floating…

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Time seems to have taken on a strange floating quality these days. Not really sure where it’s going, or where we are on the timeline. Here we don’t operate on a M-F or a 9-5 schedule anyway, but I hear others asking “what day is it?”. I know it’s Wednesday here because it’s street sweeping, if that helps…

I hope you are reaching out to close friends and family to check in on them and say hello. I know I am. In most cases, they are fine, staying home, and riding this out. But sometimes, they are not. I reached out to my good friend VaVa in Houston to see how she was and how it was going there, only to find out that last week she had a stroke and was in a car accident! She will be in rehab for at least a couple of months to recover and regain her lost functions. Some of you may have met her working in my booth at the Houston show. I was so glad I reached out now. I am so far away and can’t pop in to visit her but will be checking in with her daily. Love to you VaVa!
So do, check in. You just never know!

As the “stay at home” order continues, we can’t go and visit my MIL who we had just moved to a board and care home that is much closer to us. She’s doing OK but not being able to visit her is concerning. Our communication is limited to texting and facebook-she has aphasia as well and can no longer speak. Her iPad is her window to the world and to her family in NZ and Iceland. We go and drop off things she needs each week. We will have a party when this is over and get to see her in person again! I know many of you are separated from family as well. It’s really an easy choice as they are safer in isolation. We will hang in there together!

After the last post and video tutorial I decided I wanted to make the tutorial vids 5-7 minutes long max. Nope! Today’s moonmaker tutorial was even longer, so I broke it up into two vids. Hopefully, I can get them down to the 5-7 minute goal. Today’s tutorial shows a moon using two different techniques- arashi and itajime shibori. I also added a little something else in the second video. This video shows you how to use a “blocking fabric” in itajime. It can be applied to larger board itajime as well. Think about how you might use this technique.

Today is a new moon with all the possibilities of starting anew. It’s a good time to sprout new seeds of intention. Soon, we will be able to look up at the moon together again and watch as it grows full. Meanwhile, take care, reach out, stay healthy.

getting into the moonspirit

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For moonmates, there is a whole new page which is linked in the sidebar and I’ve uploaded the first video. I’m experimenting with keeping these moonmate videos on their own page just for the ease of your finding them in between posts on the main home page here. Like I mentioned in the last post, it’s pay as you wish there (also in the sidebar).

gathering moons…https://www.shiborigirlstudios.com/shop/indigo-moons

Next task is to update some of these pages and make a new header. It’s been a while since I did a new one. I’ve really liked this one and found some sort of comfort in seeing it whenever I loaded the blogsite. But I think it’s time…

It’s also time here to plant seeds to put out in the garden. I have quite a few already started and I feel the urge to start more. Even if I end up giving them away to neighbors I enjoy watching them sprout and grow each day. We all could use a little victory garden I think…who knows? It could become a necessity!

Trevor redid my garden fence so I don’t break my arm again!

Life in the corona…

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“A faintly colored luminous ring or halo appearing to surround a celestial body when viewed through a haze or thin cloud, especially such a ring around the moon or sun, caused by scattering or diffraction of light from suspended particulate matter in the intervening medium.“

March 16, 2020
The following post was left unpublished for the better part of a week while we attended to other things here. Other things included the canceling of all scheduled workshops for at least the next 30 days- maybe longer. Due to the fact that I have been unable to secure a supplier for the plain back silk satin I use for the shibori ribbon I had started to transition to more in person events and workshops for the time being. The current health emergency due to the corona virus has made that impossible, so I am once again regrouping to switch to other possibilities. Everyone in this household has had all work cancelled for the foreseeable future. We are adjusting to this reality along with everyone, worldwide.
I know you are too.

March 11, 2020

Sometimes you get an unexpected gift.

Such was the occasion at this past workshop which I was prepping for and mentioned in the last post. To recap, it was an evening Parents Art Night at a private school in LA. I only had 2.5 hours to give an indigo shibori workshop for 30 people.

Usually this type of workshop requires more time but careful consideration, preparation, and planning paid off- in smiles! It was a fabulous location. Formerly the rooftop, it was expanded as another floor with great views and two large enclosed studios-one for lower grades and one for the upper grades.

