08.16.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:23 am by deRomilly
I am very definitely stressed right now. I’m in a situation where my goals are on hold until the family life straightens out a bit. Not that there is anything going dramatically wrong, either. Just little, petty wild fires that sap my energy and keep me from accomplishing much on the creative front.
On the other hand, my Studio Journals class kept me at least a bit active, and I’ve tried out several things, some of which have been inspiring, and others complete failures. But it’s kept me doing at least a little every couple of days, if not daily.
Some of the things I have actually accomplished follow: (since it’s always a good idea to list what you did accomplish when feeling inadequate)
- The designs for the samplers discussed in Disappearing Act.
- Playing with cut paper designs & snowflakes.
- Playing with more geometric motifs for cross stitch.
- Sketching bellydancers.
- Taking photos with my new camera — mostly macros. And realizing that I really do still know what I’m doing.
- Researching designers programs with suppliers.
- Playing with paints and pastels.
I’m frustrated with the last because although I enjoy working with them, I never seem to be able to achieve any results I like with that kind of colored media. The exceptions to this are thread and colored pencil, both exceedingly fussy and time-consuming techniques that don’t particularly lend themselves to quick sketchbook work. I also can’t seem to get results I really like with the computer. But the last may well be simply because I spend so much time on a computer in my day job that using it as a design tool — even for simple pattern manipulation — is a pain in the backside.
So wow. I have accomplished a lot! It’s just that pesky stress thing making me think I’m drowning and not progressing.
And yesterday evening, after I wrote the draft of this to here, Dear Husband reminded me that no matter how stressed I am right now, there’s actually a final date give or take a month or two that I can plan for. So as of today, my plan is to start sorting and emptying my supposed studio space (now a muss of storage that I try to work around). Then the full remodel can begin on January 2. He promises me bookcases, real drawing tables and drawers for my bits and pieces. So I can put things away, even if I do often like to work in a creative disaster area. Right now it’s just a disaster area, not creative at all… This is going to be fun. Planning hat on!
And just to finish on a happy note, here is one of the photos I took that I’m really proud of. One of the last of the summer daylilies out by Dad’s apartment. My Dad and I were playing “one upmanship” with our cameras. I won. Click to embiggen.
Permalink
08.11.08
Posted in Stitching Genres, Lace at 3:37 pm by deRomilly
I just discovered this form recently — there was a post asking about the book by Elena Dickson on the h-needlework list. I was so intrigued that I bought it sight unseen and without any real reviews.
All I can say is wow - it’s beautiful! And faster than a lot of needlelace, unless you mess up. Errors have to be fixed by carefully cutin gout the offending area and beginning the knotting again.
I’ve been playing with larger threads than she recommends - both becuase I thought they’d be easier to learn on (they were, for me) and because I saw a potential to use this as an alternative to crochet for hip scarves and other bellydance embellishment (I’ve also been playing with macrame for this purpose, more on that later!)
I like the effect, and may make myself a hipscarf using this technique. One of the advantages I can see immediately is that if a thread breaks I wouldn’t lose an entire row of beads and coins, the way I do on the purchased, crocheted scarves.
And since I try to go through all the stitching on the purchased scarves myself because of that ravelling tendency, starting from scratch with this technique doesn’t sound quite so bad right now, although time is always an issue!
Permalink
08.04.08
Posted in Samplers, Historical at 3:02 pm by deRomilly
Now I am not a sampler historian. Until I discovered 17th and 18th century samplers I didnt’ care for them much at all, actually. I hate stitching words in cross stitch or backstitch, and just can’t wrap my head around the little pastoral houses with oversized dogs and cats in the yard. I dislike the “primitive” style intensely on a personal level. I loved Thea Dueck and Just Nan’s samplers, but couldn’t see myself hanging them on the wall once I’d finished stitching them. What to do, what to do?
Then I discovered the historic band sampler and the spot motif sampler, and all the ones in between that combine the best of both worlds and kajillions of different stitches. I was hooked. Basically what this, combined with osme of my other tendencies underscores, is that if it happened before 1800 I’m much more likely to be interested in it. <grin>
Samplers and the motifs you find on them have a bit ofa torrid affair with historians. Just about everyone who gets involved with studying them wants to know the history and meaning of each individual motif.
