LKypaokO5_I98DVrXtO7fWxrbj39Q-E5n9X7Om14onqvnYwFeulpgbfZPuNJxmU/s726/bottle2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1R1S_RyR55yAC7dGodA7ILH_5FeMHQCqrxv8XToHzi9Ye4aiXy3b8IHlbZai4K8kAC2-5tr1ju-MkYOanRU4levkqVwEl-ZxIt_nCtUOYKaPaPu2L7qQfP3wQ_dAH_LKypaokO5_I98DVrXtO7fWxrbj39Q-E5n9X7Om14onqvnYwFeulpgbfZPuNJxmU/w318-h400/bottle2.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front label on recycled, smaller bottle</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtHWE7I36qJ_iG2Wxa_U1EoUnUKQ-jVyTbsXlburuJO1P9QqiMZYhuH1ZWF9byovSGvQAMfz0AmNvEJn8PVvKxCHp5iZ4vfc5P8w3WJA0Ght3i6kt6wocS2jZi8s-szc8ybNzhkLqBr1KaB0Gbsif4vKxT5XD_CKU4Cv3f1mdIsGHN9koAowfGHzsf_bS/s771/bottle3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtHWE7I36qJ_iG2Wxa_U1EoUnUKQ-jVyTbsXlburuJO1P9QqiMZYhuH1ZWF9byovSGvQAMfz0AmNvEJn8PVvKxCHp5iZ4vfc5P8w3WJA0Ght3i6kt6wocS2jZi8s-szc8ybNzhkLqBr1KaB0Gbsif4vKxT5XD_CKU4Cv3f1mdIsGHN9koAowfGHzsf_bS/w276-h400/bottle3.jpg" width="276" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back label</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAq3FVTda4rsF38wj8K06jxssxiGCmEgI9hBjD3iqrSQU50xdwl5Pb1n4Jeb0VPWn-OlGqd9jorDafCo8Br6SED5o_oQh6NWiKLnx7tWo-sqD-TFz8uIEf4aqrfI837INo4gd59pC6FbViDYjbm_ZReAUbL1BTKqKX_xNK4kNyza8kUzYPnoHRxZpdyWE3/s679/bottle4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAq3FVTda4rsF38wj8K06jxssxiGCmEgI9hBjD3iqrSQU50xdwl5Pb1n4Jeb0VPWn-OlGqd9jorDafCo8Br6SED5o_oQh6NWiKLnx7tWo-sqD-TFz8uIEf4aqrfI837INo4gd59pC6FbViDYjbm_ZReAUbL1BTKqKX_xNK4kNyza8kUzYPnoHRxZpdyWE3/w339-h400/bottle4.jpg" width="339" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lid</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>And there you have it. Summer has just begun and more inventions are already in the pipeline. Stay tuned.</div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-26303715117702600562023-06-17T11:46:00.002-07:002023-06-17T11:46:18.464-07:00Curiosity and Wonder: Gingko Butterfly Installation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KW83pkoDdnpGThRkZLjxTIOuhxf4nJwlz_H7krspt1OEUkxyhQ3jhN0aNoUtsipEnY7Y_4ONJwXgzmKwp4MZBayexx9a0aNRjBsY4etERD_1YyqbWJvXatcNZ_6AxDU-WTjW-u0Vkbc_RBpmuoni9R9KAqZhTTKehNJN8fuAabBlzKeHcU6DGuFWhQ/s756/Board3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="756" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KW83pkoDdnpGThRkZLjxTIOuhxf4nJwlz_H7krspt1OEUkxyhQ3jhN0aNoUtsipEnY7Y_4ONJwXgzmKwp4MZBayexx9a0aNRjBsY4etERD_1YyqbWJvXatcNZ_6AxDU-WTjW-u0Vkbc_RBpmuoni9R9KAqZhTTKehNJN8fuAabBlzKeHcU6DGuFWhQ/w400-h306/Board3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>How long ago did humans discover that, with a little artful manipulation, gingko leaves can be transformed into wondrous butterflies? The discovery could date back to the dawn of humankind. The gingko, a living fossil that hasn't changed for more than 200 million years, is a living link to the dinosaurs. <div><br /></div><div>In this ephemeral installation project on the eastern shore of Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland, I am using the illusion to entertain our species during what sometimes feels like the twilight of the apocalypse.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFM5q63QQjaYjvqiDoSAMNXhLkxc2UGC-zwrHtKbn9GoRApCnU3kjdFVsoi1gTRZkHyBB2cy-4v9JwdtC4SZxuu-sFmdlNh5IL4TAoz9UYW8wdsLcBlk1QDHCriWbe97sKQMGxqchGqdBLMNtYQglw9oT6VtrFS-TwSM82igJQwTISADCiFZ6XewAtA/s768/Workshop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFM5q63QQjaYjvqiDoSAMNXhLkxc2UGC-zwrHtKbn9GoRApCnU3kjdFVsoi1gTRZkHyBB2cy-4v9JwdtC4SZxuu-sFmdlNh5IL4TAoz9UYW8wdsLcBlk1QDHCriWbe97sKQMGxqchGqdBLMNtYQglw9oT6VtrFS-TwSM82igJQwTISADCiFZ6XewAtA/w300-h400/Workshop.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butterflies in progress</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>I played with various mediums and discovered a few basic principles in creating gingko leaf butterflies:</div><div><br /></div><div>• Always split the stem into antennae when fresh-picked (otherwise it will be too brittle to split)</div><div>• Acrylic paint is the only medium I tried that worked; pens and markers do not</div><div>• Create a base layer of color first and let it dry before adding the decorative details</div><div>• Metallic acrylics produced my favorite results</div><div>• I used little blobs of museum wax to affix to trees; scotch tape would be an alternative</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqWAvcoCRmvz1QzRYeml7FqcVxOwWb1zBNkD9bDRvTAi0pqoYCAW_wpptGJ2FkFEJ7W9MVcRuQURyCN7kqYpulV33NTclttxS4XTco0lOfdLq_HVqrjSmTaHWPPQW9Y34CQcoRV8wi-0u2oH7DSJ8vo8Lp-btq-jJ8vvIwy2dg2_9BXhPvMFAQR9-xw/s742/Board2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="742" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqWAvcoCRmvz1QzRYeml7FqcVxOwWb1zBNkD9bDRvTAi0pqoYCAW_wpptGJ2FkFEJ7W9MVcRuQURyCN7kqYpulV33NTclttxS4XTco0lOfdLq_HVqrjSmTaHWPPQW9Y34CQcoRV8wi-0u2oH7DSJ8vo8Lp-btq-jJ8vvIwy2dg2_9BXhPvMFAQR9-xw/w400-h324/Board2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metallics</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsWxxYfcOTtdu9vv_XuQQwGC1_vmy7w1BerYcPmpCMA2HPmHadNxexiJPkdCxhW71oz-ysh6JqUwYCKMSPlIofJ9cwqKFDKnwfgBAbCw2svGP0p2QVxNKRKK1mWIasdjEbvEh-kNTKwPjTA3KSnNqOrfeL_LjEP1fa0o3-KO0fl4bjdLFrH0lnOtAUA/s756/Board1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="756" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsWxxYfcOTtdu9vv_XuQQwGC1_vmy7w1BerYcPmpCMA2HPmHadNxexiJPkdCxhW71oz-ysh6JqUwYCKMSPlIofJ9cwqKFDKnwfgBAbCw2svGP0p2QVxNKRKK1mWIasdjEbvEh-kNTKwPjTA3KSnNqOrfeL_LjEP1fa0o3-KO0fl4bjdLFrH0lnOtAUA/w400-h311/Board1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mixed metallic and regular</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The installation's focus is on attention to detail, beauty, curiosity and wonder. My hopes for viewer participation are as follows:</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCc9yylIdAxzFp7cQiWMEwICgbTJUnnXYvi0nrM0gNUnelapsy7wBMWbaxMYQxmyNaSRWjS74ySQzhgvk0qaCJ_6Ayu3ufxFcMC8AwXdzX1ge1hx1bFcbq2gx8xxphmJ1z6WKWSfX0ib0oN8X94jZ7ymkncrE6jCu-OkRWBcUCKycW8d0A-Y2icfO8g/s797/Notice1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="598" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCc9yylIdAxzFp7cQiWMEwICgbTJUnnXYvi0nrM0gNUnelapsy7wBMWbaxMYQxmyNaSRWjS74ySQzhgvk0qaCJ_6Ayu3ufxFcMC8AwXdzX1ge1hx1bFcbq2gx8xxphmJ1z6WKWSfX0ib0oN8X94jZ7ymkncrE6jCu-OkRWBcUCKycW8d0A-Y2icfO8g/w300-h400/Notice1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1. Notice: What is that? A butterfly?</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtV9gL86gNePMEqs-yW9h9UJHZma_A7ceFAWzr5Zwuows9ppkcCiwEs_7SBqO30fV6ZOkTY-qiT3BHdJIcljbpadhmQ40mzzeJJVsOt7WMlluSxwJwrQZjdPpdzsgMzv3NsxyFhybg-Xm-A9aU58-tPtq_ZPd0YKJvthpDdGNHrFKD6a22zbMYXgZvA/s768/Notice2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtV9gL86gNePMEqs-yW9h9UJHZma_A7ceFAWzr5Zwuows9ppkcCiwEs_7SBqO30fV6ZOkTY-qiT3BHdJIcljbpadhmQ40mzzeJJVsOt7WMlluSxwJwrQZjdPpdzsgMzv3NsxyFhybg-Xm-A9aU58-tPtq_ZPd0YKJvthpDdGNHrFKD6a22zbMYXgZvA/w300-h400/Notice2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2: Curiosity: Wait a minute, is it real?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDt_QYHM-pU1FzgTZ7KEXeC8BfZqtRQfjulvA31yygnW18JWiFGlGecqT1SqCzHbkj0LvHRRKzLTduCbbRVQJ0pQX082mO7OWTLaGgBzMiTnxvCgFXEoZzcTzuyZnsN6dZc3KfWku90C2gs3e9j1isr4QxDfhb_DnuYaJIdQyuX3MIBUb3sznaKCIc1w/s768/Notice3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDt_QYHM-pU1FzgTZ7KEXeC8BfZqtRQfjulvA31yygnW18JWiFGlGecqT1SqCzHbkj0LvHRRKzLTduCbbRVQJ0pQX082mO7OWTLaGgBzMiTnxvCgFXEoZzcTzuyZnsN6dZc3KfWku90C2gs3e9j1isr4QxDfhb_DnuYaJIdQyuX3MIBUb3sznaKCIc1w/w300-h400/Notice3.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3. Awe and wonder: It's a leaf! A gingko leaf on this beautiful gingko tree...</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Below are a handful of photographs of the butterflies installed on the trunks of the gingko trees at the edge of the lake.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NyUmf9FdP-tpQPZzU07lWvzXVgEG-AQPrg2h9slPGzwDK0RNJ2uX0Iges0tS-iiHAf3GX8bLocz0PGWwS-QRk4Wsen_5XZWZzADZkTemiFxFaqPEwISKq0V2SHXaYgXDADyGMqqQB551lUZfjCLOEeZBWxv_wfOvNwcngYVDPhXHLhD9zfl05MckCw/s844/Butt1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NyUmf9FdP-tpQPZzU07lWvzXVgEG-AQPrg2h9slPGzwDK0RNJ2uX0Iges0tS-iiHAf3GX8bLocz0PGWwS-QRk4Wsen_5XZWZzADZkTemiFxFaqPEwISKq0V2SHXaYgXDADyGMqqQB551lUZfjCLOEeZBWxv_wfOvNwcngYVDPhXHLhD9zfl05MckCw/w273-h400/Butt1.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrux8PPARGdpJ3iS_wVFrk1tYhoMOkdWIuWqSEN1DG-uPlNWEVOtDfsmfwkSMgQyOXN6vt7hmFVrA9UZF-e9Vyf6RT45ShktPsKTuJQ03R6X7g7dVfmbFplTxIoQuElRDX-W_LQgayPcb_vxvoNU61gu3ZibR8fEX0z3DkgbAC8aOyKBFzZwrN9GlsSQ/s731/Butt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="598" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrux8PPARGdpJ3iS_wVFrk1tYhoMOkdWIuWqSEN1DG-uPlNWEVOtDfsmfwkSMgQyOXN6vt7hmFVrA9UZF-e9Vyf6RT45ShktPsKTuJQ03R6X7g7dVfmbFplTxIoQuElRDX-W_LQgayPcb_vxvoNU61gu3ZibR8fEX0z3DkgbAC8aOyKBFzZwrN9GlsSQ/w328-h400/Butt2.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYphE6feWvyvmoHx_T2asgqEvZjsW0a0xPK7_enh0G10LsvKFAmtfoQSZi7qEdXT1RcQK2tPbLpwUDyXiSMlNGuNkFGa0OvBNkzaLmj8FKj9KC8Z66s-kBCkvvZXmTy-EgFxQg3Htkq-2vaPJJbpcRHvZ1nJtGHrFuBUVmWc9mUItz_QeT0YIF1JrlPg/s710/Butt3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="598" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYphE6feWvyvmoHx_T2asgqEvZjsW0a0xPK7_enh0G10LsvKFAmtfoQSZi7qEdXT1RcQK2tPbLpwUDyXiSMlNGuNkFGa0OvBNkzaLmj8FKj9KC8Z66s-kBCkvvZXmTy-EgFxQg3Htkq-2vaPJJbpcRHvZ1nJtGHrFuBUVmWc9mUItz_QeT0YIF1JrlPg/w338-h400/Butt3.jpg" width="338" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8N-dUw36Xi2xGgSewMFGQqRrvQkO65s703Z15vWlq5y5iyHO9N1hftg0dq_3by2Sg4mQ8mAYRVXfhUd1cvA4GHSOesPIAnUeboivP2e3UwCoPraQmd5Ooau72ySutSueCZ1yIkcsc6nz5Ft_NASt6Jl3Qqyn_DNwRi8D8ZHG7reTD-i5DAVk__D0klw/s648/Butt4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="648" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8N-dUw36Xi2xGgSewMFGQqRrvQkO65s703Z15vWlq5y5iyHO9N1hftg0dq_3by2Sg4mQ8mAYRVXfhUd1cvA4GHSOesPIAnUeboivP2e3UwCoPraQmd5Ooau72ySutSueCZ1yIkcsc6nz5Ft_NASt6Jl3Qqyn_DNwRi8D8ZHG7reTD-i5DAVk__D0klw/w400-h381/Butt4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8lzR3alPdF5AV3eFdo7dl8kFn4Ez8fbZIfERF13VkJv3lUEBtT6wSZjfrFsB0GuFVhN8QsrGcbfvOfW72yuMoBPuyg9a882YZ8HWWHqHxvQuEDJ9jb7gsVqs7egdnJlVTzfVWI3K2hKnFgFidFvVLcxSoPvdk-JQpClcr6NgB_qANjruNNGz39MqdQ/s696/Butt5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8lzR3alPdF5AV3eFdo7dl8kFn4Ez8fbZIfERF13VkJv3lUEBtT6wSZjfrFsB0GuFVhN8QsrGcbfvOfW72yuMoBPuyg9a882YZ8HWWHqHxvQuEDJ9jb7gsVqs7egdnJlVTzfVWI3K2hKnFgFidFvVLcxSoPvdk-JQpClcr6NgB_qANjruNNGz39MqdQ/w373-h400/Butt5.jpg" width="373" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7vGieLt9iaJPqJR6gMzrGHGWE7OHfAPgLN0LSUjRb-9lvlmGUu8ie7GFmFKno8CZt4-s13wAf7BGyxF37rL9cFrBMMQBF1YUYGxT5G4YDe2N1JF8t6oO6bmy6V6EjaTj7DMTpuUZEoH55saN7fat_xxVcBbgoyvxgBHp_qj7vms3djicVcKK4Hs0zw/s681/Butt6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7vGieLt9iaJPqJR6gMzrGHGWE7OHfAPgLN0LSUjRb-9lvlmGUu8ie7GFmFKno8CZt4-s13wAf7BGyxF37rL9cFrBMMQBF1YUYGxT5G4YDe2N1JF8t6oO6bmy6V6EjaTj7DMTpuUZEoH55saN7fat_xxVcBbgoyvxgBHp_qj7vms3djicVcKK4Hs0zw/w380-h400/Butt6.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For those wondering whether I lurk around post-installation to see the results, the answer is no. Whether it is little people vacationing in a pothole, or a miniature luxury apartment for rent installed in a newsstand, the idea is to set it up and walk away. I have done my part, let the world carry on. During this install I got caught in a passers-by back-flow by surprise. By the time I had finished posting butterflies at the far end of the block, strollers were already noticing and stopping to inspect the first ones posted. A nice surprise since my curmudgeonly expectation is that most people walk around blind to their surroundings. </div><br />Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-28006210410294999672023-06-02T13:47:00.002-07:002023-06-02T13:47:47.694-07:00Folding Time With Cake and Cigarettes<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMK8ZhRks5foxebw4_Bw8Z75B-PPuUsFiidl42ONJ8SpvEpVp67aHja_sgpxKwiDjbaYJ-PDkzLS83Cxf1UMVzBnJoYsZASSPN6BwrHhiSfcgWGrfiu5jq_jVcEo11zHc3vxyD0xoEtZCj8FanYGioAEulpy6wkcaAbmQO0DvkecS2MVw6CnpTzdV86A/s768/Start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMK8ZhRks5foxebw4_Bw8Z75B-PPuUsFiidl42ONJ8SpvEpVp67aHja_sgpxKwiDjbaYJ-PDkzLS83Cxf1UMVzBnJoYsZASSPN6BwrHhiSfcgWGrfiu5jq_jVcEo11zHc3vxyD0xoEtZCj8FanYGioAEulpy6wkcaAbmQO0DvkecS2MVw6CnpTzdV86A/w300-h400/Start.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Anyone else fascinated by the idea proposed by physicists that time doesn't really exist? I certainly am, and spent time reading several dense but informative article explaining the idea from the quantum perspective. . . and then tossed those aside and launched into this ephemeral installation of public art.<div><br /></div><div>Forty or so years ago, I regularly rented a little house on the island of Ios in Greece (before the island had cars, electricity, or running water back in the valley where my house was situated). I kept returning over a period of 20 years, and my landlord was a fisherman so prototypically Greek that he appeared mending his nets on one of the most popular postcards in Greece at the time. I became friends with his family over the years and when Panayiotis asked if I could paint a sign for their cafe at one end of Milipotas beach I said, "Sure!" I asked what he wanted the sign to say and he said, "Cake and cigarettes," which struck me as a sort of quintessential, slightly evil form of word play or poetry. It delighted me. I made the sign and they hung it on the outdoor terrace to lure people in from the beach.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMh3M_3ZcadzY4le88A9pGTj3RgK3vkle5cJGEs1eybBiIjVOAwSGvPmuj9YjoGF4yAEKDfBYUMdUWjo0HfGCQeiL3YhG7gt8RBH0VqIXEXlvcIu_AP_OUWLrvwsSalXhhNAJ8tAeu_e6cfMv8HQ7mTbLoQxcJRkXDRXlH9jKiNmr4CGBJRdu2J7OtA/s792/Prepstage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="792" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMh3M_3ZcadzY4le88A9pGTj3RgK3vkle5cJGEs1eybBiIjVOAwSGvPmuj9YjoGF4yAEKDfBYUMdUWjo0HfGCQeiL3YhG7gt8RBH0VqIXEXlvcIu_AP_OUWLrvwsSalXhhNAJ8tAeu_e6cfMv8HQ7mTbLoQxcJRkXDRXlH9jKiNmr4CGBJRdu2J7OtA/w400-h265/Prepstage.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signs in progress - 2023 time zone</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After a trip to the paint store to get just the right shade of Mediterranean blue used everywhere on the islands in the Cyclades, I set out to fold time by recreating the sign and using it as a time travel/ transposition tool. Then I headed out to Lake Merritt in Oakland to amuse myself, engage the public, and outwit the physicists.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfE1XUVabH_h42c3ebU6SBV8OVLds74Lp1_eRzAj5BaMwznX_jybZFhSalifjMkCmVA2J_WOT2oeFD3mxSoIexsscPfGwBv041ZDlR3NFipQIoQCLvpy4k2MXozAR1A_VVWeemU3P5rD3bzL60CqN9WmOsGKQBJUu4ERFbWD22tdNUom1jyu86L-wssA/s768/colA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfE1XUVabH_h42c3ebU6SBV8OVLds74Lp1_eRzAj5BaMwznX_jybZFhSalifjMkCmVA2J_WOT2oeFD3mxSoIexsscPfGwBv041ZDlR3NFipQIoQCLvpy4k2MXozAR1A_VVWeemU3P5rD3bzL60CqN9WmOsGKQBJUu4ERFbWD22tdNUom1jyu86L-wssA/w300-h400/colA.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Oakland native tries time traveling</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Near the colonnade at the top of the lake, I was trying to figure out where to post the sign so I could then step back and take covert photos of the time warp process. I immediately encountered Darnell, who had settled into a folding chair to enjoy a cigarette. He thought the sign was funny, enjoyed the story behind it, and after posing obligingly for the photo above, became a co-director of the shoot, though he was worried that our biggest problem was going to be people coming up wanting to buy cake and cigarettes. I noted that what I really wanted was a shot of the sign with the drum circle that assembled at the colonnade every weekend, but was uneasy about intruding on that scene., Darnell announced, "Well, those drums belong to me, and I think the sign should be hung on that post right above the drummers."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">He grabbed the sign and posted it exactly where he thought it should be.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NUt0ZbecT5GOEUHWrW3Ya9yqlTbKEuNiHr2YopSD7QnADDaq45wOfPu-0HNDPW7FEIeqMl5cDe4H08OihBjWvIti9vEeEHIjQ_wZt4Up2N06yxsWU6VqBp-oqR3tpYtfq5gjKdlgP60xuYGMQWeAYrVJOiL8M1diSKWd7kytE4dxFAzuNr0q9dcHTg/s768/colC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NUt0ZbecT5GOEUHWrW3Ya9yqlTbKEuNiHr2YopSD7QnADDaq45wOfPu-0HNDPW7FEIeqMl5cDe4H08OihBjWvIti9vEeEHIjQ_wZt4Up2N06yxsWU6VqBp-oqR3tpYtfq5gjKdlgP60xuYGMQWeAYrVJOiL8M1diSKWd7kytE4dxFAzuNr0q9dcHTg/w300-h400/colC.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A good time was had by all, and when the session concluded I reposted the sign just inside the colonnade for a series of people shots.