Monday, January 11, 2016

caraway respond deferring

“It is the time you have lost for your rose that makes your rose so important.”
 (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)

Another damn squirrel.


So, lately all I've been doing is whining about finding studio time and if you've been reading this I am sure you have STOPPED reading this.  My apologies-  I know you have other things to do over and above humoring me.  But I am so pissed, that you have to stay with me for a bit.  I was putting away Christmas decorations yesterday, not a giant time sweep, but still...  I needed a big plastic tub because the old box fell apart so off to the studio I went because I have a whole stack of them in a back corner.
Note: tight fitting lids that lock on.

But up front and right by the door and thus available immediately were three giant bins that were moved down from Boston in November holding a full range of my (VERY) early quilts.  Perfect, I will roll them like I have the others, so I took out a few to air and change position-  they have been packed in there since I moved last time in 2000.  After the second one I noticed several 3 cornered tears in the backing with fiberfill pouffing out.  Since back then I used rayon for backings because it was easy to quilt through, I figured maybe it's shelf life had expired.
What the hell- if I have to, I'll patch it someday.

Pulled out the next quilt to an accompanying clatter little things skittering all over my floor.  Tiny acorns, about 50 of them rolling around everywhere.  In checking the quilt I found that SOMEBODY had been eating the backing and the fiberfill (cottons this time-  I had abandoned rayons when somebody called me on it.) 
 
Note also all the caps have been removed from the acorns!

Hearts and Gizzards
You would have liked this one.  Sigh.

This was my first big deal quilt, one that taught me to cut up old tops, one that taught me that flashing lights installed around the perimeter attract attention, one that had a quilt top cut and glued to the matching stool and comment book which I still have and treasure.  Improvisational Quilt, my favorite kind where you do something and then do something to that and then do something to that (to paraphrase Jasper Johns!).  This was the invitational from the Great American Quilt Festival held on a pier in NYC back in 1993.  I think it was the last year.  It got me lots of teaching and speaking jobs as well as some sideways looks of disgust from the usual crowd, but this is the quilt that defined my work for another decade.

Now eaten by, of all things, squirrels.
After all I have done for them.

The only good thing I can come up with is that there don't seem to be puddles of squirrel pee or little poops.  This quilt must have been strictly their storage bin.  Oh yeah, I am thrilled.  So today I am headed back to fluff out the rest of the quilts and check for further damages and acorns.

If I should catch one he will be dipped in bronze and become something useful, no more Mrs. Nice Guy in Squirrelland!

I guess it's time to move on.  I am gonna cut these up, remove embellishments, re-bind and donate to the local animal shelter.  As long as they don't take squirrels.

2 comments :

Mary Beth Frezon said...

"This was my first big deal quilt, one that taught me to cut up old tops, one that taught me that flashing lights installed around the perimeter attract attention,...I guess it's time to move on. I am gonna cut these up, remove embellishments, re-bind and donate to the local animal shelter. As long as they don't take squirrels."

Hell no. Cut it up. Drill holes in the acorns and nail that sucker to the wall.

Anonymous said...

Poetic textile justice.
I am amused that this situation was evolving while you were constantly blogging about squirrels.
Give some thought to turning the remains into a new art work.
A giant stuffed squirrel, with a huge acorn.
What do the little blighters do with the caps, turn them into cups for booze?
Oops come to think of it I have a few important quilts in boxes in the shed, we also moved house in September, I had better not laugh at your predicament before checking out my own. Cheers Jan