tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72703284195175912102024-03-14T07:19:21.742-06:00manhandled threads...where one man's explorations of the oft over-looked and neglected selvedges of creativity are mended into existence.Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.comBlogger398125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-40125644708535994192021-06-23T23:11:00.005-06:002021-06-23T23:11:50.023-06:00converging skies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">“creativity is just</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">connecting things.”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-steve jobs</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/AVvXsEhu76GttoMnYke38q-mVJcB1JqKmjcsYXMOV2HhCTtUo8K_Sky_fnBs-9RWJdXD9_fly4lH7SBuo-_vAHHpzNCxyve8oU4YTwnsRoDGknFM6LHwZ0Y_rF-nxVO75Ebe5xhq0uvEIt22zZ-6/s2048/318A67FD-15C5-4E86-BFEC-CDE7E44B0B6B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu76GttoMnYke38q-mVJcB1JqKmjcsYXMOV2HhCTtUo8K_Sky_fnBs-9RWJdXD9_fly4lH7SBuo-_vAHHpzNCxyve8oU4YTwnsRoDGknFM6LHwZ0Y_rF-nxVO75Ebe5xhq0uvEIt22zZ-6/w400-h400/318A67FD-15C5-4E86-BFEC-CDE7E44B0B6B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br />bodhi found himself drowning in a sea of frothy shampoo and moisturising conditioner today! the sun was blazing across the sky. the beast was malodorous, so it seemed like a utopian union. he smells delightfully fragrant now!<p></p><p>i’ve been bloodless and world-weary of late. fraught with uncertainty as my unemployment is surreptitiously terminated by sanctimonious politicians who believe we are all simply lazy and need to take one of the thousands of poverty level jobs available in food service and hospitality, a field nowhere near my own which was destroyed not only by the pandemic, but by governmental idiocies in the first place…and pays less than half what i was making…grumble, grumble, piss and moan. ha! a fat lot of good all that grouching just did, eh? tomorrow is another day.</p><p>to be more productive, i begin again. forging skies. new fragments. anticipating stories. even snipping and dipping a stacklet of shibori indigo moons! too colossal for these fragments, but ripe for impending journeys in stitch and whisper.</p><p>now to settle in and needle chant awhile as the rotund moon shimmers outside my window and gentle night breezes cool the fragrant beast at my feet and the bear sleeps in the next room.</p><p>namasté </p><p><br /></p>Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-82694205350024909032021-06-19T02:30:00.002-06:002021-06-19T02:30:00.187-06:00luminous language of art<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"art washes away from the soul</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the dust of everyday life."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-pablo picasso </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/AVvXsEg5KG7bNMX7aBUiK4FD0J_DAhtl63Qjwkqa-5XSGwDs4SQ4yP2n3-gprkrlU0Wr9Qt81ARI6Yg_Xgalok81YdFijdy1KM_aSbnU011Cj_6Io1z3Zplbj2STWIAPJncsNRQXJGNQrw_DUdC1/s1686/FEB0E9B5-9840-4ECA-A4F4-C4158F926FB3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1686" data-original-width="1445" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KG7bNMX7aBUiK4FD0J_DAhtl63Qjwkqa-5XSGwDs4SQ4yP2n3-gprkrlU0Wr9Qt81ARI6Yg_Xgalok81YdFijdy1KM_aSbnU011Cj_6Io1z3Zplbj2STWIAPJncsNRQXJGNQrw_DUdC1/w343-h400/FEB0E9B5-9840-4ECA-A4F4-C4158F926FB3.jpeg" width="343" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white;">kurt vonnegut once said that "to</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> practice any art, no matter how well or how badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. so do it.” in today’s climate, i figure anything that feeds our souls is a worthy pursuit.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Open Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white;">i'm trying to be quiet as no one else is up, but my paints and canvas have been whispering a steady lament for some time and I decided it was time to get them out and let them walk around a bit…</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Open Sans, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white;">namasté</span></span></p>Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com7Williston, ND 58801, USA48.1469683 -103.617974519.836734463821152 -138.7742245 76.457202136178836 -68.4617245tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-79952239517541241132021-06-18T09:11:00.004-06:002021-06-18T09:11:33.187-06:00pande…monium <p style="text-align: center;"> “i am an artist you know…</p><p style="text-align: center;">it is my right to be mad!”</p><p style="text-align: center;">-e.a. buchianneri</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMf82c13clc_pZMsvNg5l3xdnadGRdghvT74s5fTJk4ZqepVvboZ1MEggD5RNgnAVBewnkqW7Y6zv4E4Hx9PPSnzgxknX5AHFV_u7969fJOriZM_aAFT13Q1f8yx64eHvT3Q3odYiWfFx/s2048/C2096C75-2F30-4933-AFED-61AF3EAB8572.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMf82c13clc_pZMsvNg5l3xdnadGRdghvT74s5fTJk4ZqepVvboZ1MEggD5RNgnAVBewnkqW7Y6zv4E4Hx9PPSnzgxknX5AHFV_u7969fJOriZM_aAFT13Q1f8yx64eHvT3Q3odYiWfFx/w400-h400/C2096C75-2F30-4933-AFED-61AF3EAB8572.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">my grasp on this blog has always been tenuous at best. so many avenues with more immediate gratification pulling me in other directions like instagram and facebook. then the pandemic loomed large and out of control. furloughed and depressed, i turned inward, reaching out through those other mediums as they were simpler. faster. required less of me. but is that truly healthy? does it instill creativity? foster artistic growth?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">one thing that i have always loved about blogging is that it requires me to look deeper. examine. uncover. share…but with something more. to do so simply for the sake of being honest with myself. more open with myself.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">when it comes down to it, i blog because i want to give that voice a venue in which to whisper. to allow myself the space to see what it is i’m creating from a different perspective…and if that imparts some insight to others, then it is doubly blessed. if nothing else, then at least it shares the inner workings of a madman amidst his creative expressions!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">namasté</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-63032656073428979862020-11-06T18:59:00.003-07:002020-11-06T18:59:42.188-07:00a jolly little frolic<p style="text-align: center;"> “of course there is</p><p style="text-align: center;">a santa claus!”</p><p style="text-align: center;">-truman capote </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoSQIXA47SC_hWxbPhhWSuRj7tsYk-K25_RWeJAi6BjWjOZNCpO_Yxx153_Udek8CR-ubudmxXgEOU6ub6_eJxZF0kge7vBocbXLnmJOMxKj6rRad0-9nAvhzkuJxuM0zkrXXyr11soBX/s2048/D7B4E58D-FB73-45F0-B73A-C51BDC181499.