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhiCJXNZxnEDxSZ9DU08cAfrx8DhBaJGhDbH61nJYOe1QS0lRkTJQzcXoFt7bU7ocyntdJR_EEvH2jKOpDwT-cKOpvDBKSD_vuPZuO6_h_siu6O4aLGpXenlSRAPJLkFrZNSSE6jyjbvxh-a-cXgxP8iu1-4-6gyXl7mJIAgW5zFZ-_22TgSttrRZyQ/s765/ColD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhiCJXNZxnEDxSZ9DU08cAfrx8DhBaJGhDbH61nJYOe1QS0lRkTJQzcXoFt7bU7ocyntdJR_EEvH2jKOpDwT-cKOpvDBKSD_vuPZuO6_h_siu6O4aLGpXenlSRAPJLkFrZNSSE6jyjbvxh-a-cXgxP8iu1-4-6gyXl7mJIAgW5zFZ-_22TgSttrRZyQ/w301-h400/ColD.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCyc3sztIJN1VgdOHpkKZKLEJcAwshmMGw4wI6E-7N-2dp5JvGiuQ932vWisJiE1_39Qf4x6mXzja7r_EDMwFNpoM6PJu2mMLKpW8kgsYuEIVV-1yjOknG-minFmSS2DyvEEM-q0AkKzTqGA2bRlrRGzfKff8FWlnqN8ETvJEGFnwDO-4ol4fgiCjXg/s671/ColE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="504" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCyc3sztIJN1VgdOHpkKZKLEJcAwshmMGw4wI6E-7N-2dp5JvGiuQ932vWisJiE1_39Qf4x6mXzja7r_EDMwFNpoM6PJu2mMLKpW8kgsYuEIVV-1yjOknG-minFmSS2DyvEEM-q0AkKzTqGA2bRlrRGzfKff8FWlnqN8ETvJEGFnwDO-4ol4fgiCjXg/w300-h400/ColE.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Why do all of this? What is the point? Every once in a while when I wake up in the morning the world seems like a dismal, boring, unfriendly place. That is the point at which I turn to public art installations. If nothing else, it makes the world more interesting to me. And I get to meet people like Darnell.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div> </div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-8163017179621870082023-03-11T14:49:00.000-08:002023-03-11T14:49:52.265-08:00Playing with Rust Printing<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFdza9cmRLavmJvWIZ0rOJXI9qM1zTyTYAjF5Y5j_Dt5b5dCOZzkDTXoPmR6v4EREE3ALzOYxtvzB9WXCNcXRoZSeO2erikKeSMa6Qht2g7RSuHw6azpWQiSi9Cl_5qE3H_yVMwkwRJqFl0snVXXrTn7inZef0h1bAmVT3OsZMujftMEYUQFyrlmtNg/s749/rustspiritcloth.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="749" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFdza9cmRLavmJvWIZ0rOJXI9qM1zTyTYAjF5Y5j_Dt5b5dCOZzkDTXoPmR6v4EREE3ALzOYxtvzB9WXCNcXRoZSeO2erikKeSMa6Qht2g7RSuHw6azpWQiSi9Cl_5qE3H_yVMwkwRJqFl0snVXXrTn7inZef0h1bAmVT3OsZMujftMEYUQFyrlmtNg/w400-h320/rustspiritcloth.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rust-printed cloth and sashimi stitching</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The hardest part of rust printing is building a stash of rust pieces. The rest of the process is pure experimentation and joy. In fact, collecting rust can be a joyous process in itself. My personal stash of rust has been assembled over the past forty years during walks through industrial districts and combing for junk while strolling along railroad tracks. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Process</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceEXfaxcWZCN24Gi2ZiUHgr6EN0ZNxWJIdOUg5NVOT5UQ1541c5mwLisB8Pt5YrbYqgZ0F0MTKQKm8v54aZvyvxhWagMc_7vHPZeQrSSeWbNklwsTlmipjqfXFsa5FeWBFODv0svlzv9DDxPjHSUavS0SYlGf7-R1LpuAMt8yWeX5o7521M1GWwiU8w/s792/Rustpieces.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="792" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceEXfaxcWZCN24Gi2ZiUHgr6EN0ZNxWJIdOUg5NVOT5UQ1541c5mwLisB8Pt5YrbYqgZ0F0MTKQKm8v54aZvyvxhWagMc_7vHPZeQrSSeWbNklwsTlmipjqfXFsa5FeWBFODv0svlzv9DDxPjHSUavS0SYlGf7-R1LpuAMt8yWeX5o7521M1GWwiU8w/w400-h256/Rustpieces.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rust pieces</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">There are a number of slight variations on the rust-printing process you can find through googling. After experimenting, I found the simplest to be best:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">• Prepare a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">• Lay down a protective layer of plastic (I used cut-up recycled plastic bags), and reserve an equal amount of plastic to use as a top layer to keep the whole thing moist while the rusting magic goes on. Arrange a layer of cloth or paper. Spray all of this generously with your vinegar mix.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymmA_Y8qIqhz7tUixuKp5qrBJ6TrCbIrFs88LP_wI2xGuvO4d8kR2ALPl-E-kGMbhhcGpSbTd0xAK53g64H3CYC_KyeGbT-Yi5DvUoeg11fN3cG7xqzHhJKf0lh7KBNU1sHE1fhUzz5IxX6rBVWrjE4WytInMdUsfCPsG7mLGUOthwQZEBVQbKc1gKQ/s714/ProcessA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymmA_Y8qIqhz7tUixuKp5qrBJ6TrCbIrFs88LP_wI2xGuvO4d8kR2ALPl-E-kGMbhhcGpSbTd0xAK53g64H3CYC_KyeGbT-Yi5DvUoeg11fN3cG7xqzHhJKf0lh7KBNU1sHE1fhUzz5IxX6rBVWrjE4WytInMdUsfCPsG7mLGUOthwQZEBVQbKc1gKQ/w363-h400/ProcessA.jpg" width="363" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rust between cloth soaked in vinegar and water</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">• Arrange your rust pieces on the cloth or paper. This gives you an illusion of control, but don't kid yourself – the best part of rust printing is that the results are always a surprise. Spray everything again with your vinegar mix.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhez5kO5lmodiAl2OHQxzjdonXpYnHzMDoSOoKhIPCmUjGnBssRApEPGsJrlQpGEt0D9iZ9ZTF2nLj64cNw5CBKMZv1bQPX9_9x7z34tClQ0Cuok_CUfSOHPzJ7VWGQchMF--lvmJVEGjbd6ftMvhBP7wGr487ncXILid7fBpWy-bOl9ews-klBrFhDZA/s792/Process.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="473" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhez5kO5lmodiAl2OHQxzjdonXpYnHzMDoSOoKhIPCmUjGnBssRApEPGsJrlQpGEt0D9iZ9ZTF2nLj64cNw5CBKMZv1bQPX9_9x7z34tClQ0Cuok_CUfSOHPzJ7VWGQchMF--lvmJVEGjbd6ftMvhBP7wGr487ncXILid7fBpWy-bOl9ews-klBrFhDZA/w382-h640/Process.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rust doing its magic</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">• Put down a top protective layer of plastic, and weight the whole thing down with stacks of books (you are going for maximum contact between the irregularly shaped rust and the material being dyed). It has occurred to me that the ideal way to weight things down would be malleable bags of sand, but I haven't tried that yet.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">• At the end of the process, simply wash your dyed cloth thoroughly in a basin of soap and water.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Rust-Dyeing Cloth</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here you can see the results of rust-dyeing the index-card-size strips of cloth shown above. Note that those process photos are showing a technique using a piece of cloth both below and on top of the rust pieces. It is a handy way to double your output, but for all other projects below I stuck with one layer and the protective sheet of plastic, which always goes on top no matter how many layers you have.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This project involves creating another of the pieces I have started calling "<a href="http://stuffyoucanthave.blogspot.com/2022/04/spontaneous-stitching-spirit-cloth.html">spirit cloths</a>," for lack of a better explanation. Making them has become a compulsion.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKfQzRvp6T-dosmeiEC8eu99_OOcdor0XsUGttgpVqFhTyRXeBoq1DxP2zOPFut6NkJp-7p8rcaAqJcjq3cqyXZRhGLAreADYqNzbZRfy8YdWglyhKh1vg78ARcE2NAD_wr7VkmSi6nQYY399TUU3Ouxr75P1lZIvfPFR5y7eW3zjtXwGZVtNL_lS2A/s713/RustclothA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="713" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKfQzRvp6T-dosmeiEC8eu99_OOcdor0XsUGttgpVqFhTyRXeBoq1DxP2zOPFut6NkJp-7p8rcaAqJcjq3cqyXZRhGLAreADYqNzbZRfy8YdWglyhKh1vg78ARcE2NAD_wr7VkmSi6nQYY399TUU3Ouxr75P1lZIvfPFR5y7eW3zjtXwGZVtNL_lS2A/w400-h323/RustclothA.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freshly dyed cloth panels</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1F_y5D7xOTNFNmDssxK4dBhMM8z8abm5e8UJkc62y-OF3eqftf6dyllPiKPCZtGeiQWqrzEE8NyMl0-iUlwdWEz3qrbqk_BD5Gk2VzMwJhSqqIJpakQubs_1I1Fg-enDWuC3Rl5yxS-CpO9T_E_otIVRhjOkRsoN8zZuGQsOjGVe1y1WXfKQQycgxQ/s792/rustspiritcloth2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="792" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1F_y5D7xOTNFNmDssxK4dBhMM8z8abm5e8UJkc62y-OF3eqftf6dyllPiKPCZtGeiQWqrzEE8NyMl0-iUlwdWEz3qrbqk_BD5Gk2VzMwJhSqqIJpakQubs_1I1Fg-enDWuC3Rl5yxS-CpO9T_E_otIVRhjOkRsoN8zZuGQsOjGVe1y1WXfKQQycgxQ/w400-h300/rustspiritcloth2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panels sashiko-stitched together to become spirit cloth</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Paper</h3><div><br /></div><div>Since I was already using index cards as templates for cutting out pieces for the spirit cloth, I figured I may as well experiment with directly printing on the cards themselves. The results were so evocative that I turned to my archives of vintage books containing copyright free images to create a few vaguely cosmic collages.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogcguVs3YQdQnfnIZ_SDACEJPUV0hsoGDfPi16nODO7u6S2UKgaB7ShD5W39MK2Ir1rBfl_KoubePFHhbS-U1Y9v7iF9leZxqDgpsFtqfpvS8WbUQ4VknYNEOIUgdjy9kXhsdQU9cK4uoKaOIy0Syv8Wu9fj5YOGRYl91vba9zD9WRcfI9pzGnjrYWA/s817/RustpaperA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogcguVs3YQdQnfnIZ_SDACEJPUV0hsoGDfPi16nODO7u6S2UKgaB7ShD5W39MK2Ir1rBfl_KoubePFHhbS-U1Y9v7iF9leZxqDgpsFtqfpvS8WbUQ4VknYNEOIUgdjy9kXhsdQU9cK4uoKaOIy0Syv8Wu9fj5YOGRYl91vba9zD9WRcfI9pzGnjrYWA/w394-h640/RustpaperA.jpg" width="394" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Space cowboy"</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbXztTFMa5zEtxlHEmaMjsFErXtDXflpQxJ3YfnAEH7qUjmSddXv1T83Qpg7BbKAsR4hXKHBGCQqpRJ7DqBkcLNjgKiFa2rVuZybE7inG8Xksi90ZDDC4W2TTzGU51Ku6Qvo0E4TDNURkvZ0WmegII8jilE1nNn6tfyHCmfb9dZnY2CEhlU6V5HaOGQ/s802/RustpaperB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbXztTFMa5zEtxlHEmaMjsFErXtDXflpQxJ3YfnAEH7qUjmSddXv1T83Qpg7BbKAsR4hXKHBGCQqpRJ7DqBkcLNjgKiFa2rVuZybE7inG8Xksi90ZDDC4W2TTzGU51Ku6Qvo0E4TDNURkvZ0WmegII8jilE1nNn6tfyHCmfb9dZnY2CEhlU6V5HaOGQ/w402-h640/RustpaperB.jpg" width="402" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Playing with the matter of the universe"<br />(or: How were you picturing a higher power?)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIsHhIkkvzde8DNGUaGIL5xj3NIXVsEHzfnBaFAZopE2p2b54l7-NID6KLxuYWIF98QRHWxeQbbtUDR75Af8UUhk4TeNPoTmU86jskXaoovzeDpjVDF2Oe01V9eoYMHTO9fl1mL5kt7lxvXLTgKbZnB8tZrtZT_yg-8VrC-xuQxMZVcNcK2mJeTHWsg/s792/RustpaperD.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="792" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIsHhIkkvzde8DNGUaGIL5xj3NIXVsEHzfnBaFAZopE2p2b54l7-NID6KLxuYWIF98QRHWxeQbbtUDR75Af8UUhk4TeNPoTmU86jskXaoovzeDpjVDF2Oe01V9eoYMHTO9fl1mL5kt7lxvXLTgKbZnB8tZrtZT_yg-8VrC-xuQxMZVcNcK2mJeTHWsg/w400-h245/RustpaperD.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Galactic communication"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Rust-Dyed Clothing</h3><div><br /></div><div>And finally (for now) we have rust-dyeing on up-cycled thrift store clothing. This is a standard man's business shirt, with the collar removed (carefully pick out original stitching, remove collar, restitch closed). The trick here was to do it in sections and to use weights to hold the shirt in place so the whole mess didn't go sliding off the table. I restricted the dyeing to the bottom edge of the shirt. That dye creeping up the front placket was an unexpected, but not unwelcome accident.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDdtmsSX8f1ojnh2Zw3xHRDccrR0Sp0UgnersojKiK5m6ohFOo1K6O78QjEOHsB2BeTK5hI-1ODCGCzpTPYMxfuYzo80jvJNuLHG_EWGG0qeOwGtAfOdn5-SVQ6hrs7rkgNyKI5G7EvkMyjw_96rdrMxP-k7fKp_yR3s9iqQ01c82ZAU3soxEok8RYQ/s790/rustshirtfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDdtmsSX8f1ojnh2Zw3xHRDccrR0Sp0UgnersojKiK5m6ohFOo1K6O78QjEOHsB2BeTK5hI-1ODCGCzpTPYMxfuYzo80jvJNuLHG_EWGG0qeOwGtAfOdn5-SVQ6hrs7rkgNyKI5G7EvkMyjw_96rdrMxP-k7fKp_yR3s9iqQ01c82ZAU3soxEok8RYQ/w291-h400/rustshirtfront.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shirt front</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zYeZffGS6BBVsrV25-Lx9crqh00dbp1Mhzexhn8hAFZdrH2GvWeDWAbBMp8J9-czT1GGbipbQmwwxMQm2zV6gl9tsVisCz0RaDgnJbZ49SbkOJbMfd4Lkleuoe9mC8GYpKdD4gYaXZPHHzMZIRLV4-mktWLMb0TZoPiE91WcwSOxrZ_ARo3p7WrWmQ/s792/rustshirtfrontdetail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="792" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3zYeZffGS6BBVsrV25-Lx9crqh00dbp1Mhzexhn8hAFZdrH2GvWeDWAbBMp8J9-czT1GGbipbQmwwxMQm2zV6gl9tsVisCz0RaDgnJbZ49SbkOJbMfd4Lkleuoe9mC8GYpKdD4gYaXZPHHzMZIRLV4-mktWLMb0TZoPiE91WcwSOxrZ_ARo3p7WrWmQ/w400-h300/rustshirtfrontdetail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shirt front detail</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4GQHkyNxqKMKgE9cFkynFXnvZrcsk1OYLMy--GRpbzCg7FngRHj43eVpUGGK0DPzRLz96rPKde1AkVf4CduoDK7G1GwvWNLEyPkGOiiyAx_f-kpVGAF4QKcsVurXoxg6jwK-qPvxzoSCuDzV2OmCJ-fHFdAny_DRimJeInA3xmuc_4NsuGVONVY2og/s788/rustshirtback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4GQHkyNxqKMKgE9cFkynFXnvZrcsk1OYLMy--GRpbzCg7FngRHj43eVpUGGK0DPzRLz96rPKde1AkVf4CduoDK7G1GwvWNLEyPkGOiiyAx_f-kpVGAF4QKcsVurXoxg6jwK-qPvxzoSCuDzV2OmCJ-fHFdAny_DRimJeInA3xmuc_4NsuGVONVY2og/w293-h400/rustshirtback.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shirt back</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUgCKWjGZZhs1app1KUPBC2IR66qd67TvkLL3UqmPNPfWLZk2Mrd6s2s1XSEk8Fy7wEMpSY-o5FdyNe26Ph3RNeu49fnYTOdjsNMU6Aixen8eLNcP7M9WdAcVMHQZiJkGIPt5SSBomLls3DzvVwlkcYSye1TtwFx4NHKcpWKeKp86O41CnXuLbDUgJQ/s670/rustshirtbackdetail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUgCKWjGZZhs1app1KUPBC2IR66qd67TvkLL3UqmPNPfWLZk2Mrd6s2s1XSEk8Fy7wEMpSY-o5FdyNe26Ph3RNeu49fnYTOdjsNMU6Aixen8eLNcP7M9WdAcVMHQZiJkGIPt5SSBomLls3DzvVwlkcYSye1TtwFx4NHKcpWKeKp86O41CnXuLbDUgJQ/w386-h400/rustshirtbackdetail.jpg" width="386" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shirt back detail</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Hopefully this will inspire you to do some experimenting of your own, and to wander down gritty alleyways and old barns looking for rust. Your house will stink of vinegar, but who gives a damn?<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-37740105228872725042022-12-22T16:14:00.000-08:002022-12-22T16:14:03.084-08:00The Transcultural Traveling Scarf<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNaUjKv7Tn_-rbbTMeN4KotSD_5wcezhEnlcENuyZ_s0wHhrcON4FlPn8T_hthDv5wzN5p1TJkVRCJDEwnlK9FXifoidGG2i53c8ne451q2hZVqAHaLNt_W0DM5IWTVcjjYx-XgEpRxKOJsnbHpQpGMuv7NjWnkaj_F4vs6NW7PQ_SPGRDUAuma80Fw/s768/scarf1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNaUjKv7Tn_-rbbTMeN4KotSD_5wcezhEnlcENuyZ_s0wHhrcON4FlPn8T_hthDv5wzN5p1TJkVRCJDEwnlK9FXifoidGG2i53c8ne451q2hZVqAHaLNt_W0DM5IWTVcjjYx-XgEpRxKOJsnbHpQpGMuv7NjWnkaj_F4vs6NW7PQ_SPGRDUAuma80Fw/w300-h400/scarf1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does it get any better than floating polkadots?</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>This piece incorporates bits and pieces of textiles found, foraged and gifted over time. The base is part of a thin muslin sari from India. The polkadots are made from cloth scraps from West Africa, Guatemala, and both London and Oakland thrift finds.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeZIce8am8YGzlz3nc06nOARjbb8K_-9NLxfaLAPVJ8CphHGFDGpWban6sWnaXrh-WZVrmWeHsIlIYc6ifLrABE-VxmGZT4j5PWNP-IfjNs6rh4ndJp-hZrw70fqqOlLwke50V0uChprvZinvetZV11FdUJhse9IyayBGAULpi6ILSNdIOGCn40N1nQ/s889/scarf2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUeZIce8am8YGzlz3nc06nOARjbb8K_-9NLxfaLAPVJ8CphHGFDGpWban6sWnaXrh-WZVrmWeHsIlIYc6ifLrABE-VxmGZT4j5PWNP-IfjNs6rh4ndJp-hZrw70fqqOlLwke50V0uChprvZinvetZV11FdUJhse9IyayBGAULpi6ILSNdIOGCn40N1nQ/w362-h640/scarf2.jpg" width="362" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The technique used to create polkadots involves making multiple circular shapes out of card stock. A scrap of fabric is then rough cut to extend about 1/2" beyond the card-stock template. The cloth is then ironed over the template to create a neat polkadot. The template is removed before stitching the polkadot down, and can be used again.