Last year was the first time I chose a word rather than making a resolution. So simple, so easy to stay on track and nobody to measure my success besides me. Last year my word was “Acceptance”. I chose that word for many reasons associated with my personal life as well as my art. It surprised me how many times through 2010 I actually remembered and reminded myself to accept the situation for what it was and to accept my art for what it is. For the most part I stopped trying to fix things.

That word  was really important because of my RA. I did have a life before RA and it was different. Acceptance would not have been tolerated by my inner task master. It took me nearly 6 years of living with RA to know that Acceptance is the only way I am going to be able to pace my energy. Acceptance is the only way I can have priorities without guilt. I gave myself permission to not even try to multi-task.

This year my word is Persevere. Do you see the progression here? I think I do and I’m happy with it. I can accept my limitations but I will persevere to do the best art I can do within those limits.

Did you choose a word this year?

My son and daughter-in-law requested aprons for my granddaughter, Priyanka. She is beginning to help them in the kitchen so they thought she should be dressed for the occasion.

I looked at patterns and didn’t find one I liked that would cover up both her tops and bottoms. I used a vintage child’s art smock pattern and modified it so it could be slipped over her head. The original tied up the back. Since the back is one piece I had to cut the neck opening larger as well. To be certain it wouldn’t fall off her thin little shoulders, I added a tie at the back of the neck to snug it up if needed.

I will make her a couple more and I think the next one will have some elastic at the back rather than the ribbon.  Or I might just cut the neck square…I think that will work.It is reversible so the double thickness also gives a little extra protection to her clothing. Now that I have the pattern figured out, the next one won’t take that one.

I was running out of wall space and had no place to hang a cork board. Since Ron had just painted the walls I figured he wouldn’t be happy if I started sticking pins in it or taping things to it.

The answer was this 6 ft. long piece of crown molding. He anchored it to the wall behind my sewing chair. That wall was wasted space since I couldn’t put shelving there and this is flat enough to not bump into  it. Next we nailed in picture hooks and using metal clips I can hang up paperwork of things I need to remember. I will have one hook for show prospectus that I’m thinking about, one for shows I want to enter, one for entries done, one for things that need shipped after acceptance is received and one for paperwork of quilts that have been shipped. This will stay up until my baby comes back home.  This is wide enough that I can still put post-its along the top.

I’m hopeful that this will keep things front and center rather than at the bottom of a  stack of papers out of mind.

When I rust dyed fabrics last summer I threw in a few vintage linens and crocheted pieces. This started life as one of 4 corners probably intended for a lunch cloth.

I backed the crochet with rust dyed muslin and thin cotton batting, lightly stitching them together. I accented the crocheted rose with embroidery floss and then encrusted it with seed beads. It sat for some time waiting patiently for me to finish it.

Today I found a hammered copper concho belt which added just the right amount of hard to offset the soft. I used some of the copper links from the belt as carriers to attach it to the copper neckband and used one medallion as the pendant.   I’m please with how this came out and I am anxious to work on the other  rust dyed linens and other art quilt jewelry. I would like to sell these in an Etsy shop or I may keep them to jury for the Arkansas Artisans Guild in the spring. Of course that means I have to set a price…..any ideas?

I was reading some of my artsy friends’ blogs today and I wanted to share with my readers Chris Predd’s fun blog. She always has interesting artwork and inspiration to share.

To celebrate her birthday month she is sponsoring an Adopt a Quilt project. Adoption of a piece costs 25 dollars, that includes shipping, within the United States. Her work is wonderful and this is a good time to buy gifts for people for the coming holiday season. Details are on her blog! Here is her latest offering group. Aren’t these great??: