Monday, March 05, 2012

Redwork, Rework, Redork!*

* I admit to fat finger typing, and coupling that with auto-correct, it is amazingly hard for me to get 'redwork' actually typed.  Auto correct always makes it REWORK and that is truer than it knows because that's exactly what I do-  REwork my REDwork!  Sometimes you just can't argue with auto-spell.
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Warning:  this post contains shameless begging, proceed with caution
and then leave me your chastising comment!
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Today is my day to offer the prize if you comment, so I'll spend some time talking about Redwork since that's the topic in my article.  Here are a couple of pretty involved little embroideries that I admit to hoarding- guess I should have ironed them for this debut.  Both were blocks in a redwork quilt and when I got them it had been all cut up.  Actually the muslin is in precarious shape and sort of shreds in my hands so I'll have to stabilize it before I use it.  Now, HOW am I gonna do that?  Well, it all depends on how I will use it-  in a collage I will probably just glue it down- I generally use Golden Matte Medium so the fabric doesn't get all shiny on me and I am pretty messy, but if I were going to sew through this bad piece of cloth I would either back it with another piece of muslin or cover it with a piece of transparent organza the color of the background and treat it as one piece of cloth.

 I think she needs a NAME, so maybe that can be your comment!

Or name the dragon in your comment today! I'm not a fan of D&D, never got into it because I was just too advanced in age and was busy doing other things but I sure have a nice looking dragon here.  I think he might be combined some day with a few other dragons for a fight to the death.  I just don't have enough dragons yet, have to keep looking and collecting because when you're looking for dragons you find teeter totters, doncha know?


See Saw Marjorie Dawe.  Love this splasher because it brings back memories of breaking my arm as I was thrown off one of these things when the other party exited at the bottom unannounced.  I spent the first few months of first grade not wanting to come out of my locker because the cast brought unwanted attention to me.  Hmmm, guess I have drastically changed in the last half decade!  LOOK AT ME!  
I like working with larger scenes like this because I can keep them intact and add toile figures or more redwork  around the subjects to tell a full story.  I don't know the story her yet but it won't be about breaking my arm.  Hey-  that's another subject to tackle in your comment!

So, in the wonderful inStitches magazine #6 there is a picture of my little 'goat' collage. Poor thing' embroidery was mostly worn away but I used it anyway. One day I was trolling around the web and by complete accident found a painting by a gal in Boston that incorporated the same redwork goat.  Of course I immediately emailed her
 and she responded by sharing this squirrel she had found.  I think I found a soul mate to fight over scraps of Redwork at flea markets!  I don't yet have a plan for the squirrel but if you read this blog regularly, you KNOW I have a squirrel-thing going on.  I even found a site that sells squirrel underpants.  OK, there's another thing you can comment about-  weird squirrel sites- send them on!  So, c'mon, share your own peculiarities and comment about squirrels!  


A little nudge to push you towards the 'in Stitches' magazine new issue, for any of the great articles written by the list below!    In addition we are running a little blog hop so you can see what we are all up to.  Today, it's my turn so leave a comment for me.  At the end of the day I will draw a name for a prize.  And then Jane finishes up with a bang tomorrow!  Now GO LEAVE A COMMENT for me (and don't forget contact info so I can send it out)!  


         Sandy Donabed

a little PS  
Graphic designer Chacho Puebla posed his grandmother with signs offering prudent advice about using computers and social media.  This is not me.


9 comments :

Kay Koeper Sorensen said...

Doncha know ---
Red heads LOVE Red work!

mwhite said...

Oh I love the red work, the story of the seesaw is so sad, glad you over came that in the end. The girl looks so stern, lol. And oh the dragon, or is it a griffin? looks so cool! I am horrible at names so no help there, sorry. I will keep my eyes open for squirrles for you. Thanks for the laughs this morning.

mwhite said...

For the giveaway I forgot to leave my email opps, not enough coffee or something this morning. mwhite87701@yahoo.com thanks, have a great day

Anonymous said...

I love REDWORK, have probably picked it up at least once in every decade of my long life! I'm actually going to buy this issue of STITCH, have been meaning to do that all week....
for the lottery, dbein@hvc.rr.com
GLAD you are PART OF IT! Debbie Bein

KAM said...

Sandy, As I read through your blog today, there was the section about the squirrel and all I could think about were the squirrels who are constantly in the brances in front of the window behind my computer; I will be typing away or reading something interesting when these little characters pull my eye away from the screen...busy all year whether sunny or snow is covering the ground I have to put screening in my vegetable and herb gardens to keep them from thinking that the nice soil has been left for them to use for their winter storage projects. They can really be pests and last fall when I put out a pot of walnuts on my backyard dye table they managed to dive and dunk into the liquid and take away much of my dyestuff! This year that pot will also have screening. Squirrels, maybe I need to do a study and create a design about these little friends of mine.
Thanks for the squirrel nudge.
Kristin .. rockymountainbirder@gmail.com

Sylvia Einstein said...

The dragon is a griffin, I first thought it was a basilisk, emblem of my hometown, Basel but that one has a snake tail and a rooster head.
There are some weird animals here: http://www.gamedecor.com/abasworld/heraldry/mythological%20beasts.htm No squirrels though.
Sylvia

deb_of_pixeladies said...

I'm thinking Griffin, too. Or is it Gryphon. And how is that pronounced? Could his name be Monty Grypon? Like Monty Python?

Jeanne said...

Well, I think the dragon could be Rush Limbaugh and the girl is the young Sarah Fluke. I think there's a quilt in that story!
Jeanne.marklinatmac.com

Deanna said...

The dragon is Puff, the girl is Prudence, and clearly the GM is not you, but she's funny! Many good articles in In Stitches.

Deanna