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptsCCcpJZXC1OzFvyFOTDFcD6oaztyAUDg328RE3hI002T98UgiPEChqXk3FTAHvEVV8BOLcBMSuEYygraw0viN1C5SORbiXCJArYTsAlGbuBqGYPZGTdCWggzJmy3n43MEvxooz0ABDJ-t_HLZmv8ThSaZnlmNFErI5oNLLjKc7r1Yc0uapCdWaDlw/s889/scarf3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptsCCcpJZXC1OzFvyFOTDFcD6oaztyAUDg328RE3hI002T98UgiPEChqXk3FTAHvEVV8BOLcBMSuEYygraw0viN1C5SORbiXCJArYTsAlGbuBqGYPZGTdCWggzJmy3n43MEvxooz0ABDJ-t_HLZmv8ThSaZnlmNFErI5oNLLjKc7r1Yc0uapCdWaDlw/w362-h640/scarf3.jpg" width="362" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creating polkadots</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVeK-_T8CmUnDPDSJdBBmKjnq-iXgb_wK0GuG4SiZRWz1oDoasY0vC6c6D-ZCrUGQR33LMMhZiygl5frakDWKFuCY9ziPx0JrTJiST0EowzzbQYrvy-7DTxxZWOh5PCvRWvJKn-2XUgeIbN43diFVnqjxJ0O91y5Ey5d48Ulqr5ePn3TT3YVn5KdZZA/s666/scarf4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVeK-_T8CmUnDPDSJdBBmKjnq-iXgb_wK0GuG4SiZRWz1oDoasY0vC6c6D-ZCrUGQR33LMMhZiygl5frakDWKFuCY9ziPx0JrTJiST0EowzzbQYrvy-7DTxxZWOh5PCvRWvJKn-2XUgeIbN43diFVnqjxJ0O91y5Ey5d48Ulqr5ePn3TT3YVn5KdZZA/w389-h400/scarf4.jpg" width="389" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ironing down the edges</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniUEQ7YmWEdiciz_23aK39FUHSKkAvqMzCt1zAxfadqoWQvz_CdWzFt64gYOLCYrpbOy07QsxAqNyeSKcB97TK0nWoEJz5rnVrFhDD7joD_-IXP5TZftn1eSdTKJiE1PRt2-EzLR3OndnLxGgWqpCzZt2OpGlRAp3aJQ0-PZYLy42po7rTleW1LMe7Q/s643/scarf5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniUEQ7YmWEdiciz_23aK39FUHSKkAvqMzCt1zAxfadqoWQvz_CdWzFt64gYOLCYrpbOy07QsxAqNyeSKcB97TK0nWoEJz5rnVrFhDD7joD_-IXP5TZftn1eSdTKJiE1PRt2-EzLR3OndnLxGgWqpCzZt2OpGlRAp3aJQ0-PZYLy42po7rTleW1LMe7Q/w359-h400/scarf5.jpg" width="359" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished polkadot backside</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVMIOV9WTauZIdIpW8bUhMWpJ1uvaBEuZb1-KwXnkhjuGcQRnWt_HfKw8DiuY5-RI4KZZrYYe8N3LFuvz9DAOCsxdHqa1pl1hzmTPSb45n90zJNYd1oFmOXTJrw1SD1T1fW_mWShq1VGHS49pLrlLAqRBhrRoYTZcDwm7HPEt2onOX44KJSPN0IRmqg/s770/scarf6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="770" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVMIOV9WTauZIdIpW8bUhMWpJ1uvaBEuZb1-KwXnkhjuGcQRnWt_HfKw8DiuY5-RI4KZZrYYe8N3LFuvz9DAOCsxdHqa1pl1hzmTPSb45n90zJNYd1oFmOXTJrw1SD1T1fW_mWShq1VGHS49pLrlLAqRBhrRoYTZcDwm7HPEt2onOX44KJSPN0IRmqg/w400-h300/scarf6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The polkadots were attached by pick-stitching around each edge, working from the back of the scarf.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQotnkGuJaMNFl5pjpuoJuB9NlFb2-DeOcwSFzknddvWJEwQnuqe2dyvrqJlP9GAX32XmM0vLeVOfeO5kUVqbFOCMiaotIrQFCv7-qGBNRDqeR4FkwoDkWeR726P_Oz0OdN7LA1sk2gIeBzNPcU5ljcSfD05ipqlUS-qy0M4IpL2wQHXSjIshzbBmJw/s768/scarf7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQotnkGuJaMNFl5pjpuoJuB9NlFb2-DeOcwSFzknddvWJEwQnuqe2dyvrqJlP9GAX32XmM0vLeVOfeO5kUVqbFOCMiaotIrQFCv7-qGBNRDqeR4FkwoDkWeR726P_Oz0OdN7LA1sk2gIeBzNPcU5ljcSfD05ipqlUS-qy0M4IpL2wQHXSjIshzbBmJw/w300-h400/scarf7.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Invisible" pick-stitching from back</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>As this is being written, the scarf is winging its way to London - and from there to who knows where.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi360wdeuL4jyIgSgrR6Av-fw7gVxqYwI1ViHjWFE906cRGhJbbePcrzbSN8YD-ch5sxqvyHw-on3IRN6FsNk7xiRaJyIlnrfcARdIgQEQme22MyTSkSn2J1YoNtBWBnapJPQstxP5fet7gdnM3aA4UgIMZsuVGqqljkmRsH4SjQSZRLH22fKEq6EQavQ/s947/scarf8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="454" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi360wdeuL4jyIgSgrR6Av-fw7gVxqYwI1ViHjWFE906cRGhJbbePcrzbSN8YD-ch5sxqvyHw-on3IRN6FsNk7xiRaJyIlnrfcARdIgQEQme22MyTSkSn2J1YoNtBWBnapJPQstxP5fet7gdnM3aA4UgIMZsuVGqqljkmRsH4SjQSZRLH22fKEq6EQavQ/w306-h640/scarf8.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to hit the road</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-8087105750578165942022-12-03T11:34:00.000-08:002022-12-03T11:34:02.929-08:00Pimp Your TV: The Flatscreen Version<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0T_5MBJG2jGqvu-XF-KdDFcDsTM5hfFUw7Tl7KLPf00puqsJNTxTf2bC5Q7G3qOANX6idCf84rsfQj3vIxSygw7q4RZjqtMhKbr2WFTkM54Qh8WeNi7LyHA4JpJquC1wRTAe4uLncU5M-RutNPHcqT2ENzY0fRlS874UV2k6wtj-DftAgYdo9YpVdgw/s720/tvbrown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="720" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0T_5MBJG2jGqvu-XF-KdDFcDsTM5hfFUw7Tl7KLPf00puqsJNTxTf2bC5Q7G3qOANX6idCf84rsfQj3vIxSygw7q4RZjqtMhKbr2WFTkM54Qh8WeNi7LyHA4JpJquC1wRTAe4uLncU5M-RutNPHcqT2ENzY0fRlS874UV2k6wtj-DftAgYdo9YpVdgw/w400-h326/tvbrown.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mixed assemblage: "Waiting"</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>When my clunky, decades-old tube TV finally bit the dust and I reluctantly replaced it with a flatscreen version, it took exactly 13 days before I simply couldn't stand having a soulless hunk of technology in my environment. Clearly it was time for <a href="https://stuffyoucanthave.blogspot.com/search?q=pimp+tv">Pimp Your TV</a> #4.<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5pKRubKI1_dNdoizUnl9KhlBV4QyPQK84Mh1XsYnRFq2wlDt9UEG7CgvG6xfMnAzCCh_mRszAm6xBIfBMCJdxzyTm8wCJm4JSzyxHY87_TfgpzQHLNVXJN-07TtnMCosyptbMAfRIznGvbtnYMBvj9mNu90FYe_iXd2nGFcynIU2HP_cPUeF6Y-Frw/s792/waiting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="792" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5pKRubKI1_dNdoizUnl9KhlBV4QyPQK84Mh1XsYnRFq2wlDt9UEG7CgvG6xfMnAzCCh_mRszAm6xBIfBMCJdxzyTm8wCJm4JSzyxHY87_TfgpzQHLNVXJN-07TtnMCosyptbMAfRIznGvbtnYMBvj9mNu90FYe_iXd2nGFcynIU2HP_cPUeF6Y-Frw/w400-h263/waiting.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage typewriter keys, wood detail from antique Chinese lantern</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5n6twrKowis7EqBtbs73maAy6cclL8DIpaA2g057YbsorIhtRM6PCzgP7n6-juDUgsw49W-xKPUaXQCvZknssdC_r5MooLgcHEJSAvRbAFPKT2DWCnXwvrjj3LvUTMQOpEwY2t_dUzZ-eD9J_ggHuB6_XHfUen58daQ69ClZQbCtXxTFjDEUzLU01Q/s648/peoplewaiting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="648" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5n6twrKowis7EqBtbs73maAy6cclL8DIpaA2g057YbsorIhtRM6PCzgP7n6-juDUgsw49W-xKPUaXQCvZknssdC_r5MooLgcHEJSAvRbAFPKT2DWCnXwvrjj3LvUTMQOpEwY2t_dUzZ-eD9J_ggHuB6_XHfUen58daQ69ClZQbCtXxTFjDEUzLU01Q/w400-h371/peoplewaiting.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny model railroad figures painted copper</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7esyJosQnKc2segqRfhS09ShiWbG7MXJKIc6qoSe55V28-Ek4ctuYvZ-tAgAkTtTh1ng9lLGtGpK86L2o_zMDuhG9nXRxF6RXGCd4YKOonu5AI5fZOg0SoCwhZLgRdoDQvsdGgal2FlkBhILzLJncLPUERRDHuYfRXzDWD0Dp1_OC1kSLom7aofeDlQ/s697/stapledemo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7esyJosQnKc2segqRfhS09ShiWbG7MXJKIc6qoSe55V28-Ek4ctuYvZ-tAgAkTtTh1ng9lLGtGpK86L2o_zMDuhG9nXRxF6RXGCd4YKOonu5AI5fZOg0SoCwhZLgRdoDQvsdGgal2FlkBhILzLJncLPUERRDHuYfRXzDWD0Dp1_OC1kSLom7aofeDlQ/w373-h400/stapledemo.jpg" width="373" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magnetized test tube vases for growing herbs</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmd0Nzp2uYXJSgEWlZWLODxlwuA2Mog_MAT1I4yKSfcl3HOCL3UkrZDooubPSAadlLz4z-bz1CDcB4SHbDjLvtUUz6CKiolTzmS3C52pEZELnwro8CSUprSCkRY0R7Bkmga-d2VdKbH3K-ze5TkLTwr7U4a0TSDEbIYV2kcFvB0j8K_L29ZyET6WtplQ/s720/tvinsitu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="720" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmd0Nzp2uYXJSgEWlZWLODxlwuA2Mog_MAT1I4yKSfcl3HOCL3UkrZDooubPSAadlLz4z-bz1CDcB4SHbDjLvtUUz6CKiolTzmS3C52pEZELnwro8CSUprSCkRY0R7Bkmga-d2VdKbH3K-ze5TkLTwr7U4a0TSDEbIYV2kcFvB0j8K_L29ZyET6WtplQ/w400-h329/tvinsitu.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The happy result</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Recycling the Old TV</h3><div><br /></div><div>What to do with the clunky old tube tv? It has been through a lot of iterations during the <a href="https://stuffyoucanthave.blogspot.com/search?q=pimp+tv">Pimp Your TV</a> series over the years.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xAozM44zGsLM_gGwd1WtdTLshjHiGJCR7lYYnAwLkhjtK9hFoRAb1K3fkefFwlSyp0VDvnmbHnVXOnDX3t775tEP9MZvaH-4P_B6F-VuBRwU9kzysJ7HUs5hAvOk3-EgzImGD4CwmUJMXlO_VFoaRFy2Ov-cga9YSbrgxiJ6FVsJohEKsiA2gt0Irw/s910/IMG_5966.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="910" data-original-width="432" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xAozM44zGsLM_gGwd1WtdTLshjHiGJCR7lYYnAwLkhjtK9hFoRAb1K3fkefFwlSyp0VDvnmbHnVXOnDX3t775tEP9MZvaH-4P_B6F-VuBRwU9kzysJ7HUs5hAvOk3-EgzImGD4CwmUJMXlO_VFoaRFy2Ov-cga9YSbrgxiJ6FVsJohEKsiA2gt0Irw/w304-h640/IMG_5966.jpeg" width="304" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The musical extravaganza version</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsQwtN7B8zadi248JhlnG3MeGIxHtD3AK5FDNDIZsCBKCoQ_aD41HPSgFdQRj7bkmULpuaHzfyeFrdCGFtJrOEIpjiTx-4s7j3Nao9xQjpzBrphQHHtTG1oEl3FCnXcz5WiHTnSIMztMvb0NHxr_gI0wyRfqekRVkopomD_vTdYrJZRDgSYCHVU_EMA/s400/IMG_5967.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="299" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsQwtN7B8zadi248JhlnG3MeGIxHtD3AK5FDNDIZsCBKCoQ_aD41HPSgFdQRj7bkmULpuaHzfyeFrdCGFtJrOEIpjiTx-4s7j3Nao9xQjpzBrphQHHtTG1oEl3FCnXcz5WiHTnSIMztMvb0NHxr_gI0wyRfqekRVkopomD_vTdYrJZRDgSYCHVU_EMA/w299-h400/IMG_5967.jpeg" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pink flamingo version</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkqSKLX_6tReObE3gGhytiSFcjzt6jl1ZH7-wjGwjdtW63qEwBqQrB9126SPMi_ffoDuwa-QmNd3XOaOdnDzl5tJgc5Z8jRY7diFp2NUFhzNyuDfPBtDF4LvbLE7V5u7OygfLhUpIHM8pRMnUI4fUiokaDG5iN9z1fE_WHXyEd2ZteNw8I0jVUT9ttQ/s400/IMG_5968.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="286" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkqSKLX_6tReObE3gGhytiSFcjzt6jl1ZH7-wjGwjdtW63qEwBqQrB9126SPMi_ffoDuwa-QmNd3XOaOdnDzl5tJgc5Z8jRY7diFp2NUFhzNyuDfPBtDF4LvbLE7V5u7OygfLhUpIHM8pRMnUI4fUiokaDG5iN9z1fE_WHXyEd2ZteNw8I0jVUT9ttQ/w286-h400/IMG_5968.jpeg" width="286" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Forbidden TV" version</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">After so many years of service throwing it out seemed unthinkable. As a temporary solution, I have turned it into a hallway nightlight, with plans to scribble artwork with a black felt tip marker across the screen at some point down the line.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwZ1tR7nSBNJv3G-XvCKZlFSccD5OnHFmALA7ApqQadXjYIXE_DPc0EuarM50Xf5gDLorT6CXCDbP4OR1WuTN3yUBSrV8qqPEpW-P68rsCu0NkAvX4qdtejFoeLLzH9tLTJqyO0cYkHaIROeQe0ASpl7hAOY1Rr4KTBJ9yhbbvvsHLFOCgXWGBu3UXw/s768/hallway1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwZ1tR7nSBNJv3G-XvCKZlFSccD5OnHFmALA7ApqQadXjYIXE_DPc0EuarM50Xf5gDLorT6CXCDbP4OR1WuTN3yUBSrV8qqPEpW-P68rsCu0NkAvX4qdtejFoeLLzH9tLTJqyO0cYkHaIROeQe0ASpl7hAOY1Rr4KTBJ9yhbbvvsHLFOCgXWGBu3UXw/w300-h400/hallway1b.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hallway installation: daytime view</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincClp71A4d0WaC1h0J1YsmQOKbE2xS1zAJL8vYiU6zba8h5wvcvE9FouDQAr_ThXwF5he-CezamXgBN6l45gPZ01X2ByMTbfi3-NU-ra71kVl1NGCfbtJhI1SOrY_UTbCQAfT_f3Oqrkxy-bpRhe16_dlQ0olipbgxGOXKup9ntEKU3OPk5opjn241Q/s768/hallway1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincClp71A4d0WaC1h0J1YsmQOKbE2xS1zAJL8vYiU6zba8h5wvcvE9FouDQAr_ThXwF5he-CezamXgBN6l45gPZ01X2ByMTbfi3-NU-ra71kVl1NGCfbtJhI1SOrY_UTbCQAfT_f3Oqrkxy-bpRhe16_dlQ0olipbgxGOXKup9ntEKU3OPk5opjn241Q/w300-h400/hallway1a.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nighttime view</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">About Those Magnetized Test Tubes</h3><div><br /></div><div>The magnetized test tubes used in this version of Pimp Your TV have become one of my household standards, and I can't enthuse enough about their usefulness and versatility.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinClcA296gLIJJVCADKYVsQ7BVZn8SOlocoAh_6JOnQnQKUUfCl0XBcBRt4pz4mMIy2N7_62A2VRzz_RGhKPF69vWPzzdsUA3SKnTH9DbE5HhwyqBr0L0hRZUE4QCvQshsah2CX4zbGqt00S8XgAq3GHxk4kcODtSXjfEM0evKiTMHaxfSWukuMu4k0Q/s648/testtubes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="648" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinClcA296gLIJJVCADKYVsQ7BVZn8SOlocoAh_6JOnQnQKUUfCl0XBcBRt4pz4mMIy2N7_62A2VRzz_RGhKPF69vWPzzdsUA3SKnTH9DbE5HhwyqBr0L0hRZUE4QCvQshsah2CX4zbGqt00S8XgAq3GHxk4kcODtSXjfEM0evKiTMHaxfSWukuMu4k0Q/w400-h335/testtubes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magnetized test tubes</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Simply glue small magnets to test tubes. Note that it is critical to use two magnets placed a distance apart on the test tube. Using one magnet will result in your test tube full of water spinning on its axis at the slightest vibration or breath of air, dumping its contents all over your decor. I use clear auto marine sealant (Dow Corning) to attach the magnets. Once you are armed with magnetized test tubes, the sky's the limit!<div><br /></div><div>Below, magnetized test tubes take a basic metal desk lamp from ho-hum to boy howdy.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-cODG_E6kHql0KTn1gRLklSQZzDru6oX5FEuWLhHopW82DEGFnPanEc8JsSLfP6U6bnnIdFIW-recgf2BFiBFJdpCtdpS3yKrGS9ykvbTy80FbobO_mBqtG_uqAHZEA6dfEbjLOTXxAFo092y_wKVDOeGxtFojXp5V3pwzCNn2MoCTAZL31HNfdzcA/s883/testtubelamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="883" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-cODG_E6kHql0KTn1gRLklSQZzDru6oX5FEuWLhHopW82DEGFnPanEc8JsSLfP6U6bnnIdFIW-recgf2BFiBFJdpCtdpS3yKrGS9ykvbTy80FbobO_mBqtG_uqAHZEA6dfEbjLOTXxAFo092y_wKVDOeGxtFojXp5V3pwzCNn2MoCTAZL31HNfdzcA/w366-h640/testtubelamp.jpg" width="366" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Growing rosemary and basil</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNgwEBL7xs69liilfL036bn_sDmjiiCxGonlguKM59OycNvgnYnZI6OEQxoj8kEadNWrA-VCDmyZqZI3HShgPtx6UExR6QUedm569ZI6NmBpLtvl9fEOyo9DqjSmH90txnjXF20bEA_u59gWLag3SvbB6chgT_GODVcEiCfuXcpKoHzlVkqXSFfSMjg/s855/testtubelampcloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="504" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNgwEBL7xs69liilfL036bn_sDmjiiCxGonlguKM59OycNvgnYnZI6OEQxoj8kEadNWrA-VCDmyZqZI3HShgPtx6UExR6QUedm569ZI6NmBpLtvl9fEOyo9DqjSmH90txnjXF20bEA_u59gWLag3SvbB6chgT_GODVcEiCfuXcpKoHzlVkqXSFfSMjg/w236-h400/testtubelampcloseup.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>You will find you start eyeing your environment for likely metal surfaces, like the metal brackets holding these window shelves in place.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGwOE15hwpizu1qxn6CXlJxP4MFyXpPZ_qqDl5ngKMp8kngM790PQBHcop-NATrghZx9OJ_lUWIGq1VTZM0ty4iz3WAAegx0btJ-F2lHGpUVbp-sWDTN2cDLGC5gHSdLPny6KYAPsVuU0jcH7hmjATfgN3g3lsCfLfrJVZX8QWwoAX0vhLpoZqUOxJQ/s874/testtubewindow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="432" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGwOE15hwpizu1qxn6CXlJxP4MFyXpPZ_qqDl5ngKMp8kngM790PQBHcop-NATrghZx9OJ_lUWIGq1VTZM0ty4iz3WAAegx0btJ-F2lHGpUVbp-sWDTN2cDLGC5gHSdLPny6KYAPsVuU0jcH7hmjATfgN3g3lsCfLfrJVZX8QWwoAX0vhLpoZqUOxJQ/w316-h640/testtubewindow.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metal shelf bracket placement</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>And of course, there is always the refrigerator.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOb1IY5tXiI73ajEcNNEtgKgN0QVGbWrjGFmIZM7F5XaWO112Svwlf9SQnCDlo6UHy4Oq7aGtMzdumyTTA9sECJPzmV50_6AxRkf2cFdAP-ZW9lHG7KfbMgiR4NAxKRAZEAGFvc5Fw6Fks-OIzzqxFA6zNsjL9xN2xdFWFCf3_MXzSNjrQbykdrBnhA/s697/testtubefridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="504" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOb1IY5tXiI73ajEcNNEtgKgN0QVGbWrjGFmIZM7F5XaWO112Svwlf9SQnCDlo6UHy4Oq7aGtMzdumyTTA9sECJPzmV50_6AxRkf2cFdAP-ZW9lHG7KfbMgiR4NAxKRAZEAGFvc5Fw6Fks-OIzzqxFA6zNsjL9xN2xdFWFCf3_MXzSNjrQbykdrBnhA/s320/testtubefridge.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's hoping this has provided some inspiration on how to entertain yourself during the dark days of winter. Grab some glue, sort through your junk stash, and go hog wild pimping your own decor.<br /><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-27959269132061407972022-11-08T13:54:00.004-08:002022-11-08T13:54:44.020-08:00Advent 2022: Ode to the Backwards Feet People<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgU_ek4glFUNqNapMA4AU_8hzp4jdscEqI1S_q8qdhadqc7C5TOi2xNTgoF5fGmyG0aso5XbZg78-X0hBU2tw6HFh3rktkisaY1js3ZcSNJA_z20PuP1karvbKS-UcoBssp2vpX7fUOi5IfgOOvzqEJ9xC-8Re5zVg3k-8emXzDT9ODenjlyjV8CHVw/s648/Cici3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="648" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgU_ek4glFUNqNapMA4AU_8hzp4jdscEqI1S_q8qdhadqc7C5TOi2xNTgoF5fGmyG0aso5XbZg78-X0hBU2tw6HFh3rktkisaY1js3ZcSNJA_z20PuP1karvbKS-UcoBssp2vpX7fUOi5IfgOOvzqEJ9xC-8Re5zVg3k-8emXzDT9ODenjlyjV8CHVw/w400-h326/Cici3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Celebration of Feet!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Formula</h3><div>Ingredients:</div><div>2 party garments from the thrift store; lots of tulle and beaded fabric from past projects; lots of custom artwork converted into tags and iron-on panels; and lots and lots and lots of foot-related goodies.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfDjyPcaaUyiwvtvYGEd4q1lcjUOkA004XWJ-Y0IWd1wa0iR9AmiOOejec94lf45nIwDL_x6A9_8v26-HMeh1kzVZmZq2M3gH-5hkweDTk17O_W_DmYLBnrkiyMuT7x2n-2pqz-kfD4zobSX244qx5IGikwQ1JcoWtVVf-EMWTNF7_M8UMmFQMGw6jQ/s720/plans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="720" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfDjyPcaaUyiwvtvYGEd4q1lcjUOkA004XWJ-Y0IWd1wa0iR9AmiOOejec94lf45nIwDL_x6A9_8v26-HMeh1kzVZmZq2M3gH-5hkweDTk17O_W_DmYLBnrkiyMuT7x2n-2pqz-kfD4zobSX244qx5IGikwQ1JcoWtVVf-EMWTNF7_M8UMmFQMGw6jQ/w400-h321/plans.