Old Abe

Untitled, originally uploaded by Drucilla Pettibone.

Here is a piece from the lovely and amazing Drucilla Pettibone for the Gay for Eagles show. I love her. I love that her artwork has her hand all over it. I can tell by looking at a thumbnail that something was made by Dru. She mixes vintage fabrics with rich embroidery and makes frickin’ awesome stuff. Check out the texture. My goodness…

More show info here: http://www.hotelhadleystudios.com/?p=453

A lot going on

Many good things are happening these days.  The lovely and talented Dru curated a show based on my Gay for Eagles piece.  Check it out!  A couple of my pieces didn’t make it to the studio, but I have some weapons and a self-portrait hanging. 

I’m extremely depressed that I spent my day taking a miserable Mental Health Nursing exam instead of attending the show at Hotel Hadley Studios.  If I had known how bad the test would be, I’d have tried harder to go to NC.  School is such a beast right now that I can’t even schedule a doctor’s appointment.  I can’t miss 5 fucking minutes and non-nursing students have a hard time understanding that.  The end is in sight, but it feels farther away than ever right now.  I graduate June 10, then I get to sit for the NCLEX-PN.  Then I get to do another year of this to become an RN.  I’ve decided that taking some time off to just work as an LPN is the best decision for my mental and physical health right now. 

Every LPN to RN career ladder nurse I’ve met says that the RN (care plan writing school) portion of the ladder is much easier than the LPN portion.  I didn’t respect LPNs the way I should have.  I thought they were just glorified CNAs.  I had no idea how hard the schooling was.  I had no idea how hard they work.  With the exception of hanging blood, pushing certain IV cardiac medications, and writing care plans, LPNs do full nursing duties.  They just don’t get paid much to do it.  They also don’t get the respect they deserve.  God bless nurses no matter what letters follow their names!

In other news, Leanne Prain wrote a book about unexpected embroidery to be published this Fall.  I am so honored to be interviewed in this book.  The Amazon page is up.  Add this baby to your wishlist!  Here is the publisher’s description:

Hoopla, by the co-author of 2009′s bestselling Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti, showcases those who take the craft of embroidery where it’s never gone before, in an astonishing, full-color display of embroidered art. Hoopla rebels against the quaint and familiar embroidery motifs of flowers and swashes, and focuses instead on innovative stitch artists who specialize in unusual, guerrilla-style patterns such as subway maps, feminist Girl Guide badges, and metal band letterforms; it demonstrates that modern embroidery artists are as sharp as the needles with which they work.

Hoopla includes twenty-nine innovative embroidery patterns and profiles of contemporary embroidery artists, including Jenny Hart, author of Sublime Stitching; Rosa Martyn of the UK-based Craftivism Collective; Ray Materson, an ex-con who learned to stitch in prison; Sherry Lynn Wood of the Tattooed Baby Doll Project, which collaborated with female tattoo artists across the United States; Penny Nickles and Johnny Murder, the self-proclaimed Bonnie and Clyde of embroidery; and Alexandra Walters, a military wife who replicates military portraits and weapons in her stitching.

Full-color throughout and bursting with history, technique, and sass, Hoopla will teach readers how to stitch a mythical jackalope; needlepoint nipple doilies, a ransom note pillow, and mean and dainty knuckle-tattoo church gloves; and create their own innovative embroidery projects. If you like anarchistic DIY craft and the idea of deviating from the rules, Hoopla will inspire you to wield a needle with flair!

I’m a little over 1/4 of the way through my 1000 miles of running.  I’ve been struggling with keeping my blood pressure high enough with my Addison’s Disease and the stress of nursing school, so I don’t run as often as I want to.  I had an adrenal crisis in March and had to take massive doses of steroids for weeks and they make me feel like crap.  I’m seeing a new endocrinologist who is going to try to keep me healthy and energetic, so I have a lot of hope that I’ll be back on track soon.

Enough about me!  What have you been up to lately?

Outrunning Fear

Catch me if you can!, originally uploaded by maltoodle.

*This isn’t my embroidery. Click through to see who owns it.

I don’t have a lof of self esteem, especially when it comes to body image. That should be no surprise to anyone. I wear a size 14. My butt bounces when I run. No matter how much weight I lose, I still feel like a loser.

It’s hard for me to run outside. On the treadmill, nobody can see me and I’m free to jiggle all over the place. Out in public I get paranoid. People stare, especially men. I feel completely self-consious. I am the only fat runner in the neighborhood. The running track next to our house is full of skinny women in tiny shorts.

Anyway, I was out for a quick 3 mile run yesterday (an “easy 3″ even though it isn’t exactly easy for me yet.) I saw a morbidly obese woman on a Rascal Scooter out walking her little dog. As I got closer, I waved hello and yelled, “Cute dog!” She smiled and started clapping and cheering for me as I ran past her. It almost made me cry.

It was a weird feeling. I started running so I wouldn’t end up like her–sick and disabled. Now I run because I love it–even though I’m slow and fat. I was bracing myself to be judged harshly for my appearance, but somebody out there treated me like a hero. It was a moving experience.

