Dancing Threads

New Year's Resolution

2012-01-14T01:22:00.000-05:00

All righty--my new year's resolution is to post at least once a week. There--right out there where folks can see it. Currently I'm on the last step (well, second to last if you include finishing the edges) of my all-by-hand commission. It has taken longer than I expected, but I am pretty pleased with the results. However, Sharon gets to see it first, so no spoilers here. I'm also working on

What I Wish I'd Just Experienced

2011-11-11T17:32:00.000-05:00

I wish I could say I've just visited this exhibit, but I haven't. However, they have a pretty good online trailer: I love the internet--I can visit galleries even when I can't and get inspired at any hour of the day or night.

Progress (though outdated) on my commission

2011-09-25T16:47:00.000-04:00

Well, I keep meaning to take and send photos right away, but something always happens. So these photos are a little out of date for me, but certainly progress for you. And here's what it looked like when I first basted it. Right now I am adding dimension color, and secret messages all over it with the quilting. Soooooo much fun!

Words to Live By

2011-09-25T16:37:00.003-04:00

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. --T.S. Elliot

Facing Ourselves

2011-07-18T01:30:00.000-04:00

There's a really interesting exhibit at the Main Art Center in the Downtown Kingsport Association right now called "Facing Ourselves" Here are the artists who are involved: And here is the description of the show: The Challenge: 15 photographs of 15 artists who create 15 portraits. Any media. Any style. Six by six inches. Period. The Result:Facing Ourselves, an exhibit of nearly 225 portraits.

Valley Fiber Life

2011-05-23T11:12:00.000-04:00

Two or three years ago the talented and lovely Marcia Young started a bit of a blog, Valley Fiber Life, about fiber art and artists in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and I was lucky enough as a just barely expat of the Valley, to be one of her first interviews. Today Valley Fiber Life has several regular contributors and a broad umbrella for articles about great artists near and

Life Rolls Along

2011-04-26T13:19:00.000-04:00

My husband always says there aren't as many hours in the day as I think there are. I don't know if that's true--I think the hours just aren't as long as they should be! :-) I've been working on a commission for a wall hanging. I'm combining traditional applique with shisha mirror embroidery and ralli quilting styles and including motifs that represent everyday life for the family it's going to (

Quilting Basics Class

2011-03-12T21:47:00.000-05:00

There's a new quilt shop in Kingsport, folks: Heavenly Stitches. They're new, but they've doubled their fabric selection since November and they have great variety, including orientals, batiks, country, kitsch, traditional, blenders, etc., and they sell and service sewing machines. They also are developing a great selection of notions and batting and I WANT one of their large free-standing design

The Art of Education

2010-12-10T13:24:00.000-05:00

I volunteered for the Ellis island simulation at my youngest's elementary school yesterday. This simulation was for the 4th and 5th grade classes. For a week they have been doing in-class simulations of a European immigrant's journey to the United States in the late 1800s - early 1900s. A small group of 5 students per class (15 total) were randomly selected to be 1st class, another 5 second

I'm on TV!

2010-12-07T18:09:00.003-05:00

I joined Morgan King in the studio of Johnson City (TN) channel 11's Daytime Tri-Cities today this morning and had a great time. I met P. Buckley Moss, savored some exquisite truffles from Jan Charles the Thrillbilly Gourmet, listened to the dulcet tones of a barbershop quartet from Appalachian Express (they couldn't have chosen a better song), and gave an interview re: my artwork. It was good

Work as Art

2010-11-22T14:53:00.001-05:00

Well, I've completed two weeks of working in the gallery at the Downtown Kingsport Association as part of my exhibit and I like it. A lot! As I wrote to a friend, "You (or at least I) get a lot more done and slack a lot less if you (or I) know someone could walk in and witness either your remarkable industriousness or your deplorable sloth at any moment!" I got addicted to my 8' high, 12' wide

Beautiful, interesting, and unfortunate

2010-11-02T01:01:00.003-04:00

I was in DC this weekend and on Sunday went to the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum. We came in the back door, so one of the first things I saw was this: This is part of the hyperbolic reef project. You can see more about it at the Smithsonian's site, including a video of the project's founder giving a presentation for TED. It's hard to tell since I went in tight with the photos, but this

Getting Ready

2010-10-22T18:42:00.000-04:00

I haven't accomplished a lot of stitching or felting recently but I have done a load of desktop publishing to get ready for my exhibit at the Downtown Kingsport Association's gallery. I'm really looking forward to interacting with visitors as well as with my inspiration and materials. So please spread the word and I hope to see you there!

Speaking of Trees . . .

