"From Print To Stitch" by Janet Edmonds

 This is a cross post from my book blog. If you want to read the full review have a look there.

All photos are double clickable for a larger image

 

"From Print To Stitch" by Janet Edmonds, published by Search Press - is one of those books that you know you will be returning to time and time again. If you love cloth and love to print and stitch (as the title says) then this is a book that should be in your library.

Ms. Edmonds previously published book was called was called "Beginners Guide to Embroidered Boxes" and now I am afraid that I have to get this one too - her work is so exciting.

The contents page of "From Print To Stitch" is a good introduction to fabulous techniques that lurk within the book's pages. She thoroughly covers materials and tools, how to develop a theme in your work and a short but very well done lesson on color and color theory. The next section is on printing and the topics include: block printing, lino cuts,  mono printing and how to make great impressions from found  objects. Naturally the next section is about stitching. Hand stitching and machine stitching. One of my favorite sections in this part of the book is her gallery of hand stitches. Lots of grist for the artistic mill in here.

The techniques for working with lino, sponges and a host of other easily found printing methods are thoroughly explained and photographed with step-by-step instructions. In this section of the book I am especially fond her use of collagraph prints and I am eager to give this a try. The author describes collagraph as "made from a block that is created from low tech collaged material". Can you spell play day?! This book is just chock full of really fun techniques that are bound to spark your creativity and give your many hours of fun - you may not look at plain cloth in the same way again. Yes. I am really enjoying this excellent book!

This book is one of those “must have” addition to your library if you are a textile enthusiast of any sort!

note:
this book was provided to me by the publisher strictly for the purpose of an honest review. No other remuneration was received

It's A Mystery To Me

 It'd a mystery I am solving as the muse moves me - this should be a finished product tomorrow. What do you think it's going to be?

I took bits and pieces of inspiration from this wonderful book by Angie Hughes - published by Search Press - that I reviewed not too long ago on my book blog (October 10th entry). It feels good to be doing something "sew-ey" - or perhaps I mean creative - again. It's taken too long! More tomorrow I hope. I'll be curious to see if you have any thoughts on what in the heck I am doing !

Sometimes You Just Become a Prisoner Of Your Own Mind!

 Sometimes you just become a prisoner of your own mind

Sometimes we really must cultivate patience and for people like me - that is not always an easy assignment! It's easy to become a prisoner of your own mind, carefully building up a wall of fencing around yourself. I know because I am good at it!  Yesterday, my good friend Janet poked me and said something to the effect that surely I had something to post about here on the blog -  since I have not posted for so long. My last attempt at a post was truncated. My typing was iffy - even with spell check and proof reading, my mood was low and my pain was high - so it did not seem like a great idea to whine on about my newly installed spinal 'hardware' any longer.Now, though, I do feel like I should complete at least a part of that post. If you are bored with it I understand- just skip this post and anticipate some ART in a day or so. If you have back or spine issues then perhaps this is something that might be of interest.

I have to admit to really wondering if I had made a mistake to have this second operation. I thought somehow that I would wake up magically free of the pain. Not so - not at all. It was worse , much worse than the first cervical operation in June- of course  this one took twice as long and left a 6 inch incision too. Duh! How could I be so dang naive?!  This pain was like nothing I had ever experienced. The Saturday after the operation (which had been the previous Tuesday) I ended up in the emergency room here (we have two rooms that serve as emergency rooms in our clinic)for near 5 hours as they tried to get my pain under control. I should have remained in the hospital for another night - but it was just not a "get better" sort of place". Don't get me started on pain control in this country - it is simply despicable what some doctors consider 'aedequate' or sufficient medication. Yes, trust me, I work for the court and I get the fact that some people use this stuff for things other than pain  control- though why they would choose to do that is beyond me.  Straight and clear is the best of way for a mind to be - but if you are in pain the doctors should listen to you - not be dismissive and ruse. I am grateful that me primary care giver is someone who does "get" pain - and I was more lucky to be able to to go to our local emergency room to get to a point that i could stop crying from the pain. Familiar faces make a world of difference too I think.

Yesterday at a doctor's appointment I got the okay to return to work on light duty for the next 6 months - which for means only that I can't lift much nor sit for long periods of time in a court room. Work will be, more or less, the same as usual. As I voiced concerned about  whether I had made the right decision  the doc aid that he thought I had done the right thing. We discussed the success rate for this sort of spinal surgery. I had been thinking I should be feeling perkier by now.  He said that it will take 8 months or so to really see what the effect of the  surgery will be and that here are. indeed,  some success stories (and he hopes I am one of those) but that in general what this type of surgery does is  to keep the person out of a wheel chair - and I recalled I had heard that before too. I think in that regard I will be a success story - but I may not be hiking like I used to - though walking is better now than before. 

It is difficult for me to realize and own the fact that I will not be the super active person I once was - but I am realizing that this does not mean that I am no longer me- I am....I just have to gracefully accept my simple restrictions and be most thankful that I am as healthy as I am - and that the pain and memory of this operation will all fade with time. It's been a year for sure but there are SO many others in SO much worse shape than me....I have finally, I think, been able to stop the pity party!

I have been doing a few things. Mostly reading - of course - and knitting - a fabulous shawl. I have also been thinking about ways I want to work in metal some more. I have some ATC's to work on this weekend - they are late -  overdue - much the way the cleaning and the house looks overdue for a real "winter snug in". I say that as we have snow on the ground and a temperature of 23F (-5C) with very windy conditions. Yesterday was the first day I had driven since being home - and, as luck would have it, it was near blizzard conditions when I left the doc's office. I was glad for 4WD!

So there you have it - the whines and the non whines. I am looking forward to making these ATC's and getting going again on both my book blog (also overdue) and to posting something at least vaguely art like here ... leaving time for a nap now and then!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of us here in the US - actually to all of my friend's everywhere. There is so much to be thankful for and there is always someone in a worse way than you are. Be well and be happy and be filled with light.

 

Life before titanium plates

Prior to titanium screws and plates

This is a post that I have been considering writing since my last operation on my neck in June.  My conundrum is that, I suspect, many people will find it boring - and that's just fine -skip over it . The other reason that I have been wanting to write is is that I have met so many people who seem to also be having back issues/problems of one sort of another. It's so difficult to know when to see a doctor, what kind of doctor does one see and, if you are not a Christian  Scientist, what sorts of remedies are options  for you? I kept thinking that of knowing just one more piece of your large puzzle will help you than this is worth writing. I don't speak poorly of any doctor.  They all work hard to give such a complex structure like our bodies good servicing and help.