it's a-live!!

i think most of my readers already know this, but just in case, i have to share that my Craftsy.com spindling class is live!  i've been waiting for the right moment to blog about it, and this is a good one because i'm being interviewed tonight on Namaste Farms blog talk radio!  tune in at 9pm est and hear me gab and giggle with the extremely knowledgeable and funny Natalie Redding and Kimberly McAlindin.  you can also call in and ask us stuff about spindling, critters, whatever!

the Craftsy class has gotten off to an awesome start and i'm so grateful to the early students.  it seems like a lot of people really need some support in learning to spindle - those dern spindles like to drop!  but the Craftsy platform is sooo cool because the videos are hd-detailed and can be viewed over and over and any time, and then i'm able to answer questions and interact directly with the students and help them sort out the issues they are having with their spindles or their fiber.  i love waking up to students' questions, pics and the sharing that's going on... so if you're interested in getting started with a spindle, join us!  

the little people

Went to a doll-making workshop yesterday with artist Cher Shaffer. 

In a most magical place.  

The little people came, lots of them.  

Maker Faire NC is this coming Saturday.  I am so happy to be the featured maker!

home again

i'm finally home and decompressing following something really exciting: i filmed a spindling class for craftsy.com!!! it was incredible going to their studios in denver, working with professional producers and video folks, and meeting the genuinely nice people who work there. i can't believe how well they took care of me, from fixing my hair to making me drink water.  the class should be launched in just a couple of weeks!!  i'll keep you posted.

one of the best parts was meeting knitwear designer carol feller who came all the way from ireland to film knitting classes for craftsy! i so enjoyed hanging out in the evenings with carol over local beers, milk and cookies (free at our hotel!) and comparing notes on our days of filming... we even stole a visit to the adorable LYS, fancy tiger craft, and i treated myself to some yarn to make her killybegs cardi. i cast on the last night i was there and knitted all the way home.

and speaking of home... some quickie instagrams ...

my piece "i left my home in georgia" is in the upcoming show curated by the infamous ellen "left eye" schinderman!!!  it's somewhat of a map of my old homeplace which looms large in my memory, the place we left more than three years ago. home is where the needle marks and it is opening june 9th in LA.  yes it is.

and another thing

So while I was at the Carolina FiberFest, I spent some time with Carol Leigh Brack-Kaiser.  I first met her last year at SAFF and saw her demo the continuous strand weaving method.  I've been noodling on it ever since, trying hard to resist weaving, as yet another thing to be obsessed with ... but on seeing her again and having the same extreme MUST sort of response, I splurged on a travel-size triangle loom.  Carol Leigh and her husband Denny were so generous with their time and knowledge.  Here is the result of my first weaving, all with handspun I had lying around...  I was so surprised how little yarn it took and how quickly it worked up.  

**Narcissa among the hydrangeas.

In some ways it seems random to get into weaving right now, but also inevitable.  And it is fitting in so well with some of the issues raised in Jude's Boro 2 class on clothing construction.  To actually make cloth and with my own handspun in this new way, it feels like it's filling some huge gap in my fibery repertoire and understanding...

the indigo seedlings are finally looking a bit stronger. there are only five out of many that i planted... but i'm cautiously optimistic that i'll have some natural fermented blue. what i've been working with up until now is a pre-reduced vat, one of those that comes with powdered indigo in a kit, which is fine and has worked great, but the process will be even more magical once i've grown the plant. so i'll transplant soon. i do also have some that i sewed directly and they are a bit larger than these, but i've actually been hard pressed to say which ones are indigo and which are weeds, so at least now i have these precious few seedlings to help identify..

 it's been frantic here getting ready for everything, a big fiber show starting on the 18th, my first really. i've done small shows with a table, but never one this size. so i'm hardly sure whether i'm over- or underprepared (well, i know right now i'm underprepared, but have a schedule of making i'm following until then). i'm trying not to stress too much, and i suppose i'll find out whether i'm a fair person. i've wondered if i'll be one of those vendors hiding and who hardly looks up from her laptop, or whether i'll be able to chat and enjoy the scene. i just have to be sure not to spend every bit of what i earn, since shopping is a big danger at something like this!

i've also been under seige with custom orders. oh, woe is me!! haha, i have always longed for days like these, and never believed this life could be possible. where my biggest problems are whether i can bear to spin all day!! and what podcasts to listen to and netflix to watch. but i have to shift to show prep now and it bothers me to have back orders and wonderful customers waiting for their yarns.. luckily they are the nicest bunch.. etsy-ers often say that, don't they? but it is so true!! in the meantime, my house is a wreck and it's likely to stay that way during this busy month, so i'm trying to ignore it and stay put in my studio, emerging briefly to refill my coffee or wine, and for puppy walks and bunny chores. and a little laundry. today my husband called me elusive.