I fear this has become a bit of a game. You find cats defined as quick-witted, but also as lazy. When I put a cat into my work, I’m much more likely to be thinking of my furry baby at home than about some deep symbolic meaning of the motif. (English majors do the symbology thing too… even though Poe has written countless letters stating that “The Bells” was nothing more than an excercise in rhythm and rhyme, the English departments all insist we dig out whatever meaning we can from it.) As my heart-sister says, “Sometimes a cat in a flowerpot is just a cat in a flowerpot.”
That said, there ARE some overarching archetypes. However, these are often nationality, or even region-specific. We see crowns in the samplers of monarchists families under Cromwell. Some German samplers have coats of arms or crests related to their region of origin that crop up. Dutch samplers often have stylized tulips.
I think rather than symbolic, most sampler motifs are either regional or just something the stitcher liked. The historical pattern books like Scholyker’s Scholehouse for the Needle don’t assign meanings to each little design. Many of the symbols developed out of older symbology, especially in Eastern Europe.
But although people have loved including secret messages in their lives (language of flowers, language of fans, symbols in samplers), even if a meaning was intended we would need to be using the same dictionary as the maker to interpret it correctly. There are as many Victorian dictionaries of flower meanings as there are flowers, all different. And, as different meanings for motifs crop up almost daily — finding the one true dictionary seems to me to be so close to impossible that it becomes irrelevant.
So I’ll continue to stitch historic samplers, but I’ll also continue to design my own. Find what symbology in them as you will: I’m not putting it there intentionally!
Other links of interest:
And that should probably keep you busy for a while!
I’d love to hear your views on samplers and sampler motifs…
Permalink
07.28.08
Posted in Counted work, General at 12:57 pm by deRomilly
I apparently disappeared for much longer than expected! It’s been a busy month, but I haven’t been idle on the art front, either.
As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been taking Sharon Boggon’s class on Studio Journals — something I signed up for at the last minute, after months of waffling about it. Knowing it was something I could use, but not really thinking through the time commitment. The result - with typical summer busy-ness, a deadline at the day job (that slipped at the last moment, durn them), and prep work for a dance class (that ended up cancelled after all for lack of students, grrr, apparently I’m not the only busy one this summer!), I haven’t done as many of the excercises provided for class as I’d hoped, and I haven’t blogged, either.
Part of the reason I haven’t gotten as much done in class as I’d like is a good result - the class has spurred me to actually WORK! My studio journal is bulging, both wiht the few class excercises I’ve managed to churn out - usually one or two a week - and ideas for “real” work.
I’ve finished the design work on two small spot samplers (8 X 10 inches ea), and a huge one, inspired by this post (she had a followup here) at Inside number twenty - I’ve started one of the small ones, and have the full yard of linen on order now for the big one and the humongous thing will fall to my needle as soon as it arrives. Maybe I ought to stock up on block DMC. 
The little one, “Esther”:
The biiiiig one! As yet unnamed, and unstarted. Ideas?
And that leads me to a question. I’m still notiating my way around the business license process in my “new” state. How many people do you think would purchase cross stitch patterns via Etsy? Some other site? Or should I wait until the license has gone through and go ahead without a middle man from day one? Which would you rather I did?
I have to admit, it’s very nice to be back in the design game. The past 8 years have given me some real challenges with my health and family to overcome, and I’ve felt that I’ve ben neglecting an important part ofme. Between actually dancing (and teaching) again and designing/art-making, I really am beginning to feel whole again.
Permalink
06.28.08
Posted in Threads, Drawing, General at 12:51 pm by deRomilly
I decided Thursday on a whim to actually sign up for Sharon Boggon’s new Studio Journal course at Joggles. Since I don’t have a lot of formal art training, I’ve always felt pressured by my sketchbooks… and that I shouldn’t be. So I’m hoping this will give me a new lease on them. I know just the little bit she covered sketchbooks in the Sumptuous Surfaces class helped immensely last year.
