Red work - finished!

My challenge in the Another Year of Lovely Finishes for the month of August was to complete two redwork embroidery pieces that have been works in progress (w.i.p.) in my UFO collection for a few years now.   I have carried both to many teacher inservices and other meetings so that I can keep my mind focused while my fingers stitch.

Here is my progress as of earlier today ...

It was close to being complete, but a few blossoms in the center were still in need of more stitches, and another flower, a tad left of center, needed one lower petal finished.  Today's specific challenge: to finish these last few flowers!

Great news ..... I did it!  It's finished!  All the flowers are smiling (and possibly dancing too!).  The coloration is off a bit as I took the photo after sunset tonight .... daytime gets the best natural light for photographs, especially a day slightly overcast, but I'm digressing ...

More important, what is the status my second redwork piece?  It features a young lady in red sitting in a sweet floral dress stitching on her own embroidery design.

More great news!  I have finished this one too -- although I should probably press and steam both of my newly completed redwork pieces -- and will do so as soon as I finish this post!


I am proud to claim that I have finished another month in the sweet and lovely year of finishes!  Thank you to Shanna from Fiber of All Sorts and Melissa from Sew BitterSweet Designs for this great year-long challenge.  It is working -- I am finishing projects!

I am #32 in the goal setting linky party for August and I closed the finishes linky party at #72.

Now I must decide on my goals for the month of September......  Feel free to join this fun challenge.  It's easy -- decide your goal for the month and declare it publicly, with a link on the Lovely Year of Finishes goal setting linky party (open the first seven days of the month).  Then work like crazy to achieve your goal and post your successes to the Finishes Party via another linky (also during the last seven days of the month).  A few lucky finishers even win prizes!  Maybe I will be a lucky winner this month .... but first, to decide what to challenge myself to finish in the month of September (am I repeating myself?  yes!)

Video art installation on San Fernando Cathedral

The next time you are in San Antonio, Texas, be sure to make time to see this amazing video art installation "San Antonio: the Saga" currently being shown on the magnificent façade of San Fernando Cathedral, in downtown San Antonio.  It is captivating, delightful, and best of all FREE!   

 

 

The show, which debuted on June 13, 2014, takes place at night, when the sun has set.  You may wish to bring your own chair or cushion to sit on -- or stand as it is only 24 minutes long.  This photo is taken from one of the few seats available... I quickly moved to a more center front spot for the remainder of the show.

French artist, Xavier de Richemont created this spectacular art projection.  It is his first installation in the United States.  Other countries that have also displayed his public art installations include France, Germany, Spain, Morocco, Mexico and Canada.  Look for Xavier de Richemont on FaceBook to see more images of this show.

Vivid entrancing and constantly changing lights move across the cathedral while accompanied with custom-choreographed music featuring many melodies that you will recognize, in surround sound too.  This artistic performance tells the historical story of discovery, settlement and development of the city San Antonio. The amazing images (both specific and abstract) literally dance across the facade of San Fernando cathedral.

Originally built between 1738 and 1755, San Fernando Cathedral is the oldest operating sanctuary in North America. It sits in Main Plaza, the heart of San Antonio. Main Plaza is the ideal location for this story to be told as it is one of only four colonial plazas left in the United States, and the only one with a cathedral.

www.catholicearth.com/beta/profile/691san-fernando-cathedral

 

The video art show is schedule to run for the next 10 years, weather permitting:

• Tuesday (free downtown parking) — 9 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 10 p.m.;
• Friday — 9 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 10 p.m.;
• Saturday — 9 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 10 p.m.;
• Sunday — 9 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 10 p.m.

However, this schedule is tentative and is subject to change. “San Antonio|The Saga” is presented by Main Plaza Conservancy with the generous support of public and private institutions, individuals and the City of San Antonio.

visitsanantonio.com/Browse-Book/Events/San-Antonio-The-Saga

My advice -- get there in time to see the first show ant 9:00, but be perpared to watch it two more times.  It is totally captivating and so much happens: the evolution of time and the specific story of the beloved city of San Antonio captured in 24 short minutes.  I need to get back and watch it again! 

www.mainplazaconservancy.org

If a picture is worth ...

I learned about the art of paper cutting today in a session at the NewCAJE 5 conference that i am attending in Los Angeles this week.  Rachel Silverman taught the session titled "If a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words..."  

Rachel introduced us to the history of Jewish paper cutting, then shared many of her original paper cut art.  Inspired by the examples she shared, we set out sketching our own unique pieces of this folk art.