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grand Plan</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><h3>The Next Frontier in Advent Couture</h3><div>Here are the completed advent designer gowns - the smaller, glittery one for an 11-year-old, the ridiculously long black jersey jumpsuit for a 13-year-old. An add-on beaded stretch of fabric has been converted into the sash of a tulle apron. Each day, as the appropriate numbered foot tag is found and the tulle unfurled, the garment slowly evolves and takes shape. Along the way the gowns dispense novelty socks, toe rings, ankle bracelets, toenail polish, custom t-shirts, and theme-related iron-on patches.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Elements</h4><div>Foot-themed elements include the numbered foot tags for the days of December...</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWDftV8ohdhRRLZJYT_tidLfMSk5zBFzo8MyQO7uuk3SBw0B8WQ4bdqLEbgFNwsG_FqJSHUyNgyWPqauxbFy65LijInkUTv3l8SGVLKDS2oG2xwkWnN4AFZ5zi5zLTc-erHMjUJ4gdl-gi3kGzJiRK7UD71QWCC8xoRDIqYB0W9bfyEeF1g77IAbm5Q/s648/daytags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="648" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWDftV8ohdhRRLZJYT_tidLfMSk5zBFzo8MyQO7uuk3SBw0B8WQ4bdqLEbgFNwsG_FqJSHUyNgyWPqauxbFy65LijInkUTv3l8SGVLKDS2oG2xwkWnN4AFZ5zi5zLTc-erHMjUJ4gdl-gi3kGzJiRK7UD71QWCC8xoRDIqYB0W9bfyEeF1g77IAbm5Q/w400-h321/daytags.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tag for each day</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8H8h-YjmAl83Kgg4TPTueI_JycVpcEWn1Bd715Liw-XENxe3qtT6KRGq5DXwsgpGylsHOQjyffRprXmat-VEzzbQXq_1f-CP5p6ZOmOVvU_8enQicgvow4NKrWlKy--LvZO-qY253L4B4Ui4HZq3hCVd2B5oKUGzb4som0O9Mv8fMTG-uTEBI-Du0Pg/s648/iron-onpanels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="648" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8H8h-YjmAl83Kgg4TPTueI_JycVpcEWn1Bd715Liw-XENxe3qtT6KRGq5DXwsgpGylsHOQjyffRprXmat-VEzzbQXq_1f-CP5p6ZOmOVvU_8enQicgvow4NKrWlKy--LvZO-qY253L4B4Ui4HZq3hCVd2B5oKUGzb4som0O9Mv8fMTG-uTEBI-Du0Pg/w400-h370/iron-onpanels.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of iron-on additions</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h4>The Gowns</h4><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHDB3co0EYedS0kDlB_iX0Phru1XkAm9P-CEoSfP1dFqeSWHGsTf9V2DAjCWrh5xFARCEqtEMUkz66JooQtijjj5s_1bKZgu9bwLkX1gVz1Rwge0IO4apEh5jdEzFTI5jxdKasB3yNilKWwiHCyTiidNOAghzSyMV8JNPcpeHqNCXMqLffNu7UaO8Ig/s812/Cici1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHDB3co0EYedS0kDlB_iX0Phru1XkAm9P-CEoSfP1dFqeSWHGsTf9V2DAjCWrh5xFARCEqtEMUkz66JooQtijjj5s_1bKZgu9bwLkX1gVz1Rwge0IO4apEh5jdEzFTI5jxdKasB3yNilKWwiHCyTiidNOAghzSyMV8JNPcpeHqNCXMqLffNu7UaO8Ig/w398-h640/Cici1.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gown A</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2SgEiRDgGYw5D6aDPVu0ETm1ILTU0rQ78rLh3y8jmrc1zQsTzz5SQoCP5B5kvUEHDpopBWipTx7NzbCVI72Ze_GZ2Z7dw59f9bh5mGr6ZsY4hWkqkaK5E7NwzUznCJgP_ORAI69iy-6EHWVX67GfA4_EbxEzDt2EZTdDLQsN7dHXManiG-CQ5k1Exw/s700/breastpanela.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="504" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2SgEiRDgGYw5D6aDPVu0ETm1ILTU0rQ78rLh3y8jmrc1zQsTzz5SQoCP5B5kvUEHDpopBWipTx7NzbCVI72Ze_GZ2Z7dw59f9bh5mGr6ZsY4hWkqkaK5E7NwzUznCJgP_ORAI69iy-6EHWVX67GfA4_EbxEzDt2EZTdDLQsN7dHXManiG-CQ5k1Exw/w288-h400/breastpanela.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gown A breast panel</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>A bit of ribbon added to the back helps the gown adjust to body size.<br /><div><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPtBXGBAt7SGcJrm0DXC36GxiOyU3tBhRWffvY25tVZ1LvUPfmBsNvhukjni0Bcb5mtR6rwovEvGQNhbjlRXbApsgvS-LpQuWzwT_KzznMRetmVlQVVmzwiyAh7WcjEUyvZnfN_k4xaVSKZX9ML-iwOo1yZvxTBaT5Psq5sEoXjiRZmuXI_sE1utLKA/s815/Cici2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPtBXGBAt7SGcJrm0DXC36GxiOyU3tBhRWffvY25tVZ1LvUPfmBsNvhukjni0Bcb5mtR6rwovEvGQNhbjlRXbApsgvS-LpQuWzwT_KzznMRetmVlQVVmzwiyAh7WcjEUyvZnfN_k4xaVSKZX9ML-iwOo1yZvxTBaT5Psq5sEoXjiRZmuXI_sE1utLKA/w397-h640/Cici2.jpg" width="397" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gown A back</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>A tag on each gown at the back of the sash offers post-Christmas deconstruction tips.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHXInHSRTgKCheD9s2akjmtbO_9osGtatqbDcBq1s6J1GSq1FiwbuWPRhY3fY8pDPSjYZAplfBx5sYqUPvUq-lu8M0g2RcE5VMoz5cPISuA_KiMLYdi6mM9x9PgejeWorK_Sy0SFjnjB5Xy6wN9uHlvxTo23-kaH2W_PTgq8TfBUoh7D7bfl-J7GjzQ/s600/Cici4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHXInHSRTgKCheD9s2akjmtbO_9osGtatqbDcBq1s6J1GSq1FiwbuWPRhY3fY8pDPSjYZAplfBx5sYqUPvUq-lu8M0g2RcE5VMoz5cPISuA_KiMLYdi6mM9x9PgejeWorK_Sy0SFjnjB5Xy6wN9uHlvxTo23-kaH2W_PTgq8TfBUoh7D7bfl-J7GjzQ/w384-h400/Cici4.jpg" width="384" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deconstruction tag</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2PiFbsE9gq16WxaiMeRgZmPcvNpPbBaxCyPaayAyZpQoFqMAfuVFrVL8CKequrwdpGsd5bDMpr8cROtAzU9xSKHo2BwUqvumjeV_Z_GKZf8EGbKFEzCJ1-HNIYS0r4cqPtNZcLZ5SqhMBhk8P0hBgjxjRiWBA7hBsyNtxmt-kBywOCHjeLSJZcRQXA/s853/Aleida1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="432" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2PiFbsE9gq16WxaiMeRgZmPcvNpPbBaxCyPaayAyZpQoFqMAfuVFrVL8CKequrwdpGsd5bDMpr8cROtAzU9xSKHo2BwUqvumjeV_Z_GKZf8EGbKFEzCJ1-HNIYS0r4cqPtNZcLZ5SqhMBhk8P0hBgjxjRiWBA7hBsyNtxmt-kBywOCHjeLSJZcRQXA/w324-h640/Aleida1.jpg" width="324" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gown B</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4f7zbXmiT9fenklo2EPfOOrEJ9-o8JNWB2YnP8TfhqRvDIJtr8TfbT_QiYoUL2mRV8BigT-REoxUyBA0RIZ6ceyu6z_bgr6ZQTPQeFZ-bDQbu4T300T4CRW5Hgd4P7AIpzLQ1ZsV61skf8VH_0huEEX6oxmck0u0pH0U_SnaML4zQ1Z3BSPqLQ590zA/s655/breastpanelb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4f7zbXmiT9fenklo2EPfOOrEJ9-o8JNWB2YnP8TfhqRvDIJtr8TfbT_QiYoUL2mRV8BigT-REoxUyBA0RIZ6ceyu6z_bgr6ZQTPQeFZ-bDQbu4T300T4CRW5Hgd4P7AIpzLQ1ZsV61skf8VH_0huEEX6oxmck0u0pH0U_SnaML4zQ1Z3BSPqLQ590zA/w351-h400/breastpanelb.jpg" width="351" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breast panel B</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1K9BKd4wdL_bnRhqDAaKoPRughWy3CTXOo12oeaSx7mI6rYKNMfUEilJJ88ufpwZs9g-Cs5cViiI0zJK_QJ0EPE9y4kGrz3CiK56d1sk76YFJlvyNHkSlaw7nttoDvEEZTgPrcXnLrRr2v8fbeblSO1_6uMASxGcui6xP5w5NctW1w-cHChY5E1r6Gg/s842/aleida2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="432" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1K9BKd4wdL_bnRhqDAaKoPRughWy3CTXOo12oeaSx7mI6rYKNMfUEilJJ88ufpwZs9g-Cs5cViiI0zJK_QJ0EPE9y4kGrz3CiK56d1sk76YFJlvyNHkSlaw7nttoDvEEZTgPrcXnLrRr2v8fbeblSO1_6uMASxGcui6xP5w5NctW1w-cHChY5E1r6Gg/w328-h640/aleida2.jpg" width="328" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gown B back</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjScnyGRd7TwdVnc9Po7OQVcC7NUGwQXzkrjBMcqd2PHl3iN2JGgSc_KuTS28RCGg2_fLVGJzYgpJz9DkG4cqy77OwroGZiA9wniZloe_H-ry3j-PU-oUdl1Uw8_123DJew8q1vXfpjxQkO1B1tVL0UbJ6Vn0laviev0aAPzN41DA2GxM7TNYMN_hi6A/s648/aleida3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjScnyGRd7TwdVnc9Po7OQVcC7NUGwQXzkrjBMcqd2PHl3iN2JGgSc_KuTS28RCGg2_fLVGJzYgpJz9DkG4cqy77OwroGZiA9wniZloe_H-ry3j-PU-oUdl1Uw8_123DJew8q1vXfpjxQkO1B1tVL0UbJ6Vn0laviev0aAPzN41DA2GxM7TNYMN_hi6A/w400-h400/aleida3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of Gown B goodies</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><h3>The Backwards Feet People</h3><div>While deep-diving into the theme of feet, I googled "feet myths and legends," and to my amazement stumbled upon the backwards feet people — a pervasive legend found in disparate places around the globe very much like the stories of a great flood. A secondary goal for this year's calendar became a commitment to spread the word about these mysterious, elusive creatures. The following text accompanies the bundle containing the first of two backwards feet people t-shirts contained in each gown.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibn-KeMHSDdXVWZL0hpFsrAZ3wmKViJGWYxsrVOy7Y_p4kRNIiCBJ4BIN3uEi3wLpt13rc1sAEL8KLgCLjBplM-H8GrOhZzlTiyKcT0N-sXv26cgNyHDSIPwS66Nl_U3yH6ZcobqYlOVSN1vkj4JyAeu2xf1qXonlpFLvY-P8Tb6HywD4ThMWkEdikjQ/s792/backward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="612" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibn-KeMHSDdXVWZL0hpFsrAZ3wmKViJGWYxsrVOy7Y_p4kRNIiCBJ4BIN3uEi3wLpt13rc1sAEL8KLgCLjBplM-H8GrOhZzlTiyKcT0N-sXv26cgNyHDSIPwS66Nl_U3yH6ZcobqYlOVSN1vkj4JyAeu2xf1qXonlpFLvY-P8Tb6HywD4ThMWkEdikjQ/w309-h400/backward.jpg" width="309" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>The legend inspired designs for t-shirts (purchased from the thrift store and embellished using iron-on images).<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fpIAWJn843PqidWl51cTCxuZDxoClR0Za99ik0xn4kkl2lZyXfeiF6-2q5ql4UET3MpZ_Fnx0zma2fIqLXmVLdh7p4dr2ZGVWzDDalASIrli4KThQE6wfA7IECxRSHLziNYgZX6L8E_U0_DJshqLJbSQ1ishPXnFyblSPru6ePhqk1P7cBaSvjnaCw/s648/tshirtb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="648" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fpIAWJn843PqidWl51cTCxuZDxoClR0Za99ik0xn4kkl2lZyXfeiF6-2q5ql4UET3MpZ_Fnx0zma2fIqLXmVLdh7p4dr2ZGVWzDDalASIrli4KThQE6wfA7IECxRSHLziNYgZX6L8E_U0_DJshqLJbSQ1ishPXnFyblSPru6ePhqk1P7cBaSvjnaCw/w400-h394/tshirtb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The backwards feet running girl</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-a0rniN6COPxkDV8jrMcV8OBCWMOtCwjaLD_SKMTyxQIBgMWDx7KtaFEXmLjPevxr2qv8QNxgiJPGFxG_z27efOqxsReUz2xt_fu44ExqpmEJ8kNHq0aZ-B7XAQHPd_FHppXiUjS2C7zNViv4lbvnjT92v9QrJyo17nFE9gQ3gJ1HtYGLvDHShjkkA/s775/backfootgirlblueblog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-a0rniN6COPxkDV8jrMcV8OBCWMOtCwjaLD_SKMTyxQIBgMWDx7KtaFEXmLjPevxr2qv8QNxgiJPGFxG_z27efOqxsReUz2xt_fu44ExqpmEJ8kNHq0aZ-B7XAQHPd_FHppXiUjS2C7zNViv4lbvnjT92v9QrJyo17nFE9gQ3gJ1HtYGLvDHShjkkA/w298-h400/backfootgirlblueblog.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running girl design</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuZPbdV2cieDav46U0oLnMXooBG7a0mDOjd9DZMMrHFlF3E1XjlFvRakK-_VXRKdK2Soo9WrlAmOE5xgtode4R4YZJsmmQVzMu3zQiq5v40TFsNj769DIO0TK1FWSZiFkf7wrwIUctEfJTEMjEbEXUh-bEpGkR-0c7CyuIn61Vgr10wSVOKu9fgn54A/s648/tshirtsa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="648" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuZPbdV2cieDav46U0oLnMXooBG7a0mDOjd9DZMMrHFlF3E1XjlFvRakK-_VXRKdK2Soo9WrlAmOE5xgtode4R4YZJsmmQVzMu3zQiq5v40TFsNj769DIO0TK1FWSZiFkf7wrwIUctEfJTEMjEbEXUh-bEpGkR-0c7CyuIn61Vgr10wSVOKu9fgn54A/w400-h374/tshirtsa.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backwards feet logo t-shirt</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHW8KNLHjEE8-1a7CZaH1I-X88cOnQcFuQGw55QlCv54EJmFB9zUmBvaKzgjEKkPBL4ac6w3jlxIIjF_YRrT4Kb4BDhUhJRjT3qHtnBNj5IPtbxSJkWpvb9cQixFO7EmgBnZKRkyNYZeGH3n-YOhR7oRsEoPaSqaLm3iZOph5nGSpkpKR0ldhBCRq2g/s648/backfootmangreenblog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHW8KNLHjEE8-1a7CZaH1I-X88cOnQcFuQGw55QlCv54EJmFB9zUmBvaKzgjEKkPBL4ac6w3jlxIIjF_YRrT4Kb4BDhUhJRjT3qHtnBNj5IPtbxSJkWpvb9cQixFO7EmgBnZKRkyNYZeGH3n-YOhR7oRsEoPaSqaLm3iZOph5nGSpkpKR0ldhBCRq2g/w400-h400/backfootmangreenblog.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backwards feet logo</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><h3>The Instructions</h3><div>The recipients received the following information sheet at the top of the package containing the gowns.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhVh7GwFTO3TqIPvtkTKdhfe6L-_zvkd10mulgS9_UWd3MeqDRt1YPb3hoM4XMK1G12l0VtuZ83fmFXv8xFmivzJQGRPEjNV9QUIUP_y9zQzZ6Xk-OQq9VECNwce43Mx9_S3HB4etijt3pHBLqFJ6HlOiQJ3Gd56uXzH6t3-QvkWc30gZayKOE_GfvQ/s753/instructions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="753" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhVh7GwFTO3TqIPvtkTKdhfe6L-_zvkd10mulgS9_UWd3MeqDRt1YPb3hoM4XMK1G12l0VtuZ83fmFXv8xFmivzJQGRPEjNV9QUIUP_y9zQzZ6Xk-OQq9VECNwce43Mx9_S3HB4etijt3pHBLqFJ6HlOiQJ3Gd56uXzH6t3-QvkWc30gZayKOE_GfvQ/w306-h400/instructions.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Operating instructions</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Thus concludes the tale of the 2022 advent calendar. Hopefully it brings you inspiration and joy, which you are encouraged to pass right along to others.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><br />Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-49968485730694027712022-10-08T12:57:00.004-07:002022-10-08T12:57:20.794-07:00Fused Plastic Desk Lamp Shade<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjcj61dCGO26UQFn_5CmMrQzqqsCJq8NTsSjBHu_FsV1ITwKk5odUqdIBbVqqjxAv1ntcbTr_iwZjPm_61N4SJSwaC2bwa3mqKOPrkmflnK44du4RVQKbjQDzGuva-g1UI_ZF45U4fwajMVkQSN1rSIsHvpBzksZOQK-AvA34FADr7DDpjgAs0g4llQ/s1280/6F86B46A-E1A0-420A-ABFD-D20EE5C385CB.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1271" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjcj61dCGO26UQFn_5CmMrQzqqsCJq8NTsSjBHu_FsV1ITwKk5odUqdIBbVqqjxAv1ntcbTr_iwZjPm_61N4SJSwaC2bwa3mqKOPrkmflnK44du4RVQKbjQDzGuva-g1UI_ZF45U4fwajMVkQSN1rSIsHvpBzksZOQK-AvA34FADr7DDpjgAs0g4llQ/w398-h400/6F86B46A-E1A0-420A-ABFD-D20EE5C385CB.jpeg" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gaudi lampshade</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>As Frank Zappa knew all too well, necessity is the mother of invention, and it can lead to some fun experimentation. When I bought this lamp from Amazon, I was going for the two USB ports built into the base as well as its dimming capabilities, and found the vaguely Edison, science-lab appearance appealing.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyffxk1aOAh9lQyuJ14KXHbO-CoCJcof4r2nLeucipCKA4kpKMBlo67csnuQLdyOoVPQ6OgS6FtHhQLbbPfvY8_WYVst_jem0ENF0L8JdDJMW1i-iGCsM17wIuUpJkowSOCLlGIUg9LG4zbSzYxtMtIXQ7HBQSKhqHJejOYpWj7saHUYrUFGkN8qiyPg/s1280/7255B9C3-0F00-45CD-8405-9BA1191598EF.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="966" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyffxk1aOAh9lQyuJ14KXHbO-CoCJcof4r2nLeucipCKA4kpKMBlo67csnuQLdyOoVPQ6OgS6FtHhQLbbPfvY8_WYVst_jem0ENF0L8JdDJMW1i-iGCsM17wIuUpJkowSOCLlGIUg9LG4zbSzYxtMtIXQ7HBQSKhqHJejOYpWj7saHUYrUFGkN8qiyPg/s320/7255B9C3-0F00-45CD-8405-9BA1191598EF.jpeg" width="242" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>In practice, the bare bulb delivered a raw, unpleasant level of glare no one would want in their home. Instead of spending a half hour returning it, I decided to spend around five figuring out how to solve the problem.<div><br /></div><div>I have posted about past experiments with <a href="https://stuffyoucanthave.blogspot.com/search?q=Fused+plastic">Fused Plastic</a> any number of times on this blog, in projects from bunting bombing, to wildly frilly aprons, to Barbie survival gear, to Chinese Lanterns. If you follow the link you will find how-to tips for getting started on your own fused plastic experiments. Happily, my own experiments have resulted in a huge bag of promising plastic wrapping. This project incorporates a gift bag from the Gaudi Museum in Spain along with two different wrappings for toilet paper in bulk and a couple of clear vegetable bags to give thickness and strength.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIuiTLh7j68N8_RIbWP9QyzlrywcK4CmErLnU_F2txDxBBLtWLaoBgqf1sdP-vv35ly6-5lcJoSfpcVvPea1AY7gP_dRMRaGMnUzZfuVUMFwC33QzbG1bHpwp9-QnxL5gSyRanpPnFRH2iMlsrudGFqEDVlfQXeE9W671rxrmqw3_p5NygxTt8IHs4Q/s1280/92383C68-640E-4E45-B439-69C9490EE920.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="943" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIuiTLh7j68N8_RIbWP9QyzlrywcK4CmErLnU_F2txDxBBLtWLaoBgqf1sdP-vv35ly6-5lcJoSfpcVvPea1AY7gP_dRMRaGMnUzZfuVUMFwC33QzbG1bHpwp9-QnxL5gSyRanpPnFRH2iMlsrudGFqEDVlfQXeE9W671rxrmqw3_p5NygxTt8IHs4Q/w295-h400/92383C68-640E-4E45-B439-69C9490EE920.jpeg" width="295" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gaudi on the lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGApZuc-gQcvmp3m95gtSsYYZ9mAmepsYgCWy7nSgdmK-UvOrF-w3Z-Hsllii8kxCwN6ebDo8z1Qozcdg5ZMr4kO01s7y0xPHeUdZputo3z-dboW--DYOh1XwpMXTA5Uq-08eNckm-tX2ME1irO_3JBZuwds6R0tZioGDE_oNCJTVmY2VPUUzxwp27yw/s1280/FDC67A36-468F-438D-A5BB-FCDFFF14B4FF.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1028" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGApZuc-gQcvmp3m95gtSsYYZ9mAmepsYgCWy7nSgdmK-UvOrF-w3Z-Hsllii8kxCwN6ebDo8z1Qozcdg5ZMr4kO01s7y0xPHeUdZputo3z-dboW--DYOh1XwpMXTA5Uq-08eNckm-tX2ME1irO_3JBZuwds6R0tZioGDE_oNCJTVmY2VPUUzxwp27yw/w321-h400/FDC67A36-468F-438D-A5BB-FCDFFF14B4FF.jpeg" width="321" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1c0zSag7974LzfSlZ6fpbqQTgYbokN3H__CMlb4suf5GOJxGnjUTeMZ72upmTmUPSG6GNi36wexuVHYSShSrfLyZFJf71LHF0sjuHhhNpcR6pnkGEVhK14N4dPwMmI0J2V64rhbFD6Xu9awko81C-ClyRep71jkAwGT0YR4-BrRt5_WungbQ2JKVhTQ/s1280/044669A1-037E-402B-A8B7-986B79B65034.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="902" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1c0zSag7974LzfSlZ6fpbqQTgYbokN3H__CMlb4suf5GOJxGnjUTeMZ72upmTmUPSG6GNi36wexuVHYSShSrfLyZFJf71LHF0sjuHhhNpcR6pnkGEVhK14N4dPwMmI0J2V64rhbFD6Xu9awko81C-ClyRep71jkAwGT0YR4-BrRt5_WungbQ2JKVhTQ/w283-h400/044669A1-037E-402B-A8B7-986B79B65034.jpeg" width="283" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgma2YCUqVWGBW42TbNH_TUIlzXtIQx4w39vVAaWE0mwoAQ_HXAhh53TAa0afzb0lApf-WP3Wcu0jQ-phwsq29tUTN3BhgEurJ7xe4gxUFhadoeToAL5dICkG9ra8qJ4dqNZWlr3abM_fkzrlfh48iSstSqgd7a-viAp5CIObYGJV6izCPrKPDHY7XwpQ/s1280/A4F0BEC0-9761-4D53-89E3-DE63197FB998.