What could we all do if we didn’t fear criticism? What could we all do if we had a little encouragement? I’m going to run 1000 miles this year. I left my fear three miles back.

2010 in review

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 10,000 times in 2010. That’s about 24 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 50 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 285 posts. There were 52 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 75mb. That’s about 4 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was May 13th with 305 views. The most popular post that day was Mission Accomplished.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were kniterdone.blogspot.com, ravelry.com, flickr.com, feelingstitchy.com, and facebook.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for suicide notes, crochet bags, cervical dysplasia, pictures of cervical dysplasia, and sewing blog.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

Mission Accomplished May 2010
5 comments

2

Crochet Pattern: Stethoscope Cozy June 2010
2 comments

3

Interview with Penny Nickels June 2010
8 comments

4

Crochet Pattern: Papa’s Hobo Hands November 2008

5

When I had Cervical Dysplasia… May 2009
2 comments

Perspective as a second language

Don’t get me wrong, I have always hated sporty jock-talk.  I was the slowest, fattest kid in gym class.  Mean boys would hum the theme to Chariots of Fire while my chubby legs tried to finish a one mile run five minutes behind everyone else.  I hated sports of all kinds.  I don’t even watch football with my husband.  I never thought I’d be the kind of person who is obsessed with running.  Forgive me for all of the rambling running talk. 

I had a really crappy run yesterday.  I got a side ache every 30 seconds.  I hurt everywhere.  I had to stop at one point and drink a G2 and take a hydrocortisone tablet–the steroid I take to stay alive with Addison’s Disease.  Every minute was pain and disappointment.  I was beating myself up physically and emotionally.  Then I decided to suck it up and get back on the treadmill. 

I was a mile and a half short of my goal.  It took me 70 minutes to run 4.5 stinking miles.  I probably could have walked faster.  Then I remembered that 4 short months ago I couldn’t run a block.  I could barely walk a mile.  5 months ago, a side ache would have put me on the couch for another year.  Now a 4.5 mile run is a failure?  Nope, I won’t allow myself to feel that way.  I’ve passed the 5K mark and started training for a half marathon.  I’m running over 20 miles a week.  It may not sound like a lot to veteran runners, but it’s a lot for me.  I’ve maintained my 50 pound weight loss through the holidays because I burn through all of the cookies and cheesecake I’ve been baking.  I ran after Christmas shopping and I ran on Christmas Eve.  When I feel stressed, I run to calm down and think.  I find the energy to take care of myself when I am exhausted and sick.  Fighting back from depression and serious endocrine disorders has made me mentally tough.  I know I have the resolve to dig deep and stay strong.

I’ve been learning to forgive myself for being human and for being sick.  I’m learning to pick and choose what I want to accomplish in a day and forgetting everything else. 

My artwork is suffering a little because I spend so much time in school and running, but I’m okay with that.  Art will come back.  There are seasons in life.  I’ll have more art to give if I take this time to care for my health.  I’m slowly working on a portrait of Penny Nickels.  The background is a vintage apron from the 1970s.  I’d love to sit down and finish it this week, but it’s not the right time.  I’ve probably got 100 more hours of work.  It will happen when it happens.

Showtime!

I’m a little late announcing this, but here is the information on the show where you can buy a Pez portrait.

The theme is childhood holiday memories and consumer consumption.  Artists with very different media all contributed.  I was pretty impressed with David Todd Trost’s ceramics (below).  The whole show is really fun, though.  You can purchase by contacting Jordan through   http://www.360seegallery.com/exhibit/door_busters_bigtime. 

 

This candy necklace by Rebecca Zemans is pretty fun, too. 

Check it out.  Stop by if you live in Chicago.  There is free Christmas Eve/Hanukkah delivery within 20 miles for all purchases.

I Love My Dead Gay Son

Heather’s Suicide Note WIP – 2, originally uploaded by schinders.

I’m so busy. I only have about 2 minutes to blog, but I wanted to share some awesomeness with you guys.

Here is a WIP from Schindermania (Ellen Schinderman.) She’s working on one of the suicide notes from Heathers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathers

Click through to see the rest of her photos. Her blog is here: http://www.schindermania.com/.

I got an A in Nursing Concepts. I’ve lost 32 lbs and my running routine is getting easier and more rewarding. We move into our beautiful new house this Friday. (We got the corner lot with a fireplace.) Life is still kicking ass.

Now I need to pack lunches, study A&P, and get the kiddos ready for the first day of school.

She must be a narcissist.

waiting room WIP, originally uploaded by alexcateye.

This self portrait is about 50% done. You can see how I build my colors if you click through and view the larger size. Part of the reason that I work so slowly is that every piece is embroidered in layers. Some parts are stitched 5 or 6 times to get the effect I want. My pieces are very thick, up to a half of a centimeter in places. It just feels “right” to me.

