Discovering Threads

I wonder at how things come together. This summer I discovered a wonderful blog called Spiritcloth by a fabric artist, Jude Hill. I don't remember how I found it, but there it was, and I was enthralled. She documents this incredible visual story about how she was putting together a quilt of sorts. Definitely not a conventional quilt. She uses bits of fabric, yarns, torn edges, layers, no sewing machine, just hand stitching. It reminded me of how I layer images when I do etchings. And I love fabrics and yarns. It inspired me to work on a piece that grew into something more mundane - a cover for my daughter's headboard. But I've had fun and it's gotten me back into working with a needle and thread. Which brings me back to the other connection - the book I made for my mother last year before she died. I called it "Threads" and I combined machine sewing on paper with inkjet printing for the words. It dealt with the theme of threads holding mothers and daughters together and played with word combinations such as long threads, running threads, twisted thread, threading, frayed thread, etc. I think I'm beginning to see a new way of combining my printmaking, artist books and sewing.