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoSQIXA47SC_hWxbPhhWSuRj7tsYk-K25_RWeJAi6BjWjOZNCpO_Yxx153_Udek8CR-ubudmxXgEOU6ub6_eJxZF0kge7vBocbXLnmJOMxKj6rRad0-9nAvhzkuJxuM0zkrXXyr11soBX/w300-h400/D7B4E58D-FB73-45F0-B73A-C51BDC181499.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>taking a break today from all the tiny stitching and having a jolly little frolic through santa’s workshop. stitching a sleepy little santa in his pajamas! he already makes me smile!<div><br /></div><div>fabrics are by tim holtz (except for the skin which is grunge by basicgrey. next up is stuffing and beard making!</div><div><br /></div><div>namasté</div><div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p></div>Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-25670751314816710762020-10-30T23:05:00.006-06:002020-10-30T23:05:56.906-06:00small journies<div style="text-align: center;">my favorite thing to do</div><div style="text-align: center;">is go where i've never been</div><div style="text-align: center;">even if only in my imagination</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/AVvXsEhbnu4jXw7ZU_25HUR9VkTHx7IhoHeR0P8IuWTGVVc_44Y6o4rU4dZBnFlcE0FXgxKAhihyyxPunXqKiSg8Kx_58zXkWp6O2FQxKg3_mFnO1Pv4aucvFDzqyJeGMYo9560X32GKmzcW5MFw/s2048/8E319CBC-7E1D-46D1-A55D-91CFFF6C0001.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnu4jXw7ZU_25HUR9VkTHx7IhoHeR0P8IuWTGVVc_44Y6o4rU4dZBnFlcE0FXgxKAhihyyxPunXqKiSg8Kx_58zXkWp6O2FQxKg3_mFnO1Pv4aucvFDzqyJeGMYo9560X32GKmzcW5MFw/w400-h400/8E319CBC-7E1D-46D1-A55D-91CFFF6C0001.png" width="400" /></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/AVvXsEhU-Gtc-fTKuDBKNAwU1HvVAQB_hA6VzrBJcJnzBOCyGG2bsUnFTZUJGbH4cqcn1q8AcskTdnFUwz28LPduB213fXN5VatShnLQOrJyw1z-kn6hKHD8g2KWUuDN4Qzwja8Rk0AJpT_zlrFg/s2048/829C0264-797A-4A6F-A701-323216B58078.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-Gtc-fTKuDBKNAwU1HvVAQB_hA6VzrBJcJnzBOCyGG2bsUnFTZUJGbH4cqcn1q8AcskTdnFUwz28LPduB213fXN5VatShnLQOrJyw1z-kn6hKHD8g2KWUuDN4Qzwja8Rk0AJpT_zlrFg/w400-h400/829C0264-797A-4A6F-A701-323216B58078.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">in this strange new world where travel is nearly impossible, or at best inadvisable, we have to find new ways to explore. for me, it has manifested in a series of diminutive stitcheries. tiny worlds filled with stars and moons and bears and hares and trees. story fragments of cobble cloth.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">it's amazing, the places and things i've seen while sitting in my studio with a steaming cup of coffee! i wonder where i'll go next? who i might meet?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">namaste'</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-40842687568692609742020-09-02T09:43:00.002-06:002020-09-02T09:45:50.526-06:00homeward bound beneath a friendly moon<p style="text-align: center;">“tragedy doesn’t necessarily change us.<br /> more often, i think, it just brings out <br />more of who we are - or were - all along “ <br />-nora roberts </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0ExRigQnJaDnkaULW7FIoYSSKJ60x4mdlRGJwkQv4FI2DrMm8d61-OF59-zt_wYqBHrr0TqYLUBTMk0an0CcZVQmUBl63Kolbb3i1-hUNUcKvkO5GIkZTMCeGIHnVP0_W44b9suUAIai/s2048/1856E040-457C-4704-BAE4-C02008B1BDA4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0ExRigQnJaDnkaULW7FIoYSSKJ60x4mdlRGJwkQv4FI2DrMm8d61-OF59-zt_wYqBHrr0TqYLUBTMk0an0CcZVQmUBl63Kolbb3i1-hUNUcKvkO5GIkZTMCeGIHnVP0_W44b9suUAIai/w410-h410/1856E040-457C-4704-BAE4-C02008B1BDA4.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>my dear friends, i know i haven’t been actively posting of late - indeed it’s been so very long that some of you may have forgotten you even followed in the first place - but life rather shook me off my feet a while and i had to set my blog aside, and then of course the longer i left it at rest, the harder it was to summon up the energy to begin again. </p><p>i always thought that i’d come back to it one day. it was here, waiting safe, and appreciated by any of those who still stumbled across it. i had more ideas to share, and no less love for my work. i've made some false starts. perhaps this will be yet another. my hope, however, is that i will be able to fan the spark into a healthy flame once again!</p><p>this project roll (pictured above) is my latest endeavour. i started with annie downs’ pattern, “homeward bound”. but i had other ideas for construction, design, and ornament. lol. i always do, don’t i?</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmifdT1q4pV6ocFM_X-GAfeduo7fg-r6j5C_9tY2Zl88iNsGWLWLvcHJjwMS-ZfMhbodqyomKAut-n6HszV-dCAcBaIIPtZIzGELeaCZvRL8Y6hbthflzDRgixLb9OQx0YqcdlpcqXZy9i/s2048/8051E3BF-18D2-4794-9794-010ABF1F1C36.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmifdT1q4pV6ocFM_X-GAfeduo7fg-r6j5C_9tY2Zl88iNsGWLWLvcHJjwMS-ZfMhbodqyomKAut-n6HszV-dCAcBaIIPtZIzGELeaCZvRL8Y6hbthflzDRgixLb9OQx0YqcdlpcqXZy9i/w410-h410/8051E3BF-18D2-4794-9794-010ABF1F1C36.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><p>i quilted it with decorative stitches from one of my younger vintage machines and carried my bunny under the moon theme to the inside work area, never being one for leaving cloth plain. i also bound the work mat instead of using ricrac. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63DRiEmhEP698C8Oy6rnDejeKhWIYA2oQfVJi5IE8r-5uXuN9WY9hrZ1Cu753SMKLrnWnH0zQxQKqHkOlRjrZIbZTqXXa-sUvJyGwLg_xKG6LZIWC2iUl3mHaB321bKVS9-6o7Z513A2u/s2048/DA479AAE-A012-4473-B89B-2873DCA2ABC1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63DRiEmhEP698C8Oy6rnDejeKhWIYA2oQfVJi5IE8r-5uXuN9WY9hrZ1Cu753SMKLrnWnH0zQxQKqHkOlRjrZIbZTqXXa-sUvJyGwLg_xKG6LZIWC2iUl3mHaB321bKVS9-6o7Z513A2u/w410-h410/DA479AAE-A012-4473-B89B-2873DCA2ABC1.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><p>it makes for a wonderfully convenient way to transport appliqué and embroidery projects in progress! my modification of using a pool noodle, rather than the called for mailing tube, makes the core a handy pin cushion, too.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdPPJmeh_GmqAhctFm2H5m5x11HVTxU76pknmMQR3-zPRDiLu1yuG8VyG4I0jUN9UOoYXCLvxWve-2AphwWB2R12-xtwZb5AKstWqjKmAuV4CL0IMI2zITNHUySsCBfsR3jgt_Zqy-Sm8/s2048/49572E23-C035-4389-BCA6-6DA5B145761C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdPPJmeh_GmqAhctFm2H5m5x11HVTxU76pknmMQR3-zPRDiLu1yuG8VyG4I0jUN9UOoYXCLvxWve-2AphwWB2R12-xtwZb5AKstWqjKmAuV4CL0IMI2zITNHUySsCBfsR3jgt_Zqy-Sm8/w410-h410/49572E23-C035-4389-BCA6-6DA5B145761C.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><p>with my latest project safely rolled up inside, i’m ready and able to carry it anywhere, even if it’s only from the sewing room to the living room while sheltering in place!