So. First week started Friday, and I’m already psyched about this. YAY!! This was a good investment for my art and my business, I think.
So Friday I went out to Michaels thinking maybe I’d get a new journal. Decided to use the one I’ve already got. Got the 2 skeins of DMC I needed to finish a sampler (Spots of Fun - by Debbie Draper). I’m doing it all in one color of variegated thread.
Anyway, while I was at Michaels, I saw these little bobbins of ribbon in the ribbon section… Ended up buying 5 of them. They’re intended for scrapbooking and paper crafts. Ummm… if you say so. I’m going to stitch with them, of course. Pictures. Click to enbiggen:
I think my favorite thread is the one in the last picture. It has what seem to be little pompoms every 3/8 inch or so. And of course it’s in blue and lavender, which though I keep trying to expand my color schemes I seem to always come back to: blue, green and lavender. Oceans. Grin.
I’ll keep y’all posted on what I’m doing with it all! If I can actually get to my studio any time soon, that is!
Permalink
06.19.08
Posted in General at 8:48 am by deRomilly
I don’t normally put memes on this site. But I thought this one might give you a bit of insight into me and where I come from, so I went with it.
SpiritCloth tagged everyone. :) So:
1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
At this time 10 years ago I was getting ready to leave NorthCarolina to move back to the Pacific Northwest. The job I’d been promised by the job shop hadn’t materialized, and Dad wasn’t taking care fo himself, and well, I was homesick after six months on a different coast. We were also preparing for a huge science fiction convention fundraiser, and I was doing medieval dancing twice a week: heh, I was also falling for my future husband, but I was denying it at the time. <grin> I was designing cross stitch, but hadn’t gotten up the self-confidence to try to sell any of it.
2. 5 things on my To Do list for today…
a. Write the help topic for the new software feature at the day job.
b. Pick up my pseudo-nephew/godson from Taekwondo.
c. Stitch on my next needlework model for release in the next couple of months.
d. Read.
e. Buy yarn for a knit baby shower gift for a co-worker.
3. Snacks that I enjoy
Carrots, celery, oranges, chocolate…
4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire.
Fund the ballet for a year. Pay off the house. Open a full sized combination dance and needlearts (including dying) studio. Fund a safe house for the non-profit that an acquaintance is developing for abused women.
5. Places I’ve lived. in no particular order.
Eugene, Oregon
Seattle, Washington
Longview, Washington
Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina
Tucson, Arizona
Raleigh, North Carolina
Northridge, California
Cary, North Carolina
Permalink
06.14.08
Posted in Free Patterns, Counted work at 4:30 pm by deRomilly
Of mice and Romis.
It took me longer than expected to get to the computer to convert patterns for you. But I’ve got one! OK, so I’ve got two. These are from a very large sampler I’m designing. Wish me luck, ’cause when it’s finished I’ve got to actually STITCH the thing!
Have fun with them. If you use them, let me know how!
Standard copyright notice applies. Feel free to use for personal use only, please don’t sell the design or mass-produce stuff from it. If you want to use them commercially, please ask and we’ll talk. If you link to it, please link to the entire post, not just to the chart.
Click to enbiggen. Note: the first one prints better than it displays, at least on my monitor.
Permalink
06.03.08
Posted in General at 9:21 am by deRomilly
I hope you are all enjoying the start of summer.
I have been, but I am, right now, extremely frustrated. I want to be able to stitch, and I can’t. You see, last weekend I got carried away a bit in the garden and terraced the hill behind my house so that I could install the first of several raised beds we are putting in to raise veggies. I was a little… er… enthusiastic with weilding the hoe, and now my right hand is more than sore. The tendons are so inflamed that while I can maneuver knitting (pretty easily as long as it’s not size 1 needles…) and type (which is good, cause I do that in my day job…) I can’t control a sewing needle yet.
It means cross stitch and embroidery is right out for a few days while I recover. I also have difficulty controlling a pen, so I can’t write letters or draw. Nor can I play with geometric designs unless I have access to my computer. Since I’ve got carpool duty today, I’ve got an hour and a half to sit around after work. I was looking forward to stitching and enjoying that time. I forgot to bring my book, so now I’m not sure what I’ll do… nap? I’m just not happy unless my hands are doing something.
