fiber february

Fiber February has come to a close, and while the explorations will continue in some form or fashion, it’s good for me to look back and reflect on all that has come to be this last month, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

1 & 2. The materials. I fell further in love with the details. Frayed edges and loose threads. Straight pins with pearlescent tops. Little piles of perfection.

3. My mother’s sewing machine. It’s been an aim of mine to confront my fear of machines and learn (or relearn, as the case may be) to sew on my mom’s machine. I can now say I’ve sewn many, many stitches with this machine and while we are still getting to know one another, we’ve made a good start. And for me, starting is often the hardest part.

4. My old sewing book. A relic from a college course decades ago. A reminder to me that I’ve learned this before and I can learn it again. And what is meant for me will always circle back.

5. Work in progress and studio chaos. My vision for a backdrop for my market booth took over the studio, dining room, and my mind.

6. In the end, it didn’t really work for its intended purpose. But I don’t hate the thing. Still hoping to find a use for it, but that remains elusive for now.

7. All the while, documenting the process and my feelings in self-portraiture and sharing with @cjust and our Make The Work cohort.

8 - 11. Exploring embroidery on paper with photos with @rayoflightcommunity inspired by @villanaart. Something I’ve wanted to try for quite sometime and it aligned perfectly with Fiber February. Not sure I really loved my final results, but it was fun. I learned a lot and will probably continue to play with this.

12. My crowning achievement for Fiber February. The lamp skirt. Such a satisfying project and I love how it turned out.

All in all, I’m considering FF a huge success. It got me out of my comfort zone and finally doing things I’ve had in my mind’s eye for quite sometime. Thanks for coming along on this little side quest with me.