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I thought that I could use this blog as sort of a tutorial.  One on how I came to use favorite rocks and hides to make weights that feel lovely in the hand.

Gian Frontini spent a couple days in my studio in the fall of 2018 showing me how to stitch parchment onto a rock. He was lovely that way. Once he’d get an idea and perfect a process, he would come over to spend time in the studio showing me how it all went together.  Like the book that opens six different and individual books in one volume, and how original marbling was done with earth pigments, and making a leather bound box that looked just like an old book, this was one more thing he wanted to share with me.

The rock must be smooth. the covering is cut to size keeping in mind there is a top and bottom that must pull together tightly with stitching all the way around the rock.

The above images are the top and the bottom views. I made holes in the top piece before stitching. It takes very strong hands to pull the stitches tight and they can not be very far apart. My first attempt left gaps in the seam because I did not cut my pieces large enough. It took practice!

Once I got it in two more parchment covered stones, I went on to using some of my kangaroo hide but leaving most of the “top” open to expose a large rock that I textured with my Dremel tool.

Working like this in the stitching, I was able to leave the rock out until quite a bit of the stitching was completed.

Then I thought, “What about other skins?”…cane toad for example. I had already used cane toad to cover the spine of a book textured with earth pigments.

The book is on the left and to the right are four rocks going clockwise from upper left, one using strips of kangaroo hide,  next a fish skin from Iceland, cane toad with a last strip of parchment woven through and finally kangaroo hide with cane toad interwoven over the rock.

Here are some close ups of some of them.

The hide ends overlapped on the bottom and were stitched tightly with waxed linen and another small piece wrapped over the stitching to hide it. Here is another using a cane toad strip with its sides folded under.

All of the hides were brushed with a very hot corn flour paste. It soaked through and shrunk the hides to the form….somewhat.  After Gian was satisfied I had learned what to do, he left me unsupervised and my mind began to wonder how I could make the bonding tighter, make the separate pieces really, really marry together. I took one of my parchment stones, a relatively small one and thought why not just pop it in the hot paste solution for a bit…maybe even give it a bit of a boil.

I loved how tight the skin clung to the stone. So naturally I put each finished stone into the hot paste bath until the hide and the stone became so close, it would take some serious knife work to separate the two.

Once out of the pot and the paste dried off the stone, I let them dry completely before using a paste wax over the entire stone, hide and all. The next day I buffed them with a shoe polish brush to make them look a bit polished with the grain and pattern of the stone more exposed and looking like the reason I picked it up in the first place.

Now they sit in an old foundry mold piece on my work table.

I use them to hold down pattern pieces when I am cutting out fabric for clothing, holding down one end while I braid or twist shifu threads or grasses together, or just sit there quietly while I draw them.

I like the ones with the stone revealed more than the fully covered ones. They remind me of times hunting, picking up and holding the stones I could simply not put back. As for the parchment covered ones, they will never be the quality and perfection of Shanna Leino’s covered stones. I succumbed to buying two of hers at $85 each. I keep those to simply hold in my hand and admire her craftsmanship.

Likely someone will read this, pull out some smooth stones and bits of hide to give it a try. And before you know it, be teaching workshops. It is where we are now. But I like to think that I am sharing with the same enthusiasm as Gian Frontini…a very fine friend and mentor. Find a stone, a scrap of leather and give it a go.

I will leave you with pictures from yesterday’s annual car show on the square. Hard for me to resist old men with old cars.

This old truck would require a step stool for even the tallest of farmers.      And its backend…

A picture of Sadie resting a cloudy day away.

Last night I cooked dinner for a neighbor…lots of good old fashioned talking. And this evening I go over to the young couple’s house here in the neighborhood. Both in their early thirties, one being a doctor and the other a home care therapist. A good addition in this retirement village. Think I will take a bottle of red to replace whatever I have said yes to.

Til later….

My yard man found the tree we were looking for. The nursery only had two….a weeping blue aspen cedar. The one by the house is a blue aspen cedar.

Now well-planted in the front yard.

I am still in the tweaking mode and under the influence of Marla’s good eye. I pulled some cushions from the African chair I made in 1994, and still need to have in my living space, and put them in place of the old undergraduate felted work on my front hall chest.

It’s the little things rearranged that make you feel in control. This morning I spent extra time tilting pillows on the bed while putting clean sheets on. Still not sure they are right, and there are other things I could be doing, but still, why not?

The other evening company from out of state came for dinner. Claudia Lee, paper maker was in town teaching and her assistant brought along her husband. A very good visit that only happens once a year. Claudia had recently taught in Australia and we know many people in common there, so it was an evening filled with fond memories and stories of who all she met in classes and stays in touch with via zoom-like conversations about paper.

It was a beautiful morning to walk up to the corner for coffee. Even a bird joined me.

And my walk over to tai chi has gotten quite lovely filled with flowers and grasses.

I love the intensely purple crown vetch paired with daisies and yellow wildflowers. Hard to get them all in one picture.

More sewing this week. Now the machine is put away for awhile.

New Gingher sewing scissors came. After all these years my old ones have a nick in the cutting blade that makes it hard to get a clean cut. I keep the non-cutting hand well away from the scissors as they are so very much sharper than the old ones. Those old ones have to be 30 years old by now, so new ones seem a good idea.

A neighbor left town for several days in New York City.  Her cats see me and tend to go elsewhere. I thought I would take them treats and give them a bit of company. Socks ate her treats, gave me a side eye and left the room. Old hard-of-hearing, Mona, who rarely stays in the room, actually took a liking to me. I got to pet her head. Something about a cat’s expression can make you feel important. Dogs always look devoted, maybe because they can’t do critical thinking. But cats have to make a judgement….so one out of two is not bad. I will keep treats in my pocket when I go over for that late afternoon wine time. Just look at this face.

I am going to spend the rest of this Memorial three day weekend writing. The laundry is finished and put away, pillows fluffed, scones ready to go in the oven, and it is rather dreary out there.

One other thing…looking for an image of a wine bottle among my saved cards to put on a book I made for a young woman who asked me to make her a label holding book (for all her favorite wines and drinking friends) I found notes sent from older people I have met along the way.

From Arlyn who passed some years ago came this:

“Here is the quote I wrote to myself years ago and somehow still hang on to…”Concentrate on making decisions quicker. Criticize yourself. Take immediate responsibility for your position. No carping, poking, nagging. Be honest. Project only what can be backed up.”    Keep up your wonderful work and come back to visit.”

 

From an 80 year old Margaret in 2005:

“I do think that “higher” education does more than teach skills but what it does best is teach how to think and how to use what has been studied before……..”

 

And Velma:

“thank you. it helps me, working in such isolation, to see how others frame their life in their work.  you do that so well.”

 

They made me feel like I should be doing more than fluffing pillows. I will keep these newly found notes handy to remind me.

Now onto those scones and writing.

Til later….

 

There have been some beautiful skies this week. Not much drama down here at street level, but overhead a bit of rowdiness. A tornado warning came in the other night to take cover….I just stayed in bed because there was about 30 minutes before that alarm was over. Lots of crackling lightening, wind and thunder but the tornadoes were not here.

Lots of flowers are now in bloom. My pot with a returning plant bloomed.

The walk into my neighborhood.

And a very determined snapdragon coming up near where we have coffee each morning.

I finished my double gauze shirt and the lime green one as well.

It feels like wearing a cool cloud, so I ordered more of the fabric in soft grape and linden green. Now I have nice cool oversized tops for summer that will take a turtle neck undershirt come cooler weather. It is nice to hear the hum of a sewing machine with the promise of new clothes that did not come from the clingy knits available today. After it sits against my shoulders and the outer edge of my front, this shirt has no intention of touching my body any place else. So nice!

Also this week my new rocking chair came in a very heavy box delivered as far as my front door. The word “Heavy” was taped onto the carton. I wrestled it into the house, took off the packaging and proceeded to put the screws in place. As long as I could see the screws, I was fine. But reaching up underneath and gravity working against me, I called MJ for help. She popped over after closing the coffee. wine, mail center, and in no time at all had it all solidly put together.

Now I can sit on the porch and read, rock, and think about whatever crosses my mind. The wood is Eucalyptus, so how could I not buy this chair!

This morning I went to the Mayor’s Garage Sale on the square. Not as many venders as last year and I felt sorry for all those who have to pack up their now twice rejected (by them and the on-lookers) leftovers that they hoped someone would want. I walked around it with one of the guys from the morning coffee gatherings. He found an old wood planer and a dozen pale blue farm fresh eggs. I found nothing.

And then this little cutie on my way back to the car.

Because of weather, the poetry meeting was canceled this past week. I keep writing……here is what I would have read and will when it is rescheduled.

 

The Glass is Clear

 

The glass is clear.

The water inside is not.

A part of what wasn’t

good enough for the page

has been left behind

in the rinse water,

to become dull and uninteresting

in the company of others.

No longer carrying the burden

of an artist’s intention,

each has dissolved into memories

of what could have been.

 

Sandy Webster

I am not sure if anyone ever considers their paint rinsing cups the way I do. So tempting to just collect all the muddied waters to use in some meaningful way.  But I am beyond that now and simply wave as they are poured down the drain.

Til later……