life is sweet or sweet obsessions???

 

 Last night was Diwali and Praveen out did himself with little oil lamps everywhere- the house looked beautiful.

 Feels like great changes are coming...had a bit of an epiphany recently...and a whole day at home today- for a while I have been losing the image of myself as an artist, too immersed in the Stitching Ladies and developing work they can do and we can sell...you know all that goes into developing a business not mention some of the challenges of living in a new land, the developing world or is all that is just life and coping with the self??
I had joined the Voyagers group so excited to have a goal of a quilt every 2 months thinking to have a chance to do 'my' work...then recently I had to admit too little time and all my mind goes in circles of what we are doing....
well recently that has been quilts- I have been harkening to traditional type motifs- always wanted to explore them, but never enjoying piecing myself it was a distant love.
The Universe has been very kind and I have had a few brushes with the concepts lately.
Some compliments of Jen at A Piece of Cloth [ take a look at this write up about her- eye candy pictures] first doing the stitching on her quilts, then introducing me to Pinterest - I know I mentioned it before....I never look at much on the internet- no time but this treasure trove of pictures has caught my eye [here are some things I like] and I have started to dream in images again, wanting to talk through my stitching not just be practical

 It lead me to looking at some of my old work and starting to listen to what was echoing through my mind when I made them....

 

Little Meetings...how things go round and  connect up....in those days I had to find ways to work with machine stitch rather than hand stitch as I just did not have time to do the hand work.....now I wish to find my groove again using hand stitch and through repeats - the stitch will be from our women.... think something is coming.

 So here is a new Little Meetings, nearly 10 years later....

Which lead onto other things [ sorry light was shining on the fabric a lot- that is a black handloom base to the stitch]

and won't this develop into a beautiful striped quilt? tree back, paths, many things and just exploring what you can do with simple stitch....

I want a jacket to develop a new look- this is so comfy but I think the collar needs to go...poking away trying to find where to go with the stitch- sometimes blank canvases can drive me nuts until I find my way into them

[Praveen is outside letting bombs off- if they did not scare me so much I would be out there thrashing him!! I do like the pretty fireworks in the evening, though]

 

simple stripes with motifs. quite like the simplicity...

 I started these Talking Pieces a long time ago....I always tried to be very present with what I wanted to say when working as I think your thoughts do have an impact on how people feel viewing/experiencing your work....also loved the effect of the stitch on the reverse...think that might be part of my current obsession with the other side

so I have this new block....I can see more coming and a series of "Hopes and Dreams" quilts...if we are lucky maybe even indigo dyed hand loom in these....got to go see our mate in Jaipur and talk sweet...

 See that morsel???

We have given out about 50 +kg of these little babies- Cashew sweets...for something so innocent looking, their ability to be addictive is phenominal....we are down to the last 3 boxes in the house...and I could propably eat them all in one sitting except Praveen wrestles them off me as he can't stand my whinging with tummy ache after....hmm!!