End whine.
I have a couple of little geometric designs to post soon. I need to get them converted for you. I shall endeavour to do that tonight and get them posted tomorrow.
Permalink
05.12.08
Posted in Costuming, Dance at 8:06 am by deRomilly
There have been a few posts that sent you off on a hunt for the cabaret style bellydance costuming.
Modern cabaret costumes come in a variety of styles. If you are looking for something authentic to a specific time/ethnicity/dance style you need to be pretty knowledgeable. If you are American, and looking for an “American Cabaret” style costume, you have a LOT more leeway in decision making (and in embellishment).
For this reason, and because nothing I dance is likely to be completely authentic – as Saqra says, I will always dance with an American accent, I tend toward mixing and matching almost willy-nilly. There are still a few conventions I follow, however.
First, stylistically.
Egyptian Raqs Sharqi. This format is demure not so much by original nature, from what I can learn by reading, but by law. Egyptian law has mutated over the years to specify what dancers can wear, who can dance where, and how much leg can be displayed in Cairo. Stomach coverings and long skirts with very little slit (so as not to show much leg) are de rigeur. This does NOT preclude the “big names” such as Dina from fiddling with this and pushing the envelope.
Egyptian costuming has two different basic variations: the bedlah, or “uniform” which is generally the two-piece costume (with a stomach cover) that we know here - the bra and belt set over a skirt, whether straight or full, and the beledi dress which is a one-piece, evening-gown or caftan like garment used primarily for the more folkloric styles - for example, dancing with a cane.
Turkish Danse Orientale: This format can be much more “out there,” possibly because of the secular nature of the Turkish government, and possibly simply because the Turkish dancers have a more sexual take on the dance form. In my experience, movements are bigger, costumes are smaller. Music styles are different, there are more unique rhythms involved, including time signatures of 5/8, and 9/8, and the instrumentation is different.
American Cabaret: this format combines bits and pieces of all the other formats, and the costuming reflects that. Beads, side slits in the skirt, harem pants, heels or bare feet, and other shinies. The Americans added and expanded on the use of props in the dance. Here you’ll find sword work, veil work, candle dances in various formats, and all manner of gimmics. Costuming often varies depending on the prop used.
Tribal costuming and beadwork techniques covered later. 
There is a wonderful description of various costumes at Atlanta Bellydance.
Permalink
04.24.08
Posted in Costuming, Dance, Dance Accessories at 10:00 am by deRomilly
Bellydance costumes are amazing things. Whether you are looking at a hipscarf used for practice, a fully beaded cabaret costume, or some of the confections that the tribal style dancers put together, you are looking at a work of art. Heck, even the basic hipscarves that students like to wear to class are amazing works of beaded artwork.
This is just a quick overview of the field. There are several major designers out there, from Sim Moda Evi in Turkey to Bella and Madame Abla (may she rest in peace) in Egypt. You can see a beautiful selection of designer costumes at www.dahlal.com .
There’s a beautiful article at the LA Times about the designer Ahmed Diaa Eddin. In addition, there are some absolutely drop-dead creative people in the US creating their own costumes, and guaranteeing that they will be unique in the process. The Costume Goddess (Dina) is a guru of hand-made costumes on the cheap.
And that’s just the cabaret costumes. When you get into American Tribal Style and Tribal Fusion you get funky pants, coins, folkloric patterns and so on and so on. Tribal costuming is still more likely to be made by the individual than purchased, so examples can be seen on the sites of the various dancers and dance troupes.
The costuming Blue Moon Dance company wears at the Renaissance Fairs is typical of ATS costuming (they are a fusion group and wander out of “traditional” tribal costuming quite often) and the Indigo for Tribal Fusion (their myspace site) costuming ideas can’t be beat.
Dance costuming is a treasure trove of needlework and embellishment techniques, as well as basic costume design. Exploring them can become a hobby in itself!
Later I’ll go into some of the dance costume styles in more detail, but this shoud get you started on some eye candy!
Permalink
« Previous entries