2010-10-09T09:23:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we went to the Eastman Recreation Area at the bottom of Bays Mountain in Kingsport, TN (where we live). There's a great little stream there--lots of rocks to walk across--as well as scads of gorgeous trees. There are so many varieties. My youngest whittled herself a wand, my oldest played frisbee with her dad and grandad, the grands took a short walk, the kids and I popped balloons

Duh! Can't see the forest for the trees!

2010-10-08T21:38:00.004-04:00

I've been working on a second wool painting. Because I'm a glutton for punishment, I decided that since the first hard and shiny subject worked so well, I should do another hard and shiny subject. And I chose hard and shiny . . . and iridescent . . . and transparent carnival glass. What was I thinking? The hard and shiny and iridescent and transparent parts are not the biggest problems, though.

Englandsickness

2010-09-30T14:22:00.000-04:00

So I was going through some photos to make prints for the ArtCrawl a couple of days ago when my youngest walked in. She looked eagerly through the photos then declared glumly that she had Englandsickness--like homesickness but more complicated and expensive to cure. I'm right there with her. We miss our friends and their little town and the grand, glorious, mysterious Dart Moor. Anyhow, I'm

Arts Crawl in Downtown Kingsport

2010-09-27T23:35:00.000-04:00

Thursday night (9-30-10) from 5-9 p.m., KingsportARTS (full info and admission @ their website) and downtown Kingsport shops, eateries, and studios are hosting the semiannual ArtsCrawl. This event has expanded significantly in the last six months (along with business in our real city center), so come support the arts in our fair city and see what's hopping in downtown

A lighthearted reminder . . .

2010-09-23T12:06:00.000-04:00

. . . that the unexpected can be fabulously fun. So do something unexpected today! I know I'm inspired!

The Good, the Bad and the Lovely

2010-09-20T11:42:00.007-04:00

Well, time passes swiftly and a lot has happened in the past two months. The highlights are these, though.The Good: WOOT! The City of Kingsport purchased my "Labyrinth" for their permanent collection. It will adorn the new V.O. Dobbins Community Complex. I hope to attend the opening on Friday and will be recording my artist statement for the cell phone audio tour of the public art later today!"

Model City Art Show

2010-07-15T12:36:00.005-04:00

Well, the awards for the Model City Art Show at FunFest were announced at a reception last Sunday while I was on the road from Wisconsin to Iowa, but my piece "Wending Onward" won one of the two presentation awards for the most effective/professional presentation of work.I used a serious amount of stitching at the edges to create a quilted frame. This allows the design to continue all the way to

3132 Green Mixing Bowl

2010-07-14T23:11:00.007-04:00

Well, I managed to make it to one meeting of the Kingsport Art Guild's June paint out, but it was one productive session. Found a great green mixing bowl (stock or booth number 3132) in the front window in great lighting with a table and chair just the right size to set up my felting. And here's the result:This is the first time I tried "painting" with felt from life. Didn't know if the process

Wazzup?

2010-06-14T14:06:00.009-04:00

Well, it's summer and there is no such thing as routine for the next two months (and the one month behind us). That means there is no such thing as regularly getting work done, so I'm fitting in what I can when I can and joyfully enjoying my children, too.When I'm waiting during dance or instrument lessons I'm usually sketching or stitching samplers for Sharon's commission. It took me a while,

Chaos in the Studio

2010-06-12T23:59:00.000-04:00

My natural state seems to be somewhat organized chaos. The degree varies, but I think chaos is a necessary part of my creative process.Yeah! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.And then I'm cleaning up so I can find what I want to be creating.

Edward Tufte, aka ET

2010-06-05T12:01:00.007-04:00

I heard a story on NPR this morning that both resonated with me and made me aspire to do and be more than I am. That doesn't happen all that often when I listen to the news, particularly both in the same story, so I thought I'd share.The article you can read online is abridged from the audio version, which is certainly worth taking 9 min, 8 sec to listen to. NPR has images of some of his work,

Model City Art Show

2010-05-28T15:23:00.001-04:00

Early registrations for the Kingsport Art Guild's Model City Art Show must be postmarked today (May 28). If you send a CD with images of the work you submit, your work may be used in publicity for the show. Final postmark deadline is June 11, 2010, the show runs July 6-July 28, 2010.$1200 in cash prizes, so enter early and often--well, at least early!

