SistahCraft

Harlem Blossoms In 2012!

(No shrinking violets here! All pics enlarge)

Despite fewer entries this year, the exhibition that too place last weekend in the plaza at St. Nicholas Park did not wilt –– the floral sculptures were standout! With the exception of knitting, all other manipulations of fabric, fiber and yarn were represented: applique, beaded embellishment, crochet, embroidery, felt, printed, stitched, sculpted, sewn, spun.  One visitor's sentiment for the hand-worked plants was, it allowed her to get up close and personal to the blooms without inflaming her allergies –– how cool was that?

Taking Time To Smell The Roses

(My cacti was awarded 3rd place! Coryphantha Elongata Verus of the Bronx. Hand-spun yarn, crochet, felted, dyed, airbrushed.)

Saturday's heat brought a trickling of visitors. The city was still staggering from the left hook of the heat wave knocking us down for three days straight, but the embracing breeze of Sunday had people buzzing around the blooms.

"Gorgeous", was the proclamation on seeing Harlem Renaissance Bouquet, right, a wildly exotic nuno felted, lily-esque work by Omi Gray, from my friend and collaborator Jennifer Tee. She came through with her handsome husband, the writer Huan Shu. Look for her show of crystalline floor-pieces, knitted by yours truly next Friday; details to come.

Ancestors! I was elated to finally meet Soleo, the copiously talented media personality and columnist (On The "A") for Harlem World, my go to mag for real Harlem news. Do get to the exhibit he's co-curating with Lisa D. Hayes, Esq. at Strivers Gardens Gallery.  And then Lisa Shepard Stewart came on by! Her knockout Africa-Contemporary designs, books and projects are accessorizing the homes of the happening! She hit us with brochures for her SewJourn to Ghana in 2013. Imagine that –– twelve days of artisan workshops from the masters in the motherland. Folks who've been said it was life changing. My travel bug has been chomped!

This Is Flower Power Baby!

(Congrats to the winning artist Dindga McCannon's A Rose In Spanish Harlem. Quilted. Fabric, beads, various embellishments. I just adore the nighttime scene that makes up the interior of this abstract floral. Fantastic!)

If you know me, you'll know how I feel about faux silk plants perplexedly overworked to mimic reality –– right down to the acrylic water drop. Owning them says that you don't like real flowers and plants because they die (or you inadvertently kill them). Why not just accept the reality that fake is fake, and go for the sculpture?

(Katrina Jeffries's crowd pleasing Mother Tongue, below left. Quilted. Hand dyed nylon, rayon ribbon, cotton thread and trim, wire)

Represent! Who WE Are

A big shout out to my gurl Michelle Bishop, President of Harlem Needle Arts and curator for the show!

 

 

 

 

(Gifted hands, unified hearts; sisters from the Harlem Girls Quilting Circle and friends.)

                                                                                 And by the way, I was chillin' too, giving yarn spinning demos on my 'Lil Louet. The fiber of the day was stainless steel (yes folks, the metal). I spun up a coupla' 2-ply finger weight samples. Yo, the tensile strength was awesome! Knitted fencing anyone?

The show and weekend ended with everyone jumping in for our famous group shot. Thanks to all my fellow artists, artisans, and supporters for a fabu show and happening!

 

PEACE AND SHEEP FLEECE YA'LL!

 

 

I'm Invading City College In The Fall!

(Any closer and it'll choke you out too. All pics enlarge).

Or at least my invasive vine is. I'm a bit giddy about my entry in the exhibition The Blossom of Fiber Art, scoring high enough to be included in the inaugural exhibition The City College of New York's community gallery. Ancestors!

 What Happened?

I'm fascinated by flora that we allow to take over whole landscapes and wreak havoc, because we think they're pretty.  My research of invasive species, particularly in our city parks, led me to the idea of constucting this vine. Folks love them for privacy fences and the elegant look (think ivy league) they give to buildings.  But like a jealous lover, it soon becomes dominating, wiping out its competition by snuffing their growth.

My goal? To present this piece as a fantasy vine; one that could be enjoyed without causing damage to the landscape.

How Did It Happen?

As my research ate into my creation time, I needed be able to construct the vine quickly, using both found and made elements combined with a fast, but effective method of formation. Mixed media elements were the answer, and I utilized my spinning wheel as the fastest way to permanently combine them. I am ever grateful for taking the workshop of the copiously talented Jacey Boggs, to learn the spinning techniques enabling me to create this piece. Jacey, I now think of my wheel as a vehicle for construction, as opposed to just a spinner of fiber.

 

Here is a slide show of the development of Ampelopsis Agripeta Amor "Veni, Vedi, Vici". Now this is a fantasy vine with a Latin identification I made up, but its roots are in reality.  Ampelopsis is the genus of vine. Agripeta means one who seizes land––a squatter. Amor is love. "Veni, Vedi, Vici", the common name, means I came, I saw, I conquered; apropriate, I thought for an invasive species. Enjoy!

