Pittsburgh...............

Just as my dearest was explaining that the good thing about my move was that I had 

"time on my side".......

we were called to Pittsburgh

for a funeral.

So off we went....packing excellerated

And although the occasion was a sad one,

 it was also very

beautiful and filled with light.

With family and friends we celebrated and honored a 

well lived life.

And the days brought us sunshine and warmth to a frequently gray city. 

The opportunity to see one portion of the

Fiberart International at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts

(which Jennifer writes about here in part 1 of 3 beautifully presented blogposts)

and to melt into the beauty of a sunny and moist

spring

was very much appreciated

by this desert dweller...

Thank you

Dear 

Roz

and your family for including me in such a poignant and loving celebration of your life

and my final thoughts for today...

and

BE

(now off to pack for my next adventure)

What happened......

If you recall from here.....

which was almost two months ago...

I had been in quite a funk.

Not knowing quite where to BE.

More than a year and a half ago I made the leap to change my 'place'

and moved from a town in southeast Michigan

to 

the middle of nowhere New Mexico.

And boy was I blessed to be deposited in a tiny town and a tiny house,

 that held me in quiet, peace and friendship

And you would think that would make me 'happy'....

but as time went on.....

I was drawn more and more to Albuquerque, an hour and a half from my little place

where I found a more expansive environment to create and commune.

And although the scenic drive between here and there is stunning, 

the packing up week after week wore on me.

I felt like I was being pulled up by my roots every time I had to begin my drive again.....

So I began to look for a place to BE in the city.

And NO NO NO

With all of my searching.....I could not find one

and was entirely STUCK

So what did I do to move the energy?

I began to clear clutter.

Mainly the clutter that came part and parcel with my densely furnished casita.....

This is a longer story and I wish I had posted on it,  however the energy began to move so fast I could not keep up with it!

Within days of clearing clutter at home.....

I moped into my 'new' space at the metals studio.....

which changed from 

this.....

to

this.

and I learned just then that the studio across the hall

which was

 this.....

was waiting for a new tenant.....

and now 

it is

this.

My new space.

I've been busy.

For the very very very best advice on how and why to clear clutter

follow the work of Karen Kingston

who has revised her great little book

(of course this is always a work in progress...)

An excursion........

While I could have been packing up the last bit of flotsam to move my 'place'......

I decided to travel with dear ones

for a change 

of pace...

This past weekend brought me to the far eastern plains of New Mexico and the cities of 

Portales and Clovis......
and Eastern New Mexico University

for an amazing conference of a very few esteemed historians and place keepers

who put together a wonderful selection of thoughtful essays on the daunting task 

of  preserving

New Mexico's Heritage

as I sat

and absorbed

this conference,

 the land,

it's historic significance, 

and
observed

blatant social, political, ecologic and funding concerns...

frankly.....

my head was spinning slowly...

As my fellows were impassioned with saving valuable historic sites.... 

I remained

 enchanted with 

decay

More wonder.......

and another Monday drive.......

 I will miss seeing...

this....

changes are happening at warp speed

not entirely moving on

just shifting place

all good.

will fill you in

next

week

Stop the presses!!!........

Hold your horses!!!

or the other famous cliché

"It's always best to make a sample before you start a time consuming project"

If you've been following along, a while ago I began a project where I decided to re-make a well loved dress of mine.

I also decided to stitch it up a la Alabama/Chanin style....

using her beautiful organic cotton jersey 

and

 hand cutting the stencil called Anna's Garden with the intention to use a 

 negative reverse appliqué technique found in her beautiful book
Alabama Studio Sewing + Design.

Not to mention I will sew the garment by hand,

which goes without saying if you are familiar with Natalie Chanin's trademark techniques.

To proceed with caution seemed to be a good thing.

I have been reluctant to begin stitching, so I decided to make two samples.  

This is where it gets a little 'odd'.   I 'thought' I was making a sample to see if I'd like to use off white or gray thread.  And while I was stitching up the pattern sample with the off white thread....

The way it said to in the book....

I then decided that I liked the off white thread well enough,

but what I wasn't sure about were the instructions to stitch 1/8" within the design

and cut away 1/8" outside the design.  

So I made my next sample

stitching 'on' the design lines......

and cutting away 1/8" from that.

The detail is slightly different.....

But OH what a difference in the end.

The A/C way with the 1/4" reveal became a little too 'floppy' and less 'sturdy' looking after I rinsed it.

And I liked the second way better.  It felt more substantial and finished....less casual looking.

Now I can proceed with confidence.  

My way.

The bad news is that the new technique is even more tedious to cut away.  

What else is new.

"It's always something."

or as my Mom used to say....

"It hurts to be beautiful."

*BTW: I used a gray marking spray that quickly disolves in cool water. That part worked great.

Where the Antelope......

roam
play

On Monday I made another drive back to my little casita in Mountainair, NM from Albuquerque.

Time after time, I make this journey and I am always left breathless by it's wonder....

More Clarity......(and edges)

Yesterday.....

and

Today...

I am Grateful

 for

 Clear

Blue Sky