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1230" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgma2YCUqVWGBW42TbNH_TUIlzXtIQx4w39vVAaWE0mwoAQ_HXAhh53TAa0afzb0lApf-WP3Wcu0jQ-phwsq29tUTN3BhgEurJ7xe4gxUFhadoeToAL5dICkG9ra8qJ4dqNZWlr3abM_fkzrlfh48iSstSqgd7a-viAp5CIObYGJV6izCPrKPDHY7XwpQ/w385-h400/A4F0BEC0-9761-4D53-89E3-DE63197FB998.jpeg" width="385" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The How-To:</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Measure, measure, measure. Make several stupid mistakes. Learn from them. And the solution is to use a strip of stiffer plastic (cut from some ribbed plastic shelf liner I have for some unknown reason) at top and bottom to hold the cylindrical shape, glued in with clear silicone sealant. Two wood skewers normally used for something like Chicken Yakitori are cut to size and inserted (after a lot more measuring) so that the shade balances perfectly atop the lamp.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUGeRoT3p5sKvuq5yxoJNUpbVELBONXvTLKA0y-ryxJZIRpq9I_3nvWL543yUefKPaYudQ3I7Uymf9JVbhD8JsDjnguV1XatKQjHXrmgfmlaSCUp6tNmgt3wQ_23XmA1-Q21Mir-ZK7nIGG5l9_Gtu8VxBjGe2MDYCMCBYqAaVp7CwGUx6iPBLj16SA/s1280/2BBA0F50-09E5-496A-9EF8-9D2E7F574F95.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUGeRoT3p5sKvuq5yxoJNUpbVELBONXvTLKA0y-ryxJZIRpq9I_3nvWL543yUefKPaYudQ3I7Uymf9JVbhD8JsDjnguV1XatKQjHXrmgfmlaSCUp6tNmgt3wQ_23XmA1-Q21Mir-ZK7nIGG5l9_Gtu8VxBjGe2MDYCMCBYqAaVp7CwGUx6iPBLj16SA/w400-h300/2BBA0F50-09E5-496A-9EF8-9D2E7F574F95.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The how-to</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>And there you have it. A lovely fused plastic lampshade that, while helping to save the planet, will also charmingly light up my life.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHucenUyQVynBy8ben7OCPJsoDFWxo3_lRJrpqfcqND6UXdkXrZn4Jr8kG1H5JcxQ9qcAHaako46wtl0z1k5zhDHL1Yr_QaZdOFHkQcbPuHASP0Mx0k-mQCH9-8f6Wqv5JoT5aD15vpkWWdmuh38bS8xhvrCn9oUz98qaq-CN2KmghWNFaNxXaOx0Nww/s1280/A5F89940-D6B8-4C49-98C1-22F2E38977BA.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHucenUyQVynBy8ben7OCPJsoDFWxo3_lRJrpqfcqND6UXdkXrZn4Jr8kG1H5JcxQ9qcAHaako46wtl0z1k5zhDHL1Yr_QaZdOFHkQcbPuHASP0Mx0k-mQCH9-8f6Wqv5JoT5aD15vpkWWdmuh38bS8xhvrCn9oUz98qaq-CN2KmghWNFaNxXaOx0Nww/w300-h400/A5F89940-D6B8-4C49-98C1-22F2E38977BA.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-78490381099653488802022-07-04T15:43:00.002-07:002022-07-04T15:43:16.470-07:00A Party in A Pothole<p style="text-align: center;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8nZRqlTic5MbCg5MsWbZ7takhSl5LQdXI8Le-mDmW-7YmM5-LwG2vg3UIYcS-HfBVecLPovWGbdYCpzlb0Z34k1xXjfi4HME_T0uPxs9L7e8D8194-ghI6MPQLS0TIr1sqA1zEbpoAIuvW_pwbhlZKI4ULGX85ugZvh9cAfki92bVAzw63B87TTKsg/s819/scene4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8nZRqlTic5MbCg5MsWbZ7takhSl5LQdXI8Le-mDmW-7YmM5-LwG2vg3UIYcS-HfBVecLPovWGbdYCpzlb0Z34k1xXjfi4HME_T0uPxs9L7e8D8194-ghI6MPQLS0TIr1sqA1zEbpoAIuvW_pwbhlZKI4ULGX85ugZvh9cAfki92bVAzw63B87TTKsg/w281-h400/scene4.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You are encouraged to zoom in</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Like so much about America, our infrastructure seems to be crumbling - as evidenced by the killer pothole in front of my apartment building that has been trashing tires and wrecking suspensions for over five years now. Mysteriously, it is always filled with water due to a persistent leak that has stumped the city's finest for so long that they finally gave up.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh453qlbWobZ1QEcogjTBHA2lmxXzolMIWa4CuNlC4xnNr-B8sKTfjKy5vG0gQJxhx6feugg_aPij9cd2BjRhacM9NErVe1lM15WtGqNuWWyXUCRuBoR8dr6WUhh0-6GavI7qioZDaFwjSDtZkey95bDNW0Bsdy2J3rU2jQtLETpXmRBI1vwWvSw020Ew/s752/beforeA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh453qlbWobZ1QEcogjTBHA2lmxXzolMIWa4CuNlC4xnNr-B8sKTfjKy5vG0gQJxhx6feugg_aPij9cd2BjRhacM9NErVe1lM15WtGqNuWWyXUCRuBoR8dr6WUhh0-6GavI7qioZDaFwjSDtZkey95bDNW0Bsdy2J3rU2jQtLETpXmRBI1vwWvSw020Ew/w306-h400/beforeA.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyZFNJKEAqXD6-AVF51mK_d-dAx6eAqh21Gk4xLKBUZ3HO1gwXhvKiihMa7UBO7JGitA8qNa4pNHAGiPS0cp1Sh_L7FC71y-21jtmhc_-UGg6_CIxtdkYkkDgzdF_in8ZFQjqbP1BuwkMsdZmjzqTWEKA_tWHkLred5iXEeShekgFvqb_h2LJmGYUeg/s688/beforeB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyZFNJKEAqXD6-AVF51mK_d-dAx6eAqh21Gk4xLKBUZ3HO1gwXhvKiihMa7UBO7JGitA8qNa4pNHAGiPS0cp1Sh_L7FC71y-21jtmhc_-UGg6_CIxtdkYkkDgzdF_in8ZFQjqbP1BuwkMsdZmjzqTWEKA_tWHkLred5iXEeShekgFvqb_h2LJmGYUeg/w376-h400/beforeB.jpg" width="376" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pothole</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">To celebrate the 4th of July and all that America is becoming, I decided to turn the pothole into a resort. This hit and run installation project was made far easier by the fact that all of the streets surrounding Lake Merritt in Oakland are closed and barricaded to prevent out of control crowds and any one of a number of unfortunate events. As a result I was able to sprawl in the street while gluing all the little figures into place.</p><p style="text-align: left;">At least five people including a security guard stopped to ask if I was okay during this process, which I guess is to be expected when you are a white-haired woman in your seventies lying prone in the street. Not a single one of them showed even a trace of interest when I explained I was doing an art installation. This is fine with me. My installations are for the perpetually curious souls who tend to see fine detail and wondrous things when they go out into the world. I would be equally happy if I succeeded in bringing even a moment of amusement and puzzlement to one of our neighborhood crows.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZj4EOt_z2kADwF_4N07mTRT-yH6McWkh4GqDHQiIyyxos6m3mnrCBVSGR_21JuGMvi2CCgX3kFx-ZDJhdQEgTb_zyTfRqZ-yyJPVmRU8hsyYirBHgsMyX2V6Xyy0HRcoI20LxcsTWKNdvQz1TElNvqnyC6iP7q3OZMeVGLEcpvoCPGK--WEOz1IJ8fQ/s1998/closeup1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1998" data-original-width="1674" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZj4EOt_z2kADwF_4N07mTRT-yH6McWkh4GqDHQiIyyxos6m3mnrCBVSGR_21JuGMvi2CCgX3kFx-ZDJhdQEgTb_zyTfRqZ-yyJPVmRU8hsyYirBHgsMyX2V6Xyy0HRcoI20LxcsTWKNdvQz1TElNvqnyC6iP7q3OZMeVGLEcpvoCPGK--WEOz1IJ8fQ/w335-h400/closeup1.jpg" width="335" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYVseNX0osRsEjg1AMbl55nfNN52RxS1dZJ9nuhWwbhELvAWHr7Dsi-xarMJ8KJvJmq2p7U-gaQoPbHzlwH-Vm_SBBnxaP16eJ30OnOBCFUYSFR_t35VDCWPWn7P3XblzQqgR8Yq62d-QzcSXXJhozFPqXsHm5XxnSCgWJyk1vgzGOshvWIwaxSMA0g/s848/Northshore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYVseNX0osRsEjg1AMbl55nfNN52RxS1dZJ9nuhWwbhELvAWHr7Dsi-xarMJ8KJvJmq2p7U-gaQoPbHzlwH-Vm_SBBnxaP16eJ30OnOBCFUYSFR_t35VDCWPWn7P3XblzQqgR8Yq62d-QzcSXXJhozFPqXsHm5XxnSCgWJyk1vgzGOshvWIwaxSMA0g/w271-h400/Northshore.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The North Shore</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBhB3Wbe9snvIgkAkOxCb1hsA2r78XQeoCxqWQllQHokHwuyfvlQnex-Ak2k6gdC8VNJ5uS-I4GtQ1fHg-SDv7Gqgisi5K4Gys_OpXleokiNTMiSS_IFTRcakt7ZcRInz0vsWDrWB5Nbmut7aYUpzm0VeCLehMwPL77tyWm5ZvmsVPoE_Nlw_0XUNfg/s648/scene1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="648" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBhB3Wbe9snvIgkAkOxCb1hsA2r78XQeoCxqWQllQHokHwuyfvlQnex-Ak2k6gdC8VNJ5uS-I4GtQ1fHg-SDv7Gqgisi5K4Gys_OpXleokiNTMiSS_IFTRcakt7ZcRInz0vsWDrWB5Nbmut7aYUpzm0VeCLehMwPL77tyWm5ZvmsVPoE_Nlw_0XUNfg/w400-h393/scene1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1Th1RbHQdM_lhR6vhb7rfynY6F_q9pZbBjO4QitqNqIh63DQEBCKk26nShSUOKoXckyAw6-OC2_kuSZ9DZ7i73yWKJd63q6cs9CbKSAXytuEZuM-x6_I89ogRwLiiB-L_we9ijCHYYyYTZf10jhdOSa49B6wCrk9R3wNSlBOtHBfjzQChsdkKUO-Lg/s730/scene2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="612" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1Th1RbHQdM_lhR6vhb7rfynY6F_q9pZbBjO4QitqNqIh63DQEBCKk26nShSUOKoXckyAw6-OC2_kuSZ9DZ7i73yWKJd63q6cs9CbKSAXytuEZuM-x6_I89ogRwLiiB-L_we9ijCHYYyYTZf10jhdOSa49B6wCrk9R3wNSlBOtHBfjzQChsdkKUO-Lg/w335-h400/scene2.jpg" width="335" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBHx-pmm9FUlOucFApwUpTyHXOCaoWM1DyZjchJEcIMHtkZRGBhPKO7QnmP3I2W9eY3bp2qY7LTQIBK_tJqG3zMkCrwqngmNol_43GvFjWH6Cw8C2Y99tjVr5AcCacmt3Ob1aWP5CFAIsPkXt8PzdQgA-NjxTswdZI8c8Idpck3eh6xtPYiHequNGgQ/s762/scene3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBHx-pmm9FUlOucFApwUpTyHXOCaoWM1DyZjchJEcIMHtkZRGBhPKO7QnmP3I2W9eY3bp2qY7LTQIBK_tJqG3zMkCrwqngmNol_43GvFjWH6Cw8C2Y99tjVr5AcCacmt3Ob1aWP5CFAIsPkXt8PzdQgA-NjxTswdZI8c8Idpck3eh6xtPYiHequNGgQ/w303-h400/scene3.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmU-rvoFAahxE2JPXm1XZM1IteaZ56BoPAOWWYTGtUHJ4_LQ9TDQLYlU6s7RhU9lh7jXvy7edPiywz7Fu8tXQHwSm-JGadjjzMUDP1L0p_OfdIJpmxWKJCiLVeg7jkPqYhUG9kQec1Sp97UimxXr0bbVqDN1sxnrml30JNOPjamSb9GvvskCFkZ66UA/s819/scene4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmU-rvoFAahxE2JPXm1XZM1IteaZ56BoPAOWWYTGtUHJ4_LQ9TDQLYlU6s7RhU9lh7jXvy7edPiywz7Fu8tXQHwSm-JGadjjzMUDP1L0p_OfdIJpmxWKJCiLVeg7jkPqYhUG9kQec1Sp97UimxXr0bbVqDN1sxnrml30JNOPjamSb9GvvskCFkZ66UA/w281-h400/scene4.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2pRBw7d8EYJTbcftcNdslqiy3OseEDBKBUhP8A8wBF56sHpCogwUyLzO81dIvacJOFZuzUFVipXdp4agm3gomJXcNPfQkuqhkAYytNIE7NkqVJiKEin2EYsWAOzZOriFtPcLaoc_KldYenqXJzKS7-etQa3ZpEt73su4a3hVOALtXyNrgYc7DsI9Ug/s761/scene6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="619" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2pRBw7d8EYJTbcftcNdslqiy3OseEDBKBUhP8A8wBF56sHpCogwUyLzO81dIvacJOFZuzUFVipXdp4agm3gomJXcNPfQkuqhkAYytNIE7NkqVJiKEin2EYsWAOzZOriFtPcLaoc_KldYenqXJzKS7-etQa3ZpEt73su4a3hVOALtXyNrgYc7DsI9Ug/w325-h400/scene6.jpg" width="325" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixauiJUZ1IosifLw8HgCoGjtnOS_jrD44krxeWlIQWlSqHlUylElrNj9af7D8dQ3ouQ2bTaI8HU8Ncw3O9GBDRscUZ_u8W8mYIdS6uwO_TiTuwWQeBNz4U7mk5NfU7W6XYEgd87PM0x4o92RDOOTEXSQpQ8mGYI3Y_l7p6rQ5HtT6TZnEm2ntIBV_QCA/s2124/closeup2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2124" data-original-width="1458" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixauiJUZ1IosifLw8HgCoGjtnOS_jrD44krxeWlIQWlSqHlUylElrNj9af7D8dQ3ouQ2bTaI8HU8Ncw3O9GBDRscUZ_u8W8mYIdS6uwO_TiTuwWQeBNz4U7mk5NfU7W6XYEgd87PM0x4o92RDOOTEXSQpQ8mGYI3Y_l7p6rQ5HtT6TZnEm2ntIBV_QCA/w275-h400/closeup2.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwaPpvKq8-73OnJPlx6uB6doIzODQszGYSgHA1rMqCBXjILl5Oeg_JjUFFv6eIYmeZr9henB7dcFqTvz2FkpXsbImXQfIsZsLkR5hDz30YHkN-RuwqvdNlvgQx552qnU_M8RRzom3R8vGMID3vkMG16l_PQK88MnQ5g3mfmDeow2ULaXPeuPhZ3qnkw/s694/swimmer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="619" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwaPpvKq8-73OnJPlx6uB6doIzODQszGYSgHA1rMqCBXjILl5Oeg_JjUFFv6eIYmeZr9henB7dcFqTvz2FkpXsbImXQfIsZsLkR5hDz30YHkN-RuwqvdNlvgQx552qnU_M8RRzom3R8vGMID3vkMG16l_PQK88MnQ5g3mfmDeow2ULaXPeuPhZ3qnkw/w356-h400/swimmer.jpg" width="356" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy Fourth of July.</div><br />Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-86776869042834974702022-05-31T11:38:00.003-07:002022-05-31T11:38:43.559-07:00A Happy Encounter of Objects: The Poetry Jar<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4yGdcV7DnL9RIJ3RxyBFi4_WNZbBkN0IqlraOox7SoeJq1qhxhF0F8HIojh8k8aMJrc_wgMelJtGaGWvOpMjDh0RnKIn9p9zROrpLnSWkaI5lqOEZlaxjQpYocqVvbWRSsHiFkNOYv7uQES_g6xpjhkpN80k_nkJi2gUVJMMfNcorKGDHIeWcNe99A/s756/piecesB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="756" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4yGdcV7DnL9RIJ3RxyBFi4_WNZbBkN0IqlraOox7SoeJq1qhxhF0F8HIojh8k8aMJrc_wgMelJtGaGWvOpMjDh0RnKIn9p9zROrpLnSWkaI5lqOEZlaxjQpYocqVvbWRSsHiFkNOYv7uQES_g6xpjhkpN80k_nkJi2gUVJMMfNcorKGDHIeWcNe99A/w400-h315/piecesB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Sometimes when I am in the creative doldrums I simply wander around my house and stop to dig aimlessly through old stashes of stuff — objects that looked like they might turn into something interesting given the right inspiration and a little luck.<div><br /></div><div>The Poetry Jar is the product of my latest wander. The objects that found each other in this piece include: </div><div><br /></div><div>• Mormon Glass Grapes (read all about these fascinating artifacts of Americana <a href="https://stuffyoucanthave.blogspot.com/2010/09/mormon-glass-grapes.html">here</a>);</div><div><br /></div><div>• A lovely glass container from the flea market that was originally used to create a spordscape, back when I was into cultivating mold;</div><div><br /></div><div>• Glass slides with lettering on them (and all the verbs in red!), from a kit from the 1950s intended for use in schools. The idea was to use these with an overhead projector to teach students about word endings in poetry. Another flea market score and one that I have been trying to figure out how to use for three decades or more.</div><div><br /></div><div>And the result of this creative play turned out to be the perfect gift for a poet: The Poetry Jar. Now these are no longer objects looking for a purpose in life; they have morphed into a gift looking for the perfect recipient.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-Kyt7gyAa8b9dkykv56MsZhC3QDdUP-UPfsJA9mHG7HgR_fnEUQKOhB8MHXHmHQMskrayXdWjhrxAOyIEbfLpkOITUld7MgVdaZK9b0tQxjOrhJbyaeMtjB1ZcD_qyepive2PZIk597KVfrmteNuTFX5HnrANvIL17Hl28gdmbPL8RhSQrdm1VPuCg/s925/jar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="925" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-Kyt7gyAa8b9dkykv56MsZhC3QDdUP-UPfsJA9mHG7HgR_fnEUQKOhB8MHXHmHQMskrayXdWjhrxAOyIEbfLpkOITUld7MgVdaZK9b0tQxjOrhJbyaeMtjB1ZcD_qyepive2PZIk597KVfrmteNuTFX5HnrANvIL17Hl28gdmbPL8RhSQrdm1VPuCg/w348-h640/jar.jpg" width="348" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Poetry Jar</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIYGXBw_LVpcRobtgKIDEwPWMLqn1hbN767pq9pot-dTEQ3NZLcjW2fYfBthEuMNhvAfd1bdE1TAiMJiYFD3F3GrcxahH2vBIwd1MCzJ0sx-rNmu_jpsf16StouFngs-l9-gpvTcWyiOaX8PC-4b3w2xjumU60ASipkg_w6mQlY2JI41qllk7TA5NOA/s798/detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIYGXBw_LVpcRobtgKIDEwPWMLqn1hbN767pq9pot-dTEQ3NZLcjW2fYfBthEuMNhvAfd1bdE1TAiMJiYFD3F3GrcxahH2vBIwd1MCzJ0sx-rNmu_jpsf16StouFngs-l9-gpvTcWyiOaX8PC-4b3w2xjumU60ASipkg_w6mQlY2JI41qllk7TA5NOA/w405-h640/detail.jpg" width="405" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj280NPZeQURAaciA3K5q4WEhbiQgn7e-dwcCii9JvE0AZIbXdh9s9IfE5tb2e4dFoMktzJMh9mNpkI5neUjlQxhoKknx7nGqQ0ekrVh7MmRumW9UhcF7W5qMwUPrNtbAD8ftU41WafzQsPUjwsHTtQwzQ_LGR7yUPCo1b7AbDWEM9U-3IGNjs4Yw9nQw/s648/piecesA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj280NPZeQURAaciA3K5q4WEhbiQgn7e-dwcCii9JvE0AZIbXdh9s9IfE5tb2e4dFoMktzJMh9mNpkI5neUjlQxhoKknx7nGqQ0ekrVh7MmRumW9UhcF7W5qMwUPrNtbAD8ftU41WafzQsPUjwsHTtQwzQ_LGR7yUPCo1b7AbDWEM9U-3IGNjs4Yw9nQw/w400-h400/piecesA.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elements</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-18718960313608030322022-05-22T11:18:00.002-07:002022-05-22T11:18:34.218-07:00Upcycling: The "Ta-Dah" Nightshirt<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvx71aw2Fpy8OKVX57kPE8JUV4ad3-a73rwmVpAuq5cCLobZPXoH03QR_ZFyi3YXiN74b5J4034EajwYxIACPmJOhQWKBf7mzY3U0HrdU5qZh3n5zFi35GE7oO09PCb1draUdc3ri6mgfirZ3X9I-QCmbAH3cvDIjS71PnQNbSDSjGoMLZVK19eQcIWg/s720/frontA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvx71aw2Fpy8OKVX57kPE8JUV4ad3-a73rwmVpAuq5cCLobZPXoH03QR_ZFyi3YXiN74b5J4034EajwYxIACPmJOhQWKBf7mzY3U0HrdU5qZh3n5zFi35GE7oO09PCb1draUdc3ri6mgfirZ3X9I-QCmbAH3cvDIjS71PnQNbSDSjGoMLZVK19eQcIWg/w400-h360/frontA.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front view</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPhXQjXPbf8caUFhjkgb8hefu7gyhEJ08ClObmUmqan8uuT8TVactJP-X8Q87ZOqazDdNw10IP9gurrQN7rv1LM6D58ppkOHMU3jjMFXZ_5yXl8-HpSyEr4zhv4cqbaEC2nf2gHbeyEj_653IvJTZx0F3QcEjpOog6ZuKwp6dVLwBrarjc-JT3LPTqg/s708/backA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="662" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPhXQjXPbf8caUFhjkgb8hefu7gyhEJ08ClObmUmqan8uuT8TVactJP-X8Q87ZOqazDdNw10IP9gurrQN7rv1LM6D58ppkOHMU3jjMFXZ_5yXl8-HpSyEr4zhv4cqbaEC2nf2gHbeyEj_653IvJTZx0F3QcEjpOog6ZuKwp6dVLwBrarjc-JT3LPTqg/w374-h400/backA.jpg" width="374" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back view</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Introducing the Ta-Dah! nightshirt — guaranteed to help you make a noteworthy entrance at any pajama party. On a recent visit with my sister, she began to covet my nightshirt (<a href="https://stuffyoucanthave.blogspot.com/2017/06/exotic-upcycling-indigo-dreams.html">Exotic Upcycling: Indigo Dreams</a>), and put in a request for one of her own. Because that first shirt used such unique materials, including a length of West African cloth, I was dubious about replicating the effort. My solution was a trip to the thrift store where I scored three recycled men's shirts for a total cost of $8. The name of the shirt comes from the embroidered initials on the hem of one of the shirts.