</p><p>namasté</p><p><br /></p><br /><p><br /></p>Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-25791853221188259122020-04-29T10:40:00.000-06:002020-04-29T10:40:45.979-06:00at home with fragments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(58, 58, 58); color: #3a3a3a; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 20.399999618530273px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">“every experience, </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(58, 58, 58); color: #3a3a3a; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 20.399999618530273px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">no matter how bad it seems, </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(58, 58, 58); color: #3a3a3a; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 20.399999618530273px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">holds within a blessing </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(58, 58, 58); color: #3a3a3a; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 20.399999618530273px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">of some kind. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(58, 58, 58); color: #3a3a3a; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 20.399999618530273px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">the goal is to find it.</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(58, 58, 58); color: #3a3a3a; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 20.399999618530273px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">“</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(58, 58, 58); color: #3a3a3a; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 20.399999618530273px; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">-buddha</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6SanrZC4sOK6mjEVAXP2XH0P7YQGOwrH7tlSsXOFKQi1i0-39udAyH-n8NnnDIzl2ditVRYeuB9tH_aDjRKzoi-JhyphenhyphenJuWxZepvtlWsYysRHgEz2n130-wKTSvAN_acEfQ8xezxToPtec/s1600/D2F51E60-53E0-472B-906E-1AF21DF2EE7A.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6SanrZC4sOK6mjEVAXP2XH0P7YQGOwrH7tlSsXOFKQi1i0-39udAyH-n8NnnDIzl2ditVRYeuB9tH_aDjRKzoi-JhyphenhyphenJuWxZepvtlWsYysRHgEz2n130-wKTSvAN_acEfQ8xezxToPtec/s400/D2F51E60-53E0-472B-906E-1AF21DF2EE7A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
i got laid off today. the corona virus and the oil price war between russia and saudi arabia have all but shut down the oil industry in the states. of a sudden, i have a lot of time on my hands, so this is happening. a bit of fragment exploration in three dimensions. playing with unusual forms to create old favourites. where will this all lead? i do not know, but it should be fun figuring it out!<br />
<br />
namasté<br />
<br />Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-68317348035958216092020-04-05T06:50:00.000-06:002020-04-05T06:50:30.845-06:00trying a different path<div style="text-align: center;">
"if plan "a" didn't work out,</div>
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the alphabet has 25 more letters."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jKEGa148Jc08DmEWnFvCH_itIR5a5J9A6dony4Ijt18F6tB1GhhKVzjtKFrH7WLvmJXRHy6bFWbE5pvXXvN_wUmp1CBbSTKhdImQ35tbT-O5lvLDj4HXwc0sA4SIbL7sAKJfwF7tT49b/s1600/IMG_3148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jKEGa148Jc08DmEWnFvCH_itIR5a5J9A6dony4Ijt18F6tB1GhhKVzjtKFrH7WLvmJXRHy6bFWbE5pvXXvN_wUmp1CBbSTKhdImQ35tbT-O5lvLDj4HXwc0sA4SIbL7sAKJfwF7tT49b/s400/IMG_3148.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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the apple cores seem beyond my ability to concentrate at the moment. i need something a little less taxing. a ten thousand pyramid quilt is just the ticket! i have a plethora of small scraps and these tiny two inch triangles are looking pretty awesome.</div>
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no plan. no color scheme. just random pulls from the scrap baskets. pull. cut. stitch. repeat. with the first seven rows completed, i'm well on my way to a very large quilt! </div>
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during this covid-19 pandemic and the resulting social distancing and lockdowns, a project like this can be very calming. especially when you just don't want to think for a while...</div>
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namaste'</div>
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<br /></div>
Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-29863653745020599772020-02-24T10:46:00.000-07:002020-02-24T10:48:33.714-07:00apple cores and snowflakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-IyEv2F9iccXIn93sbapaQjtFtUnhCVB-VL355lkq8tXEj5zVnzl5PU-UDdH2547sE1-SbeDtBn3IaZG6u9XdrSXQwbqVSXX9ljNoKUYujlQtODpy7uzlGk8B_1bFm9ZnmyDm0cgrVvj/s1600/IMG_5050.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="1600" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-IyEv2F9iccXIn93sbapaQjtFtUnhCVB-VL355lkq8tXEj5zVnzl5PU-UDdH2547sE1-SbeDtBn3IaZG6u9XdrSXQwbqVSXX9ljNoKUYujlQtODpy7uzlGk8B_1bFm9ZnmyDm0cgrVvj/s400/IMG_5050.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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fluffy snowflakes are blanketing the view from my studio window. bodhi is dreaming of squirrels and the next door cat, so is unaware of his favorite playtoy romping about outside.<br />
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inside, where it is warm, there are tiny little 2" apple cores sitting on my table. ordinarily i would hand stitch these little fragments collected from past projects, but my wrists are sore so i am opting to try out stitching them with my hand crank Singer Red Eye. judge this first group going together not too harshly. machine stitching apple cores is best with two free hands to manipulate the curves.<br />
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this adventure of stitching apple cores with a hand crank machine requires that i do all my manipulation with my left hand. not my dominant hand. without any assistance.<br />
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i think i'm beginning to get the hang of it...<br />
<br />
namaste'Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-84890741634454873932020-02-24T07:31:00.002-07:002020-02-24T10:47:49.382-07:00cranking away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1dmVgmcKBW8TNn3wX_3KGqq8k7KfVxvdLoxIjRUzKGp40nZEnXvlXo9MpFXsc-cRN89wpHT1pL-FeAJ3duqMEyuscrKRNKJNb7naUf8xd2Yh12-B2Ao9wTB4M8y6UAiITlPTiMklMJND/s1600/84598265_10215833759984049_4445650979425091584_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1dmVgmcKBW8TNn3wX_3KGqq8k7KfVxvdLoxIjRUzKGp40nZEnXvlXo9MpFXsc-cRN89wpHT1pL-FeAJ3duqMEyuscrKRNKJNb7naUf8xd2Yh12-B2Ao9wTB4M8y6UAiITlPTiMklMJND/s400/84598265_10215833759984049_4445650979425091584_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
time. fragments. rust. sewing machines. emotions.<br />
