Sunday, May 6, 2012

Kitchen Table Studio

For five years my studio was the kitchen table and hallway in our apartment...I would have to stop everyday around 3ish and put it away before Mo and Ade came home from high school and middle schoo so we could eat and also to avoid my sewing machine being a victim to careless teen eating habits.  Every morning after they left for school I would set the machine and design wall and fabrics  back up so I could sew.

When I left the studio on Friday I prepared to do some sewing here at home...first, Saturday was Derby Day and much of Louisville is deserted, as the place to be is at the track in south Louisville and Mellwood is not high on the Derby celebration radar...I mean literally the streets and stores outside of south Louisville are ghost towns.  Second, Peter will be on vacation this week and I wanted to have the option of hanging out with him without loosing progress.  

Even though now I am not conditioned to create here at home, I had Ade pull my machine from the shelf and I got busy baby!  A return to my roots...right at the kitchen table. Carter, my grandson came in and him being naturally destructive curious about how things work immediately started bombarding me with questions about the sewing machine even before he said hello. Nana, what are you doing with this? how does it work? did you bring this from your studio? I've never seen this before...I re-directed him quickly after answering a few of his questions but I know I will not be able to blink once without him trying to "make it go" only to blame it on his sister when he is caught...I'm going to put it back up on Tuesday so I will not have to disown him over my sewing machine...yeap, just like old times at the kitchen table creating texture on cloth.


Adding texture...and in this case I think more is more and more is needed.  I'm just getting started so this is just a tad of what I have planned.  Oh, and I forgot how smooth sewing goes with Isacord threads!

8 comments:

  1. Hey Karen I just love this piece. Saturated colors are my favorite.The colors are delicious. Did you paint it first? I started auditioning paint colors out on the patio yesterday for my trees I am doing. Isn't painting and texturizing wonderful. WOW! I can't wait to see it finised.

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  2. thanks Carol...it was painted first and I'm using the painting as an under-painting. I'm using silk and polyester threads to give off a little refelction...when I'm all finished with the free motion thread embroidery I'm going to either couch or felt black yard into it.

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  3. Karen, this looks beautiful already - I can't even imagine it with more stitching on it.
    Your bit about sewing at home with the kids around made me chuckle. Mine were forever saying "OUCH!" as their little feet found the stray pins in the (then popular) shag carpeting.

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    1. oh my, when i sewed at home peter was always finding pins...it was only once that i recall that a pin went through his slippers, he was not happy but he never complained...just would give me a "silent look". i've zipped everything back up here at home since my sweetie grandchildren are around in the evenings.

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    2. Hello my sister...I saw your piece and wanted youto check out the work of Carol Ann Waugh.. She just wrote a book using lots of programmable stitches ffrom the sewing machine. Missing my own studio space and doing what i must so I can get to my space..looking for a house is sooo over rated.

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    3. Hi Valerie! I've been wondering how you are doing...I wanted to give you a chance to get settled before I started bugging you...but your absence in this city sure has changed the air for me. I'll check out Carol's work and book.

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  4. I LOVE these bright happy colors. I'm glad you decided to keep the white dots; they're a nice addition to the piece.

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  5. I love, LOVE the colors in this piece.... I'm one of those people who started sewing on the kitchen table too.

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