I didn’t really want to do another self portrait. It feels dirty, like art masturbation. I need to do this, though. I am trying so hard to love the face I’ve been given. I’m trying to love the body I’ve hated all of my life. I’m finding beauty that I didn’t know I had and it has nothing to do with my looks. It’s a wonderful experience.

We just closed on a new house and I’ve started school, so blog posts will be a little slower for a while. My husband seems to think that packing and studying are more important than embroidery.

Don’t forget to add your work to my blog Flickr pool. (http://www.flickr.com/groups/1396676@N24/pool/) I’ll be blogging about my stitchy friends even when I don’t have time to finish projects of my own.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, originally uploaded by alexcateye.

Here is my self portrait. Some yarns are hand spun and dyed. The rest are commercial crewel wool. It also contains hand spun buffalo down in the hair. (I collected it from tree trunks while camping in Montana, Wyoming, and Utah.) The bottom half is covered in English paper pieced hexagons of repurposed ABU pixelated camo. They were scraps from my husband’s USAF uniforms. (The insides of pockets are sometimes cut out and sewn flat to give a neater, more professional appearance.) This measures 11″ by 14″.

The juror in a local fiber show gave me a stinging comment about my bad design. I know the formula for a perfect composition. I’m pretty sure that most high school freshman art students know it, too.   Edit:  My point is that I choose not to follow rules and formulas.  I make what I want to make. 

I hope that you can see a sharp disconnect between the head and the “body.” That disconnect represents the friction of being a military spouse. The heart and the head aren’t together. The head must soldier on in real life while the heart must stay flat. I hope this is making sense.

Soldier on, friends.

Little white lies like I was there.

Little white lies like I was there., originally uploaded by l33twave.

This amazing piece landed in my Flickr group. I have to share it with you. The blue words look so much like sutures from a distance and I love the clotted texture of the reds. It makes you wonder about The Accident.

Here is what the artist said:

There are some unwieldy things I knew deep down that The Accident made me acknowledge.

1. People get away with heinous crap every day and never have to pay for it. The person who crashed into my mother’s car continues to rack up citations — civil and criminal — but never seems to suffer for it.

2. You never know how attractive others think you are until they make comments regarding a facial disfigurement. And now I must cope with that and looking 1/16th Klingon when I stand in good light.

3. I have ceased to be a patsy under the guise of anti-litigiousness or the desire to just let things rest. I still don’t like that change in attitude, but this is entirely necessary until people change theirs regarding how much concern they should have for others.

Flickr streat for l33tware is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25370385@N02/ (Or click on the photo for a closer look. It will lead you to l33twave’s photos.)

We are changing this art form

, originally uploaded by Drucilla Pettibone.

I’ve been on vacation and I have some catching up to do. I want to show you this amazing embroidered and appliqued fox by the talented Ms. Drucilla Pettibone. She combines commercial and handspun threads as well as vintage fabrics. (Handspun!)

I hope you click on the photo to see her Flickr stream. She is passionate about her work with rescue dogs. She’s also a damn nice person. Here is her blog: http://drucillapettibone.blogspot.com/.

So many amazing artists are out there challenging and changing embroidery. I’m constantly amazed by the new subject matter and techniques. Invent your own stitches! Invent your own materials! This is a great time to work in fiber. It’s time to shake off the image of fiber artists producing nothing more than overworked, overbusy quilts. Our art form is powerfully emotional and visually exciting. Go make something right now!

Just to update everyone, I got into the nursing school that I wanted. I feel as happy as I did when I found out I was pregnant. I’m scared, but I know this is going to complete me.

Go Listen!

Mr X Stitch and I started a podcast, originally uploaded by beefranck.

Love embroidery as much as I do? Go check out the new podcast from MrXStitch and Beefranck.

I subscribe on iTunes: here.

Listen to it in the waiting room of your local Air Force Clinic and look like a crazy person laughing by yourself.

An Early Mother’s Day Gift for You!

Just because I disagree with you…, originally uploaded by schinders.

One of the floss winners, Ellen Schinderman, posted this project on Flickr and it really made me smile. It combines, drugs, embroidery, and handspun wool. Can’t beat that with a stick!

I really wanted to give out more floss, but it is really difficult to use, especially with tightly woven fabrics. It tangles and kinks up and misbehaves a lot. I can’t imagine anyone getting it to make readable text, but Ellen did it and I’m happy. (My handspun embroidery is very blurry and loose, so the material works well for me.)

If you like embroidered nekkid people doing naughty things, check out Ellen’s shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/schindermania
Her Flickr stream is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/schinders/
Her website is here: http://www.schindermania.com/

She is never safe for work, so you’ve been warned.

I hate girls who write like this.

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I hate girls who write like this., originally uploaded by alexcateye.

They eat whatever they want and never gain weight.

I would have died for girly handwriting and a girly name when I was in junior high.

I am Alex and write like a boy. I’m happy to be who I am.

Godzilla Quillta

Green varigated quilting thread on a green wholecloth quilt makes Godzilla skin. So cuddly!

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