Infinity Art Quilts Exhibit

2010-05-13T16:58:00.004-04:00

I'm pleased that I have work juried into the Infinity Gallery's 2010 Art Quilt Exhibit. I've enjoyed visiting other exhibits of theirs--the artists are talented and the work high-quality. I'm proud to be counted among them (the artists, that is, not the work :-) ).If you visit the website today or tomorrow (Thurs.-Fri. May 13-14) you can see all the pieces that were entered. The finalists will be

Better food in our schools

2010-05-06T13:26:00.003-04:00

As you might know, I have a couple of kids in public school. If you have kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, friends, etc., in school--or if you attended public school, you know that the quality and healthfulness of school food leaves a lot to be desired.Every once in a while I am shocked anew at a school lunch menu that includes fried chicken shapes, corn, rice, and a roll. If you're up on your

You know you're in East TN when . . .

2010-05-02T22:42:00.001-04:00

. . . you're sitting in a Japanese restaurant and suddenly realize you're listening to country music.Observation by my DH at dinner tonight.

Things keep moving forward--even when I don't post!

2010-04-22T10:57:00.009-04:00

Sorry for the long absence--we had some lovely company from far away, and I've been working away both on quilts and the prospectus/planning for the art show I'm chairing this summer. As soon as I make one I'll post a PDF of the prospectus for anyone who lives around here.One piece of good news--my article "Paint with Wool, Sculpt with Stitch" appeared in the April/May issue of Interweave's

Acrylics on Fiber

2010-03-05T09:15:00.003-05:00

Artists Deb Lacativa posted a letter she received from a Golden representative re: acrylic on fabric--UV resistance, sealing, various applications, and heat setting, among others. This is a treasure trove of information all in on place. I'm adding it here (my journal) so I remember it--hope you find it helpful, too.BTW, Deb does exuberant work--check out her website.

Baby Blues

2010-01-24T22:26:00.008-05:00

My mom introduced me to the cartoon strip "Baby Blues" either just before or just after I had my first, and I've felt their pain all these years . . . and been glad to know someone else feels mine . . . and been so grateful to be able to laugh at myself and the challenges that are monumentally daunting in the moment, and so yesterday once we've overcome them (like getting my first to sleep

Grandma's Shawl

2010-01-23T14:58:00.009-05:00

I'm supposed to be sketching one of the two remaining quilts I have to design for a Quilting Arts magazine article that is due in a week, but procrastination is an important part of my creative process, so I'm feeding my creative side by posting. Really! Just ask my mom!Anyhow, my Grandma made knitted and crocheted and beaded and plastic canvas stuff for us when we were young. She and Grandpa

Free Stuff Soon!

2010-01-17T23:43:00.002-05:00

Don't get all excited--I'm not giving away anything shiny or colorful . . . or green.However, I'm madly working on a new talk that will partner with a new class and I thought, "You know, there's some information that every quilter needs to have . . . and I have it written down . . . so I think I'll post it."I had time to think that but not time to post it since I have two talks this week and an

New Study

2009-12-01T23:00:00.005-05:00

Well, I'm not doing much work this week. Between appointments for me and appointments for the kids and even an appointment for Speedy the leopard gecko . . . and cleaning the house and studio . . . well, I guess that's work in the real sense of the word, and I'm doing a lot of that, but not much of the creative sort.However, last night while my youngest was at clogging class (another one of those

And Another One's Done

2009-11-19T14:23:00.003-05:00

Well, I've been so busy doing that I haven't done a lot of blogging--a happy problem I think, at least for me. Here's what I finished yesterday:After the Storm III6" x 4"(c) 2009 Cindi HussWorking on another "After" piece in fiber as well as a dimensional painting. Also on my plate:Hand quilted/embroidered commission for Sharon Roat.After the Storm: At Sea large-format quilted sculpture.A couple

Class Dates Changed

2009-10-28T09:01:00.005-04:00

My Crocheted Fabric Pots class dates have changed to Nov. 17 (7-9 p.m.) and Nov. 24 (7-8 p.m.). Still plenty of time to make a pot or two before the holidays.These make great gifts on the cheap and are a great way to use up those long, skinny scraps left after trimming quilt backs before binding.I love using mine next to the sewing machine or iron, where the little raw-edge threads inside the pot

Life is good in MD . . .

2009-10-12T10:54:00.007-04:00

Recently I stayed in Kensington, MD, for two-and-a-half delightful days at Chez Colladay. My hostess, Coralyn, was delightful, insightful, and plain spoken, a wonderful combination.The first evening I had dinner with Coralyn, two Nancys, a Linda, and a Jane, all from the Friendship Star Quilters, and I learned about quilters' bingo and what a different world D.C. is from anywhere else I've ever

And another thing . . .

2009-09-23T19:21:00.003-04:00

We have some great friends in Vermont who are not afraid of paint. In fact, I think they've elevated house painting to an art and looking at their house just makes me smile--hope it will you, too.

