- A sneak peek: Framing windows

One of my favorite results from the rust dye trial was the windows that sprang from a sheet of Junkology metal scrap that we got on Black Friday (take that, big name retailers) ...

                              

As you can see, the two sides of the metal sheet left different impressions. Cutting one out, I told Don that I was going to insert a tiny picture of Meliss and Jace behind a window in the lullaby book ...

Note the cut edges on this one versus the torn edges below ...

"Like a flap?" he asked.

"Oooooo, I hadn't thought of that!" I replied ... and promptly abandoned what I was doing to cut out a new window...

Serendipity: the torn edges actually lined up with the rust lines

Which opens to reveal an ink-jet printed cloth photograph ...

Ink jet fabric printing invisibly basted and edged with blanket stitch ...
applique would have been preferable, but the cloth quality is limiting and hard to stitch

Happy day ... I love making tiny stitches ...

18-20 stitches per inch

Better yet, final assembly of the first lullaby book is finally in sight.

Addendum:

The grad school food groups revisited on a rainy day: saturated fats, salt, chocolate, caffeine, and carbs

And because I want to remember how I made the hot chocolate (using flatware, not measuring spoons) ... two heaping table spoons of Dutch process cocoa, one scant tea spoon of espresso powder, two tea spoons of sugar and a splash of vanilla, whisked together with some hot tap water.  Added to two small cups of milk and a slug of cream, heated gently on the simmer burner. Makes two small, very rich mugs of hot chocolate.

- On the learning curve: Rust dyeing

First and foremost: I feel like I should know what these six-inch round metal things are ... can anyone out there enlighten me? They appear to have some copper, which would argue for some heat-transmitting function.

                            

Here's an overall view of the dyeing table after the second round. It was gray outside, so everything looks subdued compared to the other day ...

And the verdict on using water-soaked padding above and below the vinegar-soaked muslin is mixed. 

The hoped-for impression of my vintage cookie cutter came out more like the ghost of Christmas past ...

Whereas the decorative plate that was a bust the last time around, turned up a winner ...

                            

Still, since the overall results were less than stellar, I decided this would be a good opportunity to see what happens when rust-dyed cloth is put through the washing machine on a delicate cycle.

Not surprisingly, the faint rust stains and the turquoise washed out completely. But the good news is that the bold rust marks stayed true.

Next up: thicker padding, less water, more weight, and a touch of salt. Stay tuned.

- Caution: Road hazard ahead

I have recently taken up a potentially hazardous activity: metal detecting. But not with a metal detector ... I just walk around looking for stuff on the ground.

For instance, on our recent road trip to St Louis I decided to find one piece of metal at each of our hourly stretch-stops ... conveniently forgetting that it would likely be cold and windy, which did shorten the time I spent searching, but I still found a few things (with some help from Don).

Anyway, here's where the hazardous part comes in: when one is looking intently at the ground in a parking lot, one is far less likely to pay attention to cars and trucks that happen to be rolling by. And the drivers of said vehicles are for sure not expecting one to make a pedestrian 180 in pursuit of the perfect souvenir.

Still, hazardous or not, I'm hooked. And have since begun turning the treasure gleaned from road trips and Junkology jaunts, into the ultimate science experiment ...

Rusted metal objects after 24 hours
in contact with vinegar-soaked muslin

Round one consisted of placing multiple layers of dry cotton cloth on a metal-top table, on top of which I put one layer of vinegar-soaked cotton muslin, topped it with a variety of metal objects, then covered the objects with another layer of vinegar-soaked muslin. 

At which point I realized the vinegar-soaked muslin wasn't wet enough to stick to the metal ... so I did some fast thinking and spritzed like crazy with a water bottle. After which I crossed my fingers and weighted everything down with some old boards.

Impatient as I am, I peeked (of course I did) within 24 hours. And when I saw not only the expected rust color, but turquoise, I downright squealed.

"eeeeeeeeee" (to quote Grace).

Here are a few more shots ...

What I saw just before the big "reveal" ... eeeeeeeee

Close up of  a rusted door knob (left), tiny metal candy cutters (right)
and a round metal something-or-other (bottom)

Who knew cheese graters could be so cool?

All as yet unwashed ... which is to say, as intense as they are likely to get. But no matter ... I've already planned the next round, which will include wet padding above and below, under and overlaid by plastic trash bags to retain moisture.

The question is, can I wait more than 24 hours before peeking? Don't hold your breath ... and for sure be on the lookout for absent-minded pedestrians if you happen to be in my neck of the woods.

- There's somethin' goin' on here ... good: Assemblage in process

Note: Don and I are both taken with Kachina imagery, but I want to be clear that our collaborative assemblages are impressions rather than actual depictions.