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all cranking away. i get lost sometimes. these past few years perhaps more than before. could be my age? or maybe simply that i haven't been present of late.<br />
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i've pulled out one of my hand crank machines to help me slow down a bit. be here more.<br />
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my wrists keep me from doing too much hand work at a time. carpal tunnel. there. i've said it aloud. not thinking about it will not make it unhappen.<br />
<br />
time to listen more closely to the whispers. hear the stories my collection of fragments have to tell. help them unfold and manifest...<br />
<br />
namaste'<br />
<br />Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-85438665162083304912019-03-25T17:32:00.000-06:002019-03-25T17:32:20.112-06:00wandering unleashed<div style="text-align: center;">
when you set no deadlines,</div>
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you can allow your curiosity</div>
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to wander unleashed...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsRrnc_3gj0PmXfMRSSaOUiH-eAdL4p6TZMCjwhX3Xf61wnF6LmLmqMOpQ3OMT60oXvdNWnaLFLyuautkg5RhkqYwIlRekcL-cSwkUVjKECNF2fkq4C9KG-U_AT4mcWmWYFKOqoABPcXL/s1600/20190324_165229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsRrnc_3gj0PmXfMRSSaOUiH-eAdL4p6TZMCjwhX3Xf61wnF6LmLmqMOpQ3OMT60oXvdNWnaLFLyuautkg5RhkqYwIlRekcL-cSwkUVjKECNF2fkq4C9KG-U_AT4mcWmWYFKOqoABPcXL/s320/20190324_165229.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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i've long admired <a href="https://www.annwoodhandmade.com/" target="_blank">ann wood's</a> devilly delicious owls, so you can imagine my joy when she released her pattern!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdwcvXaD03C9WbEu-b3ipDPk8bMoaTyW-4cwQqlFfluOWH0PGlj_zq8WcSVo_uUVWMDSXWjGPsk4b7SxcJoEo_4z72TfZEL9Kmx6gKW7EECpVNNvRrEGcgHURNvtNgKWPCVuLK-u65HQA/s1600/20190324_170236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1459" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdwcvXaD03C9WbEu-b3ipDPk8bMoaTyW-4cwQqlFfluOWH0PGlj_zq8WcSVo_uUVWMDSXWjGPsk4b7SxcJoEo_4z72TfZEL9Kmx6gKW7EECpVNNvRrEGcgHURNvtNgKWPCVuLK-u65HQA/s400/20190324_170236.jpg" width="363" /></a></div>
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<br />
this little guy has been fun to create from salvaged fabrics, vintage buttons, and more!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRuiLywKoomiIs6Gj-z1j-1zUY4i1-lXViz7TJzgkrd7ukY7rNeQi5RXqE_Iahyx_dOG6r3i0OVnSsHgE-sbXpiTCyu764e80_HGQc4r6wMWZvXyL1sO9_ykZVa7ZfMvJX1d1OpAtv5x5/s1600/20190324_152633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRuiLywKoomiIs6Gj-z1j-1zUY4i1-lXViz7TJzgkrd7ukY7rNeQi5RXqE_Iahyx_dOG6r3i0OVnSsHgE-sbXpiTCyu764e80_HGQc4r6wMWZvXyL1sO9_ykZVa7ZfMvJX1d1OpAtv5x5/s400/20190324_152633.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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he's still got a long journey ahead of him, along with a few surprises!</div>
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<br /></div>
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namasté</div>
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Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-26664658411449770912019-02-24T02:01:00.000-07:002019-02-24T02:01:13.406-07:00change is constant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2DLoM5JJd9NgTdHgI-YesEBdt3wD9eyWNMHkNM0u4FZUdvPyZxnopWVybJTRMwF4CR-FpScnXrSBHJt8iyQw3faEnM4zVQuaUCpVURJSmrZg5rNW3he3kMV1YCGv3VQdey3SgFhn5m6z/s1600/20190130_210404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="824" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2DLoM5JJd9NgTdHgI-YesEBdt3wD9eyWNMHkNM0u4FZUdvPyZxnopWVybJTRMwF4CR-FpScnXrSBHJt8iyQw3faEnM4zVQuaUCpVURJSmrZg5rNW3he3kMV1YCGv3VQdey3SgFhn5m6z/s400/20190130_210404.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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change is inevitable. . . blogger making changes to some of its commenting policies that sounds like it may make a lot of past comments disappear. sadness. but since i know of no way to circumvent this, i'm going to focus on making an owl...<br />
.<br />
namastéJoe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-59218680335435562642019-01-12T08:28:00.002-07:002019-01-12T08:28:33.440-07:00just going...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
sometimes</div>
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just going</div>
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is just not going</div>
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anywhere</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOSN0psjDt8Zj5fxdClmOv_-FNoMHzJ-fiyDB3zT-ygr_WAUA3Z5659VL3us4m6eni2PJQWqjBIMVdUVhAuCUpULjf-WBKcREqdmwN9a_FHWQfvmn_76NJEy1iI40N1THFfNFrYbeY_eY/s1600/20190106_151138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1275" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOSN0psjDt8Zj5fxdClmOv_-FNoMHzJ-fiyDB3zT-ygr_WAUA3Z5659VL3us4m6eni2PJQWqjBIMVdUVhAuCUpULjf-WBKcREqdmwN9a_FHWQfvmn_76NJEy1iI40N1THFfNFrYbeY_eY/s400/20190106_151138.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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bodhi has mastered this "just going" thing, as you can see here. sometimes i think i have, as well.<br />
<br />
namasté<br />
<br />Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-41565517729698458782018-10-08T14:59:00.000-06:002018-10-08T14:59:31.847-06:00when orphans are no more<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"i feel akin to the platypus.</div>
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an orphan in a family.</div>
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a swimmer, a recluse.</div>
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part bird, part fish,</div>
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part lizard."</div>
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-trevor dunn</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdjmxau9q4HQ3oKD2H3bjPVO-1VlyCBhs_4q40HlvejEmUX1AUgLP-ODNbm8KEwF3EtV-fncPFtXMpomQvQ6IodXxIEfQp3Z-fWj2Fy3SEYABc5D8V_Nx4VR1TFDE8XhEz1E8cD-JZV2G/s1600/20181008_151032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1043" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdjmxau9q4HQ3oKD2H3bjPVO-1VlyCBhs_4q40HlvejEmUX1AUgLP-ODNbm8KEwF3EtV-fncPFtXMpomQvQ6IodXxIEfQp3Z-fWj2Fy3SEYABc5D8V_Nx4VR1TFDE8XhEz1E8cD-JZV2G/s400/20181008_151032.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
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everyone knows how much i enjoy working with orphan blocks. they somehow seem at home in the selvedges of life and creativity where i reside. these <i><b>all roads</b></i> blocks (pattern by angela waters) are fast becoming a family of favorites!<br />