The Fly People

2009-09-23T15:56:00.003-04:00

While working today I was listening to the BBC and there was a delightful story about the traditions of naming genes. It's a fun look into the creative and quirky lives of geneticists, and the reporter did a nice job of going with the fun. And for you artist folks, check out the image that goes with the article on the BBC. It's beautiful!

Monotype Class

2009-09-23T09:11:00.009-04:00

Monday I took a five-hour gelatin Monotype class with artist Kathy Gibian (offered through the Kingsport Art Guild). I had a great time and learned as much from seeing what other folks experimented with as from what I worked with. Monday we worked predominantly with silk screen inks, but yesterday I did some tube watercolor work with the plate as well. (Kathy was kind enough to allow me to take

Fall/Winter Class Registration Open

2009-09-12T15:21:00.004-04:00

Well, I've been pretty sick this week with H1N1 but am finally beginning to feel better. I have gotten some work done in between fevers, mostly because being sick is BORING, so I really relished anything to relieve the boredom--well, anything that didn't require too much brain power or physical exertion. So I updated the "Class Schedule" page on my website with my Fall/Winter classes. Yea!So

Early Morning Treat

2009-09-04T09:15:00.006-04:00

Well, about 6:30 this morning my youngest bounced on the bed with a birthday gift. This showed a lot of restraint, as the various stages of creation (choosing, making, admiring, and wrapping) had finished only last evening. With light-dazzled eyes I slowly unwrapped the gift (slowly because we use funny pages for wrapping paper and kept pointing out to each other the particular ones we had

Christmas in September

2009-09-02T20:18:00.005-04:00

Just received a yummy batch of wool from New England Felting Supply. Mmmmmmmmmmm ....... eye candy ....... lovely ....... soft .......decadent!And more is less with their new (and still limited) wholesale program. 26 colors of Norwegian C-1 batts are discounted $12/pound with a minimum total order of $250 and a retail certificate. Not bad!I've felt (no pun intended) a little distant from my

Finished Product

2009-08-11T21:35:00.003-04:00

Here it is, the final product--"After the Storm II." Color slightly off but close--good enough until I can get a professional photo taken.You can see the nuno felted trees and bushes and a little of the very dimensional quilted field here. The green field in the background is nubby raw silk, and the background trees are composed of a variety of cotton and silk fabrics.If your guild is interested

Extreme Quilting

2009-08-07T13:56:00.005-04:00

Well, my solo exhibit, Cindi Huss: Extreme Quilting, is up at the Kingsport (TN) city hall. Yea! Here's a tour:Main wall with "After the Storm II," sign about my work (with an image of "Wending Onward" which is currently at the Belger Arts Center in KC, MO), and "Contemplating Madness."Smaller works wall with "Night Life," "After the Storm," "Labyrinth," "Molehill," and "Mapping the Subconscious

American Quilter Magazine

2009-08-02T09:28:00.009-04:00

Just got my contributor's copy of the September 2009 issue of American Quilter and my article "Auditioning Your Quilt Design" (page 62) looks great! In the article I explain two methods for auditioning the quilting design on paper before you commit to needle and thread.Another tip for folks who might still feel a little nervous about committing to needle and thread: Do the first bit of your

Down to the Wire

2009-07-30T16:13:00.006-04:00

After the Storm IIWorking like a maniac to all hours to finish this in time to have it framed to hang next Thursday. Not time for a long post, but thought I'd keep documenting the process.Have created "speed nuno" for the trees (on silk) and bushes (on kona cotton). There'll be more dark bushes in front of the trees on the right as well, but haven't cut the felt yet. Also, field'll be a little

Less is more

2009-07-14T21:05:00.002-04:00

My starting place, but too little contrast and too literalAdded some basic trees without many layers, got better definition.Removed some layers on other elements for better definition and like where it's going. Less literal, more suggestive.Thought I was going to sculpt with layers, but looks like I'm back to sculpting with the quilting stitch. Not that I mind. A couple of years ago I thought I

I have a tree!

2009-07-14T00:37:00.005-04:00

Just finished my first tree. Well, it's actually more of a bush and will actually be mostly behind everything else, but I figured that made it the best one to start with.Anything else I need to do will, I hope, become clear as I finish more pieces of the picture. Has been fun for me to realize I needed to invert all my shapes--the trees all needed concave rather than convex curves and pointy bits

Check it out!

2009-07-11T01:12:00.002-04:00

Just visited the Kingsport Art Guild's website for the dates of an exhibit and found my piece at the top of this page. Cool!