i decided to try dyeing millspun for this show. i've dyed my own fleece and handspun, but a friend suggested offering some hand-dyed millspun and the idea has grown on me. i'm not sure why i've felt that i had to handspin everything myself. some notion of wanting to stay connected to the animals i suppose. but i am feeling so drawn to the dye process and wanting to play more and more with natural dyes. something about being a dyer is calling to me so strongly. i know it's the influences of many of my artist sheroes, india, jude, glennis, arlee and eva. maybe it's some way of connecting their work, which i love so much, with my yarnie vocation. anyhoo i'll have a small bunch ready for the show and if all goes well, start offering it in the shop. if somehow i feel i must spin the yarn myself, i can always press bedelia, my pseudo-canadian production wheel, into service. she is great at producing thin yarn, i can barely keep up with her.

i've been remiss in my blog visits lately, friends. you know how it is though, sometimes we have to hole up a bit to accomplish our business.. i'm here though, well-wishing and popping over as time allows.

blue wood and clay

i'm just amazed at what else the dyepot has conjured. i have to give some credit to my wood-turning husband as well, but myohmy, this blue! and it's deep-soaked in there because i tried sanding or nicking some of the prototypes and that blue, it runs deep. these three will be in the shop tonight, with the super moon.

 btw i went to a fantastic show opening last night (called "Out of Mother's Cave"!!) of Susan Wells, a friend and artist. i wanted to buy everything, but at least i brought home a couple of special pieces, the coffee mug i've been drinking from all day, and also the lovely little bowl pictured which is just perfect for supported spindling.

the dyepot is good for more than fabric

i love these indigo-dyed bones

so, i ask myself, why the light blogging lately? things have been moving faster than i'm used to and than i'd like. i've proposed a spinning class for the community college and oh, i hope it works out!! and i've finally singed up to work some craft shows! i'll be vending at the Carolina FiberFest and making at the Maker Faire. there's another Something in the works too, but that has to wait a bit longer before i should share... it feels good to be moving outward and out of my head. no time to think, only make!

Cindy:s Core

I feel so lucky to have Cindy:s Core sitting here next to me as I stitch. This piece of Cindy:s is going to be featured at the upcoming show at the Hotel Hadley Studios, see the flyer below.

I couldn:t resist photographing Core to show it off here, and for when I have to send it back.. all this heart-full and intricate art work done by our Cindy of Handstories...

Our Moon

Here's a sneak peek of the moon in Cindy's Core which I have my greedy paws on... more soon!


And the pink moon last night, which coincided with my first real, official shop update. I even got all fancy and made a newsletter announcing it (subscribe here!) It went so well, I'm swamped with orders, which makes me happy, happy.

It was cool how many instagrammers were shooting the moon last night, that same moon.
Like Grace said, it's really Something.

And despite a setback in my plan for blue immersion, I'm still dipping..

I've not usually dyed angora. I only want to work with natural dyes, and the natural colours of the rabbits seem plenty interesting to me. I read that the luxuriousness of the angora fiber can be sort of at odds aesthetically with the earthiness of natural dyes - whereas on wool it is rustic and lovely. And on the whole, I have tended to agree...
But with indigo, it's a wholly different matter.
Indigo-dyed angora = magic.
The fiber is from Alvin.

ain't the roses sweet

i traveled to asheville over the weekend for SAFF, the biggest fiber fair in the southeast u.s. i met my old friend janet. i hadn't seen her in years. we went to this festival together in the early 2000's, both wishing we could spend all our time crafting. i was full of memories of that weekend and all that's changed in the interim.

we stayed up almost all night each night gabbing, ate lots of pasta (janet's favorite). i took a heritage crochet class with rita de maintenon. fell in love with a ram named ty. janet said i needed to see the grove park inn, and she was so right. brought home some new books, tools, fleece... and talked to a number of lovely vendors. saw wild turkeys in someone's yard. SAFF has to be a annual event for me, it has to!

Announcing Gay for Eagles

Gay for Eagles is a show of contemporary fiber art which will take place from April 15-May 14, 2011 at Hotel Hadley Studios. The opening reception will be on April 15 from 6-9pm.

The featured artists will be:

Bren Ahearn
Mark Bieraugel
Heather Cameron
Jamie ("Mr. X Stitch") Chalmers
Robyn Enz
Bridget Franckowiak
Shannon Genova (aka Giggly Mama)
Giddy Girlie
Tod Hensley
Bascom Hogue
Kathryn (Vegkat) Lollar
Rebecca Martz-Burley
Penny Nickels
Drucilla Pettibone
Carl Johan Rydell
Ellen "Left Eye" Schinderman
Alaina Varrone
Veronika von Allmen
Alexandra J. Walters

This exhibition was inspired by the work of Alexandra J. Walters. Curator Drucilla Pettibone (yours truly) has worked with both established and emerging fiber artists to put together this group exhibition which will showcase new work that explores issues of war and peace, gender and sexuality.

The show will be funded through donations collected via Kickstarter, so please circulate widely! Thanks also to Becky Stancill and Sarah Kuhn who will be contributing time and effort to make this show a success.

