Meet Matilda Mallstomper

On Tue, 23 Mar 2004 17:33:03 GMT, (Mirjam
Bruck-Cohen) wrote:

Dianne , i think we were `dancing` around this subjevt every several
months on this group ,.... I believe every person has a story to tell
and his / her own way to do it ..... maybe one should let go of some
of 'You Must do it THIS way and not That way attidtude ???"

I don't think you meant it the way that came out, but just to set the
record straight: I have NEVER been an advocate of: "only do it THIS
way." I AM an advocate of learning a process in order to understand it.
But after that . . . the field is wide open. I also don't advocate
that particular point of view (learn the process) on EVERYTHING.

Maybe really listening to those who come with another culture = thus
other point of view , might open up your ability to BE YOU Dianne ,,,,

As one who ALWAYS advocates learning from other cultures and points of
view, I was tickled when the first issue of my ezine pointed out how to
use hoops. A far different method than U.S. culture admits is worthy.

If you read many of my posts, you will definitely see that I admonish
frequently not to think that there is only *one* way. Not with needles,
not with frames, not with "in hand", not with stitches.

It isn't my stubborn refusal to "adapt". It is the tape recordings of a
harsh childhood that makes it difficult for me to be more creative.
When you get whipped for drawing, when your drawings are burned and you
must hide them in a school piano bench . . . those are hard lessons to
overcome. Especially as you age. You, of all people, should be aware
of that.

Just thought I'd share in the spirit of openness and charity of spirit.

Dianne

Dianne: and the more you do, look, really look and see---the more you
will find yourself doing and seeing---it just grows. But ya gotta do it!
Marjorie

lula wrote:

Dianne,

Mirjam gave out the best advice any design teacher will say.......DO
IT.....you have to start someplace, so just start........and yes, you
have to get rid of whatever inner negative voice you might
hear.......you have to block that out and go do it.......

True, I may able to draw well but the bottom line is, I still have to
sit down and try out new methods......afterall, I'm pretty much a self
taught stitcher......I started with kits and then realized how many
changes I kept making to the designs, so decided to create my own
needlework designs!
There was quite a bit of trial and error.......you can't be afraid to
make mistakes, it's the only way to learn in this field.
You also can't be afraid to waste materials or toss aside blah ideas
half done.....there is no such thing as having to finish everything you
start....you have to keep trying and trying till you are
satisfied.....and you will know that feeling at some point.......

It wasn't easy at all and in art school we were constantly pushed to SEE
and OBSERVE not copy what's there already......from there, we had to use
what we saw and interpret it in our own way.........creatively!!!

As an example: In an art class of 30, we were given an assignment to
illustrate the subject of metamorphisis.......the professor critiqued 29
results of this assignment as totally boring.........despite being
beautifully painted and drawn, he said none of these students used their
minds to think creatively.

I had produced the only art work he liked because I didn't do a literal
painted study of rotting tree stumps and vegatation.......my painting
was based on Greek Mythology of the Three Fates.....youth, middle age
and old age and each fairy like creature was in it's forested area with
blooming plants for youth, green healthy growth for middle and fading
autumn....all areas were linked with the water of life brook......

Basically, one has to push their minds to think of producing ideas
outside of what is expected, think crazy perhaps but the point is to
think beyond what you expect........I do this everyday of my
life.....I'm always pushing and pushing my mind to be as creative as I
can possibly be........

The other important thing to be creative is to see what's around you,
everything......street art, clothing, designs and products you might not
even like, etc. A creative person can't have a closes mind......you
never know where inspiration can come from......inspiration and
creativity don't come in packages, certain times of the day, but from
minds that learn and process all it sees, hear, feels.....all the senses
are involved......the mind absorbs and eventually if one becomes attuned
to these feelings, all the stimuli the mind has absorbed will begin to
show up little by little in the way you think.......the more you look
and practice, the more it'll come out in your creations.....and even
when this begins to work, you can't sit back on your laurels because
designs, ideas become old as soon as they're produced.......it's a
constant and continuous growth to be a good designer....
---
Lula
http://www.woolydream.com
Needlework Adventures

Dianne Lewandowski wrote:

I think more than a few of us need a "directed" push. We can't look at
a plain canvas and do it. And even if we *can* put *something* on that
plain canvas, it ends up being trite. That may not be the right word.
More akin to: been there, done that, nothing original.

How I wish there was some way I could get into a fiber class that
demanded of us in such a way that - sweat pouring down brow - it could
eek out my inner self.

Watching this conversation: Yesterday I looked at a piece I'm doing,
and I noticed the petals in the flower. I definitely have my "own way"
of drawing, but I don't know how to break out and make it really say
something. Everytime I look at it, I think: Oh, but artists do it so
much better. I *know* that's not exactly true in the deepest sense, but
that's a tape recorder that's hard to overcome.

Dianne

I took a class once with a woman who was teaching us a Palestinian
cross-stitch design, as traditionally stitched. Most of the class was
absolutely horrified. We were to use a not-necessarily-pure linen or
cotton ground that was only more-or-less evenly woven. We were to use
perle cotton colors randomly. And most horrifying of all, we were to not
worry about how our Xs crossed (the top legs of the stitches didn't all
have to go the same way). It was interesting to watch the class as some
of us embraced the "freedom," some struggled to try this "new" way of
stitching but they at least tried, and some just could not cope with so
much rule breaking---it really and truly upset them. I loved it---it
was such fun to toss the rules and it also made me realized that the
rules are not rules but choices. Marjorie



Mirjam Bruck-Cohen wrote:

Anne I here By Free you of the stiching police On Wed, 24 Mar 2004
They have been Out lawd!!!!!
mirjam
ps where did you visit i live in HAIFA ,,,


My work would be deemed 'sloppy' by the stitching police g. I'm a bit of a
perfectionist myself but agonize over the overall look more than minute
details.