Narrowing it down

2009-07-09T17:35:00.005-04:00

Ex-per-men-ta-tio-on, Ex-per-men-ta-tio-o-on, it's makin' me gray!(you know, like anticipation and Heinz ketchup?)(and yes, I know there's an "i" in experimentation, but it didn't fit in the song--artistic license and all that!)Spent the day yesterday closing in on my method and think I'm getting there.Nope. Not enough shape, too much difference in texture from middle to edges. Do like the

One of these days . . .

2009-07-08T12:28:00.007-04:00

. . . I might do a quilt that doesn't require me to tackle a construction conundrum (sure would save a lot of time). . . but I don't think so.I need to make trees. Abstracted trees that have the texture and general shape of trees without being either too literal or too cartoonish.So I started fooling around with scrap batting and remnant wool fleece. Needle felting always is near the top of my

Award of Merit

2009-07-05T22:24:00.004-04:00

The Beach at Castle St. Gregory(c) 2007 Cindi HussHappy day. Am in the middle of a fun visit from family and found out today I received an award of merit for "The Beach at Castle St. Gregory" (above) at a fine art exhibit at the Renaissance Center here in Kingsport. WOOT! WOOT!

Amber Waves

2009-06-23T09:02:00.004-04:00

Despite summer busyness I'm making progress on the first (and most labor intensive) part of my current work and (after realizing that my clever new method of binding small quilts absolutely does not work) have nearly finished rebinding the color study for my current commission. Hope to finish both this week.Here are the amber waves of mown hay I've been working on:But alas, that is as far as I'll

Tree Down

2009-06-23T08:46:00.004-04:00

One of the things I find awesome (in the old-fashioned sense of the word) around here is the weather. Last week we had a doozy of a storm. The rain came sideways in sheets, or maybe blankets. We were at a lesson in a third (and top) floor office and decided to go down a couple of flights for a while because the storm was that violent. Didn't last for long, though, went back up the stairs,

Studio Tour

2009-06-10T09:08:00.008-04:00

Well, it hasn't been quite a year since we moved and at last I have photos of my new studio. I'm pretending that this is like wedding presents--you have a year to do it before you're really a social pariah.So . . .First is my shelves covered with zip-off white shower curtains. Lightens the place up a little and gives me a place to pin things I'm not actively working on but am actively thinking

Please excuse this temporary interruption . . .

2009-05-30T16:19:00.004-04:00

Just when I thought I'd gotten back in the posting groove . . . my two left feet betrayed me! Was heading out to the deck to water the tomatoes and potatoes (that I haven't killed yet--they're actually thriving!), tripped on the threshold, and ended up losing a tooth (has been reinserted), getting 5 stitches in my bottom lip (they've been removed), and scraping and bruising both knees and an

Nearly a year in Tennessee

2009-05-12T12:54:00.007-04:00

Well, we've been here nearly a year and feel very at home. We've made the transition pretty well, the kids are thriving, DH loves his job, and I am in heaven in my studio. The weather is warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, there's almost always a little wind, and the clouds (and thunderstorms) are way more impressive.One of the hardest things to get used to is that things like pita

Making Panir

2009-05-11T12:35:00.000-04:00

I'm a little behind on the whole blogging thing, but have had some company and some deadlines, all of which ended well, so am trying to catch up now.So, I went to a retreat in January and the first thing I learned there was how to make cheese. Cheese?! Yup, and it was excellent! Here's a little something from Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (page 131):" . . . it takes less time to

More Sculpting

2009-05-06T15:57:00.004-04:00

Next step in creating the depth of this field. Can you see the difference? (My photo skills not on par with my quilting skills.)

Sculpting With the Quilting Stitch

2009-05-06T15:23:00.004-04:00

I just love my medium!! Working on a quilting study for my current work, and it's just so full of yummy texture--and this is only the beginning. Quilting really does make the quilt!

This is all you get

2009-04-29T23:30:00.004-04:00

Howdy folks. Well, this is all you get of this work in progress because I don't want to give away the cow. Had to post, though, to prove I'm actually getting work done in addition to making cheese and hosting guests and volunteering to proctor standardized tests and meeting deadlines that don't have a lot to do with making art.The small painting laying atop it is the study for the larger work.