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my mother-in-law began making these half-sized from the original blocks in red and white a while back and then orphaned them as she grew bored with the monotony of them. knowing how much i love orphans, she gave them me, along with a stash of red and white minnick and simpson charms and jelly rolls.<br />
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after playing with them a while, soaking up their beauty and possibilities, i've begun to really have some fun with them. toss in some greys, blues, plums, and creams and all of a sudden they are coming to life and coming together in their new family! with each unit measuring in at only 4-1/2 inches finished, i've got several hundred to go before i can call it a quilt, but 4 dozen done seems like a great start!<br />
.<br />
namasté<br />
<br />Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-90157742911300377432018-09-19T07:12:00.001-06:002018-09-19T07:12:52.451-06:00thread chanting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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"chanting is the</div>
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waxing moon</div>
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that spreads the white</div>
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lotus of good fortune</div>
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for all living entities."</div>
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-sri chaitanya-caritamrita</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7WgdhKVIDKRdLlTXBEvfEN8TxiPl3JMpPG0ClIMknp_2YGNoouzmfq7bMhPqvgxAVyLjD7lEnbt-K8lpTSI6n_9qGhVqd3b4u-tOA0OTYdiRx8T44yVv6xHrzBPV_5FGEDdaV_rTh9AK/s1600/20180918_090218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1253" data-original-width="1600" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7WgdhKVIDKRdLlTXBEvfEN8TxiPl3JMpPG0ClIMknp_2YGNoouzmfq7bMhPqvgxAVyLjD7lEnbt-K8lpTSI6n_9qGhVqd3b4u-tOA0OTYdiRx8T44yVv6xHrzBPV_5FGEDdaV_rTh9AK/s400/20180918_090218.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
if you have followed me for any length of time, you've heard me speak of needle chanting many times. it is a term coined by <a href="http://spiritcloth.typepad.com/" target="_blank">jude hill</a> long ago, referring to the meditative nature of hand sewing and kantha stitch. lately I have found myself contemplating this concept in my own work and how the focus has shifted.<br />
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needle chanting becomes thread chanting. the focus moves from the act (needle) to the legacy (thread). from chanting to that which was chanted, and its lingering effects.<br />
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chanting is very powerful because it aligns our core energy, centers and raises our personal vibration through vocal resonance. it is much the same with stitching slow cloth. a meditative process that chants with needle and thread. holding self in the present. creating with intention. the silent chant of needle echoing softly as thread is pulled through fragments of cloth. the voice of slow cloth, a quiet voice of the soul. silent whispers becoming the roar of peace, harmony, creativity, and all possibilities!<br />
<br />
namasté<br />
<br />Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-46951408645284790572018-08-04T18:42:00.000-06:002018-08-04T19:02:23.019-06:00getting lost<div style="text-align: center;">
"it's okay to get lost</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
every once in a while,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sometimes getting lost</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
is how we find ourselves..."<br />
-robert tew</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDl4-N1xpCEcLboPIjy8h81cc9aOokXEp_EVu79eofc563OlvIfpQwaIuxVHv_PNZkgBt-22OapdcfblsEKxlc1HO4-g_O8hobFAhQy9e-tLKA8w70NH9OcrM5zLm6f7Y8thhq7zVC1OI/s1600/20180603_080040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="588" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDl4-N1xpCEcLboPIjy8h81cc9aOokXEp_EVu79eofc563OlvIfpQwaIuxVHv_PNZkgBt-22OapdcfblsEKxlc1HO4-g_O8hobFAhQy9e-tLKA8w70NH9OcrM5zLm6f7Y8thhq7zVC1OI/s400/20180603_080040.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
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ever wake up in the middle of the night and feel like you don't know who you are anymore? like you took one too many turns without being present and now nothing looks... right?</div>
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<br /></div>
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last night i woke into one of these moments and wandered into the sewing studio and just sat there. communed with a few of my stitched and dyed fragments. expressions, really, of self. tiny bits of who i am. or was. or am yet to become. who knows which?</div>
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<br /></div>
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i need to be present more. to myself. to the expression of my own fragments. i've wandered... strayed a bit too far. become lost. </div>
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<br /></div>
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it's time to find me again..</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
namasté</div>
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<br /></div>
Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-41403192586642737352018-06-30T06:10:00.000-06:002018-06-30T06:10:51.546-06:00hexies on my mind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvGdBU6SYlYVCBe98YxAJ9AP8qvFPEzA5l9Qiu__vSrefHbxKxxeU0n9mcHERJOwYdmsO7iDGDqmydNpBEGuypc8txoBMUZYJGxA-SsWMGSW8L6kVfcTUgxq9zimiur36IzNh7eLRxKAk/s1600/20180628_140937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvGdBU6SYlYVCBe98YxAJ9AP8qvFPEzA5l9Qiu__vSrefHbxKxxeU0n9mcHERJOwYdmsO7iDGDqmydNpBEGuypc8txoBMUZYJGxA-SsWMGSW8L6kVfcTUgxq9zimiur36IzNh7eLRxKAk/s400/20180628_140937.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
sometimes you just want your hexie papers to be as pretty as the fabrics you are stitching with them...<br />
<br />
namasté<br />