 

Flower Power! The Blossom Of Fiber in Harlem

 (Fabulous fiberistas! From left to right: Fern Gillespie, Laura Gadson, Michelle Bishop*, Veronica Kerton-Johnson, Rosa Walker, Gail Edwards, Urmie D. Seenarine, Patricia Williams, Audrey Weaver, Edna Johnson, Anna Alvrez, Valerie Deas, Joann Boris-Salley, Ife Felix, Shimoda. Not shown: Me, Dindga McCannon, Jackquelyn Jones, Ketney Jean-Francois, Lisa Daehlin, Sherry Shine, Willena Nanton. Photo by Gerald Peart. All pics enlarge).

Until now, I disliked fake flowers as mockery––think cheesy silk blooms with a drop of clear acrylic on a petal to masquerade as water. Flowers rendered in needlework can look even worse; a parody, rendered with limited skill in a medium totally not suited to the plant or flower being reproduced (I fell victim to the latter last year. My attempt to crochet apple roses in a timely fashion, turned out so poor I dropped out of the show). But, what if such super-realist ambitions were abandoned? What would be the outcome of the desire to cultivate using mediums and techniques of intimate acquaintance, to create plants and flowers that spoke to feelings? Or were spiritual messengers? Or just plain happy and fun to look at? 

A Damn Cute, Bloomin' Show, That's What

This year's exhibition brought together 22 artists, producing flower and plant sculpture in a luscious bouquet of styles, spanning the spectrum of fiber art––just about every which way you could work your hands was worked.

(Flower as memorial; They Used To Hang Out Here, by Dindga McCannon. Machine and hand embroidery, machine applique and writing, hand printing, digital transfer). 

The restrictions by the NYC Parks Department that dictated the mode of display (art must be placed in pots, cannot touch anything, etc., etc.,), didn't tame our creativity; indeed it was the catalyst for an outpouring of work which turned even brighter when the sun blessed us, and ignited conversation among viewers and participants concerning the aesthetic value of "fake" flowers.

Art vs Affectation? The People Have Spoken

(These beautiful, well executed pansies are from Valerie Deas. Hand cut, quilted, machine and hand assembly).

 My photos don't do justice to the artwork. In fact, the feedback from the viewers I spoke with, have become a kind of benchmark for my own artistic exploration in dealing with nature's flora––they aren't meant to be copied.

"I don't want a reminder of what I can't grow; it should be just art."

"These look better than what I have in my garden and require less care, too."

"I hate silk flowers. These are more like art. I could have one in my living room."

"I love silk flowers, but these are different." 

Whether rendered, re-imagined or totally recherché, the comments by viewers on both sides of the grass was that hey, if it's done well enough to elicit recognition and an emotive reaction––other than the neutral pleasantness of silk mimics? It's winning.

Here are more examples:

(Ampelopsis Agripeta Amor "Veni, Vidi, Vici**"; Hand-spun wool vines incorporating hand cut, stamped and painted felt leaves, needlefelted berries, and florist wire; constructed trellis from found branches, cotton string. by Sahara Briscoe––me).

  (Future flora! This very popular crochet burst was created by Urmie D. Seenarine).

(The rendering of these knitted sunflowers, right down to the seed stitch dirt was genius! Touch of Gold, by Rosa Walker, adapted from 100 Flowers To Knit & Crochet, by Leslye Stanfield. Veined leaf pattern by C.Comb).

(Little Green Me; machine pieced, multi-media formed face. Laura Gadson).

What Are Those Numbers?

The numbers aided the judges in their selection of flora to be shown at the inauguration of the community gallery at the City College of New York in the fall. Here's a big shout out to the judges!

(Excluding Michelle, from left: Tara Powell, of Barbara's Flowers, Jerry Grant, Artist, Isisara Bey, V.P. of Count Me In, Katrina Parris of Katrina Parris Flowers).

  

 And a huge thanks and shout out to my sisters Michelle Bishop and Laura Gadson for making it happen and giving me the opportunity to plant the seeds of my own artistic growth!

*Michelle Bishop, Producer

**The latin identifier is made up.

Hail Victoria!––The Mini Cooper of Spinning Wheels

(The Spinner-escape. All pics enlarge)

While my sisters-in-Spin City joined the multitude of fiber heads, knitterati and other zealots from all over the eastern seaboard and beyond, to make the pilgrimage to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this weekend, I was right here spinning. Yes folks, spinning on my fire-escape––sarcastically referred to by some, as the ghetto terrace (Hmmph. The folks who coined that dis haven't lived). It was totally fab! Victoria provided me with the solace I needed from not attending the fest due to my self-imposed fleece ban.