Cross Blogging

2009-03-26T08:39:00.003-04:00

Just received notice that this great new blog in MA (my former habitat) posted an article on me. Thanks, Marcia! What a wonderful thing to come home to.Just got back from a great great few days in Asheville, NC, (a few pics coming soon) with my mom and I'm getting ready for a birthday party this evening for Bernard Kaiman, the nearly 90-year-old force of nature in international folk and Scottish

Time out with Mom

2009-03-16T20:57:00.003-04:00

Hey. I'm fitting in a little work here and there (like getting my taxes ready), but my Mom is visiting and the kids are home for Spring Break, so not doing a lot of creating (except in my head). Soon I'll be working on a landscape, though, so stay tuned. Also, will be visiting Glorious Asheville again soon, so should have some lovely pics to share then.Hope your March is behaving like a lamb.

I Beat the Deadline!

2009-03-03T10:46:00.009-05:00

Wending Onward(c)2009 Cindi HussI made this 18" x 18" piece for the Surface Design Association's member exhibit, Surface Matters. This and a plethora of other surface design/fiber exhibits will hang at galleries in the Crossroads Art District in downtown KC, MO and will open in conjunction with the SDA's biennial conference (at Kansas City Art Institute and the Marriott Country Club Plaza) and

Unauthorized Substance Tax--Hmmmmm

2009-03-03T10:29:00.003-05:00

So since I'm new to Tennessee I was researching the various means of filing the various taxes I have to pay here and among the list of taxes I could read about was:Unauthorized Substance TaxYou can imagine how that might pique one's curiosity, so I clicked on the link and found out that taxable items in this category include:MarijuanaCocaineCrackMethamphetamineUntaxed liquors and spirits (AKA

I Heard It on the BBC (So it must be true!)

2009-02-25T12:56:00.003-05:00

Today (12:55 p.m.) the BBC ran an article re: the auction of Yves St. Laurent's art collection, which went for twice what was expected. The "expert" interviewed said that over the past decade art has proven to be a better investment than stock.Food for thought (and a big nose thumbing at the detractors who said art does not stimulate the economy!).

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

2009-02-17T20:43:00.008-05:00

Well, my poor oldest was home for a week with walking (well, perhaps "crawling" is more accurate) pneumonia, and now my youngest is working on a week home sick, too, with an as-yet-unidentified malady. Back to the doctor's in the morning, poor thing!I've also been working on an inventory of all my business property so the county can tax me on stuff I already paid tax on. Oi! That's what I get for

Earth from Space

2009-01-31T13:16:00.004-05:00

The Kingsport Public Library currently is showing the Smithsonian's Earth from Space exhibit. The exhibit is divided into several sections and several satellites provided the source imagery. I was a chaperone on my daughter's class trip to see the exhibit last week and my good deed was rewarded 10-fold by the oh-so-inspiring images. I was at a loss re: what to create for my 18" x 18" Surface

I made cheese!

2009-01-27T22:41:00.003-05:00

I'm on my way to bed, but I'm so excited I had to post. Made goat's milk cheese today and flavored it with Penzey's garlic salt. It's soooooo good! Had it on a salad of baby romaine with mixed raisins, a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, salt, and pepper. It was wonderful.That's all. Nighty, night.Thank you Rosemary, for the knowledge, the courage, and the milk!

I love what I do!

2009-01-21T23:11:00.002-05:00

It's alchemy.Magically some barbed needles and inspiration turn this:Into this:A painting in fiber.But then the fun really begins--the quilting brings the whole thing to life:Until a two dimensional picture becomes a sculpture for the wall:Labyrinth II (c) 2009 Cindi Huss.This is the 8" square (approx.) of the quilt that will show throughthe matte. It will travel with Meet SAQA's Artistsfor a

My Plan Derailed

2009-01-13T10:48:00.010-05:00

Isn't it wonderful?Sometimes the things we trip over are just what we've been looking for, an opportunity we've been invited to recognize.I've been dyeing my own fabric for several years now and I love it. Even fairly simple mottled patterns are just yummy:See?!There are only a few problems:1. Sometimes I want a piece with a larger or smaller repeat than I got with the original.2. Sometimes I

Great Friends Do Great Things

2009-01-05T19:58:00.004-05:00

I am constantly inspired by my friends: some are writing novels, one is becoming a mover and shaker in the DE classical music scene, several are homeschooling with wild success and abandon, and quite a few are making entrepreneurial and artistic successes of themselves. And so many friends have overcome illness, difficulty, or tragedy in their lives with grace, courage, and hope that I profoundly

Repost of Mmmm, Mmmmm Good

2009-01-02T10:08:00.015-05:00

So. We traveled to Des Moines, IA, to spend Christmas with my 93-year-old Grandma and it was fabulous. We ran into weather driving both ways, but what do you expect when you arrogantly decide that driving 14 hours across the Midwest in winter would be a good idea? Anyhow, the visit was lovely even if the drive was not, but the thing (besides my own bed) that I most enjoyed upon returning home

