Martha Graham

I love this quote . . .

There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening
That is translated through you into action.
And because there is only one of you in all of time,
This expression is unique.

And if you block it,
It will never exist through any other medium
And be lost.
The world will not have it.

It is not your business to determine how good it is,
Nor how it compares with other expressions.
It is your business to keep it Yours,
Clearly and directly,
To keep the channel open.

You do not even have to believe in yourself
Or your work.
You have to keep open and aware
Directly to the urges that motivate you.
Keep the channel open.

No artist is pleased.
There is no satisfaction whatever anytime.
There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction,
A blessed unrest that keeps us marching
and makes us more alive than the others.

New summer dress.

Here is a picture of M. in her new summer tank dress that I designed and made for her using a beautiful organic cotton rib knit. I made it with clean lines to keep it simple and the nature of the fabric allows for easy movement (very important for an active toddler!). I am really happy to be able to help round out M.'s summer wardrobe with a few sustainable additions made by Mama.

Another Layer of Organic Love.

I have had this spool of natural organic cotton thread for months now, sitting somewhat inconspicuously amongst my other threads (can you spot it?) For one reason or another, I just never got around to trying it out. I'm not sure if it was the cost, or the lack of colour options (only natural, black and white are available at this time), or the reconfiguring I knew I would have to do with my machine to make it work the way "regular" thread does. Last night I decided to give it a try, and after a little experimenting I am happy to report that that it sews up beautifully.

Sure, it is not as slick or shiny as its polyester or "regular" cotton counterparts (slick and shiny are over-rated anyhow). What is does have is a natural, understated look with a nice weighty feel about it that I am loving already. And best of all it is made in the US from certified organic cotton and developed in compliance with the new Global Organic Textile Standards.

I do need to do a little more experimenting, but I would say that with perhaps very minor exception, I should be able to integrate this thread into the vast majority of my work.

POSTNOTE: After much, MUCH more experimenting, I have come to the conclusion that this thread WORKS GREAT when cotton thread is called for (with non-stretch stitches on mostly woven fabrics), but does NOT WORK so well with the majority of knits and stretch stitches I use - it is simply too heavy. I am not giving up on this thread, though and absolutely love it in the applications that have worked, and will use it with wovens in the future as I expand!

Graceland

Yesterday I took M. and her brother to a local walking trail and pond to feed the swans. I brought along the new camera for a test run and to get a snap of the first of the summer outfits I have been working on for M. I made this jumper using one of my absolute favourite organic cotton prints by Harmony Art called "Graceland." This is the first real outfit I have sewn for her and I have to say that I am quite pleased!

The Insectarium

On Thursday it was overcast and threatening rain, so it seemed like a good day to head to the insectarium. B. had been asking for a while. The butterfly pavilion and fish pond were quite beautiful. Besides butterflies, we also saw honeybees, tarantulas, grasshoppers, cockroaches (I know!), walking sticks, a leaf bug, beetles, centipedes and more. I am careful not to share any sense of "ew" when B. asks me about the critters he discovers (whether at the insectarium or in the back yard). He truly thinks they are all fascinating. He picks a worm up off the ground just as someone would pick a puppy up to admire it. I hope he always has this sense of awe about his world.

The Beach

It was perfect beach weather today, sunny and mid 20's with a nice breeze. So after our "picnic lunch" on the patio we packed up and headed out, the whole family. I think this was the first time we brought M. to the beach. As a baby she would put everything in her mouth, so an afternoon of trying to keep her from eating sand probably didn't seem that appealing last summer.

M. absolutely loved it, as did her brother. "Bath!" she would say as she waded out into the cool water. As B. played with his tractor and made "sand art," M. would walk along the shoreline, exploring and picking up leaves and rocks as she went. "Cookie!" she said once, when she picked up a chunky rock, and then proceded to put it to her mouth. "No, M! Not a cookie, a rock! Yuck!" I told her.

"Rock," she mused as she studied her find a little closer. "Hello, Rock!" she cheerily replied, and then chucked it into the water.

M. greets all kinds of inanimate objects this way, it is quite funny to me. "What's that?" she says, when she points to something in a book or a magazine. "That's a dinosaur, M." "Hello, dino-house!" she replies, as if to say, "Welcome to my world!"