Adorn: November 2011

Even Designs need a little lovin.....

>> November 30, 2011 – baby, before and after, cyberworkshop, needlepoint

Do you recall, old friends, the Carolina Cuff? This one was designed back in 2003, and recently, I saw a faded, unfocused photo of this beautiful cuff, and knew it was time! The instructions have been overhauled, and the thread lists have changed to compensate for discontinued or otherwise unavailable threads. A special thanks to Gayle Roelofs for stitching the lovely new models -- her impeccable technique made it easy to show off the design!

I've mentioned Gayle before, we go way, way back. We used to talk about our pre-adolecsents, now we talk about our grandchildren.

You've seen a preview of the kits for Dolci being compiled. Over 300 little bottles! We've had many requests, after the deadline, asking to sign up for class. Well, we were thinking that while we can't accept any more registrations for the class plus kits, we will continue to accept sign ups for class participation only. The "Class Participation" option for the Dolci class is being extended to anyone who wishes to take advantage of this wonderful class! With this option you get to learn the special techniques that go into Dolci beadmaking, as well as hang out with other fabulous stitchers on the beautiful Dolci forum. What better way to spend all that extra post-holiday time?

Now could I possibly finish without giving you yet another look at Nomi?

Visit me on Friday!

>> November 22, 2011 – sale

I am having a 30% off sale for BLACK FRIDAY! Such a scary sounding name, but if you have ever ventured to the mall, you know it truly is scary out there the Friday after Thanksgiving!

So I put all of my beautifully packaged Notions on sale, along with silk threads, rulers, needles, beginners kits, and much much more. Use the coupon code : black1 to receive 30% off of any items on the Notions page! This sale will run only the 24 hours of Black Friday, so be sure not to miss it!

In other news, has anyone else seen a dog that smirks? This picture basically let's you know who wears the pants in this family! "Ok lady, will you put down the camera already?"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

MY FRIENDS!

Who am I and do I care?

>> November 19, 2011 – artists process, needleart, thoughts

From the first time I took a needle to canvas, almost 17 years ago, I have read and heard many heated discussions on whether needlepoint is a craft or an art. And if it is an art, whether I am an artist or a designer? On top of that, I have always wondered why the needlepoint world confuses designers/artists with teachers of needlepoint technique?

I'll start with the last one, it's the easiest. Being a good teacher requires excellent knowledge of the subject matter. But it also requires an ability to capture attention and interest, an ability to take the complicated and break it down to the accessible. Do you need to get formal education in order to know a subject matter very well? Not necessarily, and when we think of teaching technique, of hand-work, years of experience or great motor skills are just as important. You can teach good practices that assist in the making of a good teacher, you can teach how to prepare a lesson, how much to try to cover in a given period, how to assess the progress of a class. But how to walk in to a classroom and within a few minutes to have all eyes on you, twinkling and showing great curiosity, you can't teach that.

Now, let's say you are a wonderful needlepoint teacher both knowledgeable and possessing the ability to transfer the knowledge, does that mean that you are also a great needlepoint designer? Or a great fiber artist? The answer is obviously: NO! Then why do we ask designers to teach and if they are indeed artists, why do we judge their technique, or in needlepoint terms... why do we look at the back of their canvas?

What about craft vs. art and is needlepoint one or the other. When I use the word craft, I use it with the highest regard, the very highest. To me, craft means not only what you create but also how well you create it. What degree of importance you put on the beauty of the "how" and not only the beauty of the what.


From the Philadelphia Museum of Art 2011 Craft Show

From Wikipedia: In English, to describe something as a craft is to describe it as lying somewhere between an art (which relies on talent) and a science (which relies on knowledge).

To me, that sounds very much like needlepoint.

I don't think I care about how to define what I do. I think I care to:

1. enjoy it

2. do it to the best of my ability

3. bring joy and excitement to the viewer and the stitcher.

Now, off to make dinner!

Tiny packages.

>> November 18, 2011 – cyberworkshop, orna willis, tools

I've always been attracted to miniatures. Have you ever been to see the miniature rooms at the Chicago Art Institute? And this Clue game with the miniature rooms in which someone murdered someone with something in a particular room. I used to spend hours making miniature foods with polymer clay, never did anything with them, just loved the process.

So now I'm packaging all the DOLCI kits and the silver pieces are going into teeny tiny glass bottles. The LARGE bottles are 7/8"! I'm having so much fun!!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Follow Up: That's no splinter, that's a STICK!

>> November 15, 2011 – kids

This is what came out of Nina's foot today. Even the doctor turned white!

OUCH!

>> November 14, 2011 – baby, family, kids, thoughts

Mommies can say anything three million times and it just doesn't register. "Don't climb up there..." "Don't touch, that's hot", "Don't get on chat rooms without my knowledge..." the list goes on and on. I've said "Don't walk around barefoot, you can get a splinter on the wood floors!" a zillion times. Not exaggerating! A zillion times. So on Saturday, when Shiri, Orin and Nomi were here for the weekend, we here a sudden scream, a wail and then heavy sobbing. Nina, no shoes on, was dragging her feet and a splinter, a big one at that, lodged into the sole of her foot. We all ran over, all five of us, (Nomi didn't seem too interested), and started throwing all sorts of advice around. Soak the foot, cut the foot, heat the foot, ice the foot. To make a long story short, we tried it all but the good-for-nothing piece of wood is still there. If it doesn't come out by this afternoon, we are off to the doc's office.

Nomi witnessed it all. She is 7 months old, mind you, (TODAY!), but still... do you think she learned how important it is to listen to Mommy?

Dolci Jewelry

>> November 10, 2011 – beads, cyberworkshop, jewelry

Colorways Revealed!

>> November 3, 2011 – color, cyberworkshop

Hi everyone-- Genevieve here--we have been getting all sorts of questions about the differences between the two colorways in our Dolci bead class, so Orna put together the colors for MOD and NOUVEAU and took some up close shots of all these beautiful threads!