my day of fabric testing...

I began to test my antique/old fabrics and wash away the marks from use and the play of time. I do put my fabrics in the old Maytag and if they survive a gentle wash then I can begin my alterations and embellishments with my dyes and Seta paints (soft transparent paints from France). I am enjoying this time consuming process and have learned that I will know more about the fabrics that will become intimate in my fingers as I allow the threads to tell their stories. I am still catching up on my emails and mail from the last three weeks. Ironing the freshly washed linens is a moment of standing still and thinking about the next step I want to try when I get home from OSU tomorrow...The rhythm is beginning to emerge as I nestle down in the studio. I have simple repetition in fraying edges and the use of cotton flosses with future placement for my most valuable pearl buttons. Several narratives are beginning to speak to me and I need to hide myself from the rest of the world and just work. I love the solitude and yet after awhile I need to connect with another who will try to understand my quiet voice in my works. The threads have a way of being very powerful when they unite in the final presentation/completion of the tactile work. I love the energy I give and even more receive as I work in my stitches and quilt by hand the stories I hear from the whispers and echoes of my women guiding my hands. I still need to do more on line research but with my images coming to life in my mind's eyes and the voices in my heart to make a connection in my process...I realize the quiet time is a gift to be able to continue my hand made approach. I am tired now and have an early morning ahead of me. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart