think-quilts

…has been juried into the next CQA Exhibit at University House Issaquah.

Water, wind and fog, passing by. Or are we the passerby's?

The reception is Saturday,

March 13, 2010 

 2:00 – 4:00 pm
I hope many of you will come.

Detail in hand stitching and beading

Now on exhibit
at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center/Seattle:

 Beyond Convention

This spring, CQA offered the opportunity to make a quilt based on a poem, written by cancer survivors at Cancer Lifeline Seattle. Being a cancer surviver myself, out of about hundred poems this poem by Jean Joder is my personal favorite:

Untitled

A poet writing, rewriting!
Sweeping up life’s energies;
Recording the breath of time.

A poet steeped in language.
Which language?
It makes no difference.
Words and images flow
From the artist into the world.

Can I see, hear, taste or touch?
Everything moves;
Nothing is the same.

When I first read this poem, the words …writing and rewriting …remained lingering in my mind, also …language, which doesn’t make a difference…
My work started with cutting and recutting fabric, sewing it back together, working with abstract text and old German hand writing.

…which is still unorganized, but I decided not to get distracted by clutter and not yet perfected furnishing solutions. If I’d wait for the perfect studio, that might take a loooooong time.

Now, I’m making silk scarfs, beautiful scarfs, and small items like baggies and mini-pouches. Some of my silk scraps, kimono silks and second hand garments will fall victim for these projects. It all comes down to texture, color, pattern combined by threads. I feel revitalized and excited by the possibilities.

QA Challenge 2004

Every city has its reputation. Seattle is well-known for its rainy days.

…about painting on fabric or quilts arrived today. Great inspiration, so many different ways to apply paint to materials. -  Makes me run upstairs and mess around with paint.

But,  hold on,
- first I have to make a clean space for new creativity. Oh, what a chaos lives in my studio! I better get going to clean up this mess before I start a new one.

…after so many months of sickness and treatments.

Yesterday, I tried to have ”naked” look into my room which I call studio.  Not too promising and inviting for creative work. It’s a world away from being my favorite space. I suppose, it’s time to to serious planning of all the space . Get out the paper, measuring tape and pencil! First, clean up the tables and start weeding out stuff I lost interest or are just not “my thing” anymore.
I’ll need window coverings, – at times there is too much direct sunshine in the room. Don’t get me wrong, bright and light is good thing, but I need a little bit more control about how much.
Next: a double-wide design wall from acustic boards, fabric covered.
I got to work out a plan for the cutting table, which is also supposed to provide storage the most fabric plus all cutting tools.

Way to go. Let’s start.

… is getting back in shape and loosing weight. Both of my oncologists highly recomend to get truly skinny, it’ll push my chances for survival over the long run way up.  But in sharp contrast to people who get immediate “rehab” treatment in case of a heart attack or sports injury, there is no “Cancer Rehab Program” available.  ZERO. Basically, you are on your own. Never mind of the impact of chemo or radiation, and despite the trouble many patients have going thru surgery(-ies). There is nothing beyond verbally expressed good wishes, and recomendations for a “healthier” lifestyle. What kind of lousy short-cut care is that, considered that the best long-therm outcome would very much be in the interest of patient and insurance.

So, I wasn’t happy with these vague guidelines. After looking around, I found a good special program at my local top-notch fitness club. It’s a fitness and weightloss program, mainly targeted to people with heart trouble, are overweight or obese and must loose weight. 
Two weeks ago, I started excercising and diet change, and my pounds are dropping rapidly. And for the fitness: I walk straighter and feel better, I surely get much easier rid of all the remaining drugs and their side effects, I have so much more energy, and -actually- utterly enjoy my workouts. This body feels so good after months of bedrest, pain, drugs and tiredness.

Hey, – and I’m working on a small art quilt which I started months ago with no energy left to finish. It’s coming back! Energy, it’s me, remember?

Tags: Breast Cancer

…radiation is over, – June 17th is the big mark. Although, my skin and the tissue underneath is still heavily “cooking”. I can feel it. But, being finished with major treatment is a huge relief for me.

It’s time to get back into creative mode.

Tags: Breast Cancer

Honor of walking the first round

 Next Sunday June 7th, I’ll walk the 5k Race for the Cure at Seattle’s Alaska Hwy, above the Waterfront with a georgous  panorama of the Olympic Mountains.

 Best of all, my husband and many of my friends will walk with me!

Tags: Breast Cancer

… means to lay on that radiation table every day! The good news is, after now half of all radiations, my skin is holding up nicely, – so far. 

And since my skin is still fine, I’m back at the fitness studio for walking and weight lifting. Little weight, many repeats. This seems to work for my lymphedema as well, the muscle work pushes the protein and it reduces the great tention in the tissue and under the skin. It’s not gone, but doesn’t get worse either. Weight lifting also strengthens both arms, shoulders and upper body muscles, also stretches the under-arm tendon on the left side, which was very much impacted by the two surgeries.
And the best is, it leaves me with the great feeling I’ve accomplished something important!

Can’t wait to be allowed to go in the pool for swimming.

Tags: Breast Cancer