I now have new confirmed dates for my exhibition Square Dance. It will be on at the Saskatchewan Craft Council Gallery from January 16 to March 6, 2021. (Covid-related rules will apply.)
The last wall piece for the show —Inheritance— is now complete.
I posted a picture of it from the back on Instagram earlier this week, before I had attached the mounting eyelets and signed and dated it.
I assembled the work by sliding rows of menko onto support strips as I had done in the previous piece Nurture, not Nature.
Then I sewed the strips together.
After the work was completely assembled, I added the eyelets.
There are three to mount this piece which hangs diamond-wise: one at the top corner, and one each at the side corners.
Since the piece is meant to evoke (among other things) the Zhen Xian Bao/Chinese Thread Book —my grandmother had one which my mother threw out— I inserted sewing notions in all the interior squares, having inherited a collection from my mother and grandmother.
Most of the bits went in loose, but I was concerned that straight pins would slip out the corners of the menko so I pinned them through the inner paper inside.
All that remains for my exhibition Square Dance to be completely ready to hang is making boxes for the nine variations of Twenty-twenty Hindsight.
(Oh, and writing out bits of explanatory text to go with all the pieces in the show!)
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Among the inherited collection of notions I found a blank back for a lapel pin. Perhaps I will make a little pin to commemorate Square Dance.
I could wear it at my opening. If there is one. We shall see.
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I have also been planning an entry for #areyoubookenough_weathered. Here are my chosen materials.
I did a test to make sure that I could work with the dried corn husk. I re-hydrated a piece and then manipulated it.
The moistened corn husk is quite strong and malleable, but can be torn lengthwise. (The dried husk can be broken in any direction.)
More news on that piece next week.
In other book arts news:
John Neal Books has updated its list of online calligraphy classes. One offering seemed particularly timely. Grünewald Guild is presenting a class by Laura Norton called Calligraphy for the Streets: Bold, Hand-Lettered Signs on October 3, 2020.
In other news:
I ordered some yarn (like I need more yarn) and it arrived in the mail this week. I didn’t recognize the flat mailer as my order at first. When I opened the envelope it contained two vacuum-packed skeins of sock wool.
… and the award for clever packaging to minimize postal costs goes to Midknit Cravings!
Byopia Press 