<br />Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-46160575532811124782018-06-24T09:23:00.000-06:002018-06-24T09:23:51.707-06:00darkness intruded<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -30px;">"light thinks it travels faster</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -30px;">than anything </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -30px;">but it is wrong. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -30px;">no matter how fast light travels, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -30px;">it finds the darkness has always </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -30px;">got there first, and is </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -30px;">waiting for it."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -30px;">-terry pratchett</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-VnpPHryQT30g-J28frT-XJdSr9GMp8ErwzqMoNFIRP8nJzIcnVeyOSd_2omGLm9hfufI3-Jtg2tLKYNb0t0LF5KgMJy_tPZ7BPExQUfJResoSydl03HjUI_HOSc3gtsrlC1mjpFwmUd/s1600/20180624_071906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1146" data-original-width="1146" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-VnpPHryQT30g-J28frT-XJdSr9GMp8ErwzqMoNFIRP8nJzIcnVeyOSd_2omGLm9hfufI3-Jtg2tLKYNb0t0LF5KgMJy_tPZ7BPExQUfJResoSydl03HjUI_HOSc3gtsrlC1mjpFwmUd/s320/20180624_071906.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -30px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -30px;">no matter how hard i try to hide from the morning sun, it always finds a way to intrude upon my thoughts. waking my day to the reality coursing through the world outside my bedroom window.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -30px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-indent: -30px;">yet, daybreak is one of my favorite times of day. teetering between the realms of dream and waking. some of my best ideas are born during this between time.</span></div>
Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-34131717802318468152018-05-06T14:37:00.000-06:002018-05-06T14:37:48.274-06:00<div style="text-align: center;">
"writing in a journal reminds</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
you of your goals and of</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
your learning in life.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
it offers a place where</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
you can hold a deliberate,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
thoughtful conversion</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
with yourself."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
-robin s. sharma</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWBlYfXLkbWIl-D4nhus_LUp6AtGyuNpBLDnfx85EXNBLhpNVta2HfETyX7SGxrGWj03zRQRfQv6Jm5ax7i4HClQcGCiiohnzBX2WUCC8dfhTm6k8zbMik0A79FnK9asp_MWBLLB2ZWpB/s1600/20180506_080657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1043" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWBlYfXLkbWIl-D4nhus_LUp6AtGyuNpBLDnfx85EXNBLhpNVta2HfETyX7SGxrGWj03zRQRfQv6Jm5ax7i4HClQcGCiiohnzBX2WUCC8dfhTm6k8zbMik0A79FnK9asp_MWBLLB2ZWpB/s400/20180506_080657.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">sometimes time slips. unexpectedly. swiftly. disappears from before your eyes. it's almost like taking a wild ride in the tardis with your very own personal doctor who! </span></div>
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it's been rather like this here on my blog. i got swept away by allure of instant gratification of instagram. don't misunderstand, mind you. i love instagram! but it moves so quickly. makes it difficult to gather ones thoughts. so i find myself drawn back to the wellspring of my blog.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2Tav6OPlhoK2sF8WQKErFsQzf0yAcksalr658zB-IzCTjP9GCOxNENt_ZbcT5EJOpvuQG7Jv7UkiWPSt5hcJERH4qGTHSr0R6ZvIBPrKowF-wzgxzSa9Hls3SjKmmbJ7_Uig5Slmslas/s1600/20180415_154025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1271" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2Tav6OPlhoK2sF8WQKErFsQzf0yAcksalr658zB-IzCTjP9GCOxNENt_ZbcT5EJOpvuQG7Jv7UkiWPSt5hcJERH4qGTHSr0R6ZvIBPrKowF-wzgxzSa9Hls3SjKmmbJ7_Uig5Slmslas/s400/20180415_154025.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
a blog can truly be one's journal. that place where you can explore thoughts. share them. get feedback. wander from room to room in one's imagination.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvYCGO3GxJpAt7NI9ls9_Zk-bPI_5HHk2YQijrWlpEDcQM8feMVNDcsrVBa-0yDIsIhHoMoOL79vP5SsifLIQ4XxmpC8mvWMe6pKWFKo4NdatzxxOP5DhBIORa75pfH3NqZ4LsvSnvWiT/s1600/20180417_081843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1275" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvYCGO3GxJpAt7NI9ls9_Zk-bPI_5HHk2YQijrWlpEDcQM8feMVNDcsrVBa-0yDIsIhHoMoOL79vP5SsifLIQ4XxmpC8mvWMe6pKWFKo4NdatzxxOP5DhBIORa75pfH3NqZ4LsvSnvWiT/s400/20180417_081843.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
a place to jot down notes and thoughts to come back to and develop further. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPMQiIa3IIKhbTZNCDOp6PEqhzWuYgFzudeAJnQRZIrXQpidfZF9NjpV2pZkJebPl0ZD6YpKTZsJ0OG-WWINecTlrJBv72clbODN-TJUXBGWrHOfyMCoD5baHZ_ZqUOeCJJWU75T6kJ5b/s1600/20180417_093803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1215" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPMQiIa3IIKhbTZNCDOp6PEqhzWuYgFzudeAJnQRZIrXQpidfZF9NjpV2pZkJebPl0ZD6YpKTZsJ0OG-WWINecTlrJBv72clbODN-TJUXBGWrHOfyMCoD5baHZ_ZqUOeCJJWU75T6kJ5b/s400/20180417_093803.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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to collaborate. drink from the wellspring and refresh oneself.</div>
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i think i shall be spending more and more time here, once again...</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
namaste'</div>
Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-15698946589440165832017-08-13T13:35:00.000-06:002017-08-13T13:35:33.514-06:00hexies on my mind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1I64CDZD1MnAzy2iv6Cw2pe70eBLWiIA3dyyb1I5Vy1NBZ6mNxbK8QoEC4q62GhvRlSDGK8w2HeDDPMOBFK2e7necgZIZERSmTBM4h1pBX-9sKf-rb167Ltx6AtBvN6iNPCnKGMBUx9l/s1600/20170813_130838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1106" data-original-width="1576" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1I64CDZD1MnAzy2iv6Cw2pe70eBLWiIA3dyyb1I5Vy1NBZ6mNxbK8QoEC4q62GhvRlSDGK8w2HeDDPMOBFK2e7necgZIZERSmTBM4h1pBX-9sKf-rb167Ltx6AtBvN6iNPCnKGMBUx9l/s400/20170813_130838.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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i've gone hexie mad! i've got over 200 winter holiday hexies, 200 dotted hexies, 60 animal initial hexies, 100 reclaimed cloth hexies, and 400 (and counting) halloween hexies on my basting table.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn45SrY4nsdTkUCtZlXvg1MUspwI-aivikCal6P_Y2ufzOGT1YD4utktGOiBYhBblaQ3Y9x28xBcGt1cJuiLMs2dSXapcoNTh4C3Im4aht87V149atLaWRvRfKt2jaSXdzPlO__od5wtOm/s1600/20170731_182238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="1600" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn45SrY4nsdTkUCtZlXvg1MUspwI-aivikCal6P_Y2ufzOGT1YD4utktGOiBYhBblaQ3Y9x28xBcGt1cJuiLMs2dSXapcoNTh4C3Im4aht87V149atLaWRvRfKt2jaSXdzPlO__od5wtOm/s400/20170731_182238.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
that's not counting the over 200 coffin hexies that i just finished basting for my coffin hexie swap on instagram. there are over 7,300 coffin hexies on their way to my door to be sorted and sent back to the swap participants!<br />
<br />