Each of the two large studios have one large wall of windows while the other side has two large stainless steel sink areas with counter space. Concrete floors, high ceilings, good light, lots of movable tables to work on, plenty of storage and more counter space under the bank of windows. A really great space! Outdoors, there are shade sails and more open workspace. These are very lucky kids! Two full time art teachers for 400 students. Of course all this comes at a price- tuition! They do also have scholarship/ financial aid programs.

If you recall, I chose kitchen towels as the canvas for their shibori indigo dyeing and it turns out that was a good call. Most did not have any experience in shibori indigo dyeing but there were a few exceptions. We focused on stitched shibori- staying simple and gathering and binding tightly. Most were concerned if they were “doing it right” or if their piece would “turn out ok”. I heard many comments about not remembering the last time they had a needle and thread in hand. They got to visit and talk while they stitched. I went around and helped and checked on their work. I assured them it would turn out and suggested they turn their fears or anxiety into creative curiosity. It really changes the experience!

Back to the smiles…

As for the unexpected gift…at the end one parent came up to me to say thank you and said that she was very grateful for the experience- that she loved her towels and that it had been a very long time since she had been proud of herself for something she had made.
That was very much a gift. Such a great evening.
Of course, school there is no longer in session. In LA we are hearing that it may be very unlikely that schools will resume before fall. Who knows…life in the corona is hazy.
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So now, today, March 19, 2020, I am on a different trajectory. I am working again on the online shop (no update yet-but soon) and I am going to be starting an online tutorial series called Moonmates. These will be short video posts on moonmaking. I will host them here on this blog but on a special linked page (I think). Life in the corona is unsure, a little hazy, so just moving forward as one can.
The tutorials will be open- with a pay what you wish link. This way, everyone can enjoy them as we venture into the corona. Let’s see what we can get into…
Mooncloth sets will still be available in the shop on an ongoing basis. Many of the moons in these sets will be the ones featured in the tutorials.

I was thinking how this is sort of like being in a cocoon or a chrysalis. We are keeping each other safe by our separation. We are transforming. What might we be once we emerge?

the Night Garden…

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Oh jeeze…i was working between my phone and my laptop to write this post and I accidentally published it in an incomplete form. So if you subscribe by email, you got a notification that once you click on, is no longer there. oops..sorry. Anyway… onward!

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Friday night I will be doing a Parents Night event at a private school in Los Angeles. As always, preceding such workshop, I am in prep mode. Each workshop event is unique. This one might be a little more so than usual. There will be 30 people for 3 hours! Each will make two shibori cotton kitchen towels.

Designing an indigo shibori workshop with these sorts of parameters is a challenge. Of course, the main challenge is to see that everyone can achieve a good outcome. Then perhaps to tempt them into further explorations in shibori, having only scratched the surface in this brief 3 hour encounter. From what I understand, it’s also a parents night out and partially a social outing. Maybe some will only make one towel in that period of time- it will kinda be up to them.

For this short workshop I have chosen cotton kitchen towels as the canvas for their indigo shibori experience . Who can’t use a new kitchen towel? The cotton is almost sarashi type weave, but hemmed all around, and 28″ x 28″. Throw them in the wash and wipe the floors with them if you like. A practical item.

Next, the challenge is to come up with several suitable design ideas that are simple and practical for the complete novice shibori practitioner. Designs that 30 people with two towels each can accomplish in 3 hours. Maybe.

This sort of an event can be a little difficult for me to predict what the energy in the room will be when people arrive. I don’t know the room but am assured there are tables & chairs for 30, as well as work space and sinks and water. It’s a Friday, people are tired, looking forward to the weekend with their families I would think. I will watch and listen as they arrive and read the room. Adjust accordingly. Give them what they need and send them off into the weekend with a couple of indigo shibori towels they made themself! Sounds like fun!

Here’s a quick couple of photos of the samples I made as samples. Two are shown as towels and the third uses the towel as furoshiki- quite versatle!

I’m putting together all the additional supplies, filling orders, & moon making tomorrow. Orders on moonsets got ahead of inventory. Also, life in general.

You might enjoy this pic from Sunday evening.

into the Night Garden… deep breath…a keeper of sanity…

And in between this and that, I dug this out to start finishing up. Lots more stitching to go, but I resolved the edge. Backed with old Japanese jacquard silk that I indigo dyed a while back. The backing itself is wonderfully soft. Several different patterns are stitched together. One has cranes woven into the silk. Self binding- all by hand of course. To me it’s more fun that way. Of course I want to spend days on it right now but other duties call. Oh, and if you don’t recall from previous posts about this piece, all the shibori pieces in this are demonstration sample pieces I dyed in workshops.