The Speed of Life

2008-12-28T23:59:00.003-05:00

I have frequently said that I chose the wrong medium for instant gratification. I said it when watching my friend Pascale weave a blanket in an hour and a half (not counting the dressing of the loom, of course). I said it when watching my mother whip out a painting during a watercolor class she was teaching. I said it when doing my own work in paint, and especially I said it after reading about

2008-12-25T22:14:00.005-05:00

I love a museum that has it all pulled together. Just got an e-mail from the Coos Art Museum where three concurrent contemporary quilt exhibits are taking place. They've put up virtual exhibits of each one. If you go to the New Focus tour, my "After the Storm I" is the middle quilt in the third photo.After the Storm I (c)2008 Cindi Huss.“Treetops toss joyfully, lit by the sun, defying the passing

Dancing School in the Basement

2008-12-14T14:47:00.006-05:00

I love the name Dancing Threads Studio. It captures the dynamic nature of my materials, is a little "in" reminder of my passion for international folk dancing, and it's a link to my friend and fellow dancer Pascale, whose Irish tapestry studio also is called Dancing Threads Studio.However . . .I've been getting all my ducks in a row so I can teach classes in the studio beginning in Feb. 2009.

Verb of the Day

2008-12-12T14:51:00.000-05:00

Last weekend (with considerable muscle power contributed with a happy heart by D.H.) I feng shuied my studio--and I mean "feng shui" in the sense that I generally mean "kleenex"--as a generic descriptor rather than the discreet name brand.I had one nook in my studio all put together. It is full of light and has lovely views, and I even had inspiration up on the walls. and my sewing machine and

Casting Light

2008-12-08T14:36:00.004-05:00

As I stumbled through the house in the dark at 6 a.m. this morning it seemed a little brighter than usual. So I took a quick peek out the back window on my way by. And stopped. And looked again.It was a little bright out, but the strange thing was that instead of shadows, the trees were casting light. Seriously.My poor sleep befuddled brain searched for shadows and didn't see any.Several seconds

In the Saddle Again, Again . . . Again

2008-12-03T11:59:00.007-05:00

Seems like all I'm doing is trying to find a pace and routine in the new studio. You'd think it'd be easy what with this great new studio with space and light and all. Somehow it still feels a little odd, though--perhaps I need a little feng shui. Whatever it is, I gotta get my groove on!I do have loads of floor space cleared out and am nearly ready to post photos of the sstudio, but in the

Unexpected Beauty

2008-11-11T06:34:00.003-05:00

I just love when beauty sneaks up on me.A turnip. Who knew?

Snow in Tennessee, and VOTE

2008-10-31T10:21:00.004-04:00

Well, after a month of company and a computer break-down I'm back in the saddle again--again. I'm looking forward to posting all the things that have been running around in my head for the last month and a half, but for now I will share this:It's not yet Hallowe'en and we had three days of intermittent snow flurries. In Tennessee. What's the deal?! I thought about taking pictures but if you blink

Felt is yummy!

2008-09-09T20:57:00.005-04:00

Made some more nuno, including this piece that I'll use on my piece for the New Focus exhibit at the Coos Art Museum:felt sidesilk sideI started out with a piece of china silk 28" x 24 1/2" and ended up with a piece 11" x 9". Bob declares this, like all my artistic exploits, to be highly inefficient, but he admires the end results anyway (because he clearly has good taste).This was just the thing

I just couldn't help myself

2008-09-09T20:15:00.007-04:00

Well, I said I had stopped taking pictures of the frequently spectacular skies here, but . . . had my camera to take photos of my youngest's first race and . . . the sky was so cool after the race. All these photos are from the same evening. So here, for your delectation, is the Eastman Chemical Company's headquarters building here in Kingsport, TN:and a couple of photos from my driveway:

Glorious Asheville

2008-09-06T22:01:00.003-04:00

So, of course I forgot to take my camera, but went to Asheville, NC, on a day trip with ma familia today and it was awesome! Felt like being back home in W. Mass. but bigger and with better weather. I discovered Earth Guild, which is smaller than WEBS but still a great supplier of weaving, woodworking, clayworking, felting, dyeing, and basketmaking supplies. Also visited toy shops, book stores,

One of my favorite things . .

2008-09-04T14:03:00.006-04:00

. . . about our new home in Tennessee is the cloudscapes. The sunsets are beautiful any day it's not raining, but the daytime offers awe-inspiring sky vistas as well. Pictures say it far better than I, though, so . . .(These last three are taken from my back yard in suburban Kingsport.)For a while I was taking photographs all the time--until I realized that this is par for the course and that

Back in the saddle--mostly!