i've resisted the hexie craze for years. until now. now i see hexies. hexies, hexies, hexies everywhere!<br />
<br />
namaste'<br />
<br />Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-28190141825069852682017-06-09T11:49:00.001-06:002017-06-09T11:49:10.296-06:00considering edges<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"i want to stand</div>
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as close to the edge</div>
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as i can</div>
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without going over.</div>
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out on the edge</div>
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you see all kinds of things</div>
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you can't see</div>
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from the center."</div>
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-kurt vonnegut</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wt59WTd0gF6s4nbmXUA0Ln0yMEhdmNJBL58hT_k7XUPT_5qykz9d_LmAeYpTIvm2F6feNsELI0Lke7dX21DYHT7Mn4CIsCQHlhkQP0-7v_ovtMZ2zyEyXYSJyML5S1Jn4KKCpHO9jgH2/s1600/pixlr_20170609102634222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wt59WTd0gF6s4nbmXUA0Ln0yMEhdmNJBL58hT_k7XUPT_5qykz9d_LmAeYpTIvm2F6feNsELI0Lke7dX21DYHT7Mn4CIsCQHlhkQP0-7v_ovtMZ2zyEyXYSJyML5S1Jn4KKCpHO9jgH2/s400/pixlr_20170609102634222.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
the skies this morning are sitting on the edge between endless sunshine and thunderous storms. the morning itself is and edge. between darkness and light. chill and warmth. is it no small wonder that i find myself considering edges?<br />
<br />
in art, no matter the medium, the edge is as important as the center, the focus, of the piece. how that edge is contained. or left wild and free. how the edges interact with the environment around it. do the edges set boundaries? redirecting the eye back into the center. or do they invite the viewer to explore new vistas? drawing one beyond the confines of the piece into unknown territories.<br />
<br />
when we entertain going beyond the edges, we talk about pushing the envelope. this implies that we are inside the envelope. with everyone else. trapped. constrained. that we are trying to find the edges on the outside. so we can move them. but if we simply move the edges, we are still sitting safely inside them.<br />
<br />
i prefer to think of edges as doorways. passages beyond, yes, but also portals of return. allowing us to roam the endless possibilities while still beckoning us home once again. to rediscover ourselves in light of new understandings. new experiences. to explore the treasures we find elsewhere. the ideas. the techniques. and to integrate them with our own evolving sense of style and interaction with the world through our art.<br />
<br />
will you step through that doorway?<br />
<br />
namaste'<br />
<br />Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-76708526528727999732017-05-22T11:28:00.000-06:002017-05-22T11:28:04.169-06:00glowing against the grey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"only connect!</div>
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that was the whole of her sermon.</div>
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only connect the prose and the passion,</div>
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and both will be exalted...</div>
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live in fragments no longer."</div>
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-e.m. forster, <i><b>howard's end</b></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNB7TUkBkoaSP2cfF9NPSxxY_KnJo8YY0t_7qiN_fVEjCtqQy_c2QVgbIqYgXRkZQMs7EH5B8MLhYRt8eYarPkZHwrrPQvnob-Ne9Hg60MbrLzpjDMPNI2Yiy9I-F_L8HtzbpJP9hNdh9/s1600/20170521_152010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNB7TUkBkoaSP2cfF9NPSxxY_KnJo8YY0t_7qiN_fVEjCtqQy_c2QVgbIqYgXRkZQMs7EH5B8MLhYRt8eYarPkZHwrrPQvnob-Ne9Hg60MbrLzpjDMPNI2Yiy9I-F_L8HtzbpJP9hNdh9/s400/20170521_152010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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it is strange, how ideas fold in on themselves and re-present themselves. a stray fragment whispered longings for something to make her shine. i gifted her with a star. seeing her joy, i sought to give this gift again. before i knew it, there was a tiny galaxy of stars, just there, glowing against the grey.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYQEovjIvb8KinJBGTRonpQYWuoXnRLCJDEIwIH2_DttrpSa-MwqJxKZE_L1febrtw4Jx4YeQpf7ceJJkOzOcNteqyi_3qHvPYLwzcNdq3DcSa5nSDwp0gXF4vj9HJj7IEbgsFgYIthJw/s1600/20170521_151955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYQEovjIvb8KinJBGTRonpQYWuoXnRLCJDEIwIH2_DttrpSa-MwqJxKZE_L1febrtw4Jx4YeQpf7ceJJkOzOcNteqyi_3qHvPYLwzcNdq3DcSa5nSDwp0gXF4vj9HJj7IEbgsFgYIthJw/s400/20170521_151955.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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soon other celestial bodies whispered into existence. moons. suns. planets. these could be any or all, for what is in a name? tiny echoes of the sunbursts and moonglows that have been manifesting in my studio. celestial fragments.<br />
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they look familiar. yet different. new. ah! but of course! inspiration bathes us in its own celestial glow.<a href="http://spiritcloth.typepad.com/" target="_blank"> jude hill</a>'s nine series of indigo moons and stars. pale resist-dyed "threadcrumbs" luminous in their deep indigo sky. jude has ever been a beacon in the star-filled sky of my creativity! so to keep that element, these celestial fragments are grouped in nines as well. to pay homage to the one who seeks "a cross-pollination" which "seeds a larger and exotic garden of delights."<br />
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so very different, yet related. these smoldering rust-printed celestial fragments would play quite nicely with jude's mysterious indigo jewels in that garden...<br />
<br />
namaste'<br />
<br />Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-58304073154567339362017-05-18T12:51:00.000-06:002017-05-18T12:51:00.292-06:00creating rust<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"i'm not the black sheep,</div>
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i'm the rust-dyed one!"</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Z_QHEitsmnVs5Zvi3qNL8a3CCBm6fzd6kdg2Y23s_YIhKrVgG89nzzzh9VjFEo-gtEYQpgrcY14xgSkSDbZQbWBE8eN7Ki4Om00TZuVl5D0fcfL_QlFvSn78cEly1FjU6MJq-xU2yZcE/s1600/20170503_195159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Z_QHEitsmnVs5Zvi3qNL8a3CCBm6fzd6kdg2Y23s_YIhKrVgG89nzzzh9VjFEo-gtEYQpgrcY14xgSkSDbZQbWBE8eN7Ki4Om00TZuVl5D0fcfL_QlFvSn78cEly1FjU6MJq-xU2yZcE/s320/20170503_195159.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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a lot of rust-dyeing and rust-printing has been going on around the studio these days. i've been creating new techniques and exploring old ones further. you'd think it would be a simple task, and perhaps it is. at it's core. but there are so many alternative options and nuances to be discovered here. things that go far beyond simply wrapping a rusty object in wet cloth.<br />