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDp_BsV-qLY0Y1A5hAeosjj2TjAjxQiZq86fiRY73JyF8d4--dE4np_6S8oD-hIwP6RXPRAODdVkn9fkADZLrmbYXUmIDOtFvgjiPqELhrMNztx6-I9BQq9cgLDSmK6Qt8sH2WTxkySg3-5ZysVWwCWM_XG0IUJaVeNQ4t6KPZ-M-svF8OSjJvTzvWig/s682/tada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDp_BsV-qLY0Y1A5hAeosjj2TjAjxQiZq86fiRY73JyF8d4--dE4np_6S8oD-hIwP6RXPRAODdVkn9fkADZLrmbYXUmIDOtFvgjiPqELhrMNztx6-I9BQq9cgLDSmK6Qt8sH2WTxkySg3-5ZysVWwCWM_XG0IUJaVeNQ4t6KPZ-M-svF8OSjJvTzvWig/w380-h400/tada.jpg" width="380" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How the shirt got its name</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I find it delightfully absorbing to figure out this kind of textile puzzle, and the two photos below offer an idea of how the three shirts melded into one.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TBWimM8qGFDOFl6Cnsbm2EHLV_CMjJQD3ePwtkGgS_UJZeKuobANDK23-UkwF_OC-jDvU29DxU75w-ZL_rX5eCG6GY8R6ru4h75vRv8VI68JcPhf8n6pvoD1HjW-sbbsdf9vxWGm5KmCV6g9tKDLMJQNUT5gLSjcdgvK5YkbHrXdL_4TI3V-he_Vmg/s720/frontB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="720" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TBWimM8qGFDOFl6Cnsbm2EHLV_CMjJQD3ePwtkGgS_UJZeKuobANDK23-UkwF_OC-jDvU29DxU75w-ZL_rX5eCG6GY8R6ru4h75vRv8VI68JcPhf8n6pvoD1HjW-sbbsdf9vxWGm5KmCV6g9tKDLMJQNUT5gLSjcdgvK5YkbHrXdL_4TI3V-he_Vmg/w400-h316/frontB.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guide to the puzzle pieces - front</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrvbgmAYggddsubQ--NabLrz91RUsKQPSaIv7lQ4u1me1W3Ceq8GHTKpkWVy-kfMAHp9vWV3ODa_63qui8v6xnlJ9v4wsxEo-SEIL-0-3col2RdN-KoyxmxyEQbWf7fdHlfGa8ZTbz9F-lnRFeFo819CqJxnb_o5itUSiDWLfGsP8w8cngwUKOctQbg/s720/backB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="720" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrvbgmAYggddsubQ--NabLrz91RUsKQPSaIv7lQ4u1me1W3Ceq8GHTKpkWVy-kfMAHp9vWV3ODa_63qui8v6xnlJ9v4wsxEo-SEIL-0-3col2RdN-KoyxmxyEQbWf7fdHlfGa8ZTbz9F-lnRFeFo819CqJxnb_o5itUSiDWLfGsP8w8cngwUKOctQbg/w400-h325/backB.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guide to the puzzle pieces - back</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSg4rJxHmFuvZJWfX3eaxJq-WnGkUkG4-7FjrZaalwoOISUNGU1mXQeDghM_rOIogCq1haX9oAnaxmxNe62e3RJOI1K6tkO1aGbaQsLL9cULIY6T42e9q0gHDJ0GnO20K2FX_l19aItmDZYYC7pkcWoNmHdeGHrANsiPA9dfotWsPW1lTseA6bMDbLvA/s648/detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="648" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSg4rJxHmFuvZJWfX3eaxJq-WnGkUkG4-7FjrZaalwoOISUNGU1mXQeDghM_rOIogCq1haX9oAnaxmxNe62e3RJOI1K6tkO1aGbaQsLL9cULIY6T42e9q0gHDJ0GnO20K2FX_l19aItmDZYYC7pkcWoNmHdeGHrANsiPA9dfotWsPW1lTseA6bMDbLvA/w400-h389/detail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Note that I use the term "nightshirt" loosely. While wearing this garment assures you will look incredibly stylish if you encounter someone in a hallway in the middle of the night in alien surroundings, it also doubles as an entertaining shirt during the day. Below, a photo of me modeling the shirt before shipping it off to a sister in need.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpaeIZ2412RkYwsGDLNccigX9LqSSkdBlmEOh5_r38SDIaoSsXc8E8oyG1GzaFJnulG7B7wsI6vrUl8TmsKNLdEfuOkleq3IhkMTwol_BZbuGRemIiCjQVRE9jxy2nxaYCh7rhFtIGnS1Q_FkwP4l7dngPC1a-Vht_RTkztK7dWm-THK3rz_TMUhLQQ/s756/selfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpaeIZ2412RkYwsGDLNccigX9LqSSkdBlmEOh5_r38SDIaoSsXc8E8oyG1GzaFJnulG7B7wsI6vrUl8TmsKNLdEfuOkleq3IhkMTwol_BZbuGRemIiCjQVRE9jxy2nxaYCh7rhFtIGnS1Q_FkwP4l7dngPC1a-Vht_RTkztK7dWm-THK3rz_TMUhLQQ/w305-h400/selfie.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-78571209274057836812022-04-01T15:42:00.001-07:002022-04-01T15:42:47.829-07:00Spontaneous Stitching: Spirit Cloth<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGW2tzqA1CWN71Wv-J-UHJo5IW90CkPpwzh0NCD_FUVJWphPgF5hLdK79LqhOfUBbJa9w0z740OIZjqDI3g5BZI1uzVLBz208JhpcEOnNP2qeAb4oswkFxF9RvTGTAFzl9gMHOUtBUNhRMWTcwOzwbYFYmqjjGX92SRKV3o1oTL67DlZS8dymI8GSGQ/s792/spiritcloth1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="792" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGW2tzqA1CWN71Wv-J-UHJo5IW90CkPpwzh0NCD_FUVJWphPgF5hLdK79LqhOfUBbJa9w0z740OIZjqDI3g5BZI1uzVLBz208JhpcEOnNP2qeAb4oswkFxF9RvTGTAFzl9gMHOUtBUNhRMWTcwOzwbYFYmqjjGX92SRKV3o1oTL67DlZS8dymI8GSGQ/w400-h255/spiritcloth1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This piece is the result of itchy fingers and an overwhelming urge. It combines scraps of <a href="http://stuffyoucanthave.blogspot.com/search/label/eco-dyeing">eco-dyed</a> fabric, <a href="http://stuffyoucanthave.blogspot.com/2019/11/pounded-flower-textiles.html">fabric printed with pounded flowers</a>, and fabric from random projects. The scraps are connected using sashiko stitching, and some are hand-stamped with my current thoughts regarding the meaning of life, death, and the universe. It is 3 inches wide and 21.5 feet long.<div><br /></div><div><h4 style="text-align: center;">I have no idea what it is.</h4><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxRTcU2AZ9XmTURonmdsWjzF5E2MjYkzZ45-YuKGCz0xkBUUScOueimQp3zhtfpAAupgDh7-fzaaN9M6HkgiawKCbwHhIuBF8oe8eJGR7bOnifed21QVEyW9u3AVthGkpv0uOS9R-KABFLUZJN5xloDR4k10Q0unOh3doriusxQaa_SuIESxMP0wdDQ/s720/spiritcloth2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="720" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxRTcU2AZ9XmTURonmdsWjzF5E2MjYkzZ45-YuKGCz0xkBUUScOueimQp3zhtfpAAupgDh7-fzaaN9M6HkgiawKCbwHhIuBF8oe8eJGR7bOnifed21QVEyW9u3AVthGkpv0uOS9R-KABFLUZJN5xloDR4k10Q0unOh3doriusxQaa_SuIESxMP0wdDQ/w400-h333/spiritcloth2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A friend came over when it was close to completion and after fingering it thoughtfully said, "This would be perfect for wrapping a dead body." In the past she created a tasteful shroud for her own mother, so in my immediate crowd she is certainly the expert on such matters. It is an idea rife with possibilities. I pictured hearing of a death and then discretely sending them a lovely small bundle of spirit cloth (see first photo above).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTJcPEI42dy_ciUfYVZv6wOuI-QmI6bxvp8f5zZK6kkvNSRdhApafXUFJpC7mDmBVZkKwjlnsm2h7oM4cIFQgs-Sb0oATJik_kYpJf015HI8I2teNCIpHnICbPsolC3iEnDfeYUNWMdyMAMZoom2gGhEwXCcqYsilfezkpKphKJASH-J6LuMejA94qg/s720/spiritcloth3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTJcPEI42dy_ciUfYVZv6wOuI-QmI6bxvp8f5zZK6kkvNSRdhApafXUFJpC7mDmBVZkKwjlnsm2h7oM4cIFQgs-Sb0oATJik_kYpJf015HI8I2teNCIpHnICbPsolC3iEnDfeYUNWMdyMAMZoom2gGhEwXCcqYsilfezkpKphKJASH-J6LuMejA94qg/w400-h300/spiritcloth3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>My own vision, as I stitched away until the scraps ran out, was to drape it artfully over the branches of some large piece of gnarly, picturesque driftwood on the beach and set it alight. My 10-year-old grandniece was so horrified by this idea that I dropped it, at least temporarily, out of consideration for her sensibilities.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4VauODr_ZSmGMlI7RTpH9OxLy1XumHsx8CQQmjOnmFtaHvJxxBJQreZi5kXwtrPBZTKKQa0rpUGpATB1IHZVNQjPMrQHds0j7z8bAyiQ_HfJjP88CfGkJ9Or7kV8-e3l7Nzl0Xbg9kWtG51EZlp_ayUkYCannSeDxzEUp6Dw8y9104ImjfnX19DnkQ/s720/spiritcloth4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="720" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4VauODr_ZSmGMlI7RTpH9OxLy1XumHsx8CQQmjOnmFtaHvJxxBJQreZi5kXwtrPBZTKKQa0rpUGpATB1IHZVNQjPMrQHds0j7z8bAyiQ_HfJjP88CfGkJ9Or7kV8-e3l7Nzl0Xbg9kWtG51EZlp_ayUkYCannSeDxzEUp6Dw8y9104ImjfnX19DnkQ/w400-h323/spiritcloth4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>So currently it hangs in my dining room from vintage French wood sewing spools while it awaits its ultimate, unknown fate.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYfW-EtWmqjU64dZ5bsLW8x59DNRvpdTMPlHcF-bGzJ-i1ej7YtKcT-yg5Bdp8eca2NibIyYqB1PvmRoNY41g_39P46pjoJZagRBfWl-Fm-PGiNX6TGzAfKlpF7I9u2h3PktKNzlpxcgwtFCVS77XjEGZgJ5ULzRbeZjoX9pNbG0m9Qw898lKvMCdaQ/s798/spiritcloth5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYfW-EtWmqjU64dZ5bsLW8x59DNRvpdTMPlHcF-bGzJ-i1ej7YtKcT-yg5Bdp8eca2NibIyYqB1PvmRoNY41g_39P46pjoJZagRBfWl-Fm-PGiNX6TGzAfKlpF7I9u2h3PktKNzlpxcgwtFCVS77XjEGZgJ5ULzRbeZjoX9pNbG0m9Qw898lKvMCdaQ/w404-h640/spiritcloth5.jpg" width="404" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Uqmbz_Qh_3EWyXspNOtHBRpQgzwxLriPNo4aSZbjE-A0Jw5WlnxC9EobhyfetBMgfaKzRwEu3SBjH6EBuWtMLk8zHIu5ebOkmxd59qa-nN0_7lL0rb6b1juJGD9wfd47yin2cRCvHPs2NVrmhih7aAtERqDTDHizMxG5YRBjEu_6KfegxCWT_UpUEQ/s891/spiritcloth6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="891" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Uqmbz_Qh_3EWyXspNOtHBRpQgzwxLriPNo4aSZbjE-A0Jw5WlnxC9EobhyfetBMgfaKzRwEu3SBjH6EBuWtMLk8zHIu5ebOkmxd59qa-nN0_7lL0rb6b1juJGD9wfd47yin2cRCvHPs2NVrmhih7aAtERqDTDHizMxG5YRBjEu_6KfegxCWT_UpUEQ/w362-h640/spiritcloth6.jpg" width="362" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3lFNF4QSxTLwXSCTl126jCPL7QQxFzZmooLhIvVLg3RAsDXciSiZ9LrtM3R49htFrzjEH5xUT81v3whgfMHos0ykQKPu8S5jO6jjo0xEQ_cvFKvoYgInxfXhRbGePzicC4oFx19GvBoFcH-nEd1bhNSkCEyXHp3LpWnaCQHhcf_q2xlXo4o1Hwb_5w/s768/spiritcloth7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3lFNF4QSxTLwXSCTl126jCPL7QQxFzZmooLhIvVLg3RAsDXciSiZ9LrtM3R49htFrzjEH5xUT81v3whgfMHos0ykQKPu8S5jO6jjo0xEQ_cvFKvoYgInxfXhRbGePzicC4oFx19GvBoFcH-nEd1bhNSkCEyXHp3LpWnaCQHhcf_q2xlXo4o1Hwb_5w/w300-h400/spiritcloth7.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxoP42tjhBWNlrxOdRI_4FFZj-2xeL7ZFbXxFSK--jx7Pcax_xBVxhVvN_GjoBOQtFCFbGRq_nikA-dqdZynzX8XZSs5ObbxBILZBxVj2JEMNAMntzimfFxJBt7ZtZbhwjXXvsTQU58XmF3HnuDr2CxEyLhifo_YqVr4IDulhljTTF3YQSqnrhBR4DnA/s969/spiritcloth8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="969" data-original-width="432" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxoP42tjhBWNlrxOdRI_4FFZj-2xeL7ZFbXxFSK--jx7Pcax_xBVxhVvN_GjoBOQtFCFbGRq_nikA-dqdZynzX8XZSs5ObbxBILZBxVj2JEMNAMntzimfFxJBt7ZtZbhwjXXvsTQU58XmF3HnuDr2CxEyLhifo_YqVr4IDulhljTTF3YQSqnrhBR4DnA/w286-h640/spiritcloth8.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-81769954372983323092022-03-24T11:42:00.000-07:002022-03-24T11:42:44.665-07:00Eco Dyeing Mania #2: Hyper-Local Couture<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrf8b5CBo_OW8GlgoeP6s3UVEHhISCxS1oYkE95szy-1Z8xI82V0Hmb4jSY7rzHg56nleZQ1boK4RqiuD05rie5Yisx1ed5N-tIH3NyxmdHQLtCak-bV7lj9fD6mGH7IZBUP6N11ND-sA45E3YecSTVhGwj-KzvLZIr-LGDUSjKq5adF481ra1JSXrg/s3153/testprinting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3153" data-original-width="1866" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrf8b5CBo_OW8GlgoeP6s3UVEHhISCxS1oYkE95szy-1Z8xI82V0Hmb4jSY7rzHg56nleZQ1boK4RqiuD05rie5Yisx1ed5N-tIH3NyxmdHQLtCak-bV7lj9fD6mGH7IZBUP6N11ND-sA45E3YecSTVhGwj-KzvLZIr-LGDUSjKq5adF481ra1JSXrg/w236-h400/testprinting.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Test-dyeing to see what works</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Hyper-Local Couture</h2><div><br /></div><div>The ongoing experiments with eco-dyeing and the heightened focus on my own limited environs during the pandemic led to this concept of hyper-local couture. Hyper-local couture is clothing made from recycled natural fabrics and eco-dyed using plants that can be found in the immediate neighborhood of the wearer.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Lake Merritt Top</h2><div><br /></div><div>The Lake Merritt top is comprised of scraps of fabric dyed using plants foraged during walks around my neighborhood. By the time I made the top I was well versed in which plants would work, and used copper and iron mordants to vary the colors of both the cloth background and the plant prints. Copper gives a greenish yellow tone while iron offers a rich, earthy, reddish-brown to black tone.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif63WRopVnUlJbq3iPMgLkwYEErGr95fQZMTkaltndsjiyHvdXiUtRkqpdyOqCQ0VZpbfCKrr97IqgPvJXzaZKQh0fjgseuX71AYo_sMb-Fzt2ZLmaiATCTZkYA6sUuqW7rQH-g42mK7oC2QTDpxcHceynpJJJhjnOwsKWIi8C9T4NzKIieRN9vcEedg/s724/Mine1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif63WRopVnUlJbq3iPMgLkwYEErGr95fQZMTkaltndsjiyHvdXiUtRkqpdyOqCQ0VZpbfCKrr97IqgPvJXzaZKQh0fjgseuX71AYo_sMb-Fzt2ZLmaiATCTZkYA6sUuqW7rQH-g42mK7oC2QTDpxcHceynpJJJhjnOwsKWIi8C9T4NzKIieRN9vcEedg/w319-h400/Mine1.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Merritt shirt: front</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaR-8uz-VeLuWyZzBri7bhHqZC9R_SlhOuzXO9d-O8vw-dGtWM_gV4Tl3aLkC77jBeST-dzPTGzsYNcg-O2AZnsklTgVZb9sF4CcidYsqKSkl7oa9a29GfdRPnZp3hJSjqU75MfW0yDZMU6huYpbircRLGzUSFkPoV8NRJuaYe439F-4TOC_w-h2Zow/s720/mine2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="720" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaR-8uz-VeLuWyZzBri7bhHqZC9R_SlhOuzXO9d-O8vw-dGtWM_gV4Tl3aLkC77jBeST-dzPTGzsYNcg-O2AZnsklTgVZb9sF4CcidYsqKSkl7oa9a29GfdRPnZp3hJSjqU75MfW0yDZMU6huYpbircRLGzUSFkPoV8NRJuaYe439F-4TOC_w-h2Zow/w400-h326/mine2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0OrUuosVaR4N2mQKDBHxg1xt-lN8FZMFEZIXByHXgOJadrHvKhUNZVg0WpDPzjfoYCY2eCXnhkjAPb-zondZRtHNN-cgjnQLtktrTB2BnbRbhQrZLwYl5zzySBJEpcOv6shCVIKcfVLHepx6qCOVdGEJUB7XbTNztFQ2EH0PgJZ04GhPDCIEUU7lVQ/s714/mine3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="619" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0OrUuosVaR4N2mQKDBHxg1xt-lN8FZMFEZIXByHXgOJadrHvKhUNZVg0WpDPzjfoYCY2eCXnhkjAPb-zondZRtHNN-cgjnQLtktrTB2BnbRbhQrZLwYl5zzySBJEpcOv6shCVIKcfVLHepx6qCOVdGEJUB7XbTNztFQ2EH0PgJZ04GhPDCIEUU7lVQ/w346-h400/mine3.jpg" width="346" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakb5s3octjB6wCzjJcnoLWbQjmzakqDrl75gPqG0DCWjf7V7cNWwUKSQAgCOhyFnjFc841V3dfH66NE4n2bvj9J4XJR2mIIW9T_E4NTchb2EaeTLi1qEsxI3tLMz-5TeDd6WHflDs0LSeLxgv_9ZkXeC0bm7XcY7h4JEyYSLbAqIqo89CBayFmAwy_w/s691/mine4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="691" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakb5s3octjB6wCzjJcnoLWbQjmzakqDrl75gPqG0DCWjf7V7cNWwUKSQAgCOhyFnjFc841V3dfH66NE4n2bvj9J4XJR2mIIW9T_E4NTchb2EaeTLi1qEsxI3tLMz-5TeDd6WHflDs0LSeLxgv_9ZkXeC0bm7XcY7h4JEyYSLbAqIqo89CBayFmAwy_w/w400-h349/mine4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67SCUBYn1d6cND1xrTj_FDBpqKft1w6ZFfhJ5SWwRPYaWHrEVXjSJcuBMjM49aRj9rXht8p1Q_mxHD96aozQuuNadQWC5FTaMOTmm8XnF4zHgBB_4TiizX5teN2ct_GoMAQng476KxinPvJxVbzpMMwUANnazh9GX_HjzKg-GVcDS-zfyG1lM2zzbXg/s648/mine5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="648" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67SCUBYn1d6cND1xrTj_FDBpqKft1w6ZFfhJ5SWwRPYaWHrEVXjSJcuBMjM49aRj9rXht8p1Q_mxHD96aozQuuNadQWC5FTaMOTmm8XnF4zHgBB_4TiizX5teN2ct_GoMAQng476KxinPvJxVbzpMMwUANnazh9GX_HjzKg-GVcDS-zfyG1lM2zzbXg/w400-h396/mine5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me wearing the Lake Merritt shirt</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Northeastern Connecticut Top</h2><div>This next top emerged from an ad hoc eco-dyeing workshop I offered to a few friends at a lovely rambling house in northeastern Connecticut with equally lovely rambling grounds bursting with foliage — much of which I was unfamiliar with. As a result, the first part of the workshop involved foraging and testing plants and trying to figure out which plants lent themselves to eco-dyeing (see top photo in this post).</div><div><br /></div><div>All participants, including myself, walked away with pieces of eco-dyed fabric. What better way to say thank you for a wonderful interlude in the Connecticut countryside than to use those scraps of fabric to create a piece of hyper-local couture for the hostess, based entirely on plants found in her own backyard.