Textile Challenges

I am in a Yahoo group called Textile Challenges, run by the amazing Carol Tina Taylor. She comes up with creative ideas, challenging us to try them and share our results. Carol readily accepts ideas from everyone, arranges swaps for select challenges, encourages each of us, and keeps up with this busy pace -- all will teaching full-time and raising a lovely little girl! Carol, you simply amaze me! I want to be like you when I grow up (even if I'm a smidgeon older!) Oh, did I mention, she writes her own blog too.

Anyway, while this post is for you, Carol, and for our amazing group of fiber artists at Textile Challenges, it is also to show my January Arch. Our arch swap is running for the year of 2008. The 13 participants make one arch each month for a designated receiver. At the sign-up for this challenge, we listed preferences for design and color (including a "please not this color" too!). Then Carol set up the master swap list of who is doing whose arch for each month -- a clear and easy to read chart, even if I keep misreading it! (I have my July arch nearly complete when I thought I was working on March! my oops -- yes, this means that I am behind).

My first arch, January, was for our leader herself -- the amazing Carol T!!! My inspiration was to re-create a Gothic window using rich burgundy velveteen (which I learned is not so easy to use for reverse applique!) as the stone framework. The window panes are made of a gold-enhanced batik-like cotton print, framed with a loosely woven golden fabric. The peak of the arch is capped by another gilded print. Beads add a touch of glitter, drama and dimensional detail.

Naturally I am also in another yearlong group, the 2007 Bead Journal Project (BJP) created by Robin Atkins. Members signed up in May 2007 and agreed to make one beaded piece per month, for one full year beginning June 2007. The primary stipulation was to use the same size/shape for each of the journal pieces. I chose the standard 4"x 6" postcard size and to use beads as enhancements -- perhaps eventually working up to a more totally encrusted beaded postcard. I am relatively new to beading, excited to try this challenge and immediately was intimidated by the skills of my fellow BJP participants (including my own friends Linda Teddlie Minton, Nancy Dickey & Sara Sissenwein!). It was no surprise to me when I fell woefully behind. Is it no wonder that I hit a creative block while working on my second piece (finally resolved it in December - whew).

Now today is a new day & I am eagerly working to catch up with my behinder-BJPs ... In fact, I decided to combine my two yearlong projects by making a coordinating BJP for each of my Arches. Naturally I thought of this after I had mailed"Gothic Window" to Carol! Nevertheless, I pulled out my materials and created this piece which I call "Doodling with Beads, Velveteen and Reverse Applique." This is my 4th BJP ... or in other words: "four down, eight more to go." Onward!

I am so confident that I will complete my 2007 BJPs that I've signed up for the 2008 Beaded Journal Project. If you are interested in either the 2007 or 2008 BJP groups, please look at the BJP website. Registration has begun for 2008 (deadline for sign-ups is August 15) with the new year of BJP to begin in September. This is such perfect timing as it allows the entire summer either to rest or to frantically finish my behinders!