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for instance, in the photo above, i have what i have come to call a "dye plate" in use. for me, a dye plate is any flat rusty object that can be used to print or dye rust onto fabric or paper. this is different from dimensional rusty objects in that you are more able to control the pattern it creates. my dye plates range from identifiable images (like the grizzly bear above) cut from raw steel with a plasma cutter, to flat panels of raw steel used for overall dyeing and in contact shibori dyeing (which i also refer to as "nouveau shibori" or "guerrilla shibori"), to cast iron objects with flat or low-relief designs.<br />
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the process is more involved than simply wrapping the rusty object in wet cloth and leaving it alone for a bit. you have to monitor it. coax it. feed it. the cloth must be kept wet. for even prints, sometimes parts of the cloth must be allowed to dry while other parts are kept wet longer. the "dye blooms", which are what i refer to the bleeding or running bursts of migrating rust marks, need to be manipulated to create pleasing backgrounds. this is done by saturating some areas heavier than other with vinegar water, by covering the cloth in plastic to encourage condensation, and other techniques. a single print takes anywhere from 48 to 72 hours to mature. more complex prints, with overprinted and axillary images can take a week, or even a month, to create.<br />
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i will be going more in depth into some of these, and other developing techniques, here in the blog as time progresses. it has been a fascinating journey and i am eager to share it with you.<br />
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until next time...<br />
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namaste'Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-38930177905333079642017-05-10T11:47:00.002-06:002017-05-10T11:47:51.271-06:00a sense of home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"there is nothing</div>
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half so pleasant as</div>
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coming home again."</div>
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-margaret elizabeth sangster</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhud6LVUqKSkqhUiehWVX0huAedtqdRf2ua05NJ45Iq4pini4szSUGJa8XEXzI8C0PRWYUy4npSdbI-Is7EODGPCTskzJRMlqNNvs3oOEU6J-QUO-jXkaDJQqMnlJLtliGvOiY9fipfk8rC/s1600/IMG_0828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhud6LVUqKSkqhUiehWVX0huAedtqdRf2ua05NJ45Iq4pini4szSUGJa8XEXzI8C0PRWYUy4npSdbI-Is7EODGPCTskzJRMlqNNvs3oOEU6J-QUO-jXkaDJQqMnlJLtliGvOiY9fipfk8rC/s320/IMG_0828.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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in the midst of a flurry of rust dyeing for new projects and my new <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/ManhandledThreads" target="_blank">etsy store</a>, i find myself drawn to my collection of wip's and ufo's. not in melancholic yearning, but as drawn to old friends whom i've not seen in a long time.<br />
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there is a comfort in knowing they are there. waiting. ready to pick up where we left off. harboring the glowing embers of fond memories. memories that rise with open arms and envelope you in a warm sense of home.<br />
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it's heartening to know these friends are there. will be there. whenever needed. even when they are temporarily misremembered...<br />
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namasté<br />
<br />Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7270328419517591210.post-53975252239784088052017-04-30T16:25:00.000-06:002017-04-30T16:25:50.265-06:00twang gently<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"where hast thou wondered,</div>
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gentle gale, </div>
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to find the perfumes</div>
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thou dost bring?"</div>
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-william c. bryant</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0SR9hXZu54EfXEAXudQIlOPxnaZTVKBNrqtWdsh8ip6Kd3i-3BMCl4hM6E2yrdvE6-Q4PhakQ6DekdTlly_jl57xw7RzTgR1KvaXkP7lu7jgl_E-qusQFTJDX6tuAtn6BzyGVoaWhqiP/s1600/20170426_191936_20170430160558288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0SR9hXZu54EfXEAXudQIlOPxnaZTVKBNrqtWdsh8ip6Kd3i-3BMCl4hM6E2yrdvE6-Q4PhakQ6DekdTlly_jl57xw7RzTgR1KvaXkP7lu7jgl_E-qusQFTJDX6tuAtn6BzyGVoaWhqiP/s400/20170426_191936_20170430160558288.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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it is much to easy to get lost in the convenience of social media. the lack of a need for any real thought. the simplicity of posting images and short bursts of words. <br />
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i am thankful for those of you who read and comment here on my blog. reminding me from whence i started. welcoming me home.<br />
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these rust-dyed fragments are resting here for some secret sewing. soon to be joined by other, more colorful, fragments. but for now, i am enjoying their quiet countenance. it suits my thoughts at the moment. the giant grinning buffoon of a coffee mug seeking to draw me out of my solitary thoughts with its silliness keeps a corner of a smile on my lips and helps me to stay on track. but the early morning light sneaking in through the drapes seems almost hesitant, and so my thoughts ramble on in their shadowed halls.<br />
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not depressive...just...muted. reflective. the antithesis to the burst of colorful wonky house sewing that blasted through my instagram feed recently. instead, they wrap about my shoulders like a shawl against the early morning chill and listen quietly as my fingers linger on the strings of one of my dulcimers.<br />
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it's a good sunday. a quiet, lonely sunday. just me and bodhi. and these quiet thoughts and gently twanging strings. and attentive fragments and that silly grinning mug...<br />
<br />
namaste'<br />
<br />Joe Madlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00689856999523884499noreply@blogger.com6