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSlrGGraORAcC52aksoHF_iL2UdYp7F0Etx3AkLL6jPmYsbP7vLIWJJ2CYdqrzO88sllhPC-5_TlFp5w4EJnv8KmZ3BCiJPg2R7_7UpGqqYS5N_kJwl1BOb31qeBbEPrA9WSWSLpBux7m85VSVtH-3hz0LvTW8voTtvFWHSJiGVnrsV6T9jYSVW1z_w/s701/margot1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSlrGGraORAcC52aksoHF_iL2UdYp7F0Etx3AkLL6jPmYsbP7vLIWJJ2CYdqrzO88sllhPC-5_TlFp5w4EJnv8KmZ3BCiJPg2R7_7UpGqqYS5N_kJwl1BOb31qeBbEPrA9WSWSLpBux7m85VSVtH-3hz0LvTW8voTtvFWHSJiGVnrsV6T9jYSVW1z_w/w370-h400/margot1.jpg" width="370" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connecticut shirt: front view</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55_U3ntSMxDf1A53K-KZ2Uq5DJCKfMzA1qISl0TOIU1GEp9qXiKG3LXynrDZCt0mAAiFP_7T4WsqIsL8SBEBVuw4-3FjL9uicl_3FyCQxY_msAxI1BCPhd8LvbHqOwwSAZkxU2GOIrOolb6cENv6o6WC8QvdD0-RSlqMIA1gYe2OKEZ3TS6IMU3Cojw/s720/margot2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55_U3ntSMxDf1A53K-KZ2Uq5DJCKfMzA1qISl0TOIU1GEp9qXiKG3LXynrDZCt0mAAiFP_7T4WsqIsL8SBEBVuw4-3FjL9uicl_3FyCQxY_msAxI1BCPhd8LvbHqOwwSAZkxU2GOIrOolb6cENv6o6WC8QvdD0-RSlqMIA1gYe2OKEZ3TS6IMU3Cojw/w400-h300/margot2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_iZiBLQwbK8yo7gE2e7j8cHFX9CPxPiFFTVn7RglzX2A5RQ-_eM5peTiyD6TrUw5JBn5s1FZ5l3PQi7sgnfi4Zxafp9JKBHe3euQHjCtQKF6_ZMkEWp2BO2Ge8CUY_1HGIC5oTJ5NnfUZIX8TVIUq40Z4DM731f2uv8l1VKeZjOz1_6NAt1fcuBFww/s648/margot3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="648" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_iZiBLQwbK8yo7gE2e7j8cHFX9CPxPiFFTVn7RglzX2A5RQ-_eM5peTiyD6TrUw5JBn5s1FZ5l3PQi7sgnfi4Zxafp9JKBHe3euQHjCtQKF6_ZMkEWp2BO2Ge8CUY_1HGIC5oTJ5NnfUZIX8TVIUq40Z4DM731f2uv8l1VKeZjOz1_6NAt1fcuBFww/w400-h374/margot3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail: lining from recycled men's shirt</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDx82whbYaqHQp_EvdnQluuWcy4LrFwOgPQYRugKvqq7Y7uRrdc0BUGiLCuuRtUzUPYGONmROCrSMoxrwMgp9gpliNC72LnuPIwzfsv6RieIi3xdwoAbc8P7DvHqnwMnOsN_nvDo9AqDGIhRciR5SVDwGpI5A_Yyt0LpVhFtPn1BTADpPeJaQcCIIqxA/s682/margot4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDx82whbYaqHQp_EvdnQluuWcy4LrFwOgPQYRugKvqq7Y7uRrdc0BUGiLCuuRtUzUPYGONmROCrSMoxrwMgp9gpliNC72LnuPIwzfsv6RieIi3xdwoAbc8P7DvHqnwMnOsN_nvDo9AqDGIhRciR5SVDwGpI5A_Yyt0LpVhFtPn1BTADpPeJaQcCIIqxA/w380-h400/margot4.jpg" width="380" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0LO8s-G58u1dVTs01oT1LwgwgznUXXf68Zw1cf552nZYtiSkZIwt-4pNcUX-vhg6N8g_A-Oz8Xyt4sc3XhINO0zY25nVo4vRq3DBYBjGbz5tgCH5vtkRAbb1qTmHGbPqXAimG4D38jB-FaxKE7e4Ael2fDbg2xceJ33FPqEUdo-_ArIQo5yLa5aiQg/s720/margot5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0LO8s-G58u1dVTs01oT1LwgwgznUXXf68Zw1cf552nZYtiSkZIwt-4pNcUX-vhg6N8g_A-Oz8Xyt4sc3XhINO0zY25nVo4vRq3DBYBjGbz5tgCH5vtkRAbb1qTmHGbPqXAimG4D38jB-FaxKE7e4Ael2fDbg2xceJ33FPqEUdo-_ArIQo5yLa5aiQg/w400-h300/margot5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XwrBN5qvR8SAyoBNVu6cCfFrW9JglSx_0IetCzqQ5nphebGdTUtrIPl6o0NQ6NEhIcAFxEkMAjZXj3tfS6asq9UblsqFsimhLxA4P3AamcpfFTwJwl1S6W7CZzIog9a2kjMuM25FLKWKzjHI24kA5OkxFIpI3plewjWujpNjJGOCVMlPyzUHOdeHSQ/s797/margot6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XwrBN5qvR8SAyoBNVu6cCfFrW9JglSx_0IetCzqQ5nphebGdTUtrIPl6o0NQ6NEhIcAFxEkMAjZXj3tfS6asq9UblsqFsimhLxA4P3AamcpfFTwJwl1S6W7CZzIog9a2kjMuM25FLKWKzjHI24kA5OkxFIpI3plewjWujpNjJGOCVMlPyzUHOdeHSQ/w289-h400/margot6.jpg" width="289" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modeling the shirt before sending it off</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>For more about ongoing eco-dyeing mania and some helpful how-to links, see <a href="http://stuffyoucanthave.blogspot.com/2022/03/eco-dyeing-mania-part-one.html">Eco Dyeing Mania Part One</a>. </div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-33387960991534430332022-03-22T10:52:00.001-07:002022-03-22T10:52:12.505-07:00Eco Dyeing Mania - Part One<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheo7tBHs2phQxdERpI8QJeOvgKZOrtspLBsLx5DlA0zP7HDSB4VBNSuaFdYeNpB0CKwOt5IqvhC_7yYg5e0wpZ5H-T0fQwqDK2gcSllw6jwGxhOanS1QyyS6HlWGUJCU6K-ZhiCpa9Z4SBro-Qs7Eo5aYzBbSQryKBYSXun8BOsXXMP1X7FBasLL4J2Q/s811/inprogress2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="554" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheo7tBHs2phQxdERpI8QJeOvgKZOrtspLBsLx5DlA0zP7HDSB4VBNSuaFdYeNpB0CKwOt5IqvhC_7yYg5e0wpZ5H-T0fQwqDK2gcSllw6jwGxhOanS1QyyS6HlWGUJCU6K-ZhiCpa9Z4SBro-Qs7Eo5aYzBbSQryKBYSXun8BOsXXMP1X7FBasLL4J2Q/w274-h400/inprogress2.jpg" width="274" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foraged leaves and bundling sticks</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>One strategy I have been relying on heavily to survive the Covid-19 pandemic is eco-dyeing - a practice tailor-made for plague times. During the height of the pandemic I was essentially restricted to roaming my walkable neighborhood near Lake Merritt in Oakland, and once home I found myself with plenty of time on my hands and no visitors in site. I used those walks to forage for leaves and the time at home to experiment, and two years in there is barely a textile surface in my house left untouched by eco-dyed prints. I will be sharing those over the next few posts, but in response to requests I am including in this first post a couple of handy eco-dye how-to links. <div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">How-To Sources</h2><div>Just click on the headline of the source to reach the link.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.indiaflint.com">India Flint</a>: The goddess of eco-dyeing and author of the book Eco Colour (Murdoch Press, 2008). A great grounding in techniques and possibilities.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://wendyfe.wordpress.com/plants-for-eco-dyeing-and-eco-printing/">Dye Plants</a>: Figuring out which plants have leaves that produce strong, crisp prints can be an ongoing experimental process, or you look for a little help. This link is a guide to dye plants in North America complete with photographs of both the plant and the dye print they produce. Look for the plants that grow in your neighborhood. And do experiment on your own as well.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.fiberartsy.com/iron-mordant-recipe/">Mordants</a>: The key to successful eco-dyeing, this link offers clear-cut, simple instructions on how to create both a copper and an iron mordant (you get different colors and results depending on which you use).</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Sample Works: Household Textiles</h2><div><br /></div><div>Pillows</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is a gallery of pillows created during the pandemic via eco-dyeing.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66cIIV_x_ibZlt3ND5VeIHTGmZG0h7NPt4SWqEwXv52wQt8SivXTO9aoD7a9nJGNWgxbrzU9rzbTGFWSRwldr7WsaHkT_IGaezvS6s2xiJa8iMJ0vv_hHD8QW4Y2MXtxXRhAi1cBN3MxW20WgCP62nasE1qFmyXQ5eVcdhQ6OqEFiy89OLbAPv5R4lQ/s756/pillow1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="756" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66cIIV_x_ibZlt3ND5VeIHTGmZG0h7NPt4SWqEwXv52wQt8SivXTO9aoD7a9nJGNWgxbrzU9rzbTGFWSRwldr7WsaHkT_IGaezvS6s2xiJa8iMJ0vv_hHD8QW4Y2MXtxXRhAi1cBN3MxW20WgCP62nasE1qFmyXQ5eVcdhQ6OqEFiy89OLbAPv5R4lQ/w400-h296/pillow1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pillow One</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBQXxCeP-E45B9-nLcZrbJ4fh0Pdxf_429ROi7-AXgPjWIHL0fg3z3F1TmKFwl-3bfDsGdEp7G-PLduQi8mT-8J58T2nD8oWUwdyAzr033ZsSIGBAgCv7O50J2xItsLIcClDQLoVWEWVX3YfI5jV8uypnp90lwuqiGgx4hFAxL8uSPOBHzpGvemJp8w/s763/pillow1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="763" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBQXxCeP-E45B9-nLcZrbJ4fh0Pdxf_429ROi7-AXgPjWIHL0fg3z3F1TmKFwl-3bfDsGdEp7G-PLduQi8mT-8J58T2nD8oWUwdyAzr033ZsSIGBAgCv7O50J2xItsLIcClDQLoVWEWVX3YfI5jV8uypnp90lwuqiGgx4hFAxL8uSPOBHzpGvemJp8w/w400-h290/pillow1b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pillow One Reverse</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3gBUoYpSzKnmdRNPQ8rXoeeHKSC1uXpf0IRrWz7uqS0PrpYSt_PsSydg5t2rvgKf54uYPIvD-02XLgQQr7mizCVMVU1QERzIh4Z6921YR8LlMiOxtlyPh7OzCJfRxxGiVOBAT0ZprV6nCDtBI_CmgLkyMOW5Og3k3AH_ooN0gb28Xfy3B5T-UR1ApQ/s720/pillow2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3gBUoYpSzKnmdRNPQ8rXoeeHKSC1uXpf0IRrWz7uqS0PrpYSt_PsSydg5t2rvgKf54uYPIvD-02XLgQQr7mizCVMVU1QERzIh4Z6921YR8LlMiOxtlyPh7OzCJfRxxGiVOBAT0ZprV6nCDtBI_CmgLkyMOW5Og3k3AH_ooN0gb28Xfy3B5T-UR1ApQ/w400-h320/pillow2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pillow Two</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfWJjdUw0qAxwTKjeqlisSIbydM4Y1ABaATTkYUbi6oUinA77ZqbPQEfTQqkZKApGfUjUYMo7Zw4Do6xRnSM4xUMg7HbwbL9hfqHIceffvoDJSSJEVZUjhUwRslt1cB7W71_75Hbw6VHAHprGZYHDyq43nal8kiZwlpLox6azKSYsQtaaHS0S7dW2Kw/s720/pillow2b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="720" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfWJjdUw0qAxwTKjeqlisSIbydM4Y1ABaATTkYUbi6oUinA77ZqbPQEfTQqkZKApGfUjUYMo7Zw4Do6xRnSM4xUMg7HbwbL9hfqHIceffvoDJSSJEVZUjhUwRslt1cB7W71_75Hbw6VHAHprGZYHDyq43nal8kiZwlpLox6azKSYsQtaaHS0S7dW2Kw/w400-h319/pillow2b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pillow Two Reverse</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYmKG6uUZiqeXZKMe6Lo39OFo4XERkBPDLTmGAM9TDpuMFdjTRp35clf_Rk3SQKjfnoc8QCcvD47vXY81EvaiLCgFbgRSnL1D7I0rrf1-0hjThzZGl7bCi1KSeYzpeQF9_sNrNQoitX8ao1LpDu0Egezwu8CK5m16Imw3jOhur1YdDGiBFFp3G1sr8A/s756/pillow3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="756" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYmKG6uUZiqeXZKMe6Lo39OFo4XERkBPDLTmGAM9TDpuMFdjTRp35clf_Rk3SQKjfnoc8QCcvD47vXY81EvaiLCgFbgRSnL1D7I0rrf1-0hjThzZGl7bCi1KSeYzpeQF9_sNrNQoitX8ao1LpDu0Egezwu8CK5m16Imw3jOhur1YdDGiBFFp3G1sr8A/w400-h308/pillow3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pillow Three</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYVSRHJEHL19yrsS6HkfaNLTe7qfpxgMs9wVQjr7eSjUVWyfcIwA3NX1o9XF9_AHpp6AQ7A-uU6ddkFydXOv7bUcKcx_j6Y7-dmy06DlLc0B088m-Nt5NyugtjtxCD_YCuiRyoqMmQ1DTQN5xHjVe4WsM5cf9T8ZWAuH6rGcB7qyHsU9OsE0h7vhXLdg/s720/pillow3b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="720" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYVSRHJEHL19yrsS6HkfaNLTe7qfpxgMs9wVQjr7eSjUVWyfcIwA3NX1o9XF9_AHpp6AQ7A-uU6ddkFydXOv7bUcKcx_j6Y7-dmy06DlLc0B088m-Nt5NyugtjtxCD_YCuiRyoqMmQ1DTQN5xHjVe4WsM5cf9T8ZWAuH6rGcB7qyHsU9OsE0h7vhXLdg/w400-h336/pillow3b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pillow Three Reverse</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SKegzC4B0x8hNWq3k6nFVg6pXJd_xv8IjF8l752_Mt94L5AXp7haMlWpes-q3_E_mVnuPZ_Sz4XZryL8BqLtx-FsTXW8VfkQGLYaFkr244iFQQagJUN-eOpy5zSe9UdH7X4QE7pVZ-yGi4W3hQNxuoK3z944o_XNMmzkEC2SmaH5azTulY6YCv78dw/s792/pillow4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="792" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SKegzC4B0x8hNWq3k6nFVg6pXJd_xv8IjF8l752_Mt94L5AXp7haMlWpes-q3_E_mVnuPZ_Sz4XZryL8BqLtx-FsTXW8VfkQGLYaFkr244iFQQagJUN-eOpy5zSe9UdH7X4QE7pVZ-yGi4W3hQNxuoK3z944o_XNMmzkEC2SmaH5azTulY6YCv78dw/w400-h284/pillow4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pillow Four</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAc-_ue0w-ZYr4jufOOqIV70GEOlMjKLnuZ4rS63_fw2vZzbhQzz1Ssc1B-CviP-pRe80tJshapSXuuOescZW8Ew7nR92mLQ5N_Ee6t_Z52slMgdt_a9PazxCkFIGhJKg9TNULWvQstp67In7XYKDOQKDpbj7zmNU9ulxYvs2tfXHFVxlJ-6qjsc06lA/s763/pillow4b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="763" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAc-_ue0w-ZYr4jufOOqIV70GEOlMjKLnuZ4rS63_fw2vZzbhQzz1Ssc1B-CviP-pRe80tJshapSXuuOescZW8Ew7nR92mLQ5N_Ee6t_Z52slMgdt_a9PazxCkFIGhJKg9TNULWvQstp67In7XYKDOQKDpbj7zmNU9ulxYvs2tfXHFVxlJ-6qjsc06lA/w400-h293/pillow4b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pillow Four Reverse</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Curtains<div><br /></div><div>These eco-dyed curtains use a magnetic fastening system I invented. Little magnets are sewn into the top edge of the curtain, and metal washers have been fastened to the window edge using removable museum wax. These bay windows look out on Lake Merritt and most of the time I want the view unobstructed. However, at night when guests sleep on the front daybed, or when I would like an afternoon nap, this system allows me to put curtains up in seconds, and then take them down again even more quickly.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3y6ab0dKJM18NquQQOxgpgxLQtSkB_n_CF9yOF0so3a1MbpGlrKTQx6z_HO6jUt3-O1Q5v3yT77BUwldhJpZDEeTact7aHdSELKjW8WEK1gtIJ1RGhrYbioJno4jXLsRZAVNnVWDOFS6x7H7IpyzhvHrrjzK42w7gnrw2QDp3oqUAUUX08Sx29KQ3g/s720/box2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="720" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3y6ab0dKJM18NquQQOxgpgxLQtSkB_n_CF9yOF0so3a1MbpGlrKTQx6z_HO6jUt3-O1Q5v3yT77BUwldhJpZDEeTact7aHdSELKjW8WEK1gtIJ1RGhrYbioJno4jXLsRZAVNnVWDOFS6x7H7IpyzhvHrrjzK42w7gnrw2QDp3oqUAUUX08Sx29KQ3g/w400-h324/box2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The curtain storage box</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQzLzVOji6Uw1mbreXzLnq01teMTCV9n3A2pgdzPAiVA28JlVWLh0OWVGb3Q4Sqsu1nMNuyB-fcGGlXi5yfNWPbCvSJ27Z7gRL-mv0A44HX4tP8nuGERHQbvl-Onu243p-3-ozacR0Eo8fFODJPboqLcMI8LAEeltMS92rM8RKifzt4lPirgu2oz7GQ/s720/box3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="720" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQzLzVOji6Uw1mbreXzLnq01teMTCV9n3A2pgdzPAiVA28JlVWLh0OWVGb3Q4Sqsu1nMNuyB-fcGGlXi5yfNWPbCvSJ27Z7gRL-mv0A44HX4tP8nuGERHQbvl-Onu243p-3-ozacR0Eo8fFODJPboqLcMI8LAEeltMS92rM8RKifzt4lPirgu2oz7GQ/w400-h316/box3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The curtains in a lovely jumble</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeW13ic73jWRWEm8u4R4u8_LqCQIrRDCabnGemm3nv0JIQZxHz2KInTXvXMolXC5J7d8WsS9pl_PLCZCqufUFelkjE-AKSGFojlLfbqvO352dszg3XZfGS01fnezQupc-y7rcAwqeIMIjtaWyLR3svT78Q_3D4ZPdX1CmPMdQuU0ugdCscMS2bYbdOw/s648/box6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="648" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeW13ic73jWRWEm8u4R4u8_LqCQIrRDCabnGemm3nv0JIQZxHz2KInTXvXMolXC5J7d8WsS9pl_PLCZCqufUFelkjE-AKSGFojlLfbqvO352dszg3XZfGS01fnezQupc-y7rcAwqeIMIjtaWyLR3svT78Q_3D4ZPdX1CmPMdQuU0ugdCscMS2bYbdOw/w400-h391/box6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small magnets sewn into top curtain edge</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEJuOHsHh_qxpEMJkQHfPzqKqz0KJylAcmTeLDnLqAPCnhPvZ8yUMPxjtXmm83YKvaeItTf3rsraPTUK8f2PgqMtj1uGa7xdM7KUbKM6RqcEGEqDmcAkYNx7qKFtHvr9TlXPKYU1FBdVIElDHmGykXEW9DnJVkNd6EWC9J42-zrcYfN2HoQl5s_VgrQ/s691/box4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="691" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEJuOHsHh_qxpEMJkQHfPzqKqz0KJylAcmTeLDnLqAPCnhPvZ8yUMPxjtXmm83YKvaeItTf3rsraPTUK8f2PgqMtj1uGa7xdM7KUbKM6RqcEGEqDmcAkYNx7qKFtHvr9TlXPKYU1FBdVIElDHmGykXEW9DnJVkNd6EWC9J42-zrcYfN2HoQl5s_VgrQ/w400-h358/box4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corresponding metal washers on window ledge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WdqXollPAQqebTyN83d3I27Z1ErX8EEJXEB4xYIS4BNwiak8m2YE5xXxneywQqQ7ZMg_1X0MSSImY1w1xSHwJmzoilYKYOfXpGb7SgrHrwS-XZRNNEynl5rdP_9jciW1NcyG-RtRv5BK2_d43hAI8OYqCKukckAdwonkwK4lfKK-B-_idUscVXusFw/s763/windows1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="763" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WdqXollPAQqebTyN83d3I27Z1ErX8EEJXEB4xYIS4BNwiak8m2YE5xXxneywQqQ7ZMg_1X0MSSImY1w1xSHwJmzoilYKYOfXpGb7SgrHrwS-XZRNNEynl5rdP_9jciW1NcyG-RtRv5BK2_d43hAI8OYqCKukckAdwonkwK4lfKK-B-_idUscVXusFw/w400-h300/windows1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curtains hung in bay windows</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwURZXOxzw4Nk-jr5Tw5A40sUooRFkxwjPZh7hHgPaVJnxc5jJxmUIZZI7JMZoKX4duT_oKNCWpUpRljXGWBahDkc-lPJMBy28eJdnxsLrYrkY-8nUCzZ_IIErAGtPpc-ZGYw65CL-u5Ysm6Fq57XcaDMB4jT-VA-SQ6_oTmXRRfCcZ8-ly9rf_6Fpgw/s756/windows2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="756" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwURZXOxzw4Nk-jr5Tw5A40sUooRFkxwjPZh7hHgPaVJnxc5jJxmUIZZI7JMZoKX4duT_oKNCWpUpRljXGWBahDkc-lPJMBy28eJdnxsLrYrkY-8nUCzZ_IIErAGtPpc-ZGYw65CL-u5Ysm6Fq57XcaDMB4jT-VA-SQ6_oTmXRRfCcZ8-ly9rf_6Fpgw/w400-h296/windows2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closer view</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOW2LRN_p7H5U1Ujv-q4k8TH4b3O5_uUAgynwVeh9AgjPComO5roJSNnPooikHVSA9_6q3zNgmcHbVSNX_qllCjHshg5F4sW8nAWakvRlFC8oCi6A9D7Hyq679PY-JprY5D8scTh1diLxrXZssSGlAJglG1uOsbKQ_CyxN6D-9GMyyl3xn6SqoGpm2Cg/s768/windows5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOW2LRN_p7H5U1Ujv-q4k8TH4b3O5_uUAgynwVeh9AgjPComO5roJSNnPooikHVSA9_6q3zNgmcHbVSNX_qllCjHshg5F4sW8nAWakvRlFC8oCi6A9D7Hyq679PY-JprY5D8scTh1diLxrXZssSGlAJglG1uOsbKQ_CyxN6D-9GMyyl3xn6SqoGpm2Cg/w300-h400/windows5.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail view</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5N_qeMVCrw2-Ah-2YYociFCLnENcK7jxUVIUVlRuk0HKaqA1WklGOS7_oATRH3VbsciiBPiubGfczHgSal8m6Idr864SPWTdwLlJDBpeBNR3Nbf6Zq1BjaEGk8jE-VjVvOe9DSooC7ltGX16714hS1vPftsfqH3y5MI8W31VKm7MczJ65IIsapBRYA/s768/windows6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5N_qeMVCrw2-Ah-2YYociFCLnENcK7jxUVIUVlRuk0HKaqA1WklGOS7_oATRH3VbsciiBPiubGfczHgSal8m6Idr864SPWTdwLlJDBpeBNR3Nbf6Zq1BjaEGk8jE-VjVvOe9DSooC7ltGX16714hS1vPftsfqH3y5MI8W31VKm7MczJ65IIsapBRYA/w300-h400/windows6.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail view</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RB7e6Sw7OVtPfwtAXuTeWbTXrixLGKq3hk7ro_hPWhCd2b0h-tIhquizkl-7sygr6OBuV4Whw1l1nZ5teKa-rUrK4UEBJhFPfkPTeB8CIigPa65OJlhn2wncf-kNWu4nhKdKSBWUgnlupztD802JAZjdqeOWP8huPxTh-yYshrxobI_TQY2wG9Pieg/s768/windows7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RB7e6Sw7OVtPfwtAXuTeWbTXrixLGKq3hk7ro_hPWhCd2b0h-tIhquizkl-7sygr6OBuV4Whw1l1nZ5teKa-rUrK4UEBJhFPfkPTeB8CIigPa65OJlhn2wncf-kNWu4nhKdKSBWUgnlupztD802JAZjdqeOWP8huPxTh-yYshrxobI_TQY2wG9Pieg/w300-h400/windows7.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail view</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: left;">Bonus</h2><div>And here is a throw-away bonus: a photo of a cloth throw in progress which was gifted away before I had a chance to further document the item.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGKHwS8OiSOZJ4qpdKefEFSYxe1SJw6ijDyQlIUMaj3i-zI9t-E6yrWiTfi_r3HsE_f50t7H2e0JxfzXSFIdv3ealpPGu6_o-LGL5DErxzc6C3ahXHh4BTuhsbu4qvd5r9WG4127Afg1_gQ9UrtiyluAPVrzuYS82Bag2L7yI-uVM276y4jT9etMPew/s763/throw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="763" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGKHwS8OiSOZJ4qpdKefEFSYxe1SJw6ijDyQlIUMaj3i-zI9t-E6yrWiTfi_r3HsE_f50t7H2e0JxfzXSFIdv3ealpPGu6_o-LGL5DErxzc6C3ahXHh4BTuhsbu4qvd5r9WG4127Afg1_gQ9UrtiyluAPVrzuYS82Bag2L7yI-uVM276y4jT9etMPew/w400-h300/throw.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eco-dyed throw in progress</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Stay tuned for one more post related to eco-dyeing which focuses on hyper-local couture.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-41222080161370349392022-03-13T11:45:00.004-07:002022-03-24T11:43:10.928-07:00Fiddling with Scraps: The Roots Book<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDs_s7qBcmZffd0sNKquM_gwe2FZaG7Qmg9yNOi8GY12v4X3aRJwX5YGdXZwojlfrCEJ0D4RrXACyZ2PFkX8JOo3Iz8MfY5dYFWIsT3egFXPRmWWoL26HymDrmz5XYIgV6_gVDw9lrCQ3-7M3u6AUcWSzKssSXSolSlXSmJwIb3TWnAEKJ3W8Ynj0EzQ=s696" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDs_s7qBcmZffd0sNKquM_gwe2FZaG7Qmg9yNOi8GY12v4X3aRJwX5YGdXZwojlfrCEJ0D4RrXACyZ2PFkX8JOo3Iz8MfY5dYFWIsT3egFXPRmWWoL26HymDrmz5XYIgV6_gVDw9lrCQ3-7M3u6AUcWSzKssSXSolSlXSmJwIb3TWnAEKJ3W8Ynj0EzQ=w373-h400" width="373" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Accordion book, 3 3/4" x 4"</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Fashioned from an assortment of scraps from the <a href="http://stuffyoucanthave.blogspot.com/search/label/Roots%20Project" target="_blank">Roots Project</a> and two years of pandemic eco-dyeing, this little Roots book combines sashiko stitching, eco-dyed scraps from foliage within a one-mile radius, and the roots of native grasses. Enjoy - I know I did.<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWGADAkXNlrvEhkWhwWUvvIi23HITUc-MHKEYv1jzcb2djo-fEsp52XYD2l7bJJLE4vYSPLn5bsQlB_hULkkKpBp3wuV870E_qCVJ2zq9l7QS3QX0lOCeWhU_-uYG6JKef0rJLxwy1tVreAvX_5q1vUg4uJc3LJL7IvO68-yTzr5TQZMFEQhEHmvpQOw=s675" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWGADAkXNlrvEhkWhwWUvvIi23HITUc-MHKEYv1jzcb2djo-fEsp52XYD2l7bJJLE4vYSPLn5bsQlB_hULkkKpBp3wuV870E_qCVJ2zq9l7QS3QX0lOCeWhU_-uYG6JKef0rJLxwy1tVreAvX_5q1vUg4uJc3LJL7IvO68-yTzr5TQZMFEQhEHmvpQOw=w341-h400" width="341" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back of book</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvX9F8OmpvMSTi8Pxc6KkMY_owy0BKH6p65nCNUzigaPcZWTm9TH3EqIHYmgaSEBisNZ3rw5fnl8HU2isA-Fq6dR-douTS3YGZCQG424FlvLRL0S1FR9HdQoWGtKipT4Iinzq9i8Jzx0rgESh4ULjnHQK4fD3VeeMcjmGutd8rnVBiAWEGAZ9hN16S2A=s936" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="936" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvX9F8OmpvMSTi8Pxc6KkMY_owy0BKH6p65nCNUzigaPcZWTm9TH3EqIHYmgaSEBisNZ3rw5fnl8HU2isA-Fq6dR-douTS3YGZCQG424FlvLRL0S1FR9HdQoWGtKipT4Iinzq9i8Jzx0rgESh4ULjnHQK4fD3VeeMcjmGutd8rnVBiAWEGAZ9hN16S2A=w400-h195" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLaXn2y3YGLPof_t1FCahIGdSTMDuLXP3R99QL4vl30DpME3lYTndnMsLcMhfFzgi_Sr4P8ihXtwWfUBsNiPISMaStQPgC8WaXQFlnDSgsRV42XA3DqHqzG1308YcjxtBrhAQI5RMZdTEowBKUH8NPZyNaSL5kSOixdPrtcOYxvlWshB3U6RqbAAJ-MA=s864" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="864" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLaXn2y3YGLPof_t1FCahIGdSTMDuLXP3R99QL4vl30DpME3lYTndnMsLcMhfFzgi_Sr4P8ihXtwWfUBsNiPISMaStQPgC8WaXQFlnDSgsRV42XA3DqHqzG1308YcjxtBrhAQI5RMZdTEowBKUH8NPZyNaSL5kSOixdPrtcOYxvlWshB3U6RqbAAJ-MA=w400-h240" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnpNDX7JooWdYkU0GNbcNaNmN38AadS9ZpPda4aK4NANbTJEsKgyM8mXFjIUz4Jmh1en4QMwlyHne3rToQ2-L6Pbi9KiJYmqZWpZ0tjav5CoxrpfHHrn_A6wBKBqq_vUCV7Cq9b3ZeVNxgJM46QNDlck_dollTPWyljjWQviObH7lPpN4_QWvrqbU4SA=s763" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="763" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnpNDX7JooWdYkU0GNbcNaNmN38AadS9ZpPda4aK4NANbTJEsKgyM8mXFjIUz4Jmh1en4QMwlyHne3rToQ2-L6Pbi9KiJYmqZWpZ0tjav5CoxrpfHHrn_A6wBKBqq_vUCV7Cq9b3ZeVNxgJM46QNDlck_dollTPWyljjWQviObH7lPpN4_QWvrqbU4SA=w400-h293" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjY3NEB9lGCzRz82y6p1-jnKKWcI-HLN-QD4J6JnVRqvdzuXkCaMs3uZ5GoFQYHF7oYNHhxms48j6FGaRq80Lyk_pdij3BdKQYmjYyhkEcrJd6Rp3whbf93-IfEiNwePBkdmTClV7Nwi_k42EhWmIhUdXGtW6taW4PoR0F4pMqPbyJ5Fa61qFQj0NPhpg=s756" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="756" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjY3NEB9lGCzRz82y6p1-jnKKWcI-HLN-QD4J6JnVRqvdzuXkCaMs3uZ5GoFQYHF7oYNHhxms48j6FGaRq80Lyk_pdij3BdKQYmjYyhkEcrJd6Rp3whbf93-IfEiNwePBkdmTClV7Nwi_k42EhWmIhUdXGtW6taW4PoR0F4pMqPbyJ5Fa61qFQj0NPhpg=w400-h299" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYcTmd-eXy1tlt17kokYGRUmpYGuU1ImKrnU8OFhWBh_7YBw4c7L8BjjBGZ5vxosUPd0OnnMMVQszdiKsglmRVi3AhC9AN-rP_7u8TUeVhFiohKGSSIdtpDOYOttENZTqZ1X6YpXm7m_KYr8DSXxa1vxBIEBx8_nY6V2-lS4xefzkcrZ9tEC0vUNmhkA=s763" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="763" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYcTmd-eXy1tlt17kokYGRUmpYGuU1ImKrnU8OFhWBh_7YBw4c7L8BjjBGZ5vxosUPd0OnnMMVQszdiKsglmRVi3AhC9AN-rP_7u8TUeVhFiohKGSSIdtpDOYOttENZTqZ1X6YpXm7m_KYr8DSXxa1vxBIEBx8_nY6V2-lS4xefzkcrZ9tEC0vUNmhkA=w400-h303" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEionoScgwlZ9D4MVej3CpW50cjnaU5-G0vz22x-Ba19aPAfypU4M0ZT6n7RvJcUDzj2cV1qKxaJMwpnF3pz273jfdQHhJUtyOgVy1KYx6oetjKOP2edChismOcnAOFfdozuK_Pp3fXu6FHqGLbFlVu7ZEtJvgevjTA8MqluMRmgCXM0gIfeJ9I0e3YUFA=s770" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="770" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEionoScgwlZ9D4MVej3CpW50cjnaU5-G0vz22x-Ba19aPAfypU4M0ZT6n7RvJcUDzj2cV1qKxaJMwpnF3pz273jfdQHhJUtyOgVy1KYx6oetjKOP2edChismOcnAOFfdozuK_Pp3fXu6FHqGLbFlVu7ZEtJvgevjTA8MqluMRmgCXM0gIfeJ9I0e3YUFA=w400-h304" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEp766wxTRTzkHO5PQ2qsRcY3DcaZNbCOlg_5LaZDFkeQ9u7UjOqnrwV5oNIMkEcP7CdpJngBDRfjNJCox69YA3moUbyKDNhEWVXKZT4qc5AX_HwXG2ACnTGrAtnXfd0hM0xcwJwdvEgsrFo3uffcWZFBc1IzFmc_RsZN4LmTR3gRbEmiJr0tN00uRkg=s763" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="763" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEp766wxTRTzkHO5PQ2qsRcY3DcaZNbCOlg_5LaZDFkeQ9u7UjOqnrwV5oNIMkEcP7CdpJngBDRfjNJCox69YA3moUbyKDNhEWVXKZT4qc5AX_HwXG2ACnTGrAtnXfd0hM0xcwJwdvEgsrFo3uffcWZFBc1IzFmc_RsZN4LmTR3gRbEmiJr0tN00uRkg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The creative surprise? How easy it turned out to be to appliqué the dried native grass roots to the cloth using teensy tiny anchoring stitches.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1366085947364639757.post-62073597064034996852022-02-19T11:22:00.008-08:002022-02-19T11:30:21.562-08:00Exploit Your Kids for Divine Interior Decor<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZGS7AbMUfkw7dvHpWXSlMt01Q7t3TmeP0ORlMJhzcCADaD04ibTkInjO7k1A_9Ou4M48SkUetGsC6mDN-lv9pCVw99b4VhHmpXEhhrP7pxoKZEVu9m1HE3LTCY_mLYhdpuZ-e5qgjwlvqjDy7iwXLjTin3z09_0FH0iA-COBh9WU-weYn8V-N1bmgbw=s3264" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZGS7AbMUfkw7dvHpWXSlMt01Q7t3TmeP0ORlMJhzcCADaD04ibTkInjO7k1A_9Ou4M48SkUetGsC6mDN-lv9pCVw99b4VhHmpXEhhrP7pxoKZEVu9m1HE3LTCY_mLYhdpuZ-e5qgjwlvqjDy7iwXLjTin3z09_0FH0iA-COBh9WU-weYn8V-N1bmgbw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In recent years outsider art has hit the mainstream art market and as a result has become a very pricy proposition. My apartment is full of wonderful, joyful finds over the past decades from the pioneer outsider art oasis Creative Growth in Oakland, and I am happy I stocked up when I could; these days the works by the talented crew of artists there are beyond my price range.<div><br /></div><div>However, I have discovered a rich pool of untapped outsider art close to home that is just begging to be exploited: kids' art. Like outsider artists, children are untrained with no preconceived notions of what body part should be where, the constraints of physics and reality, or what color the sky should be. As when experiencing works by outsider artists, children's art often surprises and delights me and makes my brain travel to territories it wouldn't have travelled to otherwise.</div><div><br /></div><div>Best of all, it is plentiful and free. Children are more than happy to churn out art for you and I have found they will (sometimes) be willing to work on specific commissions and meet your demands for specific subject matter. I am not the first to make this discovery and apply it to interior decor. The popular deep-dish pizza restaurant Zachery's in Oakland has an exuberant, entertaining interior decorated with children's drawings of slices of pizza.</div><div><br /></div><div>After repainting my kitchen my attention turned to an oft-neglected aspect of interior decor: the inside of cabinet doors. In this case I had painted the interior of the doors turquoise blue, and after a few days of living with the result I realized I needed something to break up all of that blue. For this project I tapped into my stash of art by my grandnieces accumulated over the past decade. I scanned the works of art, manipulated them in Photoshop and changed the sizes, flipped things horizontally, and made multiples as needed. After several failed experimental techniques I settled on the strategy of using a water-based wash that incorporated the same turquoise paint as the cabinet interiors and then used Modge Podge to apply the images to the cabinets.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmrUzpO0WHSQO8fOJDHYfSNGDn8zrZW0TRUsOGa8fSBoSWI3tVCvtAyo4ulLgKqvuU9MVzJfkhnh2Q3FAZ3i2PO40YV9ivBlPsaFlt3L5EQ0sT2GDftPnwLr1zVveQ_u_IkNI-V4qlXM-mc3A2OppO66gRee_22M6istjxQLw6Kmziw6TMQDQQbsY_cg=s720" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="720" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmrUzpO0WHSQO8fOJDHYfSNGDn8zrZW0TRUsOGa8fSBoSWI3tVCvtAyo4ulLgKqvuU9MVzJfkhnh2Q3FAZ3i2PO40YV9ivBlPsaFlt3L5EQ0sT2GDftPnwLr1zVveQ_u_IkNI-V4qlXM-mc3A2OppO66gRee_22M6istjxQLw6Kmziw6TMQDQQbsY_cg=w400-h323" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabinet exteriors with brass label plaques</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Brass label plaques add a little fun and interactivity to the cabinet experience.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBZ103KfRlHxXiibu5aD-mCeOcX0nPUYpbPlf3DPVxvn7H4w7GbgQb5Er9jLx8OzzW5DC3LKjl7Hf872VGLh-rUZMSQKtRBTkgOPwkEosnuU7ClNJ-Bynv7u5pXcmy-Pl8l8j6bkpbSe_anBAfa-1vn-r0_1aSSifim7KWJfPfbme1FGNlfZntT1HVlg=s864" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="864" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBZ103KfRlHxXiibu5aD-mCeOcX0nPUYpbPlf3DPVxvn7H4w7GbgQb5Er9jLx8OzzW5DC3LKjl7Hf872VGLh-rUZMSQKtRBTkgOPwkEosnuU7ClNJ-Bynv7u5pXcmy-Pl8l8j6bkpbSe_anBAfa-1vn-r0_1aSSifim7KWJfPfbme1FGNlfZntT1HVlg=w400-h243" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Dragons cabinet features artwork by the now-12-year-old, who has developed an extraordinary eye for anatomy, a passion for dragons, and a love of online graphic tools and coding.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimL5qjs4ITWCssGM5fPgZvxwqXANc4FFU075IP6aYO4SywBzxgtXMbGrNW2VtKoKb6WonAIYVV0gjPE-LJjzYp-lb3r_c8RGsy5ZppyZBIhoYgL3FRUsVjIieyscmPBe0i3bF4QeUTA-dDaAiSnHkWB9m0eYnszmsBeuFfbDQfnFnDCtQTcX394MGlkg=s821" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="554" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimL5qjs4ITWCssGM5fPgZvxwqXANc4FFU075IP6aYO4SywBzxgtXMbGrNW2VtKoKb6WonAIYVV0gjPE-LJjzYp-lb3r_c8RGsy5ZppyZBIhoYgL3FRUsVjIieyscmPBe0i3bF4QeUTA-dDaAiSnHkWB9m0eYnszmsBeuFfbDQfnFnDCtQTcX394MGlkg=w432-h640" width="432" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dragon cabinet</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Note in the background above you see a photo of my early art muse, my great-grandmother, who was around until I was 16. I like the idea of her overlooking art by her great, great, great-granddaughter.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkn7moP6LrhRYiBpe8qn57pL3VkF886iS7vxAEyLj_gbZGf9WdB7Zwtl53U3IZQQY1YcPdXZ85lZDm-xsOsSvLEEVHTuWsYgIgrurADQoG7bh4qI3weOdYz-gNurB8MteaKhXE4-faaLs8OVFSsqW963gLG72jwAAMfTJP9kTMbGbw7V41QWDw1L0NGQ=s804" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkn7moP6LrhRYiBpe8qn57pL3VkF886iS7vxAEyLj_gbZGf9WdB7Zwtl53U3IZQQY1YcPdXZ85lZDm-xsOsSvLEEVHTuWsYgIgrurADQoG7bh4qI3weOdYz-gNurB8MteaKhXE4-faaLs8OVFSsqW963gLG72jwAAMfTJP9kTMbGbw7V41QWDw1L0NGQ=w402-h640" width="402" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidcqwIz1sWO0-SHB0s8ZJW3IaAmCdS4DcBFzIOj7h0YgFtdVfqbtyvnstyqatCW0wxumM3GXpOCbewZxQkcTxgh8dyjg73U5_FJn-aT9SA58G_OKGCBcMLLZ-f1cJSgTPyre_hEhRt75wCnetLfWpLTUylMgbVDBXiDLCo40Y0LIR3pcRERLCdE2YqWg=s792" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="792" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidcqwIz1sWO0-SHB0s8ZJW3IaAmCdS4DcBFzIOj7h0YgFtdVfqbtyvnstyqatCW0wxumM3GXpOCbewZxQkcTxgh8dyjg73U5_FJn-aT9SA58G_OKGCBcMLLZ-f1cJSgTPyre_hEhRt75wCnetLfWpLTUylMgbVDBXiDLCo40Y0LIR3pcRERLCdE2YqWg=w400-h255" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The Monsters cabinet features early works by both girls during a commissioned art session when they were perhaps five and seven. I told them I needed monsters. At the time I was intent on hand-stitching a <a href="https://stuffyoucanthave.blogspot.com/2016/08/monsters-stitching-saga.html" target="_blank">monster shirt,</a> which I eventually gifted to their grandmother.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgg3IGQ87v14Bzmax7JUR0gknf1jGtitCCE5JIBXuLppFnNayrX4kWrgvWxdsWhK8j_oTsacGkqiU5sQDPqjLdm7n8rAf46AgrpizLv1_KmcvSaX3DIpQ0vKrYQYh5Nzi_HcYtihZkEhWDKlgqzznJG3eosyBXpqTdt-uW0Cjtb1z1yWGLhbCFpiHc0Dw=s846" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgg3IGQ87v14Bzmax7JUR0gknf1jGtitCCE5JIBXuLppFnNayrX4kWrgvWxdsWhK8j_oTsacGkqiU5sQDPqjLdm7n8rAf46AgrpizLv1_KmcvSaX3DIpQ0vKrYQYh5Nzi_HcYtihZkEhWDKlgqzznJG3eosyBXpqTdt-uW0Cjtb1z1yWGLhbCFpiHc0Dw=w382-h640" width="382" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHwYP1-u1EMAcWMNkq0NLdSfyscKNCPvL7Q_PpsdlGUE7jR8GvsGjjiHoLjY6gkk-P13k4Idm6zcIKI5uzXV64ctPdEyeBv-Zk77eor0PUfrJtUFk6X9yJec4ct0_er9CgQZQiO638FAAyAOjI1zxolvy4cIur7IUQ2q2Uzc3bjYqSSBKe6ME33rnaLw=s768" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHwYP1-u1EMAcWMNkq0NLdSfyscKNCPvL7Q_PpsdlGUE7jR8GvsGjjiHoLjY6gkk-P13k4Idm6zcIKI5uzXV64ctPdEyeBv-Zk77eor0PUfrJtUFk6X9yJec4ct0_er9CgQZQiO638FAAyAOjI1zxolvy4cIur7IUQ2q2Uzc3bjYqSSBKe6ME33rnaLw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The final cabinet door features what may be the last art we ever see from the now-10-year-old who, like so many children, has reached some sort of unfortunate socially-induced turning point and decided she isn't any good at art. I think the work displayed here, which she originally drew and put together as a little book she mailed to me last year, is eloquent proof that she is wrong.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwe5A1pz8d7pEgFKMXa1DhgSgdzFT7Os48nodjhI3PGF-pSrijLJCoDvPB6AyoWS_qMvvyyt6aT4849kuA7WymWQWvAbSf_WhpCsVEKa6z6In5XlFllpDYUtF_bkCfvJjxDhmiNNUpQCSudSNxTl70Qay_pGSWw8xR3R-vu5vXYCCmZ96oWeq-XHtM5A=s792" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="792" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwe5A1pz8d7pEgFKMXa1DhgSgdzFT7Os48nodjhI3PGF-pSrijLJCoDvPB6AyoWS_qMvvyyt6aT4849kuA7WymWQWvAbSf_WhpCsVEKa6z6In5XlFllpDYUtF_bkCfvJjxDhmiNNUpQCSudSNxTl70Qay_pGSWw8xR3R-vu5vXYCCmZ96oWeq-XHtM5A=w400-h240" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLPIW9DIw170Woo4_ULvOzrr5FIkYehVnuGmbN-s_hiaRtZh19LPch8cQG_TWAw7x3QVvDzQW_hWlOuY7CWeOOXs2UarKEd80X_-Dxojf3xOLWHpVGqtQc0FfiRC3g6e4DW-J21Ww3v6N83WzZON0bJu3iY1zjmuZOvFtpetC_fEqHbgH6JuSDYq4-YA=s867" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="504" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLPIW9DIw170Woo4_ULvOzrr5FIkYehVnuGmbN-s_hiaRtZh19LPch8cQG_TWAw7x3QVvDzQW_hWlOuY7CWeOOXs2UarKEd80X_-Dxojf3xOLWHpVGqtQc0FfiRC3g6e4DW-J21Ww3v6N83WzZON0bJu3iY1zjmuZOvFtpetC_fEqHbgH6JuSDYq4-YA=w372-h640" width="372" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhewktH_oMzBGvZd0S_-VY6BKFKWJDWT4y5mWZ3I373ViGLagiktF85iHeGewDNLj6Dvy1BqEmoYcArw-al08cqB9o7K9KODyC1rxpRhlUq7iXIorU-o3eFK0-vOhcfIYHuDbgJfLI7HL9x6EZ-VpPbIf19CYuwY7ySNDxfANcQLvERSxkEmJzt1BwHRA=s768" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhewktH_oMzBGvZd0S_-VY6BKFKWJDWT4y5mWZ3I373ViGLagiktF85iHeGewDNLj6Dvy1BqEmoYcArw-al08cqB9o7K9KODyC1rxpRhlUq7iXIorU-o3eFK0-vOhcfIYHuDbgJfLI7HL9x6EZ-VpPbIf19CYuwY7ySNDxfANcQLvERSxkEmJzt1BwHRA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So there you have it. Go forth and exploit your children for creative outsider images, inspiration, and ideas for interior decor, for graphic design, for textiles. If you don't have any children of your own, go exploit someone else's children. That's what I have been doing for the past fifty years, and I think the children along the way are none the worse for it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Note: The blues are all over the place in these images. All of the cabinet interiors are a consistent tone of turquoise blue; photographing them in different light radically alters that tone.</div>Catherine McEverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04017664475915181565noreply@blogger.com2