First step is to draw your design, sketching lightly.  If you are including any script, be sure to sketch the letters backwards (in mirror image) as you are drawing on the back side of the paper.  Shade the areas of the design that you plan to cut out.  Then using an exacto knife, carefully cut (slice?) the edge is the shaded pieces, freeing your design.  

Before beginning to cut out the design, Rachel checked each design to be sure that areas that needed to be attached were.  She was an excellent teacher, assisting everyone - both those struggling and those that understood the concept right away.

For our class, Rachel brought plain blank typing paper to draw our designs on, inexpensive exacto knifes and larger pieces of corrugated cardboard to use as the cutting mat.  When I make my next paper cut piece, I can use one of my rotary mats instead of the cardboard. 

After the cutting away was complete, I auditioned several pieces of different colored papers (the 12"x12" scrapbook size), before selecting this brilliant blue.  I taped my chamsa carefully to the blue background. I plan to frame my piece, as a soon as I am home again.

This was a challenging and fun hands-on class.  I look forward to making my next piece of paper cut art...

Haight and Ashbury

aaahhh,

San Francisco.

Missing the cooler days, and chillier nights 

(but not the hordes of traveling tourists!)

I totally enjoyed the few days spent there earlier this summer with my family.

around Bandera

A few more sights to see around Bandera include the Apple Store in Medina (not to be confused with the computer Apple store!).

They have many tasty apple products, including apple ice cream and apple-flavored coffee beans!  Apple coffee is surprisingly good.

One of my favorites is their Three-Pound Apple Pie!  After all, Life is uncertain, eat dessert first!

You may sight some roaming buffalo, now called bison.  Will this simple fence really keep this guy from charging through?

A delicious lunch can be had in the Camp Verde General Store.  be aure tonsave time to browse and shop there too!  This is the former site of old Camp Verde, headquarters for the U.S. Camel Corps.  Did you know the U.S. Military even had a Camel Corps?  It was a short-lived experiment that lasted from 1856 to 1865.  The military camp was abandoned on April 1, 1869 (no April Foolin' either!).  Read mores about this military adventure here.

Last of all, is the fascinating old Silver Spur Dance Hall.  Nicknamed "Bandera's Forgotten Pearl", this dance hall was built in 1920 and survived the days of Prohibition.  Shown above are the romantic remains, now the site of weddings and other party gatherings.

How many more hidden gems are tucked away in this Hill Country of Texas?  I will share news on more as I find them.

Polly's Chapel

Polly's Chapel is a must see the next time you are traveling through Bandera, Texas.

This stone chapel was built by Polly Rodriguez, a founding father and pioneer in Bandera and in Texas.

It took Polly and neighbors three years (back in the 1880s) to build this chapel that holds 120 people.  The stone was hand quarried from the nearby creek and the wood framing was made from native cypress trees.

It is a Texas Historical Landmark and has served as a Methodist Church since its beginning.  In fact, Polly converted to the Methodist faith while building this chapel and served as the first preacher.  My friend, Dennis "Duke" Thompson also served as a preacher in this quaint chapel, officiating at more than one wedding.

The family of Rev. Jose Policarpo "Polly" Rodriguez (1829-1914) continue to maintain this chapel where weddings and other events are held.  If you are interested in booking an event here, contact the Polly Texas Pioneer Association.

If walls could talk, this chapel would definitely have many interesting tales to tell!

The challenge of something new

This year I found a few busy groups that keep me motivated to start and complete my projects.

There is "NewFO" which gives every participant the permission (or is it a dare?) to start a new project each month. Tempting as this group challenge sounds, I have not participated every month.  However that changes this month!  

For the month of August, 2014, I hereby declare my intent to begin a new project.  The one shown below.

I purchased this sweet ABC's of Parenting by Lizzie and Kate at the International Quilt Festival in 2012 (I think it was 2012 - or could it be 2011?).  I'd love to display it in my PreSchool classroom as a subtle and friendly lesson to all my wonderful parents (and grandparents) that pass through my classroom.  But all projects must be started before they can ever be finished and displayed, so this is the month to begin this one!

Since "A Lovely Year of Finishes" allows many challenges for their ongoing monthly finishing campaign, my goal is to finish at least one full letter (or letter phrase) of the project above this month, though hopefully I will finish even more.... And I am also challenging myself to finish one (or maybe two!) of my long standing red work embroidery projects. 

I'm not even sure when I began either of these two projects (shown above).  Or where the original patterns may be.  I like them both and want to focus some energies on finishing them.  They have been my companion during many teacher meetings and inservices the past few years, so I look forward to finding new projects to stitch on during these meetings in the future!

Click here to see me at # 32 in the Goal-Linky-Party for the August Lovely Year of Finishes Challenge. 

Check back at the end of the month to see how I've done with my double challenge.