2008-08-29T23:32:00.001-04:00

The studio is nearly unpacked--I can now imagine what it'll look like once the boxes and extraneous furniture are gone.I have missed my fabric and find myself caressing favorite tools and materials as I put them away. Ah, the secret life of quilters!So, since I have a deadline looming and a commission I should be working on (and because I NEED TO WORK!!!), I played hookie from unpacking and spent

We're live! We're live!

2008-08-21T11:17:00.003-04:00

The new Dancing Threads website is up and running! Woo-hoo!This new and improved site includes both Dancing Threads studios: my studio in the U.S. and my dear friend Pascale's studio in Ireland. Pascale is a rocking tapestry weaver and a fabulous teacher.Gloderworks is great and Pascale and I love our new content management system and really enjoyed working with Derry (the "der" in Gloderworks).

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2008-07-28T23:04:00.003-04:00

Community Gardenby the 2007-08 third-grade classP.E. Bowe Elementary School, Chicopee, MAwith Cindi HussDidn't the kids at P.E. Bowe Elementary School do a great job?! They designed the foliage, fruit, veg., and flowers on paper then translated them into fabric. The fringe at the bottom is made of 199 wood joining biscuits with words the students came up with about what it takes to make a

Seat-of-the-pants wrap-up--Part I

2008-06-11T16:41:00.016-04:00

I'd love to create a long post about favorite places in the area (Pioneer Valley in Western MA), but that would require heights of organization and planning that I, frankly, am incapable of --aside from plans for our (very) impending move, so I'm going with a much more seat-of-the-pants approach . . .Today I had lunch at Judie's in Amherst, MA, with my friend Cindy--fellow quilter, fellow dancer,

New Heights of Domestic Insanity

2008-06-03T18:23:00.007-04:00

Well, our house is finally up for sale. Check it out.Isn't it cute?!We kicked it all off with an open house last Saturday. After our Memorial Day bash the floors, including the throw rugs, were trashed. The amazing Alicia Murphy took care of the floors and DH took care of the rugs.If I had been thinking I would have done the rugs and used Synthropol so the red didn't turn everything pink, but I

Tuna Tower

2008-06-03T18:15:00.003-04:00

I dragged my poor friend Lori to Whole Foods last weekend ostensibly to buy wine and peppers to prepare for a Memorial Day party, but really so I could take a picture of this before the display changed:She surely thinks I'm a nut, but it just illustrates my growing sense that taking a little time and effort to make even mundane things colorful and interesting is worthwhile. Hey--it made me smile,

Disaster Area

2008-05-20T08:47:00.001-04:00

I've been doing so many things around the house and trying so hard to keep it moderately tidy that I have done almost no work for the past three months. However, I must finish the mural I worked on during my 10-week autumn residency with third graders from the P.E. Bowe Elementary School (Chicopee, MA) before the end of the school year (just after the middle of June).Since we have had to delay

So-cool Treehouse!

2008-05-20T07:47:00.003-04:00

Was on my way to the music store the other day when I saw this awesome tree house (tree complex?). If you look carefully on the right-hand edge of the photo you can see where the second-floor roof of the house is--this thing is waaaaaaay up in these extremely large trees!As if the suspension bridge weren't cool enough, these folks have attached a series of rings to the bottom side of it so you

My new studio (and house)!

2008-05-14T09:20:00.005-04:00

We have a house in Kingsport! Woo-hoo!It's a ranch with a big yard in a family-friendly neighborhood in Kingsport City proper, so the kids' schools will be great.It also has a great BIG studio space--the entire finished basement! Imagine this space with a whopping stash, racks of thread, rolls of batting, a big design wall, and a large space for felting and dyeing (and pay no attention to that

Fiber Art Center Closes Doors

2008-05-08T16:41:00.006-04:00

So sad. I went in to the Fiber Art Center today to help pack up the last of the consignment goods. It is so difficult to see the physical closure. It took 7 years of hard work by so many people to build it up, yet everything has been dismantled over the course of just a couple weeks.I have enjoyed the Fiber Art Center as an artist, teacher, vendor, student, audience member, volunteer, working

Everything's coming up . . .

2008-04-22T12:15:00.003-04:00

. . . shibori!I had a lovely three-day dyeing workshop with Jan Myers-Newbury last week (or at least it was last week when I began composing this post).(By the way, Jan, I lived on Summerlea St.--I knew the knowledge was in there somewhere, but it only surfaced today.)At dinner she pointed out that the ceramic lazy Susan on our table (at Susanna Foo's--excellent food!)