Show Update!

If you haven't already, send in your submission info for the Gay for Eagles fiber art show! The deadline for getting me your info is coming up quickly - it's this Friday, Feb. 18th, so send it! All details are here. The show is shaping up to be incredibly cool, but there is still room for more!

*(and btw, if you're on the fence about submitting because you're not sure your work fits the theme, send me an email so we can confer. the show will be more interesting with wide-ranging interpretations of our theme.)*

Gay for Eagles

I sent this out to everyone who has contacted me about the show either here, on facebook or via email. I'm posting it here though in case any one hasn't heard yet!

I'll be curating a gallery show of fiber art to be held at the Hotel Hadley Studios in Siler City, NC. The show will open on April 15, 2011 from 6-9pm and will run through May 14.

The title of the show is "Gay for Eagles," based on a military-themed piece by Alexandra Walters. Feel free to interpret this theme broadly (for example, work could in some way engage with themes of war, peace, conflict, paramilitary, black ops, resistance, revolution, etc., possibly as it relates to gender and/or sexuality). I see many possibilities with this theme.

Please confirm your submission to the show by sending me the following information no later than February 18, 2011:

-your name as you would like it to appear in the promotional materials and online
-title of work(s) submitted (up to 5) with all the following information for each piece:
-medium
-dimensions (this is very important)
-date
-price if work is for sale (or state if NFS)
-photos of work (or, if you are creating something specifically for this show, a detailed description *with dimensions*).

Once I receive this information from everyone, I can make the final selections of work that will cohere and fit within the space. If your work is selected, I will send you a contract to be completed and submitted when you send me your work. I will ask everyone who is selected to contribute $20 toward the cost of the exhibit, a 15% commission on your sales, and provide a prepaid shipping label back to you.

Please email me at drucillapettibone@gmail.com if you have any questions at all. I appreciate everyone's interest and look forward to putting on an amazing show!

it's a lazy sunday around here, with hub watching football and scattered dogs snoozing. i am beginning to think i'm sick because i've been out of bed only to change the laundry and refill my coffee. i've got three different mysteries going right now and am really wondering if my inertia is health-related, weather-related or just pure laziness. hub says i have a fever so i should take it easy, but i think he might just be trying to be sweet. i can't be bothered to find a thermometer.

i have gone through the websites and flickr galleries of everyone who wrote and said they had an interest in the show. i'm so excited at all the interest and the awesome stitchery we'll be able to showcase. it makes me feel especially good to be able to show artists who haven't had a lot of gallery play (yet), but whose work is freaking fantastic. i've had some ideas for the overall theme for the show, but am talking to alex about it to make sure it's true to her vision as well. i'll be sending out a group email before long with all the details.. thanks so much to everyone who has expressed an interest so far.

so that i don't feel like a total lump, here are some goals for the week:

-put together info about show and email everyone
-finish proposal to the graduate committee about my new topic (since i'm officially back in school now!)
-finish two custom orders of bunny paws
-work on folk reveries team stuff
-photos and listings for etsy
-dye some linens with india's techniques
-order some prints of photos
-maybe experiment with idea for lockets

ok, back to my antiquey/cat mystery now. thanks mathyld for reminding me of this series!

thank you, thank you!

i've been strolling around teh nets, enjoying other bloggers' posts about the from the tongue opening. thanks especially to nicole, who recognized and hugged me within five seconds of me walking in the door and calmed my nerves and set the tone for the whole evening, joetta (i don't think i've ever been called an "energetic force" before in my entire life! how cool is that?) and ellen - don't we look so happy??! 'cause we were!! and laila who took a break from lai grai to come see! i met and ogled the work of a number of other artists but i am challenged to write more without cliches.



btw seeing other bloggy pics taken with the new iphone has sorta convinced me that the hordes of people waiting outside the pei-like apple store in nyc weren't completely insane. my iphone pics are, for once, not shaken in shake it! or stirred in swankolab, which probably shows my waning fascination with iphonography. (i couldn't help myself... color is much better now.)



but what am i rambling on about? i'm still doing some post-trip processing and puttering around the old farmhouse, and sitting with a hazy sense that *life is good*. nyc seemed so much friendlier, happier, and more humane than when i was last there thirteen years ago. and my nc home suits me so much better than that sprawling hellmouth (known as atlanta) from whence we escaped. sunday i woke up to room service cafe' creme and croissant, today i wake up to guineas hunching along outside my bedroom window. it's all so, so good.



and nothing to do with this opening or this trip, but i think that stitching has given me back my life. i've been able to re-constitute myself, stitch by stitch, and create a life i love. and it's beautiful that the stitchers i've bumped into online and admired are actually part of an incredibly supportive community. not in some cheesy community building speak, but for realz.



and thank you dear lilly for hosting us in nyc and sharing your birthday with us. and of course mum, my petite sophisticate travel trooper and medicine woman. i must stop all this gushing now. words are so powerful and so feeble, very necessary but never quite enough.