     

(Good sung by the Mystiqueros at a Hair of the Dog concert, Gruene Hall, January 1, 2012. We were there ... I think)

- Learning the (good) hard way

The sun was shining again today, so I didn't mind that it took a while to get to where I was happy with this cover for the lullaby book. By the way, if you want to know when to use "a while" versus "awhile," the Snarky Grammar Guide has a great "Try this" trick.

                                         

Anyway, in spite of the effective instruction that Jude Hill provides in her Spirit Cloth classes (which I highly recommend even, or especially, for experienced stitchers), I still insist on learning things the hard way: by trial and error. So as I went along, trying to get to a final version of Close your eyes that I actually liked, I found myself remembering some tried and true sayings ... which led to the following notes to self.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. And next time, don't use such a lightweight fabric over a sturdy twill ...

Measure twice, cut once rather than assuming that five 5" strips in each direction will give you a 5" square ... 

The third time's the charm, but it's best to hedge your bets, so practice, practice, practice ...

which includes using monochromatic pictures before you stitch to envision alternatives ...

A stitch in time saves nine, so baste thoroughly ... 

Dot every i and cross every t, but it's definitely better not to split back stitches that meet at a common point ...

                                                              

And one last thought: when using variegated thread, a second strand of a solid color moderates the effect. I learned that one the hard way, too.

- Sunshine!

Oh frabjous day ... sun at last!

After a little trail blazing (moving wood mulch onto the path leading to our neighbors' house), I sat in the breezeway and stitched a new cover for the lullaby book ...

And as I snapped the picture, my eye was drawn down to the rocks, where the lantana was ...

Blooming!

Have I mentioned that I love Texas?

- The sun, the moon and the stars: Progress on Close Your Eyes

The lullaby books for Jace and Griffin are taking longer than expected, but I'm enjoying the process of adding lots of stitch, which is turning out to be wonderfully tactile.

These three "pages" go with the James Taylor lyrics to You can close your eyes:

Well the sun is surely sinking down

But the moon is slowly rising

So this old world must still be spinning 'round

                                  

Out of curiosity, I did a monochromatic image of the moon ...

And last, but not least, for you B-siders, the hole in the back of the third piece was made when the cloth started to buckle as I stitched the circle around the earth, so I cut out the middle and it flattened right out ...

- Isn't it nice to be home again ...

- Mending my ways

When Meliss read my post about mending her jeans she said, "I didn't realize you were done ... of course I have more!" and promptly pulled out three more pairs of hole-y jeans.

So I got to try two more mending ideas on a second pair. The first was a more deliberate alternation between horizontal and vertical passes of split backstitch over a worn area that did not yet have a hole in it ...

The second area had a much larger hole than the other day ...

Once again backed with a silk patch (because the jeans are thin and a thicker patch would show through) ...

This time worked in a single color, alternating horizontal and vertical passes, much like a leaf or fly stitch ... 

Which filled the hole quite nicely ...

Time will tell if the repair is too good ... which could cause the surrounding fabric to tear. I'll take the other two pairs back to Texas and ponder how best to deal with shredding along the bottom hems.

Meanwhile, still going for that Kodak moment, Meliss and I simultaneously came up with Snickerdoodles as a way to tempt Jackson ...

"What do you think J?"

"Tickle Nana!"

"You're welcome!"

- To be and To bear

Yesterday I was given a gift ... one golden hour with a baby sleeping in my arms. From wails to hiccups to snuffles, Jace succumbed to patient rocking and a steady drumbeat on his back.

The last time he napped in my arms (two months ago) I snapped this picture ... 

This time, as his breathing slowed and deepened, I was determined to soak up every detail ... the seemingly endless tending of my own mothering days now a rare opportunity to be present.

Downy hair, milky breath, silken lashes ... the delicious warmth and weight of a just-right-sized body ... stillness and soft light ... rocking, rocking, rocking ... watching breath ... listening to it shift, awareness dawning, eyes opening, lips gently pursing ... looking for what only a mother can give ... the end of an hour.

But with these words, an hour to be re-membered ... re-called ... re-lived ... a gift for all time.

And then, because there are two to love, I made a bread bear for big brother Jackson ... to go with the molasses "kee-kees" that he liked far better once they were baked to a crisp crackle.

Coda: Today dawned clear and cold, sunlight streaming in the window. And as I nuzzled the top of Jace's head (because there is nothing better than kissing the top of a baby's head) the sun beams caught in his hair. And like a thousand thousand tiny prisms, those impossibly fine strands of gold became a thousand thousand rainbows. Another forever memory ....