Staring at the fire escape the other day, the idea bulb over my head lit up. Though I'm definitely fond of spinning and knitting in the park, I'm not always down for a craft demo or answering questions––I just want to work outside without participating in other folks lives. And since I use my terrace for almost everything else, why not spin there? Faster than the turn of a knit row, I got my wheel and a folding stool. I placed the stool securely on the metal lats, my bag of fiber under it; Victoria took her place at the opposite end, and vóila––I spun for a coupla' hours high above the heads of passerby, discreetly adumbrated by the cloud of adolescent leaves, taking in the street life below and the warm sun above. It was urban nirvana.

 A Foot Powered Compact

(Rather than a squeeze, a shift in perspective; I'm actually a lot farther back.)

I bought my Louet Victoria (named after the company owner's grandbaby) a few years ago after taking the one my gurl Chanté owned for a spin (catch the car comparison). I fell in love with the wheel's portability, design and weight––the same as the baby's at birth. If you're interested in a thorough review of this dynamo, Abby Franquemont gives an excellent one. 

Sunday, I'm spinning on the grassy knoll at St. Nicholas Park in Harlem, as the weather should be terrific. Like the Mini, Victoria is stable enough for me to place her on the grass itself; I park my butt, sit back and whizz! And trust me folks, I'ma put as much mileage on my bobbins as the Cooper S Convertible per gallon.

 Then There's The Fiber                                                                    

(Imagine holding sparkling fireworks in your hand; a bespoke cloud made by Steph Gorin of Loop Yarn, Garnerville, N.Y.).

I hope those of you who made it to MDSW stopped by her booth and spent, because her batts and yarns are all that. I'll be blowing her up in a subsequent post, but for now? It's a merino/alpaca combo with some angelina thrown in for sparkle and a few neps for texture. I bought 4 ounces (113 grams) to sample, that will morph into knit gloves. I'll drop the yarn  knowledge in the sidebar. Ancestors! The yarn was buttah! Check it out. 

 Peace and sheep fleece everyone! Have a Happy Mother's Day!

  (A ply in the sky!)

 

Melting Mental Blocks

(Bronx Park "Creek" after the final frost; all pics enlarge)

"From January to April, I don't expect much from myself."

This testament became my emotional blankie, spoken by a wise sister at the Spin City Meetup, a hand-spinning group I belong to.  And as if her words needed reinforcement, the NY Times published an expedient article on self-compassion –– a virtue undervalued in pop society's obsession with criticism. 

OK, what's the connection to this post? Well baby! At times a series of events can have you criticizing your existence.

I had a heck of a fall with 2 more knitted rug commissions, the last one 19' long.  Just in time too, because my knitting machine broke 2 weeks later around Thanksgiving. Stressed but undaunted, I managed to produce my knitted accessories for a holiday trunk show –– the store closed 3 days later.  More bad news I won't list here, then nature took a major dump of snow, snow and snow.  Frozen with perdition, my brain felt enervated. What new year? It looks the same outside! Now I gotta' seek work, figure out what to do, I need, I want, the house, my studio, Mr. K, my machine, parts, money, clients, the future…ARRGH!

Put A Filter On It!

The Wise One's remark revealed I was spinning on the expectation/self-critic whorl. Why?  It's not about me; we're all dealing with nonsense. Hey, the moment you awake back on earth? You're engaged. My sanity at stake, I decided the only thing to do during this period is heal, with verbs that start with the prefix re: replenish, recharge, revive, etc.––you get the picture.

So now that we've caught up, let's catch on.

 Knitting And Spinning Solace

(Mr. K tug-of-warring with our foster dog, Nádine. His hand-spun, hand-knit gloves kept a grip. He won. Boiled wool coat, John Bartlett).

The internalization of a new skill always gives me a boost of self-esteem; currently, it's knitting gloves.

Given the reality that spinning yarn from fiber is yet another craft I've chosen that demands a huge expectation of oneself in regards to time, I concluded the working of a small item could show off my yarn for a quick bit of gratification. It worked! The fiber is Colonial Blue merino from Ashland Bay Fibers, candy caned in the singles with Aqua, then plied*. For glove instructions I turned to Mary Thomas; her book is a good entrance. Upon mastering the basic pattern, Nanette Blanchard's book Glove Knitting, helped me fine tune them for fit. You know, gloves aren't difficult to make and unike socks, won't wear out as fast. And no one bothers you knitting them in public because using double-pointed size 1 needles, you look like either an expert or a crackpot; so go for it––it's gonna become the next big thing. 

Some Quick Blog Notes

(Mr. K and the ladies Nádine and Della, the "it" bull).

Whooooeeee! There's a lot going on, people. With the shards of ice left from winter's grip just about melted and our brains  beginning to bud and sprout, look in the right sidebar for current listings of mental fertilizer. And I've added a Spinner-A-Large column, sharing my explorations in yarn formation for fashion.

My mental blocks are seeping into the ground. I feel good now. As we head toward the real New Year, you can actually observe the inauguration of newness around you. Spring is the compassion the Divine has blessed us with––the chance to be re-born!