I've got a snippet of fake fur wool that I got from a floor demonstrator at AC
Moore. I'm thinking that the fake fur could be used to add additional interest
to my whimisical stitching but am not sure how the 'thread' will handle going
in and out of the fabric, or if what I call 'tails', the little fuzzy
appendages, will display. If it works, it'll beat the heck out of painstakingly
turkey stitching areas.

p.s. I've got many fond memories of my two trips to Israel

--
another Anne, add ingers to frugalf to reply

I had to look her up - and I do like her stuff! The frocks
especially. For those who want to look:

http://www.jennifer-pudney.co.nz/wha...html#craftydog

No affiliation, etc.

Linda in Columbia, MO

Victorian era influenced books are to me, tedious to read and
follow......looking through Victorian era cookbooks and needlework
books.......feels like going through a maze, convoluted in some ways but
then I don't have the patience or time to sift through too many pages.
Ladies of that era probably had more time on their hands especially
among the financially well off or leisure classes with their servants to
do the housework.

I know most writers of the time were paid by the word, so that would
account for some of the excessive writing styles but not sure if they
paid by the word for household oriented books.

Overall, Victorian taste seems excessive in our eyes......there were
pockets of beautiful design here and there but the overall feel is old
fashioned, dark and cluttered, not to mention ugly in some cases.
---
Lula
http://www.woolydream.com
Needlework Adventures

vDianne Lewandowski wrote:

Monday morning, I was perusing a very old needlework book (1911) and
found some directions for "plush stitch". Of course, as usual, these
old books don't have much in the way of graphical how-to's. You learned
back then mostly by written word - which often didn't match with an
accompanying graphic.

Anyway, "plush stitch" is made by filling a motif with Fr. knots - but
not *too* closely. Then cut pieces of floss the eventual height you
want, and cross them (like an X) in between the knots and sew them down.
When finished, you brush them to fluff. I should really get the text
and type it out. It was a stitch (pardon the pun) to read.

No, there is nothing really new under the sun. But as I read that, I
was thinking how much easier turkey (or velvet) stitch would have been!
I want to try this just to see how it looks, but haven't had time.

Dianne

Dianne Lewandowski said
Couching? Perhaps with matching sewing thread?

that might work, thanks ;-)


--
another Anne, add ingers to frugalf to reply

Mirjam Bruck-Cohen said
Anne I here By Free you of the stiching police
They have been Out lawd!!!!!

roflmao!!!

ps where did you visit i live in HAIFA ,,,

My first visit was in 1966 -- my friend and I based ourselves in Tel Aviv and
took cheap tours which sometimes included overnight lodging to many places or
public transit from one place to another, including Haifa. Even though I was
much younger, I only got about half-way up Masada. My last trip was in 2000;
this time I went on an all, or almost all, inclusive first class, two week
tour. I made it up to the top of Masada thanks to the cable car. The sense of
history that permeates the country was overwhelming. I bawled like a baby as I
looked over the edge at Masada, ditto at Yad Vashem, the Western Wall, and
other sites.

--
another Anne, add ingers to frugalf to reply

Jennifer is a New Zealand designer. Her designs are lovely and the
felt ones would be suitable for a beginner.

Design a stitching good day,
Janet
http://www.jmddesigns.co.nz
http://www.masterstitch.co.uk
Get the JMD Newsletter:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jmdnewsletter/

I am sorry i don`t know , why you jumped ?? you asked for ways to Free
your work methods and i told you some of my ways , some excercises and
suggesstions that helped many a student in all age levels ...
I never said you were the one saying al those rules it was a general
statement that in order to get free one has to let go a bit of all
those Rules , whether taught or self imposed or adopted ,,,,

As one who ALWAYS advocates learning from other cultures
Yes maybe you advocate it , but i wrote learn to listen ,,,to other
.....advoacting is not listening ...
If you read many of my posts, you will definitely see that I admonish
frequently not to think that there is only *one* way. Not with needles,
not with frames, not with "in hand", not with stitches.
yes i read Those posts of you , but i also read that you want to get
more free ,,,,,
It isn't my stubborn refusal to "adapt". It is the tape recordings of a
harsh childhood that makes it difficult for me to be more creative.
many articles will tell you that just harsh childhoods , make artists
!!!
When you get whipped for drawing, when your drawings are burned and you
must hide them in a school piano bench . . . those are hard lessons to
overcome. Especially as you age. You, of all people, should be aware
of that.
And what exactly should i know ,,,, please elaborate what you meant by
the above ? I think i have survived and overcome many hardships , and
i work them into my art not , they do not block my creativeness ,
mirjam
Just thought I'd share in the spirit of openness and charity of spirit.

Dianne

Mirjam Bruck-Cohen wrote:
Dianne , i think we were `dancing` around this subjevt every several
months on this group ,.... I believe every person has a story to tell
and his / her own way to do itSee where this leads you .... mirjam
:


One of the first thing you learn when you learn scrapbooking (Creative
Memories in particular) is that you are leaving a record of who you were
for future generations. So your words are just as important as the
pictures, cute stickers, perfect paper and outstanding design, if not
important. Also, your handwriting is a part of you and a part that
future generations want to see, no matter how bad you think it is. In
fact I know of scrapbookers that take special care to ensure that
whatever scraps of their ancesters handwriting is part of their
scrapbooks to past onto future generations. Maybe it's the same thing
with designing embroidery, if it's your way of doing something, then
it's your signature and your touch that will mean something to future
generations. When I was at SAM earlier this month, they had some early
American samplers on the wall. My CSB and I got as close to them as
possible without setting off the alarms. They weren't perfect - spacing
was off - kilter, etc, but they were still works of art.

Rachel