Workshops Around Quilt Festival Long Beach

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Quilt Festival is returning to Long Beach this July 9-11 after a 7 year hiatus. Classes for this festival are all understandably focused on machine quilting. As an alternative to this I am adding a few in-studio workshops for festival goers to consider. They are all directly before or after the show dates to allow participants to consider attending a workshop without missing any of the show.
Here are the three workshops (held in Long Beach):

Over the Moon and other
Shibori Fun
July 8

Silk Shibori Flower Making Workshop

July 7

Arashi Shibori Workshop

July 12-13

Of course anyone can attend any of these workshops but they have been scheduled around the festival to make them available to festival goers. I expect them to fill so if you are interested, I suggest you grab a spot!

I still have one more Arashi shibori workshop scheduled for the end of March (28-29) that has 3 spots open. I originally posted this as a 3 day workshop as a result of participant feedback after the first one, but seems like more people wanted a two day workshop due to time restraints on their part so I changed it back to a two day event.

The second workshop last weekend was visited by a brief downpour as we worked under cover outside. It didn’t put a damper on the enthusiasm for learning the process and the sun soon broke through and shined on the resulting work. My favorite photo was the communal pile of pleated silk shibori we made with all our pieces on day two.

All rights reserved contact shiborigirl@shiborigirlstudios.com

this is my second favorite photo… everyone enjoyed taking photos of the “communal shibori pile”. I also set up the light box for everyone to each photograph their own work.

The upcoming Indigo Shibori workshop at the Japanese American National Museum on March 14-15 still has a few spots if you want to join us. Signups are through the museum.

So as you can see, it’s been busy around here. Baby Dean is a regular visitor and although we don’t share photos of him on social media he is already 9 months old! He loves to play the piano, drums, and guitar (like his mom and dad, uncles and others who frequent his world). It’s so darn adorable! He has red hair just like both his grandmas! And big blue eyes. Ever curious, and now on the move, he’s already has taken his first steps- watch out world!

sometimes hearts happen!

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I went out into the studio today and found this beautiful heart shape in which crystals had formed on my work table.
It was a result of a session of making indigo moons in the chem vat. I had to run out and take care of some things without cleaning up my table outside. I had made a few indigo hearts too.

I added more moonsets to the shop…

so fascinating and beautiful! I think of Gudrun when I look at this.

Still lots going on here. Helping someone transition to hospice is walking sacred ground isn’t it? It can be everything…exhausting, peaceful, frustrating, loving, giving, taking and more. But doing a little each day… day by day…

and then a crystalline heart just appears…to remind you.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes…

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Have to clear my head and get into the correct frame of mind to write a new post here. Things are shifting as always. I’m trying to find my way through it all with my sanity intact and without losing my mind.
This song came to mind…

The weekend arashi shibori workshop was wonderful. They were a great group intent on experiencing the process of pleated silk shibori. None had done discharge work so that was interesting to me since that is what I have done so much of all these years. Many had taken workshops with all the greats out there so it was interesting to me to hear of those experiences as we worked. So many things to learn out there! And each participant came with their own goals and intentions which is always fascinating to me. The outcomes were beautifully varied and while I think everyone had one piece that was not their favorite, those were the pieces that taught the most.

There is one more workshop scheduled for this month (which is full) and I am working on putting together another one for March 28-29-30 (listed here). There was one resounding request at the last workshop- that it be expanded to 3 days in order to allow for another piece to be made after seeing the results from day one. I understand this request and will give it a try at the newly listed workshop. It will also give me time to demonstrate additional ideas for anyone who is taking the workshop over again. As I explained to the group, I really enjoy it when people take a workshop more than once as it allows them to build their skill and knowledge, which is important in order to master anything. This is why I enjoy the workshops at the Japanese American National Museum so much. Participants return over and over again to work on shibori…in fact, some have been coming for years! By the way, the next workshop at JANM is March 14-15. Sign-ups are through the museum.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/avfw02bmijae053/Screenshot%202020-02-06%2012.55.28.png?dl=0

Of time and changes, we are in the middle of so much right now. Trying to find the path forward, searching for a way. So many conversations, looking for the balanced path. Listening…
The universe feels out of balance here and somehow, somehow, we must find a way back. For all of us. For the world.